Who here is excited for next season?

Gilfanatic123 · Post #1 » by **Gilfanatic123** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:16 pm

I just have been noticing how the Wizards have really come together lately. I don't know if anyone else has noticed but I think that a lot of our struggles early on were because Flip Saunders didn't know how to coach the team. He didn't know what players to use at what time and people weren't really familiar with the plays that Flip had them run. There was that whole Gilbert Arenas incident. But I think that last season we only won 19 games.

That wasn't cool. We went on a 16 game losing streak earlier on, and, we could have won a lot of those games, but the franchise seemed to just be giving up and tanking intentionally. Lately though I think that since we beat the New Orlean Hornets we've gotten back somewhat of a winning mentality. We beat the Celtics last night at their home court. We've beaten a few good teams here and there. We play the Hawks tonight. I think that the players are starting to get more comfortable with running plays and executing defense. I think that we could have given up easily during these last 10 or 20 games or so... but the players didn't give up. They kept on going out and giving it all their best. Some of them are playing for contracts. But it makes me excited to think that this core team can win against good teams.

Maybe we didn't have the pieces before, perhaps Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood just couldn't play well in Flip's system because they weren't used to his coaching style. But I think these new guys have shown they can play, and, I think we should expect a lot from them next year. I think they've learned from their losing ways earlier on this season and they're showing that to us right now.

Am I being a bit too optimistic? I'm really excited for next season. This team has actually surprised me at times throughout the second half of the season so far... especially with the emergence of Andray Blatche as our new franchise player, and the reemergence of Shaun Livingston. I'm looking forward to seeing them all play next season. Hopefully the injury bug won't get them. But it should be fun to watch them all play when they're all healthy.

Wizards2Lottery · Post #2 » by **Wizards2Lottery** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:30 pm

If the recent performances by Nick Young and McGee is what we will get next year, then we will no doubt be a playoff team.

Joe_Wiz · Post #3 » by **Joe_Wiz** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:38 pm

I want to get excited, but there are still a lot of question marks about what our roster will actually look like next season. And who knows what we'll get from Arenas -- he could be anything from great to a total disaster (to gone, I suppose, though that does not currently look likely).

My guess is that I'll be excited (justifiably or not) before the end of the summer, but I'm not really there yet.

DaRealHibachi · Post #4 » by **DaRealHibachi** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:10 pm

I was excited for this season, last season, the one before that, and the one before that .... And every time our season ended on a disappointing note with allot of hope for the next season...

I've learned my lesson and will moderate my enthusiasm...

FAH1223 · Post #5 » by **FAH1223** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:22 pm

iF WE GET WALL, TURNER OR COUSINS and keep Livingston... THEN I WILL BE EXCITED :lol:

Post #6 » by **miller31time** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:58 pm

FAH1223 wrote:iF WE GET WALL, TURNER OR COUSINS and keep Livingston... THEN I WILL BE EXCITED

I'd edit that to include Favors. But your point remains - my interest level for next season will really depend on where we end up picking. Anything past 4 and it'll be a rough time and would take whoever we picked showing us something we hadn't expected or McGee/Blatche/Young stepping their game up to monumental heights for that level to shoot back up.

Post #7 » by **Zonkerbl** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:25 pm

Hm, let's think. Gilbert, Blatche, and Miller are playoff team starters. I think a bench of Thornton, McGee, Nick Young is acceptable. So I guess the biggest question marks are who plays guard next to Gil, and who plays center. Might be able to pick up a backup two with Cleveland's pick and start N1. Might be able to start McGee and back him up with Singleton. But I wouldn't be comfortable with either situation. The high draft pick might cover up the hole at guard or center, or it might not, and there's still one hole left that you'd have to overpay a free agent to fill.

I dunno, lots of questions about that team, even with a top four pick.

Post #8 » by **miller31time** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:27 am

^^^ I doubt Miller is re-signed this off-season. And for good reason. He doesn't have much place on a struggling squad, especially at the price he'll be asking.

dobrojim · Post #9 » by **dobrojim** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:23 am

FAH1223 wrote:iF WE GET WALL, TURNER OR COUSINS and keep Livingston... THEN I WILL BE EXCITED

QFT -

I'd love to see this

3 guard rotation of Gil, SL and N1

3 big rotation of 7DD, JM and Couz/Favors (James Singleton as 4th big)

with a some combination of Howard/AT/Miller at the 3.

