The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on July 29. As it approaches, The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each NBA squad will be analyzed, team needs will be addressed and potential targets will be discussed.
The Washington Wizards are the subject of today’s 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
Summary
The 2021 NBA season was a weird one for the Washington Wizards. After starting the season 17-32 and having top-five lottery odds for a pretty sizable chunk of the season, they ended the season 17-6 and were able to snag the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs after dispatching the Indiana Pacers in the play-in tournament.
Despite leading the Wizards to a play-in berth, many fans were disappointed with head coach Scott Brooks for what they saw as a season of underperformance from a team spearheaded by former MVP Russell Westbrook and All-NBA shooting guard Bradley Beal. Consequently, Brooks will not be returning next season due to a difference of opinion between him and the organization during contract negotiations.
2021 Draft Picks
The Wizards have one pick in this year’s NBA draft.
First Round (one pick):
Pick Number 15
Team Needs:
Shooting: The team ranked 28th in 3-pointers made per game as a team last season with 10.2, and 23rd in percentage with 35.1. Finding a player who is a reliable catch-and-shoot 3-pointer would be an immensely valuable asset for the team going into next year to give their offense a much-needed dimension.
Rim Protection: The Wizards frontcourt rotation was a proverbial carousel last season. After losing center Thomas Bryant to an ACL injury early in the season, they relied on a slapdash combination of journeyman center Alex Len, the athletically limited and aging Robin Lopez and Daniel Gafford later in the season after making a trade with the Chicago Bulls. The organization has spoken highly of Gafford’s upside as an athlete, but he struggles not to foul and often played limited minutes because of it. For a team that ranked 19th in points allowed in the paint and dead last in personal fouls per game, they should not hesitate to add a player they feel would immediately improve their frontcourt depth and effectiveness.
Important Note: The Wizards already have a serious logjam of wings on the roster between Rui Hachimura, Deni Avidja, and Davis Bertans. While Franz Wagner could be available when the Wizards pick and is an intriguing prospect, they need to avoid any more positional crowding at the risk of not allowing some of their young hybrid perimeter players to develop.
Projected Targets:
Pick No. 15: Isaiah Jackson, PF/C, Kentucky
Jackson is a one-and-done prospect out of Kentucky who flashed a ton of raw potential in his sole season in Lexington. He has decent size at 6-10, but the athleticism and wingspan (7-5) to make up for it. He is a capable shot blocker and rim runner who also has elite speed for a frontcourt player. Him getting out on fast breaks with Russell Westbrook would be a sight to behold.
He needs to put on some muscle as he is just a shaded over 200 pounds and needs to fine-tune some of his instincts as he has a propensity to block chase at times, but this is the case for many young NBA big men, and Jackson is just 19 years old. Additionally, he has showcased a limited face-up game and some upside as a jump shooter, shooting 70 percent from the free-throw line on 3.6 attempts per game.
All stats courtesy of Pro Basketball-Reference and ESPN
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