Predicting the 2022-23 Washington Wizards starting lineup

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards reacts to a play against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) /

Washington Wizards projected starting center: Kristaps Porzingis

Even with his “unicorn” status taking a substantial hit with the Dallas Mavericks, Kristaps Porzingis still does a lot of things well. If you go by his EPM, he’s still one of the better players in the league, especially on offense. He grabs rebounds at a healthy rate, commands extra attention from defenses (85th percentile in Box Creation), and remains one of the NBA’s preeminent rim protectors (95th percentile in block rate, 99th percentile in dFG% vs. expected).

However, the spotty shooting is hard to ignore. While Porzingis has always been a more lethal shooter in theory than in practice, he particularly struggled last year; 31 percent from deep — including 31 percent on catch-and-shoot 3’s — isn’t gonna cut it on a team that needs as much shooting as possible. Porzingis shooting 36 percent with Washington is more encouraging, and the team hopes it sees that version of the former All-Star.

Ultimately, Porzingis’ ability to mesh with Beal will determine if the Wizards’ gamble on him will pay off. It’s easy to see how things could work out on both ends of the floor.

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At the same time, everyone thought the Porzingis/Luka Doncic pairing would work, too, and we all saw how that turned out.

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