In a low stakes season for the Washington Wizards, these five players are facing the most pressure, whether it be from the team or from themselves.
The Washington Wizards will probably have a rough go of it this season. They are without their All-Star point guard, John Wall, and barring a miracle will not see postseason basketball.
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Players, coaches and the front office seem to agree on this fact, because the front office has spent the whole summer bolstering their roster with building blocks for the future, one where John Wall is healthy. However, that future is not this season.
Even this year, there are many Wizards players who will be under a lot of pressure to perform, whether it be to regain their stature in the league, to live up to a new contract or to earn a larger payday.
With new faces coming into the team, head coach Scott Brooks will have to see who fits and who does not before deciding who will surround shooting guard Bradley Beal and center Thomas Bryant in the starting lineup.
That cycling will put pressure on those two to be reliable every game no matter who is with them on the floor.
The young building blocks include rookie Rui Hachimura and 2018 first rounder Troy Brown, both of whom will see a lot of floor time and get their chance to contribute for Washington. But one will see more pressure than the other.
The Wizards added a few veterans in Ish Smith, Isaiah Thomas and C.J. Miles, who will all be counted on as locker room leaders and mature players on the floor. One of these players has added pressure and cracks the top five.
Smith found some consistency with the Detroit Pistons the last few years, IT’s injury troubles have been well chronicled by NBA media and Miles is facing a foot injury that leaves his availability for the start of the season up in air.
Finally, there is one more player on this Wizards roster who will be taking some heat off the court this season. At last, here are the five Washington Wizards who will be facing the most pressure during the 2019-20 season.