The Washington Wizards have a new role in mind for longtime starter Nene Hilario. That is, unless he's traded.
The new plan calls for Nene to come off the bench as former running mate Marcin Gortat's backup at center, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.
Nene has started 601 of 747 games played since breaking into the NBA in 2002. Over the past four campaigns in Washington, Nene started in 150 of 192 games, primarily as a power forward.
Nene's new role aligns with the Wizards' sweeping philosophical changes this offseason, Castillo explained. Head coach Randy Wittman wants his team to play at a faster pace with better spacing on the floor. That puts a strain on non-shooters like Nene, who's an effective scorer in the post and an excellent defender when healthy, but nevertheless an incongruent piece alongside another non-shooter in Gortat.
When asked about the move, Nene brushed off the assertion.
"I have no clue," Nene said Saturday. "That's the coach's decision."
The Wizards were successful with their starting arrangement of Nene with John Wall, Bradley Beal, Paul Pierce, and Gortat, as they outscored opponents by 7.4 points per 100 possessions, per NBA Stats. However, when Nene was replaced by a shooter in Drew Gooden, Washington outscored opponents by a whopping 13.7 points per 100 possessions.
That's the hope for Washington this season. In most games, the Wizards will play a shooter like Gooden, Otto Porter, Jared Dudley, or even Kris Humphries (who's developing a 3-point shot) while Nene joins a revamped second unit.
The move, however, shouldn't be confused for a demotion, as Wittman said the 13-year veteran will receive the same touches and minutes he had last season.
"Nene's going to continue, whether he's a starter or non-starter, to get the minutes he's gotten since he's been here," the head coach said. "I'm not going to play him any differently whether he's a starter or not."
"The bottom line is the betterment of the team," Wittman added.
