The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

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

I can't believe the Summer League starts in a week. I can't wait to see Beal. And I wonder who else will be on our Summer League roster. Have they released anything on that? I'm assuming Vesely will be there, but maybe he has home country commitments with the Olympics coming up?

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

I can't believe the Summer League starts in a week. I can't wait to see Beal. And I wonder who else will be on our Summer League roster. Have they released anything on that? I'm assuming Vesely will be there, but maybe he has home country commitments with the Olympics coming up?

Vesley's not participating in the Olympics. He said that his commitment is to the Wizards.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Big market doesn't mean "where players want to play". It means a large media (TV in particular) market. Miami has not traditionally been a place "players want to play" either. Lebron and Bosh are there because of Riley and Wade not because of the city of Miami.

in NBA terms, it absolutely does.

If the Wizards and Hawks ever got their front offices together, those would become destination cities too. NBA players want to play in a big city and/or if the weather is nice and/or there are a lot beautiful wimmenz. Miami is a destination city (which is probably the term I should have used, in fairness).

Minnesota has the same size market (thanks GACOLB) but like you said isn't considered a prime destination for players. The number of households with TVs isn't what makes a franchise great.

I never said that.

I dont consider the Knicks to be a great franchise, but when they finally got cap room players wanted to play there.

As for your earlier statements surrounding JLin... you really think that story doesn't get covered in Milwaukee? I think an over night sensation that takes his team from out of the playoff hunt and puts them right back into it is a major news story no matter what city he plays for. He averaged 20.9pts and 8.4assists in January Could you kindly point out the last time the NBA has seen a complete after thought of a player popped up and put up those numbers?

well I never said he wouldnt get covered, I said he wouldnt become a huge star. Flip Murray had a similar run in Seattle in 2003 (or 2004, I cant remember, tbf) and it barely got national coverage. When Lin had that run and I had to remind people that Flip Murray blacked out just like that at the start of that season when Ray Allen was injured, people looked at me like I was speaking Spanish, lol. Jeremy Lin would not have been as big of a star were it not for the NYC media. The fact that such an average player is even thought of in that capacity shows the power of that media.

The fact that he was Asian (China is a big media market) made an already incredible situation that much more news worthy. He would have been a news story in any city that had a team battling for a playoff spot.

you have changed my words. I never said Lin would not have been a story, I said he wouldnt be a star player like he is now in Milwaukee.

Edited July 6, 2012 by AsiaticSkinsFan

[nuposse87]

Is Rush an RFA or a UFA?

Rush is a really good catch and shoot option. It's all he really does but last season he was one of the best in the NBA at it. Basketball-wise, the move makes sense.

Ultimately I probably wouldn't go MLE for him. He's not changing our fortunes significantly IMO and I don't want to get stuck with him for four years.

---------- Post added July-5th-2012 at 05:56 PM ----------

The Clippers are quietly putting together a strong offseason full of clever acquisitions. They'll contend next season.

He is a RFA, fortunately GS may be open to a Sign and trade regarding him, that is my hope at least. I think their rebuild will take a little longer than ours...I would do something like...JC+ '13 2nd round pick for him. Having a rookie on a cheaper contract could be a good incentive to them. They have max guys like Lee+Bogut with them and I imagine Curry will comand at least 10 million. Biedrins isn't about to use an ETO on his contract either (unless it is a team option). They also just drafted Barnes, and have Thompson... they are probably willing to part with him.

Now to whether or not he is worth a full MLE:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rushbr01.html

dude is a solid shooter, and has solid size. He isn't much of a defender...but given his offensive abilities...I'd definitely give him a two year deal.

Wall

Beal

Rush

Nene

Seraphin

that is a very offensively competent squad. I don't think we'd lose much defensively either. The guy shot 45% from 3 point land, when there really wasn't anyone to draw attention from opposing defenses...I

[Skin'emAlive]

I read Hakeem is working with McGee this summer. I had no idea he was a special education teacher.

I dunno.. i see a guy who actively tries to get better at his craft.

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

Vesley's not participating in the Olympics. He said that his commitment is to the Wizards.

Very cool. Outside of Wall, Vesely might be my favorite player. I'm definitely a fan and a believer--hence my absolute disgust at clueless, ignorant sports-talk radio hacks for constantly mocking him. He just seems like a good kid who's living a dream. And he's gonna do everything he can to fulfill that dream.

