Line-ups, rotation, analysis thread.

[nate33]

I would have been EXTREMELY PLEASED had the Wizards made THIS SHARP two moves:

1. Draft Walker Kessler (Dat, I disagree with you on this kid. Time will tell which of us is right.)
2. REALIZE WES UNSELD JR already tipped his hand re. Daniel Gafford. TRADE GAFFORD because he's LOSING OUT UNFAIRLY behind Kristaps Porzingis.

I would have traded Gafford for an expiring player and DROPPED THAT OLD PLAYER (Gibson?)

You think playing Porzingis over Gafford is unfair? Have you seen how productive Porzingis has been in a Wizards uniform?

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

[dckingsfan]

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

My thinking as well... my question is what will Wes do when one of them is missing (or both). That is really going to mess with his rotations (IMO).

[DCZards]

I agree with this take.

Johnny Davis is not destined to spend the season in the G League
I’ve seen a lot of comments about Davis belonging in the G League for the entire season. Don’t bank on that.
By Matt Modderno

This is purely speculation and not reporting, but I can’t see Wizards’ rookie Johnny Davis spending significant time in the G League. There’s no track record to support the Wizards sending a first-round pick to the G League and Tommy Sheppard has made comments in the past about not drafting players in the lottery to have them spend time in the G League.

No matter how rough Davis has looked to this point, the Wizards are going to give him plenty of opportunities to show they didn’t make a mistake by taking him with the 10th pick. Yes, playing more minutes against professional players may help him adjust to the speed of the NBA game. However, spending time around his Wizards teammates, many of whom are seasoned veterans at this point, could prove even more valuable. At least in Year 1.

Because Davis doesn’t have blow-by speed or athleticism, he’s going to have to rely on his brain to create advantages for himself. Spending time around players like Monte Morris, who aren’t elite athletes either, will allow him to pick their brains and learn the little tricks that have helped them be successful.

Kyle Kuzma has spoken glowingly about his time learning from Rajon Rondo and how Rondo taught him how to watch film most effectively. That’s what Davis needs to learn and he’s not going to do so while on a road trip to play the College Park Skyhawks.

https://www.bulletsforever.com/platform/amp/2022/10/3/23385303/rookie-johnny-davis-g-league-capital-city-go-go-corey-kispert-tommy-sheppard

[payitforward]

...Imagine trading say, Kuzma, Rui, Morris and Barton for a healthy Kawhi Leonard....

I'm trying, nate -- but I can't imagine it w/o breaking out in guffaws!

[payitforward]

I agree with this take.

Johnny Davis is not destined to spend the season in the G League
I’ve seen a lot of comments about Davis belonging in the G League for the entire season. Don’t bank on that.
By Matt Modderno

This is purely speculation and not reporting, but I can’t see Wizards’ rookie Johnny Davis spending significant time in the G League. There’s no track record to support the Wizards sending a first-round pick to the G League and Tommy Sheppard has made comments in the past about not drafting players in the lottery to have them spend time in the G League.

No matter how rough Davis has looked to this point, the Wizards are going to give him plenty of opportunities to show they didn’t make a mistake by taking him with the 10th pick. Yes, playing more minutes against professional players may help him adjust to the speed of the NBA game. However, spending time around his Wizards teammates, many of whom are seasoned veterans at this point, could prove even more valuable. At least in Year 1.

Because Davis doesn’t have blow-by speed or athleticism, he’s going to have to rely on his brain to create advantages for himself. Spending time around players like Monte Morris, who aren’t elite athletes either, will allow him to pick their brains and learn the little tricks that have helped them be successful.

Kyle Kuzma has spoken glowingly about his time learning from Rajon Rondo and how Rondo taught him how to watch film most effectively. That’s what Davis needs to learn and he’s not going to do so while on a road trip to play the College Park Skyhawks.

https://www.bulletsforever.com/platform/amp/2022/10/3/23385303/rookie-johnny-davis-g-league-capital-city-go-go-corey-kispert-tommy-sheppard

Absolutely. Give him as many minutes as possible! Guys who have succeeded against odds in the past are good bets to succeed against odds going forward.

These two questions --

1. Can/will Johnny Davis become a good NBA player?
2. Was picking Johnny Davis the right/best way for the Wizards to use the #10 pick in the 2022 draft?

-- are NOT the same. In fact, they are not related in any way whatever.

The answer to the first question is unknown.
The answer to the second question is "No, it sure as h#ll wasn't!"

