The Washington Wizards have lost six straight games and need to remove Deandre Ayton from the rotation. They traded Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks to acquire Ayton in the offseason. Washington wanted an elite backup center, but Ayton’s minutes and production keep declining. The Wizards must maximize Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr by letting them play the five, which leaves no room for Ayton.
DA is averaging 4.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game so far this season. The Wizards have been outscored by 41 points in his 183 minutes. He is a flawed player. Washington is quickly finding out why the Lakers were eager to move on and surprised to get draft capital in return.
Changes must be made. The Wizards have lost eight of their last ten after winning two of the first three contests. AD is playing like a superstar, but is better at the five. Washington should stagger Davis and Sarr. It would mean benching Sarr. If the Wizards are serious about contending, the smartest move is to take Ayton out of the rotation to open up more minutes at the five for superior options.
The Wizards are better with Deandre Ayton on the bench
Ayton has primarily been a starter for his entire NBA career. The number one overall draft pick in 2018 came off the bench for the first time since 2020 to start this season. There were plenty of questions about whether it would work. Ayton looked bought in to start the year, but the production quickly dropped off.
His minutes keep declining, and Washington has been outscored with Ayton on the floor in nine of the first 13 games. The Wizards have a negative 10.1 net rating with him, and they are 5.5 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the bench.
Ayton has struggled to protect the rim for years. Most of his value came as a scorer and rebounder. He is no longer getting the shots, so Washington struggles in his minutes.
It is not just Ayton’s issues. The Wizards have AD playing like a superstar and want to develop Sarr. They are both at their best playing center. Washington needs to maximize those two, especially with Ayton already struggling.
Removing Deandre Ayton helps maximize Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr
The Wizards are playing Davis at the four because he prefers it, but in the minutes where he is without Sarr or Ayton on the court, Washington has a 2.5 net rating. Getting him more run as the lone big man should help the Wizards contend.
Sarr is a center. He can’t consistently sink jumpers. The seven-footer is at his best getting fed easy buckets at the rim and blocking shots at the other end. He needs to be at the five to be most effective.
The Wizards only have 48 minutes to play at center in a game. AD is averaging 34.1 minutes each night, and Sarr plays 27.2. Ayton’s playing time keeps dropping because Washington is using the Davis and Sarr more at the five. DA has played under ten minutes in three of the last four contests.
The Wizards want to win. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2021 and are eager to break that drought. Washington must lean into their best lineups to do that, which means cutting Ayton from the rotation.
Deandre Ayton isn’t helping the Wizards contend
The Wizards keep losing the minutes with Ayton on the floor. They have a negative net rating when he plays with Davis or Sarr. In the 116 minutes where Ayton has been the lone big man, Washington has a negative 16.6 net rating. He can’t play next to the two starting big men or as the lone option.
Head coach Brian Keefe has already dropped Ayton to under ten minutes per game. Washington has four of their five starters playing over 33 minutes each night. It wouldn’t be a massive leap to give Sarr and Tre Johnson what Ayton is getting now.
The Washington Wizards need to pull the plug on the Deandre Ayton experiment. It is not working. They have lost six straight and need more shooting on the floor. Playing Ayton next to Anthony Davis or Alex Sarr doesn’t create enough space. The Wizards are worse with DA as the lone big man.
It is not working, and it is time for Washington to make the difficult decision to dump him from the nightly rotation. They can still turn things around, but changes must be made. It is time to play AD and Sarr at the five for all 48 minutes. It maximizes the Wizards' chances of winning every night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google