Washington Wizards' Ian Mahinmi Thrives As Marcin Gortat Slips

Washington Wizards hoped Ian Mahinmi would become a key contributor after signing him to a multi-year deal, but it’s come at Marcin Gortat’s expense.

As the 57th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Marcin Gortat has dealt with instability throughout his entire professional career.

When he backed up Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic, Gortat seemed to have a limited ceiling. He agreed to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks with hopes of finally getting a chance to start, but the Magic matched the offer, forcing Gortat – a restricted free agent – to return to Orlando.

A season later in 2010, Gortat was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where his career took off alongside Hall-of-Fame point guard Steve Nash. In that system, Gortat perfected the screen and roll, making up for his limited leaping ability with touch and finesse in the paint.

Then as Nash entered the twilight of his career, the future of his teammates came into question.

Phoenix opted to kickstart a rebuild, sending Gortat to the Washington Wizards in 2013 in

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exchange for Emeka Okafor‘s expiring contract and a first round pick, which became Tyler Ennis.

In D.C., Gortat found himself playing a similar style as he did in Phoenix.

Much like he did with Nash, Gortat found his niche next to John Wall in Washington.

The two quickly gained chemistry, relying on each other for the Wizards’ offensive success.

Wall’s assist totals skyrocketed in the process, giving the Wizards a dimension to their offense they didn’t have before.

In summer ’14, Gortat signed a five-year deal with the Wizards, finally securing a long-term home in the NBA.

But just two seasons later, Gortat has found himself in a familiar situation, looking to carve out a role for himself again.

Surprising everyone, the Wizards agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal with former Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi this past off-season, leaving many wondering whether Gortat’s time in the nation’s capital would be ending.

After slipping the season prior, Washington signed Mahinmi, who’s three years younger than Gortat, to revitalize the team’s defense.

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Mahinmi was supposed to compete with Gortat for the team’s starting center position, but a knee injury sidelined Mahinmi for the first half of the season.

Gortat became a key part of Washington’s offense during Mahinmi’s absence, averaging 10.8 points and a career-high 10.7 rebounds per game.

Like the rest of the starters, Gortat was, in many ways, experiencing the best season of his career under Brooks.

Washington’s offense has been top five in both 3-point shooting and field goal percentage, some of which could be attributed to Gortat’s screen setting (on and off the ball) and finishing inside.

But since the All-Star break, Gortat’s role has been reduced due to Mahinmi’s return to Washington’s lineup.

Given his substantial contract, Brooks thrust Mahinmi into his rotation, even though Jason Smith was contributing off the bench. In the first few weeks of his return, Mahinmi, having missed months of action, was rusty. He looked slow, failed to finish easy looks inside and was too stiff to stifle offensive players in the paint.

Once the rust came off, though, Mahinmi began showing flashes of why the Washington Wizards wanted him in the first place.

Gortat, though no fault of his own, doesn’t have the physical tools that most coaches and teams look for in big men. He’s often invisible if he’s not scoring the ball, which is a problem when John Wall and Bradley Beal are the primary scoring options.

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Mahinmi doesn’t need the ball to contribute, which adds an intrinsic value to the roster.

He scores off put-back attempts, drop off passes and mismatches. More importantly, he’s a physical presence inside, altering shots at the rim and providing much-needed energy.

Centers, ultimately, are asked to defend and rebound – two things that Mahinmi does better than Gortat.

Over the past five games, Mahinmi has seen an up-kick in his minutes, basically splitting time with Gortat.

He’s averaged 7 points and 6 rebounds on over 61 percent shooting from the field. He’s attempted less than 4 shots in that span.

Gortat numbers have been staggeringly low compared to his season averages. In the past five games, Gortat’s putting up 7 points and 7 rebounds on 5 shots per game, making less than 55 percent of them.

As the NBA Playoffs approach, Brooks will continue to play with the rotations, figuring out what to roll with in a few weeks.

Next: Lifelong Wizards Fan Reflects On Historic Season

Getting stops and rebounds usually make the difference in the postseason. The player who can help the most in those categories will be the one who closes games and gets time in the playoffs. Right now, that player has been Mahinmi.

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Washington Wizards: Ian Mahinmi’s Role Increasing At Marcin Gortat’s Expense

By Ben Mehic | Mar 31, 2017

Washington Wizards hoped Ian Mahinmi would become a key contributor after signing him to a multi-year deal, but it’s come at Marcin Gortat’s expense.

More from Wiz of Awes

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More from Wiz of Awes