Corey Kispert, Wizards Sniper.

[nate33]

Mathews is shooting 35% this year. Kispert is tippytoeing on the 50/40/90 line. (49/43/86). That kind of efficiency is not readily available.

Due to his defensive limitations, Kispert is a role player. But as a utility player off the bench he is a good addition to any squad. Yes you would hope he could make his own offense, but what would help him most is either the team landing a star that commands doubleteams, or if he were next to a playmaking lead guard that could use his skill set more often.

Kispert is playing well on a cheap contract and under team control through the 24-25 season. He's the exact sort of player that teams ask for when trying to package a trade. He's not untouchable for us if the right deal shows up, but is a solid asset, playing well.

Picking Kispert at 15 was not the biggest waste of assets this front office has made. I might have wanted Sengun a little more than Korey, or a trade down for Ayo. But that's only a slight increase in value if you look at the other players in that draft and sort by Win score. Or minutes. Or points. Or whatever.

Exactly. Kispert wasn't a home run or anything, but he was a respectable draft pick. I would not characterize it as a mistake. He is fine.

[payitforward]

Let's be honest, Kispert is a dime-a-dozen meh player that can be found in any draft, no need to use a lottery pick on such a player

Fortunately, we didn't. He was picked 15th.

One thing nice about Kispert was that he was NBA ready on Day 1. So even if doesn't really improve from here and pans out to merely be a 7th man on an average team, at least he got to that level right away. That means he was a valuable player on a cost/production basis for all 4 years of his rookie deal. Paying $3-4M a year for a 7th man who can play 25 minutes a night is a good deal.

100% correct. But... IMO, it doesn't go far enough.

Was Corey Kispert the best player on the board at 15? Is that how it's turned out?

Nah.... probably not? At this point, it looks like Trey Murphy might have been a better choice. Some of you liked him.
Then again, there was also an equal amount of interest in Jaden Springer, who can't even get on the floor!

Thing is, it's important to understand one thing -- & it's something fans routinely do NOT understand: No GM, no team, no person can or will pick the best player on the board at any draft position with any regularity.

It just doesn't happen; it can't be done. Period.

Hell, it's rare for it to happen at the #1 pick. Or the #2 or #3 pick.
& if not at the top of the draft, it's even rarer further on in the draft.

E.g. - Jericho Sims went at 58 in 2021; he has been 1 of the best players out of that draft. That's right, Jericho Sims, taken at 58, has been better than Kispert.

Does that make Kispert a bad pick? Not exactly! :) Jericho Sims has also been better -- way better! -- than the guys picked at #1 #2, #5, #7, #9, 10, 11, 12 & 13.

Corey Kispert has been better than every one of those guys too. & he's also been better than at least 10 of the 15 guys taken after him in R1.

The point is that we got a solid NBA player at 15. Kispert has turned out to be a really good pick.

[doclinkin]

Let's be honest, Kispert is a dime-a-dozen meh player that can be found in any draft, no need to use a lottery pick on such a player

Fortunately, we didn't. He was picked 15th.

One thing nice about Kispert was that he was NBA ready on Day 1. So even if doesn't really improve from here and pans out to merely be a 7th man on an average team, at least he got to that level right away. That means he was a valuable player on a cost/production basis for all 4 years of his rookie deal. Paying $3-4M a year for a 7th man who can play 25 minutes a night is a good deal.

100% correct. But... IMO, it doesn't go far enough.

Was Corey Kispert the best player on the board at 15? Is that how it's turned out?

Nah.... probably not? At this point, it looks like Trey Murphy might have been a better choice. Some of you liked him.
Then again, there was also an equal amount of interest in Jaden Springer, who can't even get on the floor!
...
E.g. - Jericho Sims went at 58 in 2021; he has been 1 of the best players out of that draft. That's right, Jericho Sims, taken at 58, has been better than Kispert.

Does that make Kispert a bad pick? Not exactly! :) Jericho Sims has also been better -- way better! -- than the guys picked at #1 #2, #5, #7, #9, 10, 11, 12 & 13.

Corey Kispert has been better than every one of those guys too. & he's also been better than at least 10 of the 15 guys taken after him in R1.

The point is that we got a solid NBA player at 15. Kispert has turned out to be a really good pick.

