Getting to know the Capital City Go-Go

Several players on this year’s team have previous NBA experience and several more could earn call-ups this season.

On this week’s Bleav in Wizards podcast, I was joined by Wayne Cole. Cole attended the Capital City Go-Go’s Media Day on Monday and offered his insight into the team.

If you’ve never seen a Go-Go, I would highly recommend it. They’ll be the best defensive basketball team in the DMV this year and should actually make a deep playoff run.

If you’re tired of the Wizards by then, come out and join us for a Go-Go game on December 9th followed by a live taping of the podcast. Tickets are just $10 and you can basically sit Courtside if you want. Or for $40 you can get unlimited beer or wine with your ticket. We’ll also have some prize giveaways as well.

Roster:

Devon Dotson, Guard, Kansas, 6-1, 185 lbs. Dotson is a speedy point guard who will push the pace but might be a bit too undersized to ever carve out a real role in the NBA.

Kris Dunn, Guard, Providence, 6-3, 205 lbs. Dunn is a defensive-minded guard who will be relied on to be this team’s veteran leader like Greg Monroe was last year. Given his experience and the Wizards’ lack of perimeter defense, I would not be surprised if got a call-up at some point.

Jaime Echenique, Center, Wichita State, 6-10, 258 lbs. He’s great around the basket but not sure he fits the modern NBA game that well. It’s just hard to get minutes if you don’t stretch the floor or aren’t a dynamic rim-protector. But I expect him to put up big numbers for the Go-Go again.

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Blake Francis, Guard, Richmond, 6-0, 175 lbs. Francis is a pesky defender who shoots into passing lanes and can score in bunches.

Jordan Goodwin, Guard, St. Louis, 6-3, 200 lbs. I expect to see Goodwin with the Wizards a good amount this season, especially while Delon Wright is injured. He’s a consistent jumpshot away from earning consistent NBA minutes. I have faith he can make enough shots to capitalize on his opportunity this year.

Nick Hornsby, Forward, Sacramento State, 6-7, 235 lbs. I’m not as familiar with Hornsby but from the limited tape I watched and his statistics to date, I don’t expect him to be a major part of their rotation. Hopefully he can prove me wrong and be a nice combo forward for them.

Quenton Jackson, Guard, Texas A&M, 6-5, 173 lbs. Jackson is a bouncy athlete who can put the ball in the basket. If he can do so efficiently and show he has enough strength to defend NBA players then he may end up being one of the more productive players in the G League. And on his way to eventual rotation minutes with the Wizards down the road.

Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Theo John, Forward/Center, Duke, 6-9, 242 lbs. John is a big, burly defender. He’s not afraid to bang in the paint but also has enough lateral quickness to defend in space for spurts. It remains to be seen what offensive value he will provide this season..

Isaiah Mucius, Forward, Wake Forest, 6-8, 200 lbs. Mucius will likely try to earn minutes as a stretch forward. He drastically improved as a perimeter threat during his college career. We’ll have to see what else he brings to the table.

Davion Mintz, Guard, Kentucky, 6-3, 195 lbs. Mintz is a solid guard who should be able to shoot and defend and will make smart decisions with the ball. He’s not overly flashy but he should be a better all-around fit than some of the guards they played last year.

Makur Maker, Center, Howard, 6-10, 232 lbs. Maker is a surprisingly mobile big man who should run the floor and protect the rim. He also shows some skill with the ball. He should be a nice change of pace option from Echenique.

Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Devontae Shuler, Guard, Mississippi, 6-2, 185 lbs. Shuler is a returning player who didn’t get a ton of minutes last year. However, I thought he played with energy and should be a nice piece for them this season if he can carve out a niche on a guard-heavy roster.

Jordan Schakel, Guard, San Diego State, 6-6, 200 lbs. Schakel is their sniper. His three-point percentage should only increase this year with more players to create better looks for him and more weapons to keep defenses honest.

Craig Sword, Guard, Mississippi State, 6-3, 196 lbs. Sword is an NBA-caliber defender. They just need him to be a more consistent threat on offense. It would also not surprise me to see him get a call-up this season.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images