fishercob wrote:Ted has used the phrase “culture change” countless times since he took control of the Wizards and began his rebuild. I think most people have taken this to mean a change in how the organization conducts business and interacts with its fans, as well as a change in the type of players who are valued. We want team-oriented guys who play for the name on the front of the jersey as opposed to the back. We want guys who play smart and always put forth maximum effort.
Ted has blogged a bit about playing style and referenced playing up-tempo entertaining basketball. He’s made some mentions of “tough defense,” whatever that means.
To that end, I think the biggest culture change the WIzards have embarked upon is the organizational, philosophical emphasis on defense -- and being really good at stopping people.
And let’s be clear -- if the Wizards become a consistently very good defensive team it will represent a huge stylistic shift. I think there’s going to be an adjustment period of the fans.
Consider some stats:
Since 1974-75 (the first year of the “Washington” Bullets) the Wizards/Bullets have averaged ranking in the 45th percentile for Defensive Rating. Just to clarify, this is a measure of rank compared to the rest of the league, not a measure of DRtg itself. I’ll leave that data entry and analysis to Nivek. In a 30 team team, 45th percentile comes out to a rank of about 16th -- so, basically average.
The Bullets were a really good defensive team for a better part of a decade and a half. Through the 87-88 season they averaged the 71st percentile or 8th in a 30 team league. Over that stretch the worst defensive season was 11th out of 22 in 79-80. They were #1 in 74-75, #2 the next season. Between 80-81 and 85-86, they ranked 5th, 5th, 2nd, 8th, 3rd, and 4th out of 23 teams.
But once all remnants of Wes, The Big E, Moses, and the Beef Brothers left town, the wheels fell off. From the 88-89 season through last year, the franchise has averaged being in the 28th percentile or about 22nd out of 30 teams -- 28th percentile over a quarter century! Since 98-99 we have averaged the 23rd percentile, or roughly 23rd out of 30 teams. The best defensive teams we have had since ‘88 have been the 91-92 team that ranked 12th out of 27 teams and finished 25-57, and the 96-97 and 97-98 teams that finished 13th and 14th out of 29 teams. 97-98 was the last time the Wizards ranked in the top half of the league in defensive rating.
So I don’t have nate’s numbers in front of me, but post Javale-Nene trade last year, the Wizards were a good defensive team. The sample size wasn’t huge, but by most measures it was fairly conclusive that the Wizards improved a lot defensively.
I believe the OkaRiza trade represents a concerted effort to become a very good -- potentially elite -- defensive team, and to build from there. Retaining Coach Wittman seems to jibe with that philosophy as well. Perhaps the front office looked at what they had and determined there was no plausible way to become elite offensively in the near future and decided to build from D. The Sixers rode a mediocre offense and an elite defense to Game 7 of the conference semi’s last year (which arguably provided the springboard to the Bynum acquisition). The Bulls won 62 games two years ago with the league’s best defense and 11th ranked offense -- a team built around an elite PG and bruising frontcourt depth. Wall may never be as good as Rose was two years ago, but maybe the Wall-Beal combo can prove as good as Rose and Luol Deng.
I remember when the Celtics won their title five years ago -- during the postgame festivities the fans, in appreciation, all started chanting “DEE-FENSE! DEE-FENSE!” Here’s hoping our guys can wow DC fans with a new brand of defensive-focused basketball. It is likely our franchise’s best hope for long term success.
fish, the defense can only be elite IMO if Okafor is healthy and plays the best basketball of his career. Ariza will also have to play his best perimeter defense, and he is somewhat overrated at that IMO. Beal will also have to be a very good defender at SG. If that happens, then they will provide starters who anchor the defensive mentality. The one guy I think who is already a near-elite defender is Nene. If Wall is just a neutral defender, and he gets off and running in transition, with the other players playing good to great defense, then I could see a total stylistic transformation taking place, fisher.
Booker, Vesely, Singleton, and Seraphin can provide quality depth that will sustain the defensive effort all game long. Mack is already a good defender, better than Wall. Price should be fine defensively if he's anything like what I remember him being at U. Conn.
The real question mark for me is how good will Okafor be? He hasn't been very good the last few seasons. Nor has Ariza. If they are to be catalysts they are going to have to return to better form of years back.
I think the Wizards would have been better served to try to acquire better offensive and better overall talent. Vesely, Seraphin, Booker, and Singleton already emulate what the team is trying to achieve defensively. At the price they were acquired, I do not think Okafor and Ariza are THAT MUCH of an upgrade. The defense was already markedly better with combinations of Nene and Vesely, Nene and Seraphin, Seraphin and Booker; etc.
The only way, IMO, things could crystallize into a big improvement is if Nene with Okafor proves to be a special pairing. I think Okafor's rebounding and shot blocking, might be good enough to make that happen. The rebounding will limit the other team's possessions.
Washington in theory could get in transition after making stops, thus becoming a better team for it if Okafor can make that happen. I also think Ariza's passing and steals could help on the perimeter as well with Washington becoming more of a team to create off of turnovers. Ariza and Wall should get a lot of dunks.
Bye bye Beal.