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The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc


BRAVEONAWARPATH

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1 minute ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Incredible choke fest on both sides.  We just choked a tiny bit less than them.  When Brooks called the timeout after Keef caught the ball from Sato I wished I was there to slap him.

Ya, I was convinced you were checking your Bleacher Report app anyway.

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The situation is set for Wall to come back and be the hero.  Move the ball, play defense, and hunt for easy offense and the Wizards should finish strong.  This is the best team Wall has ever had here.   He just needs to trust them to carry more of the load while trying to get his NBA legs back under him.  Wall is such a significant upgrade at PG that just taking what the opposing defense gives him, and competing at the other end, will make a big difference.  

 

The sooner the better, because this team needs their point guard back in the 4th.  

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1 hour ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

 

 

I saw him say that last night.  Made me laugh.  He was joking but you could also tell that Beal is tired of carrying the load.  And I understand completely.  This team's offense is less balanced that we anticipated.  Every damn half court possession is such a slog without Wall.  We don't have any easy halfcourt offense without him.  And we get stuck falling into a rut where it's pass to Beal, run PnR, have him charge into the defense and hope for a cutter to come open or hope his gravity pulls a perimeter defender off a shooter.  It's 24 seconds of work to get an open look every time.

 

That's why we have to play totally clean and win with our defense.  Can't turn it over.  Can't miss free throws.  Can't have defensive lapses.

 

We just don't have a single ball handler that scares anyone other than Wall.  They aggressively pressure us on the perimeter and trap us out to 30 feet because they know we don't have anyone with the first step and tight handle to make them pay for doing it.  We couldn't do that to Boston because Tatum will blow right by you.  Brad is a fast open floor runner and he can catch you sleeping and get by bigs, but Otto isn't even going to do that much.  He has no explosion in his game.

 

Oubre's got a first step and a strong body to finish through contact and the natural aggression to exploit openings in the D.  He is our second most dangerous slasher/finisher off the dribble and he doesn't have a right hand.  We sacrificed dynamic ball handling team-wide in order to load up on unselfish shooters.

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5 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

I saw him say that last night.  Made me laugh.  He was joking but you could also tell that Beal is tired of carrying the load.  And I understand completely.  This team's offense is less balanced that we anticipated.  Every damn half court possession is such a slog without Wall.  We don't have any easy halfcourt offense without him.  And we get stuck falling into a rut where it's pass to Beal, run PnR, have him charge into the defense and hope for a cutter to come open or hope his gravity pulls a perimeter defender off a shooter.  It's 24 seconds of work to get an open look every time.

 

That's why we have to play totally clean and win with our defense.  Can't turn it over.  Can't miss free throws.  Can't have defensive lapses.

 

We just don't have a single ball handler that scares anyone other than Wall.  They aggressively pressure us on the perimeter and trap us out to 30 feet because they know we don't have anyone with the first step and tight handle to make them pay for doing it.  We couldn't do that to Boston because Tatum will blow right by you.  Brad is a fast open floor runner and he can catch you sleeping and get by bigs, but Otto isn't even going to do that much.  He has no explosion in his game.

 

Oubre's got a first step and a strong body to finish through contact and the natural aggression to exploit openings in the D.  He is our second most dangerous slasher/finisher off the dribble and he doesn't have a right hand.  We sacrificed dynamic ball handling team-wide in order to load up on unselfish shooters.

You need to post this on realgm....:(

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59 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

We just don't have a single ball handler that scares anyone other than Wall.  They aggressively pressure us on the perimeter and trap us out to 30 feet because they know we don't have anyone with the first step and tight handle to make them pay for doing it.  We couldn't do that to Boston because Tatum will blow right by you.  Brad is a fast open floor runner and he can catch you sleeping and get by bigs, but Otto isn't even going to do that much.  He has no explosion in his game.

 

Oubre's got a first step and a strong body to finish through contact and the natural aggression to exploit openings in the D.  He is our second most dangerous slasher/finisher off the dribble and he doesn't have a right hand.  We sacrificed dynamic ball handling team-wide in order to load up on unselfish shooters.

It's sad that we need an all star point guard to pass out of a trap.  All any team needs is for players that recognize it, and a plan to move the ball when it appears.  We've seen Wall do this in games where the opposing team is forcing the ball out of his hands.  I'm not convinced that Beal, Otto, and Sato are incapable of seeing a second defender and passing it quickly.  Just have players move to create a passing lane and look to immediately pass it again (because someone is open).  The Wizards inability to deal with traps 30 feet from the basket should embarrass the coaching staff. 

 

Wall is needed desperately because Beal and Sato can't drive and create a great shot in the 4th quarter.  Beal, for whatever reason, turns into a bad shot taker and a turnover machine when playing point late in games.  Defenders are up on their assignments and this offense doesn't run plays that can free them up.  They need a player that can break down a defender 1 on 1, and force the defense to rotate or over help.  The only guy they have that can do that is Wall. 

 

It wouldn't hurt for the Wizards to run some damn plays though.  A team with shooters and a center that's really only good for setting screens should run this: 

 

But that would require setting off ball screens, and the Wizards treat those like they cost money. 

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That's good halfcourt action, but there are two problems with it for us:

 

1 - Gortat can't finish in the lane unless he's got an open path to the rim.

2 - Keef and Scott both set ****ty screens.  Trying to backscreen with them won't reliably get the shooter open.

 

You could run it with Mahinmi but you need someone to set that initial ball screen and I'm not sure who.  Otto I guess, but he's not exactly known for his screen setting.

 

Everything comes back to having suckass bigs.  It limits us in a ton of different ways.

Also you need the ball handler to really press the defense off that initial ball screen and Sessions is probably the only one fast and dangerous enough to do it.

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That play is designed to generate a three point attempt, so Gortat's weakness is hidden in favor of his screen setting.  Point is, there are simple ways to generate shots that fit this personnel, but Brooks refuses to run plays.  Teams have been incredibly over aggressive defending us, because they know it.  They can commit weakside help early, they can double and trap 30 feet from the rim, because they know there is no plan.  All they have to do is rattle the ball handler and play the passing lanes.  

 

 

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True.  The coaching is weak.  Running Beal at PG and not running an offense has tanked his efficiency.  He's turning it over left and right.

But I still maintain that it is hard to run a good system when your bigs are so weak.  Keef doesn't want to move.  Scott doesn't know how to.  It's to the point where Mahinmi is the only big on the roster I trust to give me a good effort and he's in foul trouble half the time.

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3 hours ago, TryTheBeal! said:

Mahinmi had a hell of a game last night.

Has there been any word on why he got a DNP the other night, or why he's not finishing games anymore?  Seems like he's fallen out of favor with Brooks lately, but he's been playing the best basketball we've seen from him as a wizard.  

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6 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Everything comes back to having suckass bigs.  It limits us in a ton of different ways.

Also you need the ball handler to really press the defense off that initial ball screen and Sessions is probably the only one fast and dangerous enough to do it.

 

Need a big with some hands in the lane. This will be a bigger problem when Wall comes back. He needs someone in the lane to dump the ball off too.

 

Mahinmi's improved 1000% in this area. If Keif could just occasionally give us something in the lane or maybe with his back to the basket. And he can too, or at least every 10 games or so he shows something inside. And he shoots >80% at the stripe. I know its not his game, but Gortat/Mahinmi Kief/Scott, there's not many options there. 

 

Will have to figure this out come playoff time. Teams will continue to double/trap our shooters and ball handlers. 

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