Which Wizards should be in a new, smaller rotation amid Will Dawkins’ declaration

Washington The Wizards lost 129-106 at home to the 1-11 Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, he forced the entire organization to step back and evaluate what it needs to do to be more competitive. Two days later, CEO Will Dawkins discovered the change will appear in the near future, via “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan.

“I will say that (coach Brian Keefe) is playing a lot of different players in a lot of different lineups. You’re probably going to see the 11 guys start to drop now that we’ve given some guys some opportunities,” he said. “Put people in there for the long haul, so you reduce the rotation a little bit.”

According to Dawkins, every player on Washington’s 18-man roster has seen minutes, and 11 have played in at least 11 of the 14 games so far. That number would be 12 if he is a third-year wing Bilal Coulibaly did not miss time due to injuries.

Moreover, 10 players are averaging 15 or more minutes, not including forward Justin Champagne, who has started three of his 12 appearances. The Wizards aren’t the only team experimenting with their rotations to start the season, but it’s time to make some tough decisions.

The Wizards must live up to the preseason mantra

Dawkins promised in his preseason presser that Washington’s rotation will be a meritocracy this year, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes.

“With that comes a lot of competition and I told them last year that a lot of things are given more than earned,” he said. “That can’t be the case this year and everyone here has to feel it. That’s what will sharpen the iron. Iron sharpens iron.”

The Wizards keyed their rookies last season, as Babb Carrington (30 minutes per game), center Alex Sarr (27.1) and wing Keeshon George (26.5) first, third and sixth among all rookies in average minutes, according to NBA.com. Dawkins assured that this season will be different.

“I was literally like ‘hey, these rookies got a lot of minutes (last) year, who’s taking their spots?’ That’s the mentality we have to have,” he continued.

Dawkins’ philosophy makes sense, as Washington is now making progress in rebuilding. With George, Sarah and Carrington in their second season and Koulibaly in their third, there is no need for rookies to get playing time without earning it.

Entering Friday’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors, George leads the way with 31.5 minutes per game, followed by veteran guard C.J. McCollum (29.6) and Sarr (29). Rookie running back Tre Johnson is seventh (24.6), while fellow rookies Will Riley (7.1) and Jameer Watkins (seven) are near the bottom of the list.

How should Keef arrange minutes when shortening the rotation?

Ideal Wizards rotation (at full health)

Washington’s lineup is likely to change by February’s NBA trade deadline, as there is little incentive to retain McCollum and fellow veteran Khris Middleton after that. However, here’s a rotation that would help develop the young players while keeping the older ones involved:

Starting lineup (each player gets 25-plus minutes per game):

Guard – CJ McCollum

Guard – Tre Johnson

Wing – Keeshon George

Winger – Bilal Coulibaly

Center – Alex Sar

bench:

The Sixth Man – Cam Whitmore (25 minutes)

Reserve striker – Khris Middleton (20 minutes)

Back-up – Bub Carrington (20 minutes)

Reserve Center – Marvin Begley (15 minutes)

Last Place – Rotation between Champagne, guard Corey Kispert and wing Will Riley depending on the game (about seven minutes)

This arrangement ensures that McCollum and Middleton, who make a a total of 64 million dollars this season (per Spotrac), get playing time as the organization tries to increase its trade value. Otherwise, the rotation is dominated by players in the first three seasons.

From a meritocratic perspective, Johnson has earned more playing time than Carrington thus far. Johnson is averaging 11.4 points on 43.5 percent shooting (38 percent 3-pointers) with 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while Carrington is averaging 6.1 points on 33 percent shooting (43.9 percent 3-pointers) with 3.8 rebounds and 4.61 assists in 22 minutes. Johnson also third on the team with a -12.5 net ratingwhile Carrington is next to last at -25.3, according to NBA.com.

Meanwhile, Whitmore has shown the ability to be a spark plug. The 21-year-old totaled 39 points (13-24 FG, 4-11 3-point) in 58 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons on Nov. 8 and 10, respectively, and scored in double figures in six of his 14 appearances off the bench. Combine that with a defensive rating that ranks seventh on the team (120.6), and he’s done enough to earn a sixth-man role.

With Middleton and McCollum gone, more minutes will open up for Champagne, Kispert, Riley and Watkins, as well as big man Tristan Vukcevic. Kispert is the elder statesman of that group and is the team’s third-highest paid player ($13.98 million), but is less likely to be a part of the team’s future than Whitmore or Carrington. The 26-year-old doesn’t fit the Wizards’ timeline, as he’s entering his prime while they’re still a few years away from becoming champions. Therefore, it makes no sense to give him one of the key spots on the bench in the current structure of the roster.

Ideally, meritocracy would apply to every player, but it makes more sense to apply it to those Washington wants to keep long-term. Carrington struggled, but earned second-team All-Rookie honors last season and could develop into a quality combo guard. Therefore, it would be counterproductive to completely retire the former Pittsburgh Panther from the rotation despite his regression.

In addition, the rotation is likely to be fluid, with performances and injuries changing the dynamic throughout the season. However, the above lineup gives Washington the best balance between integrating its veterans and developing a young core.