The Washington Wizards ranked 21st in made threes, 23rd in attempted threes, and 18th in three-point percentage in the 2022-2023 season. Their accuracy from downtown was 35.6%, a below-league-average mark. The result of these struggles for the Wizards was their 114.4 offensive rating, only good for the 22nd-best offense in the league.
None of these numbers are that surprising considering the Wizards roster. There are no elite shooters on the roster that instill fear in the opposing defenses, except for Corey Kispert. In fact, Kispert and Kristaps Porzingis are the only two players on the roster that are above-average shooters for their position. And neither of those players are volume shooters who love to bomb from outside.
It is obvious that if the Wizards want to see some improvement offensively, it has to start with their outside shooting.
Especially if a rebuild is indeed coming, the Wizards will need to improve their spacing to create the optimum offensive environment for their young players to develop. Players like Deni Avdija and Johnny Davis need good spacing and open driving lanes to fully thrive offensively.
Furthermore, the No. 8 selection in the 2023 NBA Draft is most likely going to be a shooting-challenged prospect as well. Potential picks like the Thompson twins, Anthony Black, and Bilal Coulibaly are going to work in progress in terms of perimeter shooting. They will require shooters surrounding them to space the floor and maximize their playmaking and rim-attacking play styles.
This is the case even if the Wizards choose to bring the same core back. Guards like Delon Wright and Monte Morris, who are not elite shooting threats, also need good spacing around them to operate to the best of their abilities.
Fortunately for the Washington Wizards, there are decent sharpshooters at an affordable price tag in this year’s free-agent market. Targeting these four players would certainly help alleviate some of the shooting issues that plagued the Wizards last season.