Washington Wizards: 5 biggest storylines to watch after the all-star break
By Keith Cork
1. The development of Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura
The Washington Wizards have what I call “bullets in the chamber.” These are guys that we’re taking a shot with in the hopes of landing a “bullseye” or in other words, they have the ability to become a starter-level contributor, or even a budding star.
In my estimation, the Wizards have several, with varying heights to their ceilings. Moritz Wagner, Jerome Robinson, and Isaac Bonga all have the ability to become net positive contributors, with Moe Wagner probably the highest ceiling guy in my opinion with starter upside.
To some extent, Thomas Bryant also qualifies as “developing” and having “upside.” Many, including myself, anticipated a leap for TB with so much usage sidelined in John Wall, but injuries have robbed him of the opportunity.
Hot. Three Washington Wizards we want to see play better post all-star break. light
But the two guys Washington Wizards fans need to watch more closely than any of the above are Troy Brown Jr. and Rui Hachimura.
Troy Brown is probably the most intriguing and crucial piece that needs to take that fabled “next step.” With very little depth at the wing, and barring an offseason move, he’s the guy who has the starting small forward spot to lose.
TBJ has shown flashes of stardom, even against good defenses, and we’ll need to see consistent performances like this:
Rui Hachimura is the other guy here, and in nearly 30 minutes of action through the 30 games he’s gotten to suit up this season, the rookie has impressed. Averaging 13.9 points on 48.7 percent shooting is no slouch, and some of his per 36 numbers are even
in their early seasons.
He also had a fantastic showing in the Rising Stars game, specifically in the first half:
I’m expecting both of these guys to play a ton of minutes down the stretch and really grow in their sense of the game’s various situations and when to take control. Troy Brown needs the biggest step forward though.