The Washington Wizards had a forgettable season on the court. They had one of the worst starts in the history of the NBA and posted a league-worst offensive rating. They limped to the finish line, losing six in a row after a semi-enticing run with John Wall back on the court. They comically fought for the 9 seed while simultaneously shutting down what seemed like every player with any likely future ties to the team. The 2013 on-court Wizards will likely never be talked about again. The 2013 Washington Wizards mean a little something more now and it has nothing do with anything that happened in a packed arena. We’ll always have the 47 point game from John Wall, but in the grand scheme,that doesn’t matter. Certain aspects of life are much more important than career nights or historically bad seasons.

Jason Collins is the first active gay player in the NBA. I can’t say I saw that coming, but I can say I don’t much care. Before Jason Collins is a gay man he is a basketball player. Before he is a basketball player he is a human, just like you or me. I am beyond excited that he has found the peace within himself to publicly address his sexuality. Here’s to hoping that Collins will serve as a beacon for similarly oriented individuals who struggle with the feeling of letting someone down, embarrassing themselves or their family, or being bullied – feelings I have never experienced and can only imagine.

There’s no reason to feel like being gay is letting someone down; there’s no reason to feel like being gay is embarrassing; there’s no reason to be bullied for being gay. Step one in moving past sexual orientation as a topic at all is to de-stigmatize it. Jason Collins is the first openly gay NBA player and that matters because it will soon not be considered meaningful at all to be a gay NBA player, or a gay politician, or a gay anything. And for the NBA and macho athletes, it started with Jason Collins – 2013 Washington Wizard, lifetime model human being.

I find an odd sense of pride in what Jason Collins did yesterday. I found the same sense of pride when Frank Ocean came out in a similarly combative environment just last year. I’m proud because these individuals are advancing the discourse on civil rights in way I never could. All men and women are created equal but they don’t all receive equal treatment. Equal treatment is garnered from stances taken by figures like Jason Collins. He may not be an NBA star, but he’s been around the league. If you don’t know him, you know someone who did. And no one has anything less than glowing to say about him. If that isn’t the perfect case for equality, I don’t know what is. Jason Collins is just like anyone else and deserves to be treated as such.

Here’s to equality for all.

Mar 24, 2013; Dayton, OH, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Victor Oladipo drives to the basket against Temple Owls guard Khalif Wyatt (1) during the third round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Indiana defeats Temple 58-52. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sport

With another marvelous NCAA tournament in the books, it’s time to shift our attention to the draft and evaluate prospects that could be suiting up for the Wizards next season.

Victor Oladipo, Junior, SG, Indiana

36 games: 13.6PPG, 6.3RPG, 2.1APG, 2.2SPG, 60%FG, 44% 3FG

College Career: Tom Crean envisioned the Hoosiers re-emergence into the Nation’s upper echelon with Cody Zeller in the driver’s seat, little did he know his 144^th ranked high school prospect from Upper Marlboro, Maryland would be right there with him righting the ship. Crean, in dire need to shake things up, went to DeMatha High School in search for athletic wings that he can place under his tutelage. After one look at Victor Oladipo, he saw his next Dwyane Wade, who he previously had coached over at Marquette almost a decade before. But he knew it wouldn’t be easy integrating a raw wing that had an embryonic skill-set and made his name off hustle plays and sheer athleticism.

And Victor was just that during his freshman season at Assembly Hall. He played limited minutes, shot the ball sparingly, chose to score as close to the rim as possible and showcased his All-World athleticism by dazzling fans with an ability to get out on the break and finish above the rim. His second season jumped out to a strong start as he fared well in conference play; however his poor shooting performances against top ranked teams attenuated an otherwise solid sophomore campaign. Nevertheless, a strong sweet 16 showing against the eventual National Champion Kentucky Wildcats (15 points in 20 minutes) foreshadowed what was to come for Oladipo in year 3.

Oladipo’s well-documented rise to stardom this past season is one of the great stories of the year. He’s upped his scoring output while dramatically improving his shooting numbers. His 60/44/75 shooting splits rank among the top in the country, and managed to shoot nearly 70% at the rim this season, which led the nation. He was an absolute terror in the paint, averaging an absurd 3.6 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted, which led to several put back scores in traffic. Oladipo’s competitive nature was on full display this season, and it’s no wonder he was awarded NBAC Defensive Player of the Year along with Sporting News Player of the Year.

Strengths: Many are quick to point to Oladipo’s defense as his calling card, but personally, it’s his driving ability that sets him apart. While he demonstrates a weak handle, his lightning quick first step and dauntless attack makes for an absolute terror on defense. He also possesses that unique ability to contort his body in midair to avoid charges, which is something you can’t teach at the next level. Then once he gets into the lane, his explosive leaping ability off either foot takes care of the rest, which enabled him to shoot nearly 70% at the rim this past season.

