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The writing has been on the wall over the last week, but the Bradley Beal era is officially over in Washington. After years of trade rumors, the Washington Wizards finally parted ways with its franchise star and traded him to the Phoenix Suns. Whatever decision the Wizards make from this point on will be based on the fact that they are ushering in a new era in Washington. The Wizards also have the free agencies of Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis to worry about this offseason. But perhaps their biggest focus is now on the 2023 NBA Draft, where they will pick No. 8. With that, we shall make our NBA Draft prediction for the Wizards.
On the hit-or-miss scale, the draft has been more of a miss for the Wizards, especially within the mid-to-late lottery. In 2019, they picked Rui Hachimua at No. 9 overall. Four years later, he is thriving as a core piece for the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2020, they took Deni Avdija also at ninth overall. Though he has shown flashes of improvement over the last couple of seasons, it has been incremental. The 6-foot-9 forward hasn't made massive strides to be a featured franchise piece in the long run.
Nonetheless, the Wizards have yet another opportunity to make things right with yet another pick in the mid-lottery. With new management running the organization, the Wizards must swing big and take the chance on a potential franchise-changer with high upside, or at least a core foundational piece for the future.
Washington will certainly have a tough choice to make this coming Thursday. As the draft gets closer, here is a last-minute Wizards draft prediction at No. 8 following the Bradley Beal trade.
Last-minute 2023 NBA Draft Wizards prediction for No. 8 pick: Ausar Thompson
With the 8th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select Ausar Thompson out of Overtime Elite.
With the departure of Bradley Beal, the Wizards need a player with high upside and at the No. 8 spot, Thompson might just be the player with the most potential on the board. At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thompson is an elite-level athlete with the potential to become a two-way star in the NBA if he gets to improve and polish his offensive game. In his stint with Overtime Elite this past season, he averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
Thompson enters this draft as arguably the top defender of his class. He has shown flashes as an elite one-on-one defender with quick feet and good instincts when guarding on the perimeter. The 20-year-old will be a terrific point-of-attack option on that side of the floor as he tends to apply pressure on opposing guards to keep them away from the basket. His ability to stay in front of his man also prevents them from blowing by past him. And if they do, his high-leaping ability allows him to recover, bother, or even swat away shots from behind.
Offensively, Thompson thrives best when going downhill. The Oakland-native is a blur in transition and has jump-out-the-gym athleticism that should make for insane highlight reels on Sports Center. He is also relentless in getting to the cup and possesses great body control when driving to the basket.
Thompson has also shown some playmaking chops during his time with Overtime Elite. He always looks ahead of the defense and hits teammates in transition with pinpoint passes for easy fastbreak points. Thompson is also capable of thriving as a ball handler in the pick-and-roll. He tends to hit the roll man with ease. Furthermore, his also has the ability to draw defenses with his driving and deliver accurate kick out passes to wide open teammates on the perimeter.
On the other hand, Thompson could also thrive as a roll man. His high leaping and finishing ability make him a real threat in this role, preferably in small ball lineups. In addition, his sound decision-making on the short-roll would allow for teammates to get easy buckets at the rim or open triples outside.
However, shooting will be Thompson's main weakness when he enters the NBA. He shot a clunky 29.8 percent from beyond the arc last season and made just 66.2 percent of his freethrows. These should be concerning considering freethrow percentages can give an indication of whether a player can improve their three-point shot.
Nonetheless, playing in an NBA setting and spending time with elite shooting coaches in the league can help address these concerns. Most players have a premium on improving their shot nowadays. Thompson should know that if he wants to be a legitimate star in the NBA, his shooting will need extra amount of work. This will only open up another dimension of his game.
If Ausar Thompson is able to this and the Wizards land him at No. 8, Washington will have found its franchise player of the future.
