Wizards Notes: Avdija, Beal, Young Players, Bench, Mediocrity
Deni Avdija earned the nod to start at small forward for the Wizards in their season opener at Indiana, notes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. As Hughes writes, the news is somewhat surprising because Avdija suffered a groin injury last month playing for Israel during EuroBasket, causing him to miss all four of the Wizards’ preseason games.
The 6’9″ Avdija provides more size to balance the small backcourt of Monte Morris and Bradley Beal and is a much better defender than Will Barton, which gave him a leg up for the starting job, per Hughes.
Unfortunately, the third-year forward suffered a sprained right ankle during the contest, but X-rays were negative and it’s considered to be “nothing serious,” a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Wizards officially listed him as questionable to return, with Anthony Gill starting in his place at halftime, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter links).
2022/23 is a big season for Avdija, as he’s eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer after the Wizards exercised their fourth-year team option on his rookie contract for ’23/24. The 21-year-old former ninth overall pick averaged 7.6 points and 5.1 rebounds over his first two NBA seasons.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- In an exclusive, in-depth interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Beal said winning is his primary focus going forward. “I’ve been an All-Star, I’ve been an All-NBA guy, I’ve scored 30-plus points in back-to-back years,” he said. “What individual goals am I really after, right? Those would be great. Those come with winning. It doesn’t make sense to score 30 a game and get snubbed to be an All-Star because you’re not winning. So if we win games, those little accolades take care of themselves. But I just want to win. I want to be able to get my team to the playoffs, win a series, get to the next series, win a series, get to the conference finals, win that series, get to the finals and hopefully win that.”
- Beal also recently shared his thoughts on the team’s young players, Hughes writes in another story for NBC Sports Washington. The star guard was particularly pleased with forward Rui Hachimura, who will be a restricted free agent in 2023 after failing to reach a rookie scale extension. “Rui’s been spectacular all preseason and all summer. I think the work that he’s put in is starting to really show pretty often,” Beal said.
- The Wizards’ second unit has real upside in ’22/23, according to Hughes. Headlined by Barton, Hachimura, Delon Wright and Daniel Gafford, the bench combined to score 43 points in the 114-107 victory over the Pacers.
- Can the Wizards break out of their cycle of mediocrity? Wallace ponders that question in a piece for The Washington Post, noting that the team has drafted between ninth and 15th since 2018, which is arguably the worst place to be in the NBA — not bad enough to land a top pick, but not good enough to be relevant.
Wizards Notes: Avdija, Kuzma, Porzingis, Carey
Wizards forward Deni Avdija, who has been dealing with a left groin strain this fall, played 5-on-5 on Thursday for the first time since training camp began, tweets Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes, Avdija told reporters earlier this week that he was taking painkillers to deal with the injury while playing for the Israeli national team in August and September.
“It was just something that popped up this summer. I played on pills with the national team to kill the pain,” Avdija said. “At the end of the (EuroLeague tournament), I was barely walking. So, I knew coming into the season, it was kind of frustrating for me after the good summer that I had, taking some backsteps, but it is what it is. I’m here now.”
As Avdija goes through the ramp-up process and attempts to work his way back into game shape, here are a few more notes on the Wizards:
- In another story for NBC Sports Washington, Hughes takes a closer look at the Kyle Kuzma‘s role for 2022/23 as the veteran forward adjusts to playing alongside Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. While it may take some time to establish chemistry, Kuzma’s wide-ranging skill set should help him coexist with Washington’s stars, says Hughes.
- Porzingis (ankle) will sit out the Wizards’ preseason finale on Friday, but his absence is considered precautionary and he expects to be ready to go for next week’s regular season opener, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
- Wizards big man Vernon Carey entered the NBA’s concussion protocol on Thursday after being involved in a minor traffic accident, the team announced (via Twitter). Carey is considered day-to-day.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic thinks the Wizards are capable of finishing with a top-10 offense this season, but will struggle on defense due to a “glaring lack of perimeter stoppers.” He projects a 38-44 record and the No. 11 seed in the East.
