With yesterday’s article about Delon Wright, the 2022 Doppelgänger Series is almost over. All the players expected to be part of the rotation have made their trip through The Machine.
The point of the exercise wasn’t just to kill time during the offseason, but to take a look at the Washington Wizards roster through a different lens by removing the emotional goggles of fandom and maybe get a more objective view.
Maybe.
So, what would the Wizards roster look like if it was comprised of each player’s closest statistical doppelgänger? I thought you’d never ask.
Likely Starters
- G — Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards, 2009-10, age: 28 (Bradley Beal)
- G — Dana Barros, Philadelphia 76ers, 1993-94, age: 26 (Monte Morris)
- F — Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors, 2020-21, age: 25 (Kyle Kuzma)
- F — Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic, 2009-10, age: 30 (Will Barton)
- C — Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, 2021-22, age: 26 (Kristaps Porzingis)
Expected Reserves
- G — Don Buse, Indiana Pacers, 1980-81, age: 30 (Delon Wright)
- G/F — Hollis Thompson, Philadelphia 76ers, 2014-15, age: 23 (Corey Kispert)
- F — Chase Budinger, Houston Rockets, 2011-12, age: 23 (Rui Hachimura)
- F — Justise Winslow, Miami Heat, 2017-18, age: 21 (Deni Avdija)
- C — Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks, 2016-17, age: 22 (Daniel Gafford)
How good would this group be? My guess: somewhere around 40 wins. This was post-injury Arenas, Towns in something of a down year, Wiggins before he figured out how he could truly contribute to the Warriors.
The bench in this group would be a question mark entering the season — which contrasts with the narrative that the Wizards will have their strongest group of reserves in years.