Washington Wizards: The case for playing Jason Smith over Ian Mahinmi
Big man Jason Smith has found himself on the outside of the Washington Wizards’ rotation but he needs more playing time sooner rather than later.
It’s only been 16 games, but it’s been more of the same from the Washington Wizards‘ bench. Their bench ranked 29th in points per game (26.6), 28th in rebounds per game (12.4), 29th in assists per game (5.3), 29th in blocks per game (2.2) and 24th in blocks per game (1.4) last season.
This season, the Wizards bench ranks 21st in points per game (30.6), 24th in rebounds per game (14.7), 26th in assists per game (5.8), 15th in steals per game (2.9) and 27th in blocks per game (1.3).
The additions of Tim Frazier, Jodie Meeks and Mike Scott have improved things a bit, but things in the frontcourt have yet to improve. Some of that has to do with the production, or lack thereof, from veteran Ian Mahinmi.
Mahinmi has had a tough go since joining the Wizards’ roster in the 2016 offseason. He played in just 31 games in 2016-17 due to lingering issues in both knees. This season, he’s averaging 3.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. It’s not bad production, but he also leads the team in fouls per game (2.9) and a career-high 1.4 turnovers per contest.
On the other hand, Jason Smith has largely been absent from the rotation since starting the first game of the season and suffering a shoulder injury. He’s appeared in just seven games so far this season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in just 9.7 minutes per game.
Finding more playing time
Recently, head coach Scott Brooks voiced how he needs to figure out how to get Smith more playing time, which is true. Figuring out the issue shouldn’t be too difficult, as Smith could very easily receive Mahinmi’s minutes.
Smith has the ability to shoot the 3-ball off the bench, although he hasn’t shot it well this season. He’s shooting just 9.1 percent from 3-point range but it could have to do with the limited playing time. He’s attempted just 11 3-pointers in 2017-18.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Smith averaged 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.4 percent from 3-point range in 2016-17. As the Washington Wizards have relied more on 3-point shooting, Smith can add to their arsenal off the bench.
With Smith on the court, the Wizards boast an offensive rating of 105.1 and a defensive rating of 96.0, with a net rating of +9.0 despite his limited playing time. With Mahinmi on the court, the team’s offensive rating is 99.0 and defensive rating is 104.5 with a net rating of -5.5.
The Washington Wizards bench is shooting 33.3 percent from 3-point range, so adding Smith in favor of Mahinmi allows the bench to stretch the floor and run more pick-and-rolls.
Ian Mahinmi is certainly no 3-point wizard (pun intended) and his time in the rotation has soured a bit. He’s accumulated five fouls in three games and fouled out once so far in 2017-18 despite not playing more than 20 minutes per game.
It will be interesting to see how Smith is used going forward. The Wizards have a tough stretch of games coming up against some solid teams around the league. They went 1-1 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday and Friday night last week.
Next: The 50 greatest NBA players of all time (updated, 2016-17)
They faced the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night without John Wall and lost 100-91. Smith didn’t play at all in the game. Mahinmi, on the other hand, went scoreless with two rebounds in 12 minutes of play. It might be time to start thinking about mixing up the rotation.