Hoops Habit
Fansided

Washington Wizards: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2017

By Jerran Anderson

May 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (middle) is introduced prior to a game against the Boston Celtics in game six of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 92-91, and tied the series at 3-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (middle) is introduced prior to a game against the Boston Celtics in game six of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 92-91, and tied the series at 3-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Washington Wizards have found success in the NBA Draft, but not in the past few drafts.

The Washington Wizards are a long ways off from the NBA Draft Lottery, but that’s not a bad thing. They finished the 2016-17 regular season with a 49-33 record and were fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Under first-year head coach Scott Brooks, Washington developed the team chemistry tons, producing one of the more productive starting lineups in the NBA. Three of those starters were first round selections in the draft by the Wizards.

Point guard John Wall was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky. Wall has become the unsung leader for the Washington Wizards and it showed this season .

He earned Third Team All-NBA honors after setting career-high averages in points (23.1 per game), assists (10.7 per game) steals (2.0 per game) and field goal percentage (45.1 percent).

https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/865277078635073536

Next to Wall in the backcourt is shooting guard Bradley Beal. Beal was the third overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Wizards. The fifth-year guard out of Florida scored a career-high 23.1 points per game this season.

Wall and Beal have developed into one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference. Forward Otto Porter has also come along nicely. He was the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards out of Georgetown University.

Porter averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game and shot 43.4 percent from three-point range this season, fourth in the NBA. In his fourth season in the league, he’s become a solid investment for Washington. As a restricted free agent this offseason, he’s due for a solid extension.

Finding success in other ways

The Washington Wizards have had some success in the NBA Draft. This year, they only have a second round pick (52nd overall pick). They traded their first round pick in this year’s draft to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Bojan Bogdanovic before the NBA Trade Deadline.

The Wizards didn’t have a pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Their last three draft picks are on other NBA rosters or out of the NBA. Still, they’ve managed to find success in other ways than the draft.

Bogdanovic, a restricted free agent this offseason, was a key piece off the bench for the Wizards down the stretch. Having him for a full season could develop the team chemistry even more next season, especially in the bench depth department.

https://twitter.com/SeadGalijasevic/status/860474219272052736

The 2017 draft class is deep so there are a lot of options the Wizards will have at their disposal come June 22. Their biggest need right now is a backup point guard.

More from NBA Draft

Point guards Brandon Jennings and Trey Burke are both set to be free agents this offseason. Although Burke will be restricted, he only appeared in 57 games for an average of 12.3 minutes per game in 2016-17.

Jennings could seek a more lucrative deal elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent. Besides, with Wall at starting point guard, drafting a point guard in this year’s draft seems a more reasonable option with the 52nd pick.

The most notable selection at No. 52 in NBA Draft history is probably Fred Hoiberg, the current head coach of the Chicago Bulls who was taken there in 1995 by the Indiana Pacers. He played in the league for 10 years.

The Wizards have never held the 52nd overall pick in a draft.

Veteran help comes before drafting youth

The Washington Wizards had an average age of 25.8 years old in 2016-17. They only had three players on the current roster who were 30 years old or more.

All three players play the center position. Adding a veteran at the guard or forward position to play a key role off the bench should be more pertinent to the Washington Wizards plans this offseason.

Considering the core players they’ve added as a result of the draft, don’t expect them to make too much noise on draft night. They’re close to becoming a contender in the East, but they’ll need to retool their bench.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ian Mahinmi will be good starting points to build around off the bench. Oubre was the 15th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks but was part of a three-team trade that sent him to the Washington Wizards. He appeared in 79 games this season for the Wizards averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Next: 5 potential landing spots for Blake Griffin in free agency

Mahinmi, on the other hand, was off and on the court with injury and only appeared in 30 games in his first season with Washington. If he can stay healthy, the Wizards bench production will be much better off, especially on defense.

Home/NBA Draft