Kentucky Wildcats vs Washington Wizards: A Necessary Breakdown

While Van Gundy acknowledged that one game was pretty March Madness-y as compared to a professional-style series, and really, anything could happen, the chances a team that lost to Vanderbilt could defeat a team of pros that only lose on occasion to the Detroit Pistons or New Jersey Nets of the world seem pretty low.

That said, maybe it’s worth a look at the starting five units for both the Wildcats and Wizards, to better determine where they stand in relation to one another. Here is an attempt; to aid the project, in parentheses beside each name is either the player’s ranking in DraftExpress‘s Top 100 Prospects list or positional ranking in terms of NBA fantasy basketball.

Center.

Anthony Davis (1) / Nene (17).

After recently getting traded to Washington, Nene is still battling inconsistencies and now probably new team confusion. He is the professional’s professional that the Wizards wanted in the clubhouse though; the dependable inside presence for John Wall.

Davis is the wing-spanning physical and mental defensive force who should be on the forefront of Kentucky’s national championship run following this weekend. If / when he declares for the NBA Draft, he seems to be the runaway top prospect.

Davis might alter or block a few shots, but it’s hard to imagine Nene not being able to establish himself on the block and get what he wanted, if he wanted to.

Forwards.

Terrence Jones (12) / Trevor Booker (26).

Jones is a dynamic scoring forward who can sometimes drift in and out of games, but ultimately can make an impact with the versatile ways he can get buckets. Booker is essentially the same height and weight, and the second year man has had a few breakout games this year in Washington.

Basically these two might look at each other and get a little perplexed by the similarities, thus canceling one another out. Also, they’re both left-handed.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (3) / Chris Singleton (34).

Singleton is the lanky rookie from Florida State brought in to defend and make plays from the wing; safe to say, this season in Washington may not be the finest proving grounds in determining what he will become as a pro someday.

Kidd-Gilchrist seems to be rising the prospect ranks after every game, as his intense all-around game on both ends of the floor make him as close to a sure thing building block for whichever franchise selects him, should he declare.

He should be able to come into the league ready to play, maybe with more scoring firepower than Singleton has shown, but oftentimes the situation plays a strong role in shaping what a young player will become, unless Kidd-Gilchrist is one of the rare talents that shapes the situation.

Guards.

Doron Lamb (36) / Jordan Crawford (23).

Crawford is in the midst of six-straight 20 point games, but he is a guy who will get his shots up — whether they consistently fall or not is another story. His percentages aren’t great but Crawford has still found a way to score, or at least threaten it.

Lamb is one of the better shooters in the college game, giving Kentucky a reliable scoring option from the outside. All accounts seem to point to Lamb becoming a solid guard in the NBA (he is also the same height as Crawford), and Lamb may get the benefit of slipping a bit to a better NBA team in the draft, which could mean a role as off-the-bench shooter instead of starting 2-guard; an option both of these guys could be better suited for.

Marquis Teague (40) / John Wall (5).

Teague is still raw as far as point guards go, but possesses all the physical attributes one could want. Whether or not he shines in this weekend’s Final Four may not matter all that much in regards to his draft stock and whether he’ll declare or not in the first place because, unless he suddenly cuts his erratic play where it stands, he will probably be the Upside Point Guard no matter what.

With the recent moves made by the Wizards, the franchise has officially been handed over to John Wall. Again, his struggles this season have to in-part be explained by his surroundings, but he does appear ready to assume a leadership role in the rebuilding campaign. Wall is still the blazingly fast, disruptive impacter on the defensive end who is also getting eight assists per game on a team not lauded for its offensive options.

Is there a conclusion to all this? Well, due to the youth of the Wizards at some positions, a single game could certainly be interesting because some of these guys really aren’t that different save, of course, for essential NBA experience. That, combined with Washington’s advantages at the center (with Nene’s skill set over the young Davis) and point guard (John Wall would likely destroy Marquis Teague) spots and it would still be pretty surprising to see Kentucky pull this one off. Go Wizards!