Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards 2016 Season Outlook: Marcus Thornton Could Sneak Into Rotation

By Ben Mehic

Mar 23, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Marcus Thornton (15) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott (32) defends during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Marcus Thornton (15) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott (32) defends during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards guard, Marcus Thornton, could end up becoming one of the best bargains in the NBA if he can produce off the bench.

Marcus Thornton was the most infuriating player on the Washington Wizards‘ roster this past season. Thornton, like many other high volume scorers, gives off the impression that he can put the ball in the basket every time he touches it.

The reality is, Thornton hasn’t been very good as of late.

After Gary Neal suffered a season-ending injury, the Wizards scooped Thornton up from the free agent market. Thornton was waived by the Houston Rockets after Daryl Morey failed to find a trade partner.

Putting up just under 10 points per game on an impressive 47 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from three, Neal had become one of Washington’s primary offensive weapons off the bench.

Theoretically, Thornton was supposed to fill the scoring void that was created after Neal was sidelined and subsequently waived.

As a career double-digit scorer, Thornton fit the description of what a typical reserve shooting guard should be.

Washington was hopeful that a change of scenery would help Thornton find an efficient stretch, but that wasn’t the case.

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Thornton, per-36 minutes, was second in shot attempts per game at 17.2 (John Wall led the team with 17.4).

Thornton made less than 40 percent of his total attempts in Washington.

Only Drew Gooden, Jarell Eddie and Alan Anderson shot worse from the field.

Given his poor performance and the team’s sudden shift towards a youth movement, re-signing Thornton seemed out of the question this summer.

Apparently, though, Thornton did enough to return to Washington on a veteran’s minimum deal.

Like every team in the league, the Washington Wizards are good for some sneaky good signings, but they immediately cancel it out with a head scratcher. The praise Ernie Grunfeld got after stealing Tomas Satoransky was immediately negated with groans after the team re-signed Thornton.

But, there has to be a method to the Wizards’ madness, right? Even if the method is flawed, it still exists.

The Wizards spent a ton of money this summer. Actually, they’re the 10th highest spending team in the NBA.

Bradley Beal became the richest player in the franchise’s history after agreeing to a $130 million deal this off-season and Ian Mahinmi became one of the highest paid backups in the league after getting a $64 million contract.

Washington will pay Thornton $1.3 million for his service this upcoming season.

In a league where the likes of Evan Turner and Timofey Mozgov are getting $60+ million, signing anyone – including your neighbor Joe – to such a contract is a bargain.

A few years ago, the Wizards got a lot of return on their investment by signing Rasual Butler to a similar contract.

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The veteran forward was atop the league in 3-point percentage and became a go-to scorer for the second unit.

The bench has been revamped with the addition of Tomas Satoransky, Trey Burke, Andrew Nicholson, Jason Smith and Mahinmi, but the team is still missing a shot creator.

Thornton is frustrating because he shoots (and misses) a lot, but not every player has the ability to create their own look.

Washington’s rosters have been completely comprised of players that are reliant on Wall’s creativity and distribution.

Thornton isn’t one of those players.

If he’s called upon to play, the Wizards know what they can get out of Thornton.

At the guard positions, the Wizards could still have some trouble finding depth. The team focused on bolstering the frontcourt, but failed to find another wing player that could compete for minutes behind Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre.

The opportunity for playing time is going to be there for Thornton, as it will be for Burke and Satoransky as well.

Thornton is one of those players to watch out for in training camp. Sure – he’ll jack up a ton of shots and miss a lot of them, but he’s also going to make himself appear a lot better than he actually is by making some tough ones.

Next: Wizards' Best and Worst Signing of the Summer

Each team in the NBA has one of those shoot-first guards coming off the bench that sneak onto the court. For Washington, Thornton is that guy. The slate is clean. Thornton won’t reinvent himself overnight, but he will have the chance to prove himself in front of a new head coach, just like everyone else on the roster.

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