The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[Destino]

Agreed on McGee. He's not as good as Nene right now but he doesn't have the injury history and his contract won't expire when he's 33. Oh look he goal tended hahaha. Meanwhile morons avert there eyes when our guards do dumber **** on a nightly basis and suffer no consequences. The bright side is that right now Nene is an upgrade and we have to look at that because what is done is done.

The question is where do we go from here? I think the 2, 3, and 4 could all use a more complete player starting. Booker is the best of the three but not good enough not to merit an upgrade if a better player is available.

We also need a coach that can turn off the green light the guards have and tell them to pass into the post more.

[No Excuses]

The good thing is that we have one of the toughest front courts in the league. All three of our primary bigs won't take **** from anyone. The strength in the post is refreshing after years of wuss play from guys like Jamison.

[Sticksboi05]

The good thing is that we have one of the toughest front courts in the league. All three of our primary bigs won't take **** from anyone. The strength in the post is refreshing after years of wuss play from guys like Jamison.

Poor Twan. Had the finger roll but couldn't play D worth a lick.

[Destino]

Poor Twan. Had the finger roll but couldn't play D worth a lick.

Defense is 90% effort. If you can score in the NBA, hell if you can make an NBA roster and aren't grossly undersized, you can play defense. Effort on the floor and effort with film study is what it's about. All you are trying to do is make life difficult not shut them out. Wall is a great example, when he wants to he is a terror on defense other night he gets owned Rose's back up.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Destino

[No Excuses]

Team Captain Jamison was the laziest defender on the entire team. Will never forget the play where he just let LeBron drive baseline for the game winner without even bothering to move an inch. He was dead to me forever after that play. Couldn't stand him.

[Fergasun]

Statline comparison of the night.

McGee: 24 minutes, 5 fouls.

Hilario: 31 minutes, 1 foul.

[DCchillin89]

Because he's not going to significantly improve this team and by the time Wall is breaking out as a star, Nene's contract will prevent this team from acquiring help. Nene will also be much overpaid production wise by then.

Javale will be a good player for Denver. He is a good NBA player vilified by this stupid franchise. This general manager has never learned how to manage egos and personalities. He always finds a scapegoat for his short comings.

I disagree about the contract thing. My best guess is we'll amnesty Blache this offseason and Rashard comes off the books in 2013. I figure we draft a stud this year and spend in 2013, when all our bad contracts off the books and have a better idea of what this team really looks like (Vesely particularly). While Nene's 13 mil/year deal is pricey, we should have plenty of cap room. If Wall's ascension stays on schedule, we should be playoff contenders by then.

I didn't like this trade at first, but I'm liking it more and more. I think Nene's injury history is kind of overblown, he's missed a little time this year because of a calf issue but has missed a grand total of 10 games since his 2007/8 CANCER scare. Yes, he tore his ACL and miniscus, but he's played consistent minutes and put up consistent numbers since then. With the games missed early in his career, he's a young 29. While I don't think we'll ever see this guy make an AllStar game or average a double double. You can expect 13 and 7 consistently, tough D and a post presence, a good locker room figure for the younger guys (Seraphim!) and a player who can step in as a leader for this team with Wall.

This draft is crucial. Players like Nene, Booker and Vesely are glue guys. We need another elite player to team with Wall if we want to stand a chance to compete with Miami and Chicago. Even though I think the Wiz won in this deal, it shouldn't save Grunfeld's job. Bring in a new GM, let him pick his coach and staff, evaluate what we have and make the draft decision from there.

[Going Commando]

Fist, I'm not so sure Wall becomes a star player for us without guys like Nene to play with. Whether he would have become a star surrounded by guys like NY and JaVale is certainly doubtful.

Second, you can't underestimate the complete and productive chemistry overhaul that swapping McGee for Nene created. JaVale needed a change of scenery where he could get to play on a vet laden team with a strong coach, and Nene is the kind of good veteran player our extraordinarily young roster needed.

Third, what free agents are we going to lure that are worth spending money on?

1.) We're a better team now post deal. We're clearly playing better.

