We need to go back to last years style of play

[Dat2U]

The team has been sloppy and a big part of it is the 4s not knowing what to do out on the perimeter (both with and without the ball). Gooden and Humphries are just not that comfortable doing anything but shoot from out there.

This is a very good point. Neither Gooden nor Hump are naturals at that S4 position...and it shows with their inability to handle and/or create for themselves or others when the 3 is not there. I almost prefer to see Hump go back to being a true PF with the focus of his offense being that midrange jumper that he shoots so well.

Unfortunately I don't think it makes a big difference with Hump. Teams don't seem to respect his jumper no matter what. Maybe if he became a high volume 3 pt shooter he could finally draw defenses out but teams seem determined to play off of him and live with whatever open shot he has.... mainly because he's too low usage to really hurt a team.

It's surprising that someone who's such a good mid-range shooter could be such a drag offensively but he's consistently been that throughout his career. Then when you add his defense to the equation which really doesn't move the needle either way... he's just a guy teams consistently lose with when he's in the lineup.

I think were better off with Gooden at PF and hope Dudley rounds in the shape soon so he can actually start there.

[TheSecretWeapon]

I don't think the team should make any significant changes based on three games. Give guys a chance to get accustomed to the new playing style and see how things are going 10-20 games in the season. Overreacting to a handful games is a losing strategy.

[Dat2U]

I don't think the team should make any significant changes based on three games. Give guys a chance to get accustomed to the new playing style and see how things are going 10-20 games in the season. Overreacting to a handful games is a losing strategy.

Agreed but I think were gonna see Dudley take the starting PF position sooner than later. He might have it already if had been healthy.

Other than swapping Dudley w/ Hump... I'd bench Neal and go with Temple but that's it.

[Ruzious]

I don't think the team should make any significant changes based on three games. Give guys a chance to get accustomed to the new playing style and see how things are going 10-20 games in the season. Overreacting to a handful games is a losing strategy.

Agreed but I think were gonna see Dudley take the starting PF position sooner than later. He might have it already if had been healthy.

Other than swapping Dudley w/ Hump... I'd bench Neal and go with Temple but that's it.

I do not want to see Dudley as the starting 4. He gives 100%, but his athleticism makes Hump look like Michael Jordan in his prime. And coming off an injury or not, he's not getting any quicker at his age - just the opposite.

[Dat2U]

I don't think the team should make any significant changes based on three games. Give guys a chance to get accustomed to the new playing style and see how things are going 10-20 games in the season. Overreacting to a handful games is a losing strategy.

Agreed but I think were gonna see Dudley take the starting PF position sooner than later. He might have it already if had been healthy.

Other than swapping Dudley w/ Hump... I'd bench Neal and go with Temple but that's it.

I do not want to see Dudley as the starting 4. He gives 100%, but his athleticism makes Hump look like Michael Jordan in his prime. And coming off an injury or not, he's not getting any quicker at his age - just the opposite.

Is Dudley nonathletic? Yes. But he's still runs circles around Kris Humphries as an all-around player.

I never have seen starting Kris as truly being a tenable option. He's a drag on our offense and I don't see how that's necessarily changing by him averaging 1-2 3pt attempts a game. It's not about him being a good outside shooter, it's whether opposing players are going to continue to cheat off Hump to seal off opportunities for Gortat & our guards.

[TheSecretWeapon]

Is Dudley nonathletic? Yes. But he's still runs circles around Kris Humphries as an all-around player.

Not sure I agree on this, though you might be correct. Last their wasn't much to distinguish them in terms of overall productivity. I continue to be dubious about Dudley as a starting PF considering his overall lack of athleticism and below average rebounding for a SF. That said, I don't view Humphries as a good option for starting at PF either. The Wizards don't have one, really. This goes back to their strategy of preserving cap space for next offseason. They're going to have to patch things together up front this season, and hopefully be able to get someone good for next year.

Their best option probably will be to start Porter and Dudley as "forwards" with PF or SF designations following defensive matchups. Once Dudley is healthy, of course. I worry about the rebounding, but perhaps they'll be able to induce other teams to match them with smaller lineups.

[Ruzious]

Agreed but I think were gonna see Dudley take the starting PF position sooner than later. He might have it already if had been healthy.

