2017–18 NBA Season Preview: Washington Wizards
This offseason, the Washington Wizards met a crossroads. They could either let restricted free agent Otto Porter, Jr. walk and take a big step back, or bring him back on a max contract and cap-lock themselves with a core that isn’t quite good enough to compete for a championship. They decided to bring Porter Jr. back, and then were able to come to terms on a super-max contract extension with superstar John Wall.
Offseason Moves
Re-signed: Otto Porter, Jr., John Wall (extension)
Added: Tim Frazier (trade), Jodie Meeks (free agency), Mike Scott (free agency)
Lost: Brandon Jennings, Bojan Bogdanovic, Trey Burke
Bringing back Porter Jr. was what they had to do — he isn’t worth that contract, but what their plan should be is to trade him next winter, or even next summer, unless he becomes a star, which is unlikely. Frazier is a very solid backup option, and getting him for just the 52nd pick was a great move on Washington’s part. Meeks doesn’t provide much of anything outside of shooting, and Scott is still a work-in-progress, but hopefully can become a somewhat valuable stretch four. Losing Jennings and Burke isn’t a big deal because of the Frazier acquisition, but Bogdanovic was a very good spark-plug scorer off the bench. The glaring miscalculation by Washington came back to haunt them- they traded their first-round pick to the Nets for Bogdanovic, just to let him go months later.
The Key to Their Success
The Wizards know that in John Wall and Bradley Beal, they have an elite backcourt. But in order to compete for a Finals berth in the East, they need an over-qualified third option. Otto Porter needs to take another huge step in his game. If the Cavaliers continue to self-destruct and Otto becomes an All-Star caliber player, they have a legitimate chance against anyone in the entire Eastern Conference.
Player to Watch
Assuming Porter doesn’t become an All-Star, trading him should become a viable option. And it will be an easy decision to make if Kelly Oubre, Jr. can emerge as a starting-caliber player to replace Porter. This is a crucial season for Oubre, as the Wizards can’t just wait for him to break out for much longer. The clock is ticking, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. needs to step up to the plate.
Best and Worst Case Scenarios
Best case: The trio of Wall, Beal and Porter all make big strides in their games, Markieff Morris and Kelly Oubre serve as great complementary players, and the Wizards reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Worst Case: Bradley Beal’s injury problems return, Otto Porter’s production drops off and his contract becomes untradeable, Wall takes a step back, and the Wizards are a first-round exit.
Predicting Their Fate
If the Wizards are fine with just being good for a long time, they’re in a great spot, with Porter, Beal, and Wall locked up for 4 years, 4 years, and 6 years, respectively. If they want to compete for a title, they need to move Porter Jr. as soon as possible.
Prediction: The Wizards comfortably cruise through the season and host a playoff series as either the third or fourth seed.
