Dec 21, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Washington Wizards small forward Jan Vesely (24) after the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Pistons won 100-68. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Ever since Jan Vesely was selected sixth overall by the Washington Wizards in 2011, there hasn’t been much fanfare surrounding the pick most NBA pundits considered a gamble. Vesely is entering his final season of his contract with the Wizards, and management will have to decide on his potential future with the team later this month.

In the grand scheme of things, Vesely was taken sixth overall because he has the tools to flourish along side John Wall, who the team considers their franchise player. Washington has been trying to implement a transition offense which caters to Wall’s capabilities, and Vesely’s athleticism and ability to run the floor fit seamlessly within the offense. Unfortunately, Vesely’s inability to do anything other than run the floor has been exposed by the rest of the league, leaving the Wizards with a player who lacks confidence, is often underutilized, and clearly isn’t ready for the drastic increase in competition.

Luckily for the Wizards, Jan Vesely had an entire summer and NBA offseason to recuperate, starting with the summer league where he was able to blossom. His confidence carried over the the EuroBasket, where Vesely averaged nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds per game, displaying the reason why Washington’s front office chose him with their lottery pick three seasons ago.

I just forgot about last season and tried to focus on my work and enjoy basketball,” said Vesely, who averaged just 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 2012-13. “I had a long summer before the EuroBasket. I enjoyed playing there. Finally, I just enjoyed basketball again.

-via CSN Washington

Now that he’s finally gotten over some of the mental obstacles that have held him back, could he finally turn into a productive NBA player? With Emeka Okafor out indefinitely, Jan Vesely will certainly get the opportunity to showcase his improvement to Washington’s coaching staff. He’s entering his third season in the NBA, and there aren’t any more excuses heading into the season. For Vesely, this season is all about proving to the league that he deserves to remain in the NBA as a productive rotation player.

The deadline for the Wizards to pick up his team option for next season is October 31st, so we’ll just to see if Washington’s brass have seen enough improvement out of Vesely this offseason to give him another guaranteed season.

Do you think the Wizards should pick up Jan Vesely’s option by October 31st? Let me know in the comment section.