Nene

[hands11]

Nene back already.

Guess I shouldn't have believed what they said.

[hands11]

Nene suiting up again.

Second chance at two games in a row since he return. Last game he only scored 6 in 19 minutes after two games of 12 and 19 pts.

Lets see what cha got big guy. You in the garden. Big stage calls for a big performance.

The team get 3 days rest after this one. A win on the road against the Nicks could do a struggling team good.

[hands11]

So I wonder how Nene is feeling. I haven't really heard much but you can see by his style of play that the foot is still bothering him.

He clearly is not producing at the level he is capable of but he has been playing. Since he returned his first game, he only missed one game and that was the third game after his return.

He seems to be struggling to finish around the basket. He doesn't seem to have much lift like he showed in the first couple of games. I would guess that playing like that is harder on his foot and he learned that quickly. Probably easier on his foot if he doesn't try to explode off of it going for dunks. This is clearly limiting is production but its the smart thing to do if he wants to keep playing.

Part of his game is a quick first step to the basket. The threat of that helps him get separation for the mid range. Looks like he is trying to adjust him game given how he needs to play to protect the foot from flaring up. So far, he seems to be able to handle 20 minutes a game.

He posted his first double double last night grabbing 10 rebounds in 20 minutes going 3-8 and 4-4 from the line. It will be important that he hit his FTs. He also need to hit the mid range which he has been struggling with lately. But he does have a PER of 19.2

[hands11]

Over the last 4 games

.677 FG 8.3 FTA 6 RB 3.5 AST 17 Pts in 23.5 Min

Looks like the 20 mins a game has been creeping up.

He played 24 and 25 on back to back games the last two games.

Start him already Randy. Stop being so Fing stubborn. Just pull him after 5 minutes.

Nene just to go light on trying to leap off that bad foot so he doesnt tweak it. Just play more floor bound so you can run and get in shape.

[AFM]

I dont see the significance in not starting him. It's the total minutes that matters not whether he begins the game sitting or standing
Although it doesn't matter any way. The tank is strong with this one. Equipped with anti personnel mines and heat seeking missiles, this may be the greatest tank ever

[nate33]

Nene is awesome, but his efforts are being wasted. He could be getting healthy while watching the team lose by 20 points a night (and putting pressure on Ted to fire EG). Instead, his presence is keeping us in games and allowing EG to delude himself into thinking we're about to turn the corner. Meanwhile, all those minutes are likely impairing the healing process.

The best thing to do would be to shut him down until Wall gets back. See if we can get to 3-38 at the midway point of the season. Then bring Wall and Nene back and try to play .500 ball for the remaining 41 games.

[closg00]

Does anyone agree with me that we are currently seeing the extent of what a "healthy" Nene will be for us? Dating back post-trade, it appears as-though Nene will be a part-time player who battles-through foot pain when he can play, and sits when he can't. Nene is never going to be fully healthy, that's why Denver did an about face.

[Upper Decker]

Typically I have zero sympathy for professional athletes—they get insane money to live rock-star lives and play kids games. However, watching Nene out there I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. He signed a long-term deal to stay in a cool city with great fans and immediately gets booted to the worst franchise in professional sports with absolutely no chance for team or individual success.

This is akin to Lebron in Cleveland with Ira Newble, Boobie Gibson, and Mo Williams. Nene’s so much better than anyone else on the Wiz that he seriously looks like an All-NBA first teamer on the floor. For his sake I really hope he gets shipped out so he doesn’t have to suffer with this miserable franchise.

[Nivek]

I didn't like the Nene trade when it happened, and I didn't think his injury problems would be this significant this soon. I thought they'd get two good years from him and then we'd see the decline.

It's worth pointing out that Nene has been a 30-minute player (or less) for awhile now. His peak in career minutes per game was 33.6 -- in 2009-10. Last season in Washington, he averaged 25.8. At full health, he'd probably play more for the Wizards, but he's more of a 28-30 minute player than a full-time, 36-minutes per night guy.

[nate33]

Does anyone agree with me that we are currently seeing the extent of what a "healthy" Nene will be for us? Dating back post-trade, it appears as-though Nene will be a part-time player who battles-through foot pain when he can play, and sits when he can't. Nene is never going to be fully healthy, that's why Denver did an about face.

