Washington Wizards
Breakout candidate: Rui Hachimura
For the sake of the future of the franchise, I hope and pray that Rui Hachimura can have a big season for the Washington Wizards. Even though it was great news to hear Bradley Beal sign his contract extension with the team if the Wizards are going to make the playoffs this season they’re going to need another productive player to arise next to Beal.
And with John Wall expected to miss all of the 2019-20 season, that onus now falls to the team’s first-round pick. Hachimura showed a bit of it all during his time in college. He played in big games, came up huge in big moments and shouldn’t have an issue making the move to the NBA.
The big question, of course, is whether or not he has enough of a consistent jump shot to find a big role this season. While it could very well improve as his career progresses, his rookie season will largely depend on his ability to impress on the offensive end. Does he have enough to do so in his rookie season? I sure hope so.