The Washington Wizards have floor spacing issues with Anthony Davis projected to finally be in the lineup. He was traded from Dallas to the nation’s capital before February’s deadline, but AD sat out the rest of the season recovering from a hand injury. The Wizards want to keep him and traded for Deandre Ayton. They appear set to grant AD's wish, but there is a good reason the Lakers opted against it for years.
Davis is a career 29.5 percent 3-point shooter. He averaged more than one 3-pointer made per game just once in his 14-year NBA career. The 6’10 big man can do a lot of things, but he doesn’t stretch the floor. With Ayton and Alex Sarr at the five, the Wizards will have two non-shooters on the floor most of the time. Washington was 19th in 3-pointers made and attempted last season. AD only makes the problem worse.
Playing Davis at the four saves his body. The future Hall of Famer has a lengthy injury history. The Wizards must take steps to keep him healthy, but making him a power forward creates floor spacing issues and some unplayable combinations in the rotation.
Wizards have floor spacing issues with Anthony Davis on the floor
Ayton didn’t attempt a 3-pointer last season for the Lakers and has shot just 23.0 percent for his career. Sarr will shoot, but he has connected on 31.6 percent of his 491 long-range attempts in his first two NBA seasons. With those three players taking up the majority of the frontcourt minutes, there are some clear spacing issues. Sadly, the rest of the roster makes them worse.
Young is a career 35.2 percent 3-point shooter. He won’t shy away from difficult shots, and the four-time All-Star can be inconsistent. Teams will guard Ice Trae, but the Wizards can't afford for him to shoot under 34.1 percent, which he has done in three of the last four years.
There are questions about AJ Dybantsa’s jumper, and Bilal Coulibaly is a below-league-average shooter. Washington will struggle to keep enough shooting on the floor with six of their top 12 players being below average.
The number one overall draft pick shot just 33.1 percent from 3-point range during his lone season at BYU. The NCAA 3-point line is shorter, and Dybantsa still struggled. He profiles as a plus scorer who needs the ball from day one, but the jumper is the biggest question. Dybantsa only adds to Washington’s shooting woes.
The Wizards must extend Davis after they gave Trae a massive new contract. AD has a lengthy injury history, and fans have seen just how difficult trading an albatross contract is in the second-apron era. This has massive downside, and it starts with the on-court fit.
The Lakers heard Davis’ demands, but knew he created his biggest advantages at the five. It allowed him to maximize his defense, and there were zero worries about the team's floor spacing. AD wants to play the four, but center has long been his best position. The Wizards will soon find that out for themselves.
The Washington Wizards have floor spacing questions before Anthony Davis has ever played a minute with the franchise. They clearly want to play AD at the four, but it will hurt their spacing. Maybe AD, Ice Trae, and Dybantsa is enough overall talent to overcome it. Or maybe not. Fans should be worried about their spacing. It is a problem that isn’t going away.
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