The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[No Excuses]

Eh, the Wizards have been a better franchise and a more enjoyable product than the Redskins for a while. Never in my lifetime have I ever seen the Redskins make the playoffs four straight years. They haven't even had a player as exciting as Arenas. It's pretty much been a giant pile of suck for the Redskins. The Wizards at least showed signs of life in the Arenas era.

Moreso, I like the direction the Wizards are headed into. I don't see a plan for the future for the Redskins. I like how people are excited that they finally drafted players. Newsflash: the rest of this league has been doing this for quite some time. Fire Vinny Cerrato, and then continue making Cerrato moves by trading high draft picks for washed up vets. There is nothing about the Redskins that's even remotely as exciting as having Wall and the rest of the players we've added in the last two years.

At this point, I don't care about the last 20 years I've been watching pathetic DC teams. The Capitals are a dominant team. The Wizards and Nationals are on the rise. The Redskins still have Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth. End of story.

Edited June 28, 2011 by No Excuses

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

The Wizards are a sleeping giant. If they ever get into championship contention, they will own this town.

This area at its core is all about basketball. :2cents:

[pjfootballer]

I've been waiting since 1977 for this "sleeping giant" to rise. The Wizards have been the same as the Redskins no matter what you say. Save for a couple of exciting players on the Wizards over the years, the results have been the same or even worse. Playoffs 4 years in a row, never winning more than 44 games and 1st/2nd round exits each time. Wow, pretty exciting. About as exciting as the Redskins 9-7 record and 1st/2nd round exits. Not a bit of difference.

Both teams have had bad owners (Sorry, Pollin sucked no matter how revered he was in the city), bad front offices (Unseld), bad over the hill free agents (Moses Malone, Mitch Richmond, need I go on), bad draft picks (Hot plate Williams, Manute Bol, Kwame Brown, I could go on) and bad trades (trading Webber for crap).

Both are mirror images of each other the past 20 years no matter how you slice it. The Wizards have the edge on the future with Wall, but I believe the Redskins are at least trying to go in the right direction. If you chastize the moves of the Redskins FO over the past 20 years, you should be just as critical of the Wizards FO.

[MattFancy]

I've been waiting since 1977 for this "sleeping giant" to rise. The Wizards have been the same as the Redskins no matter what you say. Save for a couple of exciting players on the Wizards over the years, the results have been the same or even worse. Playoffs 4 years in a row, never winning more than 44 games and 1st/2nd round exits each time. Wow, pretty exciting. About as exciting as the Redskins 9-7 record and 1st/2nd round exits. Not a bit of difference.

Both teams have had bad owners (Sorry, Pollin sucked no matter how revered he was in the city), bad front offices (Unseld), bad over the hill free agents (Moses Malone, Mitch Richmond, need I go on), bad draft picks (Hot plate Williams, Manute Bol, Kwame Brown, I could go on) and bad trades (trading Webber for crap).

Both are mirror images of each other the past 20 years no matter how you slice it. The Wizards have the edge on the future with Wall, but I believe the Redskins are at least trying to go in the right direction. If you chastize the moves of the Redskins FO over the past 20 years, you should be just as critical of the Wizards FO.

Couldn't agree with you more. Both teams have shown a few flashes of potential the last few years, but neither has been able to capitalize on it. It'll be interesting to see if either team can have some success in the near future. I agree that the Wiz could possibly turn it around a little sooner than the Skins. The thing that helps the Wizards is that they just have to be one of the best 8 teams in their conference. Whereas the Skins, have to be one of the best 6 and even that might not be good enough. So the Wizards IMO have a little bit easier of a path than the Skins.

[No Excuses]

Slice it however you want, over my life time (and people within my age group), the Redskins have been a massive embarrassment to the DC sports scene. The four year run of the Wizards, at that point, was seriously the highlight of any young DC sports fans watching years. You're looking at this from your own perspective and not of those who never got the see the 80's Redskins.

Playoffs 4 years in a row, never winning more than 44 games and 1st/2nd round exits each time. Wow, pretty exciting. About as exciting as the Redskins 9-7 record and 1st/2nd round exits. Not a bit of difference.

You can say there isn't a difference, but there is. Playoffs four years in a row. Having a top 10 player in the league (Arenas) play in your home stadium. Tell that to any Redskins fan and they'll easily take that over the product that has been put on the field for the last 20 years.

