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As the Washington Wizards hired Wes Unseld Jr. for his first-ever head coaching experience, they were off to a scorching start as he led them to the first seed for the first month of the season. Even on this stretch, Bradley Beal was still misfiring with his jump shots, but when Beal found his rhythm, that is when the Wizards started to fall off.
When the losses started to pile up, there were a plethora of rumors circulating on lasting issues among individuals in the locker room. Some could be true, while others may have just been motivational speeches or rage that was done to try and change the mood in the dugout. However, the truth that could be seen is the Wizards are currently on the outside of the play-in tournament at the 11th seed, 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks.
Without Beal for the remainder of the year, there are a slew of challenges that Unseld Jr. and the rest of Washington needs to figure out.
Daniel Gafford will be their future starting center
At one part of this current season, Unseld Jr. had trouble juggling the minutes of Daniel Gafford, Thomas Bryant, and Montrezl Harrell. Gafford and Harrell had their own incredible runs this year, but their production was drastically affected with the return of Bryant from an ACL injury. The front office decided to let go of Harrell in the trade deadline, but they acquired another big in Kristaps Porzingis who has not stepped on the floor for the Wizards yet.
With the absence of Porzingis, Gafford has once again been flourishing as a rim runner and anchoring the paint for Washington. The role of the five position for this era of NBA basketball has transitioned and evolved to the kind of style Gafford possesses. Bryant is on an expiring deal and Porzingis just has not been completely healthy for several years now, thus opening more opportunities for Gafford to cement his spot as the starting center for the foreseeable future.
3 bold Wizards predictions for rest NBA season
Kristaps Porzingis gets shut down for the rest of the season
Taking a flier on an injury-prone 7'3″ big man who is owed around $100 million for the next three seasons seemed like a questionable move for the Wizards front office. They shipped two overpaid role players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, but having one individual instead of two movable contracts limits their flexibility in constructing a terrific roster around Beal.
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Coincidentally, the Dallas Mavericks have started to rack up some critical victories after dealing Porzingis as Dinwiddie and Bertans have been utilized tremendously by coach Jason Kidd. The ceiling of Washington this year without Beal seems like an early exit in the play-in tournament, thus having little incentive for Porzingis to even suit up for the final juncture of the season. It is more ideal for the franchise to prioritize player development for their youth and guarantee a 100% Porzingis for the start of 2022-23.
Rui Hachimura fails to live up to expectations; traded in the offseason
Unfortunately, Rui Hachimura missed majority of the matches this year because of certain mental health issues he encountered. The organization gave him ample time and supported him all throughout his recovery, but it has been very obvious that his numbers have dwindled from the previous years. With Beal out, he will likely receive increased touches and playing time along with Deni Avdija as the young individuals with upside on the squad.
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The wings of Washington is a bit too crowded for their lineup next year, which could prompt the front office to swing a deal for Hachimura in exchange for a better combo forward who could match with the likes of Evan Mobley or Giannis Antetokounmpo. These are two notable forwards who could play small-ball five as well, but the Wizards do not have a reliable small-ball lineup that could flourish against any team in the East. Even with the possible trade of Hachimura, the depth chart of Washington at the wings will not be comprised with Beal, Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Corey Kispert still on the fold.
After a few years of success with the Beal-John Wall duo several years back, Washington is back to being a subpar performing squad who continues to have glaring roles all over their team. A tough job awaits Unseld Jr. and Tommy Sheppard, along with the vital aspect of convincing for Beal to not leave in free agency.
