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I remember last summer we had a coaching change that got everyone excited. Flip Saunders was hyped up as if he were the coach that would turn everything around. It was thought that Eddie Jordan was a bad coach and that he had to go. The big 3 were going to come back... but as it turned out that it took about near the end of the season for Flip to find out a workable lineup, and, you can't blame everything on the coach- because the team just wasn't playing well.

They broke up the core of veterans... and we didn't have the 50+ win season that on paper it looked like we would have. I expect our season to be somewhat like the National's season this year so far. The Nationals have been playing around .500 ball, last year, they had a terrible team... but they recovered. They're still not doing great but they're at least doing somewhat respectable.

I just wanted to make a warning to all those jumping on the John Wall bandwagon. I really don't believe he will be the next Lebron James... he will certainly help us win more games. But we should be level-headed about what to expect.

Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

Everybody is free to come to their own conclusions.

Of Wizard fans polled in another thread, a vast majority (about 6 out of 7, or 7 out of 8 polled) believe Wall is the best pick for the team.

Be it groupthink, buying the hype, or just those who reason that consensus #1s rarely disappoint. Could be many want to move past Arenas. Or others see this as a chance at a freak athlete. Our own Dwayne Wade/Derrick Rose/Rajon Rondo all rolled into one player. Time will tell.

My rationale goes against the hype and against the consensus. I think the guy who stands the best chance at ultimately being better than Wall is Derrick Favors. I recall Bosh as a rookie, and Favors will be stronger and better on the boards and with blocking shots. Favors also has the coordination to become a good scorer. A better Al Horford is his upside. Perhaps much better when you consider Favors is 18.

A guy I think will have a better rookie year is Wesley Johnson. He will have a very smooth transition at SF.

Three guards I think are are right now better basketball players than Wall are Jordan Crawford, Dominique Jones, and maybe James Anderson. I think having skill as shooters will translate to the NBA. I think Wall's going to have difficulty because he's not a true playmaker and he's not a great outside shooter--yet. I think Anderson will step in and make shots. Jordan Crawford will be a surprisingly tough player from day one. Jones projects to be a streaky good scorer day one.

As for Wall, I think he's really fast and jumps really high, and makes great passes. In time he can't help but be a very good player. Maybe a better Gary Payton.

HOWEVER, the guy that's going to kick serious ass day one is Demarcus Cousins. BY FAR he is the best player in this draft. I have said this a bunch of times and I'm pretty sure it will become readily apparent, very soon.

Sacramento has done a tremendous, tremendous job in this draft. Cousins also benefits from a guy with the temperment of Sam Dalembert (very briefly spoke with him when he was a backup to Mutombo). Dalembert hits the boards hard.

Cousins will be able to come right in as his backup along with bruiser like Landry and Thompson.

The Kings also had great rookie Casspi along with Evans.

I'm not buying the hype on Wall, but at the same time I'm not going to knock him. I say he's in time the third or fourth best player in this draft.

I also expect a big like Monroe or Davis to have an excellent NBA career.

My sense is this is a terrific draft, but that picking Wall will turn out akin to picking Payton ahead of Moses Malone, Dwight Howard's slightly smaller brother, and players who turn into the next Ray Allen.

MY BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT WALL is him coming in and playing for a perfectionistic control freak coach, like Flip. A coach that will throw a player under the bus in heartbeat as well.

I don't have a great feeling about Wall long-term as long as Flip is coach.

Bickerstaff wrote:Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

Name another thread to post a dissenting viewpoint in, or mods just merge this to the appropriate thread.

I don't think anyone needs to read what I say if it offends, but I like to post how I truly feel.

Wall will be all that, I guess.

Bickerstaff wrote:Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

But seriously - after this draft by GMEG, I don't think we have anything to worry about...

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:

Bickerstaff wrote:Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

Name another thread to post a dissenting viewpoint in, or mods just merge this to the appropriate thread.

How about every single other thread? I couldn't name one thread that DOESN'T feature you talking about wanting Cousins over Wall.

Bickerstaff wrote:

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:

Bickerstaff wrote:Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

Name another thread to post a dissenting viewpoint in, or mods just merge this to the appropriate thread.

How about every single other thread? I couldn't name one thread that DOESN'T feature you talking about wanting Cousins over Wall.

How about the Cavs thread? I don't think I mentioned Cousins there.

I'm not sure, though ....

(Don't assume I ever said draft Cousins with Wall on the board. Never said that. Said the pick that's Wall could get Cousins plus a lot more.)

mohammed10 wrote:

Bickerstaff wrote:Can we not start any pointless threads this year?

But seriously - after this draft by GMEG, I don't think we have anything to worry about...

+1.

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
(Don't assume I ever said draft Cousins with Wall on the board. Never said that. Said the pick that's Wall could get Cousins plus a lot more.)

I know. I don't totally disagree with you. I wish they could have ended up with both.

Bickerstaff, this draft was a darned sight better than last year's.

Washington got scrappers. I don't think their skill level will be all that impactful, but I do think Booker will bring it. Seraphin's got a serious set of guns I shouldn't use those words in reference to a Wizard player) on his arms that is. He and Booker aren't soft. They complement Blatche and McGee. Four years NCAA in ACC and Big East for N'Diaye, I like. Guys who like to block shots and who are very physical, I like.

And then there's Wall, who plays with a very high motor.

All in all I'm convinced this hasn't been the worst night. Might turn out okay depending on what happens next.

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:Everybody is free to come to their own conclusions.

A guy I think will have a better rookie year is Wesley Johnson. He will have a very smooth transition at SF.

Three guards I think are are right now better basketball players than Wall are Jordan Crawford, Dominique Jones, and maybe James Anderson. I think having skill as shooters will translate to the NBA. I think Wall's going to have difficulty because he's not a true playmaker and he's not a great outside shooter--yet. I think Anderson will step in and make shots. Jordan Crawford will be a surprisingly tough player from day one. Jones projects to be a streaky good scorer day one.

As for Wall, I think he's really fast and jumps really high, and makes great passes. In time he can't help but be a very good player. Maybe a better Gary Payton.

I think you may be the only person who thinks this. I will respectfully agree to disagree but time will tell.