The Washington Wizards won 11 of their last 12 games before the trade deadline. They had a pseudo-MVP candidate running point for one of the league’s most impressive starting lineups—a complementary quintet that, today, has logged over 200 more minutes than any other five-man unit and, heading into the All-Star break, was outscoring opponents by 13.0 points per 100 possessions.

But Washington didn’t have enough horses to make any meaningful impression in the postseason. Their bench ranked 28th in net rating, and it was clear to anyone and everyone that this team wasn’t deep enough to win multiple playoff rounds. They also lacked any insurance to protect them if one of their starters went down with an injury.

So, at the deadline, the Wizards sacrificed a first-round pick and two porous non-contributors from their hapless bench for Bojan Bogdanovic, a 27-year-old restricted free agent to be.

It was the second first-round pick in two years that Washington heedlessly swapped for a short-term upgrade. It induced eye rolls and shoulder shrugs. But with an uncertain future looming over the horizon (just look at that cap sheet), a present-day attempt to leap over the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics for the right to tangle with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers isn’t insane.

In Brooklyn, Bogdanovic was a serviceable contributor who had literal blips of excellence scoring the ball. Washington targeted him for two reasons: 1) a hope that his offense can stabilize one of the worst bench units in the entire NBA, and 2) that his outside shot and size will add another pick-your-poison element to their John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter trio.

So far, Bogdanovic has been pretty good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. According to Synergy Sports, no player in the entire NBA has been more efficient since the trade deadline. Bogdanovic is averaging 1.47 points per possession and 25 points per 36 minutes. His PER is nearly double what it was with the Nets earlier this season and his True Shooting percentage is a stupefying 78.4 percent.

Bogdanovic has never been particularly interested with long twos, but, trudging through an NBA wasteland these last few years, he’s never had this much opportunity and breathing space beyond the arc. In Brooklyn, 32.0 percent of his shots were catch-and-shoot threes. That number has spiked to 55.4 percent since he joined the Wizards.

His life is visibly easier in large part because his role is simplified: just score. Even though he’s actually averaging fewer shots per 36 minutes, Bogdanovic has just four assists in 176 minutes. His turnover rate is at a career low and the percentage of his baskets that are assisted by a teammate is up 26.1 percent (!) compared to his entire tenure with the Nets.

Yes, we’re dealing with a microscopic seven-game sample size. But the dramatic contextual shift seen with Bogdanovic’s responsibilities is fascinating. The trade essentially chiseled the fat from his game. He no longer has to create for others, run pick-and-rolls or take difficult, off-balance shots because defenses are geared up to slow him down.

He’s open a ton right now, and even though he clearly won’t stay this hot for the next two months, that advantage won’t change so long as he’s surrounded by the best players he’s ever played with, with so much more room to operate. After spending 14 percent of his minutes at power forward in three years with the Nets, 70 percent Bogdanovic’s Washington minutes have been at the four. Seventy percent!

At 6’8”, he doesn’t even need a ton of space to get his shot off. But he has it. And Scott Brooks has done a pretty good job incorporating his newest chess piece into the offense with some solid after-time-out actions to get him decent looks at the basket.

These two sets are designed to free Bogdanovic up with a flair screen. Both examples are well defended, but illustrate the additional dimensions he provides for a team that needed more punch. And if teams start running him off the three-point line with a bit more aggression, he’s comfortable attacking closeouts to create his own shot either in space or at the basket.

There was a two-point dud against the Philadelphia 76ers in his debut, and a six-point let down against Toronto when no Wizards played very well except Wall and Beal. Washington’s defense has fallen apart since Bogdanovic joined the team and when he’s on the floor without Wall, Beal, and Porter their offense is sludge. But, again, we’re talking about a small sample that includes games against the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, and Raptors (twice).

Even though he was brought in to prop up Washington’s second unit, Bogdanovic’s job in the playoffs—when starters play even more minutes and it’s unlikely Washington will spend much time without at least one of its three top scorers on the floor—will be to take advantage of defenses that overload to stop Wall and Beal.

As great as Bogdanovic has been, Washington was never one player away from taking down the Cavaliers. His addition doesn’t move the needle beyond keeping them out of Cleveland’s half of the bracket, virtually guaranteeing they’ll get out of the first round and making them more dangerous in the second round. That matters, but Bogdanovic is not Paul George. He’s also not Marcus Thornton.

Bogdanovic is shooting a ton of threes, getting to the free-throw line, and generally performing like the efficient guardian angel Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld prayed for. And once this year ends, Washington has matching rights on Bogdanovic’s contract. If they fold him into their rotation next season, hope Kelly Oubre, Porter, and Beal continue to develop (and stay healthy), then trade another first-round pick for another mid-season mercenary at next year’s deadline, the Wizards may actually be ready to dethrone King James. And if the Cavs suffer a meaningful injury between now and May, they’ve put themselves in a great position to take full advantage.