clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Open Debate: Which backup big will get the most minutes next season?

After a summer focused on bolstering the Wizards' frontcourt, how do you think Randy Wittman will dole out the minutes this season?

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Today on Twitter, I posted this question to everyone:

We got a lot of responses, so we wanted to throw it out to you as well, because it will be something to keep an eye on as the Wizards try to maximize the value of their summer acquisitions and replace what they lost when Trevor Booker signed with the Jazz. Here are the pros and cons for Blair, Humphries, Seraphin and Drew Gooden, who I neglected to include in the original tweet, because admittedly, he's been lost in the glitz of the new deals for Pierce, Blair and Humphries.

Kris Humphries

  • PRO: Going strictly off who should be playing the most minutes based on salary, Humphries should be the guy. He's making more than Blair, Gooden or Seraphin and given how quickly he was signed after Booker went to Utah, it seems clear he was brought in to fill Booker's role as the first big man off the bench.
  • PRO: As one of the better shooting big men in the NBA last season, Humphries should give the second unit some extra scoring punch they lacked last season and can even help space the floor with the first unit from time to time.
  • PRO: As Nene's primary backup he should be first in line to gobble up Nene's minutes whenever he is nursing an injury.
  • PROBABLY A CON, BUT POSSIBLY A PRO: While Humphries adds value as a stretch big man, if Randy Wittman decides to go small at power forward with Paul Pierce (who was very effective at that spot with Brooklyn last year) or even Otto Porter, that cuts into Humphries playing time, unless Wittman rolls him out as a small-ball center.
  • CON: Like Nene, Kris Humphries isn't exactly an iron man. He hasn't played over 75 games at any point in his career, and has only cracked 70 games twice.

DeJuan Blair

  • PRO: The Wizards finished 17th in offensive rebounding percentage last season. Their best individual offensive rebounders were Jan Vesely (12.9%) and Trevor Booker (10.9%) and they're both gone now. On a second unit that's going to need all the extra scoring opportunities it can get, Blair's rebounding can be very useful in creating extra opportunities and limiting the other team's scoring chances.
  • PRO: DeJuan Blair will be reunited with assistant coach Don Newman, who he played under in San Antonio. Blair enjoyed his best seasons, including 2010-11, when he led the league in offensive rebounding percentage, with Newman.
  • PRO: Blair seems like an ideal candidate for Randy Wittman to give a few too many minutes to this season when he's looking for a spark of intensity, hustle or whatever other coaching buzzword Wittman is looking for at that moment.
  • CON: As the league continues to emphasize speed and shooting for big men, Blair's style of play can work against him. He's not the guy you want chasing around Joakim Noah when Nene is on the bench.

Kevin Seraphin

  • PRO: Every argument you could give for why Seraphin won't get many minutes this season could have been used to argue why he wouldn't have been brought back this summer. Since he's still in Washington, making a nice $3.9 million this year, you have to think he's still going to be given a fair shot to have a big role this year. Given his age, he certainly has the best shot at making a big leap this year.
  • CON: Kevin Seraphin played a total of 5 minutes and 43 seconds in the playoffs.
  • IN SUMMARY: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Drew Gooden

  • PRO: Gooden was a breath of fresh air at a time when the Wizards were struggling to breathe last season after Nene went down. In that closing stretch of the season, he earned Randy Wittman's trust, something no one else in this discussion can claim at the moment.
  • CON: Given his age, Wittman may bide his time working Gooden into the mix, to keep him fresh for the playoff run.