Edited June 28, 2011 by No Excuses

[Skins_Fan82]

^ you poor ****.

I'm 29, so I was only 7 & 9, but I remember the two superbowls...

[StillUnknown]

^ you poor ****.

I'm 29, so I was only 7 & 9, but I remember the two superbowls...

i was 5 win the skins won it last

all i know is sports pain

the 4 year run by the wizards is easily the highlight of my fandom (while I wish the caps well, I can't pretend that it moves me one way or the other)

[No Excuses]

the 4 year run by the wizards is easily the highlight of my fandom (while I wish the caps well, I can't pretend that it moves me one way or the other)

100% my sentiments in regards to DC sports as well. This is one of the reasons why Arenas, despite his short but exciting career, will always be a huge favorite of mine.

My favorite sports moment ever was when he sank the buzzer beater over Hinrich and Tyson Chandler to beat the Bulls in the playoffs.

Edited June 28, 2011 by No Excuses

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

100% my sentiments in regards to DC sports as well. This is one of the reasons why Arenas, despite his short but exciting career, will always be a huge favorite of mine.

My favorite sports moment ever was when he sank the buzzer beater over Hinrich and Tyson Chandler to beat the Bulls in the playoffs.

My favorite moment/moments was Gil dropping 54 at Phoenix and then following it up with 61 at L.A..

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Are 20 year olds really expected to give a **** about a 30 year old SB win?

*Newsflash* The beloved Redskins are a national joke. That's our reality. Not Riggin's run. Not 40 gut. Not the Hogs. Not Doug Williams.

Edited June 28, 2011 by G.A.C.O.L.B.

[Burgold]

Are 20 year olds really expected to give a **** about a 30 year old SB win?

*Newsflash* The beloved Redskins are a national joke. That's our reality. Not Riggin's run. Not 40 gut. Not the Hogs. Not Doug Williams.

Yes!

Heck, 20 year olds are also supposed to be enthused on D-Day and rejoice in our victory in WWII or hundreds of years ago against the Brits. What's a mere 20 years when we ask you to yearly celebrate something that happened more than 200 years ago.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Yes!

Heck, 20 year olds are also supposed to be enthused on D-Day and rejoice in our victory in WWII or hundreds of years ago against the Brits. What's a mere 20 years when we ask you to yearly celebrate something that happened more than 200 years ago.

Because they are comparable events.

[Going Commando]

Richmond winning a FCS championship in 2008 is probably the best sports related moment of my life. For pro sports, my favorite moment is the Miracle at midnight. The 2005 Redskins team is the happiest they've ever made me that I can ever remember. That rag tag, 11 win, six seed effort was the best Redskins team of my fanhood. Sad isn't it?

Brad Wilkerson hitting for the cycle in 2005 was also big time for me too. Again that was in 2005, I was a college freshman, the Nationals were brand new to town and the whole experience was new and exciting to me. I had grown up a Cleveland Indians fan and lost interest in the MLB when Ramirez, Thome, Lofton, Vizquel, and the Alomars all left. I was very much a baseball free agent at that point. Good seasons from Wilkerson and Soriano, plus the excitement of being on board for something brand new, was enough to capture my interest and pull me in.

I didn't follow the Wizards closely enough, or even the NBA for that matter, during the height of the Arenas era. I played basketball growing up and I had always followed my favorite players instead of their teams. My only definite sentiments were that I didn't like the Lakers and had never cared for Jordan's Bulls. I was just sort of aware of the Wizards and read Arenas's blog. I can't claim those memories of Arenas since I hardly cared enough about the NBA at that point to pick out a favorite team. Now its different. I started flirting with the Wizards and lurking on forums in 2008-2009 after Arenas' injury, mostly because they were local and Arenas's blog was so entertaining. Then the 2010 lottery and getting John Wall absolutely sold me that committing to this team wasn't a waste of time and energy.

All in all, that's a pretty sad set of sports memories with few peaks and mostly wide valleys. That's going to change though because the Wizards and Nats are about to get good.

[Burgold]

Because they are comparable events.

