The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[RonArtest15]

59 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

He's got a 32% usage rating and an ORtg of 104.  That is lousy for a center.  He's not a good passer.  He's willing, and sometimes he makes a spectacular one, but 5 assists against 5 turnovers a game is lousy.  Marc Gasol and Joakim Noah were good passers.  Cousins is a center, his assist/turnover ration should be 2 or better, like their's were.  Otherwise he's actually hurting you by trying to do too much.

 

And you don't need a five who shoots threes, especially since Cousins isn't a great three point shooter.  You don't need a fifth guy on the perimeter when you've got shooters at 1-4.  You can't even space a floor with five on the three point line.  In today's league, you're better off having a guy like Capela operating in the paint and shooting nothing but bunnies and shooting 60% rather than a three point shooting big who shoots 47%.

 

Cousins does a lot of positive things.  He can be a tough rim protector when he's dialed in.  He's a great rebounder.  And he is excellent at getting to the FT line and he shoots a good percentage from it.  I agree that he could probably get us to 50 wins, but that's a one win improvement from the year Wall was healthy.  That's marginal improvement.

 

I can't agree that Cousins is one of the three to five best centers in the NBA.  I would rather have Davis, Gobert, Capela, Drummond, and Jokic.  I think those guys are easier to win with because they're so much more efficient, and Capela, Drummond, and Gobert are awesome defensive players.

 

I heard about this last night.  I'm not sure I like John playing GM.  It's symptomatic of a dysfunctional organization and highlights the weakness of our FO.

 

But I also acknowledge that John probably saw something that he knows we need in Rivers.

 

And honestly... John picking our back up PGs can't be worse than Ernie doing it.

 

100% disagree. 

 

Cousins makes this team MUCH better.  I'd love to see what he can do with one of the better backcourts in the league.  No, you don't need a 5 that shoots 3's, but in today's league, a center who can space the floor due to being able to put the ball in the hoop from ANYWHERE is a major plus.  Cousins brings that. 

 

I'm willing to accept Cousins' warts due to being in an awful situation in Sacramento.  You need to ask yourself WHY he was trying to do too much...If we were able to defend Wall when he had to put up with similar BS early in his career, then Cousins deserves the same benefit of the doubt.  I saw enough in New Orleans to know that he can be a dynamic offensive force in this league. 

 

I am in no way saying that this would be the move to guarantee the Wizards to the ECF, but it would make them the most talented squad that we've had in DC since Gil/Jamison/Butler were hoopin'. 

12 minutes ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

Im good on Cousins.

 

Big man with a blown out Achilles. I will pass.

 

That's the only caveat right now...what kind of condition he'll be in come October.  The history of big men coming off this injury in the NBA isn't good.  So I 100% expect the deal to get done LOL. 

 

But honestly, some sort of big splash needs to be made by the front office.  Years of Wall are being wasted right now.  They have to get creative to pull something off, but if not now, then when? 

 

Maybe they try for your dude Nurkic?  So, who knows...

 

*edit*

 

A little more than a year ago, I scoffed at the idea of Chris Paul going to Houston. I ignored the guy feverishly conspiring about it like he was Lucy Barker in internet rags. Then it happened. A rumor born of imagination, suspicion, and too much cold brew became reality. Paul pulled a sign-and-trade, said smell ya later to the Clippers, and joined the Rockets. The rest was history (by which I mean Houston shooting 7-for-44 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals).

I humbly present rumor mill Round 2: DeMarcus Cousins to the Wizards, and the 10-point plan that gets him there.

 

Are the Wizards the Most Logical Landing Spot for DeMarcus Cousins?

Edited June 28, 2018 by RonArtest15

[Going Commando]

9 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

I'm willing to accept Cousins' warts due to being in an awful situation in Sacramento.  You need to ask yourself WHY he was trying to do too much...If we were able to defend Wall when he had to put up with similar BS early in his career, then Cousins deserves the same benefit of the doubt.  I saw enough in New Orleans to know that he can be a dynamic offensive force in this league. 

 

Wall eventually got good and started winning though.  He plays a winning brand of basketball.  Cousins never turned that corner.  And it's hard to ignore that New Orleans got better after he got hurt.

 

Cousins can give you a lot of volume points, free throws, and rebounds, but the game has changed.  Getting those things from your center just aren't as important as they used to be.  Utah and Houston had so much success playing with much more limited offensive players at center.  They showed that you can win more when your center is a defense and rebounding specialist who plays a very limited role on offense.

 

I'm not totally against Cousins because I do think he has the talent to thrive in a much more limited offensive role.  And I think he has the talent to play good defense.  And he's a great rebounder.  I think Cousins can change and become a much better player.  But that just feels too optimistic to project.  Eight seasons is a long time for bad habits to set in.  And he's coming off a devastating injury.  He feels way too risky.

