This article is part of our NBA Team Previews series.
STATE OF THE FRANCHISE
Coming off their first playoff appearance since 2007-08, the Wizards finally seem to have a clear plan for the future, one that heavily depends upon the continued development of young guards John Wall and Bradley Beal. With big men Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat also returning, the only new projected starter is Paul Pierce, who will be replacing Trevor Ariza. The Wizards have shaky depth at the guard and wing spots, but they addressed one of last seasons' biggest weaknesses, signing DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries to provide a strong frontcourt presence off the bench. Said depth is especially important because of Nene's continued struggles to stay healthy. While the roster tweaks should help, Washington still needs improvement from its young guns to put any kind of real scare into the Eastern Conference heavyweights in Cleveland and Chicago. Beal is the prime candidate to make a leap, but with Martell Webster (back) expected to miss a good chunk of the season, Otto Porter's development could be just as important as Wall's and Beal's. The third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Porter never cracked the regular rotation as a rookie, after dealing with a lingering hip injury early in the season.
PLAYING TIME DISTRIBUTION
John Wall will dominate the point-guard minutes, likely topping 35 per game for the fourth time in five seasons. That leaves about 10-15 minutes for top backup Andre Miller, with Garrett Temple perhaps mixed in on occasion. Shooting guard is another steady spot for the Wizards, as Bradley Beal also figures to challenge for 35 minutes per game. Paul Pierce is expected to start at small forward after logging a career-low 28 mpg last season, but his minutes could bounce back now that he's free of Jason Kidd's deep rotations in Brooklyn. Depth is a major question mark at both wing spots, with Martell Webster likely to miss at least the first few weeks of the season following offseason back surgery. While a useful reserve at both shooting guard and small forward, Webster has now had three operations on his back during his nine-year career. The team will need some kind of contribution from second-year wings Glen Rice Jr. and Otto Porter, both of whom played surprisingly well at the Las Vegas Summer League. If one or both of those players make(s) an impression, Webster won't have the 25-plus minutes he's grown accustomed to in recent years. Nene is locked in as the starting power forward, but he'll likely stick in the 25-30 minute range, as his health has been a seemingly constant issue for the last three years. That should leave quite a few minutes for Kris Humphries, who seems to do his best work as a key reserve playing about 15-20 minutes per game. If the team wants to go with a more scoring-minded approach behind Nene, then Drew Gooden could get some run at the four, with Humphries perhaps seeing minutes as a backup center in smaller lineups. As for that center spot, Marcin Gortat is back with a fat new contract in hand, ready to play 30-35 minutes per game, with DeJuan Blair presumably serving as the top backup. Among the team's rostered veterans, only Temple and forward Kevin Seraphin seem to be far removed from a key role in the rotation.
PLAYER OUTLOOKS
Centers
Marcin Gortat: An 80-game starter for the Wizards last season, the 30-year-old Gortat cashed in big, inking a five-year, $60 million contract in July. The deal was well-earned, as Gortat shined during his first year with the team, averaging 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks. The Polish center has a well-rounded game that allows him to contribute in nearly every category, with the obvious exception of three-point shooting. He's solid at the line for a center, as he made 69 percent of his free-throw attempts last season, and is a 67-percent foul shooter for his career. While perhaps underappreciated before he landed in Washington, Gortat posted similar production to last season's during his three years with the Phoenix Suns from 2010-11 to 2012-13. He's locked in as the Wizards' starting center for the foreseeable future, and while unlikely to go much higher than last season's 13.2 points per game, Gortat could very well crack double-digit rebounds for the second time in his career. He consistently plays with a high energy level and has reasonably good touch at the rim. There's not much room left for individual improvement, but with his team on the rise, Gortat could perhaps see a slight bump in points and/or assists.
Kris Humphries: Heading into his 11th NBA season, Kris Humphries is set to play for his sixth different team after reaching a three-year, $13 million agreement with the Washington Wizards during the offseason. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 20 minutes per game for the Boston Celtics last season, starting 30 of the 69 games he played in. Long known as an excellent rebounder, the 29-year-old power forward remains offensively limited, but he does chip in with some blocks. He's also improved his shooting percentages over the last few years, even finishing last season at 50 percent from the field and 81 percent from the line, compared to career-long marks of 47 percent and 69 percent, respectively. While his improved foul shooting has been a consistent trend over the last few years, Humphries made just 45 percent of his field-goal attempts in 2012-13, as his production from the field has been a bit less predictable. Humphries will likely have trouble reaching the 20-minute threshold when the Wizards are healthy, but he finds himself working behind an injury-prone starter (Nene) at power forward. Even if he's only playing about 15 minutes to open the year, Humphries could very well end up topping last season's 20 mpg.
