The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[Rocky21]

Plus Rubio made it absolutely clear pre-draft that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with DC. This was still Gil's team, Rubio didn't think he would get any burn here. I distinctly remember reports of Rubio's agent telling us to **** off pre-draft and to not even think about drafting him.

So Rubio was gung ho about Minnesota? Probably not. But if he eventually wants to play basketball at the highest level he has to do it in the city that drafted him. I know hind sight is always clear but this was just a collossal **** up by EG.

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

Already addressed the Minny thing.

I'll also say, a MAJORITY of Wiz fans wanted absolutely nothing to do with Rubio either. Most thought he would bust.

---------- Post added January-9th-2012 at 01:39 PM ----------

I think you all are forgetting where the Wizards were as a franchise back then.

[StillUnknown]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/sources-flip-saunders-safe-despite-slow-start/2012/01/09/gIQAa7dilP_blog.html

Despite the Wizards being off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start, the organization does not have any intention of firing Coach Flip Saunders at this time, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

In more than two seasons with the team, Saunders is just 49-123 and the Wizards have set franchise records for consecutive road losses (25) and consecutive losses overall (16). After the Wizards suffered a humiliating 21-point home loss to Minnesota on Sunday, Saunders was asked if he felt that he was running out of chances to get through to his players.

“No I don’t fear that,” Saunders said. “I think I know the process that we’re going through, and I know it’s a painful process.”

Saunders is in the third year of a four-year, $18 million contract that he signed in April 2009.

............................................

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Already addressed the Minny thing.

I'll also say, a MAJORITY of Wiz fans wanted absolutely nothing to do with Rubio either. Most thought he would bust.

---------- Post added January-9th-2012 at 01:39 PM ----------

I think you all are forgetting where the Wizards were as a franchise back then.

Exactly.

[SuperBash]

What else do we have to talk about? Flip and EG getting fired? Wall being a bust? Blatche and Rashard's leadership? This draft is unprecedented in its depth. Frankly it's the only positive thing the Wizards have going for them.

I agree about Rubio. When I heard we had traded our pick to the Wolves, you'd think we would be getting a couple nice prospects, but we got Mike Miller and Randy Foye, two reserve players. Grunfeld got Cerrato-ed....by David ****ing Kahn.

It sucks that this is all we have to talk about is what I'm saying. I can't wait for the day where we focus on the season and nothing else.

[pjfootballer]

Will the Wizards ever be a relevant NBA team?

In the hot tub time machine where we can all go back to 1977.

[Clutch03]

Jerry Sloan wants to coach in the NBA again. Hiring him would be a dream come true. Therefore it won't happen.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/rumors-scoop-du-jour/jerry-sloan-ready-return-coaching-120050874.html#ugccmt-container

[Warhead36]

Ted won't fire Flip. This is a lost season anyway. Why pay two coaches?

Grunfeld's contract expires at the end of the year. I really hope Ted doesn't bring him back. His decision on the new GM will speak volumes to where this franchise is headed.

[SkInZKId2121]

Jerry Sloan wants to coach in the NBA again. Hiring him would be a dream come true. Therefore it won't happen.

Yea that would be amazing. Draft a PF high in the draft and I think we would see Wall improve tremendously running the pick and roll Sloan likes to implement.

[shuler74]

I love Jerry Sloan...but he would be nuts to come to this organization. He is one of the few coaches that actually runs a nba offense. LOL nbadraft.net has us picking # 1 in the draft 2012 and 2013...we suck lol

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Ted won't fire Flip. This is a lost season anyway. Why pay two coaches?

Grunfeld's contract expires at the end of the year. I really hope Ted doesn't bring him back. His decision on the new GM will speak volumes to where this franchise is headed.

This is true indeed.

[Destino]

Being an NBA GM is really just about getting lucky and avoiding the big mistake most of the time. The Wizards are a great example of the big mistakes. Massive contract to a one legged Arenas. Long term deal to Blatche. Trading away the Piston championship team for garbage. Trading the 5th pick for Miller and Foye.