[RonArtest15]

8 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

Wall eventually got good and started winning though.  He plays a winning brand of basketball.  Cousins never turned that corner.  And it's hard to ignore that New Orleans got better after he got hurt.

 

Cousins can give you a lot of volume points, free throws, and rebounds, but the game has changed.  Getting those things from your center just aren't as important as they used to be.  Utah and Houston had so much success playing with much more limited offensive players at center.  They showed that you can win more when your center is a defense and rebounding specialist who plays a very limited role on offense.

 

I'm not totally against Cousins because I do think he has the talent to thrive in a much more limited offensive role.  And I think he has the talent to play good defense.  And he's a great rebounder.  I think Cousins can change and become a much better player.  But that just feels too optimistic to project.  Eight seasons is a long time for bad habits to set in.  And he's coming off a devastating injury.  He feels way too risky.

 

You can make a legit argument that the Kings' FO is more inept than the Wizards.  What's a winning brand of basketball?  Those intangibles?  Wall was winning like 20 games his first few years in the league and now he's probably averaging around 43-44...it's mediocre. 

 

Cousins, when healthy, is ELITE on offense.  Guys like Capela and Gobert are ELITE on defense.  It cancels out due to Cousins' shortcomings on defense and Capela/Gobert's on offense.  IF the Wizards can pull off this trade and then make a run using the MLE on someone like Noel, this would be a crazy successful offseason.  A risky bet going forward due to his health, but something that is necessary...

 

Also, regarding New Orleans:

 

 

• When he went down at the end of a game where the Pels beat the best team in the league, we were 27-21 and had won 7 of the last 8. After he went out we managed 21-13. I don't see a huge difference there.

 

From a poster on Reddit...Pels were starting to click at the right time.  I have no reason to believe that they wouldn't have gone on that crazy run had Boogie not been injured. 

 

 

[CrypticVillain]

2 hours ago, RonArtest15 said:

Are the Wizards the Most Logical Landing Spot for DeMarcus Cousins?

 Last part of the article...

Quote

The Wizards would have three playmakers on the floor. If they could find a way to keep Porter, they’d have a 3-point assassin, too. Who does that sound like?

 

Seriously though, I don't care right now. Honestly, I really want us to sign no one so Ernie could get fired... Starting to realize it won't happen though.

[RonArtest15]

3 hours ago, CrypticVillain said:

 Last part of the article...

 

Seriously though, I don't care right now. Honestly, I really want us to sign no one so Ernie could get fired... Starting to realize it won't happen though.

 

I don't know how possible a S&T is w/o giving up Otto to make the salaries work.  Maybe someone else who is better versed at understanding the cap can help out, but if by a miracle they can pull off a move for Boogie WITHOUT giving up Otto, that would, IMO, put the Wizards in talks to legit make it out of the East next season.  It would completely change the narrative of this team going forward. 

[Warhead36]

My thing is: why not take a swing? This franchise NEVER goes big. Its always small move here, small move there. Take a shot. If you miss, so what? So we win 35 games instead of 45? Either way we're not contending.

 

Sometimes you gotta roll the dice to get out of the gutter.

[Going Commando]

Just to recap:

 

New Orleans got DeMarcus Cousins, at the deadline, for Buddy Hield and a bag of crap.  At the time, Cousins had a year and a half left on his deal and was healthy.

 

Now he's an unrestricted free agent and is coming off a devastating foot injury.  And we're talking about giving up Otto Porter for him?

 

What the **** kind of sense does that make?  Pay infinitely more than New Orleans for infinitely worse risk?  While he's a free agent??

 

If we're going to get rid of Otto, why don't we just trade him to the Brooklyn Nets or someone else with cap space along with Mahinmi and sign Cousins outright?  Why give New Orleans something for nothing?

Trading Otto should accomplish much more than just bringing in Cousins.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

I might be in the minority but I think I'd rather have Dwight.

---

 

Whatever his issues are, he can still run the floor, play above the rim and protect the paint.

[Spaceman Spiff]

8 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Just to recap:

 

New Orleans got DeMarcus Cousins, at the deadline, for Buddy Hield and a bag of crap.  At the time, Cousins had a year and a half left on his deal and was healthy.

 

Now he's an unrestricted free agent and is coming off a devastating foot injury.  And we're talking about giving up Otto Porter for him?

 

What the **** kind of sense does that make?  Pay infinitely more than New Orleans for infinitely worse risk?  While he's a free agent??

 

If we're going to get rid of Otto, why don't we just trade him to the Brooklyn Nets or someone else with cap space along with Mahinmi and sign Cousins outright?  Why give New Orleans something for nothing?

Trading Otto should accomplish much more than just bringing in Cousins.

 

I don't get it, how does it work?  If Boogie is a UFA, how could the Wiz consider trading Otto for him?  

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

5 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

I don't get it, how does it work?  If Boogie is a UFA, how could the Wiz consider trading Otto for him?  

