For the first time since 2018, the Washington Wizards will be picking outside of the lottery. Although they are picking later in the first round than they did in each of the last two drafts, they are once again looking for a player that can come in and make an immediate impact. Rui Hachimura, who earned a spot on the All-Rookie second team in 2020, did that. Deni Avdija not so much.
Picking outside of the lottery will make it harder for the Wizards to get a sure thing in the draft. For what it’s worth, though, each of the last three MVP awards has gone to players picked outside of the lottery (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic). So the Wizards are far from hopeless. Every draft, there are plenty of picks outside of the top ten that pan out or even excel.
The Washington Wizards must use the NBA Draft to fix their biggest issues.
Whoever the Wizards decide to take at #15, that player will need to be a solution and not a redundancy or a project. Meaning, the Wizards need to select someone who will help them fix the issues that were all too apparent last season. They don’t need a versatile, do-it-all player that still needs to find his strength, nor do they need a player that will help bolster a strength. Now’s not the time for projects.
On draft night, the Washington Wizards need to draft (or trade for) a player that will help them address one of their most pressing needs…