When we do get lucky it blows up. Kwame Brown was one of the biggest busts in NBA history. John Wall is looking less like a superstar and more like a potentially good to really good player. When it's a cant miss like Blake Griffin we lose the coin flip.

Perhaps Ted's approach is right. There is no need to rush because this team is utter garbage. Wait until something proves to be worth building around and until then keep it on auto pilot. Hopefully Wall can emerge and McGee can continue to improve enough to be worth resigning. If those players end the year average we are 5 years away and no one cares if Wall waits or not.

[shuler74]

Next year would like to see us try to go after Brian Shaw.

[Gator Bait]

Ted won't fire Flip. This is a lost season anyway. Why pay two coaches?

Grunfeld's contract expires at the end of the year. I really hope Ted doesn't bring him back. His decision on the new GM will speak volumes to where this franchise is headed.

you pay two coaches because the one you have is lousy and you don't want a lousy coaching teaching a young team!

[Sticksboi05]

Ernie better be out at the end of a year. Clown GM. Absolute clown.

[SuperBash]

Saw this on another board.

John Wall offense

[StillUnknown]

Equal parts hilarious and depressing.

Edited January 9, 2012 by StillUnknown

[No Excuses]

Ernie is back if he isn't booted in the middle of the season. It makes no sense to fire the GM just before the offseason begins and he has already done the scouting of free agents and draft players.

You want the new GM to come in mid season and get a feel for the roster, and to start preparing ahead of time for the offseason. So far, it seems like Ernie is getting extended at the end of this year.

[StillUnknown]

If Ted extends Ernie, I'll lose what faith I have in him to get this right.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I've watched a little more of the Wizards than normal this year because there has been a free League Pass special on Directv.

I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a roster that is the unique combination of hopeless from a talent standpoint AND badly put together from a team-building standpoint. I don't even know what the Wizards want to be in their dream world where everyone fills the roster spot to the level that they envisioned to do so.

That might be a fun game. If every player on this team maxed out their ability and played hard every night, what kind of team would the Wizards be. Who would they resemble? What would their offense look like?

I guess, theoretically, it would be a little like the Magic of the past few seasons crossed with Bulls' offense. A great shotblocker anchors the D and triggers John Wall who penetrates and either finishes or kicks to great shooters. Is that kinda the idea?

[SuperBash]

EG will turn Blatche into a late first rounder that will turn into nothing but people will praise EG for it and he'll live off of that trade for a few more years.

[Gator Bait]

I've watched a little more of the Wizards than normal this year because there has been a free League Pass special on Directv.

I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a roster that is the unique combination of hopeless from a talent standpoint AND badly put together from a team-building standpoint. I don't even know what the Wizards want to be in their dream world where everyone fills the roster spot to the level that they envisioned to do so.

That might be a fun game. If every player on this team maxed out their ability and played hard every night' date=' what kind of team would the Wizards be. Who would they resemble? What would their offense look like?

I guess, theoretically, it would be a little like the Magic of the past few seasons crossed with Bulls' offense. A great shotblocker anchors the D and triggers John Wall who penetrates and either finishes or kicks to great shooters. Is that kinda the idea?[/quote']

Think the Idea is more of the fast paced Suns team. John Wall being the pass first PG like Steve Nash and build everything else out around him.

[Destino]

EG's problem as I see it is that he let's player be lazy and doesn't care about basketball skills. No one on this team improves in any way shape or form and I think it's because the coach can't bench any of EGs starters. He drafts guys like Jan Vesely that want to play the wing but can't shoot. Just read that last sentence again and tell me it's not insanity. McGee that's a super athlete but until a contract year came along he didn't improve his post game much at all. John Wall left for the off season and clearly didn't improve his shooting. Lewis walks around like he's doing the team a favor.

