The Wizards big man situation is an embarrassment

[TGW]

Seriously...this is probably one the worst front lines I've seen the Wizards trot out on the floor since the Laetner/jahidi/Popeye rotation.

Gortat (as I predicted before he was extended) is overwhelmed defensively and isn't consistent offensively. And at 30 he s just going to look worse as he ages.

Humphries is a joke. I'm not sure who's idea it was to start a mediocre bench player, but it was a bad one. I understand that Nene is a big overpaid lazy wuss who has no passion for basketball anymore, but they could have at least drafted another big man to groom while nene transitions to the netherworld. Instead we have a guy who grabs his balls in the bench.

Gooden is good for about 10 mpg at best. Blair...completely useless. We got a glimpse tonight of why he's garbage.

The front office yet again fails to improve the team In the offseason. The only time grunfail actually does something is when it's some panicked move where we end up giving up a ton.


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[FAH1223]

Yeah

We've said it all offseason

Maybe sign Robert Upshaw off the Lakers D League squad

[closg00]

Once again, this was completely foreseeable. We held-out hope that we would first: draft Portis, when that didn't happen we were hoping we would end-up with then at-least ONE young player after summer league and FA, it was surprising and disappointing when it didn't happen. As expected, we do have perhaps the worst front court in the NBA and probably the oldest.

[AFM]

Blair done had all his talent sucked out of him like space jam

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Seriously...this is probably one the worst front lines I've seen the Wizards trot out on the floor since the Laetner/jahidi/Popeye rotation.

Gortat (as I predicted before he was extended) is overwhelmed defensively and isn't consistent offensively. And at 30 he s just going to look worse as he ages.

Humphries is a joke. I'm not sure who's idea it was to start a mediocre bench player, but it was a bad one. I understand that Nene is a big overpaid lazy wuss who has no passion for basketball anymore, but they could have at least drafted another big man to groom while nene transitions to the netherworld. Instead we have a guy who grabs his balls in the bench.

Gooden is good for about 10 mpg at best. Blair...completely useless. We got a glimpse tonight of why he's garbage.

The front office yet again fails to improve the team In the offseason. The only time grunfail actually does something is when it's some panicked move where we end up giving up a ton.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Gortat didn't age several years over the summer. His role offensively and defensively has changed.

http://m.bkref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXgXXgortama01.html&t=2

His attempts are fewer. He's getting virtually twice the assists but more than twice the turnovers. He's fouling mor frequently.

[AFM]

Gortat is fine. We are running less PnR (thats what my eyes tell me, I'm sure TSW will correct me).
Nene will go beast mode once every 5 games
Blair (sorry CCJ) looks AWFUL. Like, he should be playing in the bethesda coed rec league. I'm really hoping he's just rusty from not getting any minutes.
Humphries can shoot it okay, but damn dude, stop pump faking and trying to drive. You're slow and can't dribble for **** bruh

[dckingsfan]

To make matters worse, Gooden is out with back spasms - he is not an everyday player at this point in his career. That and Nene's hops are COMPLETELY gone.

Gooden and Gortat are the only ones that are really rebounding the ball on D. And since Dudley is out rebounding Humphries, he should start once he is 100%.

Blair just can't play in this type of schema. He is done.

[dckingsfan]

I will add to this that Porter isn't rebounding like we need him to either (that and not being consistent with the 3 ball).

[Ruzious]

Seriously...this is probably one the worst front lines I've seen the Wizards trot out on the floor since the Laetner/jahidi/Popeye rotation.

Gortat (as I predicted before he was extended) is overwhelmed defensively and isn't consistent offensively. And at 30 he s just going to look worse as he ages.

Humphries is a joke. I'm not sure who's idea it was to start a mediocre bench player, but it was a bad one. I understand that Nene is a big overpaid lazy wuss who has no passion for basketball anymore, but they could have at least drafted another big man to groom while nene transitions to the netherworld. Instead we have a guy who grabs his balls in the bench.

Gooden is good for about 10 mpg at best. Blair...completely useless. We got a glimpse tonight of why he's garbage.

The front office yet again fails to improve the team In the offseason. The only time grunfail actually does something is when it's some panicked move where we end up giving up a ton.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Gortat didn't age several years over the summer. His role offensively and defensively has changed.

http://m.bkref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXgXXgortama01.html&t=2

His attempts are fewer. He's getting virtually twice the assists but more than twice the turnovers. He's fouling mor frequently.

