Wiz 2010 General Season Tracker - Grading - How we doing ?

[Ruzious]

Marc Stein, at it again.....

One source with knowledge of Washington’s thinking said recently that extensions for No. 6 Yi Jianlian and No. 14 Al Thornton would definitely be discussed, but that’s as far as it’s gone to this point. (Although I tend to believe that the Wiz, having watched Yi follow up his strong play in the World Championships in China with a good start in DC, could still try to sell him on an Andray Blatche-type deal.)

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_ ... extensions

Yeah right, an Al Thornton extension and "trying to sell Yi" on $35 million right before the new CBA. The Nets just coughed up $3 million in Russian rubles and swallowed Quintin Ross to get out of one crummy year of Yi at $4 million. Sure there were circumstances there, but now we're trying to talk him into $35 million guaranteed?
This is what happens when you "cover" all thirty teams. Embarrassing.

Yeah, "source with knowledge of Washington's thinking" my arse.

[gesa2]

I don't know. What would it look like to Yi and Thornton if Washington said "No way are we extending these losers. You think we're stupid?" Of course if Stein calls, they're gonna say they have internal discussions and are considering it. Doesn't mean the discussions went anywhere.

[montestewart]

I don't know. What would it look like to Yi and Thornton if Washington said "No way are we extending these losers. You think we're stupid?" Of course if Stein calls, they're gonna say they have internal discussions and are considering it. Doesn't mean the discussions went anywhere.

I can believe they said something just like that, but Hoopalotta's point is still sound: superficial hit-and-run reporting tries to make that sound like something other than the non-news you described. When reporters are trying to shake up a story, "nothing new here," doesn't sound very good.

[Hoopalotta]

Well, according to Stein, he didn't call the team and get a quote directly as it's a "source with knowledge of Washington's thinking" (I can just imagine the evocative soundbite that would been berthed of Ernie's candor if queried directly - as scintillating as a fresh coat of beige paint inside a shed in the outskirts of Hoboken).

If I had to speculate on Stein's source, I'd say it's a member of the Verizon's janitorial staff who's usual lucidity was compromised by the pungent fumes ingested during the installation of those new urinal cakes.

Thing is, this is the second time Stein has mentioned a Yi extension and he's the only guy to have said anything. Well, except that last time, Mike Lee quickly shot down the first rumor with a "has not been under consideration" counter and now we throw out the precedent of a $30+ million and add Al Thornton in? Al Thornton? I'll bet Dat's house that this doesn't go down. Stein should have had a little voice in the back of his head that said "wait a minute...", especially considering that he laid out all the fundamentals of why there's not going to be many rookie extensions this year in that article.

I think Stein's pretty good (we see that he completely laid out what he got from a source and what he speculated on his own), but this is not the kind of report that ups his rep.

[fishercob]

Hoop, you've been on fire the past few days. Wonderful stuff.

Guessing Stein's source is an agent, and probably Yi's.

[Hoopalotta]

"Your mother offers Al Thornton an extension" is supposedly a pejorative expression amongst native Andaman Islanders. Something of a double entendre in that language, though I can't quite piece it together in English.

Edit --> you know, it really should have been "your mother is open to extending Al Thronton". That would have been a lot better.

[gesa2]

"Your mother offers Al Thornton an extension" is supposedly a pejorative expression amongst native Andaman Islanders. Something of a double entendre in that language, though I can't quite piece it together in English.

Edit --> you know, it really should have been "your mother is open to extending Al Thronton". That would have been a lot better.

[hands11]

Final 2010 Roster Thread
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1024123&start=210

2010 Season Prediction Thread.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1045331

WP Polls
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... index.html

I posted these links on page 1 also so they will be easy to find later. I may add others threads such as player threads also. This way we have a directory of sorts for the season.

[hands11]

I dug through the thread and posted links to players appreciating threads and several of the prediction threads and other associated hot topic threads.

So if you are looking for a player thread that got buried and you don't want to dig through the pages, just go to page 1 of this thread.

15 minutes till tip off for Miami vs Boston

Those interested in joining a chat http://tinychat.com/ladouchettsvsboston

[doclinkin]

I dug through the thread and posted links to players appreciating threads and several of the prediction threads and other associated hot topic threads.

So if you are looking for a player thread that got buried and you don't want to dig through the pages, just go to page one of this thread.

Thanks for tracking them down, I posted the links on page one of the 'Links' thread to keep them at the top of the page.

[hands11]

Never saw those before but good to know. Seems we have different links though.

[doclinkin]

Never saw those before but good to know. Seems we have different links though.

Um, no, considering I only edited your links into my first post in the existing thread. Had to fold the links into the words just to save space on the page.
Like this: [url= link address] Descriptive phrase [/url ]
But they're there. Edited for clarity is all.

But seriously? You never actually read the 'rules' thread?

[hands11]

Never saw those before but good to know. Seems we have different links though.