[Going Commando]

He is a RFA, fortunately GS may be open to a Sign and trade regarding him, that is my hope at least. I think their rebuild will take a little longer than ours...I would do something like...JC+ '13 2nd round pick for him. Having a rookie on a cheaper contract could be a good incentive to them. They have max guys like Lee+Bogut with them and I imagine Curry will comand at least 10 million. Biedrins isn't about to use an ETO on his contract either (unless it is a team option). They also just drafted Barnes, and have Thompson... they are probably willing to part with him.

Now to whether or not he is worth a full MLE:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rushbr01.html

dude is a solid shooter, and has solid size. He isn't much of a defender...but given his offensive abilities...I'd definitely give him a two year deal.

Wall

Beal

Rush

Nene

Seraphin

that is a very offensively competent squad. I don't think we'd lose much defensively either. The guy shot 45% from 3 point land, when there really wasn't anyone to draw attention from opposing defenses...I

I think they'd be willing to part with him too. They have surplus shooters. They probably need more in the way of defenders and facilitators.

I like Rush's pure catch and shoot ability. He was one of the best catch and shooters in the league last season. Check this out: http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2012&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=JUMP_SHOT&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q1=Y&q2=Y&q3=Y&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=12&time_remain_seconds=0&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&c1stat=fga&c1comp=ge&c1val=75&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg_pct

He was 10th in the NBA in jump shot % among players who took at least 75 jumpers. He made 100 threes. But a high percentage of his makes were assisted buckets (.837). He's a pure catch and shooter. He'd be perfect for our offense.

I have no doubt he's worth the money he'd command with the MLE. ~5 million per year is a bargain for a shooter like that. Those guys have typically commanded about ~7 million per year (think J.J. Reddick).

It's the length that bothers me more. I don't know about making a four year commitment when we've got so much looming on our horizon in two years. We need to be very careful in taking on any deals longer than 2 years. 2014 is going to be a momentous summer for us.

---------- Post added July-5th-2012 at 09:15 PM ----------

Very cool. Outside of Wall, Vesely might be my favorite player. I'm definitely a fan and a believer--hence my absolute disgust at clueless, ignorant sports-talk radio hacks for constantly mocking him. He just seems like a good kid who's living a dream. And he's gonna do everything he can to fulfill that dream.

I'm a fan of his too. Vesely gets a lot of crap even though he actually looked good as a rookie. I don't get it at all.

I think Vesely is going to be a terrific player. He's our man for guarding stretch 4s. The value of those types of players is completely ignored despite the fact those are some of the most valuable defenders in the game.

I think people will open up their eyes to him this year in a similar way to Seraphin breaking out this past season.

[StillUnknown]

Reading around that Jeff Green might be getting 4yrs & 40mil?!?!?!

I do not understand the fascination with that guy.

Owners will never learn.

[SuperBash]

Everyone is pretty much overpaying for everyone. At least most of the guys we would have targeted are getting overpaid. We got better as a team and didn't take on long term cap hits but 2 years of not much cap space really freaked some Wizards fans the F out! In 2 years, we'll be able to make a significant splash in the FA market or extend our guys if they work out and turn into gems. Plus, we'll have a better idea of what we actually need to push us into contention and we'll be much closer to contention than we are now. Could you imagine if we over paid for someone this year and it didn't work out? We'd be stuck in cap hell for a while.

Edited July 6, 2012 by SuperBash

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Reading around that Jeff Green might be getting 4yrs & 40mil?!?!?!

I do not understand the fascination with that guy.

It's called "versatility".

Personally, I think thats about right for Jeff in today's NBA.

[DallasBlowsBig]

I am in agreement with GACOLB and SteveMcQueen, I am a huge Vessley fan, hopefully his shot comes around, but this is a guy who likes to take it agressive to the rim and he gets rebounds. Seems like a hard worker who can run with Wall in the future.

[StillUnknown]

It's called "versatility".

Personally, I think thats about right for Jeff in today's NBA.

His teams seem to perform better when he's not on the floor.

[Skin'emAlive]

I think Vesely is going to be a terrific player. He's our man for guarding stretch 4s. The value of those types of players is completely ignored despite the fact those are some of the most valuable defenders in the game.

