Washington couldn’t duplicate the magic it had the last time a consensus No. 1 player from the University of Kentucky was available but it came awfully close on the night of May 30. Washington landed the No.3 overall pick in next month’s National Basketball Asssociation (NBA) draft, scheduled for June 28.
The Wizards fell two picks behind lottery winner, the New Orleans Hornets, already projected to draft Kentucky center/power forward Anthony Davis. Although a pairing of Davis and current Wizard and Kentucky alum John Wall is surely out the window, several options still remain for Washington to improve their roster.
With Davis likely going to the Hornets, the Wizards should have a juicy buffet on draft day — either Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson, Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal, North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes or Kentucky small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
The Wizards could look for a player at shooting guard, small forward or power forward, considering Wall is a lock at point guard and the March trade for center Nene from the Denver Nuggets has solidified that position. Beal and Kidd-Gilchrist, both emerging from their freshman year in college, will be intriguing to most scouts for their youth and potential but it’s Robinson who could be the best fit for the Wizards.
A Washington, D.C. native, Robinson battled Davis all season for college Player of the Year honors as he averaged 17.7 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game last year for Kansas. Robinson, with 18 points and 17 rebounds, was at his best once again when his Jayhawks ultimately succumbed to Davis and the Wildcats in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship game 67-59 on April 2.
The biggest knock on Robinson is his size and what he measures at the NBA combine will go a long way in determining if the Charlotte Bobcats, who select second overall, snatch him ahead of Washington. Robinson is listed at 6-foot-10-inches in his NCAA media guide but many scouts predict the power forward will measure 6-foot-8-inches on the pro level.
If Robinson does indeed measure his NCAA height, and doesn’t get drafted by Charlotte, then the Wizards could be elated to make the rugged power forward its newest member.
Robinson and Beal give Washington the best chances to improve the roster as they both possess a considerable amount of potential to enhance polished games. Beal, a 6-foot-4-inch, sweet-shooting off-guard, would help open up space for Wall and Nene to operate. Although undersized, Beal is extremely dangerous from the perimeter and would combine with Wall to form one of, if not the, best up-and-coming backcourts in the league.
Regardless of which direction the Wizards take, the team stands to upgrade tremendously through June’s NBA Draft.
