GT #64: Hornets (30-34) @ Wizards (33-30) 7 PM CSN

[mohammed10]

Did not have a chance to see the game, but going in, I fully expected us to win. Saw the box score, and not only did we manage to lose at home, but we got blown out.

To me, this effort is inexcusable, FT disparity or not. It speaks to lack of coaching and prepping for the game. Wittless should have recognized Gortat was not getting fed the ball on the offensive end and adjusted. Getting Beal and Wall to drive to the hoop and pick up fouls, or dishing to open shooters is common sense.

Where is the coaching???

[AWIZZINGBULLET]

Wall needs to get to the line. Period. Beal too.

This is inexcusable.

They won't give Wall calls.

Beal just doesn't try to get to the line.

Should keep trying.

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... -john-wall

[stevemcqueen1]

It wasn't a blow out. We were up on them late, the team just melted down late after the Wall foul on the Walker three and the Wittman tech caused a 4 point swing. Wall missed his FTs the next trip down, you could tell he was still furious.

The officiating was terrible last night, the crew was inexperienced. But you'd think our team would be used to that by now.

It was an off game from pretty much everyone except Wall. We can't beat anyone when the team as a whole plays like they did.

[dobrojim]

As many have said, one of those game where no Nene hurts bad. Would have been nice to have those 14 points from him.

Less eager or enthusiastic about his points (offense) compared with how well he
might have defended AlJeff. Gotta at least wonder if he might have
been able to slow him down.

[FAH1223]

They won't give Wall calls.

Beal just doesn't try to get to the line.

Should keep trying.

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... -john-wall

He has to start flopping and screaming

[dobrojim]

i think Wiz fans are sleeping on the home court stuff. We are better then average and we can win without Ariza going off. It will just only be on the road. You can see it from the very start of the game. We arent the same team at all at home right now. it has nothing to do with average or this or that. Its bad energy, its a bad vibe. I bet we play the Bobcats back to back games in Charlotte right now, we win. I just have no convidence at home. 0. I think we'll be better in the playoffs when the crowd is full but again, no excuse. Pro players, pro coaches. They have to get better energy and a better vibe going there

I take some exception to that. Last night was a pretty big crowd, 17K, on a wed night.
But Wiz fans root scared because they've had their hearts ripped out too many times.
Plus we just have not played that great at home with a couple/few notable exceptions.
But the crowd was with the team last night, very few BobHornet Fans to root on the
visitors. The team let the crowd down, not the other way around.

[dobrojim]

9 fta...that's y we lose games, if gortat is getting abused wall should be gettin the other team bigs in foul trouble...His jumper was on this game but we know that's not consistent...Our team isn't playin the game our players are built for...we have 3 good 3pt shooters...but we have 1 of the quickest PGs in the league...we don't attack the paint...we aren't making bigs work on defense...we deserve to lose games when we don't attack

one issue is when we attack the rim, we get no respect. Compare Wall's foul on
Kemba with what happens on a lot of drives at the other end. If I was Randy,
I'd be po'd too. Happened in the MIA game as well. Yes we shoot too many long 2s.
But when you can't draw a foul on drives...

[dobrojim]

Wittman should not have gone back to Wall as soon as he did. Not saying Wall shouldn't have come back in, but it was a perfect opportunity to try Wall/Miller with Miller running point. Wall went cold after blowing that layup and was not playing with good pace. Miller was having his way with Charlotte's point guards...

Beal is really frustrating. He was downright selfish in the third and kept Charlotte in the game..then Wall caught whatever beal had.

The way this team plays at home is crap.

not saying you're wrong, but it's ironic thinking back to being at the game.
My daughter (who roots scared) was saying in the early 4thQ Wittman was going to
not put Wall back in soon enough. Miller was abusing CHA defenders. He could have played
longer. I'll go a step further and say that given that CHA is among league leaders
defensively against fast break points, Miller might be better for our offense
(but def not our defense) against a team that forces us to slow down. Strange/ironic
that Miller, who is obviously much slower than Wall, could get to the rim/paint more
often than Wall could even when Wall was hitting his Js, which you would think
would draw the defenses out. Or maybe the defenses just kept laying back knowing
that Wall would cool off, which he did.

[dobrojim]

When was the last time Beal shot over 50% in a game. Looking at this roster, I see what Ernie was going for. They said we needed 3 pt shooters to spread the floor for John and he got that. We needed an interior presence, not just a shot blocker and he got that. I just don't see any vision with the construction of this team.

