Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill will start in Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, head coach Scott Brooks announced.
Gill will replace Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup. Hachimura will miss his fourth straight game with a sore knee.
This will be Gill’s second start of his young NBA career which started this season after four seasons overseas. The former Virginia Cavalier standout earned this upcoming start.
Seldom used, Gill has only appeared in 19 games buried on the depth chart. However, he got the opportunity against Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 20 minutes, he scored nine points and pulled down 10 rebounds — both career-highs.
Now he will get the opportunity to keep the momentum going starting. This may be his most opputune time to impress Brooks and the Wizards coaching staff.
Washington has adjusted around its struggles shooting the three, by getting more shots inside. That’s a byproduct of Russell Westbrook’s dribble penetration and the inside presence of center Daniel Gafford.
Gill fits the mode as well. He has shot a mere 21.4% from three this season. But, he is 66.7% shooter on two-point shots. With the adjustment within the Wizards offense, Gill will have a chance to thrive using his skill sets.