If you are a fanatic enough fan

[Chachie]

1. John Riggins busting loose to finish off the Dolphins. Easily my biggest DC sports moment.

2. The Bullets 1978 championship.

3. Sugar Ray Leonard beating Marvin Hagler.

[DCchillin89]

Yes!

Heck, 20 year olds are also supposed to be enthused on D-Day and rejoice in our victory in WWII or hundreds of years ago against the Brits. What's a mere 20 years when we ask you to yearly celebrate something that happened more than 200 years ago.

D-day and the redskins winning a superbowl shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath. I hope that was sarcasm

[Destino]

The major difference to me is simple:

[Burgold]

1. John Riggins busting loose to finish off the Dolphins. Easily my biggest DC sports moment.

2. The Bullets 1978 championship.

3. Sugar Ray Leonard beating Marvin Hagler.

Miracle on Ice probably belongs somewhere in there too. Actually, quite a few nice Olympic stories in my lifetime.

[Kosher Ham]

Miracle on Ice probably belongs somewhere in there too. Actually, quite a few nice Olympic stories in my lifetime.

Miracle on ice isn't really a DC thing.

The rest of those he posted are.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski

An NBA scout gushing over UNC's Harrison Barnes battling KDurant at Chicago camp last night. "Top pick in the next draft -- by far," he says

http://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA

Edited June 28, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[StillUnknown]

http://twitter.com/#!/WojYahooNBA

similar things were said last year as well

[pjfootballer]

Slice it however you want, over my life time (and people within my age group), the Redskins have been a massive embarrassment to the DC sports scene. The four year run of the Wizards, at that point, was seriously the highlight of any young DC sports fans watching years. You're looking at this from your own perspective and not of those who never got the see the 80's Redskins.

You can say there isn't a difference, but there is. Playoffs four years in a row. Having a top 10 player in the league (Arenas) play in your home stadium. Tell that to any Redskins fan and they'll easily take that over the product that has been put on the field for the last 20 years.

You're right about my perspective. I've heard this same song and dance when they were the Bullets. Making the playoffs 4 years in a row is a hellava lot easier in the NBA, then the NFL. The Redskins made it twice in 4 seasons with Gibbs II. Each time the Wiz made the playoffs, they were the lower seed and did not have home court advantage. Like the Redskins and Capitals, the Wizards just making the playoffs isn't something to crow about. 4 straight years of failure is what it is. I watched the Bullets make the playoffs all through the 80s with the same results. Same crap, different year.

---------- Post added June-28th-2011 at 04:34 PM ----------

Are 20 year olds really expected to give a **** about a 30 year old SB win?

*Newsflash* The beloved Redskins are a national joke. That's our reality. Not Riggin's run. Not 40 gut. Not the Hogs. Not Doug Williams.

I wasn't around in 1937 or 1942, but I'm still proud of the Redskins being NFL Champions. I know it's not the same, but you can still take some pride in the history of your team.

[@DCGoldPants]

Posted at 04:13 PM ET, 06/28/2011

Wizards without an NBA D-League affiliate

By Michael Lee

The Wizards are in need of a new NBA Developmental League affiliate after the Golden State Warriors purchased the Dakota Wizards on Tuesday. The Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies both were allowed to send rookies and second-year players from their rosters to the D-League team in Bismark, S.D., but that will no longer the case after the Warriors became the eighth NBA team to have what is called a “one-to-one” affiliate in the NBA’s minor league system.

“We’ll be in touch with the league office and find out who they assign us to,” Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said on Tuesday after after the team introduced draft picks Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack in a news conference. “We’re not sure just yet. Most likely Iowa, but we’re not sure yet.”

The NBA D-League will announce new affiliates at a later date. The league just 17 teams, with nine of them -- the Iowa Energy, Fort Wayne Ants, Maine Red Claws, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, New Mexico City Thunderbirds, Reno Bighorns, Bakersfield Jam, Utah Flash -- now expected to be split among 22 NBA teams.

The Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders), Oklahoma City Thunder (Tulsa 66ers) and San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) fully own and operate their teams. The Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), New Jersey Nets (Springfield Armor) and New York Knicks (Erie BayHawks) control the basketball operations for their teams and the Dallas Mavericks are solely affiliated with the Texas Legends. “They have individual owners who owned the team,” Grunfeld said. “They were looking to sell or get an investor and Golden State stepped in and wanted an affiliation with them.”

