Unlucky Washington Wizards To Select 9th In Upcoming NBA Draft

For the second year in a row, the Washington Wizards will have the ninth pick in the NBA Draft. 

Unlike last year, however, when the team had the sixth-best lottery odds and slipped to No. 9, Washington had the ninth-best odds this year and remained there. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets ended up in the top three spots, respectively. 

The Hornets landing in the top three is particularly notable because the Wizards, by virtue of going 1-7 during the NBA’s restart games in the Orlando bubble, dropped below Charlotte in the Eastern Conference standings. Washington had the eighth-worst record and would have had the eighth-best lottery odds during a normal year. But per the terms of the NBA’s restart, the Wizards were locked into the ninth-best odds. 

Charlotte, meanwhile, had the eighth-best odds in the lottery and vaulted into the top three, taking advantage of the positioning the Wizards would have had under normal circumstances. The Hornets had a 19% chance of landing in the top three, while Washington had a 14.5% chance. 

The Wizards had better than a 50% chance of selecting in the No. 9 spot, and in that respect, the lottery remained true. 

So while the Wizards were unlucky regarding Charlotte’s ascent into the top of the lottery, the good news is that Washington proved last year that it can scout and find talent near the back end of the lottery.

The Wizards selected Gonzaga rookie Rui Hachimura in the ninth spot last year, and he ended up averaging 13.5 points per game (tied for fifth among rookies) and 6.1 rebounds (second among rookies). He was 10th in his rookie class in win shares (1.8). 

Washington’s positioning in the lottery likely takes them out of the running for top prospects Anthony Edwards (Georgia), James Wiseman (Memphis) and LaMelo Ball (Australia). Other coveted prospects such as Obi Toppin of Dayton, Isaac Okoro of Auburn, Deni Avdija of Israel and Onyeka Okongwu of Southern California may also be out of reach, but picking ninth does not mean the Wizards won’t be able to find value. 

Going into the draft, Washington will have plenty of needs to fill. The Wizards went 25-47 for a reason. 

Despite the brief flashes of progress from Thomas Bryant, who received a three-year, $25 million contract last offseason, Washington would be well-served to find a young center who offers more on both offense and defense. A player who offers rim protection and a wider variety of offensive post moves would be a boon to the Wizards on both ends. 

If an interior player is not available, the Wizards would be wise to prioritize perimeter defense and scoring. Hachimura, for all of his length, still needs to improve as a defender, and he only shot 28.7% (25 of 87) from 3-point range this season. Further, Washington may lose sharpshooting forward Dāvis Bertāns to free agency.

Washington may look for a small forward to provide another scoring threat who can also defend. 

The team has a little under two months to scout and deliberate. The NBA Draft is scheduled for Oct. 16. 

Salary info and statistics via basketball-reference.com.