We’re preparing for the NBA season by scouting the divisional and conference opponents of the Miami Heat. Next up on the list is the Washington Wizards.
Much like the Miami Heat will be doing this season as they prepare for their opponents, we’re going to break down each divisional rival and conference opponent in regards to their offseason and their outlook for the 2019-20 season. As we move through the Southeast Division, we’ll continue with the rebuilding, re-tooling, or just plain confusing Washington Wizards.
Offseason review
The Washington Wizards are a confusing team to get a handle on. They traded Dwight Howard, who only played nine games for the Wizards on last season, to the Memphis Grizzlies back in July in exchange for C.J. Miles. They also got one of their most productive players under contract in Tomas Satoransky, before trading him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for future draft compensation.
They re-signed big man Thomas Bryant, after he had a somewhat breakout season for them last year, averaging 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks across only 20.8 minutes played per game. He shot 61.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc, an impressive three-point rate for a near seven-footer.
They also brought in two veteran guards to help make up for what appears to be the season-long absence of John Wall due to the achilles injury in Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah Thomas averaged 8.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 12 games played for the Denver Nuggets, while Ish Smith averaged 8.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 22.3 minutes for the Detroit Pistons last season.
They used the ninth pick of the 2019 NBA Draft to take power forward Rui Hachimura out of Gonzaga, before then acquiring Admiral Schofield from the Philadelphia 76ers, who was taken with the 42nd overall pick of the draft. They got a talented all-around forward in Hachimura who should immediately be strong and thick enough to bang in the paint but needs to improve on his ball skills and shooting to truly reach his potential.
In Schofield, they got a slightly undersized wing based on height who does have an NBA ready body as far as strength, girth, and muscle mass. Schofield’s ability to shoot it, attack, his motor, his skills, and his determination that showed so often during his time at Tennesee should make-up for what he lacks in size.
The Washington Wizards also shook their front office up, firing team president Ernie Grunfeld along the way. They brought in Tommy Shepard to be the team’s general manager, while also bringing in Johnny Rogers to be the vice president of pro personnel and Antawn Jamison to be the director of pro personnel.
Needless to say, the Washington Wizards needed to shake things up and they did. With John Wall out for what appears to be the entire upcoming season, that may have not been enough to fix all of their issues.
Outlook
Coming off a 32-50 season in 2018-19, the Wizards may find themselves in a similar spot next season. While they brought in players who should definitely be able to help them, they would need another star or major contributor still and even if John Wall were healthy. Considering that he won’t be there at all, that puts them severely behind the proverbial eight ball.
Yes, they still have Bradley Beal, but for how long? He has been the subject of trade talks for a good part of the offseason and if we had it our way, the Miami Heat Faithful that is, he would already be in South Beach. Even if he stays though, I doubt he is capable of being the best player on a team that hopes to compete for titles.
Ish Smith will definitely help with the absence of John Wall as he can play either as a traditional point guard or scoring guard, although his shooting leaves a bit to be desired at times. Isaiah Thomas should be explosive once again, chomping at the bit to take advantage of his next real opportunity to show his stuff and possibly recoup some of the salary he lost after being bamboozled by the Boston Celtics, but how far will that go towards propelling this team to contention?
You also want to consider that Thomas is best with the ball in his hands. This is important because although Beal can play without it, he got used to having it in his hands over the past two seasons sans John Wall. Ish Smith also operates better on the ball, but that is not as big a deal with him as it is with Beal potentially.
The Wizards could sneak into the eighth seed if they are lucky, extremely lucky, but everyone would have to imaginably play well above their heads. I don’t expect everyone on the team to outplay their projected value though, so this is likely another lottery year for the Wiz. But hey, that’s why the games are played and they could surprise.
Depth and more overall talent are two big advantages that the Miami Heat will hold over the Wizards during this upcoming season. While the Wizards have solid leadership with Smith, Beal, and Thomas in tow, the Heat have a veteran team with playoff experience led by Jimmy Butler. That is the general return and outlook when scouting the Washington Wizards.