Washington Wizards: Josh Harrellson Hoping To Earn Spot On Roster With No Spot To Earn by Ben Mehic

As I’ve said in the past, NBA teams are separated by two things: talent and health. The Washington Wizards have a lot of the former, but unfortunately, they haven’t been able to stay as healthy as they would like.

After having success with an up-tempo offense in the NBA Playoffs, Ernie Grunfeld acquired numerous wing players this summer in order to give Randy Wittman more versatile options.

Unfortunately, Jared Dudley and Alan Anderson — two of the Washington Wizards’ important acquisitions — have yet to play for the team.

Dudley, who underwent back surgery in the off-season, is expected to make his debut for the team soon.

Of course, after not having played basketball for months, it’s important to get back into game-shape and find a rhythm before returning to the court. However, all signs point to the veteran forward being ready for opening night later this month.

Anderson had bone spurs removed from his left ankle in the off-season, but unlike Dudley, the news on him hasn’t been very positive.

While his procedure wasn’t considered serious, Anderson missed all of training camp and hasn’t played in preseason. His scoring ability and veteran leadership was supposed to make him a key part of Wittman’s rotation this season, but he hasn’t been able to get on the court.

Today, CSN Washington’s Chris Miller revealed that Anderson underwent another ankle procedure today — one that might set him back even more than expected:

Alan Anderson had surgery today to remove a small bony fragment in his left ankle. No timetable for a return. #WizardsTalk — Chris Miller (@cmillscsn) October 13, 2015

On paper, the Washington Wizards have plenty of wing depth.

Otto Porter is the starting small forward, Dudley will come off the bench, Anderson will be an option, Martell Webster is looking to bounce back and Kelly Oubre is available as well. Sadly, three of the players mentioned have missed significant time.

Dudley will return soon, but needs to get into shape before debuting. Webster is dealing with a hip issue and hasn’t played during preseason. Anderson is obviously out and I wouldn’t expect him to return anytime soon.

Washington wasn’t expecting to rely on Oubre, but this setback might force Wittman to play the rookie. He hasn’t looked ready during preseason, but things will eventually slow down for the 19-year-old. Oubre won’t be asked to do much, but he still has the tools to challenge some of the veterans for playing time.

Washington went from having one of the deepest wing rotations in the league to having a ton of question marks surrounding the depth. Wittman might have to play three guards together after all. I wasn’t expecting to see a ton of John Wall, Ramon Sessions and Bradley Beal lineups, but we might see that at the beginning of the season.

Anderson is everything the Washington Wizards need from a sixth man, so it’s unfortunate that he won’t contribute at the start of the season. Let’s just hope he recovers well and doesn’t have another setback. Anderson is a valuable player and the Wizards are going to need him.