Washington Wizards’ loss to Cavaliers a reminder of biggest roster hole

The Washington Wizards lost a must-win game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, and it served as a reminder of their biggest roster need.

Bradley Beal got some rest. Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, and Moritz Wagner got the All-Star weekend treatment in Chicago. The Washington Wizards went into the break with a 6-4 record over their last 10 games. Life was grand, and playoffs didn’t seem too far away.

Suddenly, a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers put everything back into perspective. Washington was grounded on Thursday night, in the 113-108 loss at Capital One Arena after being up as many as 16.

Beal had a sloppy performance, going just 9-of-28 from the field, along with six turnovers. And once again, Washington opened its basket with open arms to the opposing frontcourt, allowing a combined 22 points and 23 rebounds to Andre Drummond and Tristan Thompson.

It’s been a consistent narrative to this season: The Wizards’ inability to defend the paint. Washington’s relied on 33-year old Ian Mahinmi who, while he has sufficed, has not impressed.

Allowing 52.1 points in the paint per game nightly ranks the Wizards 27th in the league, per NBA.com. Additionally, they’re ranked 28th in defensive rebounds, as well as 23rd in the league in blocks per game. Only the Portland Trail Blazers allow more second-chance points per game.

And thus, a whole new set of questions begin to present themselves as the front office and Washington’s fans begin pivoting their focus to next season. Who’s going to play center?

It’s clear that of any of the guys on the current roster, none are sufficient enough on the defensive end to command the starting position as of today.

Thomas Bryant got visibly upset in their loss to the Cavaliers, recording sloppy and emotionally rooted fouls, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen that this season. Wagner can be good in spurts, but for whatever reason isn’t seeing the same minute allowance he did to begin the year.

And neither can stay healthy. They’ve missed a combined 51 games this season.

Mahinmi’s a free agent following this season, and a guy it’s hard to see the Wizards front office selling themselves on for the second time in a decade. Not when other names like Cleveland’s Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, and Hassan Whiteside will be available in free agency come July.

And if they don’t deem any of those names worth the price tag, Washington will have a solid shot at grabbing the best big man in the upcoming draft class. If the Wizards continue their current trajectory, they’re looking at a top-10 pick, in a draft where most top teams are targeting point guards.

Names like Onyeka Okongwu and Daniel Oturu have been tied to the Wizards in recent mock drafts. Even James Wiseman could slide as far as Washington’s pick, due to his disciplinary controversy earlier this season and lack of college experience.

Either way, Thursday’s loss to Cleveland is a reminder of this team’s biggest weakness. Whether it’s the draft, free agency, or via trade; the Wizards have to upgrade at the center position in between now and the start of next year to better their chances of returning to the playoffs