Washington Wizards starting lineups: Locks, fringe, potential break-ins
The fringe options
This group will likely be in and out of the starting lineup until someone asserts themselves. There’s a chance none of them do and they’re bouncing in and out of the starting lineup all season.
Thomas Bryant – Center
Thomas Bryant is one of the most interesting players in the entire NBA. Standing at 6’10, Bryant has the size of a traditional center but the shooting range of a perimeter player.
For the season he shot 40.7-percent from three-point range and was efficient on mid-range jumpers. Bryant has an incredible amount of offensive potential but his ability on the defensive end is what pushes him from a lock starter to the fringe.
His defense on the perimeter is abysmal and he is not an interior deterrent. In many ways, he would benefit from playing next to a traditional center to offset his defensive limitations. The Wizards’ core of Bertans, Beal, and Westbrook are not defensive stalwarts either, which means Bryant will likely bounce in and out of the starting lineup throughout the season.
However, if he can continue to grow as an offensive force the Wizards might look to outscore their opponents and live the dangerous life of shootout basketball. While Bryant’s offense is enticing, it’s the next player who could usurp his spot in the starting lineup.
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Robin Lopez – Center
Robin Lopez is a traditional NBA center that is adept at setting screens, walling off the paint, and grabbing boards. His offensive game is poor but he provides the Wizards with badly needed defense and rebounding.
The veteran will probably get a chance to start games to help cover up for the Wizards’ leaky defenders but at 32-years-old there’s no guarantee that he still has enough to be a one-man defense.
Expect Lopez and Bryant to used on a match-up dependent basis. If the two were combined they’d be one hell of a player, but unfortunately only one of them can play center at a time.
Rui Hachimura – Wing/Forward
The Wizards’ 9th overall pick from the 2019 NBA draft, Rui Hachimura, will have every chance to earn a starting spot but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to hold onto one. The 22-year-old had a promising rookie season but he has a long way to go to be an impact NBA player.
His defense was poor and he didn’t make up for it with incredible shot-making ability. Hachimura 13.5 points per game on 46.6-percent shooting but his three-point stroke, 28.7-percent, doesn’t look ready to provide the necessary spacing for a team with Russell Westbrook.
If he has improved from last season then there is a chance that the Wizards will continue to play him heavy minutes but this is not a season where the team can afford to give a young player 30 minutes a game to iron out the kinks. Hachimura will get some starts but he could see himself become the team’s offensive hub for the second unit, which should allow him to continue to develop while not hurting their playoff chances.