Whether he remains with the Wizards or not, Drew Gooden expects his coach next season to throw some additional minutes his way. After turning himself into a stretch forward capable of hitting three-point shots on a regular basis, Gooden now has much more opportunities available to him in free agency.
Following From Washington Post.
“If I said I wouldn’t want an expanded role, I would be sitting here lying to you guys. I think any guy that has a passion or will to play never wants to be taken out of a basketball game,” said Gooden, who was paid the final $6.68 million the Bucks owed him this season. “But then there is common ground, a happy medium to how much my body can take throughout a whole season now at this age. And there are things that I have to work on to gain more minutes.”
This brings up the question if Gooden should even try to play more next season. At the beginning of the season, he will be 34, and may not want to put the extra toll on his body.
Keeping up with a lot of rest in the regular season could prepare Gooden for another playoff push similar to this season’s. However, if his coach can work in some off days and not put too much stress on the stretch forward, he could become a much more impactful player.
Next season, we will see if Gooden is granted his wish or not. Depending on what happens with free agency and how badly Gooden wants to win, he could find an expanded role away from Washington in the offseason.