You could argue the team has gotten better value for Kispert than NYK has gotten from Sims.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2021.html

If you sort by minutes, only 7 players have played more than Corey. Sims is 26th on that list. Otherwise, depending on the metric you use, you might well count Jaden Springer as the best player on the list (sorted by Win Score per 48. Or looking at the stats per 100 possessions). By Win Score Kispert is 8th, Sims 12th.

(I still like Springer. He's fun to watch. Okay in Delaware Blue Coats highlights but still)

Watch on YouTube

(If he was on this team we'd have flame war threads on the idea that he wasn't playing for us.)

But yeah. Even as a bench player Kispert has steadily put in efficient numbers. Minutes though seem a significant part of the equation. We may be mediocre at best, but at least the guy is earning his paycheck.

[Halcyon]

His "upside" will really come down to how he can increase his volume. I am guessing he wouldn't really drastically change his release point, so maybe he has to increase his range or get better at off balance 3s.

[dckingsfan]

…as has Morris, Wright and Gafford.

Fact is some players have underperformed under Wes and some have performed well. It happens with on every team and with every coach.

I will have to get on my computer tomorrow, but I am pretty sure that those are not facts as they pertain to morris, wright and Gafford. At most, you can claim they have not underperformed under wuj. I consider that to be hardly a ringing endorsement of his ability.

Using ws48, ortg and drtg, wright is having one of his best years ever. Gafford and Morris on the other hand are good players having good years, but their years are in line with their career norms.

Nothing in their play of these 3 players, imo, makes up for the fact that I can name 7 players who had below average ws48, near career low ortg, and 6 of the seven had near career low drtg playing under wuj. And to those list of 7, you might be able to now add Rui, who has had his ortg rise significantly since he has been playing in la (his ws48 is way higher than it was this season in Washington, but not all that much higher than it was last season under wuj).

Ah, sorry. I thought this was about Kispert and why he is being misused by Wes. Still waiting for that one.

I think that Gafford coming over is much better under Wes that he was in Chicago. A good player that is now playing more minutes and holding the same level of play? And Wright is indeed having a resurgence. I would argue that the useage of Porzingis/Gafford has been really good - I thought it should have happened earlier.

On the other hand, I would argue that Beal took a step back over the last two years. Do we blame Wes for that? Or Tommy/Ted for the ridiculously stupid signing?

I would argue that Deni has taken a step back. Basically due to his shooting - Wes?

Kuzma - well, yes. This is all on Wes letting him play the minutes he plays and his usage. But this is also on Tommy/Ted for not shipping him off at the trade deadline, no?

[leswizards]

I will have to get on my computer tomorrow, but I am pretty sure that those are not facts as they pertain to morris, wright and Gafford. At most, you can claim they have not underperformed under wuj. I consider that to be hardly a ringing endorsement of his ability.

Using ws48, ortg and drtg, wright is having one of his best years ever. Gafford and Morris on the other hand are good players having good years, but their years are in line with their career norms.

Nothing in their play of these 3 players, imo, makes up for the fact that I can name 7 players who had below average ws48, near career low ortg, and 6 of the seven had near career low drtg playing under wuj. And to those list of 7, you might be able to now add Rui, who has had his ortg rise significantly since he has been playing in la (his ws48 is way higher than it was this season in Washington, but not all that much higher than it was last season under wuj).

Ah, sorry. I thought this was about Kispert and why he is being misused by Wes. Still waiting for that one.

I think that Gafford coming over is much better under Wes that he was in Chicago. A good player that is now playing more minutes and holding the same level of play? And Wright is indeed having a resurgence. I would argue that the useage of Porzingis/Gafford has been really good - I thought it should have happened earlier.

On the other hand, I would argue that Beal took a step back over the last two years. Do we blame Wes for that? Or Tommy/Ted for the ridiculously stupid signing?

I would argue that Deni has taken a step back. Basically due to his shooting - Wes?

Kuzma - well, yes. This is all on Wes letting him play the minutes he plays and his usage. But this is also on Tommy/Ted for not shipping him off at the trade deadline, no?

Kuzma is awful. He has Kobe’s mentality without Kobe’s talent. That is all on wuj. He can either break or bench him. He has done neither. If he breaks him, will Kuzma be a better player, idk, but it stands to reason he would be.

