The Washington Wizards entered Wednesday night's battle with the Houston Rockets stuck inbetween winning and losing.
Prior to the last couple weeks where the Wizards have managed to stumble upon some wins, Washington had set themselves up in sole position at the front of the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. However, following a pair of wins over the Charlotte Hornets, Washington lost the lead in the race for the No. 1 overall pick to the struggling New Orleans Pelicans.
However, after a loss to New Orleans over the weekend, the Wizards gained ground at the bottom of the league entering their matchup with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Needing a loss to regain the lead in the race for the top pick, Washington seemingly put their heads down and gave the franchise a glimpse of hope for the future once again.
Following a 135-112 loss to the Rockets, the Wizards are now back in position at the bottom of the NBA with a record of 6-28 and a winning percentage of 0.176. Nonetheless, following every game, we take a look at the top performers from the previous matchup. Ironically, this time, all of the top players that need to be recognized are from the team's bench unit.
Corey Kispert hot shooting night
Corey Kispert kept the Wizards in the game for the first half against the Rockets with a strong shooting start. The Gonzaga product finished the night with a team-high 23 points to pair alongside 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Shooting 70% from field goal rane and 5/7 from beyond the arc, the sharpshooter showed out versus Houston.
Jonas Valanciunas continues to increase trade value
The noise around Jonas Valanciunas continues to heat up as the NBA trade deadline is less than a month away. While his future in Washington still remains up in the air, the big man's solid performances continue to put the team in a troublesome spot.
The desire to keep Valanciunas long term is understandable with his production and leadership alongside the young squad. However, as he continues to stack games like he did on Wednesday (18 points, 4 rebounds) his value will continue to increase and Washington must capitalize on the reason they paid the big man in free agency.
Jared Butler stacking underrated games
Jared Butler has continued to put together solid performances off the bench for the Wizards over the last few games. In last night's loss, the Baylor product finished with 14 points and 5 assists, while shooting 5/11 from field goal range and 50% from three.
As opportunities keep arising, Butler could play himself into a larger role if he keeps stacking solid outing.