Even though the Wizards leading scorer Bradley Beal is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury, and the roster has changed, the team is not rebuilding.
Consider it a reboot. The offseason plan that produced a 10-3 start by midseason was no longer working. With the Wizards under-achieving and under .500, general manager Tommy Sheppard decided change was needed and deals were made at the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline.
Shipped out by the Wizards: Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell, two players only acquired last summer, along with Davis Bertans. From the trading, the Wizards’ significant addition was 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis, who in 2015 was drafted fourth overall by the Knicks.
“We’re committed to developing young players,” said Sheppard. “We traded away veterans and I think we got younger with Kristaps only 26. So there is obviously another level for Kristaps to get to.”
Starting on Friday at home against San Antonio, the Wizards have 24 games left on their schedule. Porzingis, who has missed the last 10 games recovering from a bone bruise on his right knee, has yet to play for the Wizards.
The team hopes Porzingis can get healthy and produce as he did in Dallas, where in 34 games this season he averaged over 19 points and seven rebounds a game.
The talent and versatility of Porzingis are not in question, but his durability has been. He missed the entire 2018-2019 season with a knee injury and in five seasons on the court, Porzingis has averaged 57 games a year.
Concerns about his health is overshadowed by his skill, including a career average of 35% from 3-point distance and has Sheppard excited for the day when he can play with Beal.
“We think there’s going to be an opportunity, especially now that Bradley has taken a lot more responsibility as a point guard for him to work with Kristaps in a two-man game,” said Sheppard. “I think it’s important that we move Kristaps around and not to park him in a corner. And Kristaps is an elite cutter and that will open up a lot of things.”
Indeed, Sheppard made the trade for Porzingis with Beal in mind. In conversations with Sheppard, Beal has continued to express a commitment to stay with Wizards. In addition, going forward Sheppard envisions Beal accepting even more responsibility including some time at point guard.
“I think he has point guard potential I really do,” Sheppard said.
“I want to make sure we’re going to have floor balance at all times. I think one of the things that teams have done a great job with is loading up on Beal and really forcing the ball out of his hands. So we have to figure out ways that he can bring the ball up, initiate the offense, but also be able to catch and shoot and do other things too.”
For now, the Beal-Porzingis combination will have to wait and it is an important time for the Wizards to discover whom else they have that needs to be a part of the team’s future.
Only in his fifth NBA season, Kyle Kuzma has emerged as a go-to-guy for the Wizards and along with his ability to make clutch shots that has fans saying the team is in “Kuz control,” he is also an excellent defender and rebounder.
The Wizards young centers will be the center of attention down the stretch. Daniel Gafford’s play was a big reason why the Wizards rallied to make the playoffs last season. Gafford has shown flashes of electrifying play this season including an eight block no foul game against the Thunder.
Sidelined by a knee injury for a little over a year, Thomas Bryant returned to the Wizards lineup in January. With his ability to stretch defenses with his outside shot Bryant has been a nice compliment to Gafford who plays above the rim and with shot-blocking ability can help protect the paint.
The rest of the regular season will also be a critical time for the Wizards last three draft picks. Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, and Corey Kispert are all getting significant playing time. Hachimura and Avdija are among the first options off the bench and with Beal, injured Kispert has now started 20 games in his rookie season.
Because of personal reasons Hachimura, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, did not start playing until January. In his first two seasons, Hachimura established himself as regular in the Wizards starting lineup. He has now become more physical on the inside and this season his 3-point parentage has jumped to 46%.
When the Wizards, with ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, selected Avdija, ESPN noted, “he might eventually be considered the steal of the draft.”
Avdija is developing into an elite defender that can effectively guard at least four positions. On offense, Avdija is more aggressive and able to score while taking contact and then getting to the free throw line.
Kispert was selected by the Wizards with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has impressed with his ability to do much more than catch and shoot.
Off the ball, Kispert has excellent instincts and makes timely cuts. Ironically, Kispert needs to improve on his 3-point shooting that made him an attractive draft pick in the first place.
“Developing players is not a scary thing, but how you achieve success in the NBA,” Sheppard said. “I believe in my heart how we get to the next level is what we are doing right now. And while we develop players every time that ball goes up you are trying to win that game.”
Editor’s Note: WTOP’s Dave Johnson is the radio voice of the Washington Wizards.
