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The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc


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On the topic of centers, this is what this website has to say about a Euro player in the draft:

One executive believes the 18-year-old Valanciunas, a 6-11, 240-pound center with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas, will emerge as the top pick.

"He's the best thing I've seen out of that country since [Zydrunas] Ilgauskas," the executive said. "He has a very good basketball IQ, he's tough, he can score, and over the last two years he has made the kind of jump you're looking for. He can shoot, but he can also be a traditional back-to-the-basket center, the way you like centers to be. He's different from [the Raptors' Andrea] Bargnani in that he's a legitimate post player.''

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/02/04/top.2011.draft.picks/index.html#ixzz1D86Lt89w

Someone to keep an eye on. I'm going to look for his game tape online. Getting an efficient scoring big man for Wall is as important as a gritty rebounder.

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On the topic of centers, this is what this website has to say about a Euro player in the draft:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/02/04/top.2011.draft.picks/index.html#ixzz1D86Lt89w

Someone to keep an eye on. I'm going to look for his game tape online. Getting an efficient scoring big man for Wall is as important as a gritty rebounder.

Best part about it was the last sentence in the quote that he was a true post player which will be a big help to Wall

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February 13th the Wizards go to Cleveland and there's a good potential that we'll have a matchup of a team that's lost 27 games in a row playing a team that hasn't won on the road all season.

The NBA: Where Amazing Happens.

:doh:

Edit: Just looked at ESPN.com and saw Antawn Jamison hanging his head next to the scorer's table. Really feel for that guy, he deserves better.

Edited by DarrellsMyHero28
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Someone could emerge in the next two months as the clear cut number one. It wasn't really until January that Blake Griffin became the sure fire top pick. Before the college season started a lot of draft boards that I saw had BJ Mullens (LOL!) as the #1 pick. So who knows what happens. I'd definitely LOVE to trade back though. We were able to make some trades last year and pick up Booker and Seraphin (which I think will eventually--if not already--be awesome.) We need to retool this entire roster. That's pretty obvious. How many players have a real future here? Not many. Trade back, get as many picks as possible and keep stocking up on youngsters. A few of them will hit and eventually one will hit big.

Though if you're sitting there in the top #3 and you have a player you think has separated himself and is a sure thing, definitely stay put and grab him.

Edited by G.A.C.O.L.B.
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I think the top guy in this class will end up being the one who has the best tournament. Jared Sullinger has certainly been the best college player with lottery potential. But Kevin Loves and Luis Scolas don't get picked first overall. He'll slip no matter what he does when people see how slow he is.

Carmelo didn't have a lot of draft momentum until the tournament. A performance like his from someone this year will vault him into the first overall spot.

Kyrie Irving was a natural choice before the injury. Harrison Barnes could go back to being the top guy if he keeps up this rate of play and has a nice tournament. If Perry Jones goes off in March he'll be a shoe-in.

I like the idea of trading back if Barnes and Sullinger are already off the board when we pick. There are some foreign bigs worth waiting on and I've seen mocks where Brandon Knight and Josh Selby slip into the late teens and twenties. If we maneuver around and come away with a nice big like that kid from Georgia and a scoring 2 like Selby I'd be very happy. Say we pick third or fourth and Sullinger and Perry Jones go first and second, Barnes stays in school, and Irving is BPA for us. If we could trade back and still get Trey Thompkins or maybe even a stud 2 like Alec Burks, and then Josh Selby later on. Then with our high second round pick we could hopefully either land a rebounding machine like Jordan Williams or a wing with high upside like Rodney Williams. Even better would be getting a late first from someone for Blatche and staying put with our high first and coming away with a Barnes or a Sullinger and still getting a combo scorer like Selby.

It'd be a lot of fun watching Selby and Wall work together.

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Someone could emerge in the next two months as the clear cut number one. It wasn't really until January that Blake Griffin became the sure fire top pick. Before the college season started a lot of draft boards that I saw had BJ Mullens (LOL!) as the #1 pick. So who knows what happens. I'd definitely LOVE to trade back though. We were able to make some trades last year and pick up Booker and Seraphin (which I think will eventually--if not already--be awesome.) We need to retool this entire roster. That's pretty obvious. How many players have a real future here? Not many. Trade back, get as many picks as possible and keep stocking up on youngsters. A few of them will hit and eventually one will hit big.

Though if you're sitting there in the top #3 and you have a player you think has separated himself and is a sure thing, definitely stay put and grab him.

