The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Baylor is on ESPN2 right now. Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller are definitely worth watching if our year continues to go like this...

I'm waiting to see if one of these guys takes this game over and puts a pretty good Mississippi State team away.

Throw Georgetown's Hollis Thompson into the mix as well.

Edit: I didn't mean to imply he's a lottery pick.

Edited December 29, 2011 by BRAVEONAWARPATH

[Going Commando]

How crazy is it that Baylor is probably going to have a top 3 pick in both the NFL and NBA drafts?

---------- Post added December-28th-2011 at 11:02 PM ----------

Quincy missed the clutch FT. Ouch.

[StillUnknown]

How crazy is it that Baylor is probably going to have a top 3 pick in both the NFL and NBA drafts?

---------- Post added December-28th-2011 at 11:02 PM ----------

Quincy missed the clutch FT. Ouch.

I haven't seen much of UConn this year, how has Drummond looked?

[Going Commando]

Do you all take Perry Jones III over Harrison Barnes?

To me that's a tough question.

The knock on Jones III has always been that his teams don't win, but it's hard to look past the fact that Baylor is 13-0 and clawing out tough wins.

How does this top six or seven stack up?

Personally, I think I'd rank it:

1.) Davis

2.) Drummond

3.) Jones III

4.) Gilchrist

5.) Barnes

6.) Miller

Sullinger doesn't factor in that group for me.

Miller could climb significantly higher though, as could Gilchrist.

---------- Post added December-28th-2011 at 11:15 PM ----------

I haven't seen much of UConn this year, how has Drummond looked?

No idea. I haven't watched Uconn at all. All I know of him is hype and highlights.

[Gator Bait]

Do you all take Perry Jones III over Harrison Barnes?

To me that's a tough question.

The knock on Jones III has always been that his teams don't win, but it's hard to look past the fact that Baylor is 13-0 and clawing out tough wins.

How does this top six or seven stack up?

Personally, I think I'd rank it:

1.) Davis

2.) Drummond

3.) Jones III

4.) Gilchrist

5.) Barnes

6.) Miller

Sullinger doesn't factor in that group for me.

Miller could climb significantly higher though, as could Gilchrist.

---------- Post added December-28th-2011 at 11:15 PM ----------

No idea. I haven't watched Uconn at all. All I know of him is hype and highlights.

I don't even have Davis in my top 5...he is way too raw. Pretty much a rich man's JaVale McGee. I'd rather have Drummond, Barnes, Jones, and Lamb in that order

[Warhead36]

I think our starting lineup should be Wall/Young/Singleton/Lewis/McGee. 2(possibly 3 with Singleton)shooters should open up the floor more, leading to more Wall drives and either dishes to a shooter, dishes to McGee for dunks, or easier finishes at the basket.

Crawford can be the 6th man. Bring Booker in for defense, energy, and hustle at the 3/4.

[StillUnknown]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/wizards-starters-get-walloped-in-atlanta/2011/12/29/gIQAQJzqNP_blog.html

The Hawks scored the first 11 points of the game and led 19-4 before John Wall decided to send a charge into his team by scoring eight consecutive points for the team. But his frustration was apparent early on, as he looked at Coach Flip Saunders and shouted about one the Wizards’ starters, “Get him out of the game!”

It was hard to tell which player Wall was talking about, since Saunders could’ve decided to sit any member of the first unit in the first few minutes of the game. Blatche was in an early funk, missed his first shots, and was unable to get a decent look with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams defending. Surprisingly, Jordan Crawford was unusually passive in his first game as a visiting player in the arena he once called home. McGee missed two shots near the basket and was out of position on defense. He also wound up being the first starter to get substituted.

He had to be talking about Blatche or Crawford.

Edited December 29, 2011 by StillUnknown

[MattFancy]

I feel bad for Wall. He seems to want to win so bad, but the rest of the team seems to be playing for "me" and not the team.

[Rocky21]

Turiaf is making a case to start. Start him at PF IMO. He's leading both the offense and defense, running the point in the half court as effectively as Wall and getting everyone lined up on defense.

I really like this idea. Blatche has lost his mind. He read half of the book the coach gave him on how to be a team player. He asks for the ball in the low post??? And tells everyone to shut up...AFTER 1 GAME!

Tell me basketball aficionados, is it good to get 4 points total from the PF position?

I looked up Blatche's +/- stats. He is -21 in the first 2 games.

http://basketballvalue.com/player.php?year=2011-2012&id=413

Edited December 29, 2011 by Rocky21

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

If things are not turned around within the next couple of years, I can see Wall taking Lebron James' route.

[Going Commando]

I feel bad for Wall. He seems to want to win so bad, but the rest of the team seems to be playing for "me" and not the team.

I don't. Wall's shaky play is part of the reason we're losing. His offensive management still has a ways to go. It was better last night, but he still took too many bad shots and turned it over too much.

