Washington Wizards: Grading The Offseason
Nabbing Neal
On a one-year, $2.1 million deal, Gary Neal is yet another solid pickup, though this time at the guard position. With Dudley and Anderson potentially filling the wings, Neal will be a nice ball handler and shooter in the backcourt despite his numbers slightly dropping off during his time with the Charlotte Hornets last season.
However, once the Hornets dealt Neal to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Neal averaged 11.8 points in 23.8 minutes per game. He shot a more respectable 42.9 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from downtown after posting some dismal shooting numbers in Charlotte, so even though he’s 30 years old and only played 11 games for Minnesota, Neal could be a very good fit in Washington.
#Wizards' goal this summer was to add pieces to become more versatile without limiting future $ flexibility. Dudley/Neal additions do that.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) July 3, 2015
With Pierce gone, the Wizards chose to invest in a little more versatility on the wing. Neal furthers that purpose on a number of levels for a minuscule price, helping Washington bolster its depth with another experienced vet who could come in handy in a playoff series. Don’t forget, it wasn’t long ago he was lighting the Miami Heat up in the NBA Finals.
Grade: B
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