I think that would be a scary team.

Adjustments could be made if we were to land Wall but I think
the importance of having a third quality big is really high.

Hoopalotta · Post #10 » by **Hoopalotta** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:03 am

We're going to the Superbowl!

verbal8 · Post #11 » by **verbal8** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:22 pm

I agree with the posts that next season depends on what pick the Wizards get. There is enough talent/potential that should be on the team next year that an impact player in the draft should make the team interesting. This is assuming that Arenas comes back playing at a star-level.

Kanyewest · Post #12 » by **Kanyewest** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:46 am

I'm excited for the 2011-12 season....

go'stags · Post #13 » by **go'stags** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:03 am

I'm excited for every season.

doclinkin · Post #14 » by **doclinkin** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:02 pm

Generally I'm more excited for the offseason.

Except the few months of helpless anticipation, and long plateaus of anxious boredom. Still the few moments of uproar and frenzy that occur pre- and post- draft, free agent signings, summer league, etc. are where incinerated Hope is reborn anew from the cinders.

Basically, I'm gonna take a 'wait and see' approach on excitement.

Post #15 » by **nate33** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:44 pm

dobrojim wrote:
FAH1223 wrote:iF WE GET WALL, TURNER OR COUSINS and keep Livingston... THEN I WILL BE EXCITED

QFT -

I'd love to see this

3 guard rotation of Gil, SL and N1

3 big rotation of 7DD, JM and Couz/Favors (James Singleton as 4th big)

with a some combination of Howard/AT/Miller at the 3.

I think that would be a scary team.

Adjustments could be made if we were to land Wall but I think
the importance of having a third quality big is really high.

I agree with all of this.

I'm really starting to like N1 again. A 3-guard rotation of him, Arenas and Livingston should be pretty darn good. Maybe we can use one of our late picks to find a pesky defensive PG as the 4th guard. Or maybe sign a cheap vet like Earl Watson.

I also like the idea of a 3-big rotation of Blatche, McGee and Favors (or Cousins, but I'm starting to think that Favors' character and defensive focus might be a better fit). Singleton is a perfect 4th big.

At SF, there are any number of options. Thornton is a good backup who is tough enough to slide over to PF if we need to spread the floor in a late-game offensive set. All we need is a starting SF. MIller or Howard could work, but I think the best move would be to buy off Battier from Houston (even if they don't give up a pick in the process, I'd do it). HIs defense, unselfishness, character, and 3-point shooting ability would be a perfect fit here. We can also trade up to draft Paul George as a guy to groom to be the Battier of the future.

So the team would be:
Guards: Arenas, Livingston, Young, Earl Watson
Forwards: Battier, Thornton, Paul George
Bigs: Blatche, Favors, McGee, Singleton

That team wouldn't win right away because McGee, Favors and Young would be inconsistent; but in a year or two when everybody gels, that should be a very competitive team. We'll also stay well under the salary cap in order to exploit cash-strapped teams at the Trade Deadline and to be prepared for the new CBA in 2011.

If we end up with the 3rd or 4th pick, things should fall into place nicely.

cwhiteco · Post #16 » by **cwhiteco** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:58 pm

We have to keep Livingston. Imperataive.

dobrojim · Post #17 » by **dobrojim** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:05 pm

The question on SL is how crazy the bidding gets and how interested
he is in coming back here. If the 2nd part isn't in our favor, we're screwed.

Brenice · Post #18 » by **Brenice** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:13 pm

Im afraid of that too Dobrojim. Let's start kissing SL's ass now!

dobrojim · Post #19 » by **dobrojim** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:48 pm

Brenice wrote:Im afraid of that too Dobrojim. Let's start kissing SL's ass now!

not sure I'm ready to go quite that far personally, but if the team could hire someone
to do it..... :lol:

verbal8 · Post #20 » by **verbal8** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:15 pm

dobrojim wrote:
Brenice wrote:Im afraid of that too Dobrojim. Let's start kissing SL's ass now!

not sure I'm ready to go quite that far personally, but if the team could hire someone
to do it.....

I think Vinny Cerrato has an open calender lol