The Amazingly Sucky Andray Blatche Thread

[Nivek]

Glassie wasn't bad. I think you're letting your Ernie-designed hearing aid affect your judgement.

[Ruzious]

Glassie was okay, but I always thought he was kinda conventional wisdom more than anything else.

I definitely agree with the second part of that, he offered no insights or analysis to speak of. He basically echoed the opinions of whatever show had him on, which can be pretty uninformed on 980 when it comes to the Wizards.

I'd actually drop Glassie to 6th on your list:

3. Hanrahan
4. Static
5. Dead air
6. Glassie

Lol, I don't always agree with you, but I love that humor.

Hanrahan was definitely better on the Wiz than on the Skins - in the few times I've heard him talking about the Wiz. Then again, he was really bad when he covered the Skins.

[TGW]

Glassie wasn't bad. I think you're letting your Ernie-designed hearing aid affect your judgement.

[hands11]

Agree completely Blatche will have a solid career. The Wiz have a tendency to proclaim obvious backup/role players as future stars.....and refuse to back off that position until it implodes.

It hurts the team, the player's career, fan expectations and success of the team.

+1

Induveca, that is exactly what is wrong with the Wizards. They have invested in the wrong players. Blatche is a guy I have always thought would be a good role player with a team like the Heat, or the Celtics, or the Lakers. The Wizards bring in Saunders, he proclaims Blatche the next KG. That was wrong from the start. Ernie gave Blatche a contract that made the Wizards go all in on a guy to carry the offense; when the only thing they should have done is make him part of the talent moving forward.

Holding that position and rewarding an average player with an above average salary; while not drafting players like Millsap and Faried, is what has put the Wizards in the shape they are in. They would rather pay top shelf for a hard-working, not-very-talented, veteran. (I agree, Nivek) They have to have a professional with a good attitude because they sunk costs into party animal, Andray. That is the Wizards way of doing things.

That "was" the way they did things. Add signing Gil to max and extending AJ for more and longer then they should have.

They are not doing that now.

Dray was a young talent on a messed up team lead by goofball Gil as their best talent. Mr, I am not a leader I do things my way. He was only projected as a starter because the other options they had a PF and Center sucked except Haywood. AJ played zero defense and once he was gone, what did they have ?

They gave Dray his shot last year and he failed to take it. That was his big opportunity to live up to his max potential and to secure a starting position in the NBA. He failed. So they moved on. Both where the right moves.

So they went from having only 1 center who could even kind of defend the post to having 4 players who can defend the post. That was achieved in just two years. As was getting out of the Gil nightmare and his nightmare contract. They turned that crap into Trevor A and Okafor. Gil is making 21M this year and 22M next year. Pretty much what Trevor and Okafor cost the Wizards this year and next year. Who wouldn't make that trade going into this season. Gil who doesn't even play for Trevor A and Okafor.

I'm looking forward, not backward. They rebuild the entire team in two years. Gil is gone. Abe is not the owner. Dray is gone. McGee and Nick.. gone. This is a new franchise with a new roster.

New owner. New HC. New roster. A #1 pick and a #3 pick. Some prospects who are not bone heads and a sprinkling of mature vets.

Let the games begin. Time to let the past stay in the past. Time to be objectively optimistic again and look forward. The reset button was pushed. Now the computer is rebooted.

This is the best they have looked since the first year they had Gil, CB, AJ, Haywood, Etan and Dray only I like this roster, owner and HC even better then that one. For one, this roster can defend and the coach is focused on it.

Wall is every bit the physical talent Gil was only not a goof ball. He is also more a pure PG and he will defend. Now he just has to improve his shot.

They have no direct replacement for CB but they do have some SFs who will defend in Trevor A and C Singleton and at least one that can shoot in Webster

AJ was Mr o lay on defense. Nene, Okafor, Kevin, Ves and Booker are better then AJ, Haywood, Etan and Dray.

If this team can stay healthy, they will make the playoffs.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

If this team can stay healthy, they will make the playoffs.

+1

I hope Wall is healthy within 8 weeks. I hope Nene can be totally healed from the chronic foot pain he has experienced and that he feels great the last half of the season. I hope Okafor can be an iron man and play over 75 games. With those key players healthy, it would be tremendous also if Seraphin, Vesely, and Singleton each improves a good bit from their previous ability as pros. Finally, I hope Booker shows improved range and stays healthy, because he already knows how to play at both ends of the court. If all these things happen, not only can they make the playoffs, the Wizards will make the playoffs.

Between Beal, Ariza, Webster, Mack, and Pargo, there is enough depth to compete once Wall returns healthy. if the team enjoys a "perfect storm" of good health and good fortune as described; sure, it is possible and maybe even likely they can make the playoffs.

Nene, Wall, and to a lesser degree Wall really need to be present and healthy for that to happen.

[closg00]

Rico can't lay a glove on Glassie's first-hand account to being a witness to Wizard history, he was there. What he did when he carved-up Ted and more-so Ernie, was very rare for someone in the sports media.

[jangles86]

Played well today did dray! I really hope this guy can be serviceable to the nets this year. After all the boos he copy from wiz fans, it will show a lot of character to come back.