Wizards Notes: Kispert, Beal, Davis, Rotation, Gortat
Wizards swingman Corey Kispert is out for four-to-six weeks with an ankle sprain, but he’s looking at the silver lining, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Kispert is grateful that the injury didn’t happen during a playoff push.
“Well, it’s not going to last forever, right? In the grand scheme of things, a sprained ankle is not the end of the world,” he said. “It’s been a tough last couple of days. Getting out of bed and moving around has been difficult, but I know I’ll be back sooner rather than later. Thankfully I’m not missing important games down the stretch. The preseason is important, but if I were to choose a time to miss, it’d be now.”
We have more from the Wizards:
- Bradley Beal has always stayed loyal to the organization but he admitted on JJ Redick’s podcast (hat tip to Alex Kennedy of Basketball News) that he has pondered a trade request in the past. “I definitely gave it some thought; I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” he said. However, Beal also saw the flip side that the team acquiring him would have to give up important pieces to land him.
- With Kispert sidelined, lottery pick Johnny Davis could see some significant early action, Hughes notes, though the rookie is dealing with a minor knee injury. “That’s why the team has guys like me on the bench, to be able to step up,” Davis said.
- On that subject, Josh Robbins of The Athletic examines how the rotation will shake out in light of Kispert’s injury. He doesn’t see Davis getting a lot of playing time, predicting that Beal will play around 36 minutes and Will Barton will eat up a majority of the minutes at small forward with Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija getting steady playing time off the bench.
- Retired center Marcin Gortat has been helping out at camp as a temporary assistant coach. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. hinted he’d like Gortat to stick around beyond training camp if Gortat wants to make the time commitment, according to Hughes. “As long as he wants to stay, I love it,” Unseld said.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, M. Williams, Fultz, Krejci, Korver
Josh Robbins of The Athletic takes a look at the Wizards‘ projected depth chart and rotation, predicting that former Nuggets Monte Morris and Will Barton will join Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis in the starting five to open the season.
Assuming Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. decides to roll with a 10-man rotation to open the season, Robbins projects Delon Wright, Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, and Daniel Gafford to be part of the second unit, with either Corey Kispert or Johnny Davis slotting into the second backcourt spot.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Longtime Hornets forward Marvin Williams has rejoined the franchise in a basketball operations role, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. In his new position, Williams will assist with player programs and with player development off the court, according to Boone.
- Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel spoke to Dr. David Lee, a local orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon, to get a sense of how long it might take Magic point guard Markelle Fultz to return from a fractured toe. Lee estimated that Fultz could potentially return to Orlando’s lineup in about four to eight weeks, which would be anywhere from mid-October to mid-November. However, the team hasn’t provided a specific recovery timeline.
- Hawks head coach Nate McMillan liked what he saw from newly added guard Vit Krejci in the 22-year-old’s first practice with the team on Thursday. “He knows how to play,” McMillan said, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). “I think he has a high basketball IQ. We put him right out there. It was good to see him be available to play and practice with our guys today. So that was exciting.”
- Although Kyle Korver is technically part of the Hawks‘ front office and not the coaching staff, he has been working with players – including Clint Capela and Jalen Johnson – on their shooting during training camp, as Williams writes in a full story for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required). “I’ve worked with him quite a few times actually,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “Kyle has helped me make a few adjustments in my shot. You know, having him around has helped a lot. He’s been helping a lot of these guys, giving them pointers and things they can work on, so it’s good.”
Eastern Notes: Avdija, Wizards, Hill, Middleton, Hornets
The Wizards are taking a cautious approach with Deni Avdija‘s groin injury, which he suffered during EuroBasket 2022, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Before ramping him up, Washington wants to make sure he’s fully healed. Avdija didn’t participate in competitive portions of the the team’s first training camp practice on Saturday.
The 21-year-old could receive a big role in the Wizards’ rotation this season, as he averaged 8.4 points and played all 82 games in 2022/23. He was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Bucks veteran George Hill seriously contemplated retirement this offseason, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. Instead, Hill decided to return to Milwaukee, committing to play his 15th NBA season. “I do owe the city a better George than last year,” he said. Given that he’s 36 years old and already considered it this offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hill retires at the end of the 2022/23 season.
