Wiz of Awes
Fansided

Ranking the 7 worst Wizards starters of the Gilbert Arenas era

By Cem Yolbulan

CLEVELAND - APRIL 30: Caron Butler #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates what turned out to be the game winning shot with Roger Mason #8, Brendan Haywood #33 and Gilbert Arenas #0 while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 30, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio. Washington won the game 88-87 but trail in the series 2-3. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND - APRIL 30: Caron Butler #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates what turned out to be the game winning shot with Roger Mason #8, Brendan Haywood #33 and Gilbert Arenas #0 while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 30, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio. Washington won the game 88-87 but trail in the series 2-3. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

No. 7: Andray Blatche

Andray Blatche was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the 49th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was one of the last players to ever be drafted out of high school before the NBA stopped allowing it. Initially thought of as a first-round pick, Blatche slipped in the draft all the way to Washington in the second round.

Blatche was not a bad player by any means. Especially for a 49th overall pick, you could do much worse. However, the fact that Blatche started in 176 games over 7 seasons for the Wizards says a lot about the Wizards organization at the time.

Blatche was a productive player for the Wizards. He took a lot of shots and scored a lot of points. He rebounded well and contributed with steals and blocks. Yet, he struggled with being a winning player.

For a 6’11 big man, Blatche was one of the least efficient players in his position. He had below-league-average efficiency every season of his Wizards career. His shot selection was abysmal. He shot 23.8% from three-point-range on 143 attempts during his Wizards tenure and yet, he couldn’t stop shooting them. He rarely passed the ball or concentrated on defense.

Maybe under better coaching and a more organized team, Blatche could have had a role as a scorer off the bench. But the tumultuous nature of the Washington Wizards of the time enabled the worst instincts of Blatche.

Unsurprisingly, Blatche was out of the NBA at the age of 28 after two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets following his Wizards stint. He continued his career in China and with the Philippines national basketball team.

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