Wizards don't need volume they need quality. They need a top flight low post scoring threat... which is basically asking for a miracle. No more shooters that are marsh mellow soft. We need someone that can put up points in the land of giants consistently. Once we have that pairing of a big and a point guard we can get to work finding blue collar rebounders and role playing shooters.
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Someone could emerge in the next two months as the clear cut number one. It wasn't really until January that Blake Griffin became the sure fire top pick. Before the college season started a lot of draft boards that I saw had BJ Mullens (LOL!) as the #1 pick. So who knows what happens. I'd definitely LOVE to trade back though. We were able to make some trades last year and pick up Booker and Seraphin (which I think will eventually--if not already--be awesome.) We need to retool this entire roster. That's pretty obvious. How many players have a real future here? Not many. Trade back, get as many picks as possible and keep stocking up on youngsters. A few of them will hit and eventually one will hit big.

Though if you're sitting there in the top #3 and you have a player you think has separated himself and is a sure thing, definitely stay put and grab him.

That's what OKC and Portland did. Stocked up on a ton of picks and some of them stuck. I'd like this idea.

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I wouldn't spend a top-5 pick on Harrison Barnes...I've stated my reasons, and although he's played better in the past couple of games...I still have some doubts.

If Cleveland lands the #1, there will be pressure to take Jared Sullinger #1 overall. Local kid, humble, and would be the anti-Lebron to some extent LOL. SM...you're right...generally guys like Love, Scola, Millsap, etc don't get taken #1 overall. However with there being no clear-cut #1 pick in a pretty weak draft, ANYTHING can happen. Sullinger might be that guy.

If the Wizards get a top-3 pick, I'm on board for drafting One of the Jones boys, Kanter, or Sullinger....anything else (up to this point), I'm not to interested in. Maybe trade back and gain a late pick or something of that nature.

One guy who intrigues me is Marshon Brooks. I got a chance to see him live this past weekend, and he's a DYNAMIC scorer. He had a few opportunities to bring the ball upcourt as the 1, but he needs to work on his handles a little bit. If you can get a big combo-guard (later in the draft) of Brooks' ilk, then by all means he should be targeted. Dude is putting up SICK numbers in the toughest conference in the nation. All you have to do to stop PC is stop Brooks...and he can hardly be checked by anyone.

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Marshon Brooks is fun to watch. What range do you think he gets taken in? Late first? Any way you think we can flip Blatche for a late first?

Brooks is from Stone Mountain, Georgia, home of the four horsemen of the Confederacy--Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Pacman. http://video.adultswim.com/squidbillies/early-in-hotlanta.html

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Because Shamgod and Brooks aret he same type of players? And nothing special? He's only been held to under 20 points ONCE in BE play and is averaging 24ppg when opposing defenses key in on him because he's the only scoring option on PC. Shooting 50% from the floor and 35% from 3. Not to mention he really hits the glass as well. Just gotta improve his handles a little bit.

SM....i think that he's a late-1st round pick right now who has a GREAT chance of shooting up draft boards.

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Wizards don't need volume they need quality. They need a top flight low post scoring threat... which is basically asking for a miracle. No more shooters that are marsh mellow soft. We need someone that can put up points in the land of giants consistently. Once we have that pairing of a big and a point guard we can get to work finding blue collar rebounders and role playing shooters.

Like I said, if there is someone there who really, really stands out to you that you feel is a sure thing, of course you grab him. But in a draft as deep as this where there are no premier players doesn't it make sense to have as many picks as possible? If you have almost the same grade for player 6 as you do for player 16, don't you want more than one pick?

---------- Post added February-8th-2011 at 04:06 PM ----------

Being in RI I see Brooks play all the time. He's nothing special. Didn't we learn our lesson with drafting players out of PC with God Shamgod?

Shamgod was a playground legend who was taken in the middle of the 2nd round. You know, the crapshoot round. The round where you take fliers on players. Not to mention that happened almost 15 years ago. I'm failing to see how that's relevant to anything.

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Shamgod was a playground legend who was taken in the middle of the 2nd round. You know, the crapshoot round. The round where you take fliers on players. Not to mention that happened almost 15 years ago. I'm failing to see how that's relevant to anything.

Shamgod was someone who rode the wave of hype from the '97 tournament. Him being a "playground legend" had nothing to do with him being drafted. As far as being a crapshoot round, you could say that about the first round as well the past decade.

Just b/c Brooks is having an abnormally good year doesn't mean he's a good option for the NBA. I've seen almost all of his games since he was a freshman. Just b/c a guy can fill a stat sheet sometimes doesn't mean he's a great player. You should know better than that.

