Slather me, Lather me, Blather me - 2011 Draft Thread 5

[Zonkerbl]

Dude may have no jumper but he has a superhero personality and an adorable girlfriend. How can you go wrong?

[hands11]

You gotta hand it to EG. He's certainly executing Leonsis' plan well. Every player drafted in the Leonsis era has been a hard worker who plays with energy and passion. In a couple of years after everyone gets some experience, this group should be a fun team to coach.

Has he picked anyone who can shoot? I guess the thought process is that players can learn to shoot if they have good work ethics.

I'm more than OK having games in the 80s that we have a good chance of winning

This was something I beat on years ago. Who scores more points then their opponents wins be it 82-80 or 120-118.

Come playoffs, you need to stop people and that makes most teams more perimeter oriented which not as many are good at when that is their only option.

I think back to that Denver team or was it GS that one year they scored like 130 a game and lost a ton because all they did was break and chuck shoots.

I get what they did. It was something I wanted years ago. It just wasnt what I wanted to see them do this year. My strategy I believe would have also improved the D some but it would have improved the offense more as well.

They went pure D more. It is a viable plan.

[sfam]

First off - 3 firsts for Kanter? No frickin way. The guy is not the next Karl Malone.

Timberwolves fans seem to think that would've been fair compensation.

Now that the draft has happened, I don't think I would trade our two picks we actually received for Kanter. I certainly different expect singleton to be there.

[dobrojim]

Anybody know if GMEG's presser is online?

He was going to speak at the Draft Party last night
but everyone headed for the exits after Singleton was
picked. Which isn't to say that the annoucement of
his pick was badly received. On the contrary, I thought
it was analogous to what happened here. Better received
than the JV pick.

[Induveca]

Vesely is giving no one the Haywood treatment. The kid weighs 230 if he's lucky at 6'11.

Don't fall for these YouTube highlights, all his highlights are in the open court on a break against weak defenders. I'll say it again, Danilo Gallinari routinely drove the lane for hard slams in the EU, and had highlights disturbingly similar. So did Maciej Lampe. So did Nikoloz Tskitishvili........

Most of these guys found out quickly that their EU games don't translate to the pros, and became attempted jump shooters/3 point bombers. Unfortunately, Vesely can't shoot AT ALL........and is weaker than all of those guys.

He certainly seems talented, but the kid is a MAJOR project.

Your argument against his length affecting shots is that he might not be able to dunk as often in the NBA?

I really don't understand the flow of your points. You either jumped to a completely different subject with no transition, or you were never actually responding to my post.

Illuminaire, I wasn't responding to you at all actually. Was just sort of my response to the entire thread and vibe of the past 15 pages or so......

[hands11]

Center: McGee starts, backed by Seraphin, NDiaye, and Blatche.

PF: Blatche, backed by Vesely and Booker. Lewis and Singleton can both go here too if needed.

SF: Singleton starts I think. Lewis may hold on to it if healthy or become a 6th man. Vesely and Young can also go here at times. I'd like to bring back Evans also.

SG: Young, backed by Crawford. Evans(?) and Jeffers, and possibly Mack.

PG: Wall, Crawford, Mack.

I cleaned this up to make counting easier.

C: McGee/Seraphin/NDiaye
PF: Blatche/Vesely/Booker
SF: Singleton/Lewis/Evans
SG: Young/Crawford./Jeffers
PG: Wall/Mack.

That is 14 so what are the 12 active. I doubt Singleton starts.


C: McGee/Seraphin ( vet role center or Hamady if he got better enough )
PF: Blatche/Booker/Vesely/Seraphin
SF: Lewis/Booker/Singleton/Vesely
SG: Young/Crawford
PG: Wall/Mack/Crawford

That is 12 and I don't like the balance at center or SG will. And they didnt add what they needed in pure shooters at any position short of maybe PG. This is why I didnt like the going pure D this year strategy. They could have added better shooters and rounded players. The still only have one pure shooter on the team and that is Nick. This is more of a Chicago mode. Win with D.