Every move is reactive.

How do you put together a team where only the point guard can handle the ball at all? It's like John has to set up every single play, score, play defense, etc. Whenever John starts off hot, the rest of the team become passengers and by the 3rd quarter, nobody else is in rhythm offensively. That's not a winning formula at all.

No young, athletic, shotblocking big to protect the paint; Nene's albatross of a contract; Gortat likely to be resigned. There's really nothing to be excited about. Trust me, the playoffs novelty will wear off after 2 seasons of being swept in the first round.

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

[dobrojim]

Shut Big Al down and keep Kemba Walker in check, should be a win. BobHornetCats don't have a player that's a real threat to go off.

both players you mentioned are threats to go off

as I was saying...

[pancakes3]

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

I'll opine one step further. I don't think replacing Gortat for Monroe (as good as he is and as much as I like him) is even a lateral step. It'll be a step backwards. Monroe's not a rim protecting thug like Gortat is. Neither is he as good a one-on-one post defender. Al Jefferson leaves a bad taste in our recent memories but also remember the 4-block game he had in 3OT against Toronto. Monroe won't be able to contribute. As a result, or slightly-above-average defense is going to suffer. Adding Monroe is just duplicating a marginally better Nene and I don't think playing 2 Nene's simultaneously is the best fit for our frontcourt.

[FAH1223]

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

I'll opine one step further. I don't think replacing Gortat for Monroe (as good as he is and as much as I like him) is even a lateral step. It'll be a step backwards. Monroe's not a rim protecting thug like Gortat is. Neither is he as good a one-on-one post defender. Al Jefferson leaves a bad taste in our recent memories but also remember the 4-block game he had in 3OT against Toronto. Monroe won't be able to contribute. As a result, or slightly-above-average defense is going to suffer. Adding Monroe is just duplicating a marginally better Nene and I don't think playing 2 Nene's simultaneously is the best fit for our frontcourt.

Nene is still sooooo much better than Monroe on defense.

Monroe does not rotate well and his pick and roll defense is terrible.

[dckingsfan]

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

I'll opine one step further. I don't think replacing Gortat for Monroe (as good as he is and as much as I like him) is even a lateral step. It'll be a step backwards. Monroe's not a rim protecting thug like Gortat is. Neither is he as good a one-on-one post defender. Al Jefferson leaves a bad taste in our recent memories but also remember the 4-block game he had in 3OT against Toronto. Monroe won't be able to contribute. As a result, or slightly-above-average defense is going to suffer. Adding Monroe is just duplicating a marginally better Nene and I don't think playing 2 Nene's simultaneously is the best fit for our frontcourt.

Nene is still sooooo much better than Monroe on defense.

Monroe does not rotate well and his pick and roll defense is terrible.

Yep, we could have used his 6 fouls last night on Big Al...

[manifested]

Last night is the type of game that really exposes the lack of primary offensive options for the Wizards. Everyone basically feeds off of Wall's ability to draw the defense but is also pretty useless if they're not open when they get the ball. Last night, the Bobcats were closing out hard on the shooters and this team can't make them pay for it because no one else aside from Wall passes/dribbles at a high level. (As an aside, I'd like to see some plays where Beal/Webster/Ariza run some backdoor cuts to keep the D more honest when this happens). The plus on Monroe is that, like Nene, he brings another element on offense with his passing. Wizards really could have used another facilitator on the floor to run the offense through.

But, people are probably right that Monroe would probably give up as much as he got. If Monroe was a better rim protector, it'd be a no brainer. As it is, he'd solve some weaknesses and create others.

[jivelikenice]

Wittman should not have gone back to Wall as soon as he did. Not saying Wall shouldn't have come back in, but it was a perfect opportunity to try Wall/Miller with Miller running point. Wall went cold after blowing that layup and was not playing with good pace. Miller was having his way with Charlotte's point guards...

Beal is really frustrating. He was downright selfish in the third and kept Charlotte in the game..then Wall caught whatever beal had.

The way this team plays at home is crap.

not saying you're wrong, but it's ironic thinking back to being at the game.
My daughter (who roots scared) was saying in the early 4thQ Wittman was going to
not put Wall back in soon enough. Miller was abusing CHA defenders. He could have played
longer. I'll go a step further and say that given that CHA is among league leaders
defensively against fast break points, Miller might be better for our offense
(but def not our defense) against a team that forces us to slow down. Strange/ironic
that Miller, who is obviously much slower than Wall, could get to the rim/paint more
often than Wall could even when Wall was hitting his Js, which you would think
would draw the defenses out. Or maybe the defenses just kept laying back knowing
that Wall would cool off, which he did.