2.) We got the best player in the deal, a legitimate top 5-10 center in the NBA when healthy

3.) To get him we gave up two assets that we weren't going to keep. Nene's contract is probably cap friendlier than the one JaVale would have commanded.

I fail to see how that adds up to a bad trade. Because Nene is going to stay hurt and we're not going to be able to sign any more free agents now? Can I borrow that crystal ball of yours then? I want to win the lottery.

---------- Post added March-22nd-2012 at 08:19 AM ----------

The draft is crucial. But I wouldn't be surprised if we played .500 ball in April and move down in the lottery. If that happens, you can kiss getting one of the top forwards goodbye.

Beal is a nice fit in the middle of the lottery.

Another player that that I like is Adonis Thomas if he declares. Good physical skillset to play both the two and three for us. Good off the dribble and developing skills off the ball, good motor, good intangibles. Nice consolation if we miss out on the top guys.

[Destino]

Statline comparison of the night.

McGee: 24 minutes, 5 fouls.

Hilario: 31 minutes, 1 foul.

That's one night. McGee and Nene aren't far off on fouls per game over their careers with McGee being slightly lower in minutes and fouls. He's not Vesely who can seemingly foul out in a quarter.

The stat lines for last night:

McGee 24min 7-11(.636) 15points 7rebounds 3blocks 5fouls 0assists 1steal 1 turnover

Nene 31min 9-13(.692) 22points 10rebounds 1blocks 1foul 2assist 0steal 1turnover

The stat that most appeals to me is the 2 assists. Interior passing is something this team sorely lacked and I think veteran presence has a lot to do with it. This team likes to stand around and I like to think that more than just being a willing passer Nene is demanding his teammates move their feet and stay active. I can't imagine him showing up and being cool with guys standing around playing hero ball which the entire wizards team is guilty of often. Having said that he's a much better passer and more willing passer than McGee and the career numbers show it. McGee averages 0.4 assists per game over his career, Nene averages 1.8.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Destino

[Rocky21]

22 and 10 ****es. 22 and 10.

[Going Commando]

The only part of the trade that really sucks for me is that now I have to go and start my 2K12 my player mode all over so that I can swap out JaVale and NY with Nene. I was like four seasons deep and both of those guys had long term contracts.

I want to play with Nene. He has a 99 inside scoring rating in the game. Sick. Also, I think I'm going to just cut Blatche and Rashard because they each got long multi year extensions too.

[StillUnknown]

If we get the first or second pick and draft Davis or T-Rob, who gets traded, Booker/Seraphin/or Vesely?

[Going Commando]

If we get the first or second pick and draft Davis or T-Rob, who gets traded, Booker/Seraphin/or Vesely?

I think you keep all of them. 10 man rotation includes all of them. If you think about it, with Blatche headed out the door, we've only got three true bigs with Vesely and Singleton being forced to play up more than they should right now.

Plus I think T Rob can play some SF because he can run and shoot.

[Gator Bait]

I'm not understanding the Davis/McGee comparison at all.

no offense besides put backs and alley oops. Tall lanky shot blocker who likely wont bulk up. Will likely get pushed around in the paint at the next level.

---------- Post added March-22nd-2012 at 02:47 PM ----------

If we get the first or second pick and draft Davis or T-Rob, who gets traded, Booker/Seraphin/or Vesely?

none of the above. Seraphin and Booker have more value to us than to anyone else and I don't think Vesely has much value on the market.

answer....we don't pick Davis or Robinson and go with Beal or Barnes.

[StillUnknown]

I can't seem to sell myself on Barnes. I see what people like about him, but something is not grabbing me. I feel the same way about MKG to be honest.

[Going Commando]

Davis is about a hundred million billion trillion jillion gazillion times better basketball player than Javale was coming out. Hell he's probably all of those times better than Javale today.

---------- Post added March-22nd-2012 at 03:43 PM ----------

Tonight is a basketball night. Beal and Sully play tonight.

Wizards game at 7:00 then i'll be flipping back and forth between the Florida and OSU games. OSU starts at 9:45 on CBS and Florida starts at 10:17 on TBS.

