Wizards NBA Draft Snub is Projected All-Star Starter
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The Washington Wizards had a golden opportunity in 2020 with the ninth pick in the NBA Draft.
With that pick, the Wizards could draft a player that could single-handedly usher in a new era of winning and keep current players like guard Bradley Beal happy and relevant for years to come.
Instead of doing that they went with forward Deni Avdija in a move that many felt was simply made in an attempt to secure an overseas fan base for Washington.
We mean no disrespect to Avdija, of course, who has flashed his own abilities and certainly seems to be taking another step this season. But if foreign marketing is truly a motivating factor behind the pick being made, that is by itself 10 times more disrespectful than saying the team made an obvious mistake not drafting guard Tyrese Haliburton in 2020.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) makes a move the basket as Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (8) defends during the game at Capital One Arena. Washington Wizards defeated Indiana Pacers 137-123.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Now, Avdija is a high-potential part of the Wizards' current rebuilding effort, and Haliburton is projected to start for the Eastern Conference's All-Star team.
Five NBA.com writers projected the starters for the conference in this year's All-Star celebration, and all five picked Haliburton as one of the starting guards.
"It’s permissible now to type “Haliburton” and “All-Star” in the same sentence without mentioning Wally Szczerbiak," wrote Steve Aschburner while Brian Martin said, "Haliburton’s star continues to rise alongside his league-high assist average."
"This was, for me, and should be for voters, a relatively sweat-free thought process," says Shaun Powell. "Four players are uncontested slam dunks: Haliburton, Embiid, Tatum and Antetokounmpo. Haliburton is having a breakout season, Embiid has a strong MVP follow-up, Tatum and Giannis have All-NBA First Team-like seasons."
"The frontcourt and Haliburton picks were easy," says John Schuhmann. And Michael C. Wright didn't write anything about the guard specifically but also made him a starter in his own projections.
To be fair, at the time many had Washington landing Avdija as a steal, and he's certainly not been a slouch.
But for those of us who wanted the team to grab Haliburton back in 2020 his ascent to All-Star status while the Wizards have devolved into a No. 1 pick pursuer is just one more reminder of how far this franchise has to climb.
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