NDiaye/Jeffers

It's another evaluation year to see what Seraphin and Hamady can do because there is no help at center.

I'm not counting Evans in here though I liked him. They have to many SF already.
They also have enough SG Young, Craw, and Mack.
I dont think these rookies are going to get a ton of play right off the back. Singleton will be used for what he does, a defensive stopper. Ves is going to have to show he can play the NBA game and he will get worked in as he does.

What I see in that roster is a mess and lots that needs to be proven before you can decide who to keep or not. Mack negates some of Crawfords value since Craw played good at PG. Singleton takes something away from Booker.

To me, that roster looks like a mess unless a lot goes right.

I would have much rather seen.

C: McGee/Seraphin/Nikola
PF: Blatche/Lewis
SF: Booker/Tabias or Morris PF/Harper
SG: Young/Crawford/Brooks
PG: Wall/Crawford

Hamady/PG/Jeffers

[JonathanJoseph]

Vesely is giving no one the Haywood treatment. The kid weighs 230 if he's lucky at 6'11.

Don't fall for these YouTube highlights, all his highlights are in the open court on a break against weak defenders. I'll say it again, Danilo Gallinari routinely drove the lane for hard slams in the EU, and had highlights disturbingly similar. So did Maciej Lampe. So did Nikoloz Tskitishvili........

Most of these guys found out quickly that their EU games don't translate to the pros, and became attempted jump shooters/3 point bombers. Unfortunately, Vesely can't shoot AT ALL........and is weaker than all of those guys.

He certainly seems talented, but the kid is a MAJOR project.

Except the difference seems to be in attitude. Vesley isn't going to be intimated and then start becoming a long range shooter. Or at least that's the assumption.

I'm still reserving judgment and pretty optimistic about his athleticism and attitude, to say nothing of his jump shot.

edit: Gallinari has turned into a pretty good player also

[pancakes3]

how the hell did we go through ~450 pages of draft talk and nobody bring up the fact that vesely lost 2 teeth trying to bite someone's ear off!!?!

[Illuminaire]

Except the difference seems to be in attitude. Vesley isn't going to be intimated and then start becoming a long range shooter.

Vesely's attitude is my main source of optimism for him as a player. I am so not sold on his skill level being anything close to NBA quality... but working hard and giving a damn is a talent too, and he has that in spades.

Defensively, I like him better the more I watch him. He's thin, but he's relentless. He is almost guaranteed to gain strength and weight - NBA conditioning programs will see to that. If that's all he does, he should be a really good defender at the 3-4, and maybe some 5s. And even while he's getting backed down, you still have to shoot over him.

Offensively... eh. Well, here's hoping.

[sfam]

Except the difference seems to be in attitude. Vesley isn't going to be intimated and then start becoming a long range shooter.

Vesely's attitude is my main source of optimism for him as a player. I am so not sold on his skill level being anything close to NBA quality... but working hard and giving a damn is a talent too, and he has that in spades.

Defensively, I like him better the more I watch him. He's thin, but he's relentless. He is almost guaranteed to gain strength and weight - NBA conditioning programs will see to that. If that's all he does, he should be a really good defender at the 3-4, and maybe some 5s. And even while he's getting backed down, you still have to shoot over him.

Offensively... eh. Well, here's hoping.

"Here's hoping" is right. That's what we do with picks that have ridiculous upside. That's what we've done with McGee for instance. But in this case the intangibles are there - hardworking, relentless on the court, tough minded without being an idiot, good taste in hawt chicks, etc. Why wouldn't you be hoping, or better yet, eagerly awaiting the upside to emerge?

[sfam]

BTW, if I were the Wiz mgmt, I would hire an outside consultant shooting specialist to work with Vesely and Singleton starting now. Pay him in full upfront so when the lockout occurs, he can still work with them.

[DCZards]

Good draft. I wasn't high on Ves but once Thompson was gone JV was probably the way to go. I don't expect a lot from him this year, but he is apparently an outstanding athlete who plays with energy and intensity and that's a good start.

