#WASHINGTON WIZARDS ROSTER DEPTH CHART PLUS#

In that approach, I still envision Morris as the starting point guard even though Wright, with his better size and defensive mindset, is the better defender.

It may serve the 2022-23 team well to begin games with players who are more defensive-minded. As the entire league knows, the Wizards struggled defensively over the final three-quarters of last season. Unseld will face a choice as he fills out his starting lineup: whether he wants to open games with a defensive bent. Still, I believe the Wizards traded for Morris (along with Barton) with the expectation that Morris will be the starting point guard. Unseld was not addressing his plans for the starting lineup or the rotation, so his comments should not be taken as a comparison to Wright or to anyone else. Unseld offered that praise of Morris after I asked him a general question about Morris’ abilities. For what he lacks maybe in size or athleticism, it’s not for a lack of effort or an understanding of the game plan or discipline.” He doesn’t get enough credit for, I think, the defensive stuff. He’s expanded his 3-point range as he’s matured in this league. He’s very capable of creating his own shot. He’s one of those throwback-type point guards.

“You know, reading the flow of the game and understanding if a guy’s got a (good) matchup, a guy needs a shot (and) time-and-score. “He has a really good feel for, and a real good understanding of, what’s needed,” Unseld told me. Unseld worked as a Nuggets assistant coach during Morris’ first three seasons in the league and as the Nuggets’ associate head coach during the 2020-21 season, which was Morris’ fourth season. Unseld also trusts Morris as a floor leader and, as noted earlier, possesses a deep knowledge of Morris’ game. Monté Morris, shown here last season playing for the Denver Nuggets, has the inside track at the Washington Wizards’ starting point guard job. Sure, he almost certainly has tentative plans already, but he would be well-served to foster internal competition for roles during September workouts, training camp and the preseason. Nor should Unseld provide a depth chart before then. 30 against the Golden State Warriors in Japan. Like most NBA head coaches, Unseld is unlikely to offer many clues about his depth chart until the preseason opener on Sept. Washington also has one of its two two-way contracts filled by swingman Jordan Schakel. It’s possible team officials will trim the roster to 14 players in upcoming weeks because having an open roster spot would give the team additional flexibility to complete trades and call up players from their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Roster shuffling might happen.Īs things stand, the Wizards have 15 players under contract on conventional NBA deals: Deni Avdija, Barton, Beal, Vernon Carey Jr., Johnny Davis, Daniel Gafford, Taj Gibson, Anthony Gill, Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuzma, Morris, Porziņģis, Isaiah Todd and Delon Wright. A lot can change between now and the regular-season opener. Still, it’s not too early to project how Unseld will array the team’s starting lineup and playing rotation. Wizards officials have reason to think their somewhat new-look roster will mesh better than last season’s roster, but it will require trial-and-error during voluntary September workouts, training camp practices, preseason exhibitions and maybe the early stages of the regular season to know for sure. Unseld has an educated guess that Beal and Porziņģis will play off each other well, but the coach cannot know with more certainty until the preseason. On the minus side, combo guard Bradley Beal and big man Kristaps Porziņģis, Washington’s two most important players, did not play a single minute together last season, because Beal suffered a season-ending injury before Porziņģis joined the team.

#WASHINGTON WIZARDS ROSTER DEPTH CHART PLUS#

On the plus side, he already has an expert’s feel for the Wizards’ returning players and the two incoming players he helped coach in Denver, point guard Monté Morris and swingman Will Barton. Studying the past will take Unseld only so far.

Washington wizards roster depth chart