2013-2014 Wizard's lineup

[hands11]

Yep, I think that we will see Gortat/Nene starting. And Gortat isn't a terrible FT shooter so we may see him in with Nene to finish games as well.

Wall/Beal are going to start - so that does leave us with the Webster/Ariza controversy (manufactured or not).

Wall/Beal/Webster/Ariza/Nene/Gortat/Harrington are all arguably legit NBA players. I guess you could argue Booker as well. Seraphin is going to get minutes - that is just Wittman's way. Notice there are only two guards in that group? I guess Webster is a guard too...

I think that Maynor is going to play himself out of a job. I think that is the weak link.

One can hope that Rice and Porter come along and join that group... that would be tremendously helpful.

Until proven differently, I expect Maynor to dial it back in his 10-12 minutes and focus on running the team. That is what he was brought here to do. He will take a few shots and drive some but I expect more drive and dish then drive and force a shot. Though he will tear drop it some and take 3 here and there. Not real worried about Maynor. They have room to upgrade there but he should be ok.

But thats a legit 7 and most teams only do a 8-9 man core rotation so thats looking pretty good given the rotation options on the bench. Otto being injured is actually keep things clean for now. Once he comes back they are going to have to inactivate Glen, Temple or Ves. Thats going to be interesting.

The team looks solid. Now its time for Wall and Beal to become stars.

They actually match up against Indy pretty well so they could potentially challenge for the 4th or 5th seed. Beal should be pulling a Paul George this year. I've already hear commentators buying into his AS projection.

[dckingsfan]

I'm really worried about Maynor. I expect Wall to round into form - but I think that is going to take longer than expected as well. And Temple just isn't a PG even if that is where he is listed right now. I am not sure why this has been such a puzzle for EG to figure out.

But I do agree with you that 7 deep (possibly going to 9 with Porter and Rice) we are in a better position than in recent memory - and they aren't knuckleheads.

[hands11]

Shooting Charts

Gortat
http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... ar_id=2012

Nene
http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... ting/2012/

Okafor
http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... ting/2013/

Also, I wonder if this puts Webster back in the starting line up or do they leave Trevor A where he is to showcase him as a starter.

I hope Webster gets the job back, but I dunno with Whitman. I wouldn't be surprised to see Nene at Center come Wednesday.

Probably so. With Gortat arriving so late, I would see Randy doing that. Or maybe he just goes for it and let him and Nene work it out.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I think our best lineup is Gortat, Nene, Webster, Beal, Wall. I like the size and skill inside with Gortat and Nene in tandem with Beal and Webster on the wings for Wall to kick to. The options offensively are abundant.

That leaves a bench of Seraphin, Harrington/Booker, Ariza, Rice, Maynor. I see Maynor getting all the backup pg minutes to justify his signing. With Porter out, and I don't expect him anytime soon as far behind as he's gotten physically and mentally from contributing, I'd expect Webster almost exclusively at SF whereas I thought he'd get a good chuck of pt at SG with Porter and Ariza to fill in at 3, which should open an opportunity for Rice to take the role as Beal's primary backup. Temple will get some time, but if Maynor and Rice step up he may take a backseat.

Nene will get pt at center as well as Seraphin to open some minutes at PF for Harrington and Booker. But with that starting 5 I have proposed I like the vet forwards Harrington and Ariza off the bench together and their vet presence, as well as the steady Maynor/Temple and hard nosed Booker to balance the youth of Seraphin and Rice for a pretty solid bench.

I think they go an extended bench for a while to start the season going 10-11 deep.. Gortat, Nene, Webster, Beal, Wall, Seraphin, Harrington, Booker, Ariza, Rice, Maynor, all seeing the floor until individuals play good or bad determines otherwise, such as Rice and Seraphin are not good, or injuries (Nene, Booker), or someone plays big and warrants staying on the court and it eventually works down to a more consistent 8.

[80sballboy]

Maynor can play better than he showed in the preseason as long as he doesn't launch shots like he's A.J. Price. Not thrilled about a Maynor/Temple backcourt because it's pretty slow. But Rice isn't ready yet and I'm guessing since Wit is so desperate to win, those guys will be playing very little. My biggest fear is that he'll play Beal and Wall 40 minutes per game until they get hurt. Have to mix and match.

