The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

I think you're underselling Noel's physical attributes. The guy has a tremendous physical profile. He's not as powerful as Drummond, but Drummond is another type that has gotten fat before and carried some bad weight. Noel has an awesome frame and he's already started filling out some compared to where he was last year. He's already wiry strong and holds position pretty well. He's got big joints, long arms, and broad shoulders and looks like he can carry 240 to 250 with no loss in mobility.

I think he's a more explosive athlete than Drummond was. He's a bouncier athlete than Drummond. He'll give up length and strength to Drummond, but he's quicker. I think his raw skill set is as good as Drummond's. I think his intangibles are also better than Drummond's. Noel is an overachiever who has had success all his life and made an impact at every level of competition.

im not underselling Noel at all, its more about how amazing an athlete Drummond is.

Drummond was the fastest player on UConn' team last year. He is an explosive leaper, and a quick leaper. Drummond is an amazing athlete, especially when you remember that he is 275 lbs. And he has a 7'6" wingspan.

Drummond was more athletic than Dwight Howard was in 2004.

---------- Post added December-29th-2012 at 09:55 PM ----------

As a top 3/4 pick you'd be ok with Zeller? Not me. Now if Wall comes back and we end up in the 5-7 pick range, sure I'd be alright with it at this point.

in the 2013 NBA Draft, Zeller is a top 3/4 pick.

Edited December 30, 2012 by AsiaticSkinsFan

[Going Commando]

Nazr Mohammed has been in the league for 15 years and never played for the same team more than 3 in a row.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

double post

---------- Post added December-29th-2012 at 09:59 PM ----------

Nazr Mohammed has been in the league for 15 years and never played for the same team more than 3 in a row.

oooh to be a 7 footer.

Edited December 30, 2012 by AsiaticSkinsFan

[Going Commando]

Okafor with 15 rebounds so far.

We've been killing them on the glass. Totally unexpected. It's the only reason we're hanging around despite turning it over 15 times to their 7.

[TradeTheBeal!]

Beal is just brutal. Draft position notwithstanding, that dude needed one more year at Florida, maybe two more.

Edited December 30, 2012 by mboyd784

[Going Commando]

oooh to be a 7 footer.

If you're a reasonably coordinated 7 footer in this day and age, there is no reason for you not to be a multi-millionaire by 30.

---------- Post added December-29th-2012 at 10:06 PM ----------

That was a dirty screen from Noah that got Bellinelli that open 3.

[Destino]

What isWittman doing? Mack and Temple late in the 4th? No scoring from those guys.

[SuperBash]

in the 2013 NBA Draft, Zeller is a top 3/4 pick.

I'm not so sure yet. I know most of the, "experts," have him in the top 3 but I don't see it. He'll fall out of the top 3 by draft time, if he even enters imo.

[Renegade7]

Okafor with 15 rebounds so far.

We've been killing them on the glass. Totally unexpected. It's the only reason we're hanging around despite turning it over 15 times to their 7.

I see that, too. It's always something with this team. tonight it was turnovers. This was one of those games I didn't feel it was over until it was really over. Tuning the ballover coming out a timeout with only a couple minutes left is simply unprofessional.

Still better then getting blown out by 30 by a team that's just as bad as you. Anyone here believe Wall will actually be back next month? I'm keeping the faith, cuz that's what fans do...

[Destino]

Beal needs to be asked to stop attempting three point shots. I get that he's young but his shooting percentages are below a rookie John Wall. He needs to sort that **** out in practice because he's a massive liability in game when he's under the mistaken belief that he has three point range. He doesn't

[Hersh]

Beal needs to be asked to stop attempting three point shots. I get that he's young but his shooting percentages are below a rookie John Wall. He needs to sort that **** out in practice because he's a massive liability in game when he's under the mistaken belief that he has three point range. He doesn't

That would require a competent head coach. I'm guessing he is being told to shoot the ball.

[grhqofb5]

That would require a competent head coach. I'm guessing he is being told to shoot the ball.

His field goal percentage is the lowest in the league among qualifiers. I don't care how nice his shot may look, this guy's a dud. You simply cannot shoot any worse. Shouldn't we expect him to beat at least one ******* guy?

