Who is the starting small forward for the Washington Wizards?

As the Washington Wizards continue through their preseason schedule and inch closer and closer to their regular-season opener against the Indiana Pacers Oct. 19, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. will be forced to choose between a trio of gifted, though imperfect options to fill the small forward spot in the starting lineup.

The skill sets of the candidates for the final starting spot are varied — each provides a crucial skill set for winning basketball. But with none of the options providing a perfect option, Unseld Jr. will have to choose what attribute is most important to add to his starting group.

First there is new Wizard Will Barton, a carryover from Unseld Jr.’s Nuggets squad, who was a perennial starter during his time in Denver. Barton would bring a level of experience, scoring and self-creation to the starting lineup.

Then there is Deni Avdija, who is entering his third year of NBA basketball and established himself last season as the team’s preeminent defender on the wing, capable of guarding opponents’ stars on a nightly basis.

And finally, there is Rui Hachimura, who made his case a starter behind an aggressive pair of games to start the preseason against the Golden State Warriors, logging 13 points and 9 rebounds in the preseason opener and an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in the rematch that followed.

In what will be the first season star shooting guard Bradley Beal gets to spend on the court with the floor-stretching big man, Kristaps Porzingis, Unseld Jr. must determine not only which player might be the best overall, but who will fit best playing alongside those two.

Here is the most compelling case for each of the three Wizards to be the team’s starting small forward in the 2022-23 season.

Will Barton

Since he landed in Washington alongside point guard Monte Morris in a trade, which sent the Wizards’ Ish Smith and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Denver, Barton has been widely considered the leader in the competition for the starting small forward role.

Barton brings a little bit of everything the Wizards are looking for at the small forward spot. But having played a significant role on a winning Nuggets team last year, Barton brings something the other options for the Wizards at the small forward spot don’t: experience.

Barton started all 71 games he played for the Nuggets last season, helping the team to its 48–34 record, largely without stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. He also is deeply familiar with Unseld Jr. and his coaching style. That characteristic, shared with likely starter Monte Morris, could also help nudge Barton into the starting role.

A career 35.4% three-point shooter, Barton shot 36.5% last year on a career high 6.1 attempts in a higher-volume role on the injury-riddled Denver roster. His career percentage, however, doesn’t demonstrate just how good he has been as a shooter over his past couple of seasons. In his three seasons since 2019–20, Barton has averaged 37.3% from behind the arc – well above league average of 35.4%.

Barton has also proven he can play off of stars with a lot of positional gravity, like Nikola Jokic. Unseld Jr. and the Wizards might see Barton as a plug-and-play option next to their new duo of Beal and Porzingis, able to hit big shots like this one.

Standing at 6’6” with a 6’10” wingspan, Barton has the physical attributes to be a plus defender on the wing, if not at least a serviceable one. Barton’s defense has been up and down over the course of his career.

It’s unreasonable to hope that Barton will be some sort of defensive stopper on the wing for Washington. Defenders always look more or less strong based on the personnel around them, and Barton is departing a team that ranked 15th in defensive rating in the NBA last year for a team ranked 25th.

Barton’s ability to score on his own in isolation, run the pick and roll and create offense would also give the Wizards another scoring option in what looks to be a high-powered offense behind Beal, Porzingis and Kuzma.

Clearly, though, Barton’s past experience with Unseld Jr. and in the league in general give him the best case to start on the wing for the Wizards. If Washington wants a player with experience and a Swiss Army knife skillset to round out their starting group, Barton is the man for the job.

Deni Avdija

The second candidate to earn the starting small forward spot is Deni Avdija. The Israeli forward is entering his third season in the NBA, making him the youngest player to vie for a starting role in Washington this year.

Avdija is also clearly the best defender on this Wizards roster, and it’s not particularly close.

He stepped into the role of being a defensive stopper for the Wizards last year following a debut season which left much to be desired in terms of his offensive potential. A lot was made of Avdija’s ability to be a creator on offense who could handle and distribute within the offense at 6’9”.

We’ve seen flashes of that ability from Deni, but nothing close to what draft experts predicted he might be capable of.

The defense, though, is real. Deni had tremendous performances against many of the league’s offensive stars last year, regardless of position, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan.

With Avdija in the starting rotation, the Wizards would get a capable wing defender who could guard opposing teams’ stars on any given night, which is a valuable skill set for a starter (less so for a bench player). There isn’t a current Wizards starter who can do that, making him a valuable commodity.

The drawback for Avdija is his offense. He’s shown a startling inability to consistently make catch-and-shoot threes, which, next to Beal and Porzingis is a must. Avdija shot a measly 31.7% from behind the three-point arc in the 2021-22 season. Though he reportedly spent the summer months tweaking his shot mechanics with renowned skills coach Drew Hanlen, it’s yet to be seen whether Avdija’s shooting will take a leap this year. If it does, his defensive ability warrants him serious consideration for the starting small forward role.

Rui Hachimura

Finally, there is Rui Hachimura. The Wizards’ starting power forward for his first two years in Washington, Hachimura is no stranger playing starter’s minutes in the NBA. He started every game he played for the Wizards from 2019 to 2021, before taking some personal time away from the team to start the 2021-22 season.

When he returned to the floor for the final 42 games of the season, Hachimura’s game had taken a leap. A career 31.3% three-point shooter through his first two years in the league, Hachimura hit a jaw-dropping 44.7% of his tries from behind the three-point line in his abridged third season on a career high 2.9 attempts per game.

Since then analysts, fans — and in all likelihood, team personnel — have waited for the beginning of the 2022-23 season to see if Hachimura’s shooting display was a statistical aberration or if it would continue.

Only three preseason games into the season, it’s hard to tell the answer to that question. What you can tell, however, is that Hachimura has ramped up his energy and aggression on the court, attacking the rim and hunting his shot.

After averaging close to a double-double through the team’s first two games against the Golden State Warriors during their trip to Japan, Hachimura scored 15 points in 25 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets Oct. 10.

If Hachimura’s shooting remains at a consistent level (or even a shadow of last year’s self), it would provide a tantalizing skillset to pair with the high-gravity offensive pieces the Wizards would already have on the floor. Hachimura’s shooting volume could go up and he would likely see some wide-open looks.

Hachimura is an interesting candidate for the spot, but unless he can prove he can defend at even an average level, Barton or Avdija are likely better options for the role.

Who do you think should start at the small forward spot for the Wizards this season?