A Sign and trade.

 

Boogie would re-sign with NO and then the Wiz could trade for him.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_and_trade

[Spaceman Spiff]

Just now, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

A Sign and trade.

 

Boogie would re-sign with NO and then the Wiz could trade for him.

 

Ah, that makes sense.  

 

I'd like to see them get a big, be it Boogie or Howard.  Going into the season with Wall, Beal and a bunch of wings isn't a plan.  

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

 

[TradeTheBeal!]

19 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Just to recap:

 

New Orleans got DeMarcus Cousins, at the deadline, for Buddy Hield and a bag of crap.  At the time, Cousins had a year and a half left on his deal and was healthy.

 

Now he's an unrestricted free agent and is coming off a devastating foot injury.  And we're talking about giving up Otto Porter for him?

 

What the **** kind of sense does that make?  Pay infinitely more than New Orleans for infinitely worse risk?  While he's a free agent??

 

If we're going to get rid of Otto, why don't we just trade him to the Brooklyn Nets or someone else with cap space along with Mahinmi and sign Cousins outright?  Why give New Orleans something for nothing?

Trading Otto should accomplish much more than just bringing in Cousins.

 

The fact that Divac is a terrible GM has no relevance.  Otto is a passive wing that can’t stay healthy on a terrible contract.  I’d do the deal in a heartbeat.

[Going Commando]

1 minute ago, TryTheBeal! said:

 

The fact that Divac is a terrible GM has no relevance.  Otto is a passive wing that can’t stay healthy on a terrible contract.  I’d do the deal in a heartbeat.

 

DeMarcus Cousins is an overrated loser that can't stay healthy either.  There is no way I'd trade Otto for him.

And to be clear, you're talking about giving up our second or third best player for a free agent coming off a devastating injury in a squeezed out market where no one wants him.  That is an absurd mismanagement of resources that no decently run team in the league would ever do.

[Destino]

I’m not sure any teams want Otto at what he’s earning.  Let’s face it, despite the advanced stats he didn’t conclude to earning his contract last season.  Why would the Pelicans want to take on his salary?  They might think they’re better off signing two really good role players or trying to land a big name free agent of their own.  

[Going Commando]

Otto Porter is super underrated.  Even by this fan base.

One of the leagues best shot makers + hyper efficient + great defensive player and rebounder + hustle player who makes winning plays + has no ego and never causes drama.

[StillUnknown]

42 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Otto Porter is super underrated.  Even by this fan base.

One of the leagues best shot makers + hyper efficient + great defensive player and rebounder + hustle player who makes winning plays + has no ego and never causes drama.

 

Not sure i go as far as saying he's a great defensive player. He also has no real aggressiveness to him

 

I dont know if i want a max player who is seemingly content to just "go with the flow", especially when he's capable of much more.

 

Whether its brooks not using hin more or otto simply not wanting to be used more, the dynamic has to change for him to be worth that deal

[Destino]

40 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Otto Porter is super underrated.  Even by this fan base.

One of the leagues best shot makers + hyper efficient + great defensive player and rebounder + hustle player who makes winning plays + has no ego and never causes drama.

Counterpoint:  26 million, 27 million, and then a player option for 28 million.  

[Renegade7]

21 hours ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

I might be in the minority but I think I'd rather have Dwight.

---

 

Whatever his issues are, he can still run the floor, play above the rim and protect the paint.

 

I agree with you, even if he isn't an all-star, he's competent and for the most part staying healthy.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

 

[Dancing Bear]

Cousins is going to the Lakers. 

Book it.

 

[CRobi21]

Deals being made all over the place...

 

 

[StillUnknown]

8 minutes ago, CRobi21 said:

Deals being made all over the place...

 

 

 

Grunfeld stairs at this before making a call

 

[Going Commando]

It's a real shame we don't have cap space.  That Mahinmi deal is haunting.  There are going to be good centers available for dirt cheap in this market.

 

Panic spending in the summer of 2016 after getting shat on by Durant and Horford was the worst possible decision Ernie could make.

[Destino]

Do you think the Thunder might be interested in giving up Adams?  No way they want to pay a historic amount of tax.

 

The Trade (trade machine says it works)

Wizards get Steven Adams and Damarre Carroll

Thunder get Ian Mahinmi, Austin Rivers, draft pick from Nets

Nets get Otto Porter and Melo

 

1- Wizards pick up a long term center solution, who is still young, at essentially the same contract that Otto held.  Carroll is an expiring deal and he replaces Otto on the roster short term.

2- Thunder drop 22 million in cap immediately and get Melo out.

3- Nets get a long term player in Otto and some star power to fill the seats with Melo.  Melo gets to go back to New York.  

 

The thunder would appear to lose in this but they desperately need to shed salary.  This lets them do that and puts them in a stronger position going forward.