The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[mhd24]

32 minutes ago, spjunkies said:

 

I honestly think Tom Sheppard's interview a few months ago on the Craig Hoffman show was one of the contributing factors in letting him go. He came off as arrogant and combative. Not a good look when your track record looks like ****.

 

 

Yeah, he came across as a used-car salesman.  Hoffman is the only radio host (sans Galdy) who does research.  He asked some tough questions about why Davis was struggling so bad.  Interview was very tough compared to the cupcake interviews that the other hosts were giving.

 

John Hollinger (from the Athletic) used to be in Memphis's FO and would constantly state how delusional the EG FO seemed to be.  

[Warhead36]

Promoting Sheppard from the Grunfeld FO was such a huge mistake. That was the opportunity to start completely from scratch. I think Leonsis was trying to capture the same magic he did with the Caps when he promoted Brian MacLellan after firing George McPhee, but the difference is McPhee is a legitimately good GM who ran a top notch FO who just ran into some tough luck in the playoffs.

 

At least he appears to have learned his lesson and has allowed a completely new FO to take over.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Warhead36

[Going Commando]

On 6/24/2023 at 5:22 PM, Destino said:

Guard? Anyone have an accurate read on how tall he is?  Various Google results say he’s 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, and 6-8. lol

 

I thought he was going to be a big forward.  The draft websites have him projected as a SF at 6'8 with a 7'2 wingspan.  If he's capable of playing SG or even PG at that size, that would be impactful for us.  Kind of like how Ben Simmons was a game changing defensive player as a guy who is capable of guarding 3s and 4s and playing way above the rim while still running point on offense.

 

Most of the draft analysis out there is giving us low grades for the draft, and the consensus is that we reached.  But I still like the shot we took on Bilal.  And I heard that Danny Ainge and the Spurs were trying to trade up for him too, which would be a good sign if true.

[Going Commando]

On 6/23/2023 at 2:58 PM, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

I can see what the Wiz are thinking....

 

The raw athleticism is just ridiculous.

 

The thing that stands out to me from watching this is the lack of a left hand.  The first step looks good, but NBA defenders are just going to force him left.

 

I think it's going to be a while before he's ready to play big minutes.  Next year is probably going to be the Deni Avdija and Jordan Poole show.

[Hersh]

1 hour ago, Going Commando said:

 

The thing that stands out to me from watching this is the lack of a left hand.  The first step looks good, but NBA defenders are just going to force him left.

 

I think it's going to be a while before he's ready to play big minutes.  Next year is probably going to be the Deni Avdija and Jordan Poole show.

 

Dude is gonna be playing 20-25 minutes a night with this new regime. Come off the bench for at least the first half of the year. 

[mhd24]

11 hours ago, Going Commando said:

 

I thought he was going to be a big forward.  The draft websites have him projected as a SF at 6'8 with a 7'2 wingspan.  If he's capable of playing SG or even PG at that size, that would be impactful for us.  Kind of like how Ben Simmons was a game changing defensive player as a guy who is capable of guarding 3s and 4s and playing way above the rim while still running point on offense.

 

Most of the draft analysis out there is giving us low grades for the draft, and the consensus is that we reached.  But I still like the shot we took on Bilal.  And I heard that Danny Ainge and the Spurs were trying to trade up for him too, which would be a good sign if true.

OKC was trying to trade up for him according to the Windhorst podcast I was listening to.  We needed to do that trade if we wanted Bilal.  He was really the only one left with star potential left.  

[ixcuincle]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/bradley-beal-nba-basketball-washington-wizards

It wasn’t easy to write this. It’s been an amazing 11 years, and it’s unreal to think my time here has come to an end. You spend over a decade somewhere, and that place becomes more than just the team you play for. It becomes a part of you.

 

I’ll never forget the day the Wizards drafted me, because it was my 19th birthday. June 28, 2012! I remember growing up, my brothers and me, we’d talk about who was going to be the first one to buy our mom her dream house. And when my name got called at #3, we all just embraced — because we knew what that meant. My family sacrificed so many of their dreams in order to help me chase mine … and if I’m telling you about my time in DC, it starts there. The Wizards made it so those dreams could be real.

[Fergasun]

We have to live with the fact there's a 50/50 shot he is a bust and a 50/50 shot someone further down develops.  I wouldn't say he is the only one with high ceiling.

 

The NBA sells fans on hope that all draft picks will impact immediately.  It's ridiculous.  I am a bit concerned that Bilal didn't score points the way his teammatea did in the France U18 FIBA games last year.  He had 2 teammates (enrolled in US colleges) with better points per game.  Again, it makes me want to compare him to Westbrook... 

[PeterMP]

If they can't find him 30+ minutes a game, they should send him to the G-league.

 

Or do something where he misses games to stay home and practice. 

 

In the course of a normal NBA season, they practice so little it is hard to get better if you are on the bench a lot.

 

And it doesn't matter if the Wizards stink.  The key is to get him reps so he can work on his game and not worry about winning or competing.  And with the NBA there isn't enough practice get the reps you need outside of games the way things are normally done.

 

(I've always thought it would make sense for NBA teams with some of their younger players have them skip games for practice.  Especially with something like a road trip.  A player or 2 could skip the 1st half, get some practice in, and then join the team on the 2nd half.  Some other player could leave the road trip early to go home and get some practice in.   For any given game, you have fewer young players to work into the lineup so more minutes for the rest of them, and the ones that aren't there are home doing work on skills/fundamentals.  If you have an injury or so in a game, that might really mess you up for that game.  But a team like the Wizards shouldn't care if they end up doing some funky rotations this year for one game.  And you could always fly a player out early for the next game if there is an injury.)

