Washington Wizards

Marcin Gortat wants to be 'a more dominant big man in this league'

Published Oct. 2, 2015 2:27 p.m. ET

foxsports

Marcin Gortat has a new number and a new attitude heading into the 2015-16 season. Last year was a relative disappointment for Washington's starting center, who was solid but unspectacular.

This year he expects more out of himself, and here's what he told the Washington Times about his individual expectations:

Gortat's playing time took a considerable dip last season. He averaged fewer than 30 minutes per game for the first time since 2010, and was regularly benched in the fourth quarter.

Can he get back to being a more consistent presence? Washington's frontcourt is thin, and Gortat will be called upon to anchor small-ball units that sorely need his production on the glass.

“I want to come back to being a more dominant big man in this league,” Gortat said. “Last year was kind of off for different reasons, personal reasons. I’ve got [that] behind me already. I’m going to try to focus on basketball now. The team deserves a consistent big man.”