The Washington Wizards have to slim their roster down to 15 players before the regular NBA season begins. Coach Scott Brooks has a tough choice in deciding which guard, Donald Sloan or Carrick Felix, receives that final spot.
On Sunday, the Washington Wizards welcomed the Cleveland Cavaliers, for their third preseason matchup. For those who believe the preseason doesn’t matter, it does for Washington.
Cleveland rested their top nine players, essentially turning the game into a scrimmage between the two benches.
Although, the Wizards emerged victorious, it was a sad day in Washington, as Sheldon Mac went down in pain, while driving towards the basket.
Here is the Sheldon Mac injury. pic.twitter.com/ts0NMZwXdR
— KOBI DeFi (@JacobLarwrence) October 9, 2017
According to reports, Mac will be out 6 – 8 months after surgery, to repair a torn achilles in his left leg.
The backup shooting guard will likely miss the entire season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down why Mac is still eligible to receive his full season contract of $1.3 million.
Whether the two are related, the Wizards waived Daniel Ochefu on Monday.
The Wizards’ roster now stands at 16 players. It has to be trimmed down to the 15-player max, before the regular season begins. This doesn’t include Mike Young and Devin Robinson who are on two-way contracts.
They could go into the season with 14 players, however it’s unlikely that Washington will test the free agent market. Coach Scott Brooks doesn’t believe there’s anyone out there right now.
Therefore, Carrick Felix and Donald Sloan are fighting for that final roster spot. It’s going to be a very difficult decision for Brooks to choose between the two guards.
Does the point guard or shooting guard positon need more help?
Part of the process in choosing who gets that coveted 15th spot, is whether the Wizards need more depth at the point or the two.
For the shooting guard position, Bradley Beal has a reliable backup in Jodie Meeks, who has been shooting lights out, during their last three preseason games. With Mac injured, that gives Felix a good opportunity to be another scoring option of the bench.
It still remains to be seen, whether Tomas Satoransky is a reliable backup for John Wall. However, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post reported, that Tim Frazier, who suffered a groin injury, will play his first game for Washington on Wednesday.
Wizards should choose the most versatile player
Although injuries are a part of the game, it’s the Wizards’ misfortune to have them occur prior to the start of the season.
With Markieff Morris sidelined, is Kelly Oubre, Jr. ready to have a starring role? Or will Brooks have to revert to a three-guard lineup again? As he did against Cleveland on Sunday, with Wall, Beal and Meeks, after Oubre got into early foul trouble.
Last Friday against the Knicks, Sloan didn’t get any playing time. Felix in 16 minutes of play had five points, one assist and three rebounds.
On Sunday against the Cavaliers, Sloan had 12 points, three assists and two steals. He shot 5-for-15 from the field, and 1-for-6 from the three-point line. He also had five turnovers.
While Felix had 13 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He shot 4-for-6 from the field, and 1-for-3 from the three-point line. Felix is also a scrappy defender. After turning the ball over against Cleveland, he was able to steal the inbound pass.
Washington only has two preseasons games remaining, for the guards to prove which one would be the most valuable to the team, in its quest towards the conference finals.
On Wednesday, the Wizards will be in Miami to take on the Heat.