Few coaches can relate to the pain of being cut from a team better than Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks. Throughout his basketball career, he was deemed too short, too small, too something. First when he left high school, colleges didn’t want him. Then again as a pro, when he had to play for teams like the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association and Fresno Flames of the World Basketball League before finally sticking in the NBA. He knows what it’s like to await, then receive a roster decision.
He made his first one in Washington on Friday night when the Wizards cut three young players: shooting guard Jarell Eddie, point guard Casper Ware and forward Johnny O’Bryant. That put the Wizards’ roster at 15 players well before Monday’s deadline to do so.
Cutting those three means rookies Danuel House, Sheldon McClellan and Daniel Ochefu are on the roster. Tomas Satoransky is also a rookie.
House, a forward, McClellan, a shooting guard, and Ochefu, a power forward, were all undrafted free agents. None are projected to play heavy minutes in the Wizards rotation.
In the past, the Wizards have often carried 14 players in order to leave a roster spot open in case of injury. Ochefu’s inclusion on the roster could be viewed as an early move in that context. Backup center Ian Mahinmi, whom the Wizards signed to a $64 million contract in the offseason, is out 3-5 more weeks because of knee surgery Oct. 15. Ochefu is extra insurance at the position.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.