The Washington Wizards project to have a pretty high pick in this year’s draft. Here’s three NBA prospects that might fit best.
With only 25 games left to go in the season, the Washington Wizards now sit 4.5 games back of the Orlando Magic for the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This means that in order for the Wizards to sneak into the playoffs they need to hope the Orlando Magic end the season going 8-16 in their last 24 games while the Wizards go 13-12 in their last 25 games.
This is not very likely and with each passing day it seems to become less and less likely. While the Washington Wizards will still try to make an end of the season push for the playoffs, we should start looking forward to the draft.
This draft is not nearly as top heavy as past drafts, with seemingly no surefire stud for which several teams would want to tank for the opportunity to draft. However, without an absolute star at the top of the draft, there is plenty of other talent.
Which bodes well for the Wizards who would have the ninth pick in the NBA Draft, if the season ended today. With a lot of talent bunched up in the middle, even if we slip to a little lower in the draft, we can probably still snag the guy we’re eyeing provided the teams above us don’t have the same roster needs.
There’s really no telling with young talent. Obviously it would be great to snag a LeBron James or a Zion Williamson, as those guys were always surely going to be stars in this league, but that only happens once in an era and this year’s draft doesn’t seem to have that ace in the hole.
Here we will look at three players who the Wizards could potentially add in the draft who would help them reach the playoffs next year along with returning John Wall and high-scoring Bradley Beal.
1. Cole Anthony
All of these selections are based off having the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft. Cole Anthony in my opinion should be a top five pick in the draft. Coming into the season before his injury he was projected consistently in the top 5, but with his injury and University of North Carolina’s struggles this year his stock has slowly fallen.
If Cole Anthony falls to the Washington Wizards, they must take him.
Cole Anthony is a dynamic PG. He can score on anyone at any time. He is not the best thre-point shooter at just 31 percent, which may make him an awkward fit with Wall and Beal, but he is by no means as liable from beyond the arc as Ben Simmons. He has the ability to shoot and make threes and is not someone by any means that teams would want to leave open from the three-point line.
He is also a terrific passer. This year with UNC, he is only averaging 3 assists per game but this is on an awful team where no one can make a shot this year. Out of all of Divison 1 teams, UNC has the 282nd best field goal percentage.
No player on this current UNC team would have many assists. Anthony has shown an ability to dominate defenses, averaging almost 20 points per game when defenses are solely trying to stop him.
Cole Anthony would be a terrific addition to this team no matter what happens. His potential makes him worthy of the potentially awkward fit with Beal and Wall. Even if the Wizards decide to trade Beal and commit to the rebuild, I do not see many people in this draft better than Anthony with which to start a rebuild.
2. Onyenka Okongwu
Onyenka Okongwu would be a great complimentary piece to Wall and Beal. If John Wall comes back healthy, playing at an all-star level. No one makes more sense than Okungwu.
Okongwu is a great defender and he is averaging almost three blocks a game currently and would make for a terrific rim protector for the Washington Wizards. With Bradley Beal’s lack of defense, the Wizards could always use more rim protection.
Right now the Wizards are last in points allowed per game giving up almost 120 points per game. The Washington Wizards have shown that they can score, now they just need to add some defense to be a real threat in the NBA. Okongwu would fill this need perfectly.
Also Okongwu is a good offensive player. He can shoot a decent amount, over 70% from the free throw line. Teams will not be able to completely ignore him on offense and he has shown the touch that could one day develop into an ability to stretch the defense to the three point line and open up the court for Beal and Wall.
The one major concern for Okongwu is he is a center. The way the NBA is going now, centers are not necessary. Their is an abundance of adequate level Centers in the NBA right now and more than likely Okongwu will turn into an ok starter but not a real difference maker.
For a center to be a difference maker or all-star they need to be incredible in some area and Okongwu does not seem to have that potential. If the Washington Wizards end up trading Bradley Beal, Okongwu would not be a very risky player to build a team around.
3. Killian Hayes
International players in NBA drafts always scare me. There have been so many busts, it seems like every year there are about three international players who are talked about very highly and only one every couple of years is actually any good.
But when international players are good, they can be very good. See Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Killian Hayes’ abilities fit the Washington Wizards better now than Cole Anthony’s, but I do not believe he is as talented or has nearly the same ceiling as Anthony. Hayes is a better three-point shooter, shooting 39 percent in the Euro League.
He is also an amazing free throw shooter, shooting around 90 percent. He also has had more professional basketball experience and is more NBA-ready than Anthony. The problem with Hayes is that he is unknown.
With Anthony you know the potential is there, but with Hayes no one knows how he will really play in the NBA.
Hayes fits incredibly with Beal and Wall though. He may not scare defenses but teams will have to stay up on him on the three point line. He would space the floor greatly for Wall and Beal, and he could play as a backup point guard on the second unit.
Hayes would blend well with this team. An offense with Hayes, Davis Bertans, Wall, Beal and any big man would be a scoring machine and easily propel the Wizards to the 2021 NBA playoffs.