Hersh

With any NBA draft, anything in the top 5 should be star players, especially at 3. At 6 and 11, there should be growing pains. Example: Luck and Griffin are projected immediate starters and stars. Tannehill at 8 has questions and may not even start.

Unfortunately that's not how the NBA works. If it did, the Wizards wouldn't be in the lottery still. In the NBA, it's rare that more than a couple of players in any draft become all-star level players.

I'm going to start to temper my excitement about getting Beal, let alone Harden. I'm gonna start thinking worst case scenario and we trade our #3 pick for Metta World Peace thus anything better than that with the Wizards tonight and I'm happy.

By all accounts? Either he can or he can't light up the nets. I don't want potential or maybe and I don't want another Calbert Cheaney. I'd rather trade for Harden or go with some sort of trade scenerio with Portland for the 6/11 combination. I'd take Barnes at 6, at least he's proven he can shoot.

I'd take Harden over everyone else we might get also, but Beal averaged 15 ppg on 10.6 shots per game as a true freshman. I'm not sure how you can say you don't want potential and at the same time advocate trading down for the 6 and 11 pick.

Harden is a nice guy but I feel like he's a flavor of the month player that's being extremely overrated based on one solid year of being the third wheel on a great team, and because of the fact he doesn't have much of a history (devil you don't know). Would people here be OK with trading the third overall pick for someone like Stephen Jackson?

You must be bored to ask a question like that. Harden is only 22 years old, has gotten better every year in the league and just averaged 17 points on just 10 shots per game. If Harden is available for the #3 pick, it's the biggest no-brainer of the night.

---------- Post added June-28th-2012 at 02:26 PM ----------

SM, you're ignoring the fact that Harden is a 3rd year pro, who has gotten better EVERY year. He's 22 and would fill and immediate need for us at the 2. He had a bad Finals, and I think his performance vs. Miami is clouding the judgement of a lot of people. He's well worth giving up the #3 pick. This isn't a role player in the mold of Mike Miller or Randy Foye. Or an over-the hill vet...this is a player who hasn't scratched the surface of his potential and has the ability to be one of, if not THE best SG in the NBA in due time. I really think highly of Harden and we'd be foolish not to nab him if he is actually made available by OKC>

You beat me to it. I failed to mention that he is the kind of player that can create his own shot which this team desperately needs.

I cannot understand why the media and some of our fans want to take Beal. Unless he is an unstoppable shooter, I can't see wasting a top 3 pick on a guy who can't light up the nets.

Because by just about all accounts he can light up the nets, plus he is a good defender. The Wizards need a SG and taking the consensus best one in the draft is a great move. Ernie also put the Wiz in a box with his pre-draft trade for Ariza and Okafor which is why some on this board have smartly wondered why that trade needed to happen before we knew who we were getting in the draft. Frankly, if we miss out on Beal, it's a total failure again for Ernie cause no matter how they spin it, that's who the trade set us up to get. Claiming Harrison barnes is somehow a SG is nothing but spin and even Barnes doesn't want to be a SG.

Case for Barnes:

- Prototype SF physically, runs the floor well

- body is completely NBA ready

- excellent defensive potential--smart, powerful, long, athletic

- should be a good pick and roll defender that can eventually guard 3s, stretch 4s, and big 2s.

- outstanding scorer with go to mentality

- potential for elite, Paul Pierce-esque mid range game.

- outstanding ISO scorer that can be a big source of crunch time offense

- excellent 3 point out let for drive and dish and transition situations

- solid rebounding potential

- spaces our floor well because he's such a threat from mid to long range

- good character guy, knows how to deal with pressure and high expectations, unselfish, winner in the past

Having watched too much of Harrison Barnes and being sounded by many UNC fans (unfortunately), I'm not sure where you got some of these. He might have the potential to be an outstanding scorer, but he certainly didn't show that mentality with any type of consistency. He would disappear for long stretches during games and would rely heavily on jump shooting rather than exploding to the basket. Occasionally he would drive and everyone, including us unc haters, would think: why doesn't he drive more often? Maybe he can grow out of that, but he didn't handle expectations that well and he didn't show that killer instinct on offense including in crunch time. I definitely worry about how good he wants to be as a pro.

I think we're setting ourselves up to make a big push in 2014.

It seems like you are trying to convince yourself that there actually is some long term plan by the Wizards/Ted.

did you see Rivers' workout video with the Wizards? He cant shoot, lol

I only watched Rivers in games even though I hate Duke. I prefer to go on game video as a whole than any private workout. Rivers, while flawed like everyone else, hit clutch shots and has the pedigree to be a smart, talented NBA player.