D-League teams will compete next season even if the NBA locks out its players, as expected, on Friday.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has spoken about utilizing the D-League as a tool to develop young or inexperienced talent. The Wizards twice sending rookie center Hamady Ndiaye to Bismark to get some playing time with the Dakota Wizards. They had been affiliated with the Dakota Wizards since the 2006-07 season after previously working with the now-defunct Roanoke Dazzle, which hosted both Andray Blatche and Peter John Ramos.

I don't know how the process works. But Ted should think about putting a d-league team in Richmond or Baltimore

Edited June 28, 2011 by Buford

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

NBA Draft: Winners and Losers

Thursday night’s NBA Draft proved to be fairly dull on most counts, with predictability taking precedent for the most part. But, the greatest intrigue of the night had to have come by way of the trade.

Sacramento picking for Charlotte, who swapped picks with Milwaukee, and Boston exchanging with New Jersey or Dallas conceding all draft picks in exchange for a proven player in Rudy Fernandez.

There were plenty of twists and turns and while players were being nabbed off the board under the radar every five minutes, analysts were rushing to try and break down trades and fit the specific pieces in the correct cities.

So, while your mind may still be tingling with confusion and popping with frustration over your team’s selection (Knicks fans I feel for you), here is a breakdown of the biggest winners and losers from Thursday night.

WINNERS:

1. The Wiz Kids- A young and talented Wizards team was looking for some good players to implement right off the bat in 2011-12. Taking the very talented and NBA-ready Vesely at #6 was a god send for the D.C. boys. The wing position was arguably Washington’s biggest problem in 2010 and they were in dire need of a long, slasher who could compliment rookie scoring machine Jordan Crawford and take some pressure off of 2010 number 1 pick, John Wall. Vesely is a great talent for the Wiz — plus his girlfriend is an absolute smokeshow – and a terrific value at 6th overall.

The Wizards got a great player in Vesely here, not to mention an absolute steal in Chris Singleton at #18. The lengthy defender can play both the 3 and 4 (in some sets) and should have an immediate impact on defense. Combine his length on the wing with Wall’s ability to guard the perimeter and you could be looking at the start of a great defensive team for years to come.

Don’t knock the selection of Shelvin Mack in the 2nd Round either, he’s a shifty point guard, who could provide some rest for Wall at times or be a good compliment to him, playing off ball in some sets.

Overall, great draft for the Wiz and this could be the start of a long run of quality basketball in the D.C. area.

http://everymonthmarch.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/nba-draft-winners-and-losers/

Edited June 28, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[Going Commando]

similar things were said last year as well

Agreed. Barnes needs to win next year to pass some of these Kentucky and Baylor kids. That said, he should be able too with Zeller and Henson and Kendall Marshall all back.

I'm curious about how James McAdoo is going to see the floor. I think it's a bit unlikely he gets enough minutes to jump early for the NBA. It's not really a Marvin Williams situation because the class is too strong for him to go top 3.

Barnes has skills but the one thing I question is his ability to attack the rim. Like Durant, he's not really a dominant athlete and I don't think he's as quick as Durant is, who's got the speed of a 2 guard. Barnes has always felt like a PF and post player who moved to SF late to complete his skillset and maximize his NBA potential.

Lacking elite ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim limits him a bit from being an elite SF in this day and age. He's more likely to just be a really really good one at best. Durant is a shooter but he can absolutely throw down when need be and he's got great handles. Carmelo is also a spot shooter who also likes to work the post but he finishes with the best of them and can play ISO if needed. LeBron is LeBron, Danny Granger scores from every part of the floor and handles the ball very well.

If Harrison Barnes continues to be awkward like a PF trying to handle it, can he join those guys as an elite NBA wing? I doubt it.

Judging just from what I saw at the Hoops Summit, Anthony Davis is incredible--easily the best player on a court filled with fantastic ones (Bismack, Gilchrist, Beal, Teague, Rivers, Bertans, Fournier, Noguiera, etc.). He can do all of those things I mentioned. He has terrific handles, great hands, elite finishing ability, good passer, and lots of skills developed from his days as a guard. He's fast and long as hell. He's smart, active, and oozes scoring talent. He'd be my first choice over Barnes every time. I like Barnes too.