Washington Wizards: Team news ahead of NBA season opener against Dallas Mavericks

The 2019-20 NBA season has begun, and the Washington Wizards start their season on Wednesday, a day after the regular season tip-off. There is plenty of news before the Wizards' opening night game at the Dallas Mavericks.

As reported earlier, the Wizards have several players going through injuries right now. Most notably, small forward CJ Miles, Troy Brown Jr, and point guard Isaiah Thomas are all on the sidelines for now. Miles and Brown Jr. should soon be back on the court, but for now, head coach Scott Brooks named small forward Isaac Bonga at three until either Brown Jr. or Miles return, with Miles likely taking the starting spot thereafter.

Thomas suffered an injury in his thumb mid-September, which has a rehab period of 6 to 8 weeks. He was at full practice a couple of days ago, which is a good sign that he could be on track to come back early. Point guard Ish Smith will be the starter and that could change once Thomas comes back. In summary, here is the likely starting lineup against the Mavericks:

• PG: Ish Smith
• SG: Bradley Beal
• SF: Isaac Bonga
• PF: Rui Hachimura
• C: Thomas Bryant

Beal, Hachimura, and Bryant were guaranteed starters. After signing his 2-year, $72 million extension this past week and without their All-Star point guard John Wall, it will be Bradley Beal's responsibility to lead this team with his experience.

It may seem like a depleted roster to some, but it will be interesting to see how all the new players develop throughout this season. The Wizards acquired several players in this offseason that weren't necessarily big names but will contribute to the team through rotations and in the case of injuries.

Tune into the Washington Wizards at Dallas Mavericks game on NBC Sports Washington at 8:30 PM ET, or stream on NBA League Pass.