Up
John Wall’s Scoring: In what was a forgettable sign of the team’s overall offensive struggles last season, Wall scored less than 12 points in 13 of his 35 games and was averaged 14.5 ppg. This year, he doesn’t need to score like he did in 2013-14 to make this team better. In 30 games last season, he averaged 14.7 ppg, and shot 38.2 percent from 3-point range. When he’s not scoring, he’s finding ways to impact the game.
Landing Bradley Beal: Even though Beal was never considered as elite of a scorer as he was of a defender, the Wizards have found a player who can really help them on both ends of the floor. Beal’s inconsistency has hurt the Wizards in the past, but one thing he will bring is consistency.
Mike Scott: Scott may not have been a prolific scorer with Atlanta, but he has been pretty consistent the past three seasons. Last year, he averaged 7.3 ppg, shooting 34.2 percent from 3-point range. The Wizards appear to have gotten a reliable threat off the bench, as he averaged 4.3 ppg over his last 11 games of last season.
Down
Alexander Guerrero: Guerrero, the Wizards’ unknown prospect from Venezuela, had his introductory press conference today. Much will be made of the fact that Guerrero is playing on the team’s home court, Verizon Center, because he’s a Venezuelan, but he will also likely be given the same grief that Greg Monroe got for his foreign citizenship during his time in Detroit. The questions will inevitably be, “What’s going on with him?” and “Why can’t he just play?” I imagine the criticism will come from fans who feel his talent is way too good to go largely unnoticed.
Damion Lee: Remember him? Lee was one of the top scorers on Miami’s squad a few years ago, averaging 20.6 ppg. He went undrafted in 2014, but was also thought to be a good spot-up shooter. He put up only 3.6 ppg in his one NBA season with the Heat and was then cut by the Charlotte Hornets last year. His lack of offensive skill and defensive communication were issues he would have to solve to earn a roster spot.
Jeff Green: I expect Green to have a more modest scoring output this season, but that is what I expected for the entire group last year, regardless of what they are able to produce. He is averaging 15.3 ppg and scoring 1.1 3-pointers, but will be also be asked to put up more defense. The asking price on Green will go down this season, as the team has a number of forwards it wants to sign.
Next Two Weeks: Well, it’s been a long offseason for the Wizards. The question is, do they get through these two weeks unscathed? A number of questions are hanging over the franchise and with the CBA expiring, the roster will shake out pretty quickly. With a chance to acquire some talent and find some contributors, the team can certainly make a run. This could also be a make-or-break week for Wall and Tomas Satoransky. If they find themselves in the playoffs, it could work out just fine.