Tom Crean’s heavy perimeter attack has created some leeway for Oladipo to work as an off ball cutter in halfcourt sets. They run him off weakside backdoor cuts, curls, and dribble handoffs, and Victor does a tremendous job finding the open space that the defense is giving, and making quick decisions once he recognizes a closeout.

Victor’s imposing physical attributes allows him to defend any perimeter player, and his toughness and upper body strength more than makes up for any size disadvantage he may be at. He pressures the ball handler relentlessly, often picking them up 90 feet away from the basket, and does a nice job hedging on pick and rolls when he’s up against bigger forwards.

Yet, Oladipo’s most exciting prowess may be rebounding. You often find him skying over defenders for rebounders, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and using his jumping ability to grab the ball at the top of its’ apex.

Weaknesses: Oladipo’s worked extremely hard the past 3 seasons shoring up his ball handling ability, and while it still remains a project, he’s managed to stay effective with the ball in his hands. Indiana has run sets with Oladipo coming off a down screen, flashing to the top of the key, and going one on one with the floor spaced. He measures up the defender, hits them with a quick crossover, and powers his way to the lane. Yet, defenses have keyed in on him later into the year as they attempt to shade him to the left, knowing that he’s almost always wanting to go right. Turnovers are also a problem (2.3TPG), and he’s often caught trying to go 100mph which gets him trouble against well positioned defenses.

In order for him to take the next step, he’ll have to work on improving the jumper. Oladipo has the ability to hit the occasional spot up jumper when no one is around, but as teams play up on him more and zone him away from the basket, he’ll have to develop a shot off the dribble. He’s done a nice job this season picking and choosing when to score, which led to those hyper efficient shooting splits, but as he begins to face NBA style defenses with hybrid zones and lengthier defenders, those opportunities to nitpick will come few and far between.

Pro potential/Wizards fit: Defense and a high motor are the two best bets to land you significant playing time in the NBA as a rookie. This theory holds especially true to second rounders with underdeveloped talent on offense. Rookies who are under the limelight halfway through the year generally carried an elite skill coming out of college.

There’s not a single prospect in this draft that meets those conditions better than Victor Oladipo. He was the best defender in the country by a good margin, and his motor has been likened to former draft picks Michael Kidd Gilchrist and Kenneth Faried. It also helps his cause being a total gym rat that has improved in every facet of his game each year he’s been in school.

Given how seamlessly he made the transition to a hyper active super-sub as a freshman to the most consistent player on one of the best teams in the nation as a Junior, it’s safe to assume Oladipo will adapt to the NBA well. Whether he starts on a team or not depends on his improved handle and jump shot- but given his learning curve and work ethic, I wouldn’t bet against him.

The deliberation over whether he can start as a SF on an NBA team has been fixture among many lottery team fanbases, most notably, the Wizards, for months. As the league trends smaller and more preponderance are placed on small ball 4^th quarter lineups, I can see the fascination with playing Oladipo at the three. However, given his shaky handle and outside shooting, and the impending maturation he’ll go through as he faces the elite wings, it may be best served bringing him on slowly.

As it pertains to the Wizards and their hopes of making the playoffs, you would be hard-pressed to find a more impactful player in the draft. You could trot him out with Wall and Beal together and in spurts have him take on the burden of defending the opponents top perimeter player (a task which he relishes), and benefit from having two of your top offensive attacks fully engaged and fully energized. The team will continue to feast off turnovers and easy transition buckets, and Wittman would have the luxury to play Victor at three positions.

This draft is about depth and drafting the highest rated player on your board. The Wizards will regret passing on Victor Oladipo.

March 16, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) reacts against the Oregon Ducks during the second half of the championship game of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Oregon defeated UCLA 78-69. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With another marvelous NCAA tournament in the books, it’s time to shift our attention to the draft and evaluate prospects that could be suiting up for the Wizards next season.

Shabazz Muhammad, Freshman, SF, UCLA

32 games: 30.8MPG, 17.9PPG, 5.2RPG, 0.8APG, 0.7SPG, 44%FG, 38% 3FG

2012-13 season: Shabazz’s roller coaster season begun far before he stepped on UCLA hardwood. He suffered a right shoulder injury during a Bruins practice all the while being a victim to a highly publicized case by the NCAA that resulted in a 3 game suspension to start the season. Conditioning proved to be an issue with Muhammad once he was deemed eligible by the NCAA, as he struggled to shake off the rust and was consistently getting beat off the dribble on defense. Unfortunately, that rust never wore off and UCLA- featuring three top-20 recruits was blown out of the NCAA tournament with a round of 64 upset at the hands of 11^th ranked Minnesota.