I think people will open up their eyes to him this year in a similar way to Seraphin breaking out this past season.

I think i might agree with you here. Vesely seems to have the will/want to get better. Hes a smart guy with a high basketball IQ. I dont have high hopes for his jump shot. But i think he will improve his free throw %. If he can add a little bulk, he really could help our team immensely on the rebound, put-back, and perimeter defensive fronts.

Seraphin pleasantly surprised me last season. I think he should be playing C with Booker playing PF as our second unit. Nene and Okafor as our first. I also hope we resign Singleton and Martin. Those guys are hard workers, and are efficient. Just amnesty Blatche so we have the roster space.

[Destino]

I dunno.. i see a guy who actively tries to get better at his craft.

Agreed. Hard to miss the fact that he added shots offensively last season. Would be awesome to hear who John Wall is working with though I'm sure the highlights of his charity games will pop up shortly so we can see for ourselves.

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

Everyone is pretty much overpaying for everyone. At least most of the guys we would have targeted are getting overpaid. We got better as a team and didn't take on long term cap hits but 2 years of not much cap space really freaked some Wizards fans the F out! In 2 years, we'll be able to make a significant splash in the FA market or extend our guys if they work out and turn into gems. Plus, we'll have a better idea of what we actually need to push us into contention and we'll be much closer to contention than we are now. Could you imagine if we over paid for someone this year and it didn't work out? We'd be stuck in cap hell for a while.

Exxxxcactly.

Look at some of these deals being handed out. Okafor and Ariza for two years still making your blood boil?

[nuposse87]

I think they'd be willing to part with him too. They have surplus shooters. They probably need more in the way of defenders and facilitators.

I like Rush's pure catch and shoot ability. He was one of the best catch and shooters in the league last season. Check this out: http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/plus/shot_finder.cgi?request=1&player_id=&match=single&year_id=2012&is_playoffs=N&team_id=&opp_id=&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&game_month=&game_location=&game_result=&shot_pts=&is_make=&shot_type=JUMP_SHOT&shot_distance_min=&shot_distance_max=&q1=Y&q2=Y&q3=Y&q4=Y&q5=Y&time_remain_minutes=12&time_remain_seconds=0&time_remain_comp=le&margin_min=&margin_max=&c1stat=fga&c1comp=ge&c1val=75&c2stat=&c2comp=ge&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=ge&c3val=&order_by=fg_pct

He was 10th in the NBA in jump shot % among players who took at least 75 jumpers. He made 100 threes. But a high percentage of his makes were assisted buckets (.837). He's a pure catch and shooter. He'd be perfect for our offense.

I have no doubt he's worth the money he'd command with the MLE. ~5 million per year is a bargain for a shooter like that. Those guys have typically commanded about ~7 million per year (think J.J. Reddick).

It's the length that bothers me more. I don't know about making a four year commitment when we've got so much looming on our horizon in two years. We need to be very careful in taking on any deals longer than 2 years. 2014 is going to be a momentous summer for us.

So I checked what the status was on Rush on a Warriors board...apparently he is the FO's #1 priority and some of the homers would be asking for Beal, Nene, Wall I'd rather simply offer up the MLE and see if GS accepts.

[Going Commando]

The teams spending big this year are massively screwing themselves for 2014. This FA class is weak. DWill was the only marquee player and he's not an instant ticket to the playoffs like those guys usually are. The other big guys are 35+ year olds and mostly overrated foreign born players and glorified specialists/role players. One or two months of production last season is good enough for four years and at least 10 million per year apparently.

Curious to see what happens to JaVale and Nick Young.

Also curious why Ersan Ilyasova hasn't been in the news. He was the one guy I wouldn't have minded overpaying for.

Also curious why Kyle Lowry hasn't popped up int the news yet either. He was the best PG value after DWill.

[No Excuses]

Also curious why Kyle Lowry hasn't popped up int the news yet either.

Lowry got traded to Toronto for a lottery protected first.

The Nuggets are the ones who brought in Hakeem to coach Javale this summer so it seems like Javale has a commitment from them.

[Going Commando]

Just saw Kyle Lowry got traded to the Raptors yesterday. Isn't he an FA?

