Really Overdue 2010 D-League Draft Review
37th: - Springfield Armor - Michael Washington, ArkansasWashington was once a significant NBA draft candidate on account of his combination of size and athleticism. However, he's lost much of that athleticism due to two years of back injuries. He went undrafted this past summer and was due to sign with the New Orleans Hornets for training camp; however, the signing was rescinded when the Hornets's training staff couldn't clear Washington to practice. The citing of these injury concerns before anything else is deliberate, because they had stagnated a once promising career.
When healthy (or if healthy), Washington was an athlete 6'9 240lber who piled up the rebounds, made some shots in the paint, and defended the interior well enough. He turned it over a lot, missed his foul shots, scored more with athleticism than dexterity, and was clumsy and inconsistent, yet he produces. But once he got injured and fat, his strengths got weaker, and his weaknesses got no stronger. He needs to turn around this one year decline, and the D-League should be a good place to do that.