Washington Wizards: It’s time to give Admiral Schofield more opportunity

Rookie forward Admiral Schofield has seen limited opportunity with the Washington Wizards this year. But they’d be wise to grant him more minutes.

Admiral Schofield‘s rookie year with the Washington Wizards hasn’t been too exciting. Then again, it’s very rare that a second-round pick hits the ground running in the NBA.

But as the season wares on, and the Wizards return from the All-Star break later this week, Washington should give Schofield another look.

He’s made just 26 appearances for the club this season, and in those: played just 292 minutes (11.2 minutes per game). Schofield comes from the University of Tennessee, where he spent an entire four years. Yet he’s only 22 years old, and fits the timeline of the Wizards young core.

Based on Washington’s playoff aspirations for next season, there may not be a more appropriate time to give him a tryout than what’s left of this season.

Schofield can score on all three levels, has the athleticism to contrast his six-foot-five frame, and has one of the coolest names league-wide. A guy named Admiral is going to be a social media/fan favorite, whether he’s a superstar or role player.

And in a season that’s plagued the Washington Wizards with injuries extensively and frequently, he’s seen limited opportunity. Why? In the short time he’s played, Schofield’s impressed.

His first real minutes came in a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the rookie capitalized on the opportunity, going 5-for-5 from the field for 15 points in 14 minutes:

It’s here where you see everything Schofield has to offer. His success as a 3-point shooter at Tennessee hasn’t translated entirely to the NBA, but rarely do rookies see much success shooting the ball against NBA level defenders in year one.

But the shot is there, the form is there, and his ability to create space to earn those shots is there. Schofield went three-for-three from deep that game, each shot heavily contested. And yet, his next opportunity wouldn’t be granted by the Wizards until another blowout, in mid-December.

Schofield went for 14 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, again showing his worth along the perimeter as he shot three-for-five from deep:

He’s got a shooting stroke that’s going to age well throughout his (to be determined) NBA career. Schofield moves up and down the floor rather quickly, and can identify scoring opportunities in real time. But that’s exactly what he needs: time, something he hasn’t seen as of late.

Since the start of the new year he’s received just seven call ups from the Wizards’ G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. And in that span, he’s seen just 9.8 minutes per contest.

And that’s only because he recorded his first 30+ minute game in that span, in a January loss to the Orlando Magic. Schofield went for 18 points and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes of play:

His 14-first half points should be all the argument for his return to the Wizards rotation. Schofield hit a one dribble pull-up jumper, made a nice reverse layup, and continued to hit his open threes.

When you factor in Washington’s recent run, and position in playoff seeding, his absence makes some sense. But having a guy who can knock down the open three is valuable, no matter the team, and Schofield fits like a glove in this fast paced offense.

And he might be able to assist a Wizards team that is making just 12 threes per game over their last 10, and averaging just 32.3 attempts in that span (per NBA.com).

On top of that, Thomas Bryant most recently went down with injury. The timetable on his return is still unclear, and suddenly there’s a large lot of rotation minutes that desperately need production.

Why not Schofield? He can play the three next to Rui Hachimura and Ian Mahinmi in the frontcourt, and they already know what he offers in terms of floor spacing.

If the Wizards’ playoff bet bounces back negative, expect to see Schofield see a large increase in both minutes and games played for Washington. But in the meantime, they’d still be wise to place him back in the rotation, as they’re a man down with Bryant out.

Schofield has already displayed all the tangibles and tools that today’s three-and-d wing players thrive behind. But in order to develop those, the Washington Wizards will have to take another gamble in a season that’s been devoted to nothing less. At the end of the day, why not?