The Washington Wizards have tried several different starting lineups to this point of the season.
Between the decision to leave Bub Carrington out of the starting lineup in favor of Bilal Coulibaly and the opening spot for Trey Johnson at center, Washington has tried its hand at finding a winning formula early in this trying season.
Head coach Brian Keefe was forced to look in a different direction last Saturday against the Chicago Bulls as injuries began to pile up, and the decision he made may be the only decision that benefits the Wizards the most in an unexpected way.
Corey Kispert impressed in his first start of the season
Corey Kispert heard his number called over the weekend to earn a spot in the starting lineup for the Wizards during the team’s matchup against the Bulls in the Windy City.
The former first-round pick has started 103 games for Washington during his five years in the DMV, but his start against the Wizards on Saturday was the first for the sharpshooter this year.
In the beginning, Kispert not only impressed, but he recorded the most minutes of any player on the roster in the team’s one-point loss.
With 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, shooting 70% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc, the Gonzaga product turned back the clock, showing off the potential of his versatility and why Washington took a swing at him in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Despite Kispert’s stellar performance, his impact on the Wizards will not help the team in the way fans are hoping.
Before his 20-point performance, Wing was going through arguably the worst season of his career.
Averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists, Kispert regressed early in the season and his value on the trade market dropped to an all-time low.
At 26 years old, it has become clear that Kispert is unlikely to stick around long-term and given the Wizards made him a team-friendly deal before last season, Washington could use his contract as a solid trade chip given his age, impact and friendly deal.
However, his poor play put the team in a difficult position as his value began to fall,
Thankfully, his declining value may be changing after his best postseason performance and if that’s the case, Washington should have plenty of suitors willing to take on Kispert’s deal, giving them financial flexibility and perhaps additional draft compensation and/or young players.
Only time will tell, but things are going well for now.
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