[payitforward]

Here's the boxscore from Eason's first NBA game:

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401474847
...

Very impressive!

Have you seen what your guy Kennedy Chandler did in his first pre-season game for the Grizz?

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401474843

Pretty good, I'd say....

[nate33]

...Imagine trading say, Kuzma, Rui, Morris and Barton for a healthy Kawhi Leonard....

I'm trying, nate -- but I can't imagine it w/o breaking out in guffaws!

From the last page:

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that such a trade was realistic. I was just demonstrating that the players that exist on are team would be real solid, if only there was a true superstar leading them. They're good NBA players. They're just being asked to do too much.

[payitforward]

...Imagine trading say, Kuzma, Rui, Morris and Barton for a healthy Kawhi Leonard....

I'm trying, nate -- but I can't imagine it w/o breaking out in guffaws!

From the last page:

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that such a trade was realistic. I was just demonstrating that the players that exist on are team would be real solid, if only there was a true superstar leading them. They're good NBA players. They're just being asked to do too much.

Oh I know....

You make an extremely good point: at the deadline last year, & this off season, we acquired some good NBA players -- KP, Barton, Morris & Wright in particular, & in a different way Gibson too. But, if this crew -- along with Beal, Deni, Gafford, Corey & whatever we get from anyone else -- is being asked to be a contending team, a team whose maximum potential is anything more than maybe a bit above .500 if all goes extremely well, then that is by no means going to work.

& this points to the real problem -- even if successful, what we've done is rob the team of any significant positive future for many years to come. We may have achieved mediocrity, who knows, but we've done so at the cost of any chance to be better than that, to be really good.

Even more importantly, perhaps "the real problem" is that that's all our owner & FO want: mediocrity.

They have neither the interest nor the ability to achieve anything better than that.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I would have been EXTREMELY PLEASED had the Wizards made THIS SHARP two moves:

1. Draft Walker Kessler (Dat, I disagree with you on this kid. Time will tell which of us is right.)
2. REALIZE WES UNSELD JR already tipped his hand re. Daniel Gafford. TRADE GAFFORD because he's LOSING OUT UNFAIRLY behind Kristaps Porzingis.

I would have traded Gafford for an expiring player and DROPPED THAT OLD PLAYER (Gibson?)

You think playing Porzingis over Gafford is unfair? Have you seen how productive Porzingis has been in a Wizards uniform?

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

Yes.

The only reason Westbrook AND the rest of the Wizards made the playoffs was GAFFORD AS UTILIZED BY PREVIOUS COACH, Scott Brooks. WUJ is possibly a bit obtuse as to OPTIONS AND CHOICES

The young man took a backseat not a pay cut. HE GOT A HUGE RAISE BUT ALSO is trapped in numbers. No matter what DG is backing KP. F that

[payitforward]

I would have been EXTREMELY PLEASED had the Wizards made THIS SHARP two moves:

1. Draft Walker Kessler (Dat, I disagree with you on this kid. Time will tell which of us is right.)
2. REALIZE WES UNSELD JR already tipped his hand re. Daniel Gafford. TRADE GAFFORD because he's LOSING OUT UNFAIRLY behind Kristaps Porzingis.

I would have traded Gafford for an expiring player and DROPPED THAT OLD PLAYER (Gibson?)

You think playing Porzingis over Gafford is unfair? Have you seen how productive Porzingis has been in a Wizards uniform?

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

Yes.

The only reason Westbrook AND the rest of the Wizards made the playoffs was GAFFORD AS UTILIZED BY PREVIOUS COACH, Scott Brooks. WUJ is possibly a bit obtuse as to OPTIONS AND CHOICES

The young man took a backseat not a pay cut. HE GOT A HUGE RAISE BUT ALSO is trapped in numbers. No matter what DG is backing KP. F that

I think this is kind of a non-issue, CCJ.

Not that KP was actually more productive than Gafford in a Wizards uniform last year. I don't think he was, but people are bound to have different takes on that subject, especially b/c the ways the two guys were productive were pretty different; they're hard to compare.

In any case, it doesn't matter -- one guy's play is not a critique of the other guy's play, & they were both good.

The reason I say it's a non-issue is b/c, as nate points out, Gafford has pretty much demonstrated that he can't play much more than 20 minutes a game. As long as he gets those 20 minutes, I don't care whether he's out there for the tip off of the game.

