GT #78: Bullets @ Knicks 6 PM (NBC SW/980 AM)

[Wizardspride]

Kispert was absolutely incredible tonight. He looked like a totally different player. He was very aggressive, looking for his shot at all times, and when it wasn't there, he wasn't afraid to put the ball on the floor and try and make something happen. I think he dribbled the basketball more in this one game than he did in the first 50 games this season combined.

Even the Knicks announcers were pointing out that Kispert was running all the sets they normally run Beal through, only Kispert was doing it quicker and with more purpose, and without all the ball-stopping iso's.

This recent development of Kispert might be the best story of the season for the Wizards.

Could he be on the "Bradley Beal trajectory"?

By that I mean being someone who was basically a spot up shooter and developed their one-on-one ability.

Heck, it seems to be happening faster for Corey than it did for Bradley.

[Dat2U]

Great day for the tank thus far.

We lose.

Bulls win.

Blazers win.

Magic win.

Pacers winning by 4 in the 3rd quarter.

Pacers fell apart. It was too good to be true.

Wiz finish the night tied for 7th with the Magic (who have been a solid competitive team over the 2nd half of the year). They are a half game back of the Pacers and a game behind the Blazers, both tanking their asses off. Only 4 games left. 2 for sure losses to Milwaukee & Miami. 1 likely loss to Atlanta provided they don't lay an egg that day. 1 pick'em match up vs Houston who've mastered the tank from an org perspective so well that they've defined ineptitude despite a nice collection of talent. The young Rockets could show out wanting to finish the year strong or sleepwalk through a 1pm Sunday start vs the Wizards.

Blazers remaining winnable game is at the Spurs. MEM, LAC & GSW are likely losses

Pacers only have 3 left. 2 with NY along with a juicy matchup with Detroit that they would be the favorite in.

The Magic have 2 with Cleveland and are at the Nets & Heat. The Nets game is the only one with a solid win probability.

Bottom line, we are in the final 4 game stretch. I need 36 minutes a night from Johnny Davis playing PG. They thought he's one, well i wanna see a commitment to it. Start Quenton Jackson alongside him. Jordan Goodwin can back both of them up.

Its Isaiah Todd time. Lets see it. Give this man his opportunity and give him the rock when Davis sits. Lets see his true point forward potential.

More Taj Gibson! It's and end to an incredible career. Let him do his thang and finish his career strong! I want to see him go out like Kobe did in his final game. Get him his shots! Sengun can't stop 'em!

[miller31time]

Great day for the tank thus far.

We lose.

Bulls win.

Blazers win.

Magic win.

Pacers winning by 4 in the 3rd quarter.

Pacers fell apart. It was too good to be true.

Wiz finish the night tied for 7th with the Magic (who have been a solid competitive team over the 2nd half of the year). They are a half game back of the Pacers and a game behind the Blazers, both tanking their asses off. Only 4 games left. 2 for sure losses to Milwaukee & Miami. 1 likely loss to Atlanta provided they don't lay an egg that day. 1 pick'em match up vs Houston who've mastered the tank from an org perspective so well that they've defined ineptitude despite a nice collection of talent. The young Rockets could show out wanting to finish the year strong or sleepwalk through a 1pm Sunday start vs the Wizards.

Blazers remaining winnable game is at the Spurs. MEM, LAC & GSW are likely losses

Pacers only have 3 left. 2 with NY along with a juicy matchup with Detroit that they would be the favorite in.

The Magic have 2 with Cleveland and are at the Nets & Heat. The Nets game is the only one with a solid win probability.

Bottom line, we are in the final 4 game stretch. I need 36 minutes a night from Johnny Davis playing PG. They thought he's one, well i wanna see a commitment to it. Start Quenton Jackson alongside him. Jordan Goodwin can back both of them up.

Its Isaiah Todd time. Lets see it. Give this man his opportunity and give him the rock when Davis sits. Lets see his true point forward potential.

More Taj Gibson! It's and end to an incredible career. Let him do his thang and finish his career strong! I want to see him go out like Kobe did in his final game. Get him his shots! Sengun can't stop 'em!

[Kanyewest]

Weird observation in plus minus that I wouldn't have guessed- Kispert is -14 while Deni is sitting at 0 according to ESPN with 5 minutes to go.

Should be a clue to disregard on/off numbers, as they are dependent on how all 5 guys play. Don't tell you much about an individual.

Individual On/offs are valuable over an extended time period to catch trends and compare vs productivity and eye test. I 100% agree that judging these on/offs on a game to game basis is a worthless exercise because there is simply too much noise and too many variables.

Perhaps, but it was surprising by watching the game- the eye test did not match the plus minus. Deni struggled offensively- it may be though that the defense with this current cast of players can't really stand up without him in the lineup. If either Kispert or Deni sits, then the Wizards have a good chance at really completing the tank. But I suppose it does give both of them the minutes to develop as the last portion of the season feels like some version of summer league.

[Kanyewest]

Pretty funny that Kispert, and Johnny Davis both had their career highs against the Knicks.

[Wizraeli]

Perhaps, but it was surprising by watching the game- the eye test did not match the plus minus.

Deni also had 5 assists, 3 steals and a block while Kispert had 0 in all of these categories, these are not as fancy as making a basket but they do impact the score, I missed the 1st half but I think most of his turnovers happened in the 2nd one and rather consecutively in a short timespan, so the eye says he has an awful game because we see him turning the ball again and again, but at that time his +/- stat was probably high from the 1st half.

[9 and 20]

Sooooooo we tanking or what?

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Sooooooo we tanking or what?

Shhhhhh. Don’t tell him that we know

[Dat2U]

Sooooooo we tanking or what?

Definitely clear tanking at this point lol. Leonsis probably pulled the plug himself. That home and away series loss to Atlanta was brutal and broke spirits around the Verizon Center and Leonsis was no longer guaranteed two home games even if they did squeak in. I'm sure he sees the Wemby footage like everyone else and would love land a player like that.

[dobrojim]

Tanktastic loss. (just to echo what most everyone has said).
It'd be great to pass ORL, POR and IND. A significantly better lottery
position is within reach.

And we won't be giving up that draft pick quite yet.

[Jay81]

Sooooooo we tanking or what?

Definitely clear tanking at this point lol. Leonsis probably pulled the plug himself. That home and away series loss to Atlanta was brutal and broke spirits around the Verizon Center and Leonsis was no longer guaranteed two home games even if they did squeak in. I'm sure he sees the Wemby footage like everyone else and would love land a player like that.

I don’t know man..all those games we started porzingus instead of resting him
…:

[Frichuela]

Sooooooo we tanking or what?

Definitely clear tanking at this point lol. Leonsis probably pulled the plug himself. That home and away series loss to Atlanta was brutal and broke spirits around the Verizon Center and Leonsis was no longer guaranteed two home games even if they did squeak in. I'm sure he sees the Wemby footage like everyone else and would love land a player like that.

I don’t know man..all those games we started porzingus instead of resting him
…:

Indeed, which shows how pathetic this organization (and Turd above all) is...

[TGW]

I like Kispert (pause). Offensively, he's exactly what this team has needed for years. Defensively he is bad but offensively he's on point.

[Frichuela]

I like Kispert (pause). Offensively, he's exactly what this team has needed for years. Defensively he is bad but offensively he's on point.

The problem with Kispert is that you can not play him much in a playoff series as he would be targeted and abused in defense. So either he improves defensively or he is best suited as a 20 mpg situational reserve when it matters.

In any case, why worry about it? Most likely we are locked into a 35 win team with the mediocre 3