Predict Wiz Opening Day Roster 2010

[closg00]

President Ernie Grunfeld said the team would consider sending every player they cut to the Dakota Wizards, but they still lose their rights the moment they are released.

It's an option

[LyricalRico]

President Ernie Grunfeld said the team would consider sending every player they cut to the Dakota Wizards, but they still lose their rights the moment they are released.

It's an option

So there's still hope for Morrison!

[hands11]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... ng-up.html#more

But barring a dramatic development between now and Monday, those three players are likely to make the opening day roster, according to a league source. With Josh Howard not expected to return until next month at the earliest, the Wizards still need some depth at small forward. And, the contracts of Martin, Hudson and Ndiaye wouldn't become fully-guaranteed until early January. There is no urgency to make any more cuts since those players could easily be waived before then.

Looks like we have out roster of 15 pretty much set. Final announcement coming on Monday.

So they said Howard is ready to return next month ? They have been reporting vague statement about him being ahead of schedule and we have seen him on the bike on the side line. So the question is when next month. I have seen a lot of posts that though he wasn't going to be ready until December.

So are we talking Nov 1 or Nov 30 ?

[hands11]

It's a rap.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... on-op.html

Wizards to head into season opener with 15 players

When the Wizards submit their final roster to the league by 5 p.m. on Monday, Cartier Martin, Hamady Ndiaye and Lester Hudson will be among the names on it. The Wizards had intended on going into the season opener against Orlando with 13 or 14 players, but elected to go with the maximum 15, especially with Josh Howard still a few weeks away.

[Nivek]

If you could just fuse he and Nick Young's strengths together, you'd have a respectable 6th man. Unfortunately.....

Wait, what? Nick shoots without thought, conscience or regard for teammates or game situation. He plays defense when his shot is falling, but doesn't rebound at all or pass unless he's unable to get a shot off. Morrison shoots the ball badly and doesn't rebound, defend or pass. How can these guys be Frankensteined into a respectable 6th man?

[Ruzious]

If you could just fuse he and Nick Young's strengths together, you'd have a respectable 6th man. Unfortunately.....

Wait, what? Nick shoots without thought, conscience or regard for teammates or game situation. He plays defense when his shot is falling, but doesn't rebound at all or pass unless he's unable to get a shot off. Morrison shoots the ball badly and doesn't rebound, defend or pass. How can these guys be Frankensteined into a respectable 6th man?

Anything is possible at the Island of Dr. Flip Moreaux. Part Nick, part Ammo, part hyena. You can hear the screams of agony at night in his lab at the Phone Booth.

[montestewart]

If you could just fuse he and Nick Young's strengths together, you'd have a respectable 6th man. Unfortunately.....

Wait, what? Nick shoots without thought, conscience or regard for teammates or game situation. He plays defense when his shot is falling, but doesn't rebound at all or pass unless he's unable to get a shot off. Morrison shoots the ball badly and doesn't rebound, defend or pass. How can these guys be Frankensteined into a respectable 6th man?

Morrison hasn't looked like quite as much of a black hole in his willingness to pass the ball along, but that may not be so much selflessness as lack of confidence.

I do kind of see what Hoopalotta means an a broadly abstract way, in that one seems able but unwilling, and the other seems willing but unable.

[Hoopalotta]

Well, it's of course a throw away idea and actually the second Nickenstein Monster discussed here, but sure, a hypothetical Ammo with Nick's athleticism as a 6th man? Morrison can't matchup with anyone and it killed his confidence in his game (justifiably). Everything he relied on at Gonzaga is just doomed to failure against NBA players and he knows it. But if he were quicker and stronger, I don't see why those old moves wouldn't work.

Anyway, last time it was Mike Miller with Nick; just a snip here and a tuck there......



But like I said, it's a throw away idea as you could probably make a respectable player out of at least half the conceivable combinations out there.

Calvin Booth and Kevin Duckworth?
Doug Overton and Ledell Eckles?
Jim McIlvane and Don Maclean?
Etan Thomas and Larry Stewart?

Well, maybe those aren't the best possible choices.......

......outside of Jim-Don McIlMacleanvane. That would've been incredible and Seattle probably wins a chip-ship after dropping a ten year, $300 million dollar deal on him. Under those circumstances, they might not've moved either. A butterfly flaps his wings and weeps.

[gesa2]

And just think of the "Go Bullets" song from that year, it would have been awesome!

"Chris Webber...
You da man you da man!
McIlMacleanvane
you da man you da man!
THATS THE REASON I'M A BULLETS FAN!"

[hands11]

Bump

This thread is a pretty good read if you have time to start at the beginning. Some good predictions and insights. I lot of stuff that was right on target.

And for those who take on the challenge, I hope I wrote something worth reading. If not, at least jump to the bottom. I have something for ya.

Biggest Surprise
Nick was obviously the biggest surprise this year. Thing were clogged up for him with Gil and Kirk ahead of him but he really improved his mental game Flip did well to help this happen by getting him established in his off the bench SG roll with reliable minutes. They needed to evaluate Nick this year after investing the time they did with him. They needed to know if he was a keeper. This was his last shot in a contract year. They did give him that look and he passed.