- The Bucks are hoping to get star swingman Khris Middleton back early in their season, general manager Jon Horst said, as relayed by Lily Zhao of FOX6 (Twitter link). The 31-year-old, who underwent surgery in August to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, is doing well in his recovery, Horst added. Middleton is coming off his third straight season of averaging more than 20 points, having put up 20.1 points per contest on 44% shooting last year.
- Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer examines five questions for the Hornets ahead of the preseason. Among the questions is what will happen to Miles Bridges, who remains a restricted free agent after being arrested for felony domestic violence back in June.
Wizards Notes: Porzingis, Davis, Avdija, Kuzma
Kristaps Porzingis has a new look as he starts his first training camp with the Wizards, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. The veteran big man lost seven pounds during the offseason in an effort to become more mobile and more durable. Injuries limited him to 51 games last season, and he hasn’t played in more than 57 since tearing his ACL in 2018.
Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said Porzingis will begin the season without the restrictions he had after being acquired from Dallas at the trade deadline. That means no more cap on his minutes and no more holding him out of back-to-back games. Porzingis believes he can return to elite status if he stays healthy, and he cited an ESPN story ranking him as the 86th-best player in the league as a sign of disrespect.
“Especially this year, I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder because of the ESPN rank, the this, that, it’s kind of — okay,” he said. “I use it as gasoline, as energy. I’m looking forward to reminding everybody what I can do on both ends of the floor.”
There’s more from Washington, D.C.:
- Johnny Davis is eager to bounce back from a disappointing Summer League performance, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 10th pick in this year’s draft is expected to contend for playing time with the team’s second unit. He suffered a minor back injury in Las Vegas, but team president Tommy Sheppard confirmed this week that Davis is 100% heading into camp. “He got back into the lab and got healthy,” Sheppard said. “He struggled a little bit at the Summer League with some back stuff. When the players got together in L.A., I think everybody saw what we saw all season from him as a player in college.”
- Second-year forward Deni Avdija is dealing with a groin injury he suffered while playing for Israel this summer, Hughes adds in a separate story. “I feel like the doctors and the trainers will do the best they can to get me healthy as fast as possible and get me on the court,” said Avdija, who considers the injury to be minor. “But for now, I trust them and I trust the organization. We’ll see.”
- In another piece, Hughes notes that the Wizards’ offseason moves including trading for Kyle Kuzma‘s childhood friend, Monte Morris, and signing his former college teammate, Delon Wright.
Wizards Pick Up 2023/24 Options For Avdija, Kispert
The Wizards have picked up their 2023/24 team options for Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert, both of whom are on their rookie scale contracts, according to Josh Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
As Robbins notes, exercising the options was a mere formality, since both players were pretty high picks and have been fairly productive. The ’23/24 season will be the fourth and final season of Avdija’s rookie deal, and the third season of Kispert’s.
Avdija, 21, was the No. 9 overall pick of the 2020 draft out of Israel. While his offense has been up-and-down, he’s shown to be a solid, versatile defender, especially last season. He appeared in all 82 games (24.2 MPG) during his second season in ’21/22, averaging 8.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 2.0 APG on .432/.317/.757 shooting. His ’23/24 option is worth $6,263,188.
Kispert, 23, was the No. 15 overall pick of last year’s draft after four years at Gonzaga. Known as a strong shooter, Kispert struggled to adjust to the NBA as a rookie for the first several months until he found his rhythm after the All-Star break. Overall, he averaged 8.2 PPG and 2.7 RPG on .455/.350/.871 shooting in 77 games (36 starts, 23.4 MPG). He’ll earn $3,722,040 in ’23/24.
The Wizards have a full 20-man roster entering training camp, including 15 players with fully guaranteed standard contracts, though they do have one two-way slot open at the moment.
Wizards Notes: Kuzma, Barton, Point Guards
Returning to the playoffs will be the number one objective for the Wizards this season, Kyle Kuzma told Mike DeStefano of Complex. The team has been stockpiling young players recently, including No. 10 pick Johnny Davis in this year’s draft. Although there’s plenty of talent on hand, Washington regressed in Wes Unseld Jr.‘s first year as head coach, falling to 35-47 after reaching the postseason the year before.
