At All-Star Break, Wizards’ core of Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis still finding out how good they can be

After the Washington Wizards opted not to trade Kyle Kuzma at the deadline last week, the team’s brass reiterated a message that had been clear for months: They have every intention of re-signing the forward this summer.

But when he was pressed on that plan during a radio interview recently, general manager Tommy Sheppard got a little testy.

“It sounds like you’re not much of a Kyle fan,” Sheppard told The Team 980’s Craig Hoffman. “We think Kyle has really done well here.” 

Jab aside, Sheppard went on to say that he thinks Kuzma fits well alongside a core of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis — a trio that, the executive said, hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play together. But in the limited sample size, Sheppard likes what he sees and would like to continue to watch it develop. That was more appealing, he said, than “who you’d get in the draft” if the Wizards were to, say, trade Kuzma for a future pick. 

As the Wizards head into the All-Star break, Sheppard is right that Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis haven’t been able to consistently take the floor together. Thursday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves marked just the 27th game that the trio has played together. In other words, Washington (27-30) has spent more than half the season missing at least one of their stars.
 
And yet, when healthy, Washington’s Big Three — maybe an overuse of the term, in this case — hasn’t exactly lit the league on fire. Before facing Minnesota, Washington was 13-13 when all three players suit up. 

Looking at that record, it’s hard not to wonder if the Wizards’ ceiling is anything more than a .500 club even if their three best players don’t miss time. 

“You have to find out how good they really, truly are,” Sheppard said. “And I don’t think there’s been enough time together to say that they’re not going to work. Before you can win a title, you have to build, build, build. 

“You don’t just say overnight, ‘This team is good enough. Let’s go.’ No, it takes time. … This group hasn’t been together for a calendar year, really, out on the floor. I don’t think that’s enough time to say, ‘This is definitely not going to work.’” 

To that point, Porzingis was acquired at the 2022 deadline — and the trio didn’t get to play together last year as Beal was shut down with a season-ending wrist injury. 

Patience, though, can be hard to come by when the Wizards are in the fourth full year of Sheppard’s tenure — a stretch that includes only one playoff season (2020-21) and zero winning seasons. 

The Wizards have been incrementally building — with Beal as the centerpiece — but have been unable to escape the NBA’s dreaded no man’s land. They aren’t bad enough to bottom out to likely land a franchise-changing prospect and not good enough to be a viable playoff contender. Instead, they’re in the mix to make the play-in tournament, which may lead to a postseason appearance. 

This summer could only further lock Washington into the middle. With Beal already on a five-year, $251 million contract, the Wizards’ roster is about to get very expensive if they bring back Kuzma and Porzingis — who holds a $36 million player option and can become a free agent, if he declines it. Kuzma has said he plans to decline his $13 million player option and test the market. 

“For us, it’s a team sport,” Kuzma told reporters after the deadline. “Big Threes don’t win you games. Everybody wins a game. … It’s a collective group and it’s not about three players.”

Look close enough, there are some signs that the trio can be effective. Despite the mediocre record, Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis are outscoring opponents by an average of 6.3 points per 100 possessions when sharing the floor, according to Basketball Reference. Collectively, they’ve outscored opponents by 76 points in lineups together. They’re each averaging at least 20 points per game, too. 

Role players, as Kuzma referenced, can also make a difference. During Sheppard’s radio interview, he noted the team’s record with Delon Wright — which is 18-10 when the backup defensive-minded point guard plays. Though Wright doesn’t share the floor often with Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis, he’s had an impact on winning — and Washington is 9-3 when all four play. 

But health figures to be a significant factor in Washington’s future. Beal has suffered a litany of injuries this year as he has missed 22 games. Porzingis is on pace for the second-most games of his career, though has a lengthy injury. Kuzma, who returned Tuesday from a four-game, ankle-sprain-related absence, might be the most durable of the three. 

Now that they’re healthy, however, Sheppard and Co. may finally get an extended look at what this core can do.

“We’re coming together a team,” Porzingis said to NBC Sports Washington after Tuesday’s win over Portland. “Even through some of the losses and stuff, we’re forming our identity. 

“We have 20-plus games left in this season. We have to finish strong.”