[Marks] Offseason guides for every eliminated NBA team
May 1, 2023
[Marks] Offseason guides for every eliminated NBA team
3 comments
If someone could post the Wizards section it would be much appreciated.
I refuse to give my money to ESPN for ESPN+
State of the roster: There are hard questions that need to be asked in Washington. After committing $251 million last offseason to Bradley Beal, the Wizards are in the lottery for the fourth time in five years. Can Washington find an impact player if it doesn’t move up into the top four? Beyond the draft, there are questions facing the existing roster. Is the body of work when Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis are on the court together enough to keep this roster intact? In two seasons, the three have played 740 minutes together and have a net efficiency of plus-3.3. Kuzma has a $13 million player option he is likely to decline, while Porzingis faces a decision on his $36 million option. If Kuzma and Porzingis return, the Wizards are likely committing at least $100 million next season to the trio. Can the Wizards be a top-six team in the East with Beal as their best player? Beal shot a career-high 51% from the field, including 37% on 3-pointers. The Wizards were 13-14 in clutch-time games with Beal on the court and 2-11 without him. Durability remains a concern for the Wizards. After playing all 82 games in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Beal has missed 96 games the past four seasons.
Top front-office priority: It starts with Porzingis and then Kuzma. Porzingis played 65 games, his most since 2016-17, averaging career highs in shooting (49.4%), 3-pointer shooting (38.2%) and points (23.0). After the All-Star break, Porzingis shot 74% on drives, the best among all players with 25-plus attempts. It would make sense from both sides for Porzingis to decline his $36 million player option and sign a new long-term contract that starts at $27 million in the first year. The trade-off for the lower first-year salary would be rewarding Porzingis, who has a lengthy injury history, with financial security in the future. Kuzma averaged a career-high 21.2 points but also on a career-high 17.8 shots per game. Per Second Spectrum tracking, he ranked 59th in field goal percentage on jump shots among 61 players with 500-plus attempts.
Extension candidate to watch: The Wizards track record of extending former first-round picks is close to non-existent. Since 2013, the only player to sign a rookie extension is John Wall. If there is a player to break the drought it is 2020 lottery pick Deni Avdija. The 22-year-old has stagnated on offense the past three seasons: 6.3, 8.3 and 9 points per game. He did have a career-high 25 points in a late March win vs. Boston. Avdija is one of the top rebounding forwards and has developed into a strong defender. Per Cleaning the Glass, Avdija ranked in the 97th percentile in defensive rebounding. Porzingis is also eligible thru June 30 to sign a four-year, $180 million extension. The salary in the first season cannot be lower than his $36 million player option.
Other extension candidates: Kuzma (through June 30 and next season if player option is exercised), Monte Morris and Isaiah Todd
Team needs: It depends if the Wizards want more scoring from the point guard position. Monte Morris and Delon Wright both ranked in the top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio among players with 100-plus assists. However, the Washington point guards ranked 29th in points per game, ahead of only the Bulls. The Wizards also ranked 21st in second-chance points allowed.
Future draft assets: The Wizards owe New York a first-round pick that is top-12 protected in 2024, top-10 protected in 2025 and top-eight protected in 2026. It will turn into second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 if not conveyed. The earliest Washington can trade a first-round pick is two years after the conditions to New York have been met. The Wizards have four second-round picks available
3 comments
If someone could post the Wizards section it would be much appreciated.
I refuse to give my money to ESPN for ESPN+
State of the roster:
There are hard questions that need to be asked in Washington. After committing $251 million last offseason to Bradley Beal, the Wizards are in the lottery for the fourth time in five years. Can Washington find an impact player if it doesn’t move up into the top four? Beyond the draft, there are questions facing the existing roster. Is the body of work when Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis are on the court together enough to keep this roster intact? In two seasons, the three have played 740 minutes together and have a net efficiency of plus-3.3. Kuzma has a $13 million player option he is likely to decline, while Porzingis faces a decision on his $36 million option. If Kuzma and Porzingis return, the Wizards are likely committing at least $100 million next season to the trio. Can the Wizards be a top-six team in the East with Beal as their best player? Beal shot a career-high 51% from the field, including 37% on 3-pointers. The Wizards were 13-14 in clutch-time games with Beal on the court and 2-11 without him. Durability remains a concern for the Wizards. After playing all 82 games in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Beal has missed 96 games the past four seasons.
Top front-office priority: It starts with Porzingis and then Kuzma. Porzingis played 65 games, his most since 2016-17, averaging career highs in shooting (49.4%), 3-pointer shooting (38.2%) and points (23.0). After the All-Star break, Porzingis shot 74% on drives, the best among all players with 25-plus attempts. It would make sense from both sides for Porzingis to decline his $36 million player option and sign a new long-term contract that starts at $27 million in the first year. The trade-off for the lower first-year salary would be rewarding Porzingis, who has a lengthy injury history, with financial security in the future. Kuzma averaged a career-high 21.2 points but also on a career-high 17.8 shots per game. Per Second Spectrum tracking, he ranked 59th in field goal percentage on jump shots among 61 players with 500-plus attempts.
Extension candidate to watch: The Wizards track record of extending former first-round picks is close to non-existent. Since 2013, the only player to sign a rookie extension is John Wall. If there is a player to break the drought it is 2020 lottery pick Deni Avdija. The 22-year-old has stagnated on offense the past three seasons: 6.3, 8.3 and 9 points per game. He did have a career-high 25 points in a late March win vs. Boston. Avdija is one of the top rebounding forwards and has developed into a strong defender. Per Cleaning the Glass, Avdija ranked in the 97th percentile in defensive rebounding. Porzingis is also eligible thru June 30 to sign a four-year, $180 million extension. The salary in the first season cannot be lower than his $36 million player option.
Other extension candidates: Kuzma (through June 30 and next season if player option is exercised), Monte Morris and Isaiah Todd
Team needs: It depends if the Wizards want more scoring from the point guard position. Monte Morris and Delon Wright both ranked in the top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio among players with 100-plus assists. However, the Washington point guards ranked 29th in points per game, ahead of only the Bulls. The Wizards also ranked 21st in second-chance points allowed.
Future draft assets: The Wizards owe New York a first-round pick that is top-12 protected in 2024, top-10 protected in 2025 and top-eight protected in 2026. It will turn into second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 if not conveyed. The earliest Washington can trade a first-round pick is two years after the conditions to New York have been met. The Wizards have four second-round picks available