In 2010, the Wizards found their cornerstone point guard in Kentucky. Two years later, the Wizards may be headed back to the Bluegrass State when the NBA Draft comes around again, and there could be more than one option for the taking. Here’s how the best of the Wildcats could fit:
Anthony Davis, 6-foot-10, PF » With every game he plays, it’s becoming clearer that the 18-year-old Davis (14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 blocks per game) is likely to be the consensus No. 1 pick just as Wall was in 2010. Except this time there’s no Evan Turner as a clear No. 2.
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Should they claim a second lottery victory in three seasons, the Wizards won’t be able to resist Davis, a long, tough and defensive-minded power forward who rebounds and could provide added force next to JaVale McGee (if he stays for a reasonable price), making the paint a terrifying place for opponents.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6-7, SF ?» If the Wizards wind up picking second overall, that could bring the biggest debate of the draft: Take the 18-year-old Kidd-Gilchrist or North Carolina sophomore Harrison Barnes, the top two wing players expected to be available.
Barnes is the better shooter and scorer, averaging 17.3 points per game through Tuesday and shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. Filling that need, especially on the perimeter, is arguably the Wizards’ highest priority, given John Wall’s limitations from long range and Jan Vesely’s limitations shooting, period.
Kidd-Gilchrist (12.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg) shoots just 29 percent from beyond the arc, but he makes the Wildcats go with everything else he does on the floor and has the intangible traits that have helped make Kentucky the best team in college basketball. He would make the Wizards better, too.
Terrence Jones, 6-8, PF » The 20-year-old Jones epitomizes the dilemma that middle to late lottery teams will face in a draft that is deep but still full of risks. A sophomore who could have been a top-10 pick in 2011, Jones is skilled and versatile but also has tendencies that betray an attitude and lack of maturity that could prevent him from developing at the next level. Players like that need to be avoided by the Wizards at all costs.
– Craig Stouffer
