Ian Mahinmi
Height: 6-11
Weight: 262 lbs.
Age: 30
NBA Experience: 8 years
By the Numbers:
Games Played: 31
Games Started: 0
Total Minutes: 555 (17.9 MPG)
Points: 173 (5.6 PPG)
Assists: 19 (0.6 APG)
Rebounds: 150 (4.8 RPG)
Steals: 33 (1.1 SPG)
Blocks: 24 (0.8 BPG)
Field goals: 65-111(.586)
Free throws: 43-75(.573)
3-pointers: 0-0 (.000)
Turnovers: 34
Net Rating: 6 (110-104)
PER: 14.1
Nobody on the Wizards was bit by the injury bug harder than Ian Mahinmi this past season. Don’t get me wrong, he was good when he was on the court but he missed a lot of games in both the regular season and the playoffs. The 30-year old veteran from France has had some solid experience and has been around since the very season I started following this wonderful sport. He was drafted by the Spurs in 2003, played internationally to begin his career (much like Satoransky (insert hyperlink to my last article)), played on some good Spurs teams and won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. He was on the Pacers when they beat the Wizards in 2014, the first year John Wall, Bradley Beal, and company led the Wizards to the playoffs.
The Wizards acquired Mahinmi last offseason with a four-year, $64 million deal. In the preseason, he was ruled out four to six weeks when he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. He wouldn’t make his DC debut until late November facing the team that drafted him. He then missed six more weeks less than a month later due to more knee pain. He wouldn’t be back on the court until Feb. 8 when the team was in Brooklyn. It was just his second game, he scored his first points. On the Wizards west coast trip in early March, he had seven steals in a win over the Suns. On St. Patrick’s Day he had his best offensive game with 16 points.
During the playoffs it was back to cruel reality as he missed the first round of the playoffs with a strained left calf. The Wizards still prevailed in six games over the Hawks. He came back during Game 3 of the second round series against the Celtics.
Season Takeaways
This past season was just Mahinmi’s first year with the team. If he stays healthy next season, I think Washington’s bench will improve tremendously.
He has an NBA ring on his resume. Having a veteran presence with that kind of experience will be vital to the House of Guards and Death Row DC, who look to take the Wizards to the next level.
The Wizards bench does need some adjustments this offseason but Mahinmi will be one of those players who is returning next season. If they find a steal in the upcoming draft or free agency that could complement him, look out.