Line-ups, rotation, analysis thread.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Deneem, I like your better lineup a lot!

Deni should be our Magic or Ben Simmons or Draymond.

You nailed it. Big PG

I also saw against Sacramento RUI HACHIMURA is a problem at SF!!! (But he’s an empty stat guy sometimes often)

I have no problem giving this lineup a long look. Problematic: your guards won’t stop opposing guard quickness and penetrating the lane.

[dckingsfan]

Either way, I think Wes' rotations have been very sub-optimal.

[Jimmy Recard]

Hopefully the KP/Gafford starting combo is here to stay. They play surprisingly well off each other.

[FAH1223]

Yessir. LOCKED ON WIZArds!!!
Love hate listening to these fellas, the cohost is completely delusional but such is the state of wizard fans

Brandon or Ed?

[AFM]

Brandon but Ed isn’t much better

[dckingsfan]

Hopefully the KP/Gafford starting combo is here to stay. They play surprisingly well off each other.

Yeah, there was a consensus before the season started that they shouldn't play together. The discussion had me convinced as well.

But, under the heading of small sample size, they seem to do really well together.

I wonder how a Morris or Wright/Beal/Kuzma/KP/Gafford unit would fare as a starting unit. But even if they don't start, there is a KP/Gafford with some combination of other players that could be pretty effective.

[DCZards]

Hopefully the KP/Gafford starting combo is here to stay. They play surprisingly well off each other.

Yeah, there was a consensus before the season started that they shouldn't play together. The discussion had me convinced as well.

But, under the heading of small sample size, they seem to do really well together.

I wonder how a Morris or Wright/Beal/Kuzma/KP/Gafford unit would fare as a starting unit. But even if they don't start, there is a KP/Gafford with some combination of other players that could be pretty effective.

There were 2 or 3 of us, including yours truly, who argued that KP and Gaff should play some minutes together. It worked out fairly well when they shared the court in a few games late last season.

[doclinkin]

Hopefully the KP/Gafford starting combo is here to stay. They play surprisingly well off each other.

Yeah, there was a consensus before the season started that they shouldn't play together. The discussion had me convinced as well.

But, under the heading of small sample size, they seem to do really well together.

I wonder how a Morris or Wright/Beal/Kuzma/KP/Gafford unit would fare as a starting unit. But even if they don't start, there is a KP/Gafford with some combination of other players that could be pretty effective.

There were 2 or 3 of us, including yours truly, who argued that KP and Gaff should play some minutes together. It worked out fairly well when they shared the court in a few games late last season.

Likewise. Porzingis makes space underneath for low post players. All of our other forwards play face-up from the perimeter. Gafford alone underneath gives him room for alley oops. The only caution was that we aren't deep in C's. And Gafford gets in foul trouble early.

Plus the idea was kinda torpedoed by the fact that we continued to be unable to shoot from outside. No matter which shooters we add to the roster, their outside ball stops falling once they land with us. Is there something wrong with the lighting? I want Ted to ditch the blue seats, they are depressing. Or hide them with a lighting scheme like the theater style lighting you see with the Nets at Barclay center.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443854204578056850231139058

[nate33]

My argument has been that one of the two should be on the court at all times, which necessarily limits the minutes they can share the court together. If KP plays 32 minutes and Gafford 26, they can only be together for just 10 minutes.

[DCZards]

Yeah, there was a consensus before the season started that they shouldn't play together. The discussion had me convinced as well.

But, under the heading of small sample size, they seem to do really well together.

I wonder how a Morris or Wright/Beal/Kuzma/KP/Gafford unit would fare as a starting unit. But even if they don't start, there is a KP/Gafford with some combination of other players that could be pretty effective.

There were 2 or 3 of us, including yours truly, who argued that KP and Gaff should play some minutes together. It worked out fairly well when they shared the court in a few games late last season.

Likewise. Porzingis makes space underneath for low post players. All of our other forwards play face-up from the perimeter. Gafford alone underneath gives him room for alley oops. The only caution was that we aren't deep in C's. And Gafford gets in foul trouble early.

Plus the idea was kinda torpedoed by the fact that we continued to be unable to shoot from outside. No matter which shooters we add to the roster, their outside ball stops falling once they land with us. Is there something wrong with the lighting? I want Ted to ditch the blue seats, they are depressing. Or hide them with a lighting scheme like the theater style lighting you see with the Nets at Barclay center.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443854204578056850231139058

The KP-Gafford teaming would work a lot better if KP started making 3s again. He's been terrible from 3 the last few games.