[Going Commando]

His field goal percentage is the lowest in the league among qualifiers. I don't care how nice his shot may look, this guy's a dud. You simply cannot shoot any worse. Shouldn't we expect him to beat at least one ******* guy?

Beal is the least of my worries. He's going to be fine. I'm more worried about Singleton, Vesely, Booker, and Seraphin. Are any of them players that can be of any use long term?

I'm more worried about Wall and this injury which was supposed to be minor.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 12:23 AM ----------

Beal needs to be asked to stop attempting three point shots. I get that he's young but his shooting percentages are below a rookie John Wall. He needs to sort that **** out in practice because he's a massive liability in game when he's under the mistaken belief that he has three point range. He doesn't

He's the second youngest player in the league and he's being asked to shoulder a big load for what might be the worst team in NBA history. I'm not that worried about the percentages. Wall's shooting percentages were better as a rookie because he was a slasher that barely shot anything from mid to long range. I'd rather Beal get accustomed to curling off screens and shooting and taking threes and miss them frankly. He needs to be aggressive and take 15+ shots a game IMO. He's one of the best options we have for our future and needs to develop. I don't want him passing up shots to try and see a bump in his FG %. I also don't want to see his minutes get jerked around. We've been playing for next year since before the first month was over. There's not really a downside to him missing a bunch of shots.

[Destino]

He's the second youngest player in the league and he's being asked to shoulder a big load for what might be the worst team in NBA history. I'm not that worried about the percentages. Wall's shooting percentages were better as a rookie because he was a slasher that barely shot anything from mid to long range. I'd rather Beal get accustomed to curling off screens and shooting and taking threes and miss them frankly. He needs to be aggressive and take 15+ shots a game IMO. He's one of the best options we have for our future and needs to develop. I don't want him passing up shots to try and see a bump in his FG %. I also don't want to see his minutes get jerked around. We've been playing for next year since before the first month was over. There's not really a downside to him missing a bunch of shots.

Wall's three point percentage was better and Beal is clearly struggling even with wide open spot up three point shots. I'm not calling for him to be benched, I'm thinking Wittman needs to do his job as a coach and realize that Beal isn't the sniper we all expected him to be. He needs to tell him to reduce his three point attempts and adjust the offense to get him shots closer to the basket. The downside is having the players not give a damn because Wittman is yanking them out of the game for taking bad shots while Beal is jacking up nonsense at too high a rate.

[Going Commando]

Wall's three point percentage was better and Beal is clearly struggling even with wide open spot up three point shots. I'm not calling for him to be benched, I'm thinking Wittman needs to do his job as a coach and realize that Beal isn't the sniper we all expected him to be. He needs to tell him to reduce his three point attempts and adjust the offense to get him shots closer to the basket. The downside is having the players not give a damn because Wittman is yanking them out of the game for taking bad shots while Beal is jacking up nonsense at too high a rate.

Beal's not taking bad shots by and large. If he were shooting some of the shots Jordan or Seraphin were, I'd understand reeling him in. He's actually passing up threes when he's got a decent one to try and drive the lane against the bigs where he gets clobbered and he's not getting consistent calls.

Beal has never had a problem with shot selection, I wouldn't be trying to reel him in shooting-wise. I'd actually be trying to get him to shoot more actually. I want him taking 15+ shots a game while Wall is out. I want him to get used to shouldering the scoring load. Maybe that's not necessarily his style, but at the very least, I don't want him to pass up a decent shot when he's got it.

Plus we need someone to take threes just in the minute to minute flow of the game. Cartier barely plays and Martell and Crawford can't be the only ones. After them, Beal is the only one who will take a three.

Beal has already taken nearly as many 3s as Wall did in his entire rookie season. I wouldn't worry about the % here. He's still adjusting to NBA range and the speed that NBA defenders close out on the ball. Nothing you can do about it but wait for him to adjust and remind yourself he's a 19 year old shooter. The league is going to be brutal to him at first. Ray Allen came into the league at 21. Kobe didn't start or get a ton of minutes his first two years. Most successful teams seem to bring 2 guards like Beal along slowly. Not us apparently.

Wittman uses the poor shooting excuse to yank the players he doesn't like IMO. He doesn't pull out Crawford or Seraphin for dumb shots/mistakes either.

