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Our Wizards evaluation series continues with Anthony Gill.
Gill’s Evaluation
End of the Bench — When you’re at the end of Scott Brook’s bench, minutes are hard to come by. For Anthony Gill, who signed a 2-yr/$2.4 million contract on November 30, 2020, it probably wasn't the debut NBA season he was hoping for. After three years with BC Khimki in the Euroleague, the former Virginia Cavalier arrived in the nation's capital averaging 8.3 points per game in Russia.
In the 2019-20 NBA season, Gill drastically improved his three-point shooting, upping his percentage from 22 to 44 on two attempts per game. Despite an improved shooting percentage from behind the arc, most of Gill’s statistics were down from previous seasons. He averaged 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 57-percent from the field. General Manager Tommy Sheppard brought in the 6-foot-7 forward to add defensive versatility and additional three-point shooting.
Statistical lines — The 28-year-old appeared in 26 matches, four of which were starts, and averaged 8.4 minutes per game. Two of his starts came at the tail end of the season, and the other two were spread throughout the year. Gill put up a marginal 3.1 points, two rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. He struggled mightily from behind the arc, knocking down just 29-percent of his deep shots on less than one attempt per game. Limited minutes hurt any statistical production Gill may have provided, but the sour note came from his inability to contribute from three, which was supposed to be one of his calling cards.
Gill’s best outing came on April 26 against the San Antonio Spurs; he dropped 13 points in 14 minutes on the floor.
Overall
After being a productive player in Russia, Gill was relegated to an end-of-the-bench role with Washington and made a negligible impact on the court. The second year of his deal is non-guaranteed, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Wizards cut ties with the former Cavalier. With a cap hit of $1.5 million, Sheppard probably will look elsewhere to fill out the roster.