NAB Free Agency 2015: Washington Wizards’ Starting Lineup To Change Next Season

The Washington Wizards lost Paul Pierce to the Los Angeles Clippers, so their starting lineup is going to look different next season. However, even if Pierce decided to stay in the nation’s capital, Randy Wittman was expected to make some changes to their regular rotation.

The Wizards are looking to play small-ball on a regular basis next season, which isn’t something we’re accustomed to. Wittman is notorious for not making the necessary changes, but that hasn’t been the case this summer. Along with Ernie Grunfeld, Wittman has built a roster around versatility.

With that said, their starting lineup could look very different this upcoming NBA season. Here are a few different options for Wittman:

Start Jared Dudley At Small Forward; Keep Nene At Power Forward

Out of all the available options, this is undoubtedly the most bland and #SoWizards.

If the Wizards truly want to change their style of play next season, starting Dudley and Nene together wouldn’t change much. Instead, Dudley would be asked to play the same role Pierce did last season. While he’s a better outside shooter than Pierce, having Dudley at the three spot wouldn’t give John Wall and Bradley Beal much room to operate.

Nene and Marcin Gortat certainly form a solid front court, but that duo has hurt Washington’s offensive production.

The Polish Hammer even acknowledged the necessary change recently:

"“We’re the same kind of players, we tried to play alongside each other, but it got more and more cumbersome over time. The teams also figured out a way to play against us.”I won’t be shocked if Wittman opts to start his traditional five with Dudley replacing Pierce, but I don’t think it’s a great idea.The team would still be able to play Otto Porter and Dudley together in spurts, but as we saw during the NBA Playoffs, the Washington Wizards are better when they have shooters out on the floor. It’s not a coincidence that Washington started games slow during the playoffs when Nene played with Gortat.Start Otto Porter At Small Forward; Keep Nene At Power ForwardThis scenario is essentially the same as the one above, except Porter gets the start ahead of Dudley.Many wrote Porter off after his rookie season, but I wasn’t one of those people. The former third overall pick has all the tools to become a starter in the NBA and I think that time has come.He thrived with the starters during the playoffs, and even though his numbers don’t always jump off the screen, he does all the little things that help Washington’s star back court succeed.With Porter starting with Nene and Gortat, Washington would undoubtedly become one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. However, they would lose spacing. If Porter can knock down the outside shot consistently, I think this is a legitimate option for Wittman.For what it’s worth, Dudley doesn’t expect to start for the team, which could mean the Wizards plan to have Wall, Beal, Porter, Nene and Gortat start.Jared Dudley said he expects to come off the bench and play plenty of 4.— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) July 10, 2015Start Porter At Small Forward; Dudley At Power ForwardWe’re going to see the Wizards utilize their versatility next season, meaning Wall, Beal, Porter and Dudley will share the floor together. As I said previously, the Washington Wizards are at their best when they play small.Even though they’ll still get plenty of time together throughout the course of the season, regardless of who’s starting, it might be best if Wittman started games with his best lineup.The Golden State Warriors looked terrific when they played Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green together in the NBA Finals. Steve Kerr eventually made the switch to his starting lineup and decided to take Andrew Bogut out of his rotation.The Wizards don’t have an Iguodala or Green on their team, but Porter and Dudley are capable of doing similar things.I don’t think Washington would be at a great disadvantage, defensively or rebounding wise, with Porter and Dudley on the floor together. Porter is a very solid rebounder and Gortat has always contributed in that aspect of the game.At the end of the day, Washington would benefit offensively from having Porter and Dudley play together, and that should outweigh their potential loss on the defensive end of the floor.Start Drew Gooden?This isn’t the sexiest option, but it’s still a solid one.The Washington Wizards re-signed Drew Gooden yesterday for slightly over $3 million. Grunfeld failed to find a prototypical stretch four this summer, but Gooden is still capable of filling that role.During the regular season, Gooden shot a respectable 39 percent from three. In the playoffs, he shot over 45 percent from deep.Gooden wouldn’t command the attention Nene gets, but he would provide rebounding and spacing — both things the Wizards need. My only concern would be the defense.At 33-years-old, Gooden isn’t a good defender anymore. Without Nene in the lineup, Washington would lose rim protection and the responsibility would be put on Marcin Gortat to control the paint. Nene isn’t a shot blocker, but he’s a skilled defender. Gooden has trouble defending pick-and-rolls and often relies on help defense.Acquire Another StarterI hoped the Washington Wizards would pursue Mirza Teletovic, but it looks like the Bosnian forward will end up with the Phoenix Suns.Still, there are some options available for Washington, even though they currently have 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster.If the Wizards find a deal for Kevin Seraphin, they would likely get a trade exception back. That would allow them to pursue someone like Darrell Arthur, who’s still available in free agency.Arthur is essentially a younger, more athletic version of Drew Gooden.Washington could also pursue Markieff Morris, who would certainly be able to start along side Gortat. Like Teletovic, Morris is a prototypical stretch four and would take a lot of the offensive pressure off John Wall and Bradley Beal.Who should the Wizards start next season? Let me know in the comments section.Next: Offseason Moves Suggest Wizards Committed To ChangeMore from Wiz of AwesIt would be a mistake for the Wizards to trade for this elite sharpshooterWhen is the 2024 NBA trade deadline? Everything you need to know5 early predictions for the 2023-24 Washington Wizards4 most interesting Washington Wizards storylines for the 2023-24 seasonWashington Wizards: 3 teams that would be perfect fit for Danilo GallinariPublished on 07/10/2015 at 5:21 PM EDTLast updated on 07/10/2015 at 5:21 PM EDT “We’re the same kind of players, we tried to play alongside each other, but it got more and more cumbersome over time. The teams also figured out a way to play against us.”Jared Dudley said he expects to come off the bench and play plenty of 4.— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) July 10, 2015"