Tomorrow night, we get to see the Kentucky, UNC, and Baylor boys plus T-Rob and Cody Zeller.

This is the first year I can remember almost all of the top NCAA prospects making the sweet 16.

[Destino]

Davis has the following advantages on McGee:

- Better Basketball IQ (by a mile)

- Better hands.

- Better shooter.

- Better ball handler.

Not exactly small improvements.

Having said that if Davis can't put on much weight he's going to get destroyed in the NBA. McGee came into the league at 241 and now weighs 252. Dwight Howard came in at 240 and now weighs 265 (he has a much larger frame than McGee or Davis). Kevin Garnett came in at 225 and now weight 253. If Davis is going to play near the basket like he does in college he's going to have to add a lot of weight because right now he's listed at 220. I'm hoping that's wrong because Vesely is 240.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Destino

[Going Commando]

Davis' weight is definitely a concern. He's skinny by college standards. It's my one big question with him.

He's shorter than JaVale and Vesely though, probably about 6'9.5" so less weight doesn't mean less strength necessarily.

There are a couple of promising things about him though:

- He's got broad shoulders suggest he can add bulk to his frame without slowing.

- The timing of the recent growth spurt. A huge growth spurt like that means his body simply hasn't had time to catch up with bulk. He's a late bloomer who will naturally add strength and bulk in time.

- He'll be an effective defender in the NBA because of his arm length even if he never gains that much bulk--think Tayshaun Prince.

---------- Post added March-22nd-2012 at 04:36 PM ----------

I can't seem to sell myself on Barnes. I see what people like about him, but something is not grabbing me. I feel the same way about MKG to be honest.

You know what it is for me? I think I finally figured it out what it was rooted in: ball handling. Barnes just isn't that great a slashing scorer and ball handler for a top SF prospect. I think he came to the position too late (used to be a big most of H.S.) and his ball handling hasn't caught up.

To me he's a much more advanced shooter than ball handler at this stage. He can catch and shoot as well as anyone, get open and work off screens and has range well past the college 3 line and he is a cold blooded shooter that can sink clutch threes to halt runs.

But when he puts the ball on the ground and tries to get to the rim and finish he just seems average and unspecial.

Without that top notch shot making ability, he's going to need a good system to be a high scorer IMO.

But he's productive off the ball, passes fairly well, rebounds fairly well, and is a quality collegiate defender. Plus he has a good motor, is a good athlete, has great size for the position, and is a good egg with a good IQ. He doesn't really have any holes.

When you consider all that, Barnes offers a good fit. I think his best could be a Danny Granger level--definitely has some Granger in him only with somewhat lesser ball handling and finishing skills. Not too shabby.

[StillUnknown]

I can see the Granger/Deng comparisons. I wouldn't be upset if we pick him.

Reading around, apparently MKG has changed his mind and will enter the draft. Even if we don't pick him, its a good move. When you're projected in the top 3, it doesn't make much sense to go back to school.

The more talent that enters the draft, the more we have to choose from.

On a different note, I'm very interested to see how we look tonight.

[SuperBash]

More and more talent should enter this year to deepen the pool for the Wizards eventual draft spot, the 5th or 6th, sadly. But I don't think anyone should get traded if with draft a big. These guys we have now would be great role players this team just needs to keep building depth and talent at any position outside of PG, imo.

[Going Commando]

5 for 5, great start!

[StillUnknown]

6 for 6 with 6 assists

not sure if I believe my eyes

[Going Commando]

Make that 6 for 6. All on pretty good looks too. Defense has done a good job so far too. Let's hope the energy continues.

[SuperBash]

Loving this start. This recent trade is going to be the best for all parties. We gain a great veteran center that can still grow with this team and get rid of two player that didn't really work for the wizards, young gets to go home to do what he does best, just score, and mcgee gets a fresh start with a really good coach. If Karl can't get Mcgee in the right direction, I don't think he ever will.

[StillUnknown]

I am simply enjoying this at the moment.