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Tomas Satoransky belongs in the NBA, but the Wizards may not be the right team for him

The Wizards point guard showed much promise in his sophomore season. However, Washington may not be the best team for him.

NBA: Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tomas Satoransky grew considerably as a player during the 2017-18 NBA season. He played 73 games, and averaged career highs across the board, helping keep the Wizards in the playoff pack when John Wall say out two months due to injury in February and March.

Now, let’s take a look back. Just how good was Satoranksy? And is he a fit for Washington going forward?

Satoransky’s 2017-18 vs. 2016-17 stats

Season MPG PPG FG% 3P% EFG% USG% APG RPG
Season MPG PPG FG% 3P% EFG% USG% APG RPG
2016-17 12.6 2.7 41.50% 24.30% 44.60% 12.10% 1.6 1.5
2017-18 22.5 7.2 52.30% 46.50% 58.50% 13.70% 3.9 3.2

From looking at Satoransky’s high level production, we some things right away.

The Good

Improved shooting efficiency - Whether as a reserve or starter, Satoransky shot above 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three. It’s true that Satoransky massaged these percentages to some degree.

Keeping an offense running - Satoransky started 30 games in the 2017-18 season, primarily when John Wall was sidelined last winter due to a knee procedure. Over the course of the winter, the Wizards stayed in the middle of the playoff pack until toward the very end of the regular season. Without Satoransky in the starting lineup, the Wizards would have probably missed the 2018 NBA Playoffs altogether.

The bad

Lack of scoring mentality - This depends on what type of point guard fits your fancy better. If you like a point guard who is a fearless scorer like Russell Westbrook, then you probably aren’t thrilled with Satoransky’s performance this season. Sure, he kept things together for large stretches of the 2017-18 season. But he never became a point guard who relished holding in the ball in his hands for long periods of time. Satoransky’s usage rating went up from

Satoransky never had Scott Brooks’ full confidence - It’s unfair to say that Satoransky’s strengths are working against him. But head coach Scott Brooks seemed to play him out of necessity as opposed to his skill.

In the 2018 NBA Playoffs, Satoransky averaged just 10 minutes per game while Brooks played Ty Lawson — a playoff-only addition — nearly twice as many minutes. Sure, Wizards color analyst Kara Lawson indicated that playing Ty Lawson over Satoransky was the right decision. But at the same time, Satoransky played quite well, so it’s still baffling why he doesn’t have the full confidence of the head coach.

Overall

Satoransky showed the Wizards and the NBA that he belongs in the Association. He doesn’t just belong on an NBA roster. He deserves to be a regular rotation player. Though Satoransky has figured out the NBA, it is also apparent that the Wizards may not be the right team for him. After all, Brooks didn’t hesitate to leave him on the bench for Ty Lawson in the NBA Playoffs.

Do you think that Satoransky deserves a larger role on the Wizards? Or should he be a trade chip this offseason because Brooks isn’t as enthusiastic about playing him when there’s another ball dominant reserve point guard on the roster? Let us know in the comments below.