Hinrich Ready for Rebuilding Process with Wizards
The reality of being a Washington Wizards player is finally settling in for Kirk Hinrich, who still remembers the shock of being traded from the Chicago Bulls this June.
Hinrich originally said that he was a little surprised that the Bulls would deal him to the Wizards in order to free up salary cap space for the pursuit of elite free agents like LeBron James. Now he has accepted his role on the Wizards and is looking forward to being a part of the franchise rebuilding alongside John Wall.
"Whenever you get the No. 1 pick and a guy has talented as John, you have the young cast around him, it’s a sense of rebuilding," Hinrich said Monday. "But I feel like we have the talent and if we play the right way and consistently play hard every night, I feel like we can surprise a lot of people."
Hinrich also mentioned that he does have a little bit of something to prove to Chicago, but that his main focus was on the future with Washington.
Hinrich said: “I'm very appreciative of my time in Chicago, they gave me an opportunity to first of all become a pro player and then grow as one. I was in Chicago for so long and I appreciate my opportunity, but I'm excited to go to a new organization. It's like almost coming into the league again. I'm very motivated and excited to play great basketball."
Hinrich developed into a fairly strong point guard for Chicago and since being drafted seventh overall in 2003 from Kansas has averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 assists for the Bulls.
Although Hinrich is not particularly old at the age of 29, the Wizards are counting on him to be one of the veteran leaders throughout the Wizards’ rebuilding process. As general manager Ernie Grunfeld said: "The direction we are trying to go — obviously we are building — but when you build you also need some veterans, some leaders, players that have been through the wars before. Kirk is definitely one of those players. He's been a winner his whole career in college and in the pros. We expect him to provide a lot of leadership on our team."
Perhaps what the Wizards hope for most is that Hinrich has as beneficial of a leadership impact on rookie point guard John Wall as he did on Chicago’s Derrick Rose when he was drafted by the Bulls in 2008.
Hinrich is quick to note that that Rose was a great player independently and he got too much credit for his development, but Hinrich’s leadership as Chicago captain for four seasons clearly had an impact. Together with Wall, Hinrich gives Washington a good sense of leadership and purpose.
This is essential for the franchise as they are attempting to rebuild from Gilbert Arenas’ locker room gun-toting incident. That leadership will also be essential in dealing with adjusting three players who are primarily point guards to play other positions.
At 6ft 4in, Arenas is the tallest of the trio, and should be shifted over to the shooting guard slot. Based on Hinrich’s versatility and Wall’s speed, it seems that Wall would be the team's main point guard. Grunfeld regularly mentioned Hinrich’s versatility, which means he will most likely be playing a variety of on-court roles for the Wizards.
Hinrich has his preferences, but is willing to adjust. He said: "I probably feel more comfortable playing the one, it’s a little easier. But I feel I am very capable of playing both positions and starting in training camp, that's going to be a challenge, trying to figure exactly where I fit in and what I can do to help this team."
If the three players mesh well, then the Wizards can surprise a lot of teams based on pure talent at the guard positions alone. However, the experiment can easily backfire. It is never easy to accommodate three esteemed players used to the same position, especially with a temperament as volatile as Arenas’ in the mix.
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