Kevin Seraphin: Seraphin signed a $3.8 million qualifying offer to stick with the Washington Wizards, with the size of the deal indicating that he's an important part of the team's plans. However, the Wizards also signed Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair during the offseason, while Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario are back to start in the frontcourt. After struggling with their frontcourt depth for much of last season, the Wizards now appear to have quite a crowd. Seraphin, who averaged 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 11 minutes per game last season, could very well be the odd man out, despite logging more than 20 minutes per game in both 2011-12 and 2012-13. Given that he currently appears to be the fifth or sixth big man, Seraphin will probably need to catch a few breaks to find any sort of fantasy utility this season.
Forwards
Paul Pierce: Following a one-year stint in Brooklyn, Paul Pierce will move on to Washington for his 17th NBA season. He'll be replacing Trevor Ariza as the Wizards' starting small forward, after averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.5 three-pointers over 28 minutes with the Nets last season. Those 28 minutes easily marked the lowest average of Pierce's career, and while his age was likely a factor, the Nets also opted for a deep rotation. Playing for the Celtics in 2012-13, Pierce averaged 18.6 points, 6.3 boards, and 4.8 assists over 33 minutes per game. In addition to the significant minutes decrease in Brooklyn, Pierce had a significant drop off in his per-36 scoring and assists. However, his skills have aged rather gracefully, providing hope that he'll not only bounce back over 30 minutes per game this season but also show noticeable improvement in both points and assists. Of course, with the Wizards' offense is expected to revolve around young guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, so Pierce won't necessarily improve his production by much, even if he gets back into 30-plus minutes per game territory. Though he's known as one of the more consistent players in the game, Pierce has a fairly wide range of possible fantasy outcomes as he suits up for his third different team in the last three seasons.
Nene Hilario: The book on Nene is mostly written at this point, and he unquestionably lived up to his reputation last year. Oft-injured and inconsistent, the Brazilian big man is a menace to opposing defenders when both healthy and at the top of his game. The Wizards got spurts of his best last season, but Nene missed all of March because of a sprained MCL, and then struggled in a second-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. He finished the regular season with averages of 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 29 minutes. Nene provides multi-category contributions that are rare for a player with center eligibility, but his free-throw shooting oddly became a problem for the first-time last season. A career 67-percent shooter from the line, Nene mysteriously made just 58 percent of his foul shots during his age-31 campaign. If he can get that issue sorted out, Nene could be one of the more undervalued veterans, as his injury issues seem to be nagging more so than degenerative. He's locked in as the Wizards' starting power forward, and with center Marcin Gortat around to do the dirty work, Nene is free to pile up points, steals and assists. He's also taken on a starring role with the second unit at times, often alongside shooting guard Bradley Beal.
Drew Gooden: Out of the league for much of last season after being amnestied by the Milwaukee Bucks, Gooden signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards in February, and then emerged as a key part of the team's frontcourt rotation. He first got significant run in March and early April while Nene Hilario was hurt, only to fall out of favor once Nene returned at the end of the regular season. Gooden finished the season with averages of 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 18 minutes per game, while shooting 53 percent from the field and 89 percent from the line. He then had an interesting playoffs, as 26 of his 36 minutes in a first-round series against the Bulls came in one game, the contest for which Nene was suspended. However, even with Nene able to play, Gooden logged at least 14 minutes in each of the six games during a second-round series against Indiana, averaging 5.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks over 18 mpg. Re-signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Gooden joins a frontcourt rotation that is deeper than last year's, after the Wizards added DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries. Known to be a bit over-eager on offense and a bit lackadaisical on defense, Gooden is in that way unique among Washington's backup bigs. However, with the team sporting improved depth, the 32-year-old Gooden will have a hard time matching last season's 18 mpg, unless he unexpectedly makes some late-career strides on defense.
DeJuan Blair: Following four years with the San Antonio Spurs and one with the Dallas Mavericks, DeJuan Blair joined the Wizards via sign-and-trade on a three-year, $6 million contract. The 25-year-old center started 166 games during his time with the Spurs, but he started just 13 of 78 games for the Mavericks last season, playing 16 minutes per contest. Blair posted a strong 17.3 PER (player efficiency rating) for the Mavs, averaging 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks. He shot 53 percent from the floor and 64 percent from the line, with both numbers closely matching his percentages from previous seasons. A known commodity at this stage in his career, Blair is listed at 6-7, 270 pounds, with his style of play about what you'd expect from a bulky yet undersized center. What he lacks in rim-protecting ability, Blair largely makes up for with his strong work on the boards, and he's never been afraid to take a foul. He will likely have a hard time topping last season's 16 minutes per game, as he joins a frontcourt rotation that includes Marcin Gortat, Nene Hilario, Kris Humphries, Drew Gooden and Kevin Seraphin. Blair also has some long-term concerns with his knees, which essentially don't have any ACLs, though it hasn't been a problem through his first five seasons.
