2021 Depth Chart

[nate33]

Well, it looks like the offseason is over with the Wizards, assuming that no Wall trade is imminent.

Now that the dust has settled, our depth chart looks something like this:

PG Wall/Ish/Winston
SG Beal/Brown/Robinson
SF Bonga/Avdija
PF Hachimura/Bertans/Gill
C Bryant/Lopez/Wagner

That's 14 guys, leaving room for one more if there's a bunch of injuries at one position. Presumably, Mathews is retained on a 2-way.

The pecking order at PG, and C look good to me. There is a clear cut starter, a clear cut backup, and a third string guy who should be accepting of the fact that they're not in the regular rotation but can hopefully be competent when called upon.

Shooting guard looks pretty good too. Beal is clearly the starter. The only question is does Brown play SG or SF, and if it's SG, will Robinson be okay as a 3rd stringer who never plays? Will Brooks be okay with that? We know Brooks seems to love Robinson.

Power forward looks okay. Hachimura isn't really good enough to be a starter (yet), but Bertans as the backup will get a lot of minutes anyhow. Gill looks like a nice piece as the 3rd stringer who can fill in if there are injuries. He also has the muscle to handle the bigger guys that Bertans can't guard.

The real question is at SF. We've got 4 guys who can play the position: Bonga, Avdija, Brown and Bertans, but no clear pecking order and not enough minutes to develop the younger guys. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Ideally, Bonga makes a leap and becomes our Trevor Ariza - a truly reliable, starting-caliber 3&D player.

Ultimately, if there's a problem, it's that we're a bit too deep with too many young guys who need developmental time on a team that is trying to make some noise in the playoffs. It wouldn't surprise me if Avdija's minutes get squeezed, particularly if one of Bonga or Brown make a substantial leap this year. But that's been the MO for the Wizards anyhow. Rookie small forwards don't play in their first season.

[nate33]

It's also worth mentioning that we have several expiring contracts of just the right size to facilitate a trade at the deadline:

Lopez: $7M?
Ish: $6M
Robinson: $3.7M

All of those contracts belong to professionals who know how to play and how to fit into a roster. Teams won't mind taking them on to finish out the season. It's hard to predict the future, but those contracts will give us a lot of flexibility as components of a bigger trade.

[doclinkin]

The Wall situation aside I am still looking forward to seeing the development of this team, the young cats especially.

[closg00]

The Wizards have an aversion to athletic players I-see

[Dat2U]

I'd guess mid-to-high 30s win total. Didn't upgrade either the SF position unless Avdija is suddenly ready, can shoot and guard wings. Somehow Shepp downgraded the C spot from Mahinmi to R. Lopez. Were depending on young unproven guys in lots of key spots.

We are Wall injury or trade from probably a repeat of last season.

[NatP4]

Is Brown Jr actually moving to point guard?? Otherwise, how are they going to get Bonga, Brown, Avdija, Bertans, and Hachimura enough minutes?

[Dat2U]

Is Brown Jr actually moving to point guard?? Otherwise, how are they going to get Bonga, Brown, Avdija, Bertans, and Hachimura enough minutes?

Nope. Unless Wall gets dealt and we don't get a PG in return.

Wall, I. Smith, Neto, Winston
Beal, J. Robinson, Mathews
Avdija, T. Brown Jr, Bonga
Hachimura, Bertans, Gill
Bryant, R. Lopez, Wagner

[Dat2U]

I can see something like this happening: Wall, T. Brown & a 2021 1st for Westbrook

PG Westbrook, Neto, I. Smith
SG Beal, J. Robinson, Mathews
SF Avdija, Bonga
PF Hachimura, Bertans, Gill
C Bryant, R. Lopez, Wagner

[leswizards]

Right before Nate posted this, I took the minutes by position breakdown from last season for the Wizards (available on basketball reference page), and I noticed an inordinate amount of minutes were played last season by individuals who weren’t very good and are no long on the team. Keys for easy improvements to the Wizards:

- Wall is healthy enough to outplay the production the Wizards got for IT, Napier, Gary Payton, etc
- Beal, Bertans, Bryant, Rui are collectively healthier than they were last season
- Lopez or Mo outplay what the Wizards got from Ian last season
- Deni outplays production Wizards got last season from CJ Miles and others
- continued improvement for young players like Bonga, Brown, Rui and Mo.

[doclinkin]

I'd guess mid-to-high 30s win total. Didn't upgrade either the SF position unless Avdija is suddenly ready, can shoot and guard wings. Somehow Shepp downgraded the C spot from Mahinmi to R. Lopez. Were depending on young unproven guys in lots of key spots.

We are Wall injury or trade from probably a repeat of last season.

Woo Cade Cunningham here we come!

Seriously though. I mean seriously...

