The Wizards finished 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 32-50 record, their worst season since 2013

John Wall has been out since December 2018 when he suffered a left heel injury. In February 2019 he ruptured his right Achilles tendon and will likely miss the entire 2019-20 season

Thomas Bryant and Bradley Beal will be coming off career best seasons

Japanese Rui Hachimura was drafted 9th overall in the 2019 NBA draft

The Squad

Without John Wall, Bradley Beal is the obvious star for Washington and has since become their most reliable player and scorer. He averaged over 25 points a game last season, a career high. If the Wizards are to have any hope of becoming better than mediocre in 2019-20 they’ll need Beal to earn a third consecutive All-Star appearance.

Former Piston Ish Smith and former Celtic Isaiah Thomas were both signed in the off-season and will battle it out for the starting point guard position. Thomas averaged 20+ points and close to 6 assists per game at Boston before a run of injuries. Washington will be hoping he can replicate his Celtic days.

Wizards’ 2018 first round pick Troy Brown Jr. will likely line up as the starting small forward. He saw limited opportunities last year averaging just under 5-points per game and 14 minutes, and the expected increase in his playing time should present more opportunities for him on the offensive end. The Wizards selected Rui Hachimura with the ninth pick of the 2019 draft and will slot in as starter at power forward.

In the 2018 off-season the Wizards picked up Thomas Bryant off waivers and he was a highlight in a rather lackluster season. As starting centre for most of the season and averaging close to 21 minutes per game, he had outputs of 10.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. He’s since been rewarded with a 3-year, $25 million dollar deal and may become a double-double player if the Wizards give him more game time.

There isn’t too much that can be expected of the Wizards roster this year but the high upside of their player acquisitions during the off-season sets up the foundation for John Wall’s return and an exciting high risk, high reward scenario.

Likely Wizards’ starting lineup for the 2019-20 season.



Rui Hachimura

The 6′8″ power forward out of Gonzaga was chosen to fill a positional need at the Wizards and should slot straight into the starting line-up at power forward. He’ll add scoring and speed offensively however it’s yet to be seen whether he can add to the Wizard’s major weaknesses on the defensive end and in rebounding.

Despite his big size, he’s quick up and down the court and will be an effective scorer in transition. His athleticism and versatility to guard at multiple positions will likely make him an important asset for the Wizards. What’s perhaps more exciting is that Hachimura has one of the highest ceilings in the NBA out of all rookies and may be a dark horse for Rookie of the Year. That’s pending something catastrophic happening to Zion Williamson.

Rui only started playing organised basketball when he was 14, and seven years later finds himself playing against the big boys in the NBA. In a season where Beal may possibly be traded, the Wizards could end up tanking the season and palce even more reliance on the Japanese international. The sky’s the limit in the potential of Hachimura and it’ll be something for Wizard fans to keep occupied with while we await the return of John Wall.