The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Yeah Barnes won't be a top 5 pick next year because the class will be strong. But I think he'll still be a good NBA player and get taken in a more realistic draft range of 5-14.

Sullinger is the fool who really stands to drop like a stone. He doesn't have an NBA body. He would have been a top 3 pick this year. Next year he'll be up against a lot of highly athletic forwards and he'll probably be the 5th or 6th player at his position. Plus he's giving guys like Perry Jones a year to catch him.

I would have loved to draft Sullinger this year because of what else was available. Next year I wouldn't touch him unless about 9 or 10 other guys are off the table.

---------- Post added April-18th-2011 at 12:19 PM ----------

As for Rose, I don't think he and Wall are very similar. I see Wall taking the Chris Paul path of development. I believe Paul is the best pure PG in the game and you saw the kind of damage he can do against the Lakers yesterday.

Rose is hard to define. He plays the PG position like a forward with how rough and tumble he is. He's like Iverson only with 2 guard length. I'm not sure I would want to build my team around a PG like that. I think I'd rather have a Paul who can punish you with his shot in clutch situations, drive and draw pressure when he has to, but mostly look to facilitate his teammates first. That's what I want Wall to become. The slashing ability and raw passing skills are already there. The discipline and decision making and expert long range shooting aren't. But just take a look at his shooting towards the end of the year and you saw a lot of confidence out of him. Between game 1 and game 70, his shooting made excellent strides. He's going to be a good shooter by his third year and he'll develop the feel for directing the offense by then too. He'll basically be a taller version of Chris Paul with the length of Derrick Rose.

Look at the numbers for the rookie seasons from Paul and Wall--they're very similar in production and a clear cut above the seasons from any rookie PG in a really long time. Wall is well ahead of the curve. The way he started had people making comparisons to Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson after all.

IMO, the best PG in the league is Deron Williams.... but other than that I agree with everything in your post.

[No Excuses]

Rose reminds of Gilbert as in he's extremely effective as a scoring PG and the offense runs perfectly with him running this role.

Gilbert would have looked just like this if he had Rose's big men and if the coach wasn't a defensively clueless idiot like Eddie Jordan.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Like I said, my vote is take the money 98 percent of the time. And I think Sullenger probably should have come out. His game is NBA ready now, and I don't see it getting any better in college.

This draft, though, scares me. You are going to have 19 and 20 year olds going deep into debt off loans from agents as they wait for the league to start who knows when.

I would like to see the top 20 draft picks undergo some kind of endurace test on the day of the draft and then see how they do in that same test on the first day of training camp - whenever that is.

[WALL-LE]

Will any of these rookies have any impact whatsoever as rookies? Not if the labor situation gets settled in the fall and they get a two week crash course in the NBA before the year starts. If it doesn't get settled, then there won't be a season anyway. Draft him and let him play a year in Europe and then bring him over in 2012.

And if you had seen Bismack play in that summit game you'd have seen him easily hold his own with the very best Americans like Rivers/Davis/Gilchrist. He put on a show. He was the only athlete on the world team that could go stride for stride with any of them and nobody on the American team could handle his raw power.

Like GACOLB said, the age thing smells like complete crap to me.

Why do you think we'll pick top 3? we've a better chance of picking fourth or later.

i did watch the summit game and wasnt impressed, yes he got blocks and threw it down on people that were shorter than him, but ive seen how much mcgee blows and am not impressed with someone with no offensive game, especially in the top 5.

I want derrick williams.

just a hunch we will get somewhere in the top 3. my guess is 2

[Kosher Ham]

LKB on some different this time around.

Your quote to me make no sense.

Lottery pick ...stay.

Nope.

[Gator Bait]

Yeah Barnes won't be a top 5 pick next year because the class will be strong. But I think he'll still be a good NBA player and get taken in a more realistic draft range of 5-14.

