Mo Wagner has started his 2020 campaign averaging 13 points and 6 boards in just 18 mpg. He’s shooting 47.8% from three and is 9th in the NBA in True Shooting % (amongst players playing 10+ mpg) at 73.2%. Opponents are shooting 20% worse than expected against him at the rim. The Wiz are blitzing opponents for 113 points per 100 while he’s on the court, while holding them to just 97.2 points. Not enough? He’s drawn 11 offensive fouls in 10 games. The next closest is Montrezl Harrell, with only 9 in 13 games. He’s on pace to shatter Ilyasova’s league-leading 49 fouls drawn from last year. In short, he’s been dominant during his limited run.

On the flipside, the Wizards’ other young big man has taken somewhat of a step back. While anyone could’ve told you that Thomas Bryant’s insane efficiency from last year wouldn’t hold up under increased touches and pressure, it’s other areas that are cause for concern. Bryant has a team worst -30 net rating. Opponents are shooting 1.2% worse than expected against him at the rim, a mediocre, but passable mark for a big man. The real issue lies in the frequency of those shots. Opposing teams shoot far more of their shots in the paint with Bryant on the floor than with him off.

What does it mean?

This isn’t to suggest that all the blame falls on TB. The Wizards are, unbelievably, playing a 2-3 zone most of the time he’s on the court. He’s had to deal with IT damp, 1-ply toilet paper-level defense, and the season is still young, defensive FG% tends to balance out as sample sizes grow. I’m not suggesting giving up on Bryant or anything of that sort. But the truth is Mo Wagner has been a vastly better player this year. He’s slightly younger than Bryant. While I expect TB to become a serviceable 3-pt shooter throughout his career, Wagner’s shooting is here, real, and sustained. You could argue this hot stretch is an anomaly, but over his last 400~ attempts (NBA, G-League, NCAA) he’s shooting 37.5%. Mo is comfortable putting the ball on the ground and scoring on his own. Look at him take Jakob Poetl, a strong defensive player, off the dribble in isolation and finish with a baby hook. That’s the kind of move and confidence off the dribble TB simply doesn’t have right now.

The Wiz have played less than 1% of their minutes without Wagner or Bryant on the floor. However, Mo is playing 10 less minutes than TB. Playing time is earned, and while the Wiz are obviously retooling this year, it’d be silly not to give more minutes to a promising young player who’s shown the ability to elevate his team. I’d like to see a 50-50 split at the center position going forward. Having two starter caliber centers who can’t play together is a roster inefficiency long-term, so the Wiz should gather all the data they can on their two options going forward. I love Bryant and his game as much as the next guy but playing time is earned. When your starting center has the worst plus-minus on the team and your backup has the best, it’s time to re-evaluate.

P.S. Let’s get some Bertans action in the starting lineup too. I’ll be patiently waiting on a Wagner/Bertans/Rui/Beal/TBJ lineup