BACKUP Game Thread - Wizards vs Magic (12/2/13)

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Whoops. See comments below.

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[noworriesinmd]

wizardry & dobrojim, I would not worry about the Booth.

Last week, people were ready to nuke the team. Few people in DC believe in this team, and the team has given no reason for them to do so. The sellouts will come. Attendance is BETTER than last year (geez, I'm turning into hands with all the positivity). Also, I've noticed that most games are dominated with Wiz fans vs other team's fans in the lower level (vs the past few years). I'm also seeing the same people at games...meaning that people are not selling or ignoring games. How can we expect anyone to jump on this team's bandwagon...when they are .500?! They started the season 2-7. My friends, up until recently, teased me for being a season ticket holder. I could not even give away my seats in Sec 100 for the Minny game.

Again, they have to get warm...not even hot. Basketball is going to be much bigger than the Nats and Skins, once people start getting a playoff sweat. It will get loud...but the team needs to prove to the city that they should get emotionally invested. I still remember people booing Wall to miss free throws last year. That has not happened this year.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I gotta give the Wiz credit for last night's win - especially considering the start of this game thread. Hopefully, it doesn't mean we'll see more LuvaBulls populating future game threads - we don't need them to win.

You *used to* be one of my favorite posters on this board.

"Did she say the name is Evander?" Looks fierce to me. I wouldn't cross her.

Actually pine, with BJ Penn opening up UFC Gyms there are more and more women who could kick my butt. There are some who wrestle (guys) in HS and who are serious martial artists. They could make a Luvabull tapout!

Gotta confess I do find a lady who lives nearby attractive...even though she's a Muay Thai practitioner who owns a pitbull. :shock:


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[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I am glad the Wizards don't have a losing record.

Imagine if they make playoffs and have home court!

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[wizardry]

wizardry & dobrojim, I would not worry about the Booth.

Last week, people were ready to nuke the team. Few people in DC believe in this team, and the team has given no reason for them to do so. The sellouts will come. Attendance is BETTER than last year (geez, I'm turning into hands with all the positivity). Also, I've noticed that most games are dominated with Wiz fans vs other team's fans in the lower level (vs the past few years). I'm also seeing the same people at games...meaning that people are not selling or ignoring games. How can we expect anyone to jump on this team's bandwagon...when they are .500?! They started the season 2-7. My friends, up until recently, teased me for being a season ticket holder. I could not even give away my seats in Sec 100 for the Minny game.

Again, they have to get warm...not even hot. Basketball is going to be much bigger than the Nats and Skins, once people start getting a playoff sweat. It will get loud...but the team needs to prove to the city that they should get emotionally invested. I still remember people booing Wall to miss free throws last year. That has not happened this year.

[Ruzious]

I gotta give the Wiz credit for last night's win - especially considering the start of this game thread. Hopefully, it doesn't mean we'll see more LuvaBulls populating future game threads - we don't need them to win.

You *used to* be one of my favorite posters on this board.

Oh yeah, I also meant to say

[noworriesinmd]

I really like the lineup of
Wall/Ariza/Webster/Gortat/Nene

I really like Ves being inserted randomly in that lineup. So many fans want to cheer for him. He is such an energy guy. The refs have it out for him. There were 2-3 fouls on Ves that CLEARLY should have gone the other way. Players/Refs pick on him. I'd get frustrated too.

Gortat is a beast defensively, but I'm not overly impressed with his offense. The one quality I like about him, causes him to be a liability...he gets emotional. If someone scores on him, he will keep the ball and try to do the same (bad shot and all). He is such a badass! Vic and him were battling soo much. I really like the Nene/Gortat combo. They will bang with the best of them.

Booker is a "black hole" He rarely passed the ball. It's a quality that concerns me.

GRJ, sigh, people were screaming for him to be put in the game. I have no idea why. He looked like a dear in headlights his past games and played 1 on 5 this game. Funny, when he was finally put in...the guy behind me said he was going to take 7 shots...In the span of 1 min he took three. GRJ = Kobe ilght. I think he is a 2nd round pick that needs more development.