The seats in Cap One are black. The blue seats were replaced about 4 years ago when a renovation took place.

But you do make an interesting point about the lighting. I went to a Wizards-Knicks game in Madison Square Garden last season and the lighting at MSG was very different than it is at Cap One. The seating area at MSG is much darker...putting more of a focus on the court itself. It's probably the same theater style your talking about at Barclay.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Hopefully the KP/Gafford starting combo is here to stay. They play surprisingly well off each other.

Yeah, there was a consensus before the season started that they shouldn't play together. The discussion had me convinced as well.

But, under the heading of small sample size, they seem to do really well together.

I wonder how a Morris or Wright/Beal/Kuzma/KP/Gafford unit would fare as a starting unit. But even if they don't start, there is a KP/Gafford with some combination of other players that could be pretty effective.

There were 2 or 3 of us, including yours truly, who argued that KP and Gaff should play some minutes together. It worked out fairly well when they shared the court in a few games late last season.

I had a prof (Dr Carl Kirksey, Chemistry) at Bowie University who used this phrase:

“It should be intuitively obvious even to the casual observer…”

KP and Gafford: I feel like I was alone on that hill advocating this for a good long while. People spouted nonsense like Gafford can’t play long minutes, Gafford has issues, and WHO ARE THEY GOING TO DEFEND.

Wes Jr fought against the OBVIOUS super duper effective to me from the jump…Wes seemed blind.

This should have been day one

Look at PER, WS/48.

The big man passes are so beautiful when they team up. Their defensive recovery where Gafford is up top and Kristaps is at the rim it’s BEAUTIFUL.

To have played Gill and Gibson ahead of Gafford AT CENTER (?!) is a WTH move by WUJ unless…

Perhaps the tank has been on all along. Gafford is a problem and I AM SURE the Wizards are getting inquiries on Daniel.

[doclinkin]

The KP-Gafford teaming would work a lot better if KP started making 3s again. He's been terrible from 3 the last few games.

The seats in Cap One are black. The blue seats were replaced about 4 years ago when a renovation took place.

But you do make an interesting point about the lighting. I went to a Wizards-Knicks game in Madison Square Garden last season and the lighting at MSG was very different than it is at Cap One. The seating area at MSG is much darker...putting more of a focus on the court itself. It's probably the same theater style your talking about at Barclay.

Weird. I've been this year, and of course watch the home games, and I still walk away with the impression the seats are still blue. I guess it is the product that is depressing. Yes MSG. Lakers. Nets. Phoenix. All have the theater style lighting. Phoenix because Booker demanded it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

KP missing threes:

Could be knees or lower leg or back issues.
Could be spacing issues.
I definitely think kp is often forgotten and reflexively he takes bad threes

Porzingis will repeatedly miss bad long threes and I put coach not holding him accountable to partially blame

With Shifting Lineups when and where does KP catch and shoot?

Last: Gafford should also have a green light to shoot threes if he can square up and has a clean look.

[bsilver]

I can’t believe Carey wouldn’t be a better option than Gibson or Gill as the 3rd center, but WUJ refuses to give him a chance.
With Wright back looks like Jordan Goodwin will be getting DNPs. He’s better than Kispert and Barton, and IMO also Morris, but WUJ doesn’t see it that way. We stink mainly because of bad D, and putting one our best defenders on the bench won’t help.

[nate33]

I can’t believe Carey wouldn’t be a better option than Gibson or Gill as the 3rd center, but WUJ refuses to give him a chance.
With Wright back looks like Jordan Goodwin will be getting DNPs. He’s better than Kispert and Barton, and IMO also Morris, but WUJ doesn’t see it that way. We stink mainly because of bad D, and putting one our best defenders on the bench won’t help.

Goodwin is limited to a total of 50 NBA games because he is on a two-way contract. It's a good idea to send him back to the G-Leagues now that Morris and Wright are both healthy so that he can stop tabulating NBA games played. There's a good chance that we will end up trading one of Morris/Wright at the Trade Deadline, and we will need Goodwin back then. We don't want a situation where he has already bumped into his 50 game limit when we need him most.

I have no idea why Wes won't play Carey. He has seen a whole lot more of Carey than we have, so I have no choice but to defer to Wes' judgement. My guess is that Carey is a train wreck on defense and Wes is unwilling to give him on-the-job training when Wes' own job is on the line. So far, I think Taj has been pretty competent as a 3rd string guy, so there isn't much incentive for Wes to change his mind.

