Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:I would add Webster, Singleton, Beal, and possibly even Ariza to the projected average to above-average.
Nivek, don't tell anyone but I still secretly believe a perfect storm, (is it too early for that reference?), of unlikely events could cause the Wizards to win as much as 45 games.
Webster, Ariza, and Okafor could all have bounce back years while both Nene and Wall defy the odds and heal completely pretty early in the season. Seraphin could continue his ascent and Wall could hit threes with confidence. Before Wall comes back, Pargo and Price can hit from outside and manage the game well enough that Wall's presence won't be terribly missed. Not every PG is as dynamic as Kyrie Irving.
I will stick with my usual doom and gloom, because that is what I think will happen with the Wizards. I said 29, but 39 is possible. Heck, 45 is possible but very unlikely only because of Nene being out. As IIRC, nate pointed out they played like a better-than-.500 team after the trade last season. If not for injuries, they still could.
So you really a closet optimist that gives into the mountain of negative pressure of a doom and gloomers. lol
Just a friendly poke CCJ. Nothing to over react about.
Well one part of the perfect storm has happened. Kevin S returned a week early and he looked awesome. He picked up right where he left off last year. Now we have to get him into the starting line up next game.
And as some of us have pointed out, Ves is continuing to develop. Nice to see him starting to shoot. I think over the next 5 games we are going to see him hit often enough that defenses have to cover him beyond just under the rim or cutting to it.
Now, the starting line ups has looked like ass the last two games but I don't think anyone though the Wizard would start the season looking anything but rough. But while there weren't a lot of good options, there were options better then what we saw. Those line up showed very little imagination or balls to do what needed to be done. Of the little I know about Randy's coaching style, I have to believe next game Kevin will be starting at a min. Hopefully Crawford will as well. At PG. They just have to have both out there. Crawford is their best ball handler and Kevin is their best healthy post player. And Beal needs a ball handling passing PG so he can get his game going. That leaves only one answer. Start Beal at PG.
The Wall injury really set this team back this year. Finally they had a starting quality PG and then poof. Then Kevin pulls up lame about out nowhere. At least Kevin was only out for 1 game. But with Nene already out, that was devastating.
With Wall out, they defiantly have their challenges. And its nothing Mack would have solved.
Mack, Beal, Trevor A, Booker and Okafor ... That line up would have sucked as well. Short term, it would have been marginally better because Mack is a better ball handler, but he isn't the answer.
The answer at PG is getting Livingston or moving Crawford to PG. By doing that, now Beal can play his game. Thats two positions that would be upgraded. Now they have Kevin as a post option. From there I could tolerate them giving Trover A a few more opportunities. But if he doesn't show up in the next game or two, move on. Try something else. Roll in C Singleton to start at SF. He did it all last year and he looks like his shot and driving ability is better this year. Trevor A has done nothing to show me he has beaten C Singleton for the spot. And if they need a better outside shot up shooter, but in Webster.
Again, The Wall injury hosed them to start the year. It put them into a cycle of trying to find a PG that was better then a back up PG which was all they were looking to upgrade. And not starting quality PG is hurting Beal. Its all connected. Losing Kevin just make it 2x as bad since Nene was out.
They can unravel this. But they have to do something boldish to do it. Either get Livingston or start Crawford at PG and play him 40-42 minutes a game.