I'm not sure why there is so much doom and gloom.

Nene had a foot injury that was exacerbated by the Olympics. It needs rest, but rest WILL fix it. It's not like he had an ACL tear and is now a shadow of his former self. Clearly, he is still a fantastic player when he gets on the court. His numbers in Washington have been truly elite, when he has actually gotten on the floor. He posted a PER of 24 and an ORtg of 116 with Washington last year, and is duplicating the feat this year. He is also our best defender. His on/off differential is off the charts.

As hands11 noted, his minutes are creeping up from about 20 a game to about 24.

[tontoz]

Typically I have zero sympathy for professional athletes—they get insane money to live rock-star lives and play kids games. However, watching Nene out there I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. He signed a long-term deal to stay in a cool city with great fans and immediately gets booted to the worst franchise in professional sports with absolutely no chance for team or individual success.

This is akin to Lebron in Cleveland with Ira Newble, Boobie Gibson, and Mo Williams. Nene’s so much better than anyone else on the Wiz that he seriously looks like an All-NBA first teamer on the floor. For his sake I really hope he gets shipped out so he doesn’t have to suffer with this miserable franchise.

I have been thinking the same thing, especially the last two games. I wonder if he will wind up just going through the motions out there knowing that they are going to lose no matter what he does.

[hands11]

I dont see the significance in not starting him. It's the total minutes that matters not whether he begins the game sitting or standing
Although it doesn't matter any way. The tank is strong with this one. Equipped with anti personnel mines and heat seeking missiles, this may be the greatest tank ever

While total minutes is important, it is definitely important who starts.

They regularly go down 10 pts in the first and get off to a bad start. Then they have to stop the other teams momentum. Then gain it. Plus, the bigger the hole they dig, the more the players take ill advised shots.

Go game by game and look at quarter by quarter numbers. You will see a pattern. They go down 10 in the first and then play the team mostly even the rest of the three quarters.

Of course it matters who starts.

[hands11]

Nene is awesome, but his efforts are being wasted. He could be getting healthy while watching the team lose by 20 points a night (and putting pressure on Ted to fire EG). Instead, his presence is keeping us in games and allowing EG to delude himself into thinking we're about to turn the corner. Meanwhile, all those minutes are likely impairing the healing process.

The best thing to do would be to shut him down until Wall gets back. See if we can get to 3-38 at the midway point of the season. Then bring Wall and Nene back and try to play .500 ball for the remaining 41 games.

Not bad logic at all. Actually, I expected them to do that when I though Wall would be back around now. I was a little shocked Nene returned when he did.

As for those saying he will always be injury. Still not buying it. All he needed to do was what he didn't do last summer. He blow it. He needed to rest the foot and rehab it for the full 6 month period. He could have gotten those shots they do and been ready to go at the start of the year. This isn't a knee or a back. This is something that can get better with rest and treatment.

The guy is a beast in the post. He is a foul magnet. He gets an angle and makes his way to the basket in a way that he always draw fouls. He even draw fouls when he is just moving into position to set picks. Once he gets the foot right over next summer, he will play 30-32 minutes a game. That starter minutes for a lot of bigs.

He gets to the FT line at a rate that looks to be second only to Howard.

I know this is not a popular view but this team does have some talent. If healthy and lined up the right way, no way they would have the record they do. Wall, Beal and Nene are all legit talents but Wall hasn't played, Beal is a rookie who is starting at 19 and Nene has been injured. Crawford is a legit piece as well as a back up PG and SG that can start at either when needed. Kevin is an interesting piece who is just to young and inexperienced to put it all together yet. He need more time to get there.

And from there, they have some role player pieces that can still make it or get replaced. Webster is interesting. Price makes for a decent 3rd PG. Martin ranks well as an off the bench 3 pt shooter. And Trevor A while over paid, is a nice long armed defender who can run and hit a few open shots.

So that leaves Booker who can't stay healthy but when he is, he is a nice athlete strong leaper energy player.
Okafor who I don't care for and never did. He is way overpaid and robotic. But he can defend some and score a little not bad off the bench or probably as a starter with Nene. Ves who has been shelved for now but who has some talent to develop. Long. Tall. Good court IQ. Runner. Still a very young kid. Barron who is a nice piece for the post off the bench.