It'll be interesting to see whether, as nate suggests might happen, they are sometimes on the floor together. That would be fun to watch.

[doclinkin]

I'd also say it's a non-issue in 2 additional ways.

Porzingis is bound to see load management. Not playing back-to-backs. Caution on behalf of the medical staff, etc. Even if he proves remarkably healthy, which has not been his history. Gafford will start games.

I also think if we are consistently starting a line-up of Morris, Beal, Rui, Kuzma, Porzingis, then on many nights the back-ups are going to be more successful than our starters.

Wright
Barton
Kispert
Deni
Gafford

Has size, athleticism, veteran savvy, shooting, and most of all: defense. Every player but Kispert has shown solid defense at times. I like the chances of this crew to go on runs fueled by outside shooting and lobs to Gafford.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

You think playing Porzingis over Gafford is unfair? Have you seen how productive Porzingis has been in a Wizards uniform?

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

Yes.

The only reason Westbrook AND the rest of the Wizards made the playoffs was GAFFORD AS UTILIZED BY PREVIOUS COACH, Scott Brooks. WUJ is possibly a bit obtuse as to OPTIONS AND CHOICES

The young man took a backseat not a pay cut. HE GOT A HUGE RAISE BUT ALSO is trapped in numbers. No matter what DG is backing KP. F that

I think this is kind of a non-issue, CCJ.

Not that KP was actually more productive than Gafford in a Wizards uniform last year. I don't think he was, but people are bound to have different takes on that subject, especially b/c the ways the two guys were productive were pretty different; they're hard to compare.

In any case, it doesn't matter -- one guy's play is not a critique of the other guy's play, & they were both good.

The reason I say it's a non-issue is b/c, as nate points out, Gafford has pretty much demonstrated that he can't play much more than 20 minutes a game. As long as he gets those 20 minutes, I don't care whether he's out there for the tip off of the game.

It'll be interesting to see whether, as nate suggests might happen, they are sometimes on the floor together. That would be fun to watch.

I respect my elders.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I'd also say it's a non-issue in 2 additional ways.

Porzingis is bound to see load management. Not playing back-to-backs. Caution on behalf of the medical staff, etc. Even if he proves remarkably healthy, which has not been his history. Gafford will start games.

I also think if we are consistently starting a line-up of Morris, Beal, Rui, Kuzma, Porzingis, then on many nights the back-ups are going to be more successful than our starters.

Wright
Barton
Kispert
Deni
Gafford

Has size, athleticism, veteran savvy, shooting, and most of all: defense. Every player but Kispert has shown solid defense at times. I like the chances of this crew to go on runs fueled by outside shooting and lobs to Gafford.

I'm reading this as you're telling ME, "CCJ we (pif and doclinkin) THINK you're wrong, wrong, and also seconded as quite wrong".

Hmmm...in true Aquarian style (Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm) sometimes we stick our gut EVEN WHEN THE CONSENSUS SAYS we're wrong. I'm actually mentally spinning in a loop as I type. How can I save face? Do I take the arrogance option and say "THIS WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME I am right an all y'all wrong." ie Kirk and Boogie Cousins thread but that was 10-11 years ago. Paul Millsap. First two years of DeJuan Blair. Morris Almond's six games as a Wizard....

Or, else, I could listen to greater/sounder/calmer minds and ACTUALLY RESPECT informed opinions and ADMIT I COULD BE WRONG AS HELL. Like a Jose Canseco strikeout. I miss big, baby..

doclinkin, the second unit you allude to above is IMO better than the starters. No doubt.

I'm going to think now, thanks to you and PIF.

Non Issue ... but bottom line is DG is a starting NBA C and some team like the Lakers would give up a bunch...WAIT they're going to show a reclaimed Wizards castoff named Thomas Bryant in their playoffs. NVM

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Paying too much to bring the young man off the bench. Bad chemistry festers and brews when guys think they're better than the guy in front of them. Anticipate a choke point and do aversion best move OR do it the Wizards way. Double down on Bradley Beal type contract.

please accept my apologies for snarky or douche baggery type attitude. GOD IS SO GOOD that I'm SO HAPPY to be here in anticipation of the season... This roster is BETTER than last season...HOWEVER...

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Here's the boxscore from Eason's first NBA game:

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401474847
...

Very impressive!

Have you seen what your guy Kennedy Chandler did in his first pre-season game for the Grizz?

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401474843

Pretty good, I'd say....