Otto Porter: The third-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Otto Porter Jr. had minimal impact during his rookie season. He was thought to be one of the draft's more NBA-ready prospects and was considered by many to be a relatively safe pick. However, after losing the first month of his rookie season to a hip injury, Porter never emerged as a consistent part of the Wizards' rotation, as he was stuck behind both Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster at small forward. Porter ultimately played in just 37 games, averaging 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists. 0.2 steals, and 0.0 blocks in nine minutes per game. Following his poor rookie season, Porter did provide cause for optimism this summer, averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks in six games at the Las Vegas Summer League. Just as encouraging as his strong counting stats, Porter shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range, albeit while making just 68 percent of his free throws. The Wizards still have a crowd at small forward with Paul Pierce and Martell Webster, but the team will likely find a way to work Porter in if he shows that he's much improved from last season. Porter may have an excellent opportunity to prove his worth early on, as Webster could miss the beginning of the year after undergoing back surgery in the offseason.
Glen Rice: Rice, the 35th-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, is hoping to crack the Washington Wizards' regular rotation this season. He played just 11 games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 10 minutes per game. The Wizards essentially used just three players at the shooting guard and small forward spots last season, with Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, and Martell Webster combining to play nearly 98 minutes per game. Ariza has been swapped out for Paul Pierce, and while Pierce doesn't figure to match the 35 minutes Ariza played last season, the Wizards may still be able to get by with just three rotation wing players. Rice, a decent shooter with good size and rebounding skills for his position, made a strong case for a rotation spot at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 25.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in six games. Alas, his excellent showing doesn't change the nature of a crowded situation, and Rice's opportunity to crack the rotation may ultimately depend on the extent of the Wizards' confidence in Webster's health.
Guards
John Wall: Heading into his fifth NBA season, John Wall is looking to make the step from very good to elite. He averaged 19.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks over 36 minutes last season, playing in each of the Wizards' 82 games. While he set or matched personal bests in terms of points, assists, and steals, the most encouraging aspect of Wall's 2013-14 campaign was the development of a three-point shot. After making just 15-of-97 three-point attempts over the previous two seasons, Wall attempted 308 treys in 2013-14, making 35 percent of his shots. He also made his first appearances in both the All-Star Game and playoffs, though his first postseason showing left something to be desired. Still only 24 years old, and with excellent size and athleticism, Wall has all the pieces in place to take another step in terms of shooting efficiency and assists. The Wizards addressed their previously poor frontcourt depth in the offseason, and shooting guard Bradley Beal continues to develop as a potential star. While the solid supporting cast means Wall probably won't make a big jump in terms of shot attempts, he could improve his efficiency from last season, when he made 43 percent of his field-goal attempts. While his shooting has been the subject of much criticism, Wall has never had any trouble at the line, where he's a career 79-percent shooter, and coming off an 81-percent season.
Bradley Beal: After celebrating his 21st birthday during the offseason, Bradley Beal is entering his third year in the NBA. He started 119 of the 129 regular-season games he played during his first two seasons and is locked in as the Wizards' shooting guard of both the present and future. Known for his shooting above all else, the former Florida Gator has made 40 percent of his three-point attempts through his first two seasons but hasn't been nearly as effective inside the arc. In 73 games last season, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.2 blocks in 35 minutes per game. He shot a modest 42 percent from the field, despite connecting on 40 percent of his three-point field goals, of which he made 1.9 per game. He also attempted 2.6 free throws per game, converting at a 79-percent clip. Beal posted similar per-36 production in 11 playoff games but saw his averages jump across board, as he logged an impressive 42 minutes per contest. The Wizards' second unit often ran through Beal during the playoffs, and we can expect more of the same during the upcoming season. Already an established shooter and underrated defender, Beal is still young enough that there's hope he can make strides when it comes to ball-handling and creating his own shot. If that happens, he'll likely threaten the 20-ppg threshold, and could be one of the breakout stars of the 2014-15 season.
