Who should be part of Washington Wizards long-term core?

1: ‘Latvian Laser’ an efficient 3-point shooter, effective defender

Davis Bertans is arguably one of the best pickups the Washington Wizards made over the 2019 offseason. The 6’10” former San Antonio Spurs power forward has thrived in Washington thus far.

The 27-year-old Bertans has earned a starting spot on the Wizards’ roster. He has averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds per game, shooting and 44.3 percent on 7.6 3-point attempts over Washington’s 16 games, all off the bench.

On defense, Bertans is also faring well. He has allowed a 44.7 percent opponent overall field-goal shooting accuracy per game, giving up 4.7 opponent distribution field goals on average.

When it comes to defending the 3-point line, though, Bertans is defending at a successful rate. He is allowing an average of 31.3 percent opponent 3-point accuracy per game, giving up just one three on an average of 2.9 opponent attempts per game.

The Wizards’ opponents are also converting an average of just 1.4 of 3.9 shot attempts greater than 15 feet when Bertans is guarding them, making just 33.1 percent of those shots.

If Bertans is able to stay with Washington, the “Latvian Laser” only stands to improve. He will be an unrestricted free agent before the 2020 season begins.

Bertans has been a bright spot on the team and added a 3-point boost to the Wizards’ offensive arsenal. These positive indicators make his case to be a part of Washington’s long-term core.