TyTy Washington & The State of Guard Play
We've seen two 2022 draft picks get cut recently -- and it says as much about the league as it does about them
Yesterday, the Oklahoma City Thunder waived TyTy Washington. TyTy was drafted in the first round 14 months ago, was shipped to several teams this summer, and consequently is now without a team. Quite the fall for the talented 6’3” point guard.
This past winter in a roster crunch after injuries to their big men, the Memphis Grizzlies made the decision to waive their 2022 second-round pick Kennedy Chandler. He’s still fighting for his next guaranteed contract and roster spot.
So how do former elite recruits and top-40 picks go unwanted so quickly?
Look around the league: it’s really difficult for smaller guards to stick. There aren’t many teams looking to add that type of player — either because they already have one or can’t afford to with their roster construction. As we saw with Chandler and with the roster crunch in OKC, the tie goes to the guy who has more positional and lineup versatility. Smaller players simply don’t bring that to the table, and therefore are first on the chopping block.
What does this mean for scouting?
We have to evaluate smaller guards (or, really, any guard under 6’4” without elite athleticism or strength) very differently. They aren’t a valued commodity in the NBA and are really replaceable. If they don’t produce offensively at an absurdly high level (and produce quickly), they’re the first players on the chopping block. I’ll be the first guy to wish that Chandler and TyTy got more time to improve. But NBA rosters simply won’t tolerate a waiting game for smaller guys to figure it out.
I’m aiming to make that adjustment with how I look at preseason boards in 2024. There are plenty of guards coming into the year touted as one-and-done prospects: Jackson Shelstad, London Johnson, Elliot Cadeau, and several others. Unfortunately, I’m probably going to be a little lower on them than other outlets — and lower than I would based solely on their skill levels.