Think about it - If I'm coaching against the Wiz, the first thing I want to do is get Gortat in foul trouble, because who's their next best big? Nobody. If he's out, the Wiz are playing 2 bigs who aren't good. So I'm going to run everyone at Gortat and get physical with him. That's bound to wear him out AND get him in foul trouble.

[Earth2Ted]

Aaron White, aka the White Answer, is averaging 15 and 4 in 20 mpg in Germany eurocup play, 80% ft and 40 % 3 pt.

Perhaps it's time.

[krii]

Seriously...this is probably one the worst front lines I've seen the Wizards trot out on the floor since the Laetner/jahidi/Popeye rotation.

Gortat (as I predicted before he was extended) is overwhelmed defensively and isn't consistent offensively. And at 30 he s just going to look worse as he ages.

Humphries is a joke. I'm not sure who's idea it was to start a mediocre bench player, but it was a bad one. I understand that Nene is a big overpaid lazy wuss who has no passion for basketball anymore, but they could have at least drafted another big man to groom while nene transitions to the netherworld. Instead we have a guy who grabs his balls in the bench.

Gooden is good for about 10 mpg at best. Blair...completely useless. We got a glimpse tonight of why he's garbage.

The front office yet again fails to improve the team In the offseason. The only time grunfail actually does something is when it's some panicked move where we end up giving up a ton.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Gortat didn't age several years over the summer. His role offensively and defensively has changed.

http://m.bkref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXgXXgortama01.html&t=2

His attempts are fewer. He's getting virtually twice the assists but more than twice the turnovers. He's fouling mor frequently.

Think about it - If I'm coaching against the Wiz, the first thing I want to do is get Gortat in foul trouble, because who's their next best big? Nobody. If he's out, the Wiz are playing 2 bigs who aren't good. So I'm going to run everyone at Gortat and get physical with him. That's bound to wear him out AND get him in foul trouble.

This.

I've read a lot of opinions on Gortat lately, most of them with a general hate and quite a few with sort of "I wish we could have drafted XYZ/trade CYU" stuff. For me it is not a problem of Gortat being bad but more about the new system and a role of center in it. Yesterday Marcin had Sullinger to guard, who went behind the arc on almost every possesion (and took Gortat with him). That creates a lot of space under the basket. When Gortat was guarding both Sullinger and the basket there was a quick 3 with too-slow reaction by Gortat. I mean in reality how many teams can go 6/7 from behind the arc made by centers (3/3 Sullinger and 3/4 Olynyk in 4th quarter)?! Gortat had to choose between leaving his player and guarding basket & trying to rebound or staying on him with leaving basket open.

In previous games he was very quickly pushed around by opponent bigs who focused mostly on him early in the game to make sure he would be unable to do some quick plays early in the game. The problem is that other players were not helping him at all - usually Marcin had to go through some tough passes away from basket as in the first 5 games there was just a couple of PnR played.

I completely understand that some may say it is not a primary focus of the team to involve some player if the team is winning. But in reality Gortat is a kind of player who is affected by his early plays. If opponents take him out in first minutes and team is not playing through him it will lead to poor-to-average performances by Gortat. And he is very important piece of this system - in the few situations (even yesterday) he was showing his ability to pass and catch & finish on quick attacks. He fits this system as long as there is any sort of real 4 on the court - he could have had a few more rebounds without KH while the 4 could have had more 3s made (which would lead his defender to the arc and give Gortat more space under the basket).

I don't get this sort of "Gortat is a piece of ****" comments. He wasn't the worst player in those few games. He was average but even on this average performance he is 9,6 p/7,6 r/2 a/1,4 b with highest-career-to-date FT% (.824). I am pretty sure that he will improve with his shooting (the last 5 games he is shooting on a lowest FG% in his career - .472). I mean seriously - he is 15th on the list of career leaders for field goald % (http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg_pct_career.html), only Jeff Ruland is the higher Wizards/Bullets player on that list. It is just a matter of developing some sort of new habits and he will be fine.

IMO the problem is that KH, Dudley and Nene are not playing up to the standard. And THAT is a problem of the frontcourt. If there is no real 4 then neither Gortat nor almost any other center in that league would feel comfortable in the system.

