Marcin Gortat: We've Got One Of The Worst Benches In The NBA

[RealGM Wiretap]

Marcin Gortat sharply criticized the bench play of the Washington Wizards after their loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday to drop to 2-7 this season.

“We need energy. We need effort. We’ve got to make shots,” Gortat said. “I think there’s a lot of things we can do better. I think right now, as far as I know, I think we’ve got one of the worst benches in the league right now.”

The Wizards' preferred starting lineup of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris and Gortat has a 101.2 offensive rating and 100.7 defensive rating, but overall the Wizards are 100.1 and 104.8. 

Jared Dudley, Garrett Temple, Ramon Sessions, Gary Neal, Nene and Kris Humphries are all gone from Washington's roster.

“I’m not afraid to throw guys in there,” Brooks said. “Age has nothing to do with my process. Experience, that helps but you gain experience day by day if we do our job of developing our guys.” 

Via Steve Aschburner/NBA.com

[ChokeFasncists]

Dang, poor guys

Does he mean with the injuries or not?

[likashing]

What a great teammate!

[RonaldArtest]

Their bench is pretty trashy but way to fall on your sword big fella. Totally throwing your teammates under the bus, that's gotta be good for lockeroom cohesion.

[7 Footer]

lmao, mans just blasted the entire bench

[Northface82]

"Gortat sends Wizards into Players-only meeting"

[raptorstime]

clown needs to be traded

[Jazzing]

Perhaps you, Gortat, can come from the bench.

[Alonzo_Morning]

Shots fired

[Donnyxc]

You should never say this even if everyone knows it. It's like telling a woman she's fat.

[F N 11]

Oh please enter more turmoil so we can beat you guys Friday as we are struggling as well lol.

[kenwood3333]

A great way to motivate your teammates

[ontnut]

LOL! What a dumpster fire Washington is. Remember when they thought they had a chance to sign KD? It was between them and staying in OKC? LMAO!!!

[12footrim]

Really. I was expecting a bunch of Dleaguer quality guys like New Orleans had last year starting

C- J. Smith
F- Nicholson
F- Oubre
G- Thornton
G- Burke

These guys are all still in their 20's or at least not old that have started multiple NBA games or have been mainstays in NBA rotations other than Oubre who is a young 1st rounder. Pretty legit NBA players and bench on paper.

Marcus Thornton is a guy that's averaged almost 20ppg in this league on good eff and he's not old. Jason Smith is a guy they gave relative big money too, Trey Burke isn't that bad as a back up PG and Nicholson has his moments as well and Oubry they need to play some to find out what they have and Storansky was pretty accomplished in Europe I think as well.

[12footrim]

Perhaps you, Gortat, can come from the bench.

What' would be funny is if Mahimi gets healthy and takes his starting job. Actually it would probably be better for Gortat to come off the bench since the starting line up has decent offense. They paid Mahimi a lot of money, have to think that peeved Gortat as well.

[GuyverX]

So I had to make sure he wasn't a bench player now. Yep, he's a starter. Which makes him a horrible prick teammate.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

lmao, mans just blasted the entire bench

THE REAL CULPRIT: GM ERNIE GRUNFELD

The contracts given to Jason Smith, Trey Burke, and Andrew Nicholson are highly questionable.

Gortat is actually the second-highest paid C behind Ian Mahinmi, who is currently injured.

The players on the Wizards bench were IMO quickly and haphazardly assembled by a HAPLESS GM.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Perhaps you, Gortat, can come from the bench.

What' would be funny is if Mahimi gets healthy and takes his starting job. Actually it would probably be better for Gortat to come off the bench since the starting line up has decent offense. They paid Mahimi a lot of money, have to think that peeved Gortat as well.

What would be fitting is if Grunfeld gets exposed for awarding a max contract to Beal and bringing in a replacement for Gortat; only to find out Gortat is a fine player, better all around than Mahinmi. Meanwhile, Beal is ALREADY missing games with injury.

[montestewart]

Gortat's English always sounds fine to me but it wouldn't be the first time I've heard him say something (or tweet something) and wondered whether it came out quite the way he intended. Still, the comment addresses the elephant in the room. Grunfeld had a horrible offseason, the only acquisition who could reasonably be predicted to have success (Mahinmi) is injured.

Gortat to the bench might work, if he and Burke or Satoransky can successfully run pnr with any regularity, but their starting offense isn't all that great currently, and with Mahinmi it might really be exposed. It's just a poorly assembled team. Not Gortat's fault.

[12footrim]

Perhaps you, Gortat, can come from the bench.

What' would be funny is if Mahimi gets healthy and takes his starting job. Actually it would probably be better for Gortat to come off the bench since the starting line up has decent offense. They paid Mahimi a lot of money, have to think that peeved Gortat as well.

What would be fitting is if Grunfeld gets exposed for awarding a max contract to Beal and bringing in a replacement for Gortat; only to find out Gortat is a fine player, better all around than Mahinmi. Meanwhile, Beal is ALREADY missing games with injury.

I actually think if Mahimi played like he did last year he's a better fit with the starters since he's more of a defensive minded center not looking for shot while Gortat could be more of an offensive player on the 2nd unit. They put starter type money into Mahami as well I believe.