[Going Commando]

Joy...

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/37905297/2024-nba-mock-draft-top-prospects-next-year

 

Quote

NBA teams still have a lot to learn about this group, especially at the top, where the sense among scouts is that things are completely wide open. This class is considered to be one of the weakest of graduating high school seniors we've seen in years, with no clear top prospects -- leaving a lot of uncertainty regarding the landscape of the 2024 lottery.

 

Tack on another year to the rebuild timeline.  Next year is going to be a lot of losing for no gain unless we can dig up an international gem.

[Renegade7]

We should trade for Ja Morant and change our name back to the Bullets.

 

 

[Ball Security]

11 minutes ago, Going Commando said:

Joy...

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/37905297/2024-nba-mock-draft-top-prospects-next-year

 

 

Tack on another year to the rebuild timeline.  Next year is going to be a lot of losing for no gain unless we can dig up an international gem.

During the draft I found a site for prospective 2024 top picks. They described the top guy as a “taller Mike Dunleavy Jr.” 🤣

[Warhead36]

Yeah that's what sucks about the NBA and its draft. Its not enough to just tank and get a lotto pick, you gotta get it in the right year and they don't really come up that often. Its not like the NFL draft where there is almost always an impact player at the top of the draft even if it isn't always a QB. There are many years where the #1 pick is a guy who ends up being like a role player type.

[Going Commando]

25 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

During the draft I found a site for prospective 2024 top picks. They described the top guy as a “taller Mike Dunleavy Jr.” 🤣

 

That is depressing.  I just watched some highlights of the guy that mock has us taking #1 overall and I was thinking Harrison Barnes with a motor.  Dude looks slow and has a lot of his height in his neck, but at least he's aggressive looking.

 

We picked a very Wizards-esque time to start over.

[Long n Left]

Man, worrying about who might be the number one pick next draft, almost an entire year out, seems like looking for legos to step on in bare feet.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

On 6/24/2023 at 5:22 PM, Destino said:

Guard? Anyone have an accurate read on how tall he is?  Various Google results say he’s 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, and 6-8. lol

 

I was trying to figure that out based on pictures with other prospects. I think the 6'8 is with shoes and he's more like 6'6+ in socks. From watching his cutups he does look more like 6'5ish, but I get that he's a late grower so could be taller.

[ixcuincle]

https://sports.yahoo.com/sacramento-reportedly-run-free-agent-174649128.html

 

Kuzma to Sacramento would be nice 

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

 

[FootballZombie]

Need to open some roster spots anyway and even if you can't get a lot for Wright and Morris you may be able to scrape together some salary trade exemptions.

 

With all the trades whizzing around I'm not sure how we are looking on the trade exception front but getting some more could be invaluable later in the year. We don't have a ton of high draft picks in our pocket but you can do some real damage in a rebuild w/ a sizeable trade exemption.

On 6/26/2023 at 9:08 PM, Renegade7 said:

We should trade for Ja Morant and change our name back to the Bullets.

 

and here I thought a "bring back Wall" maneuver was peak embrace of Praxic fire...

[abdcskins]

Year one of a 22 year rebuild.  I am predicting the Wizards win the Eastern Conference championship in the year 2045.  I might even put it as my new signature, now that Snyder is almost gone and I doubt many people remember that quote anyway haha.

 

I realize that if they win the conference in 2045 that would mean the rebuild would have likely already been "successful" years prior, but I don't care. 

[Rocky21]

8 hours ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

 

Damn I like Wright.  I guess when you tear it down, you tear it down.  

[@DCGoldPants]

11 minutes ago, Rocky21 said:

Damn I like Wright.  I guess when you tear it down, you tear it down.  

Right now most of the roster is probably under 25. Wright is nice but over 30, not part of any rebuild. Morris is much younger, right? 

[Ball Security]

1 hour ago, Rocky21 said:

Damn I like Wright.  I guess when you tear it down, you tear it down.  

If I was a contender, I’d love to have Wright coming off my bench. Maybe a place like Milwaukee.

[justice98]

So they're gonna have $100m in cap space in 2024.  I didnt know the number was that high. In theory, they can add 2 max free agents next year.  Say, Jaylen Brown and Domantas Sabonis (just pulling names that will be on the market).  Or they could build with assets, remain nimble and flexible and supplement with a big free agent down the road to get to the next level.  

 

In theory, of course, they're not gonna do any of that. But they put themselves in a position to have options, which is what you always want.  But what they'll probably do is use all that cap space to take bad contracts to stack up all the assets we were complaining they didn't get from Beal and Porzingis.  They basically had to clear the books, THEN get the assets, rather than clear the books and get the assets at the same time.

[@DCGoldPants]

11 minutes ago, justice98 said:

So they're gonna have $100m in cap space in 2024.  I didnt know the number was that high. In theory, they can add 2 max free agents next year.  Say, Jaylen Brown and Domantas Sabonis (just pulling names that will be on the market).  Or they could build with assets, remain nimble and flexible and supplement with a big free agent down the road to get to the next level.  

 

In theory, of course, they're not gonna do any of that. But they put themselves in a position to have options, which is what you always want.  But what they'll probably do is use all that cap space to take bad contracts to stack up all the assets we were complaining they didn't get from Beal and Porzingis.  They basically had to clear the books, THEN get the assets, rather than clear the books and get the assets at the same time.

 

I'd guess they will go to the cap min on short-term contracts for the next few years. Maybe if in a year they really like some of their youngest talent, try extensions early for cheaper.