Admiral Schofield is making the most of NBA chances with Washington Wizards

As injuries pile up for the Washington Wizards, opportunities are opening up for Admiral Schofield. So far, he’s making the most of it.

Second-round draft pick Admiral Schofield hasn’t quite established himself as a regular part of the Washington Wizards rotation, but he has made the most of the chances he’s gotten.

Of the team’s 24 games this season, Schofield has appeared in eleven of them. In his first season out of Tennessee, Schofield has spent most of his time with Washington’s G-League team, the Capital City Go-Go. In 13 games for the Wizards’ G-League affiliate, Schofield is doing a little bit of everything, averaging 17.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 32 minutes.

As you can tell by his G-League box scores, Schofield is a versatile, jack-of-all-trades player. Some went as far as to compare him to Draymond Green as draft day approached.  It’s that versatility that makes Schofield such a valuable prospect for the Wizards, especially now.

With injuries piling up and new Wizards sitting out seemingly every game, having a reliable fill-in like Schofield is crucial. So far, Schofield has been making the most of his minutes on the NBA stage.

In the Wizards’ most recent game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Schofield broke out with his best NBA performance yet. Thomas Bryant, Moritz Wagner, Isaiah Thomas, C.J. Miles, and Jordan McRae were all out that night, leaving plenty of room for Schofield and fellow G-League call ups Justin Robinson and Garrison Mathews to make their marks. Of the three, Schofield impressed most of all.

As opposed to earlier in the season when Schofield sometimes looked a bit lost, he seemed far more composed against Memphis. His composure is a testament to the reps he’s putting in for the Go-Go, a path followed by Bryant, McRae, and Troy Brown Jr last season., Still a role player, it’s the little things that will set Schofield apart and secure him a spot on the active roster.

Back in Tennessee, the former Volunteer did the little things well. On the defensive end, he was active, and not afraid to pick up a foul when needed. On offense, he was a willing screener and wasn’t forcing action with the ball in his hands. Schofield’s selectiveness on that end helped him stay perfect from the field in the first half. In seven first-half minutes, Schofield went 3-3 from the field, finishing with eight points, one rebound, and one assist in seven minutes of playing time.

By the end of the night, Schofield had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and one steal. His perfect shooting night didn’t last all 48 minutes, but he was still an impressive 5-8 from the field (3-5 3PT). He finished with the team’s second-best +/- for the night, as well.

Performances like the one he had against Memphis are what Schofield needs to establish himself on the Wizards roster. At 6’5″, 241 lbs, Schofield’s frame allows him to muck it up down low and also defend on the perimeter. Built like a fullback, he can take a bruising beeline towards the basket or make opponents pay for leaving him open behind the arc (even if the release is a bit unorthodox). He’s got all the tools, he just needs to keep putting it all together.

With the Wizards’ injury report growing each week, it looks like Schofield will certainly get his chances. More showings like the one he had versus Memphis, and Schofield might be gone from the Go-Go before we know it.