It's really hard to say before the season even starts. Barnes was the number one recruit coming into college this year and many people believed he would be #1 overall in the draft. Next year's draft should be a really good one, but I have a feeling Barnes is going to have a huge year at UNC and cement himself as a top 3 pick. I've got a lot of faith in the kid. He seems to have the natural ability to score and as you've pointed out before he has a great build/speed to defend anyone put against him at the 3 (Big or small)

Sullinger is the fool who really stands to drop like a stone. He doesn't have an NBA body. He would have been a top 3 pick this year. Next year he'll be up against a lot of highly athletic forwards and he'll probably be the 5th or 6th player at his position.

I definitely agree. Sullinger is was super overrated this year and would have probably been a top two pick in the draft. I'm not sure if he'll be 5th or 6th at his position (because I expect him to have a pretty dominate year at OSU) but I bet he falls from being a 1/2 pick in the draft to a mid-lottery selection.

Plus he's giving guys like Perry Jones a year to catch him.

I fully expect Perry to rebound from a lackluster year and put himself in the convo for top 3 player selected.

As for Rose, I don't think he and Wall are very similar. I see Wall taking the Chris Paul path of development. I believe Paul is the best pure PG in the game and you saw the kind of damage he can do against the Lakers yesterday.

I agree....Paul and Wall are pure point guards who have the ability to score and take over a game if need be. Kind of like LeBron would do in Cleveland...he would distribute early on in the first half and try and get his teammates involved and then he would take over and put the team on his back in the second half (only difference is...I think Wall has already proved on a couple occasions that he is a better closer than LeBron!)

---------- Post added April-19th-2011 at 07:24 AM ----------

a few other players to think about this free agency:

Nene - I know there was talk about a contract extension for him, but I don't think it has happened yet.

Michael Redd - Coming off a few years of injury, we should be able to get this guy on the cheap. He would be good for the locker room and is still likely a sharpshooter from down town. Minutes off the bench

Caron Butler - Coming off an injury and two subpar seasons, there isn't going to be much of a market for Caron. He is a high character guy and loves DC...I wouldn't be surprised to give us the "adopted hometown" discount and finish his career here in Washington.

Tayshaun Prince - Already familiar with Flip (which could be a good or bad thing) and would fill a need at the 3 and provide vet leadership in the locker room.

Marc Gasol - Gasol has been brought up in the past and now with Zack Randolph's huge extension, it isn't far fetched to see Memphis let Marc walk. I think Marc is an upgrade over McGee as a starting center and would add needed depth to the front court.

Juwan Howard - Juwan is familiar with Washington and fills a need at the 3....ok...yeah I know...just kidding. Had to add some comic relief!

***non wizards related****

Anyone think Tim Duncan could end up leaving the spurs? He doesn't seem too loyal of a guy...I could definitely see him bouncing if San Antonio wont pay him. He has an early termination option and has already won plenty of championships. I could see him cashing in with a franchise that is willing to overpay him to sell tickets.

[Rocky21]

I almost spit my coffeee out when I read these words. Juwan Howard.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

LKB on some different this time around.

Your quote to me make no sense.

Lottery pick ...stay.

Nope.

Translate that into English please and I'll respond.

[Going Commando]

It's really hard to say before the season even starts. Barnes was the number one recruit coming into college this year and many people believed he would be #1 overall in the draft. Next year's draft should be a really good one, but I have a feeling Barnes is going to have a huge year at UNC and cement himself as a top 3 pick. I've got a lot of faith in the kid. He seems to have the natural ability to score and as you've pointed out before he has a great build/speed to defend anyone put against him at the 3 (Big or small)

I lreally like Barnes but the more I saw of him the more worried I became about his ability to create off the dribble and get to the rim. When you look at his high school and summer camp highlights, he was running the floor well and throwing down athletic dunks and making plays around the basket. But at UNC I thought he looked rough trying to get to the rim.