Um, no, considering I only edited your links into my first post in the existing thread. Had to fold the links into the words just to save space on the page.
Like this: [url= link address] Descriptive phrase [/url ]
But they're there. Edited for clarity is all.

But seriously? You never actually read the 'rules' thread?

When I first started posting I did.

[montestewart]

Never saw those before but good to know. Seems we have different links though.

Um, no, considering I only edited your links into my first post in the existing thread. Had to fold the links into the words just to save space on the page.
Like this: [url= link address] Descriptive phrase [/url ]
But they're there. Edited for clarity is all.

But seriously? You never actually read the 'rules' thread?

I've never read the rules thread (hope that doesn't get me banned). I usually just open the box and connect wires until something works. I don't know whether it's the rules or the citizens, but this sure is a smooth running board.

[doclinkin]

Yeh I was just goofing on hands, since he's often griping about the mods, and occasionally seems like he'd like to be a moderator as well, but can't figure out who to strangle or sleep with to make that happen.

[pineappleheadindc]

Yeh I was just goofing on hands, since he's often griping about the mods, and occasionally seems like he'd like to be a moderator as well, but can't figure out who to strangle or sleep with to make that happen.

Uh, it's Miller....either way.

[hands11]

Yeh I was just goofing on hands, since he's often griping about the mods, and occasionally seems like he'd like to be a moderator as well, but can't figure out who to strangle or sleep with to make that happen.

I don't grip about the mods. You must have me confused with someone else.

As for who to sleep with ... it is a list that can be purchased for the right price. I'm sure you know the right people to get it. But don't eat before you read it and always consult a financial adviser first.

[hands11]

Season opener.

Gilbert Arenas will miss season's first two games [UPDATED]
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... seaso.html

Gilbert Arenas will miss at least the first two games of the regular season because of a strained tendon in his right ankle.

Gil and Howard not available to start the season.

Josh Howard at least a few weeks away from returning from knee surgery.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 06766.html

Predicted starting line up and back ups.

Wall/Hudson
Kirk/NY
AT/Martin/Booker
Dray/Yi
McGee/Armstrong/Seraphin

Extra 15. Gil, Howard, Hamady

Al Thornton, Nick Young and Yi Jianlian are likely to enter the Summer of ’11 with the Wizards holding the option on their qualifying offers, aka as restricted free-agents. No big deal here. Each is vastly unproven so it doesn’t make a ton of sense to lock into any of them for the unknown future.

Orlando will be a handful to go against to start the season. I have low expectations for this game but nothing will surprise me. I like having Hudson and Martin available considering you never know what you will get from Nick.

Wall will have a lot of room to contribute without Gil out there. So will Dray. Wall and Dray is better than anything we had last year. Anything could happen. I'll be looking to see what everyone does. Lots to learn about this team. I'm not counting this as a blow out just yet.

[hands11]

Ok, after 5 game we are 1-4.

Orlando was a blow out.
ATL was close enough
Sixers was an overtime win with a Marin buzzer beater to send it in to OT
NY raining 3s. They were just more athletic then us given who we played. The better team won
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1063594&start=240

Cleveland - this is the loss that has people upset. We could have won this one.

Had we won at against Cleveland we would be 2-3 and people would be handing it better.
Post game wrap up viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1064364&start=120

I'm not to worried yet. Young team on it's first back to back. Wall hasn't played that well the last two game and Gil is just coming back and has played only two games. 15 lbs overweight.

Dray is working himself back into shape. AT is playing better than many expected.
Kirk finally found his game against Cleveland

We are still just learning who we have and what each can go.

Biggest disappointment for me so far is Yi. I was hoping he would get under the boards and mix it up. What I see instead is the he is a SF. He actually plays with quick aggressive feet out on the perimeter and he has a smooth shot from outside. He also has a nice shot from the FT line.

As of now, this looks like we have.

Wall/Kirk/Hudson
Gil/Nick/Martin
AT/Yi
Dray/McGee/Booker
Armstrong/Seraphin

Kirk is a 1/2
Martin can play the 3 also
And of course we can play Dray at 5 and McGee also
Yi seems to only be a 3 the way he plays

We may as well well get Seraphin some minutes because we need more depth at center. That is what is hurting us the most.

[Hoopalotta]

Sounds like we might have some rookie bigs coming into the rotation soon.

Flip on the Bigs: There's some opportunity out there. There's some guys who haven't played that are going to have an opportunity to bust in and get more playing time.

Hopefully, that would mean Seraphin, though Booker might be more likely. It would not be surprising if Yi were the one pinched out.

There was a team meeting with the bigs too.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2010/11/8 ... #storyjump

We're also giving up the worst field goal percentage at the rim in the league at 73.3% (30th) on 17.6 makes (29th).

http://hoopdata.com/oteamshotlocs.aspx

I'll post the team stats in here from now on.....

Worth noting that as of now we're...

27th in offensive efficiency: 95.5 points per 100 possessions
25th in defensive efficiency: 106.8 points per 100 possessions
29th in Rebounding rate: 45.7%
29th in Scoring differential: -11.6 PPG