Open Your Eyes

[Kanyewest]

The young players still gain experience even when they don't play. Between games, young players practice and improving parts of their games. Perhaps, ET has determined that the vets "stink less" less than the young guys. Playing games is not only place where players build chemistry, it starts with practice.

Don't get me wrong, I would rather see Nick Young playing ahead of DeShawn Stevenson. But this doesn't mean that the Wizards should end up playing guys like Crittenton and Pecherov over Dixon and Jamison in order to build for the future. You should put forth the players that give you the best chance to win.

[Wizards2Lottery]

Gilbert0Arenas
Are you from the Wizards front office? Play the vets to win? Last time I checked, its always the "vets" who sink this team in a massive hole.

This ideology of vets giving the best chance to win is absolutely DUMB. This teams best chance to compete is by playing the youngsters. We are where are now because the vets dug us in this whole.
What Line up would you play to TRY TO WIN and develope the youth

A line up that includes Young, McGee and Blatche receiving 25+ minutes a game. A lineup that doesn't have Stevenson over 15-20 minutes and a lineup that consists of Mike James sitting his butt on the bench in a suit.

All of these combined give us the best chance to win and develop the youth.

and Kanye, no one is suggesting benching Dixon or Jamison. I think everyone is agreement that Young, McGee, McGuire, Blatche and (hopefully soon) Crittendon should be receiving minutes while cutting down on the minutes of Jamison and Butler to prevent injuries and fatigue. But its necessary to bench guys like Stevenson and James.

[kblack]

I agree with that Deshawn sucks right now. But if you guys think that playing some of our young players big minutes is the answer?! The young guys should play but they don't give you the best chance of winning alone. If you had one or two young players in there making mistakes that's one thing...but 4+, they would get destroyed regularly.

It has to be balanced better than it is right now, but major minutes for these 1st and 2nd year players won't teach them how to win.

Not that they're winning now, i'll admit.

[Wizards2Lottery]

So the young players make mistakes even though they have better numbers and a better +/- than the vets like Stevenson?

[kblack]

So the young players make mistakes even though they have better numbers and a better +/- than the vets like Stevenson?

Wow, you meant that huh? Let me ask you this, are these numbers coming against starters or backups; in the second quarter or in the fourth quarter?

[Wizards2Lottery]

So the young players make mistakes even though they have better numbers and a better +/- than the vets like Stevenson?

Wow, you meant that huh? Let me ask you this, are these numbers coming against starters or backups; in the second quarter or in the fourth quarter?

Have you been watching the games?

[kblack]

So the young players make mistakes even though they have better numbers and a better +/- than the vets like Stevenson?

Wow, you meant that huh? Let me ask you this, are these numbers coming against starters or backups; in the second quarter or in the fourth quarter?

Have you been watching the games?

I was gonna ask you the same thing

[Wizards2Lottery]

Yeah and anyone else who has knows that the team played best with young players. The team would always make the comeback after scrubs like Stevenson sat in favor of players like Young.

[kblack]

You still haven't answered my initial question. Coming back is relative to when and against who. My contention is that if ALL of the young's get prime minutes, those +/- numbers will be vastly different. Most numbers are subjective, that's why folks can't sit behind their keyboards and coach a basketball game.

Don't get me wrong, I think they need to be integrated more into the games. But just playing the young's because they are the future and sitting the vets will be a disaster.

[LyricalRico]

But just playing the young's because they are the future and sitting the vets will be a disaster.

All the more reason to do it IMO. We're not making the playoffs anyway. This way we develop our young players and get a better draft pick. I'm not seeing a downside.

[kblack]

But just playing the young's because they are the future and sitting the vets will be a disaster.

All the more reason to do it IMO. We're not making the playoffs anyway. This way we develop our young players and get a better draft pick. I'm not seeing a downside.

I hear that; I think there's a way to teach while losing and I think it's a little of playing the vets and a little of playing the young's. I don't think that you want to put the young's out there and let them have at it.

[Wizards2Lottery]

You still haven't answered my initial question. Coming back is relative to when and against who. My contention is that if ALL of the young's get prime minutes, those +/- numbers will be vastly different. Most numbers are subjective, that's why folks can't sit behind their keyboards and coach a basketball game.

Don't get me wrong, I think they need to be integrated more into the games. But just playing the young's because they are the future and sitting the vets will be a disaster.

We know how the vets (namely Stevenson etc) do against vets: Horrible. But we don't know what the kiddies have to offer and at this point in this season, we have nothing to lose to find out.

2nd point: benching Stevenson and Mike James will not be a disaster. I'm not in favor of benching Jamison or Butler at all (though I would like to see them playing between 30-35 minutes a night instead of close to 40). But this franchise should not have to answer to scrubs like Stevenson and James. The fact that James, is eating minutes from Young and others in just his 2nd game with us is absolutely ridiculous and the perfect way to alienate and give the kiddies more reason to not care and be apathetic in their approach.

I have said it before, I'll say it again, this team is run by a bunch of clowns.

[omegatronic3]

it certainly seems like Mckee and Young have seen their pt decrease lately. Obviously we're in a last ditch effort to string some wins together...so ET is playing vets because he trust them more to play his system. It makes sense to me to start Blache and bring Mckee off the bench but the kid deserves touches and playing time. So does young.

In response the the initial posters optimism...call me a debbie downer but this looks just like when we had CWebb, Juwan, sheed and the future looked bright...then Web goes down for the year..we trade sheed...and the rest is history.

Arenas is on his 3rt knee surgery..who knows if he'll ever be the same player again? Our bench is certainly better than last year but far from dependable.

On the glass half full side though we could lad a high pick in the draft..get everyone healthy address out 2 guard position and come back as a contender in the east.

[LyricalRico]

But just playing the young's because they are the future and sitting the vets will be a disaster.

All the more reason to do it IMO. We're not making the playoffs anyway. This way we develop our young players and get a better draft pick. I'm not seeing a downside.

I hear that; I think there's a way to teach while losing and I think it's a little of playing the vets and a little of playing the young's. I don't think that you want to put the young's out there and let them have at it.

Looks like we're making the same point. As much as I've been complaining about guys like Stevenson getting too many minutes, I wouldn't play an all under-23 lineup for 48 minutes either. There is value in having the young guys be able to learn from the vets by being on the floor with them. I don't want us to look like Memphis where it's every man for himself and the most talented scorers take all the shots. But the young guys have to be out there much more than they are now.