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Start, Bench, Cut: Washington Wizards backcourt edition

By Cem Yolbulan

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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We are less than a month away from training camp where the rotations will be finalized ahead of the regular season. After the preseason games and ahead of the season opener, the final roster needs to be cut down to 15 players. For a team like the Washington Wizards that has more guaranteed contracts than roster spots allowed, the training camp carries even more significance. Especially considering the logjam at the guard positions compared to the lack of frontcourt depth, the Wizards coaching staff has some tough decisions to make ahead of the regular season.

One of these decisions is the backcourt rotation. As things stand now, Jordan Poole is the guaranteed starter in one of the guard spots. Poole’s ability to play both point guard and shooting guard allows flexibility in building lineups. This creates a battle for the other guard position in the starting five. This competition in the training camp to earn a starting role could prove beneficial to the team.

The backcourt rotation outside of Poole currently consists of Delon Wright, Tyus Jones, Johnny Davis, Ryan Rollins, and Landry Shamet. Corey Kispert and Bilal Coulibaly obviously have the ability to play shooting guard as well, but considering the lack of depth at small forward, they are likely to be utilized at the 3, at least to start the season.

Second-year players Johnny Davis and Ryan Rollins are unlikely to land the starting job to begin the season. Their limited NBA experience might prevent them from having a positive impact. Despite the 2023-24 season being a developmental season for the Wizards, they will presumably want to see how good they are at the beginning of the season. It’s safe to assume that young players will likely get more minutes as the season progresses. We could even see Davis and Rollins spending some time in the G-League in the first few months of the season.

There is a chance one of the backcourt players will be moved ahead of the season. The number of combo guards on the roster suggests that the odd man out could be out of this group. However, until then, the last starting job appears to be between Delon Wright, Tyus Jones, and Landry Shamet.

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