Age: 20
Height, Weight: 6-foot-8, 228 pounds
Slash Line: .515/.419/.675
Season Averages: 14.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 0.9 3PM
The San Antonio Spurs usually draft well. A James Anderson or Livio Jean-Charles arises occasionally, but for every one of them, there are Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, George Hill, Kyle Anderson and Tiago Splitter, all of whom are on the rise or have contributed towards playoff — and NBA Finals — caliber teams. That’s without mentioning the hall of fame home runs.
The Spurs don’t have many needs, but a wing is necessary. PJ Washington is not a typical player for the middle of the lineup since some of his skills trend towards power forward, but he’s 6-foot-8 and owns a wingspan beyond seven feet.
Year-over-year stats have seen improvement from Washington, who took a bigger role as a sophomore at Kentucky. His physical traits came into play as a defender, and the three-point shooting improved.
Washington slots in as depth for head coach Gregg Popovich and a minor insurance policy for Rudy Gay‘s potential departure as a free agent. With the methodical approach to developing rookies, he could start in a year or two down the road.
If the New York Knicks owned a lower first-round pick, Washington would make sense for their defensive-needy team.