Start, Bench, Cut: Washington Wizards backcourt edition
By Cem Yolbulan
Start: Tyus Jones
The starter next to Jordan Poole should be Tyus Jones to begin the 2023-24 season. He will be the much-needed steady hand to set the table on offense without creating too many defensive weaknesses. He is the perfect floor general for this young Wizards team.
Jones is certainly not going to set the world on fire with his scoring or eye-popping box score stats. Yet, he should be able to take his game to the next level as he will get a chance to be a long-term starter for the first time in his career.
For the last few seasons of his career, he was a backup to Ja Morant in Memphis. His ability to slide into the starting lineup or play next to Morant made him one of the most valuable bench players in the league. He has consistently been one of the most underrated point guards in the league and has earned a chance to run his own team.
The biggest strength of Tyus Jones’ game is the fact that he doesn’t have any weaknesses. He does everything at an above-average level. He can run pick & roll, pass, get inside the paint, and hit an open jumper while reasonably defending his own position. The weakness of his game is that he is not elite in any of these aspects.
However, taking care of the ball and never turning it over goes a long way in the league. Especially considering that Jordan Poole is a high-turnover player and that young players like Coulibaly and Davis will likely make plenty of mistakes on offense, having a mistake-free point guard in Jones will make a huge difference on the floor.
In order for the Wizards’ offense to function, they need a traditional point guard like Jones. He should play as many minutes as he can to start the season to help establish an offensive system.
