Washington Wizards: A look at the 2019 Summer League roster
By Ben Yokoyama
1. First round picks
Rui Hachimura, 6’8” F, Gonzaga
Rui Hachimura, the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, spent three years in Mark Few’s system at Gonzaga and is used to big situations thanks to that team’s success. The 21-year-old became the first Japanese player drafted in the first round and brings a polished game to Washington.
His minutes increased in each of his three years at school and he averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in his final season before declaring for the draft.
His inside game is terrific, though he may be a bit undersized for someone who lacks great outside shooting. He can score in a variety of ways and will be thrown quickly into the rotation.
If he adds an outside shot and improves his ball handling, this mobile big man could be a dangerous threat for years to come.
Troy Brown Jr., 6’7” SF, Oregon
The Wizards just missed out on the lottery in 2018 and selected Troy Brown Jr. with the 15th pick out of the University of Oregon.
In his first pro season he played in 52 games for the Wizards but in just 14.0 minutes per game he scored 4.8 points with 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He never got the playing time to find his rhythm in the pros.
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Though he did not shoot well in the NBA, in his 11 G League starts Brown shot 38 percent from 3-point range and averaged 16.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 34.0 minutes.
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With little competition at small forward, Brown should get more opportunity to show his skills at the highest level and will likely be a key rotation player during the 2019-20 season.