Heavyweight Playoff Matchups Create Draft Question for Wizards

The Thunder squeezed the life out of the Nuggets in a 125-93 Game 7 win with their voracious defense, as Oklahoma City's role playing guards in Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Lu Dort kept up with MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in picking Denver's pockets all game.

For teams more focused on building for the future, it posed the question: if this style makes for such a stifling impact, how many of these available prospects could translate as winning pieces?

Washington has to ask that question, with their draft selection spot forcing them to choose between two schools of thought. The majority of wings they'll be scouting, whether they're VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel or Tre Johnson, fall into certain roles.

Johnson and Bailey are much more focused on flourishing as the professional scorers they are, while Knueppel and Edgecombe have piqued interest from their two-way upside and preference for fitting into a team's mold. The Thunder have no reason to make a draft-related statement when they're currently competing for titles, but they made a case for what a winning program prefers in a big game even when their shots aren't falling.

Dawkins has quickly developed a reputation for not just hitting on his draft picks, but successfully banking on feel for the game, defense and athleticism as winning values in his young Wizards. Composed disruptors and athletes like Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George aren't far from the OKC mold of prospect, and neither are some of the candidates the Wizards could nab at #6 next month.