Wizards Veteran Boasts Career Night vs. 76ers

March was a massive month on the court for the Washington Wizards. Despite winning one game across their 16 contests, players made notable statistical jumps. Bilal Coulibaly reclaimed his spot as a cornerstone to the young core, while Will Riley and Julian Reese put the league on notice with several major performances.

In Washington’s first game of April, they proved these amazing performances would continue. Against the Philadelphia 76ers, the box score was filled with impressive performances, but none topped the career night that Wizards veteran Anthony Gill had.

Wizards Veteran Boasts Career Night vs. 76ers

With the season winding down, Washington has consistently emptied the bench, getting everyone lots of reps and touches. With that, Gill and others have gotten lots of chances to display their worth to the organization, as everyone fights for a chance to compete in D.C next season.

While Wednesday’s game wasn’t close, with Philly winning 153-131, Gill provided a huge lift. At the end of the night, the 33-year-old finished with career highs in points (21) and assists (six) in an incredible offensive performance.

While the media will rave over Paul George’s 39-point game, Wizards fans can gravitate towards Gill leading the team in scoring. He stood out by far as the best Wizard on the floor. It may not push him into conversations for one of the last few spots on next season’s roster, but Gill has left everything on the court as the campaign comes to an end.

Gill’s Season

Gill’s “glue guy” role in Washington has kept him a fan favorite while playing limited minutes throughout his career. This season started no differently, averaging just eight minutes up until the All-Star Break. Now 21 games past the festivities, Gill’s playing time has tripled, playing almost 26 minutes per outing.

With that, Gill’s stats have increased, but only slightly compared to others experiencing the same jump in minutes. Across 49 games, Gill is averaging 5.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in nearly 16 minutes of action.

Moving Forward

With several notable players out with injuries, Gill’s playing time for the rest of the season will continue to climb. Does he have a chance at another breakout performance? The Wizards’ tank will no doubt allow Gill to increase his workload, especially with Kyshawn George out for the remainder of the year and others, like Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis, without timelines to return.

Washington will play the Miami Heat (again, unfortunately) and Chicago Bulls twice, while traveling to Brooklyn and Cleveland to play the Nets and Cavaliers in their remaining six games. The Wizards will continue to empty the bench while giving everyone substantial playing time, which means Gill could dominate once again. While these teams to provide tough matchups up front, Gill’s minutes could allow him to have another career night before the season concludes on April 12th.