Off-Topic: The Washington Wizards Thread

[turtle28]

1 hour ago, lavar703 said:

I mean, Scott Brooks isn’t a good coach. 

He is just awful but I’m really worried he’s done enough since February & now with them getting in the playoffs despite all the injuries and having to deal with COVID in January that Ted will re-sign him.

I hope I’m wrong, but I fear it. Westbrook & Beal saved Brooks’s job as well as Shepherd’s great trade to get Gafford for Troy Brown Jr.

Just wondering, do you agree with me about Anthony Gill, or have you not watched enough to know?

I hate to sit Neto bc I love what he brings to our offense but he’s a huge liability on defense, especially in this series when the Sixers front line goes 6’8, 6’11 & 7’. 
 

I feel like Gill would be the perfect guy for the Ben Simmons assignment in this series. Gill should start and he should guard Simmons. If it’s not Gill, it’s going to have to be Rui to guard Simmons but then we have to have someone with the size to guard Tobias Harris too.

I think our best bet is to start Gill, have him guard Simmons and Rui can guard Harris. With Gill all he needs to focus on is D, it makes a lot of sense to have him lock in on guarding Simmons to me.
 

At 6’8, 230 Gill can handle Simmons and he has the toughness to do so also. And, unlike Rui, Gill doesn’t need to be counted on for offense that much so it makes more sense to me to have him take that assignment and Rui to take the Tobias Harris assignment.

I love Neto, but starting him in this series doesn’t make sense to me given the size of the Sixers.

Basically, if Gill doesn’t start & check Simmons who’s going to guard Simmons in our line up?

Russ or Beal on Simmons would be a terrible mismatch, he’ll get whatever he wants driving vs them all day bc he’s 8 inches taller than them and outweighs them by 30 plus pounds. 
 

Brooks is going to have to make a defensive move for his starting line up for once in his life and put Neto on the bench in favor of starting Gill so that they can have someone out there who can guard Simmons.

Edited May 21, 2021 by turtle28

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

I know the playoffs start today and it’s weird to be thinking about mock drafts but I’m board so I’ve been looking at some wondering what the Wizards could get with the 15th pick as a I don’t see them beating the Sixers, at most they win 2 games but likely they steal just one in the series.

There are some good prospect for us that should be available when we pick. We could use a young SG to envelop behind Beal, another forward as I like Rui & Avdija but I just feel we need another guy in that rotation who isn’t Bertans - I really wish Gill got more playing this year but Brooks chose to go small w/ 3 guard lineups almost all year - anyway, they could also use a young PF/stretch 5 to develop behind Bryant & Gafford.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2021-nba-mock-draft-4-0-cade-cunningham-evan-mobley-jalen-suggs-go-1-2-3-as-lottery-picture-clears-up/amp/

So as of right now these look like our options:

1. Scottie Barnes, SG/SF, 6’9 230, Florida St.

Scottie Barnes is a top-10 talent in this class with the one question -- his shot and offensive production -- being significant enough to potentially push him into this range. He made 27.5% of his 40 3-point attempts at FSU and isn't much of a scoring threat. Yet there's enough to love about his game that he has a lot of value and he can always improve his outside shot. He is a monstrous defender who at times guarded 1-5 in college and has some serious playmaking chops to go with his huge frame and long wingspan.

2. Josh Giddey, SF, 6’8 205, Australia 

Giddey shut his season down after a strong last month in the NBL. For Adelaide, he posted three triple-doubles in his last six games, showcasing his elite feel for the game and ability to affect winning in every facet. Almost every NBA team would sign up to add a 6-foot-8 playmaking wing to the roster, so the if the Wizards could add him here to bolster their wing depth.

3. Franz Wagner, SF, 6’9 220, Michigan 

We have Avdija and Rui but we lack the most on the roster is depth at wing. Wagner is a better shooter currently than Avdija so, he may even win the starting SF job over him if we drafted him. He can be an instant impact addition at SF immediately. He also thrived for Michigan as a defensive specialist who can knock down 3s and provide support for the team's top dogs.

4. Tre Mann, G, 6’5 190, Memphis

Memphis adds an intriguing combo guard in Tre Mann, who offers potent scoring from the guard spot. Mann is a threat to score it from every level because of his ability to pull up and get his shot from anywhere, from deep in 3-point range to around the cup with good touch on his floaters. He's also made strides as a passer.

5. Alperen Sengun, PF/C, 6’10 240, Turkey

 Alperen Sengun dominated in the Turkish BSL. He averaged  nearly 20 points and 10 boards per game as an 18-year-old and was just crowned the league's MVP. That type of production has him as a potential lottery pick. He would be a fit here as a developmental prospect on a team that has Rui, Bertans, Gafford & Bryant coming back off injury but doesn’t have a long term developmental prospect as a 4/stretch 5.