Best Luck
Then they lucked into finding a taker of Gil's contract/knee/brain so that cleared a spot for Nick to start. Then as many here wanted, the moved Kirks expiring before the trade deadline for great assets: Crawford and MO, while also clearing another year of his books (8M). The whole getting Kirk and trading him things was a total win move. A++

In moving Gil they added another SF/PF Lewis so that changed things up leading to AT later getting dumped. Lewis is a solid dude. Another great trade. Total win for the boys being able to move Gil, Money, Personality, Knee, etc for Lewis, who while dinged right now is not done as a player and he is not Injured with a capitol "I" Nothing is torn or anything. Just needs a clean up of the knee.

-----
Like many expected, McGee never developed into the starting center we needed. He is still a year or two away. But Seraphin showed he has legit skills to grow so Armstrong wasn't needed. Gone

Gone
Gil
Kirk
AT
Armstrong

In
Lewis
Crawford
Mo
Mustafa ( DL )
1st round pick
Gee ( rental )


Looking at thing from where we were preseason to now, they have made good progress in moves and player development. Nick was pure gold from where he started. Now we are finally finding out what Booker has and its looking pretty OLD SPICE good. Seraphin is showing nicely also. He was not a mistake to pick. Wall is Wall. Amazing talent and he is ahead of the game in his progress.

EGs Biggest Possible Mistake
Signing Yi instead of Singleton. This team lacked tough players and experienced vets. The is the move that could have effected how quickly this team developed the most and many of us wanted him here over the summer while few were excited about Yi. IMO If Singleton is a 9 in toughness effort and Yi is a 2 ( scale 1-10 ) then that is a huge swing. Plus Singleton would have been a leader vet type. Huge swing in value here.

The Roster
Wall/Kirk
Gil/Nick
AT/Howard (Gee)
Dray/Yi/Booker
McGee/Armstrong/Seraphin

Martin/Hamady.

Could have been

Wall/Kirk
Gil/Nick
AT/Howard/ (Gee)
Dray/Singleton/Booker
McGee/Armstrong/Seraphin

Martin/Hamady.

I think this team would have been much better and won more, and developed faster. Singleton would have more quickly worked his way into the starting line up by showing the power in the post with Dray idea as a good one. It worked the year before. Just like Armstrong is now showing now (Again). This would have pushed Dray to center and the team would been better. No team is going to win much without a center who can play fundamentally at center.

Since Thu 12/16 they could have had.

Wall/Kirk
Nick/Martin
Lewis/AT(injured at time)/(Gee)
Singleton/Booker
Dray/McGee/Armstrong, Seraphin

Inactive Howard, Hamady

I think that would have been a significantly different season. Dray at center would have been better for the team in total by playing someone there that had done it well before. Plus with Dray coming off injury, he wouldn't have needed to be as mobile to be effective and the wresting down there may have actually helped him get in shape and kept is rss under the hoop more. McGee would have still gotten minutes off the bench and I think developed better as that energy run-and-jump guy that blocks shots and stuff. Singleton would have anchored the PF with the energy and power this team so sourly lacked. He would have also been great in helping develop Booker. He is just a solid cool dude and good example. He would have been a captain and locker room influence. I think Booker would have been ready sooner as a result of Singleton being here. I could see those two building a relationship. Probably would have help Seraphin also. And with all that tougher play, some may have rubbed off on McGee also. It seems clear it would have rubbed off on Dray more. He plays tougher when he has a tougher guy out there with him. Dray isn't an alpha dog but he will join the fight. They then would have moved AT off the team and played Howard when ready.

Wall/Kirk
Nick/Martin
Lewis/Howard
Singleton/Booker
Dray/McGee/Armstrong/Seraphin

Inactive Hamady

I think with those line ups, they could have had a much better season. I wouldn't have made Wall captain. That would have been Singleton and Kirk. I would have started Kirk more early. Hopefully that would have allowed Wall and his body to adjust so he wouldn't have had those knee issues. That team could have won 10 more games or more. The combination of having a starting center and a vet like Singleton I think could have been a lot.

So was this smart or dumb? Did EG blow it or is he crazy like a fox and lucky. Was it all built into the TANK ? No Singleton for Yi definitely gave us a better chance for a high pick this year and probably next because of the CBA situation and how it may do the second draft. That could yield to high number once but by keep Yi. If you were the EG, would you be thinking this way ? Would you sign Yi knowing you would fill the seats with his asianness vs singing the better fit in Singleton who would helped you grow faster and win more and get you lower picks ?

And if they still pulled the Kirk trade, they would look like this now.

Wall/Musafa
Nick/Crawford/Martin
Lewis/Howard/Mo
Singleton/Booker
Dray/McGee/Seraphin

Inactive Hamady

Both thw pre and post Kurk trade rosters wouldn't be a bad roster at all for the first year of a rebuild.

I think I can clearly say the team would have won more and would have been a lot more fun to watch but not sure it was in their best long term interests. But if I could cut Yi and sign Singleton today, I still would. Maybe we can get Yi to make the call to China on his way out

This is a great read. God I miss having this dude around. He comments on the CBA and he also says he would come back to the NBA.
http://www.niubball.com/tag/xinjiang-flying-tigers/

This second link was the first I found and kind of freaked me out for a sec.
http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/ ... for_arson/