A Closer Look at the Washington Wizards' Two Way Players

The Washington Wizards’ roster currently sits at 18 players, including two two-way players. They’ll have the opportunity to play in the G-League, and potentially earn minutes with the pros in D.C.

Earlier this summer, the Wizards signed undrafted rookies Devin Robinson and Michael Young to two-year contracts, both two-way deals. Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are allowed to sign two two-way players who will spend most of their playing time in the G-League. However, they are allowed to spend a maximum of 45 days with their NBA affiliated team.

Two-Way players do not count against the salary cap. Under this contract, the Wizards will most likely not see very much of Robinson or Young on the court next season. However, if they play at a high level, they could be part of the Wizards 15-man roster in the near future.

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Devin Robinson played three years at the University of Florida before declaring for the NBA Draft. In his junior year at Florida, the 6’8″ small forward averaged 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and nearly shot 40% from three. Florida head coach Michael White praised Robinson for his speed and ability to play at both ends of the floor. However, Robinson went undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft for a lack of offensive versatility. He has been criticized for not being able to create his own shot and being an unreliable playmaker.

Playing for the Wizards in summer league, Robinson struggled putting the ball in the basket. However, he made up for his offensive woes at the defensive end, racking up multiple steals and blocks. Robinson has the potential and athleticism to become a solid player in the NBA, however he needs to greatly improve his offensive game first.

Michael Young out of the University of Pittsburgh was one of the best scorers in the entire NCAA last year. Young averaged 19.6 points per game which was first in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, even with his great ability to put the ball in the basket at high clips, Young still went undrafted.

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The 6’8″ power forward has been heavily criticized for not having a great jump shot and focusing too much on straight-line driving the ball to the basket. In his first three years at Pitt, Young made a combined total of 19 three pointers. In his senior year, Young emphasized improving his shot, more than doubling his combined total from the last threes seasons with 42 three pointers. While clearly improved, Young only shot 34% from three, respectable, but not enough to grab the attention of NBA scouts.

In the Wizards’ summer league, Young showed his impressive scoring and driving abilities, averaging nearly 10 points per game. That being said, it is obvious Young still needs to improve his shot, shooting just 33%. If he can greatly improve his shooting abilities in the G-League , Young could be the offensive spark for the Wizards in the future.

Next: Should the Wizards Explore Small-Ball Lineups?

Both Robinson and Young will be playing for the Delaware 87ers next season, the affiliate for the 76ers. Although, if Robinson or Young can demonstrate that they deserve to be playing at a higher level than the G-League, their two-way contracts give the Wizards the option to turn their contract into full NBA deals at any time.

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A Closer Look at the Washington Wizards’ Two Way Players

By Matt Levin | Aug 20, 2017

The Washington Wizards’ roster currently sits at 18 players, including two two-way players. They’ll have the opportunity to play in the G-League, and potentially earn minutes with the pros in D.C.

More from Wiz of Awes

More from Wiz of Awes