The team really doesn't suck nearly as much as they have sucked. It just injuries and youth. Randy's crap line up. No PG all year even though they could have started Crawford. No experienced scorer without Nene. Beal being 19 and learning as a starter against the best in the league. Kevin up and down while learning and missing a lot of preseason injured while trying to recover from being so French. It just didn't come together.

But that are not the talentless mess so many here make them out to be.

[Nivek]

I dont see the significance in not starting him. It's the total minutes that matters not whether he begins the game sitting or standing
Although it doesn't matter any way. The tank is strong with this one. Equipped with anti personnel mines and heat seeking missiles, this may be the greatest tank ever

82games did a little study a few years back looking at scoring differential by quarter and comparing it to winning percentage. The strongest correlations were for the 1st and 3rd quarters. Weakest correlation was 4th quarter (.38). In other words, "winning" the first quarter of an NBA game says more about who's going to eventually win the game than "winning" the fourth quarter.

http://www.82games.com/random11.htm

[GhostsOfGil]

I dont see the significance in not starting him. It's the total minutes that matters not whether he begins the game sitting or standing
Although it doesn't matter any way. The tank is strong with this one. Equipped with anti personnel mines and heat seeking missiles, this may be the greatest tank ever

82games did a little study a few years back looking at scoring differential by quarter and comparing it to winning percentage. The strongest correlations were for the 1st and 3rd quarters. Weakest correlation was 4th quarter (.38). In other words, "winning" the first quarter of an NBA game says more about who's going to eventually win the game than "winning" the fourth quarter.

http://www.82games.com/random11.htm

Interesting stuff but I'm not sure this is a relavant study considering our situation. Since our offense is so streaky and inconsistant, I have a feeling there is little correlation between winning the 1st and winning the game.

[AFM]

Hands/Nivek, I didn't mean in terms of the team. I meant in terms of easing him back from an injury. If he's going to play 20 minutes either way, why doesn't Randy just start him?

[closg00]

Does anyone agree with me that we are currently seeing the extent of what a "healthy" Nene will be for us? Dating back post-trade, it appears as-though Nene will be a part-time player who battles-through foot pain when he can play, and sits when he can't. Nene is never going to be fully healthy, that's why Denver did an about face.

I'm not sure why there is so much doom and gloom.

Nene had a foot injury that was exacerbated by the Olympics. It needs rest, but rest WILL fix it. It's not like he had an ACL tear and is now a shadow of his former self. Clearly, he is still a fantastic player when he gets on the court. His numbers in Washington have been truly elite, when he has actually gotten on the floor. He posted a PER Washington last d licating the feat this year. He is also our best defender.

As hands11 noted, his minutes are creeping up from about 20 a game to about 24.

It's not doom and gloom Nate, just an observation. Nene didn't play much at the Olympics and he had several months of rest (close to 3 months?) before beginning to play.....and his play looks labored.

[Nivek]

Hands/Nivek, I didn't mean in terms of the team. I meant in terms of easing him back from an injury. If he's going to play 20 minutes either way, why doesn't Randy just start him?

I'm in favor of starting Nene. If the goal is winning games.

[hands11]

Hands/Nivek, I didn't mean in terms of the team. I meant in terms of easing him back from an injury. If he's going to play 20 minutes either way, why doesn't Randy just start him?

I'm in favor of starting Nene. If the goal is winning games.

Clearly it is not. I'm not buying that Nene sat out tonight because of the foot.

Its more likely that Beal was out already and they really needed to get some distance in tanking. Knowing Beal will be back next game, they rested Nene as well and started Livingston again.

PURE TANK

[hands11]

Side note while people are starting the focus on Walls return and Beals new found 3 ball.

Nene just played 36 minutes in that double OT against the Nets.

That is the most minutes he has played in a game since Fri 1/13/12 against Miami

That last game was the best start he has had as a starter since his return to the starting line up. He was on fire. Looks like the big man is slowly getting in better shape.

I haven't heard anything bad about his foot in a while. All I can see is that his minutes are going up. I guess it is feeling better ?