---------- Post added June-22nd-2012 at 01:33 PM ----------

Not a fan of Rivers. Too selfish. Seems like a real dick of a teammate. Leonard doesn't add up to his parts IMO. Rather have Sullinger than him,

I'd be happy with Sullinger too. I just figured Meyers since he wouldn't be getting much playing time right away anyways.

To play a scenario say We do trade 3 for 6 and 11 (don't know if EG is still pursuing this)

Who do we pick?

6 would be 1 of Barnes, Beal or Drummond (barring a surprise)

11, depending on who we get would seem to have Ross/Lamb/Harkless/PJ3/Jones lot of options

If they do make the trade (which would be really risky) I think the best scenerio would be Barnes and Ross, but that would take a considerable amount of luck

Rivers at 6 and Meyers Leonard at 11. Rivers adds scoring punch and Leonard can develop behind the new front court.

I totally get that...but let's think about the types of FAs we would have gotten vs. who we brought in via trade. I think that's what it boils down tow. We now have to sit back and see how creative EG can get to address other needs on this roster through more trades.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/6/21/3108559/nba-draft-2012-bradley-beal-washington-wizards-harrison-barnes

It's no secret that Cleveland is enamored w. Barnes...this could be a smokescreen to TRY to pry the #24 from them in a Barnes/Beal swap.

I don't get this line of thinking. When was the last time the Wiz tried to get a top tier FA here? I can't recall any all out tries recently.

This isn't the NFL...young players mean jack **** in the NBA. You can't just stockpile draft picks and expect to get good. No, you pray that you find a stud in the first round and you build around them. We are trying to build around John Wall. The Thunder are the RARE exception and the Bobcats and Kings are the norm.

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 05:56 PM ----------

but we had 0 credible shooters this past year...

I'm not arguing against adding veterans, I'm arguing against this specific trade. Ariza shot 41% last year and is a career 43% shooter (31% from 3-point range) which doesn't help this team score and Okafor, while perhaps a good defensive addition, doesn't exactly light up to score board offensively. Maybe we are better defensively, but this team needs more scoring. Also, I wanted to see Seraphin keep getting big minutes and develop. (maybe he still will)

On the plus side, I'm someone that argued at the beginning of last year that this team had no shooters so I hope this means we will be drafting Beal. I've been on that bandwagon since we got the 3rd pick.

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 11:00 PM ----------

Ahahahahahaha

Guess who just won VIP tickets to the Wizards draft party next Thursday?? Oh yeah. Free food and drinks and chilling with ex players. Won them on 106.7. And by just, I mean 30 seconds ago.

So...who wants to ride with me? Got one extra

That's really cool so we expect good pictures.

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 11:02 PM ----------

My question is what of any substance could we have gotten in their place? No one wants to play here...so to me FA isn't relevant. This team is a bigger joke than the Haynesworth era Redskins... Maybe I am being overly pessimistic but that's just how I feel.

When was the last time this team had cap space to aggressively pursue players? Plus, if we have excess cap rooms, deals like these could be made with teams looking to shed salary.

Let's keep ignoring that Ariza is not a good player and Okafor is way past his prime.

But somehow we're back to respectability because we traded for veterans and tied up enough cap space to not be able to improve in the biggest area of need: offense.

I don't understand this trade it all. We just helped New Orleans create lots of cap room by taking on two players that didn't stay healthy last year and their $44 million in contracts ($30 million in additional salary over the next two years when factoring in the buyout of Lewis if we didn't trade him) and we didn't come out with their second 1st round pick??? Ernie just got absolutely fleeced. How does this trade get the Wiz closer to becoming a championship team? It just seems to impede the growth of the young players.

http://www.iamagm.com/news/2012/06/11/cavaliers.offered.4.24.33.and.34.picks.hornets.first.overall?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

That was met with a resounding no.

They are easier to find, I just feel the Wizards haven't really tried to find good shooters for some reason or have had bad luck. I mean other than Mason, who have we really added with a consistent jumper? Lewis never had his heart in it for us, Crawford was always inconsistent, Mack never really had a consistent 3 point shot, Wall we all know about, Mike Miller had one for us for a little bit, and Martin and Almond are cast offs that can't really be counted on for huge minutes. This draft is susposed to be deep in the SG area with plenty of guys who can shoot like John Jenkins, Doron Lamb, Buford, O. Johnson, and Kim English. Find one in the 2nd or grab one in FA if you can.