Watching the playoffs has been informative because I've gotten to see the way the best 3s in the game score: LeBron, Granger, Carmelo, and Durant. Their ability to attack the rim is ridiculous and it's a big part of what makes them stars. I just don't see that same giftedness in Barnes. He strikes me as a top catch and shoot option with some interesting back to the basket skills for his position but only mediocre slashing and finishing ability. The hands and the perimeter defense are terrific and the passing skills are also good, which means he'd be valuable for just about every team that didn't already have a star scoring 3. But I can see why people don't think he'll ever be a star or a franchise caliber player. He'll never get to an All Star game in the East while Carmelo, LeBron, and Granger are healthy. He's basically a really good complimentary piece--Luol Deng ready to start as a 20 year old. Do you draft that top 5 in a strong year?

Next year's class has got a lot of forwards with star potential who have a chance to leapfrog Barnes. By the end of the year, I actually expect Davis, Gilchrist, Miller, and P. Jones to each rank ahead of him. Then you'll have some guards drafted early because Teague and Rivers are so good. Maybe a center somewhere in there too plus an international player could pass him if one has a breakout season. I could really see Barnes slipping somewhere into the 7-10 range even if he has a good season at UNC.

I definitely agree. Sullinger is was super overrated this year and would have probably been a top two pick in the draft. I'm not sure if he'll be 5th or 6th at his position (because I expect him to have a pretty dominate year at OSU) but I bet he falls from being a 1/2 pick in the draft to a mid-lottery selection.

He'll be good again but there'll be a crowd at PF pushing him down the list--Davis, P. Jones, Henson, and McAdoo for starters.

There is no way Sullinger gets taken as high as even Kevin Love did (5th) no matter how good he is next season. I think he'd have been the third choice in this year's class. He's not going to be as valuable as Love was out the gate because Love has elite outside shooting and elite passing skills that aren't really there with Sullinger. That's what made you feel OK about taking a 6'9 center with ordinary athleticism 5th with Love--unique passing and shooting talent. Sullinger will just be an Al Jefferson type unless he develops those skills too. Don't get me wrong, that's a very valuable player to have on your roster, but never a star (or even All Star in a good PF conference). Too many potential stars available in next year's group to settle for a lower ceiling player with defensive liabilities like Sullinger.

I fully expect Perry to rebound from a lackluster year and put himself in the convo for top 3 player selected.

They need to play him at PF and not C for him to fully shine. Even if he does play C, he'll still be a lot better. He's going to be the top option for them now that Dunn graduated and he's about to get some sick front court help with Quincy Miller coming in and they still have Quincy Acey. You can run a 3 forward lineup and with the combination of Miller and Jones and their ability to work inside and outside you're extremely dangerous. Baylor is going to be extremely fun to watch next season.

I agree....Paul and Wall are pure point guards who have the ability to score and take over a game if need be. Kind of like LeBron would do in Cleveland...he would distribute early on in the first half and try and get his teammates involved and then he would take over and put the team on his back in the second half (only difference is...I think Wall has already proved on a couple occasions that he is a better closer than LeBron!)

Paul is something else. That's definitely who I want John Wall modeling his game after and you can already see Wall adopting those kinds of traits (and even body language) that Paul has. Imagine a Paul with the ability to play above the rim and defend any other point in the league. That's an exciting thought.

Marc Gasol - Gasol has been brought up in the past and now with Zack Randolph's huge extension, it isn't far fetched to see Memphis let Marc walk. I think Marc is an upgrade over McGee as a starting center and would add needed depth to the front court.

Gasol looked fantastic against the Lakers in game one. I think he'd definitely be an upgrade over Javale at starting C. I like Nene too but Gasol is a more attractive option because of the age difference.

You'd need to keep Javale if you wanted to maximize a Gasol signing. They bring different talents to the table. With the way the minutes are split up these days, you have to have two quality centers on a good team because, ideally, each are playing over 20 minutes.

Any estimate on how much Gasol is going to cost?

[lovetoaster]

I almost spit my coffeee out when I read these words. Juwan Howard.

Yeah, that scared me for a second.

[SiCkSoULjA]

Rose reminds of Gilbert as in he's extremely effective as a scoring PG and the offense runs perfectly with him running this role.

Gilbert would have looked just like this if he had Rose's big men and if the coach wasn't a defensively clueless idiot like Eddie Jordan.

