Glen Rice Jr.

Basic Stats: 2.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, .6 RPG, .29 FG% (11 games played)

Glen Rice Jr., who was acquired by the Washington Wizards from the Philadelphia 76ers in a three team deal, didn’t have much of a chance to play for the playoff bound Wizards, yet still managed to show some flashes of his potential.

Rice had some off-court issues at Georgia Tech before deciding to play in the NBA Developmental League, so I was a bit concerned that the Wizards, who just got done trading all of their locker room knuckleheads, were ready to trade for him. With that said, Rice had supposedly matured during his time in the D-League prior to entering the NBA Draft, and the Wizards didn’t have any issues with him, even after he spent the majority of his rookie season back in the NBADL.

Though Rice didn’t play much, virtually everyone on the roster, including head coach Randy Wittman, spoke very highly of his character and work ethic. His time in the D-League was well spent, as he went on to average over 24 points, 10 rebounds and nearly 3 blocks per game in three contests during a rehab stint in January.

Next Season and Improvement:

Coming into his rookie season, everyone knew that Glen Rice Jr. could score the ball, but I expected him to be a better shooter than he was. He didn’t get to play much in Washington, but when he did, he really struggled to knock down the outside shot. He made just 29% of his three point tries in the 11 games he played.

Glen Rice Jr. is not guaranteed a contract next season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s back in a Wizards uniform. At 23 years old, Rice is a very capable defender, and once he knocks down three point shots with more consistency, I think he will become a good rotation player. Washington doesn’t have much depth at the backup guard spot, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring Rice back. Summer League is right around the corner and I think we’ll see Rice suit up for Washington.

Final Grade: Incomplete/D