I think Ariza will play some 2 with Webster in the game. Wit loves his defense. Shame that Porter won't be available for (my guess) of at least the first two months or first half. That would have given us more versatility off the bench but this is really looking like a redshirt season for Otto.

[hands11]

I think our best lineup is Gortat, Nene, Webster, Beal, Wall. I like the size and skill inside with Gortat and Nene in tandem with Beal and Webster on the wings for Wall to kick to. The options offensively are abundant.

That leaves a bench of Seraphin, Harrington/Booker, Ariza, Rice, Maynor. I see Maynor getting all the backup pg minutes to justify his signing. With Porter out, and I don't expect him anytime soon as far behind as he's gotten physically and mentally from contributing, I'd expect Webster almost exclusively at SF whereas I thought he'd get a good chuck of pt at SG with Porter and Ariza to fill in at 3, which should open an opportunity for Rice to take the role as Beal's primary backup. Temple will get some time, but if Maynor and Rice step up he may take a backseat.

Nene will get pt at center as well as Seraphin to open some minutes at PF for Harrington and Booker. But with that starting 5 I have proposed I like the vet forwards Harrington and Ariza off the bench together and their vet presence, as well as the steady Maynor/Temple and hard nosed Booker to balance the youth of Seraphin and Rice for a pretty solid bench.

I think they go an extended bench for a while to start the season going 10-11 deep.. Gortat, Nene, Webster, Beal, Wall, Seraphin, Harrington, Booker, Ariza, Rice, Maynor, all seeing the floor until individuals play good or bad determines otherwise, such as Rice and Seraphin are not good, or injuries (Nene, Booker), or someone plays big and warrants staying on the court and it eventually works down to a more consistent 8.

I'd almost rather Glen play the 3 and Webster the 2. Glen is young and built tough and he loves to drive. Let the young man take the pounding and bring that young energy. Let Webster line up on the corner 3.

[hands11]

I already had this in the draft thread before this one was started so here.

I wonder how they would line them up with what they have. Something like this could keep Nene and Okafor rested while giving Trevor A a role on the team. Obviously they can do Nene and Okafor together when they need more size and power. And slide Ves in a PF with Nene at center could work pretty well also.

Wall/Temple
Beal/Webster/Price?/GRJ
Webster/Otto/Trevor
Trevor A/Ves/Kevin/Booker
Nene/Okafor/Kevin

That's 13

Singleton, ?? -

Are we looking at something like this with a battle for starting PF ?

Keep in mind, they did not get a S4 Wall wanted though Trevor A is about a close to it as they have and Otto has a lot of Trevor A in him so both can be used at the 4 like that. They would spread the floor for Wall.

I still think they have to bring Webster back. His shooting and his looker room mentoring in just to important.

Otto and Okafor in the second unit gives them defense and rebounding. Price and GRJ provide some outside shooting. One of Ves, Kevin or Booker should fit at PF depending on what you need at the time and how they progress. Kevin if you need more points. Ves is you need length and scrapitude. Booker is the you a man.

This team could be pretty stable just as is. If they resign Okafor, they could have center covered. Wall, Beal and Otto cover the 1, 2 and 3. Webster is your longer term back up SF and SG.

Now its all up to Ves and Kevins. Both are young. Both have some talent. If either or both break out this year. Thats like finding free top picks since more have written off Ves and Kevin hasn't played well enough to slot him in longer term.

So I still see plenty of need and plenty of a role for Webster. Actually I think he is really important.

Next move on the plate is do they bring back Price on a one year or find an upgrade? I think they find a vet upgrade.

Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:02 am

Nothing has changed except Gortat for Okafor and they did go for a vet PG upgrade over Price.

Get it done Randy. Just slide Glen is where Otto was.

[hands11]

I think Randy is blowing it. The Wizards roster should be able to light it up. They need to spreed the floor and do one or more of the following:

Line up with 3 ball shooters and let Wall drive or drive and dish - Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor A/AH, Gortat
Play Kevin in the post and go inside out - Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor Kevin, Gortat
Put Glen in the game and let him drive and dish Wall, Beal/Webster, Glen, Ves/TA/AH, Gortat
Teach Wall to do a bounce pass so he can do Nash style pick and roll with Gortat and Ves.

