Washington Wizards: Top 5 takeaways from an AMA with Tommy Sheppard

3. Tommy knows about the obvious roster holes.

Just like the fan base, Tommy knows that there are glaring holes in the roster as it stands. While we’ve seen (and dished out) plenty of criticism here at Wizard of Awes of players like Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Isaac Bonga, and Ian Mahinmi, Tommy is on top of it.

For example, when it comes to the four-headed dragon we currently have at the center position, Tommy had this to say:

"If you look at the way the game is played, it’s harder and harder to have significant money tied in to one player at the center position. We found it as a necessity to do center-by-committee. We’re pleased with the progress of Thomas Bryant, Moe Wagner, and Anzejs Pasecniks."

What a sigh of relief, right? We aren’t going to sink a bunch of money into a good center, and the way the league plays basketball right now that’s absolutely the right move. Even though all the top teams have serviceable centers, in the top five teams of the east none of their best players are their center (though you could make a case for Bam Adebayo in Miami).

And in the west, it’s only one (or two) of the top 8 teams that have a lot of their usage and points scored by their center. Nikola Jokic in Denver is the for sure exception, and you could make a case for all-star Rudy Gobert in Utah, but it would be a really tough case to make, especially on offense.

It’s good to see that Tommy is growing with the times, and isn’t going to be stuck in his ways. But even more important here is the name he chose to omit.

That’s right, Ian Mahinmi. It was only a few days ago that I laid out all the reasons bringing Ian Mahinmi back might be a good choice for the young Washington Wizards, but with this answer it looks like Tommy is set at center and probably won’t bring the veteran back. I’m sure most Wizards fans will be thrilled.

But that’s not the only hole on the roster Tommy is aware of, and I was pumped to see this next comment because it’s a weakness on the roster that I’ve written about extensively.

"Yes, we have. We’ve had eyes on every game, every coast, every conference, every country, not just for the draft, but for exhibit 10s, G League, etc. Best overall player – certainly we have some needs at the wing for depth. The biggest thing we need is more talent and that’s what we’re looking to add. We have Chicago’s second round pick this year as well, which is looking like a higher pick than expected."

He was asked if he’d already been looking into draft prospects (which is a kind of silly question, to be honest, but I digress). And his answer was much more extensive, talking not just about the draft, but in plans to sign other players.

And what he’s looking for, which should be the top need they fill in the draft, is a backup small forward. It seems they plan to move Rui Hachimura into the starting small forward position, use the starter tag as leverage in talks with Davis Bertans, and draft another young wing to play behind Rui.

That would most likely shift Troy Brown to the shooting guard position to back up Bradley Beal where he is probably best suited. He needs the ball in his hands to really be effective, so staggering him and Beal seems like a really good bet.

But reading between the lines, I wouldn’t discount anyone in the upcoming draft. Tommy says they’re going to draft for top talent, so if someone slides they’re going to snag him, regardless of position, and then figure it out later.