[closg00]

Andray Blatche played 22 minutes in his Nets debut, posting 12 points and five rebounds while navigating foul trouble.
Blatche may need a while longer to get up to game speed, but he looks fit and could be a sneaky pickup for the Nets, who were in need of frontcourt depth before they got him. He'll need to fight for minutes behind Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries, but it's not hard to see him beating out fellow reserves Reggie Evans and Mirza Teletovic. Oct. 13 - 10:27 pm et

The Rotoworld report

[hands11]

Dray should do fine in Brooklyn.

This is a much better situation for him. He should do fine as a back up. He has some serious stars around him and an overall positive perception for the teams success i.e. they should win games and compete. He is both making a lot of money and a low cap hit at the same time so there isn't as much pressure on him.

Dray needed a fresh start as much as the Wizards needed a fresh start from him. Same was true of McGee and Nick. All three where a combination of talent and immaturity. That is a bad fit for a team like the Wizards where they were bonded to and looked up to Gilbert who was a poster child for childish level of maturity. You simply can't build a successful franchise with a personality/player like Gil as your flagship star and a front office where the chain of command goes Owner, HC, GM. Sadly, we got to see this lived out.

I still think the team would have taken a vastly different path if they would have either traded Gil for value the year before he could walk or just let him walk when it was to late to get value. If they did the first, they could have reloaded on the fly and still had all those young assets to groom while still having CB, AJ and Haywood. They would have then either traded AJs expiring, let AJ walk or signed him for less as a back up. The team would then have had CB, Haywood along with whatever massive amount of assets they got in the Gil trade, maybe AJ assets, plus these 3 young talents that were groomed properly.

The main thing that killed this franchise the last 4-5 years was signing Gil to a max contract. Sure it would have been better if he could recover but it still would have been bad. Sadly, the worst case scenario happened, he didn't recover, gun thing happened and they were stuck with his poison contract. That crushed this franchise. The good news is they hit the reset button and they hit it hard. They flushed the toilet. That was exactly what they needed to do. But when you do that, you lose the baby with the bath water. That is the short term downside effect.

We are finally behind all of that and all influence Gil had on this team. Along with that, all influence that EFJ and Abe had is also gone.

New owner leader of the long term plan to keep the ship headed in the right direction. New HC to execute it and grow the talent. 100% New roster. New core stars. Wall, Beal and Nene. New supporting cast to groom future pieces and trade assets.

Ted/EG/Whitman with Wall, Beal and Nene and this roster and much better then

Abe/EFJ/EG with Gil, CB and AJ and the salaries and roster that team had.

I would buy futures of that first team over the second group 100 out of 100 times. The future if brighter now then it was then. Starting next year, the Wiz will be able to start taking swings on players like Perry and I think will be able to turn them into lemonade.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Blatche silenced the board but I am really happy for him.

[verbal8]

Blatche silenced the board but I am really happy for him.

I hope he is successful. I don't expect him to be a star player. However if he can stay in shape and focused he could be solid rotation player for easily another 8+ years. I don't think success was going to come for him with the WIzards. He had too many issues here.

[dandridge 10]

Blatche racked most of his points and rebounds against scrubs like Baron and Randolph. Most of his made shots were assisted for easy dunks or lay-ups. The outside shots he did take for the most part missed. Glad the Brooklyn fans are excited about him....we will see how long that lasts.

[TheBigThree]

Having another solid game against the Celtics. Wish I could say I was surprised. The talent was always there.

Oh well.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Andray is absolutely killing it against the Celtics.

That Andray would be welcomed on this team. He's still not going to finish with power in traffic, but his quickness and footwork look better than ever. Just blew by Sullinger. He's not much bigger than Garnett now. Blatche is in shape.

[TheBigThree]

Andray is absolutely killing it against the Nets.

That Andray would be welcomed on this team. He's still not going to finish with power in traffic, but his quickness and footwork look better than ever. Just blew by Sullinger. He's not much bigger than Garnett now. Blatche is in shape.

A complete and utter indictment of the team's brain trust and coaching staff, unfortunately.

It amazes me that anyone would be excited to play for this franchise under this regime.

[closg00]

Andray is absolutely killing it against the Celtics.

That Andray would be welcomed on this team. He's still not going to finish with power in traffic, but his quickness and footwork look better than ever. Just blew by Sullinger. He's not much bigger than Garnett now. Blatche is in shape.

Blatche is the leading scorer and rebounder tonight so-far for the Nets.
http://www.nba.com/games/20121016/BKNBO ... GIboxscore

[TheBigThree]

Blatche with 23-9 through 3.

Sad.

[sashae]

I'm not even remotely going to argue that the team should have retained Andray, but man, it is an AMAZING indictment of the team that they couldn't get a guy with his talents to get his fat ass in shape. Unreal.

[closg00]

I'm not even remotely going to argue that the team should have retained Andray, but man, it is an AMAZING indictment of the team that they couldn't get a guy with his talents to get his fat ass in shape. Unreal.

Remember the criminal mis-management of the Arenas knee injury? Well it's kind of like that. Gilbert spoke to this
when he said that the management should have protected him from himself. The players obviously have some responsibility, but the history and reporting point to players who are not managed.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Tonight, the NBA announced there will be a new award. The M.I.A.P, or Most Improved Amnestied Player, will be called the "Ernie Grunfeld Award".

Andray Blatche is a lock to win the MIAP.