Other than swapping Dudley w/ Hump... I'd bench Neal and go with Temple but that's it.

I do not want to see Dudley as the starting 4. He gives 100%, but his athleticism makes Hump look like Michael Jordan in his prime. And coming off an injury or not, he's not getting any quicker at his age - just the opposite.

Is Dudley nonathletic? Yes. But he's still runs circles around Kris Humphries as an all-around player.

I never have seen starting Kris as truly being a tenable option. He's a drag on our offense and I don't see how that's necessarily changing by him averaging 1-2 3pt attempts a game. It's not about him being a good outside shooter, it's whether opposing players are going to continue to cheat off Hump to seal off opportunities for Gortat & our guards.

Hump is a better POWER FORWARD than Dudley. Nobody's saying Hump is at the level we want at PF - he's NOT; but he is the best all-around PF on this team. Even with Gooden's consistent inconsistency, I'd rather have him playing PF than Dudley. Rebounding matters, and Dudley can't carry their used smelly infested jocks in that area.

[Dat2U]

Nobody's saying Hump is at the level we want at PF - he's NOT; but he is the best all-around PF on this team. Even with Gooden's consistent inconsistency, I'd rather have him playing PF than Dudley. Rebounding matters, and Dudley can't carry their used smelly infested jocks in that area.

I disagree. I think Dudley IS the best PF on the roster. I we have seriously overrated Hump's productivity and ignored his inability to positively impact a game. Maybe 20 years ago, Hump is a rock solid player. In this day in age, he's an old school throwback whose best attribute is rebounding. Unfortunately being a good rebounder in this day & age doesn't excuse the fact he's basically ignored on offense by opposing defenses and that his defense is generally mediocre. In other words, he's consistently hurting you when he's out there.

Gooden is better because he's proven to be a legitimate enough threat from the perimeter to adequately space the floor. And his defense is generally on par with Kris albeit his defense is a little more inconsistent. He'll have stretches of really good or bad play while Kris' is what he is on the defensive side.

Dudley is a better PF on both sides. He gives up a lot of size but he's generally in the right spot and his b-ball IQ is sky high. Offensively he's a smart, heady passer and is a known threat from deep. Of course there are going to be issues on the boards but sacrificing boards for efficient offense isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[Ruzious]

Nobody's saying Hump is at the level we want at PF - he's NOT; but he is the best all-around PF on this team. Even with Gooden's consistent inconsistency, I'd rather have him playing PF than Dudley. Rebounding matters, and Dudley can't carry their used smelly infested jocks in that area.

I disagree. I think Dudley IS the best PF on the roster. I we have seriously overrated Hump's productivity and ignored his inability to positively impact a game. Maybe 20 years ago, Hump is a rock solid player. In this day in age, he's an old school throwback whose best attribute is rebounding. Unfortunately being a good rebounder in this day & age doesn't excuse the fact he's basically ignored on offense by opposing defenses and that his defense is generally mediocre. In other words, he's consistently hurting you when he's out there.

Gooden is better because he's proven to be a legitimate enough threat from the perimeter to adequately space the floor. And his defense is generally on par with Kris albeit his defense is a little more inconsistent. He'll have stretches of really good or bad play while Kris' is what he is on the defensive side.

Dudley is a better PF on both sides. He gives up a lot of size but he's generally in the right spot and his b-ball IQ is sky high. Offensively he's a smart, heady passer and is a known threat from deep. Of course there are going to be issues on the boards but sacrificing boards for efficient offense isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All 3 of them are hurting us when they're out there. None of them are adequate starters. You seem to think I like Hump as a starter - I don't. But the other 2 are clearly worse at this point in their careers. If I was going to form a YMCA team, I'd definitely pick Dudley. And if Gooden would assure me that he's going to not fall asleep on defense and move on offense when he doesn't have the ball, I'd pick him. But playing in the real world NBA, I'd take Hump.

[tontoz]

Other than shooting jumpers I agree that Hump just isn't very good. And he has to shoot more 3s to make the defense respect him. He seems a bit gunshy so far.

