The Washington Wizards have tried a number of different starting lineups up to this point of the season.
Between the decisions to move Bub Carrington out of the starting lineup in favor of Bilal Coulibaly, and the spot starts for Tre Johnson in between, Washington has tried their hand at finding a winning formula throughout the start of this trying season.
Head coach Brian Keefe was forced to look in a different direction this past Saturday against the Chicago Bulls as injuries began to pile up, and the decision he made may be the lone decision that benefits the Wizards the most in an unexpected way.
Corey Kispert impressed in his first start of the season
Corey Kispert heard his number called over the weekend to fill in on the starting lineup for the Wizards during the team's matchup against the Bulls in the Windy City.
The former first round pick has started 103 games for Washington throughout his five years in the DMV, but this start for the Wizards on Saturday was the first for the sharpshooter on the year.
In the start, Kispert not only impressed, but he logged the most minutes of any player on the roster in the team's one point loss
Finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, on 70% shooting from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc, the Gonzaga product turned back the clock showing the potential his versatility offers and why Washington took a swing on him in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Despite Kispert's breakout performance, his impact on the Wizards may not help the team in the way fans are expecting.
Prior to his 20-point performance, the wing was in the midst of arguably the worst stint of his career.
Averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists, Kispert has regressed throughout the start of the season putting his value on the trade market at an all-time low.
At 26, it's become clear that Kispert sticking around for the long haul has become increasingly unlikely and with the Wizards inking him to a team-friendly deal ahead of last season, Washington could use his contract as a solid trade chip considering his age, impact and friendly deal.
However, his poor play put the team in a rough spot as his value began to plummet,
Thankfully, his declining value could be turning around following his best performance of the season and if that is the case, Washington should have plenty of suitors willing to take on Kispert's deal giving them increased financal flexbility and perhaps additional draft compensation and/or young players.
Only time will tell, but for now, things are looking up.