Washington Wizards: 3 Players that must perform in the postseason

The Washington Wizards put themselves into a great position on Sunday with their 115-110 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The victory catapulted the Wizards from tenth in the standings to eighth in the final game of the regular season, a big jump right before the postseason begins. As the eighth seed, the Wizards will face the Boston Celtics in their first (and hopefully only) play-in game.

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news in Washington. Already, the Wizards are facing problems as they head into the play-in tournament. During Monday morning’s practice, less than 36 hours before tip-off in Boston, Bradley Beal admitted to reporters that his hamstring injury is still not completely healed.

Despite the injury — which sidelined Beal for three straight games before the matchup vs. Charlotte — Beal was the leading scorer during the Wizards’ regular-season finale vs. the Hornets, scoring 25 points along with six rebounds and four assists. The final stat line was fairly Beal-esque, but it was obvious that he wasn’t himself and was hobbled by the hamstring. Beal shot under 30 percent from the field (29.6 percent) and three (27.2 percent). Make no mistake, though; his gutsy performance helped secure the crucial victory. Unfortunately, it sounds like he won’t be 100 percent healthy for the play-in tournament.

The Washington Wizards will need more than just Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook if they want to make a serious run through the postseason.

With this in mind, the Washington Wizards will be forced to look to their role players to step up for their star if his hamstring continues to ail him. Here are three players whose postseason performances will be imperative to the success of the Washington Wizards.

Washington Wizards that must perform in the postseason: Daniel Gafford

The Washington Wizards finally gained the rim protector they had been hoping for when they acquired Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline. While Robin Lopez has recently been doing a fantastic job at the center position, Gafford is a defensive presence that has been the key to the Wizards’ recent success.

Since Gafford arrived in the capital, the Wizards have gone 6-2 in games where he has played 17 minutes or more. When he has been given fewer minutes than that, the Wizards’ record has been well below .500, with seven wins and ten losses.

While it seems the simple solution would be to play Gafford more, his current playing style has made that tough.  One of Wizards fans’ favorite things about Daniel Gafford is his shot-blocking, a trait that has been missing from the Wizards lineup for the past few seasons.

However, Gafford’s hustle and high energy on defense had a negative impact recently. In the Wizards’ last matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on May 16, he found himself in foul trouble very early in the first half. Gafford was flying around as usual, but this time he was picking up fouls along the way. Because of this, Gafford found himself with limited playing time in what ended up being a close game against Charlotte. Had he not been in such foul trouble, the Wizards could have really used his defense in the final minutes.

If Daniel Gafford can continue his strong start with the Wizards and avoid drawing so many early fouls, he’ll be able to contribute to important defensive possessions down the stretch this postseason.

Washington Wizards that must perform in the postseason: Raul Neto

An offseason acquisition that at the time seemed to be an afterthought on a one-year contract, Raul Neto has consistently stepped up this season in times of adversity for the Wizards. When Ish Smith was struggling early in the season with injuries and performance, Neto stepped into the role of backup point guard to Russell Westbrook. He averaged just eight points per game but has proven to be a consistent scorer in important moments, often being on the floor in the final minutes of close games. He has also been a reliable and tenacious perimeter defender for the Wizards.

Neto found his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis towards the end of the season, starting his final fourteen games before hamstring soreness forced him to miss the final two games of the season. In those fourteen games, Neto averaged 11.3 points per game on very consistent shooting, making at least 50 percent of his field-goal attempts in ten of the fourteen games.

It is essential that Raul Neto is available for the Wizards in the postseason, both for the play-in games and any potential playoff games that the Wizards make it to. With Bradley Beal admitting himself that he is not yet 100 percent after, it is now more important than ever that the Wizards backup guard is ready to go.

Washington Wizards that must perform in the postseason: Rui Hachimura

Rui Hachimura has been a source of tentative excitement for Wizards fans over the past two seasons. Hachimura came onto the scene in 2019 with the high expectations of being a future Wizards star after the Wizards selected him ninth overall. However, after a strong rookie season, Hachimura has not quite made the “big leap” that fans had hoped for this season. Instead, this season has been full of inconsistency from the second-year forward.

However, there have been moments that have shown Hachimura’s potential, such as his viral dunk on Anthony Davis or tying his career-high in scoring with 30 points against the Charlotte Hornets in March.

On top of that, Rui finished the season with a streak of scoring 10 points or more in the last ten games that he played, scoring 20 or more in two of them. There are games, even stretches of games, where Hachimura can put it all together. If he can continue with this momentum into the postseason, it would be the perfect time for him to make the jump that fans have been waiting for.

As the postseason progresses, teams will be focusing on stopping Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook on the offensive end. The Wizards will need a third scorer to step up as opposing defenses tighten up. Hachimura has shown, at times, that he can be that third option. Now it’s time to prove that he can do it night in and night out on the postseason stage.