Sizing Up The Centers For The Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have a big problem on their hands with the 2009-2010 less than a week away. To be more specific, the Wizards have a problem with the big men on the roster.

There are just too many options at the center position.

Of course, this is a great problem for the Wizards to have. After the debacle of last season, the Wizards took the proper measures in the off season to ensure at least some level of improvement in the season to come.

Flip Saunders takes over for Ed Tapscott who served as the interim head coach after Eddie Jordan was fired early last season. In his wake, changes abound for the Wizards. A few new players, a lot of returning players and a new work ethic.

All of those changes have created depth at a lot of positions for the Wizards. In particular, the five spot.

Brendan Haywood was injured for most of last season and left a void in the middle of the floor for the Wizards. Not many people know it, but Haywood is more valuable than he is given credit for.

He may not be Dwight Howard and produce 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, but his mere presence alters the way teams attack the Wizards defense. In Haywood's absence, the Wizards had to rely on the resident knuckle-head Andray Blatche and first year man JaVale McGee to fill the void.

The lack of a seasoned veteran in the middle forced Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and other position players to focus on rebounding more than in the past, which led to an array of defensive break downs.

The Wizards have never been a defense-first team, but last season they were exposed on the defensive end of the floor.

Haywood's best season came the season prior to his injury. He was scoring 10 points per game and adding almost eight rebounds and two blocks per game.

Those numbers don't jump off the page, but he was showing improvement.

If Haywood can stay healthy for the majority of the season, the Wizards will be at a great advantage. A healthy Haywood means less dependence on the younger players, but also more opportunities to mix things up with different line-ups.

One of the many good moves the Wizards made in the offseason was the acquisition of Fabricio Oberto.

Oberto doesn't have any eye-popping statistics and is up in the years, but he provides a veteran presence and a defensive mindset that is sorely lacking in the youth at the position. What he lacks in NBA experience, though, he makes up for in International experience.

Oberto has been a part of numerous teams overseas and played a much more integral part than he has since coming to the NBA in 2005.

He won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics as a member of the Argentinian National team, and was voted the MVP of the Argentine league in 1998. He may not have made a big splash in the NBA, but Oberto is experienced enough to make a difference on the Wizards.

The youth movement behind Haywood and Oberto is promising for the future of the team.

Blatche is entering his fifth year in the NBA and is just 23 years old. He is at a point in his career where his work ethic needs to match his potential. During his short time in the pros, Blatche has wowed at times and underwhelmed at most others.

The statistical roller coaster has to stop for Blatche to make a difference for the Wizards.

It has been reported that Blatche came into camp in shape and ready to work, which is a noted change from previous seasons. In the past, he used training camps to get into shape rather than working on the finer points of the game.

If this is true then perhaps Blatche is finally growing up.

Last season, Blatche averaged 10 points five rebounds and a block per game. Given that last season was a mess, Blatche showed growth in his skills and started to prove his worth when things were at their worst.

There is no reason to think that Blatche will stop improving and it is not a stretch to think Blatche will see ample time on the court. He will have to earn his time by putting in the work in practice.

The odd man out in the rotation of centers is McGee, who is entering his second season in the NBA.

There was very little information or tape on McGee coming out of college. The common opinion was that he was extremely long and athletic, and very raw. All of those assertions have proven true, as McGee was thrust into a wealth of playing time in Haywood's absence.

McGee's rookie season, as well as his build and overall style of play, compares almost perfectly with Tyson Chandler's rookie year with the Bulls.

Neither McGee nor Chandler are the most prolific scorers at the center position, but what they lack in offense they make up for in defense and rebounding. Like Chandler, McGee is capable of altering any shot within reach of his impressive wingspan.

It is dangerous to say that McGee is an exact copy of Chandler, but they are very similar and that bodes well for the Wizards.

In McGee, the Wizards have a ton possibilities. He could see time at power forward with Haywood at center, which would give the Wizards a decisive size and rebounding advantage over a lot of teams. Or he could be on the floor with Blatche and the two would provide a speed advantage over the bigger center and power forward combinations.

At this point in his development, McGee may be riding pine with regularity.

It came out of camp that his adaptation to Saunder's system isn't progressing as quickly as everyone else. It is no surprise given that he is only beginning his NBA career and doesn't have a ton of college experience to draw from.

The issue of depth is a good problem for the Wizards to have. No matter who sees the most time during the season, it is almost certain that the minutes the players give will be quality minutes. They have an all-around center in Haywood, a veteran defender in Oberto, a young scorer in Blatche and an athletic X-factor in McGee.

The potential the Wizards possess across the board is going to be difficult for any team to match. It may take more than one season to come together, but it is safe to say that the Wizards are on the right path to success.