Where is Singleton btw? Is he hurt or is he in the doghouse now?

[RonArtest15]

Brace yourselves...

While Cousins has insisted publicly that he does not want to be traded, his story has been different privately. The recent hiring of influential agent Dan Fegan has led to the widespread assumption within the organization that Cousins will eventually demand a trade. Specifically, two people close to the situation who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said a trade to the Washington Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and Fegan because Cousins could rejoin former Kentucky teammate and fellow Fegan client, point guard John Wall. The Wizards, who are known to have expressed recent interest in Cousins, have been told by the Kings that they have no intention of trading him

Link

I think this deal is going to get done.

My ONLY reservation is that for this deal to happen, we HAVE to keep Nene at all costs. There needs to be some sort of a veteran presence on this roster to mentor Cousins. A change of scenery is just what Boogie needs. A divorce between the Kings/Cousins is going to happen. We can't stand pat and look at teams like Boston/Detroit make offers and get this done. Wizards HAVE to be proactive. YEs, it's a major high-risk move, but it's something that needs to happen.

What better way to welcome Wall back on the court in a week or two by having Boogie on the roster? It's not like we don't have assets or a potential top-3 pick to give up. Ernie and the rest of the front office needs to restore some sort of faith in this team from the fanbase. While a highly risky trade, this IMO, would be a step in the right direction. All of this hinges on Boogie's mental state, but being by Wall/Nene could do wonders for him professionally and personally.

A trio of Boogie, Nene, and Wall is more than formidable (when healthy).

DO IT.

[endzone_dave]

Like Destino, I'm concerned with Beal's 3 PT %. It would be typical Wizards to spend the 3rd pick on a long range shooter to complement Wall, and he can't shoot long range shots.

Beal looks pretty decent when he's not camped out beyond the arc though. How long will it be be before the Wiz stop trying to make a 3 PT shooter out of someone who can't and let them play to their strengths?

[Hersh]

Brace yourselves...

Link

I think this deal is going to get done.

My ONLY reservation is that for this deal to happen, we HAVE to keep Nene at all costs. There needs to be some sort of a veteran presence on this roster to mentor Cousins. A change of scenery is just what Boogie needs. A divorce between the Kings/Cousins is going to happen. We can't stand pat and look at teams like Boston/Detroit make offers and get this done. Wizards HAVE to be proactive. YEs, it's a major high-risk move, but it's something that needs to happen.

What better way to welcome Wall back on the court in a week or two by having Boogie on the roster? It's not like we don't have assets or a potential top-3 pick to give up. Ernie and the rest of the front office needs to restore some sort of faith in this team from the fanbase. While a highly risky trade, this IMO, would be a step in the right direction. All of this hinges on Boogie's mental state, but being by Wall/Nene could do wonders for him professionally and personally.

A trio of Boogie, Nene, and Wall is more than formidable (when healthy).

DO IT.

Yay, the most inefficient scoring big man in the NBA on the worst scoring,least efficient team in the NBA is exactly what the Wizards need to turn it around. Again, if the Wizards give up a top-3 or lottery pick for this completely unprofessional, sorry shooting big man, they deserve to be the worst team in the NBA for years. Being pro-active is one thing, trading for this guy is another. Look at your own post, if he does this, if he does that he will become a great player. So many ifs and that's all the Wizards team is filled with right now. If the wizards trade their pick in the off-season, it would have to be for a sure fire all-star. The Wizards trading for Cousins is a complete Daniel Snyder move.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 02:37 PM ----------

It's pretty amazing how awful the Wizards are this season. Think about this: teams are 28-30 games into the season, there is a team currently with an 18 game losing streak and we are still 3 games behind them in the win column.

[Going Commando]

Brace yourselves...

Link

I think this deal is going to get done.

My ONLY reservation is that for this deal to happen, we HAVE to keep Nene at all costs. There needs to be some sort of a veteran presence on this roster to mentor Cousins. A change of scenery is just what Boogie needs. A divorce between the Kings/Cousins is going to happen. We can't stand pat and look at teams like Boston/Detroit make offers and get this done. Wizards HAVE to be proactive. YEs, it's a major high-risk move, but it's something that needs to happen.

