Previewing the 2022-23 Washington Wizards

September 18^th, 2022

Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis will team up to lead the Washington Wizards into the 2022-23 NBA season.
(Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Washington Wizards were able to trade for Kristaps Porzingis in a blockbuster trade around the deadline last year. However, Bradley Beal was injured, and so Beal and Porzingis weren’t actually able to play together, and the Wizards ended up missing the playoffs.

This time around, the Wizards will finally be able to pair Beal up with Porzingis on the floor, which will excite their fanbase greatly. Beal will have to shoot better than he did last year, and they will both need to stay healthy, but as long as both of them are healthy, the Wizards could contend for the playoffs. They also swung a trade to land Will Barton and Monte Morris, though they also dealt Kentavious Caldwell-Pope away, and they also drafted Johnny Davis. There’s a lot of competition out in the East, but there is now cautious optimism amongst Wizards’ nation.

Star Players:

G Bradley Beal and C Kristaps Porziņģis

Bradley Beal is a very skilled guard that has strong offensive skills. He is a very good scorer that can do so in many ways, and he also is a very good playmaker. He struggled with his three-point shot last year and was injury prone, but he has proven to be an All-Star caliber player when healthy.

Kristaps Porzingis is a very tall, skilled center that has versatile scoring skills and also excels at blocking shots. He’s struggled to stay healthy, but he’s proven to be a solid player when healthy in this league.

Additions:

G-F Will Barton, G Monte Morris, G Delon Wright, G Johnny Davis, and C Taj Gibson

The Wizards added a group of solid 3 and D wing players in Will Barton and Delon Wright, and Monte Morris is a reliable, game managing point guard that can shoot, pass, and run the team. Taj Gibson is a veteran big man that has added a three-point shot to his arsenal. Johnny Davis is an athletic wing player that has a fairly solid mid-range game, and is an aggressive defender that can rebound and block shots, but he didn’t shoot or play very well at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Subtractions:

G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, C Thomas Bryant, G Tomáš Satoranský, and G Raul Neto

The Wizards lost several notable players in the offseason, but their biggest losses were arguably Caldwell-Pope and Bryant. Bryant is a skilled, offensive minded big man that can score inside and out when healthy, and Caldwell-Pope is a veteran, 3 and D wing player that won with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers. Satoransky is an athletic swingman that also can comfortably run the point, and Raul Neto is a game managing, backup point guard.

Rookies:

G Johnny Davis

Johnny Davis had a very good sophomore season, and he is an old-school guard that can score, especially from the mid-range, as well as rebound, and defend, but there are concerns about his inconsistent three-point shot and mediocre playmaking skills, and he didn’t play very well in Summer League. The Wizards have a fairly deep bench, so it may be tough for him to get minutes right away, but over time he may see some playing time late in the season.

Expected Rotation: