Washington Wizards Roster 2019 Wizards Roster

The Washington Wizards are one of the more frustrating teams to follow in all of basketball. The Wizards have consistently had one of the best backcourts in the league, yet fail to put a solid team around them. As a result, the Wizards are good, but not good enough. Washington has failed to take advantage of the primes of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Years of squandering away draft picks and poor drafts have led the Wizards lacking team depth and a solid frontcourt. The Wizards finally said goodbye to longtime center Marcin Gortat last year, but replaced one aging center with another. Washington signed Dwight Howard, and all of the baggage that he brings with him, to man the middle. The Wizards will likely turn in their usual performance this season that will have them just above .500 and in one of the bottom playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Washington Wizards Roster Top 3 Questions

Washington fell off this past season, and it had a lot to do with John Wall missing nearly half the season. The shine has worn off this group, as many in the East have surpassed them. Wall and Bradley Beal are up there in backcourts, but Wall was heavily criticized for his play this year. When Wall was out, Tomas Satoransky and Tim Frazier picked up most of the slack. Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre both put in time at small forward, although we would see them both play when Markieff Morris was struggling. Morris has had his ups and downs in Washington, but there isn’t much backing him up. Jason Smith and Mike Scott are the names getting run behind him.

How Will Howard Affect the Wizards?

The days of Howard being Superman are over, but Howard still adds value to the team. Howard is somewhat of an anachronism in the NBA, being a pure post banger who does not roam the perimeter. Howard’s post game has actually aged well and he has been surprisingly durable over the past three years. One sign for concern is that Howard’s shooting percentage slipped last year to its lowest level since his second season in the league. However, Howard has also had a detrimental impact on team chemistry wherever he has gone. The Wizards are already a volatile situation as Wall and Beal have a history of feuding with teammates and each other. Winning cures mostly everything, but if the Wizards struggle, watch for some fireworks.

Will Kelly Oubre Break Out?

Oubre has been the only recent Wizards’ draft pick since Otto Porter that has contributed to the team. Oubre’s minutes have been picking up, and his freakish athleticism has helped him become a player on the rise. Oubre will still come off the bench, but his ability to give quality minutes at the four off the bench will help the Wizards should they choose to go small. Oubre’s shot selection has improved, now he will just need to improve his actual shot. If Oubre can incrementally improve his outside shooting, he can become a key player and will force a tough decision on the Wizards’ part when his rookie contract expires.

Can Wall and the Wizards Co-Exist?

Wall has had to shoulder a large burden over the years. Many times, he has had the put the entire team on his back and carry them through games. Instances of tension between Wall and his teammates have been frequent over the years. Bad blood between Wall and Gortat drove the Polish Hammer out of town. The Wizards should be better than they are and team chemistry is a large factor in Washington’s underachievement. Wall has been in the league a long time, but will have to change his leadership style if the Wizards are to progress beyond a mid-playoff team in the East.