---------- Post added December-29th-2011 at 01:16 PM ----------

If things are not turned around within the next couple of years, I can see Wall taking Lebron James' route.

Wall is no coward. He'll draw people to him before he leaves to go and be someone else's #2.

[CrypticVillain]

http://www.andrayblatchesucks.com/

[RonArtest15]

I don't. Wall's shaky play is part of the reason we're losing. His offensive management still has a ways to go. It was better last night, but he still took too many bad shots and turned it over too much.

---------- Post added December-29th-2011 at 01:16 PM ----------

Wall is no coward. He'll draw people to him before he leaves to go and be someone else's #2.

I dunno, man. He wears his heart on his sleeve and it's easy to see that he's DISGUSTED by some of his teammates - with good reason. With this new era of "super-teams," I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest at Wall leaving after his rookie deal (if things don't get better quickly).

Granted the teams are constructed differently, but Derrick Rose has NEVER played for a sub .500 club. Chris Paul, never had less than 37 wins as a starter...it goes on and on. If this team doesn't trend "up" quickly, Wall's decision to stay or leave might not be as clear-cut as we think.

[MonkFan8]

EG has run this team in the ground by drafting excruciatingly poorly and surrounding our few good players with boneheaded talent. That's not the way you win in this league. I'll take a non-athletically gifted player with a brain over a supremely athletic player and 0 court sense any day of the week.

My fear now is that by the time Wall becomes elite and we finally get rid of all our idiots, he'll be ready to move on to another team.

I guess this is what years of mediocrity and 8th seed playoff births combined with abysmal drafting gets us.

[No Excuses]

Missed the game but not surprised by the result. Can't win when you have the Ricky Davis of PF's starting and chucking up bricks, playing awful defense and giving no rebounding. Put Nick Young in the starting lineup and play him 35 minutes a game please. Start Trevor Booker or move Rashard at PF, a position he is more comfortable with than SF. He is outmatched at SF. Give him one last shot at PF, if it doesn't work, then you move on and look for help from the younger guys, Vesely and Booker.

Edited December 29, 2011 by No Excuses

[MonkFan8]

Er, isn't the whole story with Rashard is that he had his best years at SF and only started struggling when Van Gundy moved him to PF (and, coincidentally, when he stopped taking steriods)? Regardless, we'd be better off with him out of the starting lineup and I don't care who (Singleton, Booker or Vesley) replaces him.

[No Excuses]

Er, isn't the whole story with Rashard is that he had his best years at SF and only started struggling when Van Gundy moved him to PF (and, coincidentally, when he stopped taking steriods)? Regardless, we'd be better off with him out of the starting lineup and I don't care who (Singleton, Booker or Vesley) replaces him.

He was productive at PF for a few years with Orlando, but he did play SF in his time with the Sonics. He's pretty much lost it since his steroids suspension.

Moving him to PF for a game or three should be purely experimental to see if the extra floor spacing helps out on offense. I don't expect it to work but it's worth it especially when you are paying him the 2nd highest salary in the NBA.

[Destino]

I'm not sure spacing is the problem. Wall is getting to the rim easily but he struggles to finish. That's not a spacing issue and it's something he's going to need to improve upon. Remember we're talking about the second game of his second year and we didn't have a training camp. Lewis and Young are decent shooters. Perhaps Crawford needs to be the #2 point guard again. He played better there last season and Shelvin Mack hasn't done a thing but miss shots (0-7, 2 games). Roger Mason can back up Nick Young so that we always have a shooting threat at the 2. Lewis and Singleton can stay at the three with Singleton continuing to develop into the classic 3&D player.

The question is what to do about the PF position. Blatche will improve as the season goes on because the season is his cardio class. So you have Seraphin, Booker, Turiaf, and Vesely. (makes me sad typing that). Turiaf is the center version of Booker the PF. Seraphin is not an NBA player. Vesely can't shoot but dreams of being a wing player.

Perhaps we can put their pictures on a wall blind fold Wall and have him throw a dart. Assuming he doesn't find a way to hit a member of a different team with the dart we will have our solution!

[No Excuses]

Des, I'm not sure how much Blatche will improve. He's been fairly consistent at being inconsistent. He very well may put together solid performances in the next five games, only to disappear for a month again.

With him, it shouldn't be about play anymore. Our team is rusty, but every player on our team looks to be in very good conditioning. Blatche is the only one who looks completely out of shape and this is simply unacceptable.

I think I would be ok with a Booker/Vesely rotation at PF, though I worry about Vesely's eventual NBA position. At least for the short term, he will have a hard time getting playing time over Singleton. Now he may be better suited for SF than PF, but his playing time will be limited at SF.

Either way, I see us drafting a quality PF next year so this year can basically be a test run to see if we have capable depth.

Edited December 29, 2011 by No Excuses

[Destino]

Des, I'm not sure how much Blatche will improve. He's been fairly consistent at being inconsistent. He very well may put together solid performances in the next five games, only to disappear for a month again.