If Porter is a good facilitator, I'd love to see a Porter/Beal dominated lineup that takes a Harden type role. I really like Beal, but I'd rather have two of him vs 1. If Ariza and Webster are stalking the corner three, Wall up top with Nene/Gortat in the middle...that is one awesome starting 5. With Porter/Beal as the "sixth man", that lineup will not give up leads. The problem is I don't know if Porter/Beal can create their own shot.

[wizardry]

wizardry & dobrojim, I would not worry about the Booth.

Last week, people were ready to nuke the team. Few people in DC believe in this team, and the team has given no reason for them to do so. The sellouts will come. Attendance is BETTER than last year (geez, I'm turning into hands with all the positivity). Also, I've noticed that most games are dominated with Wiz fans vs other team's fans in the lower level (vs the past few years). I'm also seeing the same people at games...meaning that people are not selling or ignoring games. How can we expect anyone to jump on this team's bandwagon...when they are .500?! They started the season 2-7. My friends, up until recently, teased me for being a season ticket holder. I could not even give away my seats in Sec 100 for the Minny game.

Again, they have to get warm...not even hot. Basketball is going to be much bigger than the Nats and Skins, once people start getting a playoff sweat. It will get loud...but the team needs to prove to the city that they should get emotionally invested. I still remember people booing Wall to miss free throws last year. That has not happened this year.

Considering we've had 4 rotational players hurt most the year. .500 is pretty good for a team thats been 30 games below .500 since 2009. Wizards are finally heading in the right direction. There is plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Wizards are winning nuff said

[jeffsays]

wizardry & dobrojim, I would not worry about the Booth.

Last week, people were ready to nuke the team. Few people in DC believe in this team, and the team has given no reason for them to do so. The sellouts will come. Attendance is BETTER than last year (geez, I'm turning into hands with all the positivity). Also, I've noticed that most games are dominated with Wiz fans vs other team's fans in the lower level (vs the past few years). I'm also seeing the same people at games...meaning that people are not selling or ignoring games. How can we expect anyone to jump on this team's bandwagon...when they are .500?! They started the season 2-7. My friends, up until recently, teased me for being a season ticket holder. I could not even give away my seats in Sec 100 for the Minny game.

Again, they have to get warm...not even hot. Basketball is going to be much bigger than the Nats and Skins, once people start getting a playoff sweat. It will get loud...but the team needs to prove to the city that they should get emotionally invested. I still remember people booing Wall to miss free throws last year. That has not happened this year.

I love going to the wizards games, so if you're ever looking to sell please let me know. It also seems as if most wiz fans don't make noise until the fourth quarter. It's almost as if they don't want to get invested and loud until they know it matters.

[Jay81]

Rim protectors or shot blockers? I think Nene/Gortat are both so massively beefy guys that it'd be really intimidating to drive on them. Plus Gortat is a *good* shotblocker especially for a guy that has an Antaeusian* need to never leave his feet. His arms are always straight up and if you go up soft, he stuffs it right there on the spot without even jumping.

I'm drunk enough on the kool-aide to think that between our 5 starters (Wall Beal Ariza Nene Gortat) and 3 bench players (Webster, Vesely, and pg to be named) we would have a pretty solid 8 man rotation and leaves room for Porter and future draft picks to be worked in at Randy's leisure. Junior Rice seems to show promise.

Yes. I did just invoke Vesely. It finally dawned on me why Vesely plays so terrified. He has delusions of playing extended minutes! No Jan. You get 15 mpg regardless of how many fouls you get or how many points you score so just get in there and get your Birdman on. There is no reward for getting less fouls or more points. None. All you have to do is grab boards and finish oops and you'll be a millionaire for it. So far this season I like the reckless Baby Huey brand of basketball he's bringing to the table.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antaeus

Where is all this Vesely love coming from? Jan is suddenly a good rotation player? When did this happen?

