Jamir Watkins

Jamir Watkins took the long road — four seasons split between VCU and Florida State — and arrived in Washington as a 24-year-old rookie who already knew who he was: a rangy, physical wing who defends. His 6'11" wingspan does most of the talking, and the Summer League steal numbers (about 3.5 a game) weren't a fluke so much as a preview. In 50 games as a rookie he chipped in modest scoring while pestering ball-handlers, exactly the role a rebuilding Wizards team could hand him. The catch is the jumper: a career 32.5% college shooter, he hovered near 28% from three early in the year, and until that number climbs, defenses will sag off and dare him. Washington declined his team option but kept him on a two-way — a bet that the defense buys time for the shot to catch up.