The Wizards went big — with Marcin Gortat and Nene up front — and stayed that way most of the NBA season. Then come the playoffs, coach Randy Wittman finally broke out a small ball lineup with Paul Pierce at the four for long stretches, and it got the Wizards to the second round.

Pierce is now a Clipper, but the playoffs saw the emergence of Otto Porter as his ready replacement — he averaged 10 points a game, shot 37 percent from three and was making plays.

Is Porter ready to step into Pierce’s role as a stretch four? “Definitely,” he told Tom Byrne and Vinny Del Negro on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“Definitely, because that’s who the NBA is transitioning, you know, to smaller lineups. So being able to stretch out as a four is going to be key, and that is something with our coaching we might end up doing. It’s definitely something I’ll be comfortable with.”

He better be, it will be one of the keys to Washington’s season. The Wizards are going to start games big still, but there will be more small ball with Porter and just signed Jared Dudley at the four. Wittman is not going to sit on this lineup all season.

Elsewhere in the interview, Washington entering the season with high expectations. They believe they are a team ready to challenge Cleveland atop the conference.

Porter also said John Wall and Bradley Beal are the best backcourt in NBA. What else was he going to say? It is certainly near the top, although that duo out in Golden State has some hardware that backs up their case nicely.