Wall's future among Wizards' biggest questions going into training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
NBA training camps will open this week with preseason games just two weeks away and the regular season set to begin another week after that. It will be a quick turnaround from the draft and free agency, which took place earlier this month.
For the Wizards, there is plenty to sort out before the games tip off. Here are the five biggest questions facing them as they prepare to open camp...
1. How will the Wall situation be handled?
Before the Wizards get any real work done on the court, they will have to deal with a very big story and potential distraction right away and that is the looming trade request and rumors involving star point guard John Wall. Since Wall didn't say much about it at his charity event last week, we only have the reports and what general manager Tommy Sheppard has said about it. Sheppard downplayed the situation and spoke of Wall as part of the Wizards' future.
But we will find out just how serious Wall is about this trade request soon, as he could either not show up or make it clear he wants out while he's there. If Wall is there for the start of camp, which Sheppard seems to expect he will be, then he will face questions about the matter from the media. Unless he comes in and takes everything down a notch himself, it is going to be a prevailing storyline.
2. What will Wall look like physically?
We've known for a long time Wall would be the No. 1 story going into 2020-21 training camp, we just thought it would be for different reasons. In addition to his outstanding trade request, Wall is coming back from a nearly two-year absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. It is a very serious injury, he's now 30 years old and he's also carrying a hefty salary. How he looks will be paramount to the Wizards' future, whether they choose to keep him or not.
So far, we have only seen Wall cut it up in short, edited social media clips. My colleague Quinton Mayo has posted quite a few of them and many have been excited about the footage. But we will know much more about his health and abilities once he goes up against actual NBA players. In many of those videos, his direct competition is unrecognizable. They could be fellow pros, or maybe they played high-level Division 1 in college. Or, they could be Uber drivers and middle school science teachers who simply said 'I got next.'
3. How ready will Deni Avdija be?
The quick turnaround from the draft is going to create an unusual development timeline for rookies and in all likelihood make it more difficult for them to adjust to the league. The Wizards are bringing in first round pick, Deni Avdija, who is only 19 years old and he will not have a summer league as a stepping stone, or the months to prepare like rookies in other years have. He also happens to have a relatively raw offensive game, as evidenced by his shooting percentages in Europe.
Avdija, though, has pro experience, which could give him a leg up. He also has some unique gifts for his size, like his passing ability and his ball-handling, especially in transition. Maybe his game is more suited for the NBA, we'll see. But we should also know fairly soon whether he's going to make an early impact. If you recall, last year players like Bradley Beal raved about Rui Hachimura very quickly, including specific anecdotes from practice. Maybe Avdija will have some Rui moments.
4. How will Scott Brooks' future be addressed?
There are going to be multiple elephants in the room in this year's training camp. There is also head coach Scott Brooks who is entering the final year of his contract with the team. It probably won't end up being much of a distraction at all, because there is only so much that can be said about it at this point, but he will surely be asked about it in training camp.
Brooks will probably say it's no big deal and if any players are asked about it, they will certainly say the same. It won't be anything to harp on this early, but definitely something to keep in mind down the road depending on how the team plays.
5. Who will start at the three?
The Wizards will have one significant position battle in camp and that is who starts at the wing alongside Wall, Beal, Hachimura and Thomas Bryant. There are probably four different ways the Wizards could go, but it will depend on a competition in camp. Troy Brown Jr. and Isaac Bonga may be the favorites given their seniority and complementary skillsets. Brown would give the Wizards rebounding and ball movement, while Bonga has a lot of potential defensively.
If it's not them, that could mean Avdija had a strong camp and beat them out for the job. That would be unexpected, but there are reasons why a lot of people think he will be really good. Another darkhorse would be Davis Bertans. Though Bertans has so far been best-suited as their sixth man, he's getting paid starter money now. He is also the best player of these four options, though his fit defensively alongside the other four starters would be questionable.
