4 Questions that still hover over the Washington Wizards during hiatus
By Ethan Smith
Who is the Center of the Future?
The Wizards have a lot of young centers on their roster. Thomas Bryant, Moritz Wagner, and Anzejs Pasecniks are all under the ages of 25 and they’re all under contract for at least one more season. However, none of them have proven they can carry the load as the lead man in the paint.
Collectively, the Wizards give up 51.7 points in the paint per game, ranking 26th in the NBA. It doesn’t all fall on the big men, but they certainly aren’t doing much to stop the offensive onslaughts.
Bryant, coming off a surprise season and a new three-year deal with the Wizards, has regressed a bit in his second season in Washington. Bryant’s gotten away from his bread and butter rim running and stepped further from the basket this season. He hasn’t mastered the stretch five role, and he’s become less effective as a result. The injuries certainly haven’t helped Bryant find his rhythm this season, but when Bryant has been out there, he’s gotten more minutes and more attempts than he did last season. Unfortunately, he’s been less productive and less efficient as a result.
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Wagner, while efficient on the offensive end (0.625 eFG%), leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to rim protection. He’s an agitator and a charge-taker, but he’s not a shot-blocker, and he’s hardly a shot-changer. And while Pasecniks can provide some solid minutes in a pinch, he’s not the answer. There’s a reason he was in the G-League earlier this season.
So will the Wizards ride it out with what they’ve got? For most of the season, Ian Mahinmi has looked like the team’s best center, but don’t expect to see him back in D.C. after his albatross contract expires at the end of the season. The future isn’t blinding with the remaining stable of centers, although it might have some promise.
It’s more likely that at least one of Bryant, Wagner, or Pasecniks are traded out of Washington this offseason. That could be for a big, but they don’t have to trade for the future of the frontcourt. There are some interesting free agent targets — including Andre Drummond, Tristan Thompson, and Hassan Whiteside. Or maybe Sheppard has a blockbuster trade up his sleeve for someone like Jonathan Isaac or Myles Turner. Either way, the Wizards have to figure it out.