Tonight's game against Washington would seem to be somewhat inconsequential. We are fairly locked into our lottery seeding, and the Wizards are a playoff team (in name, if not in actuality thanks to their injuries), and it shouldn't matter who wins or loses.

Except, I find there is actually a lot riding on tonight's game. The Wizards, incredibly unfortunate of late, have lost their stature as an Eastern Conference contender and turned into a nearly gift-wrapped First Round playoff series victory for someone in the East, thanks to season-ending injuries to Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas.

I mean, say what you want about the injury issues the Hawks have had this season, but the Wizards have been dealt an absolutely brutal hand.

Going into tonight's game, Washington has lost six straight, and they desperately need to get back on the winning track, playoff spot reserved or not.

The Hawks, still shorthanded as ever, would seem a team they could rebuild some of their confidence against to prepare themselves for the postseason.

But, a loss to us tonight, and they will really have to do some soul-searching to figure out what to do starting next weekend.

In Breaking Down The Wizards with Herb Brown today, he said that with their injuries, Antawn Jamison has become the focal point of their offense. Look for us to pay extra attention to him tonight. Former Gawguh Bulldog Jarvis Hayes will also need to step up for them, tonight and here-on in.

I say let's come out and get a win tonight on Fan Appreciation Night, get to 30 wins, and deal an even larger blow to the Wizards fragile emotional state.

See you there!