Washington Wizards: Could Sam Merrill be the extra shooter they need?

Sam Merrill could emerge as a Washington Wizards draft prospect

If the Washington Wizards learned one thing from their bubble experience, it’s that without Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans in the lineup they are severely lacking shooting. In today’s NBA, it’s extremely tough to play with multiple non-shooters on the floor in pressure situations.

John Wall is at best an adequate perimeter shooter and is at his best when surrounded by people who can stretch the floor and create space for him. Utah State’s Sam Merrill could help fill that role.

In a league that prioritizes 3-and-D wings, the Wizards don’t really have any on their roster. Troy Brown Jr. shot 34 percent from 3 this year, Isaac Bonga shot 35 percent, Rui Hachimura shot 29 percent, and Admiral Schofield shot 31 percent.

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And all of them do so on a limited number of attempts. Giving more minutes to Garrison Mathews, who missed the bubble for undisclosed personal reasons, should help. But more shooting certainly won’t hurt.

The Wizards will have the 9th and 37th picks in the upcoming NBA draft. They need help at several positions, specifically center and small forward. They are likely to use those picks to add a defensive-minded center and a 3-and-D wing. This draft has been written off by many as a “weak draft” but I look at it as not being top-heavy, but a pretty deep draft overall.

Accordingly, this year’s un-drafted market might be more fruitful than usual. Merrill is the first name that comes to mind to help them address that need.

Washington Wizards draft prospect: Sam Merrill, G, Utah State

Sam Merrill is absolutely cold-blooded. He was the Utah State equivalent of Damian Lillard in that he was clutch and literally had a green light to shoot from anywhere inside halfcourt. And for good reason, he’s a career 42-percent 3-point shooter.

Merrill didn’t face the toughest competition en route to averaging 19.7 points per game but if Duncan Robinson or even Garrison Mathews have taught us anything it’s that shooting translates regardless of level. Worst case scenario, Merrill will earn a nice living as a shooting specialist who just catches, shoots, makes, and repeats. But he has a penchant for making tough, seemingly off-balance shots like JJ Redick (not saying he’s going to be Redick but few people are that accurate on the move the way they both are).

I actually like Merrill’s offensive versatility too and think he will be able to put in on the floor at the NBA level and draw fouls. He’s a career 89 percent free-throw shooter which is usually a good indicator of future shooting success. Merrill averaged four rebounds, four assists, and only 1.6 turnovers despite really high usage and defenses keying on him.

He led Utah State to a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship prior to the pandemic. In the championship game with the score tied in the final seconds, he hit a 25-foot dagger to beat San Diego State. In three games, he averaged 28 points and shot 42 percent from 3 on a high volume (11-26). With Merrill, you get more than shooting, you get clutch shooting, which the Wizards could certainly use.

He’s likely never going to be a lockdown team defender but he has a strong understanding of the game that should allow him to at least be in the right spots at the right time. Merrill is also scrappy and has a little edge to him which should inspire him to take on the challenge defensively. Utah State didn’t rely on him to play much defense but that was largely because of the heavy offensive burden he was required to carry. If he can at least keep himself from being a turnstile in the NBA, it will really enable him to stay on the floor.

Another knock against Merrill that hurt his draft stock is his age. Merrill is 24 years old and there typically isn’t much hope of a 24-year-old rookie having many ceilings left to reach. But that’s okay in this situation. Washington doesn’t need any more long-term projects. Admiral Schofield didn’t have an inspiring rookie season and it seems like he will need several years to work on his game. Having Merrill come in right away as a ready-to-go rookie would be a welcomed addition.

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Merrill is fairly likely to go undrafted and Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard had pretty good success bringing in Mathews as an undrafted option last year. If Davis Bertans leaves in free agency, Washington could use all of the extra shooting it can get.

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