Whether culture here is insanely bad. I'm starting to understand the entitlement accusation. No one on this team appears to do more than the min required. Name s player during EGs time that improved per minute and not just averaged more with more minutes? I'm starting to think that Gil had guns in the locker room for the same reason Blatche is fat. The culture is one where the players can't do whatever the hell they want.

Also he seems to fall for players that lack basketball skills too often. IMO if you can't shoot you'd better be able to rebound. If you can't do either then the needs to be something incredible about you that merits waiting for you to learn how to shoot or rebound. If you can't do either odd are good you're a terrible basketball player.

[Chachie]

I've watched a little more of the Wizards than normal this year because there has been a free League Pass special on Directv.

I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a roster that is the unique combination of hopeless from a talent standpoint AND badly put together from a team-building standpoint. I don't even know what the Wizards want to be in their dream world where everyone fills the roster spot to the level that they envisioned to do so.

I suspect that after Abe passed away and we disbanded the "Big 3," there was no plan. That's a lot to deal with for any ball club. Ted came in, got the first pick and we took what was the consensus no-brainer. From then on, it's just been about clearing cap space and hoping to attract some players Wall can dish the rock to.

I guess we're not very attractive.

Edit- I should add that Leonsis said we would build thru the draft and I think Wall, Booker and Singleton are good picks who will be here for a long time. (Mack deserves some time before being judged and Vesely needs to see the court.) It's only been a year.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Chachie

[Going Commando]

I've watched a little more of the Wizards than normal this year because there has been a free League Pass special on Directv.

I honestly don't know if I've ever seen a roster that is the unique combination of hopeless from a talent standpoint AND badly put together from a team-building standpoint. I don't even know what the Wizards want to be in their dream world where everyone fills the roster spot to the level that they envisioned to do so.

That might be a fun game. If every player on this team maxed out their ability and played hard every night' date=' what kind of team would the Wizards be. Who would they resemble? What would their offense look like?

I guess, theoretically, it would be a little like the Magic of the past few seasons crossed with Bulls' offense. A great shotblocker anchors the D and triggers John Wall who penetrates and either finishes or kicks to great shooters. Is that kinda the idea?[/quote']

The Wizards are a homeless man's Bulls. Super fast, high flying, and athletic like the Bulls. But an even worse array of offensive weapons (we don't have anyone close to as good as Deng or Boozer at our forward spots) and we're terribly coached.

We've got no shooters for John Wall to kick it out to when he does penetrate. Nick Young is the only player on the entire roster with decent, consistent outside shooting. It's pathetic. Go down the line:

- Wall, penetrator, great defensive potential, weak outside shooter

- Crawford, good ball handler, quick, versatile, great scoring instincts and good defensive potential, weak outside shooter

- Rashard, useless, no redeeming qualities until the year his absurd contract is set to expire.

- Blatche, good passing big, weak rebounder, lazy, terriblen inefficient shooter at all parts of the court.

- Javale, great defesnive potential, good finisher, can play above the rim, awful shooter (but at least he knows it).

- Vesely, extremely long and athletic wing player with an excellent motor but no polished offensive skills whatsoever and terrible shooting %s from his time in the Euroleague.

- Singleton, great defensive potential, extremely quick, poor shooter (maybe some potential to improve)

- Booker, great defensive potential, extremely quick, very poor outside shooter with no post game or clearly defined offensive role.

- Seraphin, great defensive potential, highly athletic, tough; seriously, no offensive skills whatsoever.

There is no point in having a great passing PG (and Wall can be a truly great passer, began his career in the rarified air of Magic and Oscar Robertson as a passer) when all but one of your perimeter players range from poor to terrible shooters and your bigs are terrible scorers who can't generate consistent offense inside.

We are the most offensively retarded (literal definition of the word) team in the NBA.

P.S. How did you get NNTed? What the hell is going on around here? I've seen a lot of smart posters getting NNTed recently and threads with quality discussions being waged getting closed down.