The Washington Wizards travel to Florida to play the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Friday.

The Wizards (20-27) won seven of their previous 10 games before a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, as that's far from a discouraging sign. That's a Warriors team that many teams can't match-up with at this point and fans are hopeful it won't hurt this successful stretch from their team. What's changed the Wizards is the fact that their playing team-ball, as the absence of John Wall has allowed numerous players to thrive. Players like Bradley Beal and Thomas Satoransky are having breakout seasons while Trevor Ariza and Otto Porter are holding down the wings. Getting Markieff Morris and Dwight Howard back after the all-star break would be a huge boost as well, as this frontcourt could definitely help this club as well. Where they really need to work more is on the defensive end, with Washington sitting 29th in points allowed while allowing 126 points on Thursday night.

The Magic (20-28) come into this matchup losing four of five and nine of their last 12 games in total. Where they've really been hurting is on the offensive end of the floor, with Orlando sitting 27th in points scored. What makes that really discouraging is the fact that Nikola Vucevic has had a breakout season, as he's averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds per game. What this team has been missing is a playmaking point guard. D.J. Augustin has been a solid veteran filling-in that role but this is a team that needs a playmaker at that position. Someone like Elfrid Payton or Victor Oladipo would be a nice fit but Orlando management didn't see it that way. Players like Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon solidify the wings but a game-changer in the backcourt could really alter the future of this team. That's why many people are going to watch the Magic closely at the trade deadline, as they could change a lot of things with a big move.

These teams have played twice this season, with the home team prevailing in each outing. Prior to that, Washington dominated Orlando over recent years, winning 17 of their previous 19 matchups against them.