Washington Wizards 3 Takeaways: Led by Sheldon McClellan, Tomas Satoransky and Kelly Oubre, the Wizards outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers in double-overtime.
Overtime basketball in preseason is torture. Double-overtime basketball in preseason is death. On Thursday afternoon, Sam Hinkie died for our sins – again.
After losing their first preseason game on Tuesday night, the Washington Wizards looked to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers. Even though it’s preseason, losing to the Sixers in any capacity would be devastating.
Washington did all they could to hand the Sixers a victory, but Philadelphia is convinced that losing in preseason will help them secure more lottery balls. Somehow, the Wizards managed to outlast the Sixers and got their first exhibition win.
Tomas Satoransky is legit
Trey Burke tries, like, really hard. He’s trying to keep his dribble alive, he’s looking for open shots and he’s even getting into the ball handler’s space on the defensive end. He’s trying to be the player that people thought he was coming out of Michigan. But, sometimes trying just isn’t enough.
Burke lacks size and strength. He’s not going to get much stronger and he certainly won’t grow taller.
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That’s not to say he cannot be a backup point guard in the NBA, but he’s going to have a tough time earning that spot ahead of Tomas Satoransky.
Satoransky is everything that Burke isn’t.
He’s tall, long, can defend and get inside the paint. He’s the perfect role player, in many respects.
We’re just two games into preseason, but it’s hard not to get excited about Satoransky already.
In his second game, Satoransky continued to show veteran-like patience with the ball in his hands.
He played a game-high 40 minutes, finishing with 10 points and 6 assists. He also led the team in +/- with a +13.
Burke scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting and continues to provide a scoring spark. That might not be enough, though. Satoransky is capable of impacting the game in ways that go beyond the box score. The simple things, like an extra pass, make a huge difference.
The guards are capable of sharing the court together. Perhaps Scott Brooks will decide to use them both off the bench. Right now, however, Satoransky has the clear edge.
Sheldon McClellan can hoop, too
Brooks spoke highly of Sheldon McClellan, saying that the undrafted rookie has a legitimate chance to make the Washington Wizards’ roster.
We didn’t see much from McClellan during summer league, but the Wizards were confident enough to give him a partially guaranteed deal before he even stepped foot onto an NBA court.
Against the Sixers, McClellan showed that he has the skill-set to become an NBA shooting guard.
McIverson https://t.co/qEQsPmqjTO
— Boy Genius (@BoyGeniusLA) October 7, 2016
McClellan scored 20 points on 6-10 shooting off the bench. Having played all four seasons in college, McClellan is more developed than most first-year players. His game is reminiscent of Jordan Crawford, but he’s lot more under control. He’s Steez without the steez.
Washington has two open roster spots. McClellan could end up getting the nod over Jarell Eddie, who was essentially a lock to make the team.
Kelly Oubre is a wrecking ball
When Kelly Oubre gets the ball, there’s a solid chance his teammates aren’t getting it back. I don’t know if it’s because he didn’t play much during his rookie season, but Oubre has become kind of a black hole on offense, almost as if he’s trying too hard to impress Brooks.
Oubre scored 24 points on 8-12 shooting the from field. His go-to move has become the following: put his head down, drive into defenders and hope for the best. That might work in preseason, but it’s not going to work against the real competition later this month.
His offense was a tad concerning, but Oubre did play well defensively. He got a few easy baskets off steals. Spot up shooting, defense and scoring in transition is where Oubre will make his money.
Next: Burke Doesn't Take Much Away From Preseason Debut
Washington will have the next few days off before returning to action on October 10th against the new-look New York Knicks.