Wiz trade 5th pick to Minnesota

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

At the end of the day, had we kept our pick, we almost certainly would have taken Rubio. I would have, I hate to admit. But going into the draft, he was seen as the second best player.

[doclinkin]

At the end of the day, had we kept our pick, we almost certainly would have taken Rubio. I would have, I hate to admit. But going into the draft, he was seen as the second best player.

Doubt it. Rubio was thought to be staying in Spain another year. With failing health, Abe was in 'win now' mode. Hence the trade.

I didn't want Rubio because it was known he couldn't shoot. Curry however had been killing it since he was a freshman. Dismantled a good Georgetown defense singlehandedly.

[nate33]

We also had Gilbert Arenas on the roster and weren't in need of another ball-dominant guy. Curry, as an off-ball player, would have fit nicely.

[doclinkin]

Re: The RealGM Wizards Board Draft Thread 2008/2009
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Post#24 » by doclinkin » Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:22 am

Maybe, but shoot I want Dell Curry's boy more than ever. By year's end I expect he'll be in contention for #1 overall. Kid can score, has game recognition, will demonstrate his Point skills this year. Plays biggest on the biggest stage. I'd tank the rest of the year if it meant we guaranteed pulling his name. That's the kid. His stat progression is impeccable, gets better every year in all the little intangibles you want to see in a guard. And come tournament time he singlehandedly wins games despite defenses designed to deny him. Calm under fire. Scurry. Kid is something special.

[EDIT-spelling]

Since we were necrobumping shot-calling.

doclinkin » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:21 pm

Arenas4Three wrote:
I love Curry but we dont need any more scorers....we will have Gil, DeBrick, and N1 in 2009. Griffin is a monster in the paint and has a very high basketball IQ. Staying at OU this season was a great decision and his game will develop nicely. I wouldnt mind tanking the season knowing we'd have a great shot to land Griff. If not, we can target Curry or James Harden (from Arizona State).

Scorers? I want him for Antonio Daniels' spot/DeShawn's spot. He's on a team where he has to carry the load offensively, but he's also an improving defender, ballhandler, passer, and a low-ego guy. First game out this year, and his first game as the full-time PG (after playing an off-ball catch & shoot role most often) the kid drops 9 dimes.

He just has the situation-recognition wetware that every team needs. To me that's a rarer skill than rebounding, but one that similarly makes the players around you better. Don't get me wrong I'd by no means cry about landing Griffin. Dell's boy just has that intangible thing you know when you see it. Quiet confidence, raising his game when that's what's needed. Winning more important than ego. Born to do this thing. This team is missing that more than anything else. Certainty.

Another note on Stef Curry: kid spent his summer at camps hosted by Chris Paul and Steve Nash, teaching for a week at each camp and picking their brains.

Then comes to Davidson as the starting point guard after his PG graduated, and drops 10 dimes the first game (to go with _9_ steals and a block, only 29 pts) nine dimes the next (4 steals, 33 pts on 14-19 shooting) before his 44 pt outing vs Griffin the next night. It's axiomatic but guards from small schools who can both score efficiently and drop dimes have the markers of being good players in the NBA. Especially if they do play well when matched against top competition. It's hella easier to rack assists at big time schools with big time players, if you can collect assists on a small school you show true ball IQ. And no question it'll look even better next to real NBA finishers. Rodney Stuckey's another example.

Point being, I think the kid will prove to be one of the better PGs in the draft, the game just plays slow for him, he may not look as athletic as he is because he's economical, no wasted motion, but he has the game recognition of guys like JKidd or Chris Paul, he sees the game before it's played. That plays well on offense, defense, etc. He may not be a big time rebounder at his height, but game 'smarts' he's got in spades. It's an underrated quality but one this team desperately needs.

That was in November. The full season before the draft. I had wanted him the year before if he had chosen to leave school.