Grading the Wizards' draft

If Washington could have afforded DeJuan Blair, he would
have given the Wizards that extra anchor off the bench.  But
do the Wizards need one? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

The Washington Wizards traded their fifth pick and their 32nd pick, made a pre-draft move to get two guards for one active forward, but did not pick up a championship caliber big to anchor the bench.  Free agency starts July 1st, and the NBA's Summer League begins July 10th.  What's the next move?

What Happened to Blair?
If you're Wizards' president Ernie Grunfeld, right now you're taking a look at your guards as you approach free agency.  Washington drafted Jermaine Taylor, a football-body shooting guard, for their 32nd pick, then traded him immediately to the Houston Rockets. 

At the time, DeJuan Blair was still available that late in the draft.  Why the Wizards didn't consider Blair is beyond me.  At just over 6'5", the power forward might be a bit on the small scale.  Think Charles Barkley and Shawn Marion; the 277 lbs. Blair has a 7'2" wingspan and almost a 9' standing reach.  A defensive powerhouse.

Washington had to clear some cap, and critics highlight Brendan Haywood's upcoming contract as a concern for wanting a bit more cash in the future instead of going for Blair.  The question is, does Washington have enough meat with only four bigs upfront, especially when one of those bigs, in Antawn Jamison, isn't quite known as being a defensive stopper?

The Final Four
After dropping out Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov, and Etan Thomas, Washington's frontcourt looks like: Haywood at center, Jamison at power forward to start, with JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche off the bench.  Haywood and McGee, especially if McGee comes in with pounds like he has promised, are game-changers inside the paint, but we've yet to see McGee or Blatche find rhythm on the defensive end without getting into foul trouble.  While McGee has his rookie season as an excuse, Blatche is going to really need to step up this season if Grunfeld is going to keep only four bigs on the roster.

Haywood and Jamison are happy with the trade, so at least the bigs are happy.  But if you look at the Wizards and compare them to other teams, you have to wonder if not having that token extra anchor on the team is a bad thing.  For example, if you look at the 2008 Champions Boston Celtics, aside from a few small meaty forwards like Leon Powe, their biggest body was NBA vet P.J. Brown.  Yeah, you know, that guy that tossed Charlie Ward in '97?

Then again, if you look at the 2009 Champions Los Angeles Lakers, they hardly played their bench options of D.J. (hm) Mbenga or Josh Powell, so maybe Washington doesn't need those extra guys to win at the final stage.

Numbers, Numbers on the Wall
While Washington's choice with #32 isn't exactly clear-cut (my Championship ring for a Blair?), one interesting thing about trades is who will end up sacrificing what jersey number.  Well, now we know who won the battle of #33.  Mike Miller, formerly #33 for the Minnesota Timberwolves, is now #6, due to Haywood already having #33.  Randy Foye, formerly #4 for the T'wolves, is now #15 due to Jamison already rocking #4.

Meanwhile, over in Atlanta, rook Jeff Teague has acquired another Wizards number, #0.  Teague plans to wear Gilbert Arenas' number for the Hawks as a form of flattery, but I have to tell ya, since Atlanta beat Washington 4-0 last season, I doubt anyone in a Wizards uniform is going to welcome the opposing #0 from ATL with open arms.  That Southeast Division is going to be a tough one next season.
 

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