Cleveland (63 - 19)

Expert Pick
50% ··········><·········· 50%

Washington (55 - 27)

The battle out East


In a thrilling NSL matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Washington Wizards in what promises to be a high-stakes game for the juggernauts of the East. The Wizards, once seen as one of the favorites heading into the season, have found themselves struggling to maintain consistency. Despite boasting a talented roster primarily built around the King, they’ve faltered in key moments, leaving fans and analysts questioning their ability to compete at the highest level for season 2024/25. Injuries and strategy lapses have plagued their campaign, leaving them with little momentum and praying LeBron can steer the ship. On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the surprise of the season, defying expectations and quickly establishing themselves as a force in the Eastern Conference. Led by young stars like Fox and Barnes, and a strong defensive system, the Cavaliers have outperformed this year, earning them recognition as one of the most promising teams of the year and doing so on consistent level. With impressive wins against top-tier opponents, Cleveland has shown it can not only compete but thrive against the best as it sits with essentially a league sharing best record. This game will be a crucial one for both teams. The Wizards need to find their rhythm and rediscover the form that made them pre-season favorites and rectify a finals loss that almost broke Josh V in two.. A loss here could further deepen their struggles, however a top tier GM like Josh will not be panicing just yet, one of the most savvy GM's in the business, he will not go down without a fight. Meanwhile, the Shams is looking to solidify their standing as one of the league’s top teams, hoping to capitalize on their momentum and prove that their early-season success is no fluke. This years 2k system clearly loves this Cavs outfit and it paying dividends for their GM. May the best in the East go at it! Cavaliers looking to continue their ascent, and with the Wizz are looking to make a statement of their own, this matchup promises to be an exciting, edge-of-your-seat contest. I am looking forward to seeing who comes out on top in this one.

In a thrilling NSL matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Washington Wizards in what promises to be a high-stakes game for the juggernauts of the East. The Wizards, once seen as one of the favorites heading into the season, have found themselves struggling to maintain consistency. Despite boasting a talented roster primarily built around the King, they’ve faltered in key moments, leaving fans and analysts questioning their ability to compete at the highest level for season 2024/25. Injuries and strategy lapses have plagued their campaign, leaving them with little momentum and praying LeBron can steer the ship.

On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the surprise of the season, defying expectations and quickly establishing themselves as a force in the Eastern Conference. Led by young stars like Fox and Barnes, and a strong defensive system, the Cavaliers have outperformed this year, earning them recognition as one of the most promising teams of the year and doing so on consistent level. With impressive wins against top-tier opponents, Cleveland has shown it can not only compete but thrive against the best as it sits with essentially a league sharing best record.

This game will be a crucial one for both teams. The Wizards need to find their rhythm and rediscover the form that made them pre-season favorites and rectify a finals loss that almost broke Josh V in two.. A loss here could further deepen their struggles, however a top tier GM like Josh will not be panicing just yet, one of the most savvy GM's in the business, he will not go down without a fight. Meanwhile, the Shams is looking to solidify their standing as one of the league’s top teams, hoping to capitalize on their momentum and prove that their early-season success is no fluke. This years 2k system clearly loves this Cavs outfit and it paying dividends for their GM.

May the best in the East go at it! Cavaliers looking to continue their ascent, and with the Wizz are looking to make a statement of their own, this matchup promises to be an exciting, edge-of-your-seat contest. I am looking forward to seeing who comes out on top in this one.

Cavaliers Star

DeAaron Fox
As a Kings fan, it hurts me to talk about DeAaron - clearly I am still bitter! Putting my feelings aside, he has been huge for Shams and will continue to do so with his new home in the NBA.

His ability to push the pace, break down defenses, and create opportunities for teammates has put him in the realm of the leagues premier guards. Fox is a crucial player for any Cavs and will look to carry a heavy load once again for Shams.

PPG 30.9

RPG 3.3

APG 4.6

SPG 1.0

BPG 0.4

FPG 2.2

TPG 1.6

PPG 41.7

RPG 8.6

APG 4.6

SPG 1.1

BPG 1.7

FPG 2.2

TPG 2.0

Wizards Star

Lebron James
Appreciate Greatness!

LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time (He is the GOAT). With an unmatched combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ, he’s dominated the NBA for over two decades and continues to lead the Wizz to glory. His versatility allows him to excel in virtually every aspect of the game, making him almost the perfect 2k player, he also does not seem to be slowing down in real life or in game.. Safe to say, he is the key player for the Wizz. If he can get close to 42.5PPG and 12.5RPG he got in week 12, then I would say Josh is in safe hands.

X-Factor
Andre Drummond 16RPG X Clint Capela - 14RPG The battle of the bigs. Both of these guys are huge for their teams. We all know about glitchy Drummond, and Capela probably gets a little bit less of a victory lap than Drummond but Josh deploys him beautifully. If either of these guys can hold the other one at bay and get close to their season averages, it would go a long way in a win for their respective clubs. This version of the game has definitely shifted to favouring guards over bigs, but these two still got game!

X-Factor

Andre Drummond 16RPG X Clint Capela - 14RPG

The battle of the bigs. Both of these guys are huge for their teams. We all know about glitchy Drummond, and Capela probably gets a little bit less of a victory lap than Drummond but Josh deploys him beautifully.

If either of these guys can hold the other one at bay and get close to their season averages, it would go a long way in a win for their respective clubs.

This version of the game has definitely shifted to favouring guards over bigs, but these two still got game!

Injury Report
Team is healthy this week Returning Players: Vince Williams Jr. (returning from Leg/Ankle/Knee) - 48 NBA Games missed this season Daniel Theis (returning from Neck/Thumb) - 5 NBA Games missed this season Clint Capela (returning from Knee/Back/Personal/Undisclosed) - 9 NBA Games missed this season	Team is healthy this week Returning Players: Armel Traore (returning from Quad) - 1 NBA Games missed this season Julius Randle (returning from Groin) - 8 NBA Games missed this season

Prediction
This one seems to close to call, and as I am writing this I still cannot put my finger on exactly which way I think it will go. Shams seems to have cracked the code this year, whilst Josh has had to jumble line ups and injuries along the way. With a healthy Wizz team, I think Josh has made some attempts to right the ship. At basically full strength, the Wizz are built to win and win they will. Wizz at home by 8 points in a tight battle. Two great GM's going head to head mid season, just what we like to see to spice up our work week.

Prediction

This one seems to close to call, and as I am writing this I still cannot put my finger on exactly which way I think it will go. Shams seems to have cracked the code this year, whilst Josh has had to jumble line ups and injuries along the way. With a healthy Wizz team, I think Josh has made some attempts to right the ship. At basically full strength, the Wizz are built to win and win they will.

Wizz at home by 8 points in a tight battle.

Two great GM's going head to head mid season, just what we like to see to spice up our work week.

	WAS	97
	CLE	115

	SA	99
	MIN	112

	PHI	99
	CLE	101

	LAL	103
	SA	107

	CLE	105
	PHI	109