[mhd]

I can’t believe Carey wouldn’t be a better option than Gibson or Gill as the 3rd center, but WUJ refuses to give him a chance.
With Wright back looks like Jordan Goodwin will be getting DNPs. He’s better than Kispert and Barton, and IMO also Morris, but WUJ doesn’t see it that way. We stink mainly because of bad D, and putting one our best defenders on the bench won’t help.

Goodwin is limited to a total of 50 NBA games because he is on a two-way contract. It's a good idea to send him back to the G-Leagues now that Morris and Wright are both healthy so that he can stop tabulating NBA games played. There's a good chance that we will end up trading one of Morris/Wright at the Trade Deadline, and we will need Goodwin back then. We don't want a situation where he has already bumped into his 50 game limit when we need him most.

I have no idea why Wes won't play Carey. He has seen a whole lot more of Carey than we have, so I have no choice but to defer to Wes' judgement. My guess is that Carey is a train wreck on defense and Wes is unwilling to give him on-the-job training when Wes' own job is on the line. So far, I think Taj has been pretty competent as a 3rd string guy, so there isn't much incentive for Wes to change his mind.

I want to see Carey out there, but stubborn Wes don’t do it. Better for him to continue to dominate in the g league

[Dat2U]

I can’t believe Carey wouldn’t be a better option than Gibson or Gill as the 3rd center, but WUJ refuses to give him a chance.
With Wright back looks like Jordan Goodwin will be getting DNPs. He’s better than Kispert and Barton, and IMO also Morris, but WUJ doesn’t see it that way. We stink mainly because of bad D, and putting one our best defenders on the bench won’t help.

Goodwin is limited to a total of 50 NBA games because he is on a two-way contract. It's a good idea to send him back to the G-Leagues now that Morris and Wright are both healthy so that he can stop tabulating NBA games played. There's a good chance that we will end up trading one of Morris/Wright at the Trade Deadline, and we will need Goodwin back then. We don't want a situation where he has already bumped into his 50 game limit when we need him most.

I have no idea why Wes won't play Carey. He has seen a whole lot more of Carey than we have, so I have no choice but to defer to Wes' judgement. My guess is that Carey is a train wreck on defense and Wes is unwilling to give him on-the-job training when Wes' own job is on the line. So far, I think Taj has been pretty competent as a 3rd string guy, so there isn't much incentive for Wes to change his mind.

It would be better to sign Goodwin outright (I think he's earned it) and pull the plug on the Todd project a few months early. I have no idea why Todd is still on the roster when there's no intention of playing him because he clearly is not ready. Its a waste of a roster spot. Feels more like an ego play vs ensuring you have the best 15 on the roster.

[nate33]

It would be better to sign Goodwin outright (I think he's earned it) and pull the plug on the Todd project a few months early. I have no idea why Todd is still on the roster when there's no intention of playing him because he clearly is not ready. Its a waste of a roster spot. Feels more like an ego play vs ensuring you have the best 15 on the roster.

That move would put us over the luxtax and Ted would miss out on $16M or so in luxtax redistribution (and he'll have to pay another $3M or so in luxtax fees). That's not gonna happen. And I don't really blame him. I like Goodwin, but having him play an additional 30 games isn't worth $20M.

[Dat2U]

It would be better to sign Goodwin outright (I think he's earned it) and pull the plug on the Todd project a few months early. I have no idea why Todd is still on the roster when there's no intention of playing him because he clearly is not ready. Its a waste of a roster spot. Feels more like an ego play vs ensuring you have the best 15 on the roster.

That move would put us over the luxtax and Ted would miss out on $16M or so in luxtax redistribution (and he'll have to pay another $3M or so in luxtax fees). That's not gonna happen. And I don't really blame him. I like Goodwin, but having him play an additional 30 games isn't worth $20M.

Hmm, can't another team just sign Goodwin to an NBA contract and steal him away?

[FAH1223]

It would be better to sign Goodwin outright (I think he's earned it) and pull the plug on the Todd project a few months early. I have no idea why Todd is still on the roster when there's no intention of playing him because he clearly is not ready. Its a waste of a roster spot. Feels more like an ego play vs ensuring you have the best 15 on the roster.

That move would put us over the luxtax and Ted would miss out on $16M or so in luxtax redistribution (and he'll have to pay another $3M or so in luxtax fees). That's not gonna happen. And I don't really blame him. I like Goodwin, but having him play an additional 30 games isn't worth $20M.

Hmm, can't another team just sign Goodwin to an NBA contract and steal him away?

Nope. He’s on a two-way. It’s basically like having an extra player with the caveat they can only play 50 games on the contract.