It's pretty much a consensus on this board that we lucked up with Singleton. I watched him quite a bit when he was at Fla. St. and there's a lot to like about his game. He has a ways to go offensively, but the Zards needed to get a LOT better defensively and Singleton is a special defensive player and a game-changer on that end of the floor.

Smart, solid move with Mack. I've always been impressed with his on-court poise, and that counts a ton when you're playing the point. He's a leader on the court...and I wouldn't be surprised to find that he's a leader off the court and in the locker room as well.

With Mack, Booker, Singleton and Wall (assuming his defense improves) you have four athletic, hard-nosed guys that will create nightmares for perimeter scorers and passers when they're on the court together. Of course, we wouldn't have much scoring with the foursome either...but as they say "offense wins games, defense wins....."

[SumTingWong]

BTW, if I were the Wiz mgmt, I would hire an outside consultant shooting specialist to work with Vesely and Singleton starting now. Pay him in full upfront so when the lockout occurs, he can still work with them.

We already got Hopla working overtime on it.

[Illuminaire]

BTW, if I were the Wiz mgmt, I would hire an outside consultant shooting specialist to work with Vesely and Singleton starting now. Pay him in full upfront so when the lockout occurs, he can still work with them.

We already got Hopla working overtime on it.

Hopla has been out of the organization for a while. I haven't seen any news about him being rehired...

[SumTingWong]

BTW, if I were the Wiz mgmt, I would hire an outside consultant shooting specialist to work with Vesely and Singleton starting now. Pay him in full upfront so when the lockout occurs, he can still work with them.

We already got Hopla working overtime on it.

Hopla has been out of the organization for a while. I haven't seen any news about him being rehired...

It's a running joke/needle to management around here by the regs. I just thought I could jump in too with all the excitement over the great draft and such. (kicks stone with downcast eyes and sniffs sadly) Sorry...

[pancakes3]

sorry. seat's taken. can't sit here

[The Consiglieri]

The early returns are in and so far things seem promising.

Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton. Grade: A+. The Wizards got two of the best steals of the draft. Vesely will bring aggression and athleticism. Singleton, defense and versatility. They knocked this out of the park.

http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssport ... 4/30222506

Washington Wizards: The Wizards very quietly had a terrific draft. First Jan Vesely was available, who fits a need for them at slashing forward. With his athleticism and aggression, he makes a perfect partner to run the break with John Wall. Then, miraculously, Chris Singleton tumbled all the way down to No.18 where the Wizards jumped all over him. Singleton is a lottery talent that fell out of the top 14. He gives the Wizards the ability to move Andray Blatche if they can find a taker for his contract. He can rebound and defend exceptionally well. Singleton's length and athleticism, combined with a chip on his shoulder from dropping, makes him a great pick for the Wizards. Shelvin Mack in the second round was a great value pick for backup point guard.

http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssport ... 4/30222126

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS-
Jan Vesely: Underrated as everyone talked about Kanter and Valanciunas, Vesely not only winds up with a good team fit for himself, but stole the highlight of the night with a kiss on the mouth of his lady friend. Then he said "I like the John Wall game" in his TV interview. Vesely came off incredibly cool for a 21-year-old Euro who can't shoot.

I've been digging around online everywhere copying and pasting everythig i can find (a past time of mne, i'm obsessive about team building, since it's a national past time of DC Sports Teams) and I've found the same thing. There isn't a single write up aywhere saying anything less than tat we did well.Now I'll grant that an entire state full of grave yards could be made for all the faux-dynasties created by supposed draft day genius only to eventually fall into the landfill of unfullfilled fan dreams. That being said, if nothing else, the signs are hopeful, we could potentially have a very good draft on our hands.

[Wizardspride]

Anybody know if GMEG's presser is online?

He was going to speak at the Draft Party last night
but everyone headed for the exits after Singleton was
picked. Which isn't to say that the annoucement of
his pick was badly received. On the contrary, I thought
it was analogous to what happened here. Better received
than the JV pick.