[Ruzious]

Aaron White, aka the White Answer, is averaging 15 and 4 in 20 mpg in Germany eurocup play, 80% ft and 40 % 3 pt.

Perhaps it's time.

He was smart to go to Europe. Unfortunately, I think he's a marginal NBA talent - though he could make an NBA roster a few years down the line.

[closg00]

Aaron White, aka the White Answer, is averaging 15 and 4 in 20 mpg in Germany eurocup play, 80% ft and 40 % 3 pt.

Perhaps it's time.

He was smart to go to Europe. Unfortunately, I think he's a marginal NBA talent - though he could make an NBA roster a few years down the line.

Yup, perfect Euro player but not quite big enough to be a stretch-4 in the NBA. If White can add 20 LBS and some muscle, he has the hops and the smarts to be a bench player.

[Induveca]

Humphries is embarrassing. Slow shot, slow feet, and always battling Gortat for rebounds.

I'd much rather start the embarrassingly out of shape Dudley ASAP. Let's hope EG can pull off a trade of some type. Humphries/Gooden/Blair is beyond pathetic.

[DCZards]

Gortat is not the problem. Like others here have said, the Zards just need to find a way to get him involved offensively---early and often.

However, it does hurt that the Zards don't have a young, athletic big to develop. Someone who is at least a good shotblocker and rebounder. Most of us on this board have been saying that for at least the last 2-3 years.

I don't think drafting Portis would have been the answer though. A fresh-out-of-college big like Portis would have contributed very little in the short run to a playoff team like the Zards. He would need at least a couple of years to develop. So I'm still fine with the Oubre pick since he was widely considered the BPA.

I was hoping that the Zards would pick up someone like an Ed Davis in free agency last offseason.

[nuposse04]

Trevor Booker prolly would have been the best 4 on our roster if we still had him. Kinda depressing actually. What is Khem Birch up to these days...

[krii]

Gortat is not the problem. Like others here have said, the Zards just need to find a way to get him involved offensively---early and often.

However, it does hurt that the Zards don't have a young, athletic big to develop. Someone who is at least a good shotblocker and rebounder. Most of us on this board have been saying that for at least the last 2-3 years.

I don't think drafting Portis would have been the answer though. A fresh-out-of-college big like Portis would have contributed very little in the short run to a playoff team like the Zards. He would need at least a couple of years to develop. So I'm still fine with the Oubre pick since he was widely considered the BPA.

I was hoping that the Zards would pick up someone like an Ed Davis in free agency last offseason.

You know I was thinking about that and it might be a thing next year. Correct me if I'm wrong but Wizards have their 1nd and 2nd round picks next year? There should be plenty of options next year for a big fella who could go under development for next 2-3 years behind Gortat and probably one other C/PF Zards will acquire next off season. There are quite a few centers that might be available next year in draft. Some of them could fit Wizards perfectly, no matter if it is going to be smaller and mobile center who could possible play big 4 as well (Diamond Stone, Stephen Zimmerman, Henry Ellenson, Marcus Lee, Domantas Sabonis) maybe Moussa Diagne (!)) or any sort of more classic centers (Amida Brimah, Kaleb Tarczewski, Przemek Karnowski, Zhou Qi). Most of them should be available for Wizards (sort of mid-to-late picks).

I believe that Wizards will not make too many changes during this season (sort of Blair/Webster trades are IMO any possible ones) and I don't think they will try to acquire PF/C with any mid-season trades. In the off-season it depends on a few circumstances: 1. how they will perform in the season and PO, 2. how our frontcourt will look like, 3. who will join team as a big star (KD/other?). I have a feeling that they might go for any sort of PF/C that can play alongside Gortat or as a back-up 5 and then draft someone.

[nuposse04]

If the bigman depth in the upcoming draft is advantageous couldn't we keep the '16 pick and trade the '17 1st one if we became desperate?

[Illmatic12]

Gortat is the same guy he was last year. Wiz are just going away from the PnR, in favor of Gooden and Humphries chucking threes

There's nothing wrong with Marc, we just need to make an emphasis to establish him in the PnR earlier in the games.

I think Wiz should pursue Terrence Jones this year in RFA. And our draft target should be an athletic big man who can play both PF and backup C

[AFM]

This is what happens when we don't offer the max to our young talented big man (Seraphin)