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Projecting the Wizards’ options in the 2015 NBA Draft

Noah Frank | nfrank@wtop.com

June 25, 2015, 2:53 AM

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FIRST ROUND Justin Anderson | G/F | Virginia | Senior | 6-6 | 227 Anderson’s a little small for what the Wizards may be targeting with this pick, but his lockdown defense, three-point prowess and potential versatility across lineups has to be intriguing. A broken hand cost him the chance to raise his draft stock, but that may benefit the Wizards if he falls to them at 19. A senior, he needs no additional seasoning, and could step in as the leader of the second unit, the first guy off the bench, and a potential key piece as part of a high-octane small lineup. (AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff)
AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff
Frank Kaminsky | F/C | Wisconsin | Senior | 7-0 | 234 Kaminsky seems likely to go in the top half of the first round, but we can dream that he might be available later. His excellent size and nickname belies the fact that Frank the Tank has great touch, can run the break and can shoot from the outside. He’s as polished a college player as there is coming out of school this year, with the ability to make an immediate impact on the offensive end. He would answer several questions at once for a Washington team looking for a stretch-four and a future big man. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Kelly Oubre | G/F | Kansas | Freshman | 6-7 | 200 Oubre is far more of a question mark than the older players in this draft class, coming out after a freshman season that was him average just 9.3 points in only 21 minutes per game at Kansas. The defense and size is there, the question is whether he can continue to develop well at the offensive end. There’s a fair amount of risk/reward in this option, possibly more on both ends than anyone else likely to be available. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
AP Photo/Orlin Wagner
Jerian Grant | G | Notre Dame | Senior | 6-5 | 202 Grant has nice size for a guard and showed his athleticism and ability to get to the rim during Notre Dame’s unexpected Elite Eight run. The Silver Spring, Maryland native and DeMatha product would make for a nice coming home story, but more importantly his versatility would give Washington options to spell either Wall or Beal at times. If they don’t aim for a forward with this pick, Grant makes a lot of sense. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
AP Photo/Bob Leverone
Kevon Looney | F | UCLA | Freshman | 6-9 | 220 After what Golden State did this year, everyone will be looking for the next Draymond Green. Whether Looney can become that guy remains to be seen. Word is that Looney was not cleared medically by all teams, though, adding more questions to an already somewhat risky pick. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
AP Photo/Danny Moloshok
Cliff Alexander | F | Kansas | Freshman | 6-8 | 240 Alexander was positioned as a lottery pick last year out of high school, but a season of underperformance and off-the-floor issues has seen his stock tumble. Nevertheless, with a wingspan over 7-3, he’s got excellent NBA length and could potentially be a versatile piece in a number of roles within a fluid system, where his strong rebounding will always be an asset. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
AP Photo/Orlin Wagner
Kristaps Porzingis | F | Latvia | N/A | 6-11 | 220 If you haven’t heard Porzingis’ name yet, you will come Thursday night, and probably well before the 19th pick. But just in case the Wizards do something crazy and trade up, he’s worth getting to know. While he seems a bit plodding for such a lanky big man, Porzingis can get out in transition, has great hands, and already has a very well-developed shooting touch (37 percent from three) from the outside. He’ll need to develop more bulk to bang down low at the NBA level, but at just 19 years of age, he’ll have plenty of time to do so. He’s on this list because he represents the ideal of what the Wizards could use most. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Sam Dekker | F | Wisconsin | Junior | 6-9 | 220 There are a lot of reasons why Dekker could end up rocking a Wizards hat while he shakes Adam Silver’s hand Thursday night. SI has him rated as the 13th overall talent, while SBNation has him 20th. If he’s around at 19, he could provide a tremendous complement to Porter as another tall, athletic, shooting wing to help space the floor for John Wall and Bradley Beal. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
R.J. Hunter | G | Georgia State | Junior | 6-6 | 185 Hunter might be the most intriguing, likely-to-be-available player on the board. With tremendous length for a guard (6-10+ wingspan), he showed his propensity to make big shots and take over games. He clearly has NBA shooting range, and his athleticism seems like it would play up at the next level. While he played against a lot of inferior competition in the Sun Belt, don’t be fooled by the name on the front of his jersey. He didn’t go to GSU because he couldn’t hack it at a major program — he was only there to play for his dad. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
SECOND ROUND Pat Connaughton | G/F | Notre Dame | Senior | 6-4 | 214 Pat Connaughton is a conundrum. Sports Illustrated doesn’t even list him among its 60 top prospects. Usually a white guy from Notre Dame doesn’t scream “freakishly athletic” in NBA Draft rooms, but the senior posted the highest max vertical at the NBA Draft Combine (44”), the highest standing vertical (37.5”), and tied for the fastest in the lane agility and three-quarter court sprints. His size (6-4) will raise questions about his ability to hang on defense with larger players, but his 42 percent three-point shooting will help space the floor on offense, and his ability to slash to and finish at the rim against Kentucky should erase any doubts he can do the same at the next level. Could he be the second round’s biggest steal? (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Rakeem Christmas | F | Syracuse | Senior | 6-10 | 243 Christmas may be most intriguing for the athleticism he shows around the rim, especially on the defensive end. If the Wizards do indeed shift to more of a four-small look, the need for a rangy, shot-blocking big becomes more paramount. Christmas averaged 2.5 blocks to go along with his 9.1 rebounds per game his senior season. While there may not be a ton of upside to dream on, a season like that in the ACC makes the 23-year-old a known commodity. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
Nikola Milutinov | C | Serbia | N/A | 7-0 | 220 A couple of mock drafts like Milutinov to end up with the Wiz in the second round, but considering that he has a contract oversees through next season, he may make more sense for a team with less immediate needs. Shots of him dunking over Justise Winslow and stuffing Aaron Gordon at the 2013 FIBA U-19 games two years ago speak well to his ability to keep up with this draft class, but he likely won’t wear an NBA jersey for at least another full season. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Alan Williams | F | UC Santa Barbara | Senior | 6-8 | 261 While clearly undersized as a traditional big man, Williams’ terrific footwork, toughness and basketball IQ have helped him hack it against larger competition throughout his college career. He has all the post moves in the book down pat, and is an aggressive rebounder on both ends of the floor. His ability to add some semblance of a face-up perimeter game will be the difference between being a solid rotation member or a mop-up time bench-warmer. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Joe Young | G | Oregon | Senior | 6-2 | 182 Young showed how valuable he can be as a piece of instant offense in Oregon’s near-upset of Wisconsin in this year’s NCAA Tournament, when he poured in 30 against a Badgers team that had no answer for him. He can hit threes, is a great free throw shooter, can score off the pass or the dribble and flies down the court in transition. He could be a great offense-first, backup point guard in the mold of Bobby Jackson. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Tyler Harvey | G | Eastern Washington | Senior | 6-4 | 181 Much like Young, Harvey projects to have one plus skill at the next level — instant offense off the bench. As the nation’s leading scorer, he scored 20+ points 23 times in 32 games, eclipsing 30 five times. And despite his high volume, he shot 43 percent from deep and was 150-176 from the charity stripe (85.2 percent), showing a number of ways to get to the hoop. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer
Dez Wells | G | Maryland | Senior | 6-4 | 209 Wells showed his ability to take over games late, carrying the burden down the stretch in a number of close Maryland victories last year. Of course, he also showed his downside during Maryland’s tournament exit to West Virginia, coughing up a ghastly eight turnovers in just 13 minutes in his final college game. Can Wells be a high energy bench piece for a successful team? (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
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WASHINGTON — Even though they don’t own a lottery pick this season, the 2015 NBA Draft could prove to be a crucial one for the Washington Wizards.