[Kanyewest]

The Wizards need to extend the rotation. Humphries and Gooden looked gassed out there at times. The Wizards might be better served going small at times to give them a breather. I would like to see Oubre see some minutes and maybe even Anderson if he gets back to full health. Man, a 100% Webster would be really nice too but I'm not expecting it to happen.

[gtn130]

If you're advocating for going back to the stone age and playing 2 bigs while taking an infinite number of long 2s, you should just stop watching the NBA.

Outside of Memphis, not one team is actively pursuing a style like that because it doesn't make any sense in today's NBA. Our offense last year was deliberately inefficient, and Beal's "improvement" this year is largely attributed to the fact that he's dramatically reduced the number of long 2s he's taking.

[gtn130]

Other than shooting jumpers I agree that Hump just isn't very good. And he has to shoot more 3s to make the defense respect him. He seems a bit gunshy so far.

Hump is bad, and he shouldn't be asked to put the ball on the floor. I think he'll end up being a good 3pt shooter, but he is super limited beyond that. The Dudley lineups thus far have been the best by far. Small sample and all, but I imagine Dudley will be absorbing the bulk of the minutes going forward.

[gtn130]

Nobody's saying Hump is at the level we want at PF - he's NOT; but he is the best all-around PF on this team. Even with Gooden's consistent inconsistency, I'd rather have him playing PF than Dudley. Rebounding matters, and Dudley can't carry their used smelly infested jocks in that area.

I disagree. I think Dudley IS the best PF on the roster. I we have seriously overrated Hump's productivity and ignored his inability to positively impact a game. Maybe 20 years ago, Hump is a rock solid player. In this day in age, he's an old school throwback whose best attribute is rebounding. Unfortunately being a good rebounder in this day & age doesn't excuse the fact he's basically ignored on offense by opposing defenses and that his defense is generally mediocre. In other words, he's consistently hurting you when he's out there.

Gooden is better because he's proven to be a legitimate enough threat from the perimeter to adequately space the floor. And his defense is generally on par with Kris albeit his defense is a little more inconsistent. He'll have stretches of really good or bad play while Kris' is what he is on the defensive side.

Dudley is a better PF on both sides. He gives up a lot of size but he's generally in the right spot and his b-ball IQ is sky high. Offensively he's a smart, heady passer and is a known threat from deep. Of course there are going to be issues on the boards but sacrificing boards for efficient offense isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All 3 of them are hurting us when they're out there. None of them are adequate starters. You seem to think I like Hump as a starter - I don't. But the other 2 are clearly worse at this point in their careers. If I was going to form a YMCA team, I'd definitely pick Dudley. And if Gooden would assure me that he's going to not fall asleep on defense and move on offense when he doesn't have the ball, I'd pick him. But playing in the real world NBA, I'd take Hump.

Dudley lineups have been the best by mile at this point.

[Dat2U]

I disagree. I think Dudley IS the best PF on the roster. I we have seriously overrated Hump's productivity and ignored his inability to positively impact a game. Maybe 20 years ago, Hump is a rock solid player. In this day in age, he's an old school throwback whose best attribute is rebounding. Unfortunately being a good rebounder in this day & age doesn't excuse the fact he's basically ignored on offense by opposing defenses and that his defense is generally mediocre. In other words, he's consistently hurting you when he's out there.

Gooden is better because he's proven to be a legitimate enough threat from the perimeter to adequately space the floor. And his defense is generally on par with Kris albeit his defense is a little more inconsistent. He'll have stretches of really good or bad play while Kris' is what he is on the defensive side.

Dudley is a better PF on both sides. He gives up a lot of size but he's generally in the right spot and his b-ball IQ is sky high. Offensively he's a smart, heady passer and is a known threat from deep. Of course there are going to be issues on the boards but sacrificing boards for efficient offense isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All 3 of them are hurting us when they're out there. None of them are adequate starters. You seem to think I like Hump as a starter - I don't. But the other 2 are clearly worse at this point in their careers. If I was going to form a YMCA team, I'd definitely pick Dudley. And if Gooden would assure me that he's going to not fall asleep on defense and move on offense when he doesn't have the ball, I'd pick him. But playing in the real world NBA, I'd take Hump.

Dudley lineups have been the best by mile at this point.