Kennedy Chandler I can honestly admit I cannot recall at the moment but I DID NOTICE positively. Just the name makes me think good player.
I bet Walker (edited) Kessler turns out to be a really good, solid pro ... (as apparently, will Chandler also)

[nate33]

I would have been EXTREMELY PLEASED had the Wizards made THIS SHARP two moves:

1. Draft Walker Kessler (Dat, I disagree with you on this kid. Time will tell which of us is right.)
2. REALIZE WES UNSELD JR already tipped his hand re. Daniel Gafford. TRADE GAFFORD because he's LOSING OUT UNFAIRLY behind Kristaps Porzingis.

I would have traded Gafford for an expiring player and DROPPED THAT OLD PLAYER (Gibson?)

You think playing Porzingis over Gafford is unfair? Have you seen how productive Porzingis has been in a Wizards uniform?

I think there is a role for both guys since neither is really a heavy minute player. Start Porzingis and play him 30 minutes. Play Gafford the remaining 18 minutes at backup center. Gafford is a maximum effort type of guy, so he has trouble logging much more than 24 minutes anyhow.

Against certain matchups, both guys can get a few extra minutes by playing Porzingis at the 4.

Yes.

The only reason Westbrook AND the rest of the Wizards made the playoffs was GAFFORD AS UTILIZED BY PREVIOUS COACH, Scott Brooks. WUJ is possibly a bit obtuse as to OPTIONS AND CHOICES

The young man took a backseat not a pay cut. HE GOT A HUGE RAISE BUT ALSO is trapped in numbers. No matter what DG is backing KP. F that

While I agree that Gafford played better when alongside Westbrook, I don't attribute that to Brooks liking Gafford more and Wes somehow blackballing him. I think it's probably just that Westbrook was a better pick-and-roll guard than Dinwiddie/Neto so Gafford thrived when alongside him.

An even bigger factor was that Gafford did his damage against backups in short, high-energy spurts while under Brooks. Wes started Gafford so he had to go against top tier competition, and for longer stretches of time. That impacted his numbers.

There are very few coordinated 7-footers on the planet. Because of that, I believe the drop-off in physical ability between the top tier (top 15 or so) and the next tier (the next 40 or so) is much greater than at other positions. Therefore, at the center position, it's much harder to post good numbers against starters than against backups.

For reference, against starters on a per 36 basis last year, Gafford averaged:
16.1 pts
10.1 reb
2.6 blk
4.3 PF
.708 TS%

And against backups:
19.7 pts
10.4 reb
1.8 blk
3.9 PF
.706 TS%

His per 36 numbers two years ago under Brooks (exclusively as a backup):
20.6 pts
11.3 reb
3.6 blk
3.9 PF
.696 TS%

So, with respect to his scoring numbers, "backup Gafford" under Wes looks almost exactly like "backup Gafford" under Brooks. The main difference is that "starter Gafford" under Wes wasn't able to score as much, which is understandable. (Also, for some reason, Gafford's blocked shots and rebounding have declined a bit under Wes, but I seriously doubt Wes is telling him not to rebound.)

[dckingsfan]

My thoughts with regards to Gafford in this year's rotation, I think you first need to note that his minutes have gone up year over year - 609, 791 and 1444. That by itself represents a bit of a breakout (opinion).

If Wes could utilize Gafford and if Gafford could stay healthy and up his minutes to the 1600 range, that would be material and 2000 would be truly amazing.

And what do I mean by utilize. Who does Gafford play next to - I think it was alluded to but a Neto/Gafford duo is a fail.

So, the questions are if Gafford plays with Zinger, how does Gafford help in a high post offense. And when Zinger is off the floor, what is the best combination of players to run with Gafford and what should that offensive schema look like?

[payitforward]

I respect my elders.

Me too.
Alas, there are fewer & fewer of them!

[payitforward]

...bottom line is DG is a starting NBA C...

Productivity-wise there is no doubt about it!
Again, Gafford has shown over time that he only has 20 excellent minutes a night in him.

...the Lakers ...they're going to show a reclaimed Wizards castoff named Thomas Bryant in their playoffs.

Hope so!
I'm pretty sure I'm the biggest (or at least most vocal) Bryant fan on the board.

But, his situation is entirely about recovery. Physical recovery.
When he came back last year, he wasn't the same player he had been.

I'll be watching him -- & definitely rooting for him!

[Frichuela]

Johnny Davis, here is your chance for some minutes..

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