Dude Gilbert with Eddie Jordan was a beast he scores 25+ and 6+ assist on a regular. - Gibert injuries he would still be like that one of the best scorers in the biz but he's shot. Eddie Jordan definitely did not hold him back. He would never be as good defensive player as Rose, also the Bulls dont have players like Jamison that plays no D.

Derrick Rose has athletic ability that's off the charts no one matches that but Lebron and Superman.

Edited April 19, 2011 by SiCkSoULjA

[Destino]

I'd like to see the Wizards try to land any of the following:

Marc Gasol C 26 years old

DeAndre Jordan C/PF 22 years old

Wilson Chandler SF 23years old

All of these guys keep us young and improve the over all quality of the roster in the front court.

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

All of these guys keep us young

That's my biggest thing. And why I don't want a Tayshaun Prince, for example. I'm tired of semi-high priced stopgap vets. If we're gonna lose, let's lose with young guys. If vets are gonna get us to the 8th seed, let's get into the lottery with young guys.

As far as Gasol goes, everything I've read says that Memphis is going to do everything it takes to keep him. That they gave Gay a max deal, just resigned Randolph to a big deal, and that they will do the same for Gasol. They're spending money and they consider him part of their core. If it's going to take outbidding Memphis to get him, I don't want him.

---------- Post added April-19th-2011 at 02:27 PM ----------

New Bismack article from DX. Read it. It touches on everything. The positives, the negatives and the age thing. They now have him as the #6 prospect in the class. Dude is legit.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Finding-a-Niche-For-Bismack-Biyombo-3683/

Finding a Niche For: Bismack Biyombo

by: Jonathan Givony - President

April 17, 2011

Bismack Biyombo came out of nowhere to capture the hearts of NBA scouts and executives last weekend at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland.

But those who have been following Biyombo since he ascended to the senior roster of ACB team Fuenlabrada in early January were not caught off guard. He leads the most competitive league in the world outside the NBA in blocked shots and is amongst the league leaders in rebounding per 40 minutes and free attempts per 40.

He's already one of the most productive players in the league, despite the fact that he might be the rawest player in the ACB in terms of experience.

What makes Biyombo unique to talent evaluators is his outstanding combination of physical attributes, toughness and intangibles.

Any scouting report must start with Biyombo's dimensions, which are downright freakish. He measured a 7-7 wingspan (which would rank fifth longest in our expansive database) at the Nike Hoop Summit, despite standing just 6-7 ¾ without shoes. No player of record has ever measured a wingspan that is nearly 12 inches longer than his actual height—the closest is Jason Maxiell, who is 6-5 without shoes with a 7-3 ¼ wingspan. He also sports a chiseled 243-pound frame (4.8% body fat) that he should have no problem putting additional weight onto.

Biyombo is also an excellent athlete. He runs the floor extremely well and is very explosive around the basket. The coordination and reflexes he shows are atypical of a player with such little experience and give him a great framework to improve on as he continues to grow.

What makes Biyombo so interesting, though, is his willingness to utilize his physical tools. He plays the game with incredible emotion (think Joakim Noah or Kevin Garnett), often putting opposing players and teammates in harm's way with his desire to make his presence felt. He competes on every possession, often to the point of physical exhaustion, something that will need to be honed. Still, it's an extremely desirable trait in a prospect.

Offensively, Biyombo is fairly limited from a skills perspective. Nevertheless, he finds ways to produce in his own unique fashion; mostly by running the floor in transition, crashing the offensive glass and working off the ball.

His length gives guards an incredible target radius to work with, allowing them to lob the ball into the paint at difficult angles because they can trust Biyombo to go out and get it, sometimes for a spectacular alley-oop.

He works extremely hard to get deep position in the paint and will call for the ball aggressively once there. This makes him a magnet for fouls, considering how hard he makes opposing big men work to keep him off the block.

Once he catches the ball in the paint, Biyombo usually has one thing on his mind: dunk. He can take off from incredible distances (well outside the restricted area) and still finish plays because of his sheer length and explosiveness. He absolutely crushes the rim any opportunity he gets.