Yes... Dudley is so much better at the things unseen. His b-ball IQ blows away Kris & Drew. So despite Kris & Drew having the requisite size to play the position and Dudley being short, pudgy and nonathletic, Dudley is the guy that will actually help us win games. Kris may rebound... but we suffer in other areas. Drew can shoot 3s and be aggressive at times, but again he hurts us in other places.

[dckingsfan]

I think that Dudley, Humphries and Gooden give us depth. There will be times that each of them plays well - lots of options if one of them isn't playing well.

my two cents...

[AFM]

Are we calling him Jared Pudgy yet?

[Ruzious]

I disagree. I think Dudley IS the best PF on the roster. I we have seriously overrated Hump's productivity and ignored his inability to positively impact a game. Maybe 20 years ago, Hump is a rock solid player. In this day in age, he's an old school throwback whose best attribute is rebounding. Unfortunately being a good rebounder in this day & age doesn't excuse the fact he's basically ignored on offense by opposing defenses and that his defense is generally mediocre. In other words, he's consistently hurting you when he's out there.

Gooden is better because he's proven to be a legitimate enough threat from the perimeter to adequately space the floor. And his defense is generally on par with Kris albeit his defense is a little more inconsistent. He'll have stretches of really good or bad play while Kris' is what he is on the defensive side.

Dudley is a better PF on both sides. He gives up a lot of size but he's generally in the right spot and his b-ball IQ is sky high. Offensively he's a smart, heady passer and is a known threat from deep. Of course there are going to be issues on the boards but sacrificing boards for efficient offense isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All 3 of them are hurting us when they're out there. None of them are adequate starters. You seem to think I like Hump as a starter - I don't. But the other 2 are clearly worse at this point in their careers. If I was going to form a YMCA team, I'd definitely pick Dudley. And if Gooden would assure me that he's going to not fall asleep on defense and move on offense when he doesn't have the ball, I'd pick him. But playing in the real world NBA, I'd take Hump.

Dudley lineups have been the best by mile at this point.

Dudley had very little to do with that. Almost all of his minutes were in the 4th quarter - when Wall and Beal took over the game at both ends of the court by increasing the tempo against a tired and old SA backcourt. Halfcourt offense had very little to do with the Wiz success in the 4th quarter, and if you think Dudley was a reason for the increased tempo, God love you.

[Higga]

Dudley needs to start hitting those open 3s. Hopefully as he gets his legs under him he'll set himself apart from Hump, who has basically been a non factor from long range so far this year(he's a pretty solid rebounder though).

[gtn130]

All 3 of them are hurting us when they're out there. None of them are adequate starters. You seem to think I like Hump as a starter - I don't. But the other 2 are clearly worse at this point in their careers. If I was going to form a YMCA team, I'd definitely pick Dudley. And if Gooden would assure me that he's going to not fall asleep on defense and move on offense when he doesn't have the ball, I'd pick him. But playing in the real world NBA, I'd take Hump.

Dudley lineups have been the best by mile at this point.

Dudley had very little to do with that. Almost all of his minutes were in the 4th quarter - when Wall and Beal took over the game at both ends of the court by increasing the tempo against a tired and old SA backcourt. Halfcourt offense had very little to do with the Wiz success in the 4th quarter, and if you think Dudley was a reason for the increased tempo, God love you.

Dudley has played more than one game. If we subtract the Spurs game, Dudley still has the best on/off numbers.

Pre-Spurs game OffRtg on court:

Dudley: 126
Gooden: 118
Hump: 79

Spurs game OffRtg on court:

Dudley: 122
Gooden: 29
Hump: 114

It's obviously very early in the season, and the trio of PFs have been playing in different lineups with different sets of players, so these comparisons aren't entirely fair, but it appears to me that Dudley has been the best since he's the most adept at handling the ball, passing and making plays in general. We'll see how things play out, but my feeling is that Hump is lacking the skillset to do anything but stand and shoot whereas Dudley epitomizes the *cringe* glue guy role. That said, Hump has the most potential for growth, and he's had zero turnovers the last two games when it looked like turnovers would be a problem for him vs Orlando. Again, it's early and things can definitely change, but as of today I would bet on Dudley being the guy.