4 Young players the Wizards should develop, 4 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
Don’t Develop: Patrick Baldwin Jr.
The Wizards acquired Baldwin Jr. from the Warriors in the Chris Paul for Jordan Poole trade. The 6’9 forward was the 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, but he barely played for the Dubs as a rookie.
Baldwin Jr. was a top-five player in his class coming out of high school, but an injury-riddled lone college season forced his draft stock to plummet. The 20-year-old got most of his minutes in the G League last season, but his numbers did not jump off the screen.
It is way too soon to write off the 20-year-old, but he needs more time to develop. Even in summer league, Baldwin Jr. averaged 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 26.7 minutes per game over four contests. Those block numbers are unsustainable, and the rest of the package leaves plenty to be desired. He still has loads of potential, but it will take time and effort to make it a reality.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. has not shown enough to fall into the development category. The Washington Wizards have three more years of team control. They should not be in a rush to dump him, but his development should not be a priority until he takes a massive step forward.