Since, Wuj plays Kuzma so many minutes, he is forced to play Deni at sf. Basketball reference says 65% of his minutes are at sf. Pure speculation on my part, but I bet Deni would be a better defensive and offensive player if he were used exclusively at pf. Also, of the wizards who have played 250 minutes and who actively shoot the 3, Deni is the worst 3 point shooter. If wuj, we’re to get him to stop shooting 3s, he would be a better offensive player.

Since wuj is forced to play Deni a lot at sf, he is forced to play kispert a lot at sg. According to basketball reference, 42% of kispert’s minutes are at sg. Pure speculation on my part, but if kispert were used exclusively at sf, he would probably look like a better defensive player.

Additionally, Kuzma leads the team in 3 pa. After deni, he is the team’s second worst 3 point shooter. He jacks up 7.7 3PA per 36 minutes. Kispert is the teams best 3 point shooter. He only shoots 6.2 3 pointers per 36 minutes. If Kuzma weren’t shooting so many 3s, there would be more 3s for kispert to shoot, and his usage and possibly his ortg would look better.

[nate33]

We've witnessed some pretty intriguing play from Corey Kispert lately.

Over his first 59 games, his USG% was just 12.7%. His TS% was a phenomenal .656, but that great shooting just doesn't have much of an impact at such a low volume. He was just not getting up enough shots to offset his sub-par defense.

But recently, Kispert has been on a tear. With Kuzma and Beal mostly absent, Kispert has taken it on himself to launch more shots. He seems to have increased his arc a little bit, and he is shooting from deeper range, and he has even worked in a bit more off-the-bounce shot creation that we hadn't seen much previously. Over the last 10 games, Kispert has posted a USG% of 17.4, while maintaining his ridiculous TS% (.681 in the last 10 games). That's a pretty big leap in usage. The result is that he is averaging 18 points per 36 minutes with off-the-charts efficiency. He also never turns the ball over (1.0 turnovers per 36). A guy like that can help a team, even if he isn't that great of a defender.

It remains to be seen whether this is just a fluke against late-season opponents who are either tanking or blowing us out, or if it's a real thing caused by fundamental improvements in Kispert's technique. But hopefully, he can maintain this going forward.

[DCZards]

We've witnessed some pretty intriguing play from Corey Kispert lately.

Over his first 59 games, his USG% was just 12.7%. His TS% was a phenomenal .656, but that great shooting just doesn't have much of an impact at such a low volume. He was just not getting up enough shots to offset his sub-par defense.

But recently, Kispert has been on a tear. With Kuzma and Beal mostly absent, Kispert has taken it on himself to launch more shots.

He seems to have increased his arc a little bit, and he is shooting from deeper range, and he has even worked in a bit more off-the-bounce shot creation that he hadn't seen much previously.

Over the last 10 games, Kispert has posted a USG% of 17.4, while maintaining his ridiculous TS% (.681 in the last 10 games). That's a pretty big leap in usage. The result is that he is averaging 18 points per 36 minutes with off-the-charts efficiency. He also never turns the ball over (1.0 turnovers per 36). A guy like that can help a team, even if he isn't that great of a defender.

It remains to be seen whether this is just a fluke against late-season opponents who are either tanking or blowing us out, or if it's a real thing caused by fundamental improvements in Kispert's technique. But hopefully, he can maintain this going forward.

The part about the off-the-bounce shot ...when Kispert took that step-back three off the bounce against Orlando in the 4th quarter it definitely got my attention. It was the first time I'd personally seen him do that. That's likely not a fluke...but something I'm sure he worked hard to develop. It's a great sign for what we can probably expect from Corey going forward.

[Kanyewest]

Great game by Kispert although it reminded me of the one he had against the Raptors where the team managed to game plan against him and was more or less not impactful (I believe he didn't score in overtime and in the last game had one 3 in the 4th with the game of reach).

Although now I'm wondering if the Wizards can do a better job creating offense for Kispert by running him off ball with some screens. The Wizards should probably run more off ball sets for Beal as well, provided he can n keep up his improved shooting and his propensity to turnover the ball in the 4th.

[payitforward]

Corey Kispert was picked because of his shooting -- his 3-pt shooting mainly. But, as a rookie, his 3pt % was 35% -- quite disappointing!

Yet, overall, his rookie year was pretty good. It turned out that Corey Kispert could do pretty well in the NBA more or less across the board. Hold his own well enough.

