GT #66: Wizards @ LOLCats 7 PM CSN

[hands11]

Just got done watching to game. Damn that was entertaining.

Both team were shooting red hot. I actually thought ending the 3rd quarter... hmm, these refs have done a nice job.

Then the 4th quarter happened. Are you Fing kidding me. How do you call a good game for 3 quarter and them call total crap in the 4th.

Wall charge ? Really ?
Wall called on the side line for a wrap around. Yeah, after he was body slammed out of bounds.

For three quarters I would have given the refs a solid A
4th quarter.... D-

But it was a fun game to watch until them. Temple was the bomb. Nene was dunking.

Entertained and we got a L mostly because the refs sucked in the 4th..... I'm happy.

Kevin passed well again. Even got a nice monster dunk.

[The Consiglieri]

All this tank **** is silly. They are trying to win every game.

It doesn't matter with about 11 of the last 17 on the road, I've had no doubt all along we were going to play our way back to a reasonable pre-lottery slot. The question isn't whether the tank will run, its how well it will run.

[WizardsWorld]

Looks like we tanked !!! Sounds good to me.... and looks like John and Nene had nice games, looked good and we lost a close won. Now these are the good kinda tank games we're lookin for !

[RustyMagoo]

Ping Pong balls!

[fishercob]

I am amazed at how many people are trying to lay this loss on the refs. The Wizards -- the supposedly top-tier defense -- allowed 119 points to the worst team in the league.

The Wizards DRtg coming into the game was 102.6; the Cats ORtg was 101. The Wizards allowed an ORtg of 126.3!!

The Wizards simply did not show up defensively. It was a shameful effort for which there should be repercussions.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Looks like we tanked !!! Sounds good to me.... and looks like John and Nene had nice games, looked good and we lost a close won. Now these are the good kinda tank games we're lookin for !

I think it was mostly refs, but if we did tank it is a masterful strategy.

With Wall hitting threes, Temple showing out, Kevin showing life and growth, Nene and Booker over the rim; I am not mad if Randy Wittman closes out games with Vesely shooting threes and FTs down the stretch.

Guys do need to play and be developed. This season is turning out to be pretty good in spite of.

[Dark Faze]

Refs were crazy.

It got to the point where the refs knew they couldn't call the obvious fouls that were happening every other play.

I'm just happy the Wiz got out without an injury. Good tank loss.

[payitforward]

I am amazed at how many people are trying to lay this loss on the refs. ...The Wizards simply did not show up defensively.

+1

It was a shameful effort for which there should be repercussions.

Well, I wouldn't go that far! Give the other guys some credit, and just accept that if a couple of our guys have off games we are likely to lose (esp. on the road). Beal had nothing last night; his performance itself was enough to cost us a close game. It happens....

The statement above that Wall's 6 turnovers didn't really hurt us was kind of ridiculous. Each of them cost us a chance to score the basketball, so of course they hurt us. His 6 fouls hurt us too. Not that he was terrible overall -- not at all -- but a better game from him, or a good one from Beal, and we would have, or at least might have, won.

Garrett Temple's performance was really outstanding; he played like a San Antonio Spur!! It's great when a guy has a real chance to play and then shows so well. Happy for him.

[closg00]

Anyone want to bash Walker over Vesely today?

[payitforward]

Anyone want to bash Walker over Vesely today?

Walker had a terrific game last night. He's a much improved player this year over last, but he wouldn't have been my choice at #6 with Leonard on the board.

Still... the choice we did make was wasted -- along w/ our other round 1 choice in 2011 and our high round 2 pick that year -- what a draft!

[Dat2U]

Walker was my choice so last night hurt a bit. I'd still take Walker over Leonard but not over Faried.

Wall played very well. Two of those TOs definitely weren't his fault.

Nene's defense has really fallen off a cliff lately. Same with Okafor. Both look a step slow. Booker was terrible.

[AWIZZINGBULLET]

Don't worry about it Liver_Pooty. Being a Wizards fan for years can destroy your brain cells pretty quickly. You probably understand.

Lol. I wouldn't say all that but I'll admit i'm two for two in misreading posts of late, on a bit of a run. Just been too eager to defend Wizards' players, have to remember to take 10 deep breaths before responding--- I'll be alright. Really, I will.

[Ruzious]

Speaking of which, the proof will be in the pooting for the Wiz D tomorrow at OKC. If they don't play better D, we could see 140 points... by OKC. But I'll go out on a limb and predict the Wiz give up less than that.

[AWIZZINGBULLET]

Speaking of which, the proof will be in the pooting for the Wiz D tomorrow at OKC. If they don't play better D, we could see 140 points... by OKC. But I'll go out on a limb and predict the Wiz give up less than that.

