The Washington Wizards have put themselves in a unique position heading into next season. With three picks in the upcoming draft, they look primed to make some selections to help fill out the roster. Along with this, Washington will further develop their rookies from this past season. With four on the active roster, they all have great potential. If they can grow together, this team will continue to build, and maybe have some playoff hopes in the next few seasons.
Wizards Rookies Looking to Make Sophomore Leap
Alex Sarr
Alex Sarr certainly will make a leap; however, some could question how big it could be. Sarr has shown impressive flashes of what could become an elite two-way big. Not only was he top ten in blocks throughout the entire league, but Sarr showed that he wasn’t only a defensive unit. His offensive game grew throughout the season, even if his percentages weren’t great. Shot-making is important if you want to win basketball games, and Sarr needs to improve his 39.4% from the field.
His rebounding and physicality will also need to improve to make a true leap. At seven feet tall, Sarr is perfectly capable of averaging more than 6.5 rebounds, but his physicality is lacking. Sarr will need to use the offseason to work on building more muscle and better positioning to hit the glass harder. What may help make up for Sarr’s conservativeness is if the Wizards decide to take a big man in the draft. While that would shake things up a bit, it wouldn’t be too surprising with the Wizards having multiple guards.
Sarr’s biggest pro as a player currently is his defensive impact. If he can fix his inconsistency on the other end, his sophomore year could be more of a breakout instead of a leap year. He’ll have a bigger role in the offense, and if the Wizards can get another two or three pieces to their rebuild puzzle, Sarr will be in a great position. Out of all of the Wizards’ rookies, Sarr is the most complete and certainly is considered a future cornerstone of the organization.
Bub Carrington
Bub Carrington was Washington’s second pick in the draft last year, and he had a season to remember. He played all 82 games and had some decent outings. Carrington could end up being the Wizards’ future guard, and he showed glimpses of what would be a nice pairing with Sarr. Again, consistency is an issue, but most rookies have those problems. Carrington should focus on that and further his playmaking ability.
With Jordan Poole being a score-first type guard, the Wizards could benefit vastly from Carrington building up a solid pass-first type role. In April, fans saw Carrington take both roles, and it worked beautifully. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.1 assists through those seven games in just over 37 minutes a contest. However, he also averaged over two turnovers in those games, and while that’s not a horrible mark, it’s something that will need to improve over the long run.
To make that jump, Carrington’s consistency and playmaking abilities need to improve. The problem with not showing growth early next season will be Washington’s guard depth. With Poole, Carrington, AJ Johnson, Colby Jones, Marcus Smart, and the possibility of the Wizards adding a guard like Jeremiah Fears, Tre Johnson, or Kon Knueppel, there will be a shortage of minutes. If Carrington can’t separate himself from those guys, he could easily fall into a more rotational role, which is a step back instead of forward.
Kyshawn George
Kyshawn George could be labeled a good gamble for Washington if he pans out. If last season is any indicator, the Wizards got a decent rotational player for as long as they see George fit. He is decent on both sides of the ball, averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists with one block and one steal after the All-Star break. The consistency bug hit all their young guys, and George shot the worst of them all at 37.2% from the field. Out of all the Wizards’ rookies, George has arguably the best foundation of the young core to build off of, but improvements will be necessary.
At some points, George could force some shots, and that will need to diminish if the Wizards are looking to keep him around. George’s priority this offseason should be consistency, but if he can further his strong defensive abilities, he could be dangerous. If paired with Sarr and defensive unit Bilal Coulibaly, these three could stop anyone on the court. It’ll certainly be interesting to see his long-term fit, but for now, he has control of a good amount of minutes if he can keep his name above the rest of the guards.
AJ Johnson
Arguably, the most interesting rookie on the roster is Johnson. Being traded in your rookie year usually has a negative impact, but not for Johnson. His time with the Bucks was short-lived. Washington changed that, and he showed that he could be Washington’s next explosive guard of the future. Johnson’s athletic ability is his biggest pro, but offensively as a whole, he needs improvement.
His three-point percentage in Washington was 24.7%, and that is not anywhere close to what it needs to be. His playmaking ability needs to improve as well, however, he could take Poole’s shot-first mentality if Carrington’s playmaking pans out. Johnson may be closer to the bottom of the guard rotation when everyone is healthy, but he has some serious potential if he can get his percentages higher.
Athleticism in guards is becoming more and more prominent, especially when it creates hype moments for the fans and the bench. Anthony Edwards is the mold, and while Johnson isn’t close yet, he could certainly play that type of role for the Wizards. Again, it’ll be difficult to separate himself this summer, but if he can show improvement in the summer league, Johnson may be able to play more than just a few rotational minutes.
The Last Word on the Wizards’ Rookies
These four guys have their work cut out for them. From the inconsistent nature of the offense to improvements, they have a lot to work on over the offseason. However, if they can manage their weaknesses and further their strengths, they could all be in for big seasons. While it may not translate to success right away, it will be a big step in the right direction.
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