Is he rebounding the ball a little bit better? Yes and that's good (11.3 to 15.0 TRB%) but it's not making much of a difference considering how his usage (9.9%) is even lower than in previous years but his efficiency is embarrassingly bad (.441 TS%/.419 EFG%) and the TO rate has spiked to 23.3%.

Vesely is still a bad basketball player. His WS48 is right in line with his career averages (.066).

i mentioned this a few days ago when people were loving on him? I have not seen any improvement. If anything his basketball skills are regressing if thats possible. All I am seeing is that he is hustling more and is good at spiking balls back to the guards after a missed shot. his volley ball skills have improved but not his basketball

[Zonkerbl]

Jan is ok if he sticks with what he does well. He's still decent on help defense, still a good hustle player, still a fairly decent offensive rebounder (with those crazy Rodman-style volleyball rebounds). Still a decent team player on offense and defense and should continue to make cuts. Should not look for a jump shot but take it if the defense gives him time. If he would get his head straight his jump shot would come back. He was not this bad in Europe.

He's skinny and can be bullied, he needs to learn how to flop constantly, Reggie Miller style. Last game he was doing it a little and it at least got into his opponent's head somewhat. He tried bulking up last season and that took away all his athleticism, so he's going to have to learn to play at a lower weight, force the refs to call offensive fouls. He needs to go to full defcon 5 Vlade Divac flopping mode. Drop like you've been shot by a sniper every time you are grabbed, bumped, or tripped.

He's learning to get away with a little secret hip check on screens.

He shouldn't post up, or ever stop moving on offense for any reason. Basically needs to use his brain to maximize his advantages and minimize his disadvantages, and he can be a decent backup PF, worth a bi-annual exception or so.

[wizardry]

[verbal8]

Why isn't Maynor in the photo?

[mohammed10]

Why isn't Maynor in the photo?

...and why is Otto still in street clothes???

[payitforward]

Ariza has been playing great since coming back from the hamstring injury, but let's get a grip. He's still a role player with no handle and is turnover-prone....

...and if Al every gets back on the court again assuming he doesn't retire, it help our bench.

Huh?

Ariza averages 2.3 TOs per 40 minutes this year. That's extremely good. For example, it's less than Al Harrington. And, it goes w/o saying Ariza is the better player in every other possible way too. Not a role player at all -- a way above average NBA SF.

But when he gets the ball and isn't in a catch and shoot situation - and tries to create, it's often problematic. Luckily, he understands his role and usually sticks to it. That's why what team you're on DOES matter. He's been at his best when he had teammates who could create and he could stick to his role of being a spot-up shooter.

When he "tries to create" he does what he does least well, so sure it's problematic. But you judge players a) on their overall contribution, b) on what they do well (many things in Ariza's case), and c) never ever on what they "can't do."

Limits are what we are all inside of.

[noworriesinmd]

I love going to the wizards games, so if you're ever looking to sell please let me know. It also seems as if most wiz fans don't make noise until the fourth quarter. It's almost as if they don't want to get invested and loud until they know it matters.

So noted.

[noworriesinmd]

Ves is NOT AN ALL-STAR, but he is better than Singleton, Maynor, and Temple. He does a lot that does not show on the stat sheet. If you are at a game watch him. If anything he can be used to tire bigs with his constant movement.

[TGW]

Why isn't Maynor in the photo?

...and why is Otto still in street clothes???

Why are you guys asking questions you already know the answer to?

[wizardry]

Ves is NOT AN ALL-STAR, but he is better than Singleton, Maynor, and Temple. He does a lot that does not show on the stat sheet. If you are at a game watch him. If anything he can be used to tire bigs with his constant movement.

You mean aimlessly wondering

[dobrojim]

I love going to the wizards games, so if you're ever looking to sell please let me know. It also seems as if most wiz fans don't make noise until the fourth quarter. It's almost as if they don't want to get invested and loud until they know it matters.

So noted.

+1

in fact, I may want to sell my tix for Friday night, almost a sure W vs MIL.

My daughter's team has a game that evening, starts at 530 (Reston), so if I went to
the zards game, I would be late and I hate being late.