2010s Washington Wizards All-Decade team
By Ben Yokoyama
SF: Otto Porter
At small forward it is easy to forget about the quiet and composed Otto Porter, who lasted the longest at the position and became a highly effective player before being traded away at the deadline in 2019.
While the third overall selection in 2013 out of Georgetown may not have lived up to the hype of a typical third overall pick, Porter did become a fixture in the lineup by 2015. In the end, the Washington Wizards should be very satisfied with the Porter selection in a weak draft.
Among the top nine picks (including Victor Oladipo), Porter has the most win shares (WS) and second-most WS per 48 minutes, behind Cody Zeller of all players.
When Wizards fans recognized that Porter was not going to be a superstar, his shooting ability and defensive length got a lot more appreciation. In the team’s most recent playoff seasons in 2017 and 2018, he shot 43.7 percent from long range and led the team in WS in each season.
There was some competition at the small forward position for this team. I nearly picked Paul Pierce in just one year in DC simply for “calling game” with a playoff buzzer-beater bank shot. He averaged 11.9 points per game and shot 38.9 percent from deep that season.
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In terms of longevity, Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster each played about 2½ seasons in the nation’s capital. Before leaving for the Houston Rockets in 2014, Ariza helped the team to their first playoff appearance in six years by averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.
He came back to the team in a late 2018 trade in order to salvage the Kelly Oubre contract situation. He will be discussed later at this position.
Had it not been for some devastating injury problems, Webster could possibly make a case for earning the small forward spot on this All-Decade team. He was a high-energy player who was an absolute defensive fiend, was fun to watch and seemed to love playing in Washington.
Finally, every Wizards fan remembers the 2015 draft day trade that brought Oubre to DC. This lanky Kansas one-and-done with spiky red shoes could really have blossomed on a team that had more to commit to him and was not in the midst of a couple playoff pushes in 2017 and 2018.
His natural ability was apparent in flashes, but he was not in a good position to improve stuck behind Porter on the depth chart. His looming free agency and the team’s financial constraints led to him being traded in late 2018.