The Washington Wizards resisted the urge to blow things up and brought in Russell Westbrook to flank Bradley Beal. Here are their five biggest questions for 2020-21.
1. Russell Westbrook + Bradley Beal = ??
WASHINGTON’S GLORIOUS RETURN TO THE POSTSEASON! Yes, the Eastern Conference continues to grow stronger but those bottom-rung playoff seeds are ripe for the picking.
This is the complementary star backcourt Washington envisioned when they paired Bradley Beal and John Wall. Swapping Wall for a healthy Russell Westbrook is the perfect move for a team in need of high-end talent. The acquisition will take some of the playmaking load off of Beal and should help him further heighten the strengths of his game. Reuniting Westbrook with Scott Brooks should help cover up his blemishes as well.
Having two top-20 players should be enough to pull the Wizards to 40 wins, and that’s before considering the support around them.
Davis Bertans is the perfect supplemental piece as a stretchy sniper. Thomas Bryant does the hard work inside. Isaac Bonga — great name, btw — and newly drafted Deni Avdija add length on the wing and do a little bit of everything.
2. What’s the long-term plan in Washington?
It appears the plan is to stay moderately competitive and hope they can land another star either via free agency or through a trade.
Washington could have torn it all down, shipped Beal for a king’s ransom and went into a full rebuild. They decided to stick to their guns, make incremental improvements and reset with Westbrook. And it’s not the worst idea.
Tanking isn’t for everyone, especially with the new rules in place to curb it. Washington’s a franchise with more lean years than not and desolation in the Nation’s Capital doesn’t have the same charm as other cities. Places like Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center pack in every night with celebrities lining the court, even during moribund seasons. Capital One Arena doesn’t have the same glitz and the Wizards won’t draw if they stink.
Tilling the soil and building a foundation for winning is a smart way forward. Success begets success and league relevance keeps players happy.
3. More important this year: Rui Hachimura or Troy Brown?
Rui Hachimura and Troy Brown are both flawed players who should — if everything goes right in Washington — get most of their minutes with the second unit.
Brown is fine. He’s a wing with length who adds a little playmaking but doesn’t shoot or defend well enough to fill the coveted 3-and-D archetype. He improved from a listless rookie campaign with a larger role and ended last year on a tear. In the seven games to close out the regular season, he averaged 15.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5 assists in about 34 minutes a night. Sustaining that would require leapfrogging the names in front of him on the depth chart.
Hachimura is a divisive player, who some have foolishly compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hachimura’s lack of feel and defensive liability leaves much to be desired from the former Gonzaga stand-out. However, he showed flashes on offense during his rookie year. He also has a clearer path to playing time.
If Hachimura addressed his weaknesses this offseason, he’ll carry more value to Washington this year.
4. How many Eastern Conference teams have a better starting backcourt than the Wizards?
Zero! That’s right, baby, put it on a banner and hang it from the rafters! Best backcourt in the East!
Let’s go through the top competition: Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Seth Curry each provide contrasting, elite skills with almost no overlap but don’t combine for more overall talent than Washington. Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet are tough as nails but still a level lower. The Kemba Walker/Marcus Smart duo brings a flair for the dramatic in Boston but is still a step below. Brooklyn’s tandem of Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert doesn’t quite get there either.
Beal and Westbrook have an MVP and 11 All-Star appearances between them and could certainly make that 13 this year. Being able to lean on each other’s strengths should only help their production.
5. Which wizard from books, movies or television is the best comparison for Deni Avdija?
Tall? Handsome? Well-liked heartthrob? The only answer as Avdija’s fictional wizard comp is Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter.
Just like Diggory in the Potter Universe, Avdija should play a key, but secondary role for Washington. Neither are the best wizard/Wizard in their respective worlds but both had/will have their moments in the sun.
If you don’t buy it, just do a side-by-side of these square-jawed studs. See what I mean? The Diggory/Avdija parallels are off the charts. Now let’s hope Avdija never has a run-in with (spoiler alert) you-know-who.