Biyombo doesn't have a highly developed post game. He doesn't show the ability to back his man down and create effectively in one-on-one opportunities, but will mix in an occasional spin move and some basic footwork that could make him even more of a threat as he continues to add lower body strength and improves his overall polish.

On the downside, Biyombo is a very poor passer. He registered an assist on just 4% of his possessions, ranking him amongst the worst in this category in the ACB.

His desire to make his presence felt, while an admirable trait, tends to work against him in this regard, especially when looking at his turnover rate, which is fairly high relative to his usage.

This is where his lack of experience shows the most. It's not rare to see him barrel into opponents, get called for traveling violations or have the ball stripped due to his somewhat weak hands. Additionally, he doesn't show anything resembling a jump shot at the moment and converts just 53% of his free throw attempts. While his touch is not bad, his shooting mechanics are a bit rigid, something he'll need to work on to become at least a capable threat from the mid-range area.

It should be noted that an evaluation of his film from earlier in the season compared to his most recent outings shows he has been making significant improvements in terms of his feel for the game and overall comfort level. This is particularly evident in his understanding of Fuenlabrada's half-court offense, which appears to be very good.

With that said, defensive ability is the area of Biyombo's game where NBA teams see the most potential -- both in the short and long term.

He has the size, length and mobility to guard both power forwards and centers in today's NBA, particularly as he adds weight. He can step out and hedge screens effectively on the pick-and-roll and is tough and aggressive enough to hold his own in the paint against most back-to-the-basket players.

Despite his lack of experience, Biyombo already makes a huge impact in the ACB defensively, especially as a weak-side shot blocker. He shows great timing and can send back shots with either hand, often managing to keep the ball in bounds, which is a huge plus.

When he's not rotating to block or alter shots around the rim, Biyombo does a good job in man-to-man settings as well. He shows surprisingly strong fundamentals and is active in talking to his teammates. His wingspan is extremely bothersome here too. He can contest shots from great distances and he makes it difficult to get good looks, He's a real nuisance with his ability to reach out and poke balls away from behind as well.

Biyombo is also one of the best rebounders in the ACB for many of the same reasons already mentioned. His length, aggressiveness, toughness, timing and athleticism are all great rebounding qualities. He has no problem going out of his area for loose balls, especially on the offensive glass.

Off the court, Biyombo might be just as interesting, as we chronicled recently in the following article. He speaks five languages fluently (English, Spanish, French and two Congolese dialects) and came across as an extremely charismatic and engaging player in our time with him in Portland.

He stood out as the most vocal players on the International team over the course of the week at the Nike Hoop Summit, assuming a position of leadership almost immediately upon arrival. You would often see him having tactical discussions between plays with the coaching staff, and he was quick to take teammates aside and explain the nuances of a play to them when something got lost in translation.

These are all incredibly atypical qualities compared to other African prospects we've evaluated in the past.

The one thing that continues to dog Biyombo are the question marks NBA teams have about his age. Recently converted NBA draft analyst David Aldridge wrote that an NBA GM he spoke with said he had heard rumors that Biyombo was “anywhere from 23 to 26.”

Our research has revealed some slightly different information. Coaches who have worked with Biyombo earlier in his career while he was still in Congo think he's “no older than 20 at most,” while Biyombo's agent, Igor Crespo, has evidence that proves Biyombo is even younger.

Crespo says he took Biyombo to a specialist to conduct a bone age study immediately upon his arrival in Spain (Biyombo was reportedly 16). The study, as explained here involves taking x-rays of an adolescent's wrist and hand to see if his growth plates are still open. Because the cartilage in Biyombo's hand hadn't fused at that point, the specialist came to the conclusion that he could be 16 or 17 at most, but not 18, when growth plates are expected to be closed.

This obviously rules out the possibility of Biyombo being five to eight years older than he's listed, as the wild speculation we've seen recently on the Internet indicates. Crespo says he will willingly share these x-rays with any NBA team that requests them. One team we spoke with has already begun to evaluate the x-rays.

