How the Washington Wizards Can Become Contenders in the East

The Washington Wizards were a few games away from making it back to the NBA Playoffs in the 2015-16 season. Can they do so this season?

Shooting guard Bradley Beal missed 27 games due to a stress reaction in his leg. Behind him, there wasn’t much depth. The same could be said about some of the other positions, except for small forward. What will they do to change the outlook of the 16-17 season?

I’ll preface the excitement by saying this, Ernie Grunfeld is still the Wizards’ general manager. I have already profiled the many bad moves that he has made, including very recent ones. His lack of precision has cost the Wizards a great deal of time in the playoffs. It has also hindered the fans’ outlook on this team’s potential (which they have a lot of). This is just what could be, if Grunfeld gets his head together.

The Wizards could make a return to playoff-caliber basketball with the addition of a few more pieces in the frontcourt and depth at the guard position. First things first, they could add a big man like Hassan Whiteside on the floor. Marcin Gortat already occupies the center position, but he is 32-years old. That is up there for a big man, even though Gortat put together another solid season.

One way to combat this is to move Gortat in a trade. The Golden State Warriors have a litany of guards that come off of the bench. Maybe they could have a reunion with Shaun Livingston, who was a serviceable backup for the Wizards in the past. Most likely, GSW would send a pick as well.

This is a good trade for both teams because of Gortat’s ability as a rim defender and the fact that he can grab rebounds. He would also be the immediate backup to often injured Andrew Bogut. Livingston could return to the Wizards as the point guard behind “The Franchise” John Wall. Also, if the Wizards sign Whiteside and put him into the fold with Beal and Wall, this team could easily be an 8th seed. That’s really shooting low considering the talent that is on the team.

Adding in the fact that this would move a considerable amount of Gortat’s salary to the Warriors would allow the Wizards to make another move besides just signing Whiteside. Of course, Beal will get signed as well, but the Wizards could also add Nic Batum. With the addition of Batum, the Wizards now can split the burden of scoring between all five men on the court. Their lineup would look like this:

PG John Wall

SG Bradley Beal

SF Nic Batum

PF Markieff Morris

C Hassan Whiteside

Apr 17, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) looks to pass the ball as Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (20) defends during the first half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

That is a very nice starting lineup for the Wizards. Also, their lineup would be extremely youthful, as their isn’t one player that is at or over the age of 30. Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre could spell either Beal or Batum, coming off of the bench. Livingston would be the immediate backup to Wall. Tomas Satoransky may also come to the states finally. He would be able to learn from Livingston and be another guard for the Washington Wizards.

Next: Time's Up for Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld

J.J Hickson should be re-signed to add depth to the center and power forward positions. Aaron White will probably make his debut in Washington as well this season. So with some smart moves and a young unit, the Wizards could be an up-an-comer in the Eastern Conference once again, provided that Grunfeld has a stroke of genius.

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