Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 26th game of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the District are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest Amin Vafa (@AminNBA), who is all over the interwebs (including Bullets Forever and Hardwood Paroxysm) but contributes here today as a writer for SB Nation Cleveland.

Wizards Starters (3-22):

Jordan Crawford, Shelvin Mack, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster, Nene, Emeka Okafor
Note: Crawford is not starting per violation of a team rule.

Cavaliers Starters (6-23):

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Wizards super-fans arrive early to see the team for themselves (photo credit: @ddiamond)

It’s a dark, quiet night in the District. Congress is gone, the Wizards are back, and another NBA season is rapidly going off the rails.

The more things change…

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Bradley Beal also returns. Photo: K. Weidie

On Wednesday TAI wondered if it was time to start Nene, minutes limit be damned. Nene didn’t start that night in Orlando, the second of a back-to-back after playing against the Hawks on Tuesday night, and the Wizards got blown out. Nene didn’t play at all on Friday night in Detroit — perhaps partly due to a cold that’s been going around, partly due to the rest that his perpetually sore foot needs — and the Wizards still got blown out.

Tonight, after appearing in 12 of the 15 games since his return, Nene will make his first start of the season for Washington. He will join Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal (who also returns after missing the last two games due to a sore back), Martell Webster, and Emeka Okafor. Nene’s impact, even in limited minutes, continues to be profound. In 261 minutes over 12 games, he leads the Wizards with a total plus/minus of plus-36. Only one other Wizard has a positive plus/minus on the season, Cartier Martin (plus-32 in 294 total minutes). Also watch the Nene-Okafor pairing — they’ve appeared on the court for 42 total minutes this season to the tune of plus-32.

Before the game, TAI spoke with Pistons Coach Lawrence Frank about the impact of Nene and how he conveys that to his players after they beat the Wizards, without Nene, by 32 points last night.

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 24th game of the season against the Pistons in Detroit are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest Dan Feldman (@danfeld11), who is all over the interwebs but contributes here today as a writer for the ESPN TrueHoop blog Piston Powered (@PistonPowered).

Wizards Starters (3-20):

Shaun Livingston, Jordan Crawford, Martell Webster, Earl Barron, Emeka Okafor
(Will Earl Barron start two games in a row? Stay tuned, Wizards fans…)
NOTE: Bradley Beal is a game-time decision, and Nene is out with a cold/flu (that Jan Vesely likely gave him). News via @cmillscsm.

Pistons Starters (7-21):

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 23rd game of the season against the Magic in Orlando are TAI’s John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend) and guest Noam Schiller (@noamschiller), who is all over the basketball blogosphere but contributes here today as a writer for the ESPN TrueHoop blog Magic Basketball.

Wizards Starters (3-19):

Shaun Livingston, Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal (game-time decision), Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Earl Barron, Emeka Okafor

Magic Starters (11-13):

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Tonight is the third time, with his third team, that DeShawn Stevenson has been back to play in D.C. since he was traded away in February 2010.

As a member of the Dallas Mavericks, before they won the title, Stevenson returned to Washington, played two minutes and missed one shot in a February 2011 contest, a 105-99 Dallas win. As a member of the New Jersey Nets last season, Stevenson made a brief 12 second appearance at the Verizon Center in a 90-84 Nets win on opening night of a lockout-shortened season. Now, as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, having been traded last summer in the Joe Johnson deal, Stevenson returns to Washington, yet again.

Take the opportunity to speak with DeShawn before Tuesday night’s Wizards-Hawks matchup? Certainly.

TAI: Anything to being back here in D.C., or has all that passed by now? Read more »

Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 20th game of the season against the Heat in Miami is TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Usually there is a guest to these bits, but this Kyle character didn’t reach out to anyone in time. And otherwise, it’s hard to get people to care about/to be interested in/to spend their time on a franchise as bad as the Wizards. So here I am.

Wizards Starters (3-17):

Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Emeka Okafor

Heat Starters (14-6):

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 20th game of the season against the Los Angeles at the Verizon Center are TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) and guest John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA), who writes about the NBA for blog called 62/33, and he is a big Lakers fan.

Wizards Starters (3-16):

Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Emeka Okafor

Lakers Starters (9-14):

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 19th game of the season against the Rockets in Houston are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina), who writes about the Rockets for the ESPN TrueHoop blog Red 94.

Wizards Starters (3-15):

Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Emeka Okafor

Rockets Starters (9-11):

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 18th game of the season against the Hornets in New Orleans are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest James Grayson (@jsgrayson), who writes about the Hornets for the ESPN TrueHoop blog Hornets 24/7.

Wizards Starters (2-15):

Jordan Crawford?/Shaun Livingston?, Bradley Beal, Martell Webster, Chris Singleton, Emeka Okafor

Hornets Starters (5-14):

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