Biyombo's performance in Portland, coupled with the withdrawals of a host of other power forward prospects (such as Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones, John Henson, Tristan Thompson, Thomas Robinson and Mason Plumlee) has elevated his draft stock significantly.

Due to his offensive limitations, Biyombo doesn't fit on just any NBA team—he's not someone who can be expected to generate his own offense, and probably needs another skilled big man next to him, as well as a creative point guard. The skills he does have are highly coveted, though, and any team looking to upgrade its defensive and rebounding presence will surely give him a look.

Future improvement is something that should also be accounted for -- it's safe to say he's nowhere near a finished product. His draft stock is a topic that will be heavily debated in the next two months.

[Going Commando]

Excellent article GACOLB. My mancrush on Biyombo grows a little each day. His stock is skyrocketing right now and it looks like we're going to have to take him in the lottery.

I hope his stock cools off a bit before the draft though because I still want to get him with that second first. Imagine pairing him with a skilled big like Kanter.

It wouldn't be the end of the world to take Bismack top 6. I'd love to bring that kind of attitude and hustle into the locker room. I just wish he could shoot. Him with the first and Honeycutt with the second first?

Also, 7'7 wingspan?? How tall is this kid going to be when he finishes growing? You have to think he's got another inch or two left in him and if he can get to 6'10+ he can play center.

[Gator Bait]

I lreally like Barnes but the more I saw of him the more worried I became about his ability to create off the dribble and get to the rim

If he plays with an elite pass first point guard (like Wall, Paul, or Rondo) he will not need to get to the rim as much....he can just catch and shoot mainly. Of course you have to have the ability to get to the rim, but he could flourish as a catch and shoot wing.

Watching the playoffs has been informative because I've gotten to see the way the best 3s in the game score: LeBron, Granger, Carmelo, and Durant. Their ability to attack the rim is ridiculous and it's a big part of what makes them stars. I just don't see that same giftedness in Barnes. He strikes me as a top catch and shoot option with some interesting back to the basket skills for his position but only mediocre slashing and finishing ability

LeBron's biggest weapon is definitely getting to the rim because of his athleticism, size advantage, and because he isn't an elite shooter and has no post game. Melo seems to be the most effective posting up smaller 3s and Granger and Durant are most effective when catching and shooting....I see Barnes more as a Durant type out of all these players (not as elite, but the same type style) The 4 SFs you mentioned in this post have totally different games in my opinion.

There is no way Sullinger gets taken as high as even Kevin Love did (5th) no matter how good he is next season. I think he'd have been the third choice in this year's class. He's not going to be as valuable as Love was out the gate because Love has elite outside shooting and elite passing skills that aren't really there with Sullinger. That's what made you feel OK about taking a 6'9 center with ordinary athleticism 5th with Love--unique passing and shooting talent. Sullinger will just be an Al Jefferson type unless he develops those skills too. Don't get me wrong, that's a very valuable player to have on your roster, but never a star (or even All Star in a good PF conference). Too many potential stars available in next year's group to settle for a lower ceiling player with defensive liabilities like Sullinger.

Love wasn't drafted at 5 because he was an elite talent...he was drafted at #5 because it was a pretty week top 10 lottery picks. After the Kevin Love pick, the next four players drafted were Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Joe Alexander, and DJ Augustine. I do agree with you that Sullinger's stock will drop though.

You say Sullinger will be an Al Jefferson like it is a bad thing. I'm really high on Al Jefferson; I'd love to have him on my team. I don't even think Sullinger's ceiling is Al Jefferson....if he turns into Jefferson, he did some game changing in the off-season.

They need to play him at PF and not C for him to fully shine. Even if he does play C, he'll still be a lot better. He's going to be the top option for them now that Dunn graduated and he's about to get some sick front court help with Quincy Miller coming in and they still have Quincy Acey. You can run a 3 forward lineup and with the combination of Miller and Jones and their ability to work inside and outside you're extremely dangerous. Baylor is going to be extremely fun to watch next season.

