The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Tim BontempsVerified account‏@TimBontemps

With Beal/Mahinmi/Satoransky/Nicholson/Burke, Wiz have 10 players under contract, about $5 mil left to spend, plus $2.9 mil room exception.

[@DCGoldPants]

Im still cautiously pessimistic. Glad they got Tomas over finally. Thinking rest of the roster will be from the summer league.

[RonArtest15]

So, after the dust has settled....how would you grade Ernie's job so far during the FA rush? 

 

As heated as I was when everything started, I can't complain about the depth this team will have.  Excuse me...quality depth. 

[Taylor703]

So, after the dust has settled....how would you grade Ernie's job so far during the FA rush?

As heated as I was when everything started, I can't complain about the depth this team will have. Excuse me...quality depth.

I like the deal for Burks but not a fan of any other move.

[CRobi21]

So does Satoransky get the backup PG spot, with Burke to backup 2 spot?

Bench is gonna be much more athletic this year. So that have that going for them.

Edited July 3, 2016 by STBonecrusher21

[justice98]

So, after the dust has settled....how would you grade Ernie's job so far during the FA rush?

As heated as I was when everything started, I can't complain about the depth this team will have. Excuse me...quality depth.

I dont see how this roster is much better than the one we started this past year with. It looks like another .500 team, with maybe 3-5 more wins from better coaching. Improvement is improvement though, I guess.

[Skin'emAlive]

Ernie, just when I think you couldnt get any lower you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

So does Satoransky get the backup PG spot, with Burke to backup 2 spot?

Bench is gonna be much more athletic this year. So that have that going for them.

Burke is the backup PG, with Sato being backup SG/Combo guard.

Synergy Sports Tech‏@SynergySST

Tomas Satoransky is coming off a monster season in Europe. FG%s: 47% Catch & Shoot Jumpers, 50% Floaters, 65% Finishing, 76% Transition.

 

[Gamebreaker]

With this roster, their ceiling is the 5th seed, which is what we've been accustomed to in the Wall era. I'm very curious how Tomas' game translates to the nba.

But as far as grading Ernie, I'm going with a D. He couldn't get any higher than a C for not even getting a meeting with KD after making him his priority before any other GM did.

[EvilMonkeyBoy]

I like the deal for Burks but not a fan of any other move.

Man, I wish it was Alec Burks.

[abdcskins]

Mediocre offseason.

Team got a little better. Will still scrap for a 6-8 seed in the playoffs and end up missing out.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

J. MichaelVerified account‏@JMichaelCSN

Wizards were confident Satoransky was coming. It was a matter of when. Said a league source, "I told u so" #WizardsTalk @CSNWizards

 

J. MichaelVerified account‏@JMichaelCSN

$650,000 was used to buy him out. That part isn't a cap hit for the Wizards. Satoransky pays the rest #WizardsTalk

[CrypticVillain]

If this is a consolation prize to the consolation prize

.. I'm fine.

[daveakl]

It's an F.

Two years setting up to get KD and not even a meeting was given.

Anything other then an F and you are kidding yourself.

[Skin'emAlive]

I still would have rather tried trading Marcin for an asset or guy like Crabbe (especially after the Mahinmi signing), signed Howard to the max, brought in Sato as the backup pg, and not traded a 2nd for Burke. But we are on play F or something at this point, so whatever. There is atleast a few assets to look forward to. ( Sato, Otto, Oubre, Eddie)

[Going Commando]

So, after the dust has settled....how would you grade Ernie's job so far during the FA rush? 

 

As heated as I was when everything started, I can't complain about the depth this team will have.  Excuse me...quality depth.

He made some lemonade. Losing out to Boston on Horford hurts. That was our chance to make the jump to 50+ wins and we weren't going to have another. Getting him would have been a coup.

The other major negative of the offseason was not having a draft pick. I'm not against trading for Keef, especially in light of the prospect of having to pay Ryan Anderson 20 million a season. But we should have gotten lotto protection on the pick and not doing so was inexcusable. The only mitigating factor is that at least the pick is transferred and the whole affair is over with.

The mixed:

- Mahinimi was a good player signed for fair market value. The problem is the minutes distribution. I don't see how we're going to get Mahinmi the minutes he needs, or get him time with the starters, unless Gortat gets hurt. It's good that we have a player that can save our season if Gortat goes down. But that's also the only way we are going to get our money's worth from Mahinmi.

- Trey Burke trade. He was bad in Utah, and it's a leap of faith committing to him as Wall's primary back up. He has some skills that fit well with the role we'll need him to play. But this could blow up on us if he can't handle the job, necessitating us to make another trade to try and figure it out. Ernie's history of acquiring back up PGs in free agency doesn't inspire confidence in the move.

The good:

- Hiring Scott Brooks. Would have preferred Dave Joerger, but Brooks is a good coach who really fits with our roster, specifically. I like having a former PG coach Wall, and I think he's going to get Wall, Beal, and Porter to play at a new level.

- Keeping Beal. No brainer move that had to get done. Hopefully he finally makes the leap to realizing his potential.

- Nicholson is a useful player signed for good value. I think he'll thrive by getting a consistent spot in our rotation. If he can't do anything else, he can shoot FTs and threes. That's something we've needed for years in a big.