“It’s all about getting to the playoffs. That’s my mindset,” Kuzma said. “The NBA’s always better when you can win. We probably had one of the more talented teams that Wizard fans and the DMV’s (DC, Maryland and Virginia) seen in recent years and we have to figure it out, take that leap, and start playing winning basketball. That’s the most important thing that we have to do.”
Kuzma’s interview took place at New York Fashion Week and focuses mainly on clothing, including some of his more memorable outfits. He also talks about his favorite throwback jerseys, including the Wizards’ versions from the Michael Jordan era.
There’s more from Washington, D.C.:
- The Wizards’ starting lineup appears mostly set with training camp getting underway next weekend, but there will be a competition to determine who starts at small forward, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Hughes says Will Barton, who was acquired from the Nuggets in an offseason trade, appears to be the favorite, citing his experience and his familiarity with Unseld from their time together in Denver. Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Rui Hachimura and maybe even Davis will also be in the mix.
- Newly acquired Monte Morris and Delon Wright will be the only two veteran point guards in camp, Hughes adds in the same story. General manager Tommy Sheppard said Bradley Beal and Davis may see some time at the position, and Davion Mintz could be used there if he makes the roster.
- The Wizards haven’t posted a winning record in five seasons, but they also haven’t fully bottomed out and tried to rebuild, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. He credits that decision to owner Ted Leonsis, who proclaimed nearly four years ago that the organization would never tank. Robbins believes the Wizards missed an opportunity by not trading Beal when his value was at its highest.
More Than 30 NBA Players On Track To Suit Up For EuroBasket
The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.
EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.
The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.
It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.
Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Croatia
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz)
- Dario Saric (Suns)
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
- Czech Republic
- Vit Krejci (Thunder)
- Finland
- Lauri Markkanen (Cavaliers)
- France
- Evan Fournier (Knicks)
- Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves)
- Theo Maledon (Thunder)
- Georgia
- Goga Bitadze (Pacers)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili (Bucks)
- Germany
- Daniel Theis (Pacers)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
- Greece
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Tyler Dorsey (Mavericks)
- Israel
- Deni Avdija (Wizards)
- Italy
- Simone Fontecchio (Jazz)
- Danilo Gallinari (Celtics)
- Lithuania
- Domantas Sabonis (Kings)
- Jonas Valanciunas (Pelicans)
- Montenegro
- Marko Simonovic (Bulls)
- Serbia
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Slovenia
- Vlatko Cancar (Nuggets)
- Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Goran Dragic (Bulls)
- Spain
- Usman Garuba (Rockets)
- Juancho Hernangomez (Raptors)
- Willy Hernangomez (Pelicans)
- Turkey
- Furkan Korkmaz (Sixers)
- Cedi Osman (Cavaliers)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Ukraine
- Alex Len (Kings)
- Svi Mykhailiuk (Raptors)
There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.
A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.
Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.
Eastern Notes: Boeheim, Marks, Avdija, Hunter
Rookie Buddy Boeheim is on a two-way contract with the Pistons and the undrafted guard is eager to prove he belongs at this level, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News writes. “I think (proving people wrong) has always been one of my bigger motivations,” Boeheim said. “I’ve always been doubted and just been ‘the coach’s son’ and ‘Jim Boeheim’s son’ and you know, ‘I’m on the team because of (his father)’ or whatever it is.” He averaged 7.0 PPG in 19.5 MPG during five Summer League contests.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- Howard University has hired Daniel Marks away from the Bucks’ front office to become the school’s chief program strategist, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Marks, who was part of Milwaukee’s scouting department, will head up the school’s NIL program and deal with the transfer portal, among other responsibilities.
- Deni Avdija has become a dogged defender for the Wizards, but his long-term future in the league hinges on improving his shooting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Avdija has only made 31.6% of his 3-point tries during his first two seasons. Robbins polled several anonymous scouts to gauge the former lottery pick’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Ruth Hunter has been promoted by the Heat to the title of senior director of team development, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. She will be involved with player programs, analytics and basketball operations and report to GM Andy Elisburg. Hunter was added to the Heat’s basketball operations department last offseason while also remaining a broadcaster.