7 Questions for the New-Look Washington Wizards

4. Which new Washington Wizard will be the biggest difference-maker?

At first glance, the answer seems to be Spencer Dinwiddie, depending on his health coming into the season. The Wizards ranked 27th in passing last season despite Russell Westbrook winning the assists title. As Fred Katz of The Athletic pointed out, that’s actually the highest a Westbrook-led team has ever finished in that category.

Will Dinwiddie change that? The previous season, the Wizards finished 3rd in passing, but that was almost out of necessity as Bradley Team faced double-/triple-teams on a nightly basis. It’s hard to evaluate Dinwiddie’s role because his career includes time with ball-dominant guards like D’Angelo Russell and Kyrie Irving. Those early Brooklyn teams led by Kenny Atkinson were known for ball movement, finishing 8th in the 2018-19 season, but who’s to say how that might translate under Coach Unseld.

That’s why my answer to this question is probably Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Wizards have been desperately searching for a reliable 3-and-D wing for years now—it’s why they traded assets for Trevor Ariza not once but twice. While Caldwell-Pope is only 6’5, he has a plus wingspan and good defensive instincts along the perimeter.

He also shot a career-best 41% from behind the arc last season while averaging nearly 10 points per game.

Even better, Caldwell-Pope can slide in as the backup shooting guard when Beal heads to the bench, or he can play the small forward position in the starting lineup. Versatility like this matters. The Wizards tried a version of this with Raul Neto at the three last season but will find more success with Caldwell-Pope this year.

5. Will the Washington Wizards miss Russell Westbrook?

While plenty of us struggled to embrace the Russell Westbrook experience, he brought undeniably positive things to the court. Whether through energy, intensity, veteran savvy, or sheer athletic brilliance to the point guard position, Westbrook willed this team to over-perform at times.

There will be weeknight games in the middle of the season when the Wizards are playing the Thunder or the Kings, and we’ll think: the Wizards could use Westbrook’s energy right now.

That being said, everything we lost with his departure will be made up for elsewhere. Because the Wizards have real depth in the lineup, the need for that energy won’t be as dire as it was last season. There is now size and length along the perimeter, defensive skill throughout the roster, and improved shooting on the bench.

This team is now ten players deep. Russell Westbrook performed some real heroics at times last year for the Wizards, but because Tommy Sheppard chose to redistribute talent and money across the entire roster, there won’t be the same need for those heroics this season.

Instead, the Wizards will move the ball more, slow the pace down, and be more methodical in their play. They will commit fewer turnovers and perhaps have fewer possessions. It may not result in the same level of excitement that Westbrook brings to the court, but it might mean better team basketball in the end.