Kristaps Porzingis weighs in on Wizards' PG search originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON -- When considering the current projected 2022-23 roster for the Wizards, in a hypothetical that includes Bradley Beal choosing to re-sign, one thing stands out to big man Kristaps Porzingis right away.
"I would say that's a playoff team," he said.
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If Beal comes back, the Wizards would have him alongside Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma as the team's core trio with a supporting cast that includes Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert and Daniel Gafford. While the front office is likely to make significant changes, as they do every offseason, there are some positives to that group. It's just missing a point guard.
Team president Tommy Sheppard acknowledged that starting point guard is a long-term need after the team traded away Spencer Dinwiddie at the deadline. How they get one, and what type of point guard they can acquire, are the questions that need answering.
Porzingis, now with a month's worth of games playing under head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and with some of those players mentioned above, gave his take on what role the point guard would ideally play in Unseld Jr's offense.
"I think we have a lot of guys that are good scorers and that are talented offensively; Brad, if he's here, Pope, Kuzma. Kuz is also a good creator, myself. I think somebody that can run the offense really well and that is aggressive on the offensive end, but is looking to create for his teammates and to open the game up for everybody else," Porzingis said.
That assessment sounds similar to what Unseld Jr. has himself said about the Wizards' point guard spot. He described someone who can run the offense, get players to their spots and into a shooting rhythm. The implication seems to be more of a traditional point guard rather than someone who takes a lot of shots.
While the Wizards appear likely to seek an upgrade at starting point guard, they saw positive returns from veteran Tomas Satoransky after he was moved into that role for the final 10 games of the season. The Wizards went 5-5 after losing eight of their previous nine games. They won four out of the first five games he started.
Satoransky brought a pass-first mentality to the position, as evidenced by his zero-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound game against the Magic on March 30. He became just the third player in NBA history to have a zero-point double-double.
Whether Satoransky is back next year or not, and if he is whether that's as a starter or reserve, Porzingis believes Satoransky showed the potential of the point guard position in Unseld Jr.'s system.
"Tomas did a great job. He did a great job [through] all this time that we played together. He played at a really good level. We'll see who's the point guard next season, but that would be the right fit, probably," Porzingis said.
Unseld Jr. was asked again about what the team needs in a point guard over the weekend. He called the position "an extension of the coach" in terms of executing the playbook as the quarterback of the offense. He also indicated size would be a plus. Though he didn't say it, getting someone who can defend and shoot would be helpful given the team's needs.
But Unseld Jr. also mentioned the reality that some of the Wizards' point guard search may be out of their control.
"It's not like there's a long list of available candidates, so sometimes it has to be by committee...We'll have to go forth with what's available and who we can get," he said.