Here's the press conference.

http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2011/0 ... index.html

[The Consiglieri]

Vesely is giving no one the Haywood treatment. The kid weighs 230 if he's lucky at 6'11.

Don't fall for these YouTube highlights, all his highlights are in the open court on a break against weak defenders. I'll say it again, Danilo Gallinari routinely drove the lane for hard slams in the EU, and had highlights disturbingly similar. So did Maciej Lampe. So did Nikoloz Tskitishvili........

Most of these guys found out quickly that their EU games don't translate to the pros, and became attempted jump shooters/3 point bombers. Unfortunately, Vesely can't shoot AT ALL........and is weaker than all of those guys.

He certainly seems talented, but the kid is a MAJOR project.

The highlights are fun and exciting, but irrelevant. NBA GM's aren't watching youtube clips and saying, "God Damn, we'll be machines in the open court, gotta draft that guy!", especially after a decade of failure hunting fruitlessly for the next Dirk. I don't think any GM's do anything less than an insane amount of due dilligence researching these guys. If he was borderline top 10 for last year's draft, he's got plenty to like about him. There have been uniform raves about the guy, he got major minutes on a champions league qualifying hoops team (I'm more of a soccer fan, than hoops, but if champions league hoops is anythng remotely like champions league soccer, than Vesely is a big time player, the club he plays for is a big time player in soccer, and hoops, and he gets big time minutes for them, and won young player of the year in 2010 or whatever that award was), there is a reason that scouts love the guy and it isn't simply dunking. If I were to guess, my view is that they view him as a guy who aleady plays better defense than expected, is hyper athletic, has a great motor and a great attitude, and a lot of raw skills. He has a lot of work to do to become something more than potential, but I think it's clear that there's a lot to like and a helluvalot of promise. Teams aren't fantasizing all this. It isn't all there yet, clearly, but there's a hellvalot that is, and a hellvalot that could come with time.

[sfam]

Vesely is giving no one the Haywood treatment. The kid weighs 230 if he's lucky at 6'11.

Don't fall for these YouTube highlights, all his highlights are in the open court on a break against weak defenders. I'll say it again, Danilo Gallinari routinely drove the lane for hard slams in the EU, and had highlights disturbingly similar. So did Maciej Lampe. So did Nikoloz Tskitishvili........

Most of these guys found out quickly that their EU games don't translate to the pros, and became attempted jump shooters/3 point bombers. Unfortunately, Vesely can't shoot AT ALL........and is weaker than all of those guys.

He certainly seems talented, but the kid is a MAJOR project.

The highlights are fun and exciting, but irrelevant. NBA GM's aren't watching youtube clips and saying, "God Damn, we'll be machines in the open court, gotta draft that guy!", especially after a decade of failure hunting fruitlessly for the next Dirk. I don't think any GM's do anything less than an insane amount of due dilligence researching these guys. If he was borderline top 10 for last year's draft, he's got plenty to like about him. There have been uniform raves about the guy, he got major minutes on a champions league qualifying hoops team (I'm more of a soccer fan, than hoops, but if champions league hoops is anythng remotely like champions league soccer, than Vesely is a big time player, the club he plays for is a big time player in soccer, and hoops, and he gets big time minutes for them, and won young player of the year in 2010 or whatever that award was), there is a reason that scouts love the guy and it isn't simply dunking. If I were to guess, my view is that they view him as a guy who aleady plays better defense than expected, is hyper athletic, has a great motor and a great attitude, and a lot of raw skills. He has a lot of work to do to become something more than potential, but I think it's clear that there's a lot to like and a helluvalot of promise. Teams aren't fantasizing all this. It isn't all there yet, clearly, but there's a hellvalot that is, and a hellvalot that could come with time.

Ted said their scouts have seen him "a lot" over the past two years. So yeah, they weren't watching highlight films. Whether or not Vesely is as good as we hope he is, clearly the team went in with their eyes open on this.