Miller was killing. I would not have brought Wall back that early, and I would have gone with Miller at pg next to Wall. We have to try it at some point because Beal is just not playing consistent quality basketball. On days where he is playing like he did yesterday, we need a 2nd backcourt option (like Miller) who can create offense.

[jivelikenice]

When was the last time Beal shot over 50% in a game. Looking at this roster, I see what Ernie was going for. They said we needed 3 pt shooters to spread the floor for John and he got that. We needed an interior presence, not just a shot blocker and he got that. I just don't see any vision with the construction of this team.

Every move is reactive.

How do you put together a team where only the point guard can handle the ball at all? It's like John has to set up every single play, score, play defense, etc. Whenever John starts off hot, the rest of the team become passengers and by the 3rd quarter, nobody else is in rhythm offensively. That's not a winning formula at all.

No young, athletic, shotblocking big to protect the paint; Nene's albatross of a contract; Gortat likely to be resigned. There's really nothing to be excited about. Trust me, the playoffs novelty will wear off after 2 seasons of being swept in the first round.

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

1. I don't see Detroit letting him walk w/o compensation so how could we get him if hes a RFA?
2. I do think there's a good chance we target him, but I think the decision in regards to Gortat will depend on if they think they're going to land Monroe. They won't renounce their Bird rights or cap hold until they know they have a replacement in hand.

[Dat2U]

I'll repeat. I heard from what appeared to be a reliable source that the 'zards
are NOT planning to resign Gortat. Maybe this means they think they can get
Monroe. Monroe's younger but I'm not sure how much better than 'Tat he is.
And he'll almost certainly cost more.

I'll opine one step further. I don't think replacing Gortat for Monroe (as good as he is and as much as I like him) is even a lateral step. It'll be a step backwards. Monroe's not a rim protecting thug like Gortat is. Neither is he as good a one-on-one post defender. Al Jefferson leaves a bad taste in our recent memories but also remember the 4-block game he had in 3OT against Toronto. Monroe won't be able to contribute. As a result, or slightly-above-average defense is going to suffer. Adding Monroe is just duplicating a marginally better Nene and I don't think playing 2 Nene's simultaneously is the best fit for our frontcourt.

Nene is still sooooo much better than Monroe on defense.

Monroe does not rotate well and his pick and roll defense is terrible.

I think Monroe is really getting a bad rap here. He's certainly not a worse defender than Gortat. Watching Monroe in Detroit, his biggest problem is defending in space (defending PFs) and lacking the ideal length & athleticism to deter shots. However, Monroe does a solid job rotating and being in the right spots defensively. Arguably even moreso than Gortat who ALWAYS seems a step or two slow.

I would fine with signing Monroe is their was a plan in place to acquire a good fit a PF to go alongside him. A guy like Ibaka would be a dream fit. Nene isn't a terrible fit either when healthy. Two fairly realistic options on the trade market are Taj Gibson & Amir Johnson (using Porter as the main bait). Pair either with Monroe and you've gotten a lot younger and arguably better upfront with Nene operating as the 3rd big.

Say you make an offer big enough to cause Detroit to spend money elsewhere and then follow up with a Porter & Miller for Gibson deal...

PG John Wall
SG Bradley Beal
SF Martell Webster / Glen Rice Jr.
PF Taj Gibson / Nene
CE Greg Monroe

No depth but eh, we don't really have depth this year either. Backup PGs are pretty easy to find. So are perimeter defenders that are iffy shooters.

[nate33]

Taj Gibson is breaking out this year. I don't see Chicago trading him.

[dobrojim]

I've thought Taj was better than Boozer since around DRose's MVP year.
Certainly better contract for contract.

[deneem4]

9 fta...that's y we lose games, if gortat is getting abused wall should be gettin the other team bigs in foul trouble...His jumper was on this game but we know that's not consistent...Our team isn't playin the game our players are built for...we have 3 good 3pt shooters...but we have 1 of the quickest PGs in the league...we don't attack the paint...we aren't making bigs work on defense...we deserve to lose games when we don't attack

one issue is when we attack the rim, we get no respect. Compare Wall's foul on
Kemba with what happens on a lot of drives at the other end. If I was Randy,
I'd be po'd too. Happened in the MIA game as well. Yes we shoot too many long 2s.
But when you can't draw a foul on drives...

Don't let officials control the way u play...