Missing the 'Big Three,' Corey Kispert showcases his biggest asset
Kispert showcases his biggest asset without stars ahead of him originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON -- All season the Washington Wizards have searched for who would step up behind the anointed 'Big Three' of Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis. There were games where it was just them three providing the offense, with no help behind them. Or there were games where two of them went off but there was no bench production to balance out the attack.
Friday night was the first time this season that none of the Wizards' three stars were able to suit up. And without them, it was second-year guard Corey Kispert that rose to the occasion.
Kispert recorded a career-high 27 points to lead the Wizards in 42 minutes of action. All of his points came off 3-pointers, resulting in nine deep balls (a second career-high), just one shy of the franchise record, per Chase Hughes.
It also tied a personal high for the Gonzaga product, who said he also hit nine 3-pointers his senior year against the Virginia Cavaliers.
That night he was just slightly more efficient (9-for-13) than he was on Friday when he hit nine of his 14 attempts against the Magic.
"I knew kind of coming in," Kispert said postgame. "It felt great this morning; got shots up this morning, felt great... Knew I was feeling really good, but it's just about executing and I was pretty much just a 3-point shooter tonight. I had nothing much else to evaluate."
Much of the season has seen the talented shooter growing his game beyond just his 3-point expertise. He's split time between the starting unit and the bench; flirting between being just a catch-and-shoot 3-point option with the starters and growing his offensive game more as a cutter and playmaker with the reserves.
This game, though, he was a starter and with that, there was no obvious primary scoring option ahead of him in the rotation. In total, the three absences meant the Wizards were going to miss over 67 points of offense. When Monte Morris exited the game early in the second half, raise that missing point total to 77.
Kispert did his part, scoring 24 points in the first 26 minutes of action. He was on a heater and being effective as really just a shooter, not providing much of the on-ball playmaking and slashing that he been a focal point for the second-half of the year.
"Yeah, I mean, what today we were missing, Monte was out for... missing 70 points or something like that. So obviously guys have to step up and be more aggressive and when I had a rolling early I knew I had to step into that role a little bit," Kispert said. "To shoot 14 threes in an NBA game your teammates got to be looking for you and making a lot of plays for you. A lot of my stuff didn't come off the dribble tonight. So the credit goes to them for sure, helping me out."
Nights like this one are rare for Kispert in the NBA but it's not because of a lack of talent. Kispert entered the night ninth among qualified shooters with a 42.3% 3-point mark. Players in front of him include Damion Lee, Steph Curry and Tyrese Maxey - some of the top shooting guards in the league. And when missing the key pieces, Kispert has been one of the first ones to stand up. In a four-game stretch without Beal and Kuzma, Kispert is now averaging 21.8 points per game and holds a 57.5% 3-point mark.
But when the other stars are in the lineup, the equation of who gets each percentage of shots is more complicated. Most nights, the Wizards couldn't tout Kispert out as the team's top shot-getter, as he was on Friday.
When he does take the most shots, though, and he is able to take advantage of it, it speaks volumes to why the Wizards drafted him back in 2021.
"Well, it's a huge step. He was primarily a spot-guy last year," head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. "Now he's moving, searching around. I think that's great early in the possession. He's finding space and finding those windows and all those drive-and-kicks and he seems to be getting the shot off quicker which that's a heck of a weapon. Obviously shooting at a very efficient rate so it's a positive."
Injuries have hampered a season built around the trio of Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis. But if Washington were to run it back with the same headliners for the next couple of years, Kispert is proving to be a perfect puzzle piece to have in the mix.
If he can find that balance where he's able to be that 3-point shooting threat with the roster mainstays but also be a leader on the floor with some in the second unit, the bridge between the starters and the reserves get that much smaller.
"The shots just don't come my way when we have a full lineup. It's just kind of the way it is. And now with things have kind of changed a little bit at this kind of end of the season. We're able to try some stuff and I'm able to try some stuff and expand my role and expand my game. So every time I get a look, it's gonna go up," Kispert said.