His 2d year in the league, Corey has put up more or less similar numbers across the board -- with the notable exception that his 3-pt. % has jumped to .43. His TS% has soared as a result. Driven by that high TS%, in fact, Kispert's overall productivity is already above average for an NBA player at his position.

The one notable issue is that his usage was low as a rookie & is even a little lower this year. Corey is only taking 10.6 shots & just over 1.5 FTAs per 40 minutes.

What that tells me is that if Corey Kispert's main contribution as a player comes from his ability to sink shots, esp. 3's, at a high percentage, then the questions about his future potential, his "ceiling," are almost entirely about his ability to increase his usage & keep his percentages high.

If he can do that next season, he's likely to have a really long, really good NBA career.

[nate33]

Corey Kispert was picked because of his shooting -- his 3-pt shooting mainly. But, as a rookie, his 3pt % was 35% -- quite disappointing!

FWIW, that "disappointing" rookie season was due almost entirely to the first or so 20 games when he just hadn't adjusted to the speed of the game.

In his first 22 games, he shot 20.5% from 3 point range - absolutely horrific.

Over the remaining 55 games, he shot 37.3%. Over the final 25 games, he shot 39.7%.

[nate33]

Kispert with another monster night against the Knicks. 29 points on a .690 TS%. And he was really active off the bounce, trying to create shots for himself, attacking closeouts, and even handling the ball in transition. These last few games with Beal and Kuzma out have been really good for Kispert's confidence. He looks like a different player. I'm starting to see more of a Wally Szczerbiak/Bojan Bodganovic type of shot creator rather than merely a Matt Harpring tier catch-and-shoot guy.

[Halcyon]

I hope he gets plenty of shot attempts the rest of the year, and earn himself more opportunities next year. He's showing different facets of his offensive game, and he's not just a catch and shoot guy.

[closg00]

I guess we can call this The Reverse Beal Effect, every players game is elevated when Beal & Kuzma are not playing. Conversely, the same players game suffers when they have to share the floor with them.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

?t=qKlwhk1_59F4xcVijpfj0w&s=19

[payitforward]

Corey Kispert was picked because of his shooting -- his 3-pt shooting mainly. But, as a rookie, his 3pt % was 35% -- quite disappointing!

FWIW, that "disappointing" rookie season was due almost entirely to the first or so 20 games when he just hadn't adjusted to the speed of the game.

In his 22 games, he shot 20.5% from 3 point range - absolutely horrific.

Over the remaining 55 games, he shot 37.3%. Over the final 25 games, he shot 39.7%.

Good points, thanks!

[nate33]

Kispert's USG% since Beal went out (last 6 games) is 19.7 with a TS% of .693.
In the last 5 games, his USG% is 20.1 with a TS% of .723. lol

The TS% is presumably unsustainable, but what interests me more is the usage. A 20% usage rate is legit 3rd option territory. A 20% usage would rank 94th in the league, alongside guys like Gordon Hayward, Kevin Huerter and Buddy Hield. Those guys are quality starters making $15-25M a year. If we were to move Beal this offseason, the possibility exists that we already have a Buddy Hield/Kevin Huerter tier SG on the roster to replace him.

[payitforward]

A couple of other points:

1. So far, Corey has been a very low usage player: @10.5 shots/1.7 FTAs per 40 minutes this year. For him to be a significant contributor he'll have to maintain his efficiency at a higher usage level.

2. The only other concern I have about Corey is his rebounding -- especially if he's going to play the 3 for most of his minutes.

I'm not trying to rain on his parade: Corey Kispert has been a good NBA player this year. He's solidly above average overall in only his 2d season. That's terrific.

[Dat2U]

Yeah I like Dat's comp for him:

Watch on YouTube

Slightly shorter arms than Wallyworld, but similar outside inside game. Both 6'7" solid.

Kispert been definitely getting his Wally Z on lately!

[Kanyewest]

I guess we can call this The Reverse Beal Effect, every players game is elevated when Beal & Kuzma are not playing. Conversely, the same players game suffers when they have to share the floor with them.

This month with Beal playing, Kispert was shooting 46% from 3 this prior to Beal getting shut down with a 74 TS%. He is maintaining a similar level of efficiency with more volume so it's more impressive but it wasn't like Beal was dragging his game down either.