What better way to welcome Wall back on the court in a week or two by having Boogie on the roster? It's not like we don't have assets or a potential top-3 pick to give up. Ernie and the rest of the front office needs to restore some sort of faith in this team from the fanbase. While a highly risky trade, this IMO, would be a step in the right direction. All of this hinges on Boogie's mental state, but being by Wall/Nene could do wonders for him professionally and personally.

A trio of Boogie, Nene, and Wall is more than formidable (when healthy).

DO IT.

I'm with you. Get it done. He actually wants to be here. Amazing.

I think Cousins has always dreamed of playing with his buddy Wall and now he's started trying to force it into happening. I don't think he wants to wait until team control runs out to make it happen.

I don't see this move as being that high risk... What have we possibly got to lose? We can't get worse and the John Wall era is hanging by a thread. To salvage it we need to make a big change in course.

I wonder what could get it done? What would you be willing to give up to get it done? My hope is that Boogie's value is at the lowest it'll be for years. I would try and lowball them at first but I would give up a pretty good package to get him.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 10:14 AM ----------

Yay, the most inefficient scoring big man in the NBA on the worst scoring,least efficient team in the NBA is exactly what the Wizards need to turn it around. Again, if the Wizards give up a top-3 or lottery pick for this completely unprofessional, sorry shooting big man, they deserve to be the worst team in the NBA for years. Being pro-active is one thing, trading for this guy is another. Look at your own post, if he does this, if he does that he will become a great player. So many ifs and that's all the Wizards team is filled with right now. If the wizards trade their pick in the off-season, it would have to be for a sure fire all-star. The Wizards trading for Cousins is a complete Daniel Snyder move.

You're underestimating how special Cousins is. He'd be the first overall pick in this year's draft class easily. He's shown the ability to dominate games at age 20 and is pretty incredible every time he pairs up with Wall.

There isn't another big man in the league with Cousins's combination of size, strength, and footwork.

A Wall - Cousins pairing could be one of the dominant tandems of the league by the time those two reach their prime.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 10:23 AM ----------

A Wall - Cousins - Nene construction actually gets me pretty excited. Okafor coming off the bench is nice.

Make the deal around Seraphin and the draft pick. If you protect the draft pick, just make sure that it's got top 3 protection for 2014. (I might just leave it unprotected this year to ensure we'll have our 2014 pick). Throw in any of Crawford/Singleton/Ariza/Vesely/Booker to make it work. Take back Outlaw's or Salmon's contract if you have to.

You could start winning today around Wall/Cousins/Nene and then eventually Beal would grow into the third player of the construction as Nene declines. The nice thing about Beal and Nene is that, for third stars, they don't need many shots and they contribute in a multitude of ways.

A Cousins/Nene/Okafor front court would be awesome on the glass and they'd have the beef to hang with any other big front court in the league.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 10:29 AM ----------

You know what's really a killer?

What if we had made that Harden deal AND make this Cousins deal?

Is it conceivable that we could have been building around a core of Wall + Harden + Cousins?

If so, that hurts. That could have been a championship caliber core by the time Wall and Cousins were 25.

[StillUnknown]

You can't have Wittman coach Cousins. There is a better than average chance that they would come to blows before long.

[Hersh]

I'm with you. Get it done. He actually wants to be here. Amazing.

I think Cousins has always dreamed of playing with his buddy Wall and now he's started trying to force it into happening. I don't think he wants to wait until team control runs out to make it happen.

I don't see this move as being that high risk... What have we possibly got to lose? We can't get worse and the John Wall era is hanging by a thread. To salvage it we need to make a big change in course.

I wonder what could get it done? What would you be willing to give up to get it done? My hope is that Boogie's value is at the lowest it'll be for years. I would try and lowball them at first but I would give up a pretty good package to get him.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 10:14 AM ----------

You're underestimating how special Cousins is. He'd be the first overall pick in this year's draft class easily. He's shown the ability to dominate games at age 20 and is pretty incredible every time he pairs up with Wall.

There isn't another big man in the league with Cousins's combination of size, strength, and footwork.

A Wall - Cousins pairing could be one of the dominant tandems of the league by the time those two reach their prime.

A big man shooting 41%. Awesome.

