Game Thread - Wiz vs New York Jan 24, 2011 DONK

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

CCJ, I apologize. It's not meant as hate nor was it personal. Sometimes my posts reek of sarcasm and I just can't help myself. I've done it to everyone and outside of AceD aka Fokus, there's probably not a bigger ass-wad on this board than me.

Obviously, we disagree greatly when it comes to the '10-'11 Wizards. I strongly disagree on the whole Cousins/Wall debate, the Flip issue and I don't see the talent you see. You obviously read more into the stats than i do and while certain individual stats may look good I'd say overall the team stats say were terrible.

Outside of Wall and maybe, MAYBE McGee I'd throw a napalm bomb at this roster and probably everyone in the front office. And while Flip has his issues, I feel a lot better about the coaching staff than I ever did with Eddie MF Jordan and his merry bunch of misfits.

I respect the hell out of you CCJ, remember that. There's no hate here. Strong disagreement, but never any hate.

Dat, I'm sorry if I overreacted.

I don't care about what a lot of folks say but you're one I put at the top of the list as informed and good people. I respect you just the same as ever. (Forget about it. I have).

As for the talent, I'm not saying they should be anything but near 7th or 8th in the east. And as for the coaches, they're getting it done at home. On the road ..... hell to the no. My opinion about Flip and the coaches is just based on Ws and Ls and the way they lose. It's really the losing I react to ... I'm tired of the Wizards, Dat.

I wish I could turn into a frontrunning fan of some other winning team, but I cannot.

I will be 50 soon and I have been a fan of this team darned near 40 years. Looking at the headlines today, I see it has been 25 years since Challenger blew up. That's around the same amount of time its been since the Bullets won a round in the playoffs.



Any how, that's enough reminiscing. This season I'm finding myself less passionate about them as the season goes on. About the only thing I do wonder is will Flip get fired.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Landry Fields arguably put up the best stat line of the night in the Knicks/Miami game.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_y ... 2011012718

Hard to believe he was so overlooked.

He was a four-year player at Stanford, fugop. I think in the draft GMs bypass guys who stay four years a little too much.

I really liked Wesley Matthews at Marquette. Millsap played also played four years.

This year I like Faried for that reason. I like Matt Howard out of Butler. Johnson out of Purdue. McCamey out of Illinois. Mature guys who should ready at the next level are the kind of players I think the Wizards should look at.

Booker was drafted too high, but he's obviously physically mature. Just like Landry Fields, he's not overwhelmed at this level.

[hands11]

I don't disagree with this. But, at least with Blatche on the court, he has the ability to make that 17 footer and the opposing players still have to guard him. To me, Flip is put in a position where he has to pick his poision. Leave Blatche in and risk bad shots, but hope that he makes the right play or hit some shots, or put Book in knowing that he is not an offensive threat, but hope that the little things he does overcomes the fact that the opposing team can leave him alone and load up on Lewis, Young, etc.. To me, neither are good options at the present time.

I just wish Flip would guess better as to which poison to pick.

I also wish Blatche had less scorer's ego and would use his passing skill more often late. When Blatche is out 17 feet from the basket there needs to be other guys moving off the ball and/or cutting to the basket. I don't think Andray feeds the post. I don't see flex cuts or pin downs or anything to free up a shooter. I just see "go to" Andray mostly coming up short and forcing shots.

Last, I would rather see Martin take a big shot late than Blatche. If McGee isn't a guy Flip trusts late, and if Andray is the go to guy who they want operating on the low block, then put him at C, Lewis at PF, Young at SF, Martin at SG, and Wall at PG . Let Andray have lots of guys to kick out to for open shots if someone has to help their C defend.

Make things less poisonous.

That is one things I could see make a difference quickly. Dray is a good passer. At least he was in the past. That blind over the back pass he made the other night was pretty sweet. I recently saw Nick feed McGee for an Ally Op. That was another nugget of progress for Nick who has had many this year. What would blow me over is to see Dray that to McGee. But its not so much about that one play as much as I would like to see Dray get the D off balance and his defender to move with the pass fake and the pass more often vs the shot fake and the behind the back dribble. That would look like more professional basketball to me and it would keep the team moving around more when he catches the ball. I like the CB comparison. Both players best skill was they could do a little of everything and they were great glue players. Dray is better when he plays like that. Less points for outside shots, more rebounds, more assists, more drives and FTs. 16, 10, 4 would be awesome on high percentage shooting.

Catch, turn, pass
Catch turn, pass fake, drive
Catch shoot

If Dray was smart he would model his game after...Tim Duncan.. Yeah I said it. Dray needs the same message McGee got. Less style. More substance. Dray is not an explosive leaper. He should be working on a game based on fundamentals.

That behind the back dribble should not be part of his main package. For one, it is risky. For two, he isn't going to be using that longer term so he may as well develop the stuff he can use moving forward. We should not see that behind the back move but once every other game or so.

Stuff like that. Less of the unconventional tricks and more sounds basketball moves.

They may still be able to carve a professional basketball player out of Dray. But as he stands now, I could also see why they would move him. Gil was right in a way but for the wrong reason. Removing Gil did shine more light on Dray. Its not the fans turning on him it just, he is one of if not the biggest problem child they have now so sure...remove Gil and Dray stands out more. Question is, what is he going to do. Complain or get his act together. Bigger stages have more lights. Thats life.

Another reason moving Gil was the right thing to do. Gil was so wake he was a shadow others could had behind.