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Shamgod was someone who rode the wave of hype from the '97 tournament. Him being a "playground legend" had nothing to do with him being drafted. As far as being a crapshoot round, you could say that about the first round as well the past decade.

Every round in every draft is a crapshoot in many ways. But the 2nd round of the NBA draft is like the 7th round of the NFL draft. Very rarely do you hit on a pick there. I think it's gotten somewhat better in the last few years. (And I can't imagine what it was like when they had 10+ rounds back in the day. I just looked up a random year (1970) and they had 19 rounds that year.)

Just b/c Brooks is having an abnormally good year doesn't mean he's a good option for the NBA. I've seen almost all of his games since he was a freshman. Just b/c a guy can fill a stat sheet sometimes doesn't mean he's a great player. You should know better than that.

Still failing to see the God Shamgod connection. Which is what my post was a response to.

Edited by G.A.C.O.L.B.
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I didn't know you weren't aware that there aren't any good players to come out of PC besides Lenny Wilkens (60) and Otis Thorpe (84). Unless you want to count players turned coaches (Wilkens again, Billy Donovan and John Thompson).

Since Shamgod is probably the PC player you are most familiar with I chose him to display my point. Pretty simple.

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^But your point makes no sense....

it's like saying the Hawks shouldn't look at Derrick Williams because Salim Stoudamire was a bust.

False b/c Arizona has a history of solid NBA players. PC does not. It's ok, you saw Brooks play and now have a crush on him... i get it. It happens. Don't get caught up in the hype.

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Again...you miss the point. There is NO comparison between Shammgod/Brooks because they play two different positions, play for different coaches, play in different systems, and play in a different era. PC's player-to-pro history is IRRELEVANT. Brooks right now is arguably the most dominant player in the best conference in college hoops. He'll get consideration for BE POY....I guess I shouldn't get caught up in the hype though. LOL....if you actually watch the games like you "claim" you'd appreciate what he's been doing not only in conference play, but overall. The kid is legit and will be a 1st round pick come June.

Edited by RonArtest15
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What do you all think of Alec Burks? I'd say he's more of the "smooth" than "explosive" variety of athlete unlike Selby or Perry Jones. But I liked what little I've seen of him so far. He's got a feathery shot and strong handle and has been very productive the past two seasons despite being a very young player. I don't know that a 2 guard is our biggest need but Burks seems like a strong option there because he's long and will be able to defend the big ones in the NBA. He'd be well down my list of choices with our first round pick but we could probably do considerably worse than him--especially if Nick Young isn't retained.

Also, have any of you seen videos of Austin Rivers play? The kid is absolutely incredible. Wow. Too bad they have that rule where you have to be a year removed from high school to enter the draft.

I really hope we come away with a top three pick this year. I really, really want to get either Sullinger, Perry Jones, or Barnes. Probably in that order. Sullinger would be ideal. Then figure we've got about one more year of picking in the lottery after this one. Maybe next year we'd get lucky and come away with a talent like Rivers or Michael Gilchrist in the first. I think a Wall/Sullinger/Gilchrist core would be extremely strong. Have Gilchrist and Nick Young switch off at the wings and Javale would be the athletic big who can run the floor and play above the rim to compliment Sullinger.

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SM....good call on Alec Burks. He's got a real smooth game. He'd be an intriguing prospect if we don't re-sign Nick Young. One guy who I'd look at over Burks is Klay Thompson. He can play the 2/3...and sometimes 1. I'd only take a flyer on guys like Burks, Thompson, Brooks if there's a chance we can land a 2nd 1st round pick late in the round. Getting a beast low-post presence is a priority.

Let me ask you...we've had conversations about Harrison Barnes. I wonder how much of an effect Larry Drew II had on his game? Reason I say this is he's had a bump in productivity since Marshall has been getting the minutes at PG and Drew quit. Can't wait to see how he does tonight vs. Duke. From what I've been reading, Drew was a cancer on that team. Harrison Barnes has the pedigree, so let's see how he does as we approach the home-stretch of the season going into the NCAAs. He has a real chance to shut a lot of his critics up.....

*Oh as far as Austin Rivers....dude can flat out play. He's got an ego the size of Texas and at times can have a bad attitude if things aren't going his way. He needs to be humbled a bit. I think going to Duke and playing for Coach K will be good for his game. Nothing will be given to him at that program and he'll have to earn his minutes. Kid is special....if there wasn't an age-limit in the NBA, he'd be a top-5 pick in 2011. He's that good.

Edited by RonArtest15
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