Agreed

Gasol looked fantastic against the Lakers in game one. I think he'd definitely be an upgrade over Javale at starting C. I like Nene too but Gasol is a more attractive option because of the age difference

.

Yeah, I think gasol is legit...although I'd rather have Nene (but I'd be shocked if Denver let Nene walk)

You'd need to keep Javale if you wanted to maximize a Gasol signing. They bring different talents to the table. With the way the minutes are split up these days, you have to have two quality centers on a good team because, ideally, each are playing over 20 minutes.

definitely...not to mention Javale is still on his rookie deal, so only a fool wouldn't keep him (unless he was packaged in a very favorable trade)

Any estimate on how much Gasol is going to cost?

all depends on the new CBA. With the current CBA I'd say he'll get something along the lines of 5 years 60 million (quality centers always get PAID!) but I think the new CBA is going to cut salaries tremendously...so he wont get that much. Can't believe Memphis gave Randolph 80 million! Randolph has played very well on offense this year and has hit the boards, but I don't see him as an elite player and they gave him elite money....but they also gave Rudy Gay elite money.....so they overpay for everyone.

---------- Post added April-19th-2011 at 05:05 PM ----------

Dude Gilbert with Eddie Jordan was a beast he scores 25+ and 6+ assist on a regular. - Gibert injuries he would still be like that one of the best scorers in the biz but he's shot. Eddie Jordan definitely did not hold him back. He would never be as good defensive player as Rose, also the Bulls dont have players like Jamison that plays no D.

Derrick Rose has athletic ability that's off the charts no one matches that but Lebron and Superman.

Gil had the same athletic ability you speak of prior to the knee injuries. He def. had the ability to be a lock down defender, he just didn't have the desire...and that coaching regime didn't give a **** about defense.

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

They gave Conley pretty big money as well. Not Gay/Randolph money but still, it's 5 years $40 mil for a PG who puts up Kirk Hinrich numbers and has largely been a disappointment after going #4 overall. They're gonna be in the luxury tax just on those four. The Atlanta Hawks of the West.

[Gator Bait]

That's my biggest thing. And why I don't want a Tayshaun Prince, for example. I'm tired of semi-high priced stopgap vets.

You have to have a good combination of youth and experience to build a team in the NBA. We have plenty of young guys to build with; we need to add some vets who have been there. Plenty of young guys:

McGee, Blatche, Wall, Crawford, Seraphin, Booker, Young, Ndiaye, Yi, Jeffers

Granted a few of these guys may not be in the long term plans, but all of these guys are 25 or younger with very little experience. That is 2/3 of the team. We are going to likely have 3 more rookies to add to this (likely will not pick up Yi's option, wave Jeffers, and send Ndiaye to the d league) but that still leaves:

McGee, Blatche, Young, Wall, Crawford, Booker, Seraphin, Booker, Rookie 1, Rookie 2, Rookie 3

that is 11 players with Rashard Lewis likely the only veteran from the team last year still on the roster in 2011-2012....we need to fill out the other 3 roster spots with vets.

If we're gonna lose, let's lose with young guys. If vets are gonna get us to the 8th seed, let's get into the lottery with young guys.

after this year it is time to start thinking about getting to that 8th seed and building on it from there. OKC was the 8 seed last year; the year prior to that they only won 23 games; this year they are the 4th seed and many believe they will make it to the western conference finals.

As far as Gasol goes, everything I've read says that Memphis is going to do everything it takes to keep him. That they gave Gay a max deal, just resigned Randolph to a big deal, and that they will do the same for Gasol. They're spending money and they consider him part of their core. If it's going to take outbidding Memphis to get him, I don't want him.

depending on the new CBA, Memphis likely will not be able to afford him. According to hoopshype.com (which is usually pretty accurate for the most part) Memphis is already on the hook for 36 million without the new Randolph deal. Randolph will likely count minimum 14 million against the cap next year, which would bring them to around 50 million. The cap was somewhere around 58 million this year and is rumored to go down with the new CBA.