I don't underestimate Cousins, I just have some understanding of what the Wizards need. He's an incredibly inefficient scorer who has poor shot selection and is putting up decent numbers for another really bad team. He's a complete headcase and really a project for any team that acquires him. Now you guys want to put that on a Wizards team with our star player who battling serious knee injuries cause they are boys and if a thousand things go right, they could be awesome. Oh, and let's not pretend we need him to rebound or play defense because the Wiz are 6th in rebounding and Cousins is not a defensive force.

A headcase like Cousins in this organization is a failure waiting to happen. The Wizards don't have the organizational structure to deal with the issues he brings on top of which the Wizards show no ability to develop any young players so why would Cousins magically get better here? The answer is that he won't. Not here.

Until the Wizards change the GM, the head coach and the total philosophy here, players like Cousins won't help this organization succeed no matter how much wishful thinking fans have.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 03:57 PM ----------

You can't have Wittman coach Cousins. There is a better than average chance that they would come to blows before long.

Nor can you have Ernie as the GM here with a player like Cousins.

[No Excuses]

Nor can you have Ernie as the GM here with a player like Cousins.

What I was going to say.

Cousins would go down the path of Blatche et al with the clown culture fostered by this management.

There is no point in wasting any trade assets with Ernie still being the GM. If Ted is smart he fires Ernie in the next few weeks and brings in the new GM who can evaluate this roster as the season goes along and completely nukes most of it over the offseason.

[RonArtest15]

Like SM was saying, what exactly is there to lose by bringing in Cousins? High risk/high reward player. He's developed some bad habits, but this is exactly why I think it's imperative that we keep Nene if this deal with Cousins is actually on the table.

This team is going nowhere fast. With what little chips that we may have, it makes sense to go "all in" on this deal.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

His field goal percentage is the lowest in the league among qualifiers. I don't care how nice his shot may look, this guy's a dud. You simply cannot shoot any worse. Shouldn't we expect him to beat at least one ******* guy?

I said this before the draft, I said it at the beginning of the season, and you guys are seeing it now.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 12:17 PM ----------

Cousins is not getting traded. The Maloofs are the ones who ended his suspension by going over the coach and GM's head.

[Going Commando]

Like SM was saying, what exactly is there to lose by bringing in Cousins? High risk/high reward player. He's developed some bad habits, but this is exactly why I think it's imperative that we keep Nene if this deal with Cousins is actually on the table.

This team is going nowhere fast. With what little chips that we may have, it makes sense to go "all in" on this deal.

I'm with you.

Cousins is worth the risk. Especially when you've already got John Wall.

I've followed Cousins's career since Kentucky and seen him play a ton, I've seen the things he can do. I've seen how good a player is when he's playing with Wall. He's going to be the best center in the league by the time he hits his prime and Dwight hits the other side of 30.

Wall gets back and you get Cousins and this is an immediately different team. And it's a move with huge long term potential.

I'm actually not that worried about Cousins's personality. I think he's probably the most misunderstood player in the league. I think he would thrive in a place where he wants to be playing with Wall.

I think it does make sense to try and keep Nene in the process of trading for Cousins. A Nene Cousins frontcourt would be dominant. I think it also makes sense to keep Beal though too because you want a three star construction for the long term. I think Wall/Cousins/Nene would be too good to utilize the draft very well to bring in that third piece for when Nene gets old. Stick with the raw clay you've already got for molding in Beal.

What do you think he'd cost? Harden's value should be higher than Cousins's right? He was coming off an Olympics and a Finals appearance and an All Star appearance. If Beal + Singleton would have gotten us Harden, you should be able to build a Cousins deal around our draft pick IMO.

---------- Post added December-30th-2012 at 12:27 PM ----------

You can't have Wittman coach Cousins. There is a better than average chance that they would come to blows before long.

Hire Calipari.

Cousins is a salty guy that likes confrontation. He needs a coach that can push back and be tough with him, set boundaries, but also doesn't overreact to Cousins's getting heated back. People thought Cousins and Calipari had a rift because of the way they argued on the sidelines but that wasn't the case. They actually loved each other. Calipari knew exactly how to handle him. Cousins is just aggressive and confrontational and you have to be the same way back to him but you can't hold a grudge about it or worry about it undermining your authority.