Yet, this doesn’t begin to tell the story of Shabazz Muhammad. During the wee hours leading up to the tipoff of March Madness, the LA Times dropped a bombshell on the Bruins star exposing him and his family of lying about his age in order to gain a physical and mental advantage over younger, lesser developed players during his amateur career. This may be viewed as just a menial setback had Shabazz lived up to his reputation in college, however his struggles paired with being dubbed as a prospect with “a nonstop motor that bullies defenders” manifested and intensified an already perplexing draft prospect.

Age isn’t the be-all and end- all of Shabazz Muhammad’s draft status. He was on the fast track to the NBA since birth due to the guidance of his father, Ron Holmes. He was afforded the luxury of top notch trainers, the best AAU teams, and one of the best high school programs in the nation. During the summers, his father would create teams in the popular summer circuit that tailored to his boy’s strengths. He turned down offers from higher profile programs such as Duke and Kentucky in order to join Coach Ben Howland, who he knew would cater to his boy, and a team that featured two highly unselfish ball handlers and big men that could spread the floor.

Now, the pampered prodigy is set to enter the draft process where he’ll meet with several league executives and will have to answer a lot of pressing questions.

Strengths: Muhammad can score the ball in a multitude of ways, preferring mostly to get the ball out on the break where he’s able to overpower defenders (though, those opportunities came at a premium) or filling the lane and spotting up in the corner. In halfcourt sets, he’s proficient when catching the ball in stride off screens and squaring up to the basket- though he does tend to come wide off them which impairs him from creating separation from his defender and forces the offense to run him off multiple screens. He’s a menace once he gets into the lane, using his body to his advantage and displays a soft touch around the basket.

Weaknesses: While Muhammad showed tremendous growth as a shooter both in spot up situations and off screens, the rest of his offense leaves a lot to be desired. His average ball handling skills and shortcomings going right with the ball places a huge burden on his isolation skills, which is a huge red flag for someone labeled as a “great scorer.” Defenses figured out early on once they stopped Muhammad going left, he’s relegated to resetting the offense or taking a contested jumper, which will be problematic for anyone at the next level with his limited athleticism.

His defense, particularly on ball was heavily targeted this season due to Shabazz’s poor conditioning and instincts. He’s not very quick moving laterally, and tends to overplay one side of the ball handler which puts him in an awful position once he’s hit with a ball fake or hesitation dribble. Off-ball he does a good job playing the passing lanes, lock and trailing his man, and using his strength to fight over screens. He is susceptible to ball watching, and generally has a hard time figuring out when to dig down on big men posting up and when to stay home on perimeter shooters.

His rebounding totals look impressive on paper, but diminish in substance once you take a look at the big men he played with. He’s caught leaking out too early and seems more intent on anticipating a missed shot rather than boxing out his man.

Pro potential/Wizards fit: Rookies often time struggle with adjusting to the NBA life, especially as it pertains to diet and year round training. This won’t be the case for Shabazz, who has been exposed to this regimen for years. He’s played in big games, played varsity basketball at a top ranked high school program as a freshman, and has the drive to become great (if not to simply expand a brand he’s been steadily evolving  since he was 16 years young).

Muhammad’s fame at an early age is somewhat of a double edged sword. It helped him get noticed and propelled him to a top university with loads of opportunities to showcase his talents to NBA executives. However, it also exposed the world to his learning curve and how he’s moved along since his high school days. Then you start to compare him to guys less fortunate such as Ben McLemore who has struggled with poverty his entire life and has slowly adapted to the public eye, and you begin to see why he disappeared in games, or struggled to take command of the Jayhawks offense. He was a late bloomer in high school, redshirted his freshman year at Kansas, and improved his game so much that he’s considered a unanimous lock as a top 5 pick. An NBA regimen, all the luxuries that Shabazz was afforded earlier, will be bestowed onto McLemore, who will take his game to even higher levels.

The challenge is gauging just how much potential remains untapped as Muhammad leaves Westwood for greener pastures. He once was the physical freak that would bully you up and down the floor, but his peers are gradually catching up to that. His motor and physical dominance proved to be an effective veil for his rudimentary ball handling and defensive technique, but that no longer can stay concealed at the next level. He really hasn’t made the big strides that you see top draft picks generally making at his age, which begs the question, just how close to his ceiling are we?

This isn’t an investment worth making if you’re Ernie Grunfeld. This team struggled to score the ball in 2013, but similar to the Rudy Gay debate back at the NBA trade deadline, it is in no rush to shore up those weaknesses with an inefficient, one way player. You don’t select a player simply because he fills a hole on your depth chart.