Shabazz

Napier

Napier, who agreed to a contract with Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia ahead of last season but never played for them (injury to begin the year, then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February), is headed to Serbia. The Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 NCAA tournament, Napier joins a roster that includes the likes of Aaron White (Iowa), Hassan Martin (Rhode Island), and John Holland (Boston University). Napier last played in the NBA in 2020 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Napier did not play in the NBA last season but made 56 appearances between the Wolves and Wizards in 2019-20. Now 30 years old, there’s no guarantee we see Napier in the NBA again.

Napier wasn’t all that impactful as a fantasy option, so no worries there. Washington will employ a similar lineup to Tuesday’s game in its bubble finale, with Troy Brown Jr. starting at the point and Ish Smith coming off the bench. Brown has struggled with his shot, but there’s some fantasy appeal there with him having the ball in his hands even more than he did when sharing the floor with a “traditional” point guard.

He should be out there, but if he’s not starting, he’s not worth deploying in fantasy hoops.

Ish Smith will come off the bench, allowing Troy Brown Jr. to start at point guard for the Wizards tonight, which should be fun to watch. Additionally, Jerome Robinson will start at shooting guard for the Wiz.

The Wizards have no incentive to play Napier at less than 100 percent and this gives them another chance to give Troy Brown Jr. some reps at point guard. If Napier doesn’t play, that will also benefit Ish Smith and Jerome Robinson.

Robinson was the first man off the bench in both halves, filling the sixth-man role with Shabazz Napier out due to injury. While he ran into some issues with fouls, Robinson led the Wizards in both points, assists and 3-pointers. Getting a longer look at Troy Brown Jr. running the show has been a stated goal of coach Scott Brooks’ in Washington’s remaining games, but carving out more minutes for Robinson should be another priority as the Wizards play out the string. He’s worth a long look as a low-cost DFS option, especially if Napier has to miss more time.

Napier was already serving as Washington’s backup point guard, so his absence doesn’t change anything when it comes to Ish Smith’s status as the starter. What it could mean however, is more time at the point for Troy Brown Jr. Last week coach Scott Brooks said that he wanted to get Brown at least one start at the point in the Wizards’ remaining games, and while that won’t happen Sunday he should spend more time initiating things offensively.

Smith had his best game in the bubble Friday, establishing new highs in points and assists. Add in the six rebounds and four steals, and the veteran point guard had a good night as far as fantasy production is concerned. He should remain ahead of Shabazz Napier (nine points, three rebounds and one 3-pointer in 19 minutes) in the pecking order, but the expectation is that in at least one of Washington’s final three games Troy Brown Jr. will get a start at the point. Smith will still have value, but he’ll take a slight hit when that time comes.

Napier entered this game hitting just 27.3% for 8.5 points and 2.5 assists in two starts, so he needed a game like this one. Coach Scott Brooks said before the game that he wanted to see more from Napier, so this performance should keep him heavily involved despite the demotion. We like Ish Smith better for the short term, though.