7 dates to circle on the Wizards' 2023-24 schedule

7 dates to circle on the Wizards' 2023-24 schedule originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Last week, the NBA released the 2023-24 regular season schedule. Chase Hughes already highlighted Wizards games through a statistical lens, noting that Washington starts their season off with an Eastern-centric schedule and plays 13 back-to-backs on the year.

Now, let's take a look at which Wizards games might carry a bit more weight for fans than others. These are the matchups that feature some classic rivalries as well as a few familiar faces and perhaps even some bad blood. There are seven games Wizards fans should circle when it comes to their 2023-24 regular season schedule. Here they are:

Oct. 25 at Indiana Pacers

Season opener, bright lights, you know the drill. For the second consecutive season, Washington will play their first regular season game away at Indiana. For the fifth straight year, the Wizards will open up their season on the road.

But this game has a bit more juice to it than simply being the first regular season contest. Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly landed in Washington thanks to a draft-night trade with Indiana, in which the Wizards traded up one spot to No. 7 in exchange for two future second-round picks and the rights to current Pacers rookie Jarace Walker.

Oct. 25 will not only be the first time Coulibaly will see real, tangible NBA regular season action, it'll also be a glance into how Coulibaly and Walker compare to each other on the floor. Granted, the two of them did face each other in the first Summer League matchup this past July -- Walker's (30 min., 8 pts., 13 reb.) Pacers took down Coulibaly's (33 min., 9 pts., 4 reb.) Wizards by a final of 91-83.

Oct. 30 vs. Boston Celtics

The Wizards' second home game happens to be one of the most intriguing matchups of the season. Boston and Washington have a history as intense rivals (see, Kelly Olynyk in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals) but this season the two sides are recent trade partners, much like the Wizards' opener vs. Indiana.

Washington acquired three proven veterans in a three-team deal this past June that saw them ship Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics. Boston agreed to send big men Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to the Wizards, with Memphis sending point guard Tyus Jones to complete Washington's side of the deal.

Gallinari missed all of last season with Boston due to an ACL tear, but figures to have a big role in Washington this year thanks to his dead-eye three-point shooting. Muscala figures to fit into Washington's frontcourt as well, providing depth at center behind Daniel Gafford and also some sharp-shooting of his own. Both of those acquisitions from Beantown also have crossed paths with the Wizards' current front office thanks to their mutual time spent in Oklahoma City.

Nov. 3 at Miami Heat

The first few weeks of the Wizards' season are jam-packed with meaningful matchups. November's first Friday provides a contest vs. the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Apart from the fact that Miami's roster will be an enlightening challenge for the Wizards, it's also their first game of the NBA's brand-new in-season tournament.

Washington will play four games in group play of the tournament (all on Fridays in November) for a chance to move on to the knockout stage and the right to claim a piece of the league-wide prize pool.

Dec. 22 at Golden State Warriors

Arguably Washington's biggest deal of the summer was a blockbuster with the 2022 NBA champions. The Wizards sent Bradley Beal to Phoenix in exchange for a package including Chris Paul, who they then flipped to GSW for a huge haul including Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins and draft picks.

Poole was one of the most efficient players in the NBA last year, as he had the lowest playing time (30.0 mpg) of any 20+ point scorer in the league. His role will likely increase from his time in the Bay Area to his current gig as a Wizard, as he'll lead a young group as a consistent starter for the first time since the Warriors' title run in 2022. Now, he and the group of former Warriors who arrived in D.C. get a chance to take on their former squad.

Jan. 20 vs. San Antonio Spurs

If you have travel planned for this winter, make sure you leave the weekend of January 20th locked down to stay in D.C. Saturday's matchup is a big one.

Bilal Coulibaly and his former teammate Victor Wembanyama made waves this past season in France for Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A league. Wembanyama was the winning lottery ticket of the draft, as San Antonio took him with the first overall pick. Moments later, Coulibaly was snagged by the Wizards at No. 7. January 20th will be the first time the two former teammates (and great friends) will face off against each other, as Wembanyama did not appear in the Summer League game between these two teams in July.

Beyond the sentimental aspect between 'Wemby' and Bilal, it'll be a fascinating game purely from a basketball standpoint. How can the bulky, rim-protecting Daniel Gafford match up against the lankier, shoot-over-your-head-style center in Wembanyama? How can Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija and the Wizards' other wings create space against a Spurs depth chart that includes Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Cedi Osman? Find out in late January.

Jan. 21 vs. Denver Nuggets

23 hours after the Wizards tip off vs. San Antonio, the defending champs come into town. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets provide yet another interesting matchup for Washington's big men.

The Wizards beefed up their frontcourt with the additions of Muscala and Gallinari to go along with Gafford and Taj Gibson. Will Wes Unseld Jr. trot out a multi-pronged threat against Denver's MVP? Again, intriguing matchups both on a micro and macro level make this contest one to look out for.

Feb. 4 vs. Phoenix Suns

In addition to the deal with Golden State, Washington's trade with Phoenix in June sent waves throughout the NBA. In early February, Bradley Beal will play his first-ever game in D.C. wearing non-Wizards threads. Apart from the fact that Beal spent over a decade in Washington and became the franchise's second-highest scorer of all time, this Sunday afternoon matinee is chock full of intrigue.

The Wizards brought in Landry Shamet as part of the Phoenix deal, so seeing the sharpshooter taking on a bigger role vs. his former team will be interesting. Jordan Goodwin also became a fan-favorite during his time in Washington, and now as a member of the Suns thanks to the Beal trade, will make his return to the city that gave him his first real chance in the NBA. Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma will also have their hands full defensively with the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker starting across from them.