Ranking The Washington Wizards Lottery Picks Since 2010
No. 4 – 2019 NBA Draft: Wizards select Rui Hachimura ninth overall
The status of Rui Hachimura and where he ranks on this list is still playing out right now, but he comfortably holds the fourth spot at this point. While he doesn’t project as a future star at all, he does have an impactful game and could be a nice piece on a winning team for many years to come.
Sure, a number of players selected after Hachimura are off to a big lead in their career production already, but that’s almost always the case with the Wizards selection. At ninth overall, it appears the Wiz got pretty good value with this pick.
Some would argue (myself included), that Hachimura could and should have more statistical support for this ranking but the Wizards’ failures have somewhat hampered him at times early in his career. From logjams to poor fits, Rui hasn’t been given the right tools to produce consistently yet.
The young forward has played in 147 games in the NBA so far, averaging 13 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. His minutes took a big hit this past season once he returned from injury but with a full offseason of health and development, Hachimura should build himself a significant role in the rotation moving forward.
No. 3 – 2020 NBA Draft: Wizards select Deni Avdija ninth overall
One spot ahead of Hachimura is his current teammate on the Wizards, Deni Avdija. Both of the young forwards were selected ninth overall in their respective classes. Like Hachimura, Avdija has his flaws and is already sure to not be the best player that was on the board when all is said and done.
That being said, Avdija brings a strong and impactful skillset to the court just like his teammate and it’s fairly easy to see him in a large role on any team for many years to come. His game currently lacks in one specific (and important) area, his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter.
With that being a focus of his offseason, even slight improvement will get his game going and allow him to be a true game-changer on the court. He is showing he can do great things on the defensive end and he is a versatile piece on both ends of the court.
Avdija’s well-rounded game at such a young age combines with a little bit of projection to get him into the third overall spot on this list. Both Hachimura and Avdija require us to project a bit on this ranking, but both have the ability and talent to be very solid picks in their respective draft classes.