The Washington Wizards acquired Paul Pierce because he was a seasoned veteran who had won championships, and had exactly what the rest of the young Wizards were missing: the ‘it’ factor. We saw his experience shine in the playoffs as he hit multiple clutch, game-winning shots.
However, Pierce opted out of his contract this offseason and opted to move on to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Wizards are a better team have played with Pierce but now it’s time for someone else to fill those shoes. Here are five players that have to step up to fill his void.
Brad Beal
Beal has continued to grow in his NBA career but the Wizards need him to take the next step. That means becoming an All-Star, bumping his scoring to the 20.0-point range and being the player that demands the ball in the clutch situations at the end of games.
He has three years of experience under his belt but he’s still just 22 years old. Wall climbed to new heights last season and now it’s Beal’s turn.
Otto Porter Jr.
Porter won’t have to be one of the team’s primary scoring options with Wall, Bradley Beal and Marcin Gortat leading the way but he will be relied on as the fourth option in the Washington offense with increased minutes and expectations. The 2013 first-round pick averaged just 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game for the Wizards in 74 games last regular season but his minutes spiked to 33.1 per game in the playoffs.
Porter delivered with 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Porter might not have the same experience or clutch shooting ability as Pierce but he is ready for a bigger role heading in to his third NBA season and Washington will rely on him as its new starting small forward with Pierce gone to LA.
Jared Dudley
In an effort spread the load of replacing Pierce, the Wizards acquired the veteran Dudley to provide some additional scoring for them off the bench this season. Dudley’s averages haven’t been the same in the two seasons since he left the Phoenix Suns but after stops with the Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks, he arrives in Washington as the perfect fit for their supporting cast.
Dudley is a career 39% three-point shooter that can also provide a calming veteran presence in the locker room and on the floor. Pierce was mostly a spot-up shooter for the Wizards and Dudley – while not nearly as clutch – might still be able to replace some of that.
Alan Anderson
Washington addressed its depth even further with the addition of the veteran Anderson on a one-year, $4 million deal that will help make up for the loss of Pierce by providing another option behind in their backcourt rotation.
Anderson won’t be asked to play big minutes but he averaged 7.4 points and hit 44.3% of his shots from the field while averaging 23.6 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets a year ago. His averages were better as a starter when he scored 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 threes and 1.4 assists. He provides another buffer if rookie first-round pick Kelly Oubre Jr. isn’t ready to contribute in the NBA immediately.
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Kelly Oubre Jr.
The 15th overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft proved that he has the potential to make an impact as a rookie at the small forward position when he averaged 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in six games in the NBA Summer League.
Oubre will need to become a more efficient shooter after he hit 38.4% of his field goal attempts and only 25% of his three-point attempts. He has all of the physical tools to contribute from the outset and Washington would love to see him grow into a role where he’s a serious contributor by the end of the season.