But really what we are banking on is development of young players. Rui, sure, but I am really looking forward to incremental improvement from our three B's. Brown, Bryant, Bonga. I get the feeling we will see real jumps from one or more of them. It would be nice to see a bump in positive consistency from Rui or a sudden influx of toughness and talent from Deni, but we usually see that in year three from even the top talents.

[nate33]

I'd guess mid-to-high 30s win total. Didn't upgrade either the SF position unless Avdija is suddenly ready, can shoot and guard wings. Somehow Shepp downgraded the C spot from Mahinmi to R. Lopez. Were depending on young unproven guys in lots of key spots.

We are Wall injury or trade from probably a repeat of last season.

Last year's team was on a 31 win pace until the bubble when they mothballed Beal and Bertans. You don't think replacing Isaiah freaking Thomas with John Wall is worth more than a couple of wins? Isaiah Thomas was perhaps the worst starter of the past decade among any team. And we are replacing him with a guy who averaged 21 and 9 on one leg two years ago, only this time he is healthier. And on top of that we will likely see incremental improvement from Hachimura, Brown, Bonga and Bryant.

If this John Wall kerfluffle blows over and Wall ends up playing 65-70 games, I think the team can win 40-44 games.

[nate33]

Right before Nate posted this, I took the minutes by position breakdown from last season for the Wizards (available on basketball reference page), and I noticed an inordinate amount of minutes were played last season by individuals who weren’t very good and are no long on the team. Keys for easy improvements to the Wizards:

- Wall is healthy enough to outplay the production the Wizards got for IT, Napier, Gary Payton, etc
- Beal, Bertans, Bryant, Rui are collectively healthier than they were last season
- Lopez or Mo outplay what the Wizards got from Ian last season
- Deni outplays production Wizards got last season from CJ Miles and others
- continued improvement for young players like Bonga, Brown, Rui and Mo.

That first bullet point is the big one. It's hard to even describe how much of an improvement Wall should be over Isaiah Thomas.

I also think we will see a pretty significant 3rd year breakout from Troy Brown.

[NatP4]

I can see something like this happening: Wall, T. Brown & a 2021 1st for Westbrook

PG Westbrook, Neto, I. Smith
SG Beal, J. Robinson, Mathews
SF Avdija, Bonga
PF Hachimura, Bertans, Gill
C Bryant, R. Lopez, Wagner

This is the exact trade I posted in a different thread but with a 2nd round pick instead of a 1st. I expect it probably will be a 1st though.

[DCZards]

I can see something like this happening: Wall, T. Brown & a 2021 1st for Westbrook

PG Westbrook, Neto, I. Smith
SG Beal, J. Robinson, Mathews
SF Avdija, Bonga
PF Hachimura, Bertans, Gill
C Bryant, R. Lopez, Wagner

This is the exact trade I posted in a different thread but with a 2nd round pick instead of a 1st. I expect it probably will be a 1st though.

That's a bad trade for the Zards. Let's hope it doesn't happen.

[DCZards]

Right before Nate posted this, I took the minutes by position breakdown from last season for the Wizards (available on basketball reference page), and I noticed an inordinate amount of minutes were played last season by individuals who weren’t very good and are no long on the team. Keys for easy improvements to the Wizards:

- Wall is healthy enough to outplay the production the Wizards got for IT, Napier, Gary Payton, etc
- Beal, Bertans, Bryant, Rui are collectively healthier than they were last season
- Lopez or Mo outplay what the Wizards got from Ian last season
- Deni outplays production Wizards got last season from CJ Miles and others
- continued improvement for young players like Bonga, Brown, Rui and Mo.

That first bullet point is the big one. It's hard to even describe how much of an improvement Wall should be over Isaiah Thomas.

I also think we will see a pretty significant 3rd year breakout from Troy Brown.

Troy is also the guy I'd expect to breakout this year. But I was impressed by how well Bonga and Bryant played in the bubble so I'm hopeful that the two of them, especially Bryant, will show significant improvement over last season.

If Wall stays, I think we're looking at a minimum of 40-42 wins.

[gambitx777]

Any news on team size? Are we still at 15 and 2 or are they gonna give more spots due to rona ?

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[SUPERBALLMAN]

Ok so I guess Napier is gone? What about Pasecsniks? Jerian Grant? Matthews?


Am I the only one that would have preferred to keep these guys instead of adding Lopez and Winston ?

[SUPERBALLMAN]

As currently constructed I'd be looking at something like ....

Starting 5

Bryant, Bertans, Bonga, Beal, Wall


2nd unit

Lopez, Hachimura, Avdija, TBJ, Ish


Remaining bench

Wagner, Gil, Mathews, Robinson, Winston

[Ed Wood]

I would have preferred almost anything to keeping Pasecniks.

e: so as not to seem entirely opposed in sentiment - Mathews looked like an NBA player last year and I'd like to keep him around.

[doclinkin]

I would have preferred almost anything to keeping Pasecniks.

SInce Bertans is signed, we needs no Pasecniks.