The team has a solid young core, but aging big men and a couple of uncertainties on the roster. With the Atlanta Hawks facing decisions regarding their rotation, Washington has the opportunity to improve through the draft and potentially win the Southeast Division next year.

The Wizards were at their best in the postseason when they were able to shift Paul Pierce down to a stretch-four position and play the more athletic (and younger) Otto Porter at the three. Whether or not Pierce returns, investing in that “four small” lineup as a matter of regularity rather than a change of pace will be instrumental for the Wizards to be able to compete under the shifting model of the NBA game.

Thankfully, there is a slew of athletic wings and stretch-type players in this year’s pool. If the right type of player is available at the 19th overall pick, the toughest choice may be which direction to lean, between a smaller player with more speed or a larger one with more length. If no perfect fit is on the board, will Washington take the proverbial “most talented” player left? If so, who might that look like?

In addition to a versatile stretch-four, the Wizards may look to the draft for scoring depth from a bench guard, specifically a jolt of offensive production for the minutes John Wall spends getting a breather. They may also look to add a young, backup big man with Drew Gooden (33), Marcin Gortat (31), Nene (32) and Kris Humphries (30) all on the wrong side of their peak.

Finding the right fits to help maximize the existing roster’s talents will go a long way to determining Washington’s success next year and in the seasons to come. With that in mind, here are some names to look out for when the 19th and 49th picks roll around Thursday night.

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