6. Jaden Springer, G, 6’4 204, Tennessee 
 

The future of the Wizards point guard position is a mystery when Russ’s contract expires after the 2022-2023 season. If Russ wants to continue playing at 34 I’m sure the Wizards would entertain re-signing him at the right price. Beyond that though there’s nothing, Ish isn’t a long term option, Neto is more back up than starter and we’re not even sure if Cassius Winston will be good enough to be a back up PG. 

Jaden Springer is a young, high-upside talent who could help them reset. He's a talented scorer who showed enough as a live-dribble passer at Tennessee to bet on him developing into a starting-caliber lead guard in time.

7. Jared Butler, G, 6’3 195, Baylor
 

Butler averaged a career-high 4.8 assists and made 41.7% of his 3s last season for Baylor, proving his worth both as a combo creator and as a scorer. He would fit with the Wizards in a similar role either as an off-ball threat with Beal & Westbrook to give them *another* high-level scoring threat or as a second-unit creator and scorer. He was a 98th percentile spot-up shooter last season with a team-leading 28.0% assist rate, ahead of teammate Davion Mitchell, so his versatility will help him make an impact.

8. Kai Jones, PF, 6’11 220, Texas

An elite athlete with tons of physical tools, Jones is one of the X-factors of the draft as a true boom-or-bust talent. His ceiling is limitless but his floor is virtually nonexistent. He needs time to develop physically and to learn and feel the game. The Wizards can afford to be patient and invest on upside with him because we have Rui at PF for now but I still think long term Rui fits better as a SF than a PF in the NBA, he gets abused on D when he goes against taller PFs but when he matches up against stretch 4s he’s fine on D.

9. Cameron Thomas, G, 6’4 190, LSU

Cameron Thomas as a freshman for LSU last season led the SEC in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game. He was a scorer at the prep level, a scorer at the college level, and he'll be a scorer in the NBA. It's his NBA skill. Like I said before the Wizards need to be thinking about their depth and development behind Beal & Westbrook and clearly value that type of talent that could develop into a long term starter at either guard spot like Jaden Springer and Jared Butler above.

10. Jalen Johnson, F, 6’9 220, Duke

Johnson struggled at Duke. He didn't play up to his five-star billing. But he's a 6-foot-9 forward with good handles and passing ability. Like I said before, even though we have Rui & Avdija at forward we need as many pieces as possible to add to either forward position because our depth there is lacking and it would be huge if he hits.

[lavar703]

Scott Brooks is such a bad coach. 

[lavar703]

The officiating in this game is embarrassing. 

[turtle28]

1 hour ago, lavar703 said:

Scott Brooks is such a bad coach. 

Agreed. 

And, I know I sound like a broken record but the 2 PG line up that Brooks is using is just frustrating me so much for this series, it’s not going to work vs the Sixers size. I don’t get why he started a 3 guard line up vs the Sixers.

The Wizards aren’t going to win this series, but if Brooks doesn’t make an adjustment and start Gill or Mathews over Neto and have them check Tobias Harris we don’t have a prayer in this series if that adjustment isn’t made and we’ll get swept.

At one point late in the first half Harris had 26 points and the Sixers had 52 as a team bc Harris was abusing Rui. Rui can’t guard him, Rui has made strides but he’s not good enough on D to do it, Brooks has to see that and go to Gil or Mathews even if they’re losing some offense by having Neto come off the bench. We need more size at SF.

Simmons & Embid didn’t even play as well as they could and we still lost. Of course on the flip side Westbrook was pressing in the first half and started off slow. I do expect Russ to rebound and play better next game.

Edited May 23, 2021 by turtle28

[turtle28]

Highlights: Anthony Gill vs. Spurs - 4/26/21

Scott Brooks, get your head out of your arse and start Gill over Neto & have him check Tobias Harris bc Rui can’t do it! 
 

Anthony Gill Highlights vs Oklahoma City Thunder https://youtu.be/O7HLe2p8On0 via @YouTube Start Gill over Neto! 

[e16bball]

Welp...

 

[turtle28]

7 hours ago, e16bball said:

Welp...

 

I mean this is the culmination... CULMINATION! Of some real bad/unlucky decisions that have compounded for this franchise over the course of the last 20 years since Michael Jordan took Kwame Brown and traded Rip Hamilton & Ben Wallace away for Jerry Stackhouse who hated playing with Jordan, he said it was his worst years playing basketball.

Brooks gotta go. The rotations are stupid, he doesn’t know how to play his players so they excel, we have no offensive sets, we have no defensive structure and he can’t develop young players worth a damn!