Like I said earlier, I'm not arguing against T-Rob and I think the Wiz would have a real strong PF/C rotation if they drafted him. What if T-Rob is off the board? I'm not super high on MKG at this point.

Well if you see one in this draft, let me know.

I think Beal can be that guy. (plus they speak highly of his defense and rebounding) Austin Rivers is another guy people feel that can get his own shot and has a good shooting stroke. You are the one that said shooters are easy to find in the NBA especially compared to guys that can rebound so do the Wizards have any of these kinda shooters that are a dime a dozen?

1 - He does not handle the ball well. In fact his biggest weakness is likely his sub par ball handling and difficulty creating his own shot.

2 - He is compared to Ray Allen as a shooter but his FG% is no where near where it would need to be to justify the comparison.

3 - He's probably not the best player available at #3

1. I haven't seen any reports that he is a sub-par ball handler. Where do you get that from?

2. It's never a kids fault that people make impossible to live up to comparisons. By all accounts he struggled for much of his senior year but played great down the stretch in big games.

3. What if T-Rob is gone?

let's face it, it is easier to find shooters in this league than it is to find top notch rebounders with Trob's motor and intensity.

I don't get this sentiment at all. Shooters need to be able to create their own shot because you can't succeed with a team full of spot of shooters.

I can't really argue against T-Rob, but who is going to score for this team? This team had no outside shooting last year and T-Rob doesn't address that plus we seem to be stocked full of your power forwards.

Are there good reasons not to draft Beal? A guy that handles the ball well, gets to the rim and by all accounts has a good outside shot.

Im also very high on Drummond, however I have no faith the Wizards will help him develop the way he needs too. He could end up the best player in this draft.

Agreed on having no faith in that currently. I would have faith if we brought in Jerry Sloan and ran pick n roll sets all game long.

Wizards are 18th in attendance which isn't terrible when you consider they are significantly worse in winning percentage.

I don't think it's about attendance at games anymore as much as it's about the TV contracts.

Anyways, this team needs as many shooters as possible. If Beal can shoot and create his own shot, he should be the pick. 2nd round and Free agent-wise is the same deal. Bring in guys that have good hands and can score.

The problem with keeping Wittman, if he's not the long term coach, is that it's a constantly changing scheme with young players. We need a long term system to be put in place by a coach with a proven system.

Lol, a pause or hesitation might be a better way to describe. It's weird.

You need to be fluid with your shot. Straight up, as you're still going up and set to hit the peak (NOT stop at the peak of your jump and then shoot it), follow through, middle finger putted at the center of the basket, aim for the back of the rim, so on and so forth. MKG is just all sorts of ****ed up.

It's almost like he is shooting when he starts coming down from the peak of his jump.

How about Jerry Sloan to coach the Wiz? Our young players could use a strong system from a coach that has a proven track record. Doesn't matter to me how old he is.

Definitely not true for shooting guards. PG is arguably the most individually important position on the floor.

Today, what teams are good without good PG play? Only Miami really, and they have two top five players who both run the point.

Look at the past 20 NBA championships and list the key players to each. How many key players were PGs compared to shooting guards? In fact, how many teams in which the point guard was the best player on that team have won an NBA title.

Maybe Wall will be a superstar, but he might also leave in a couple of years. If given the chance to trade straight up Wall for Davis, I would take Davis.

---------- Post added April-15th-2012 at 04:24 PM ----------

Today, what teams are good without good PG play? Only Miami really, and they have two top five players who both run the point.

Teams in the Eastern conference playoffs without an Elite PG: Miami, Indiana, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Philadelpia

Teams in the West playoffs without an Elite PG: Lakers, Memphis, Dallas, Denver and Houston (Denver and Houston have good point guards to be sure, but certainly not elite)

Here's a hypothetical from the Wizards post-game show: Would you absolutely rule out trading John Wall for a very high lottery pick?

I would definitely do it for the number one pick if Davis comes out because dominant point guards, who are the best player on their team, generally don't win NBA championships. Not that a PG can't play a huge role, but big men and shooting guards are more important than PGs.

I think you are being overly optimistic. That team doesn't wow me. It has potential though I will give you that.

Anthony Davis is JaVale McGee 2.0 to me. I hope we don't get him. I don't like Sullinger very much either. He'll contribute and be a solid NBA player like a la Big Baby, but he won't be the dominant forward we need.

How is Anthony Davis a JaVale McGee 2.0?? Dude was a point guard in high school so he has good ball skills and a decent outside shot.