Andre Miller:Andre Miller had a falling out with the Denver Nuggets last season, and he eventually landed in Washington to serve as John Wall's top backup. The Professor will presumably be back in that same role for his 16th NBA season, as the Wizards don't have any other true point guards on the roster, and they picked up Miller's $4.6 million team option, rather than opting for a $2 million buyout. Given that Wall often plays upwards of 35 minutes, Miller will likely log 10-15 minutes per game. The 38-year-old averaged 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks over 15 minutes in 28 games with the Wizards last season. He'll likely land in that same range this time around, and should provide decent percentages. A career 46-percent shooter from the field and 81-percent shooter from the line, Miller has been rather consistent in that regard. He still can't shoot threes and is no longer much of a scoring threat, but his per-minute assist production remains strong. Should anything happen to John Wall, the Wizards don't really have another option at the point.
Martell Webster: Webster is in danger of missing the start of his 10th NBA season, after he underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back in June. With the procedure carrying a timetable of three-to-five months, Webster will likely be ready to play sometime between late September and early December. Last season, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.3 three-pointers over 28 minutes per game, while shooting 43 percent from the field, 39 percent from beyond the arc, and 84 percent from the line. Long known as an above-average shooter from distance, Webster saw his three-point percentage decline from his previous season's career-best mark of 42 percent. His stats were down across the board in 2013-14, even though he only played one less minute per game than in 2012-13. The decline was mostly a result of poor play after the All-Star break, as Webster struggled to adapt to a decreased role, which was largely the result of Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza eating up so many minutes. Ariza, who averaged 35 minutes, has been replaced by Paul Pierce, who is unlikely to match that mark. However, with 2013 third-overall pick Otto Porter possibly entering the rotation, Webster may still see a decline in minutes for the second straight year. If Webster doesn't make it back for the start of the season, and Porter impresses early on, the veteran could be looking at a bigger drop off than expected.
Garrett Temple: Temple, 28 years old, averaged 1.8 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks in nine minutes per game through 75 games played for the Wizards last season. He re-signed on a two-year, veteran's minimum deal in the offseason and figures to once again occupy a role on the edge of Washington's rotation. Capable of playing both guard spots, Temple will likely be the third point guard, behind John Wall and Andre Miller. His prospects for playing time at shooting guard aren't much better, as the Wizards have Bradley Beal hogging most of the minutes, backed up by Martell Webster/Paul Pierce and Glen Rice. After all but falling out of the rotation after the All-Star break last season, Temple is likely just hoping to work his way back to 5-10 minutes per game. Barring an injury to Miller, Wall, or Beal, he may find even that hard to come by.
SLEEPERS
Glen Rice: While many will be expecting progress from Otto Porter, his 2013 draftmate looks nearly as promising. Selected 35th overall in last year's draft, the son of former NBA All-Star Glen Rice already has two seasons of professional experience, as he entered the D-League in 2012-13 after being dismissed from Georgia Tech. Known for his three-point shooting (less so) and dunking (more so), Rice took home MVP honors at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 25 points on 47 percent shooting. He'll be competing with Porter for playing time, and while the Wizards would certainly prefer the third overall pick from last year's draft to step up, they showed last season that minutes won't be handed out based on contract/draft status. With Rice also more capable than Porter of contributing as a two-guard, there's sneaky potential for a heavy minutes workload.
Bradley Beal: It's hard for one of the league's up-and-coming stars to be a true sleeper, but the 21-year-old Beal may be just that. Widely lauded for his three-point prowess, the 6-5 shooting guard is a better rebounder and passer than he gets credit for, making him a real threat to top both four boards and four assists per game. What's more, as he continues to improve at creating his own shot, Beal has all the talent necessary to become a 20-point scorer, and you have to imagine that his efficiency (42 FG% last season) will continue to improve. Having made 40 percent of his three-point attempts while hoisting up nearly five per game, Beal was already one of the league's best deep bombers in his age-20 season. A 45-45-80 shooting split isn't out of the question, and further improvement in the counting stats is likely.
BUST
Nene Hilario: Nene has long been one of the top multi-category contributors among big men that don't shoot threes. What he lacks in the traditional big man stats – rebounds and blocks – he largely makes up for with points, steals and assists. However, after a trio of fairly healthy seasons from 2008-09 to 2010-11, Nene has been plagued by a variety of ailments, missing 77 games over the last three campaigns. In addition to his trouble staying on the court, Nene saw his shooting percentages take a nose-dive the last few years, with his field-goal percentage sitting at 48 in 2012-13 and 50 in 2013-14. That would be troubling enough on its own, but Nene oddly made just 58 percent of his free throws last year, after making 73 percent the year before, and at least 66 percent in each of the previous five seasons. Add in the Wizards' improved frontcourt depth, and the unreliable Nene seems to be headed for a disappointing fantasy season.
