3. Eugene Omoruyi
In the second game of Washington's homestand in early February, Eugene Omoruyi came up with season-highs in points, rebounds, steals, and assists. After a massive game for the undrafted forward, Wizards coach Brian Keefe gave Omoruyi a serious challenge during the third quarter of the team's first game back from the All-Star break: guard Nikola Jokic.
During Thursday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets, Keefe briefly tasked the 6'7" forward with defending Nikola Jokic, which sparked a 16-4 Wizards run. Omoruyi came up with three big steals and showed off his defensive prowess in a tough matchup.
This play is Eugene Omoruyi in a nutshell. pic.twitter.com/FhDteIaixd
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) February 8, 2024
The 27-year-old Omoruyi signed a two-way contract with the Wizards shortly after being waived by the Detroit Pistons last July. Since then, Omoruyi has appeared in 26 games for Washington, averaging 7.5 minutes per game.
Despite his recent success, Omoruyi will need to sustain his ability to impact games in limited minutes if he hopes to be retained by the Wizards in restricted free agency this summer.