Every so often, he’d pop out to the top of the circle and swish a jumper. Or he’d roll the right way off a pick. Or he’d run the floor with grace, passing other big guys on the way.
It’s what the Wizards expected to see from Oleksiy Pecherov. Those are the reasons, after all, they drafted the 7-foot Ukranian forward with the 18th overall pick in the NBA Draft last Wednesday.
“He smiles when I get on him, he doesn’t talk back,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “He’s on the floor on time and he makes shots. So we can get along pretty well.”
Pecherov joined 14 other players at Verizon Center for a practice Monday in preparation for the Wizards summer league in Las Vegas. Their first game is Thursday. The team will have two-a-day practices at Verizon Center through Wednesday.
The Wizards will determine Pecherov’s immediate future once the summer leagues end. Pecherov remains undercontract with BC Kiev and would require an $800,000 buyout.
If he needs more experience, the Wizards would leave him overseas for another season.
Right now, he’s focused on learning Washington’s Princeton offense. His size and shooting ability make him a potentially good fit.
“It’s already easy to him,” Jordan said. “You have to see how people react to playing against real tough defense and guys will bang you. But so far it looks like he can pick it up. … He has a knack to create his own shot. He makes the easy pass. So far, he’s shown us that he has a good foundation.”
Pecherov noticed a difference in his first taste of the NBA.
“Guys are more athletic and run well,” he said. “I need to get used to this. … You just need to do your thing. Do what they told you and you’ll be OK. If you’re open, you take your shots. If not, give it to other person.”
