What the Washington Wizards most need in the NBA draft will be long gone before their 16th pick.
Greg Oden lasts five minutes into the draft. Chinese center Yi Jianlan is gone by No. 7. Spencer Hawes might last to 10th while maybe, just maybe, Thaddeus Young is available when the Wizards pick 16th in Thursday’s NBA draft.
Unfortunately, Washington is caught in the “best player available” trap. The land of hoping to find an impact player, but in reality praying for long-term help.
“I don’t think you can get anybody at 16 who’s going to help you right away,” said Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld Tuesday.
Washington blew its chance for an impact player in 2001 when Michael Jordan showed just how bad a front office exec he was by taking Kwame Brown with the No. 1 selection. That pick could have set up the Wizards for a decade. Instead, it continues to haunt them as the biggest bust of a generation.
Washington needs a Rick Mahorn, their 1980 second-rounder who manhandled opponents in the middle. The Wizards are a donut — great on the outside but nothing inside. They just need a big man to truly contend, but it would take trading Gilbert Arenas to get into the top six to gain the center and then the Wizards would hurt outside.
Grunfeld has everyone guessing on his pick because the Wizards could go guard or forward. A dozen mock drafts rarely agree on the choice. It could be shooting guard Rudy Fernandez from Spain or Colorado State forward Jason Smith. The second-rounder varies from power forward Ali Traore of France to Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray.
My guess is Georgia Tech forward Thaddeus Young given Jarvis Hayes has been a disappointment and Antawn Jamison is a 2008 free agent. They need another big man in the rotation, though last year’s top selection Oleksiy Pecherov should make the team this season.
Young is a project pick, which is all the Wizards can do when picking in the middle of the draft again. They fell into that same malaise in the ’80s when just mediocre enough to not stink, but not bad enough to get many high picks. This could be another year of a Harvey Grant or John Williams — decent big men that couldn’t elevate the team.
The best move might come in the second round when Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry may be available with the 47th pick. The Wizards have a history of taking former Terrapins with Steve Blake in 2003 and Juan Dixon the year before not to mention Len Elmore in 1974, though he bolted for the ABA, and Will Hetzel in 1970.
Strawberry is more than a gate attraction — he’s a rare defensive specialist who can play both guard slots. There’s nothing wrong with getting a second-rounder who can provide shutdown defense in short spurts.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
