Washington Wizards
2019-20What were the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, and what needed front-office attention?
WAS 2019-20: the clearest roster problems were Creation, Passing connectivity, Rebounding. No supported strength was identified. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Davis Bertans, Ish Smith, Isaac Bonga, Ian Mahinmi. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.No supported team strengths for this season — team picture available; recent availability and function-level salary mapping incomplete.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
WAS 2019-20 Creation: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 7.7 league percentile. Ish Smith supplied 30.3% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
WAS 2019-20 Passing connectivity: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 11.5 league percentile. Ish Smith supplied 32.7% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
WAS 2019-20 Rebounding: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 19.2 league percentile. Thomas Bryant supplied 23.6% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedStructural team problem | 8th percentile | Ish Smith · 30.3% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 42nd percentile | Troy Brown Jr. · 20.8% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedMiddle of the league | 35th percentile | Thomas Bryant · 17.8% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedStructural team problem | 12th percentile | Ish Smith · 32.7% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Ian Mahinmi | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedStructural team problem | 19th percentile | Thomas Bryant · 23.6% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedMiddle of the league | 50th percentile | Bradley Beal · 31.6% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedMiddle of the league | 31st percentile | Thomas Bryant · 22.8% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Ian Mahinmi | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedMiddle of the league | 35th percentile | Davis Bertans · 32.6% | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Ian Mahinmi | No recent availability layer for this season | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.WAS was highly dependent on Davis Bertans. Removing him cost about 32.6% of shooting production, and lineups with him performed 6.4 points per 100 possessions better than lineups without him. The best supported replacement group was [Ian Mahinmi, Ish Smith, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura, Isaac Bonga] over 195 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Ian Mahinmi · Ish Smith · Bradley Beal · Rui Hachimura · Isaac Bonga
shrunk net 2.429 over 195 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,983 possessions · off floor 3,526 possessions
WAS did not have strong functional backup for Ish Smith in passing; removing him cost about 32.7% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Bradley Beal.
Replacement evidence
Isaiah Thomas · Bradley Beal · Thomas Bryant · Troy Brown Jr. · Rui Hachimura
shrunk net -6.654 over 369 possessions
on floor 3,321 possessions · off floor 3,188 possessions
WAS lineups performed 7.6 points per 100 possessions better with Isaac Bonga than without him. The best supported alternative was [Isaiah Thomas, Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura] over 369 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Isaiah Thomas · Bradley Beal · Thomas Bryant · Troy Brown Jr. · Rui Hachimura
shrunk net -6.654 over 369 possessions
on floor 2,374 possessions · off floor 4,135 possessions
WAS had an observed replacement lineup for Ian Mahinmi, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Isaiah Thomas, Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura] at -6.7 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 369 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Isaiah Thomas · Bradley Beal · Thomas Bryant · Troy Brown Jr. · Rui Hachimura
shrunk net -6.654 over 369 possessions
on floor 1,493 possessions · off floor 5,016 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.No governed recent game-level availability layer exists for this season.
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to interior finishing; the highest-need area is passing connectivity. Salary-to-function mapping covers 64% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.