---------- Post added July-6th-2012 at 06:47 AM ----------

Wouldn't mind seeing us sign Patrick Mills to an offer sheet. He can shoot.

---------- Post added July-6th-2012 at 06:49 AM ----------

Also think it could make a lot of sense to sign Derek Fisher. It would be good for John.

---------- Post added July-6th-2012 at 06:52 AM ----------

Lowry got traded to Toronto for a lottery protected first.

The Nuggets are the ones who brought in Hakeem to coach Javale this summer so it seems like Javale has a commitment from them.

Thanks for the info. I'd imagine you're right about JaVale. I hope he stays in Denver. I don't want to see him become an NBA vagabond.

---------- Post added July-6th-2012 at 06:56 AM ----------

So I checked what the status was on Rush on a Warriors board...apparently he is the FO's #1 priority and some of the homers would be asking for Beal, Nene, Wall I'd rather simply offer up the MLE and see if GS accepts.

LOL! There isn't a single player on that roster I would swap either Beal or Wall for.

Yeah, that's what I'd do for Rush. We don't have to get him. If we want him, just offer the MLE and see if they match. They probably would, but you never know.

[Going Commando]

Minny has been shopping Derrick Williams all over the place this offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if his value is pretty cheap right now.

Would you all trade for him?

Vesely and Booker for him?

Vesely and Singleton for him?

[RonArtest15]

Minny has been shopping Derrick Williams all over the place this offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if his value is pretty cheap right now.

Would you all trade for him?

Vesely and Booker for him?

Vesely and Singleton for him?

No way.

Booker > Williams

Derrick Williams was a HUGE disappointment last year. Even more so than Vesely because of where he was drafted. Giving up Ves/Booker would be entirely too much for Williams. Now, if it was Singleton and a future 2nd, sure. But there is no way I'm trading those two guys for Derrick Williams of all people.

[Thinking Skins]

No way.

Booker > Williams

Derrick Williams was a HUGE disappointment last year. Even more so than Vesely because of where he was drafted. Giving up Ves/Booker would be entirely too much for Williams. Now, if it was Singleton and a future 2nd, sure. But there is no way I'm trading those two guys for Derrick Williams of all people.

This implies that you think Booker > Singleton? I don't know about that. I love Booker's hustle, but Singleton's potential and Booker's injury (short but not minimal) makes me a lot more excited about Singleton than Booker. All leading up to the draft people (us fans) have been willing to deal Booker, but Singleton is kinda seen as a cornerstone for the future. I think his defense and hookshots are really valuable. I just wish he would concentrate on defensive rebounds instead of blocked shots.

[RonArtest15]

This implies that you think Booker > Singleton? I don't know about that. I love Booker's hustle, but Singleton's potential and Booker's injury (short but not minimal) makes me a lot more excited about Singleton than Booker. All leading up to the draft people (us fans) have been willing to deal Booker, but Singleton is kinda seen as a cornerstone for the future. I think his defense and hookshots are really valuable. I just wish he would concentrate on defensive rebounds instead of blocked shots.

What exactly have you seen from Singleton as a pro that would leave you to believe that he has all this "potential?" Outside of Shelvin Mack/Blatche, he was one of the worst Wizards last year. I don't see it at all with Chris Singleton. Dude looked like a deer in headlights.

Injuries aside, Booker has shown that he can play in the NBA. Singleton looks to be nothing more than a journeyman NBA player AT BEST. Hindsight is 20/20, but I really wish we could get a mulligan and take Iman Shumpert.

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

Completely with ra15 on this. I don't think Booker/Singleton is all that close at all. Booker was solid as a rookie, and then showed major improvement last year. I think Booker is the type of player that championship squads are built on. Not a star but a solid, hard working, tough role player. Singleton, eh. Remains to be seen. Definitely not that impressive at all.

[StillUnknown]

Injuries aside, Booker has shown that he can play in the NBA. Singleton looks to be nothing more than a journeyman NBA player AT BEST. Hindsight is 20/20, but I really wish we could get a mulligan and take Iman Shumpert.

Booker's injury, combined with Seraphin stepping up in his absence, really made people forget that Booker was looking damn good right before he went down. Next to Seraphin, he was really the only Wizard who looked like they improved their game from the previous season.