I know, let's hope they don't stink it up again.

[nuposse04]

Speaking of which, the proof will be in the pooting for the Wiz D tomorrow at OKC. If they don't play better D, we could see 140 points... by OKC. But I'll go out on a limb and predict the Wiz give up less than that.

Think we play PHX, who just blew out the Lakers (although they needed to in order to try go get LA outta the playoffs so they can have their pick)...I think we get a better defensive showing...Beal is due for a good game, he laid a goose egg last night. PHX should probably be trying to tank again.

[dobrojim]

Refs helped the tank big time with this bs

+1

the charge call, as posted by another person, was inexplicable. The ref
that called it must have had a bad angle. If John had used her forearm to
push off, good call. The replay I saw showed little evidence of that, therefore
it has to be a block. That was game changer.

Good signs - Wall continued to shoot darn well.
KSera actually dunked in traffic and on another play passed for an assist, hockey or
otherwise, out of a double team. Woohoo.

Garret Temple has been playing outstanding ball, especially shooting.

Bad signs - how'd we allow them to score that much?
Our D had a huge let down. Not typical of how we've been playing.

[dobrojim]

I am amazed at how many people are trying to lay this loss on the refs. The Wizards -- the supposedly top-tier defense -- allowed 119 points to the worst team in the league.

The Wizards DRtg coming into the game was 102.6; the Cats ORtg was 101. The Wizards allowed an ORtg of 126.3!!

The Wizards simply did not show up defensively. It was a shameful effort for which there should be repercussions.

True we didn't play particularly well on D. No denying that.
Also true that CHA shot much better than they normally do.
Substandard defense only accounts for so much of that.
Every dog has its day. Last night was CHA's.
If we were chasing a playoff spot, I'd be PO'd.
As it is, meh.

[hands11]

I am amazed at how many people are trying to lay this loss on the refs. The Wizards -- the supposedly top-tier defense -- allowed 119 points to the worst team in the league.

The Wizards DRtg coming into the game was 102.6; the Cats ORtg was 101. The Wizards allowed an ORtg of 126.3!!

The Wizards simply did not show up defensively. It was a shameful effort for which there should be repercussions.

True we didn't play particularly well on D. No denying that.
Also true that CHA shot much better than they normally do.
Substandard defense only accounts for so much of that.
Every dog has its day. Last night was CHA's.
If we were chasing a playoff spot, I'd be PO'd.
As it is, meh.

I think that was the most points any team has scored against them all year. CHA was on fire. But so were the Wizards. Really came down to the refs in the 4th.

[payitforward]

Since John Wall returned (this was Ted's notion of a "new beginning"), we are 18-15.

Now, a season has as many home games as it has away games obviously, so if 18 the games had been home games and 15 away games, you'd conclude that we are a .500 team. Or, rather, it would be more accurate to say you'd have no grounds for concluding from those wins and losses that we were better than a .500 team.

But, in fact, only 17 were home games, so why not say that we are now just a little better than a .500 team. At least off that set of data.

Of course, it'd be interesting to look at the records of the teams we played in those 33 games, and see how they'd fared against the rest of the league up to the day we played them, but... that's a lot of trouble! Still, I wish I knew, because in fact without that info we don't really know how good a team we are now that John is back. I.e. if we happened to play a relatively weak schedule, that'd say that maybe we aren't really a .500 team. If we played a strong schedule on the other hand, that would indicate we might be better than a .500 team.

Ok, I had a few minutes to kill before getting ready to go out to dinner. Hence this blah blah blah....

But I would like to know all the same!

[hands11]

I think what kind of team they can be is still evolving.

Pre Beal flipping the switch or after
Pre Wall finding pace and a jumper or after.

What we haven't gotten to see yet is both Wall and Beal with it going together though we got a small look at it during the PHX game.

Plus Kevin has progressed in important areas. Areas that don't show up as pts but that do help add depth.
And now Temple is developing his game as well. More depth. It shows they can get by with Price.

Offensively, last night was a monster game for them but even then, Beal didn't even have an average game.

What I am getting at is this, I don't think we have seen their best game yet where they put it all together...though I must say, the PHX game would be damn close. But that was against PHX.

Since the OKC win they are 19-15 but only 4-11 on the road having only won 1 road game before the run. So the road record is getting better but that kind of road record holds you back. Hard to break away from .500 level ball unless you they can improve there.

That is clearly their next challenge. Last night was a missed opportunity to make progress. But the lose did keep them in the 22 to 23 win pack which is 7 teams deep. A nice road lose to PHX would really help. Then they can come back and show something by trying to win one on the road against LAL, GS, and OKC. Those kind of road win would mean a lot more to their confidence and mean more as a measure of where they are.