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After a four-year college career at Tennessee that included a pair of All-SEC seasons, the Wizards selected Admiral Schofield in the second round of last year’s draft. In the months since, Schofield has combined to appear in 60 games between the Wizards and the Go-Go and has shown the same physicality and versatility that made him a weapon in college. The ability to guard multiple positions and pose a threat from beyond that arc are what most teams look for from their non-lottery draft selections. Schofield put both of those traits on display this season. Below is a deeper dive into his three best performances of his rookie campaign so far.
3. December 14, 2019 at Memphis
14 PTS / 2 REB / 3 AST / 3-5 (.600) 3P
Despite entering the game against the Grizzlies on a six-game scoreless streak, Schofield came out firing. He scored eight of his 14 points in the first half, shooting 3-3 (1.000) from the field and 2-2 (1.000) from 3-point range. The performance capped off one of the best weeks of his young career. Schofield was coming off outings of 29 and 28 points in his two games with the Go-Go that week, shooting 65.6% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.
“He has had a couple of good games,” Brooks said of Schofield postgame. “I saw the (Go-Go) game last night. He shot the ball well and made some big shots down the stretch. That’s what he is there for. Ryan (Richman) and our staff do a good job of getting our players better and he came in and was seamless. We need more of that. I thought he came in, showed some physicality, and made some shots.”
“I was happy for him,” Bradley Beal said of Schofield postgame. “He came in with a lot of energy and focus. He’s a guy that is a true workhorse. He’s one of those guys that you can plug him in, and you know that he’s going to give you 110 percent when he is out there. It’s good for him to be out here in front of his family and being able to get his feet wet. He made some shots and plays.”
Schofield’s performance and a series of injuries to the Wizards’ rotation created opportunity for the rookie. His outing against Memphis marked the first of seven consecutive games with at least 17 minutes played.
2. November 2, 2019 vs. Minnesota
15 PTS / 5-5 (1.000) FG / 3-3 (1.000) 3P
In just his fourth career game, with Washington down late to Minnesota, Schofield checked in and put on one of the best single-quarter performances from a Wizards player all season. In just 15 minutes of action, Schofield was plus-10, made all five of his field goals and all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, including a difficult turnaround jumper on the baseline. The scoring run was not enough to pull the Wizards back into the game, but was an early indicator that the Wizards had found something in the rookie.
1. January 8, 2020 at Orlando
18 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST / 8-13 (.615) FG
With eight Wizards’ players out due to injury against Orlando, Schofield received the biggest opportunity of his rookie season and made the most of it. He played a team-high 35 minutes off the bench against the Magic and matched Troy Brown Jr. with a team-high 18 points. Schofield’s 18 points, 14 of which came in the first half, and six rebounds each marked career highs. Schofield’s 14 first half points came mostly during a short stretch in the second quarter that jumpstarted a 17-4 Wizards run to take the lead.
“He was going to play and he knew was going to be playing [because of the teams’ injuries],” Brooks said of Schofield postgame. “He played well. First half he gave us a good lift…We’ve got nine guys tonight so he was going to play some good minutes.”
“Guys were just finding me,” Schofield said postgame. “I was in some spots I have been in all season and I was just taking advantage of certain reads and guys were just finding me tonight and I was just taking advantage of my opportunities.”