Bring in Marc Jackson, Sam Cassell or grand mama I don’t care, Brooks has got to go! He’s trash!

Edited May 27, 2021 by turtle28

[turtle28]

So, we’ve debated the Wall-Westbrook trade at nausea and it’s clear that Westbrook when healthy is better then Wall except at shooting - imagine that! Someone more inconsistent than Wall at shooting! 😂 

I just have to post my latest thought on this because it was weighing in my mind as I watched the Wizards get blasted last night, Russ shoot it awfully for the 2nd game in a row and then sadly sprain his ankle.

If we had kept Wall, we probably wouldn’t be in the playoffs bc he needed surgery on his knee again this year. So, that means we’d be back in the lottery w/ at worst a pick around #10 again. 
 

Then, next year we are going to lose our 1st to the Rockets. So, we traded a bad contract away in Wall & got back a more healthy and well rounded player in Westbrook but it doesn’t move the needle enough for us to be a contender, it made us stagnate so, we’ll miss out on a lottery pick this year and a likely top 15 pick next year too.

Sorry for those who disagree, Keeping Wall was still the better move rather than trading for Westbrook IMO. 

[MikeT14]

More than anything last night, I was most impressed with Bertans 0 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 6 fouls stat line in 24 minutes.

[turtle28]

On 5/27/2021 at 3:23 PM, MikeT14 said:

More than anything last night, I was most impressed with Bertans 0 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 6 fouls stat line in 24 minutes.

I was so wrong about Bertans, it’s one of the worst contracts in the NBA along w/ Wall bc he can’t stay healthy & Porter bc he can’t stay healthy and he’s not worth his contract even when healthy. I was more wrong about re-signing him than I was when I stood on the table for Otto Porter. 

It’s Just crazy/sad when you think about it that once again the Wizards are the team w/ one of the worst contracts or signed a player to what ended up being one of the worst contracts in the NBA, it all started with Juwan Howard and then Arenas who was at first a great contract until he hurt his knee and then didn’t take his rehab seriously and even played pick up games on it only months after surgery. Then, obviously the guns in the locker room!

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by turtle28

[e16bball]

On 5/27/2021 at 5:30 AM, turtle28 said:

So, we’ve debated the Wall-Westbrook trade at nausea and it’s clear that Westbrook when healthy is better then Wall except at shooting - imagine that! Someone more inconsistent than Wall at shooting! 😂 

I just have to post my latest thought on this because it was weighing in my mind as I watched the Wizards get blasted last night, Russ shoot it awfully for the 2nd game in a row and then sadly sprain his ankle.

If we had kept Wall, we probably wouldn’t be in the playoffs bc he needed surgery on his knee again this year. So, that means we’d be back in the lottery w/ at worst a pick around #10 again. 
 

Then, next year we are going to lose our 1st to the Rockets. So, we traded a bad contract away in Wall & got back a more healthy and well rounded player in Westbrook but it doesn’t move the needle enough for us to be a contender, it made us stagnate so, we’ll miss out on a lottery pick this year and a likely top 15 pick next year too.

Sorry for those who disagree, Keeping Wall was still the better move rather than trading for Westbrook IMO. 

The only good thing about the trade — aside from getting the better player, which I concede feels like a weird thing to marginalize, but at this point, who really cares? — is that at least the draft pick is very well protected. 

Given how bad the Wizards will likely be over the next few years, I’d be very surprised if that pick conveys before 2025 at the earliest. That’s cold comfort, but that’s what we’ve got at this point. The tank beckons.

[turtle28]

5 hours ago, e16bball said:

The only good thing about the trade — aside from getting the better player, which I concede feels like a weird thing to marginalize, but at this point, who really cares? — is that at least the draft pick is very well protected. 

Given how bad the Wizards will likely be over the next few years, I’d be very surprised if that pick conveys before 2025 at the earliest. That’s cold comfort, but that’s what we’ve got at this point. The tank beckons.

Are we considered a lottery team this year or not?

I assume bc we ended up the 8 seed that we won’t be in the lottery and the Rockets will have our 1st round pick. 
 

Also, if we had kept Wall & he needed knee surgery again we wouldn’t have even been the 8 seed, more likely a team that’d be picking around 5th in the draft. I like Russ & I do feel we got the better all around player. I mean even though Russ is a worse shorter than even Wall, he’s a Hall of Fame player especially since he broke Oscar’s record. Still I’d rather have Wall w/ Beal & a top 5 pick than what we have.
 

Getting swept in the 1st round of the playoffs means nothing for the team, it’s the worst case scenario. We have very few ways to improve the team for next year short of Avdija, Bryant & Rui taking jumps as our front line starters which could happen but that’s not a certainty.

Just my opinion though.