Wizards Anticipating Having All Players Available for Training Camp
The Washington Wizards face the same problem every professional sports team does during the course of a season when trying to keep players healthy and charged enough to be as competitive as possible.
Even in a year where the Wizards are considered by many to be rebuilding, although that's a word Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger admits comes with some negative undertones, the team wants to be as competitive as possible while embracing that a lot of what happens this year will connect to decisions made in future years.
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As Winger and general manager Will Dawkins go through the process of deciding - along with coach Wes Unseld Jr. and his staff - which players will and won't be part of the bigger vision, having them available for evaluation is the first and perhaps most important part of the equation.
And it sounds like all of the players will be present to start this season's activities next week.
"Our anticipation is that everyone will be available (for the start of training camp) starting Day 1," Dawkins said on Tuesday.
New Washington Wizards players Jordan Poole (left) and Tyus Jones (right) are among those expected to be available at the start of training camp.
USA Today
According to Dawkins, this also includes the full contact portions of five-on-five practices.
That's a bit of good news, because not only do the evaluations need to begin as soon as possible, but so too does the development of each player and the team as a whole.
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Washington will be bringing three new starters into the fold with Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole joining the squad this offseason and Kristaps Porzingis shipped off to the Boston Celtics.
Then there's the development and implementation of first-round rookie Bilal Coulibaly, who Dawkins says should be able to contribute from the start even if he isn't a fully finished NBA product just yet.
Of course, we can't forget the second-year growth of last year's first-round pick Johnny Davis who largely left fans and observers unimpressed in his first professional season since leaving the Wisconsin Badgers.
It'll all get started next week, and the good news is - barring any unforeseen developments - the whole gang will be there to get the player development party started.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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