Any of the above would work and I see them doing none of it expect maybe 2-3 plays of Kevin in the post.

This can still be a good team, but they have to line them up better and with a purpose. Its not going to be a great defensive team. They need to focus more on scoring and just playing as good a D as they can. Randy is killing their mojo focusing so much on defense. He isn't playing to their strengths. I'm all for a good defensive team, but he need to let these guy play. I would be fine if he came up with a set of two that played insane D they he could roll out in a pinch to stop a last quarter play.

Step one would be, stop starting Booker and get Glen some minutes. They need another player that can drive.

[montestewart]

Play Kevin in the post and go inside out - Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor Kevin, Gortat

How often does Seraphin merit a double team? How often does he pass out of the post? I imagine we'll probably see all these lineups as the DNPs mount, but I don't know that there's a reason to predict dramatic improvement.

[hands11]

Play Kevin in the post and go inside out - Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor Kevin, Gortat

How often does Seraphin merit a double team? How often does he pass out of the post? I imagine we'll probably see all these lineups as the DNPs mount, but I don't know that there's a reason to predict dramatic improvement.

I don't expect him to look like The Dream doing it, but I do expect him to improve with reps. He will make mistakes. I'm fine with that. Kevin has skills that can be groomed.

And if you don't double him, I like his chances to score in the post. He was very efficient doing that. And now he has added a sweep move to the middle that he finishes with a baby hook. He did that last game.

Kevin has offensive talent. You have to play to your players skills. Right PIF ? Focus on what they do well.

He put in the work this summer. So did Ves. So lets see what we get out of that.

When Kevin gets it rolling, he can be a force. We have seen that in flashes.

[payitforward]

Get it done Randy. Just slide Glen is where Otto was.

and...

I think Randy is blowing it. The Wizards roster should be able to light it up....

Play Kevin in the post and go inside out... stop starting Booker and get Glen some minutes.

are waaay off target. Thinking of Kevin as an effective inside player is just dreaming. Imagining that Rice's relatively unschooled, sorta schoolyard skills are going to make him an effective NBA player immediately is more of the same. And, why, exactly, should the Wizards roster "be able to light it up", I wonder. Or, put differently, when Ariza and Beal starting shooting a high % they *will* be able to "light it up" -- or at least do a lot better.

Booker has been terrific so far -- what a funny time to want him to get fewer minutes. Seraphin has been terrible so far (admittedly in only 16 minutes, still...) -- what a funny time to want him to get more minutes.

But, really, the big thing is -- patience, please! We lost to the Pistons in their home opener, and we ran into an unconsciously hot young team in game 2. Gortat is not in sync, and Beal hasn't found his stroke yet.

Are we going to be good? Maybe. Very good? No way. Very bad? I don't really see why we should be very bad. And I certainly wouldn't conclude that from two games.

Still, anyone imagining that we have "rebuilt" or that this team is poised to become much better.... No, sorry, you are dreaming. You can't make as many bad moves as we've made and get away with them.

[TGW]

Booker has hardly been terrific. He's been getting absolutely destroyed on the boards, and his counterpart has been embarrassing him defensively.

And giving glen rice jr more minutes is not a recipe for success. I mean, how many second rounder roomies actually play well early in their rookie season...almost never. More than likely he's not playing for a reason...stop believing that the unknown is somehow better because they're unknown.

[hands11]

Booker has hardly been terrific. He's been getting absolutely destroyed on the boards, and his counterpart has been embarrassing him defensively.

And giving glen rice jr more minutes is not a recipe for success. I mean, how many second rounder roomies actually play well early in their rookie season...almost never. More than likely he's not playing for a reason...stop believing that the unknown is somehow better because they're unknown.

I saw enough of Rice to know what he brings. And its not even what his calling card was coming to the team. Rice drives and gets to the line. Right now I would say he is the second best at doing that on the team.

Look, I laid out 4 strategies for running the offense which has looked like ass in half court sets. I didn't pick just one and say this is the answer. And in all four I used skills that players have to achieve it.