With him, it shouldn't be about play anymore. Our team is rusty, but every player on our team looks to be in very good conditioning. Blatche is the only one who looks completely out of shape and this is simply unacceptable.

I don't mean improve his game entirely, I mean that he will play better when he gets in shape as the season goes on. He does this every year. This season they should bench him until he gets in game shape, which sends a strong message. The message is "no fatties".

I think I would be ok with a Booker/Vesely rotation at PF, though I worry about Vesely's eventual NBA position. At least for the short term, he will have a hard time getting playing time over Singleton. Now he may be better suited for SF than PF, but his playing time will be limited at SF.

Either way, I see us drafting a quality PF next year so this year can basically be a test run to see if we have capable depth.

On a team with a power forward that can and likes to shoot I could see Vesely at SF. On the wizards where none of the bigs can shoot at all I just don't see him stepping on the floor for this team.

[Warhead36]

Blatche is garbage. I'd be fine with straight up amnestying him. At least Shard's deal expires in 2013. We're stuck with Blatche's deal for, what, 3 more years?

A PF who can play good D and hit open shots is the biggest need on this team. A defensive PF would make McGee better and one who could make shots would space the floor.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Warhead36

[No Excuses]

I don't mean improve his game entirely, I mean that he will play better when he gets in shape as the season goes on. He does this every year. This season they should bench him until he gets in game shape, which sends a strong message. The message is "no fatties".

I'm 100% ok with this. It's really pathetic that with an extended offseason he can't come into the season in good shape.

[Destino]

I'm 100% ok with this. It's really pathetic that with an extended offseason he can't come into the season in good shape.

It's not even "good" shape. He doesn't have the cardio to play a game of basketball. Good shape would be increased muscle mass, a good diet, and superior cardio... this guy isn't at the bare minimum needed to just play a game. I was hesitant to bench the guy outright because this team needs scoring so much more than it needs better defense. No matter who you put in at the 4 this wizards team isn't going to be holding opponents to the low 80s. But the guy just isn't in game shape and no team can allow that for several reasons. First, a professional can't gas after a quarter of basketball and there is no getting around that. Second, the odds of an injury are significantly higher.

On a related note anyone hear anything about what are the wizards doing about their shortcomings? Have they hired shooting coaches to work with Wall, Vesely, Crawford, etc? Have they put Blatche on a cardio plan instead of just practicing plays? Management can't just say "oh well these players should have done better in the offseason". They should have and fans are free to say that. Management however has to deal with these issues not just make note of them.

[Going Commando]

EG has run this team in the ground by drafting excruciatingly poorly and surrounding our few good players with boneheaded talent. That's not the way you win in this league. I'll take a non-athletically gifted player with a brain over a supremely athletic player and 0 court sense any day of the week.

My fear now is that by the time Wall becomes elite and we finally get rid of all our idiots, he'll be ready to move on to another team.

I guess this is what years of mediocrity and 8th seed playoff births combined with abysmal drafting gets us.

Ernie has actually drafted extremely well when you get down to it.

NY and Javale were bargains at the point they were drafted and Wall, Booker, Seraphin was a terrific haul. Singleton, Vesley, Mack was another great draft considering where we picked. Contrary to what we think Wall was not a no-brainer pick. There was significant support for taking Evan Turner on this very forum. EG could have easily screwed that up.

And he's made some brilliant trades. Flipping Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong for Mo Evans, cap relief, Jordan Crawford, and a first round pick? Stunning. Pawning Gilbert Arenas off on a division rival for Rashard Lewis? Unbelievable. How the hell did we manage that?

Ernie has done an amazing job reshaping the roster in just two years. You're just being impatient--prisoner of the moment syndrome.

---------- Post added December-29th-2011 at 07:55 PM ----------

Blatche is garbage. I'd be fine with straight up amnestying him. At least Shard's deal expires in 2013. We're stuck with Blatche's deal for, what, 3 more years?

A PF who can play good D and hit open shots is the biggest need on this team. A defensive PF would make McGee better and one who could make shots would space the floor.

Ronnie Turiaf... Want to make Javale look like an All Star? Let Turiaf run the defense and let Javale play the ball.

I think we should start testing the waters on Javale in the next few weeks. I don't see us finding a better replacement for him, and he's going to get better.

[SuperBash]

EG has brought some nice complimentary pieces to build around Wall. He has to find another Star or at least a great 2nd option/3rd option to take this team to the playoffs. I'd expect he'd find it in the draft this year. Jeremy Lamb would match up great with Wall and can become an all star in this league. He will be a flat out scorer with great length on defense. I personally would love to grab Davis, Robinson, or Lamb. I'm unsure about the other guys in the draft but for now, those 3 look like sure things that would work great with this team.

We have no wing scorers on this team besides maybe NY but that is clearly not enough and scoring wing is vital in this league.