Hoops Habit
Fansided

Washington Wizards: Grading The Offseason

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 1, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles the ball past Milwaukee Bucks guard Jared Dudley (9) in the first quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 108-97. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles the ball past Milwaukee Bucks guard Jared Dudley (9) in the first quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 108-97. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
Washington Wizards
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kelly Oubre (Kansas) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The Draft

Originally slated as the No. 19 pick, the Wizards decided to package their first round selection — along with two future second round picks — in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks to move up and take Kelly Oubre Jr. with the 15th overall pick. That’s a sizable ransom to move up four spots, but Washington unknowingly braced itself for Pierce’s departure in the process.

At 6’7″ and with a 7’2″ wingspan, Oubre has tremendous size and length to excel at the next level. He’s a terrific athlete, he knows how to finish at the rim and even with that unorthodox release of his, Oubre is a a passable shooter as well. With the right development, this 19-year-old has enough upside to become a tremendous 3-and-D prospect for the Wizards on the wing.

That being said, Oubre’s also got some bust potential, and even if he lives up to all that raw potential, it’ll take time to cultivate it. Oubre’s averages of 16.8 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting during NBA Summer League are a testament to that dichotomy.

Otto Porter showed signs of his game coming together in the playoffs, so Oubre won’t be taking minutes from him anytime soon. But with enough dedication and patience from the fans, Oubre shows the promise of being great one day.

In the second round, the Wizards got a nice value pick at No. 49 in Iowa’s Aaron White, a mobile power forward who is starting to expand his range to three-point territory. With Nene’s value at an all-time low and Washington in need of a stretch-4, White is a player with a solid basketball IQ that could help the Wizards’ depth in the future.

However, White was entirely underwhelming at Summer League, averaging 3.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game while shooting 30.8 percent from the floor. He will spend the next season playing overseas in Germany.

Grade: A-

Next: The Dudley Trade

Home/Washington Wizards