I have no expectations that Rice, Kevin or Ves will walk in and play AS basketball. I didn't say that. My expectations for what they can add in different line ups was reasonable. I expect mistakes. But we are seeing mistakes even without them so that fine with me.

As for Booker, I don't hate on Booker. I think he can be useful off the bench. But with what the team has right now, he should not be starting. Anything he gave them the last two games, be gave up twice as much. He has gotten destroyed.

[Hypnotizer]

Interesting:
http://stats.nba.com/leagueLineups.html ... tOrder=DES
Wizards last lineup: Wall - Beal - Ariza - Nene - Gortat +/- 11.0 - 4th in the league.

[GhostsOfGil]

Interesting:
http://stats.nba.com/leagueLineups.html ... tOrder=DES
Wizards last lineup: Wall - Beal - Ariza - Nene - Gortat +/- 11.0 - 4th in the league.

Does that mean our bench must be historically bad?

[Hypnotizer]

Does that mean our bench must be historically bad?

I'm new Wizards fan so can't tell about history, but look at this:
WIZ starting lineup - 30 rebounds; bench - only 6
BKN 1st 5 - 29rbs, bench - 22.

Even Blatche had more (13) than Zards sub.

[dckingsfan]

Interesting:
http://stats.nba.com/leagueLineups.html ... tOrder=DES
Wizards last lineup: Wall - Beal - Ariza - Nene - Gortat +/- 11.0 - 4th in the league.

Does that mean our bench must be historically bad?

[hands11]

Interesting:
http://stats.nba.com/leagueLineups.html ... tOrder=DES
Wizards last lineup: Wall - Beal - Ariza - Nene - Gortat +/- 11.0 - 4th in the league.

Makes sense given how well that same line up with Okafor instead of Gortat played was last year.

Its only been two games and they got two wins.

Thats where the high win projections from some of us came from. Wall, Beal, Webster, Nene and Okafor played at about a .600 or better clip and I think they were 5th best.

More gelling to do and more building out of the bench options to add to the mix.

But right now, the team is thin. If Nene misses a game, Randy doesn't have a winnable adjustment established unless he has figured out he needs to turn to

Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor and Gortat

If he turns to

Wall, Beal, Trevor A, Booker, and Gortat.... they will lose.

THE OTHER PROBLEM
The good teams didn't just have one .600 paced line up. They had 2 or 3 good ones. Wizards only had one last year. This year, I think they have at least two right now.

Wall, Beal, Trevor A, Nene, Gortat
Wall, Beal, Webster, Trevor A, Gortat

it will be important that they figure out a 3rd

Maynor, Wall, Webster, Trevor A, Kevin worked well the other day. That lets Nene, Gortat and Beal rest and Wall and cost a little playing off the ball more.

Man this team is very reliant on Trevor A and Wall because of their combination of skills. Gotta get dust off Glen to help give them more flexibility by adding another defender that can dribble, drive and hopefully shoot. At least with Beal they should be able to substitute in Webster.

[hands11]

Does that mean our bench must be historically bad?

I'm new Wizards fan so can't tell about history, but look at this:
WIZ starting lineup - 30 rebounds; bench - only 6
BKN 1st 5 - 29rbs, bench - 22.

Even Blatche had more (13) than Zards sub.

The rebounding advantage wasn't so much a bench problem as a team problem.

Joe Johnson had 7 in 34 min
PP had 8 in 27 min
KG 6 in 24 mins

And Dray played 27 minutes with 13 rebounds. Our bench didn't play as many minutes.

So it was mostly Beal and Trevor A who got out rebounded.

Beal 3 in 46 mins
TA 1 in 44 mins
AH 2 in 25 mins

and

Webster 0 in 16 mins

So AH and Webster didn't help, but it was more Beal and TA compared to JJ and PP

[nate33]

Whatever Wittman does with the lineups, he really needs to make sure that one of Nene or Gortat is in the game at all times. He can start them both, but he needs to bench one of them early, so that he can come back on the floor with the second unit. It probably makes sense to have Nene be the guy to run with the 2nd unit because Nene is less dependent on good PG play.