The Wizards, on the other hand, will be on the hook for about 40 million next year with 8 guys on our roster (not including nick young) 3 roster spots will likely be filled by draft picks, which shouldn't cost any more than 7 million. Nick will likely get a mid-level type deal (around 7 million) which will put us at 54 million

....so yeah....never mind....doesn't look like we are making any major acquisitions until Rashard's contract comes off the books!

[StillUnknown]

I would feel alot better taking somebody as raw as Biyambo (or any of the other Euro developmental bigs) if we were to get a new big man coach

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

I would feel alot better taking somebody as raw as Biyambo (or any of the other Euro developmental bigs) if we were to get a new big man coach

You know, I almost posted the exact same thing this weekend. We need someone to do what Ewing did for Dwight. Hakeem has been working with Dwight in the offseason too. Maybe we could bring him in in a more fulltime capacity.

Gator, it's almost impossible to talk about anything other than draft prospects. Nobody knows what the NBA is going to look like going forward. Luxury tax? Franchise players? Hard cap? Nobody knows.

I do want to follow the Thunder model. But we still need the Russell Westbrook to John Wall's Kevin Durant. Someone who can challenge him as best player on the team. I like Crawford but he isn't it. He's not in this draft either. And we're not going to find him drafting 15-20 every year. I'm more than willing to eat another couple bad seasons to become legit contenders.

[Gator Bait]

You know, I almost posted the exact same thing this weekend. We need someone to do what Ewing did for Dwight.

Ewing is a terrible coach; the only thing he taught Dwight Howard was what strip clubs to go to (as a friend of mine would say) Seriously though....Howard had very little development under Ewing.

Hakeem has been working with Dwight in the offseason too. Maybe we could bring him in in a more fulltime capacity.

This was the key...notice how Howard's offensive game is 10 times better after working with Hakeem for one summer! I'd be all about bring the dream in as a permanent assistant coach.

Gator, it's almost impossible to talk about anything other than draft prospects. Nobody knows what the NBA is going to look like going forward. Luxury tax? Franchise players? Hard cap? Nobody knows.

This is true...I was just speculating

I do want to follow the Thunder model. But we still need the Russell Westbrook to John Wall's Kevin Durant. Someone who can challenge him as best player on the team. I like Crawford but he isn't it. He's not in this draft either. And we're not going to find him drafting 15-20 every year. I'm more than willing to eat another couple bad seasons to become legit contenders.

we do....but just because you are bad several years in a row doesn't mean you are going to get a Durant or a Westbrook...the Thunder were partially lucky to get those picks and benefited from having very good talent evaluators.

Just because we are bad and get into the lottery doesn't mean we are going to come away with a franchise changing player....we need to think about winning with the team we currently have. With added development and a better coaching staff....I think the team we had this year could make the playoffs. John Wall and Jordan Crawford will both be much better next year; we'll get year two of the "new" Nick Young and hopefully Javale will continue to improve. Who knows...maybe 7 day dray will make a comeback...haha.

Anyway....I think this team can compete now....we need to start adding pieces around the foundation we've already set down....through both the draft and free agency.

[No Excuses]

I was wondering the other day why they don't take Biyombo to an Osteologist.

Looks like his agent did:

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/213161/Agent_Claims_He_Can_Prove_Biyombos_Age

So he really is only 18 and probably has more room to grow.

[StillUnknown]

the new color scheme will be unveiled on May 10th

[CrypticVillain]

the new color scheme will be unveiled on May 10th

What will happen if they throw us a curve ball and just have some crazy color scheme? Like yellow, black, and red.

After seeing the Caps game last night, I have no doubt that no matter which route Leonsis take, this team will start winning. Probably sooner than we think.

[RichmondRedskin88]

What will happen if they throw us a curve ball and just have some crazy color scheme? Like yellow, black, and red.

After seeing the Caps game last night, I have no doubt that no matter which route Leonsis take, this team will start winning. Probably sooner than we think.

We change the name to Washington Heat and draft a bunch of drama queens.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

We change the name to Washington Heat and draft a bunch of drama queens.

I want more John Wall dancing