Washington Wizards Mailbag Monday: Coaching, free agents, and more!
By Jack Skolnik
1. Will Anžejs Pasečņiks be in the rotation?
By the end of his two year deal, will we see Pasecniks in the rotation? From a big AP fan
— Patrick (@PatrickDurall) February 13, 2020
A quality first question from @PatrickDurrall in regards to the Washington Wizards seven footer. As pointed out, Anzejs Pasecniks recently was converted from a two-way contract to a multi-year deal with the Wiz.
In his stint with the Wizards thus far, AP is averaging 7.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20 games. He has shown some promise and has played well, however him receiving a spot in the rotation may be out of his hands.
The Wizards recently signed Thomas Bryant to a three-year contract so barring any big moves, it seems like he will be the man to start at Center. Behind him, Moritz Wagner has been a pleasant surprise for the Wizards and has really come on as a quality piece for the Wizards moving forward.
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With that being said, it seems like these two will command a majority of the minutes at center. With both of these guys still developing and looking to improve, it may be a numbers game with AP.
The one thing that AP does have going for him is he has one skill set that can’t be taught: He is really good at being tall. All jokes aside, AP’s size gives him the ability to clog the lane and block shots.
So for that reason, I do believe he will still be on the team moving forward, especially with Ian Mahinmi most likely on the way out. If AP continues to develop and improves we may see his minutes spike.
However, it seems like the Wizards like what they have in Bryant and Wagner. It also doesn’t help that the Wizards have two guys in Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans who will take up the Power Forward position and may see a lot of the floor if the Wizards decide to go small.
But AP will still get his chances. On any given night with someone in foul trouble or injuries, AP will most likely see the floor and I think the Washington Wizards coaching staff has the confidence in him to come in to defend and rebound.
However, as stated above, with two young guys in front of him that the Wizards are dedicated to developing, AP might be the odd man out of the rotation in a crowded front court.