- Signing Sato. 3 million a year is dirt cheap for the kind of role he can play for us. He gives our bench legit scoring punch, and I think he'll take pressure off Trey Burke. He can also keep the train rolling if/when Beal goes down.

Getting a veteran wing that can guard big bodied SFs is the next move that needs to get done. I also wish we had a safer and more proven option at back up PG in hand. And we need a fifth big. Then you finish off the deep bench by using the final 2 or 3 roster spots on developmental guys like Jaleel Roberts. That should do it. That roster tops out as a mid seed, but our only realistic shot at vaulting into the upper echelon was getting Durant or Horford and we missed out.

It's an F.

Two years setting up to get KD and not even a meeting was given.

Anything other then an F and you are kidding yourself.

I think that you were kidding yourself if you ever pinned all of our hopes on getting Durant. Our best chance of getting him at any point in the last two seasons probably never climbed above 30%.

[daveakl]

I think that you were kidding yourself if you ever pinned all of our hopes on getting Durant. Our best chance of getting him at any point in the last two seasons probably never climbed above 30%.

That's fine to say now but every move, literally every move from coaching to drafting was made to get KD.

Not even an interview was given.

There is no way the Wizards front office can be that dumb. Either they never floated the idea to KDs camp which is insane to believe or they screwed up so badly somewhere along the road that he didn't even want to listen to coming here.

It's 100% an F.

[Warhead36]

D at best offseason. We paid a ton of money to keep an oft injured G. We spent more on a C that won't even start and a backup PG that sucked in Utah. Only reason its not an F is because we managed to somehow convince Satoranski to leave beautiful Barcelona for this dumphole.

[Spaceman Spiff]

With this roster, their ceiling is the 5th seed, which is what we've been accustomed to in the Wall era. I'm very curious how Tomas' game translates to the nba.

But as far as grading Ernie, I'm going with a D. He couldn't get any higher than a C for not even getting a meeting with KD after making him his priority before any other GM did.

 

 

It's an F.

Two years setting up to get KD and not even a meeting was given.

Anything other then an F and you are kidding yourself.

 

 

Doesn't look like KD ever wanted to come here.  Hard to get a meeting with a guy when the guy isn't interested in playing here.  

[Renegade7]

Ok, plan A was a definitive "F", no credit for effort at all. Plan B, not bad for on the fly (because let's be honest, you can tell there was no plan B ).

Getting Soto here is awesome, and interested for how they plan to deal with Gortat since it's come out we have no intent on trading him.

Don't get it twisted I still hate you Ernie, jus a little bit less right now.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Renegade7

[daveakl]

Doesn't look like KD ever wanted to come here. Hard to get a meeting with a guy when the guy isn't interested in playing here.

That makes the front office look even worse then. You're telling me that KD never wanted to come here and they didn't know yet spent the last 2 years planning for it?

[Renegade7]

Doesn't look like KD ever wanted to come here.  Hard to get a meeting with a guy when the guy isn't interested in playing here.

Ya, it should'be never been the plan then.

[Skin'emAlive]

I think that you were kidding yourself if you ever pinned all of our hopes on getting Durant. Our best chance of getting him at any point in the last two seasons probably never climbed above 30%.

 

We never expected Durant to come here. We did expect to be in the running in accordance to the moves that the FO made and articles the brass posted, yet we were not even on the call back list. And then the owner had the nerve to throw shade on Kevin while his media team made it seem like it was the fans fault he didnt com home. On top of that, we didnt even try to upgrade the center position, which is possibly our weakest link and the position of greatest upgrade availability. You cant say Horford, because we were bringing him in as a 4, not a 5. Both Whiteside and Howard would have been a clear upgrade. Hassan being a 3rd piece of the future, and Howard giving elite production for 2-3 years. At best, one could make the argument that we are playing the long game for Cousins, but the fact that we had to shell out so much for a guy with possibility the worst trade value last year leads me to believe Sac could fleece us; and i had been advocating for the Morris trade since last offseason.

[bearrock]

If the only reason for hiring Brooks was because they thought he would give them a meaningful chance at landing KD, it's a big fat F. It was obvious by the end of the season that KD wasn't coming.

If they hired Brooks believing that he is the one that deserves a lot of credit for developing the cornerstones in OKC, then we'll have to wait and see. I'm intrigued by Sato, don't think Mahimni is a good fit age wise for long term vision, and disappointed at missing out on any superstar, but the most critical component was trying everthing possible to help Wall, Beal, Porter, and Oubre take the next step. Considering how much of a dumpster fire Whitman is at player development, if Brooks was indeed the cog to OKC player development, then we are on the right track. Time will tell.

[Renegade7]

Anyone have any idea of what a floor look having Gortat and Mahinmi same time would look like or even work?

 

Article in Bleacher Report mentioned something like:

 

 

PG- Wall

SG- Beal

SF- Morris

PF- Gortat

C- Mahinmi

 

Not a basketball expert, but wonder how you would or if you could use a line up like that.  I wouldn't mind trying two rim protectors if that's what a team is good at or opponent has gone cold to keep them out the paint and gain some confidence back.

 

The identity of this team could become a night and day thing (offense heavy with Gortat, Defensive focus with Mahinmi).  That sounds stark enough for someone to game plan against.