Washington Wizards: The New Faces
The Washington Wizards and owner Ted Leonsis made it clear they wanted to contend for a playoff spot for the upcoming season, which made this offseason crucial. They added four players who will have a chance to step in and contribute for the team. I’ll take a look at all four of them and what they bring to the table for the 2013-14 season.
I have always had a sweet spot for Maynor. The main reason for that is this:
However, the fourth-year guard does more then just beat Duke. He is a quality backup point guard who is more than capable of running a second-unit offense and relieving John Wall. He has done that for a contender in Oklahoma City, where he spent two years backing up All-Star Russell Westbrook. He was traded from the Thunder midway through last year and ended the season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Going into the beginning of last season he was coming off a torn ACL and looked out of whack on the Thunder, playing only around 10 minutes a game and averaging only 2.8 points per game along with two assists. He seemed revived and more like the pre-ACL injury Eric Maynor when he was dealt to Portland. He scored about seven points per game, dished out four assists and averaged only one turnover in 21 minutes a game. Those are solid backup point guard numbers.
So, what will Maynor bring to the Wizards? He will allow coach Randy Wittman to not have to play starting point guard and injury-prone John Wall excessive minutes. If the Wizards want to make the playoffs, Wall cannot miss any significant time with injuries and Maynor may play a big part in making that not happen. His ability to run an NBA team means Wall won’t have to play 40-plus minutes a night and put his body at even more risk of injuries. Wizards’ management knew this when looking for Wall’s backup this offseason.
Another thing Maynor will bring to the club is playoff experience and knowing what being a part of a winning NBA culture is like. He played in a winning organization with two of most competitive players in the league in Westrbook and Kevin Durant while with the Thunder. He knows how hard it is to get to the playoffs and hopefully he can bring that winning culture to Washington, where it is not too familiar.
The 15-year veteran only saw action in 10 games last season because of a staph infection that occurred after he had surgery on his right meniscus. He is 33 years old, but according to the Washington Post, he lost 27 pounds this offseason and is in the best shape he has been in for a few years. Harrington will be asked to do a lot this season, especially with starting center Emeka Okafor sidelined indefinitely with a herniated disc in his neck. He will be asked to play big minutes with Okafor out in order to help Nene and a relatively inexperienced front line be effective.
Harrington’s ability to shoot the ball from the 3-point line will help the Wizards’ offense this year. A legit 6’9″, his ability to stretch defenses will make John Wall and the other guards’ job much easier. The Wizard offense is becoming more and more reliant upon Wall’s ability drive to and kick the ball to open players and Harrington will add to that dimension.
He has not been a good defender in his career, evident by his 107 career defensive rating, but the Wizards are lacking bodies down low and Harrington is a body that has experience.
Like Maynor, Harrington is a player who has made six playoff appearances and can bring veteran leadership and a winning attitude to a fairly inexperienced team. Sometimes those traits can make a bigger impact than what happens on the court.
Otto Porter
The Wizards took the forward from Georgetown with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft this summer. It was the safe pick. A pick that was hard to go wrong with. Porter can score in a variety of ways, is a solid passer (credit to John Thompson’s Princeton offense at Georgetown), has the body to be a solid wing defender and a work ethic that people rave about. I touched on what to expect from Porter this season more extensively last week. I liked the pick, but it worries me that he doesn’t do anything great. Porter is good at many things, but to find your way in this league and pan out as a top-three pick you need to do at least one thing extremely well. Porter doesn’t possess that one great skill yet, but his ability improve his game each year will play a big role in his NBA career.
Glen Rice Jr.
The Wizards made a deal with Philadelphia to get the rights to the 35 overall pick, Glen Rice Jr., in this summer’s draft. He took an unconventional path to getting to the NBA. After he had various off court issues at Georgia Tech, the team eventually dismissed him. Instead of looking to finish out his career somewhere else, he entered his name into the NBA D-League Draft. He was taken by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and was one of the best players in the D-League.
He led the Vipers to a championship and averaged 25 points per game along with 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, two blocks, and two steals in the playoffs. He had the sixth-best player efficiency rating and fifth-best true shooting percentage in the D-League last season. His ability to score the basketball and play both the 2 and 3 positions makes him an intriguing prospect.
Questions still loom regarding his maturity, but his year in the D-League and leading the Wizards in scoring during the Las Vegas Summer League this summer make him worth the risk. He will not play big minutes early on, but the talent is there and Wittman will find ways for Rice to contribute. It will be important that players like John Wall and Bradley Beal have an eye out for Rice and make sure he makes the most of his opportunity with the Wizards.
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