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Finally, a preseason Wizards game on TV! CSN and probably NBA TV.

Toronto is one of the Wizards' arch-rivals for the all important 2 through 15 seed.

All of the Wizards offseason Center acquisitions are injured. Hoo boy! The Raptors' Terrence Ross and Jared Sullinger are also injured. But we, the Wizards fans, are not injured.

So grab yourself a Bronto Burger at Dino's, buy yourself a $500 courtside seat for $12, and head on down to the game.

Go Wiz!

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What: Wizards vs Toronto Raptors
Where: ‬Verizon Center, Washington, DC
When: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: CSN

2-15 seed, I love it!

Don't understand the insistence on letting Beal guard Derozan. Derozan is a mismatch for a lot of guards with his size. Would have had Otto/Kelly on him.

Any updates for us plebeians without cable?

AFM wrote:Any updates for us plebeians without cable?

Drakes are phoning it in. The team has had open threes on deck all day.

Really been impressed with Brad's court awareness the past couple of games. 9 assists right now.

The team looks great. Dominating performance albeit a meaningless game.

Bravo. Bring on the season

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

A few thoughts:

- Credit to DeRozan for being a legitimately good player having built himself up from having a really bad skillset for an efficient modern guard. Drawing tons of fouls, shooting them very well, and generating very little turnovers particularly compared to a decent assist rate last year.

- It isn't particularly useful to know that the team's offense will look good when it shoots roughly 50% from the three point line but I do like this shot mix sans the lack of foul shots. I'm not sure this team is good enough from the outside to shoot 30 three pointers a game but it would be nice if it were. That's mostly on Porter, Oubre, and I guess Morris on the off chance that he's an average or above three point shooter.

- On that topic the three point shooting from Wall is a good sign. The scenario in which he most helps the team is one in which he can maintain or up his three point shooting percentage and rate improvements from last year while reversing his downtrend in two point conversions.

Our starters are a lot better than theirs now. Just a total butt whupping administered in the first and third quarters. This team's challenge is to get the bench to gel. The starters have gotten good together.

As far as the bench goes, Jason Smith is serviceable depth. Thought he was just a goon but he has some offensive skill that keeps him viable as a fourth or fifth option. Doesn't stop the ball, screens hard, and is automatic catching and shooting from 18-20 feet. Very silky with that shot. Decent finisher around the basket too. And doesn't look like a total clown when he has to dribble. He is interchangeable at PF and C

Oubre had another nice game. Other than that, the bench play was pretty quiet. They basically just mopped up after the starters.

Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

I'm thinking Ochefu is the favorite over O'Bryant for the last roster spot. His ability to play C helps him given the Mahinmi injury.

If the final three spots on the roster are going to come down to McLellan, Eddie, Ochefu, and O'Bryant, I think O'Bryant ends up being the odd man out. But if it were me, I think I'd try and find a way to keep him.

nuposse04 wrote:Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

Thornton is going to make it. Can't go into the season with just Beal and McClellan at SG. Eddie is a natural SF and Thornton is a natural SG. Going three deep at each position means keeping both. Given that Oubre and McClellan are so inexperienced and Beal is injury prone, you have to go three deep at those positions.

This is the year DC finally breaks through its streak of early playoff exits as both the Redskins and Wizards advance to their conference finals.

stevemcqueen1 wrote:

nuposse04 wrote:Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

Thornton is going to make it. Can't go into the season with just Beal and McClellan at SG. Eddie is a natural SF and Thornton is a natural SG. Going three deep at each position means keeping both. Given that Oubre and McClellan are so inexperienced and Beal is injury prone, you have to go three deep at those positions.

They're both guaranteed contracts, right?

stevemcqueen1 wrote:I'm thinking Ochefu is the favorite over O'Bryant for the last roster spot. His ability to play C helps him given the Mahinmi injury.

If the final three spots on the roster are going to come down to McLellan, Eddie, Ochefu, and O'Bryant, I think O'Bryant ends up being the odd man out. But if it were me, I think I'd try and find a way to keep him.

Ochefu's collegiate career is better then Johnny's IMO. Also, Johnny has been HORRIBLE to start his young career. Gimme the unknown quantity for now. Cause I sort of know what I'm getting with Johnny... and it ain't pretty.

stevemcqueen1 wrote:

nuposse04 wrote:Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

Thornton is going to make it. Can't go into the season with just Beal and McClellan at SG. Eddie is a natural SF and Thornton is a natural SG. Going three deep at each position means keeping both. Given that Oubre and McClellan are so inexperienced and Beal is injury prone, you have to go three deep at those positions.

I know that McClellan is inexperienced but a team that has very little talent shouldn't be fixate on keeping marginal players. You might as well gamble on a decent looking rookie turning out better then a journey men chucker.. what is the worst that can happen?

As far as SF goes... House had a good Junior year in college... senior not so much... I really wish we had more options then Eddie and House. But it comes down again to me knowing what I get with Eddie... and willing to see if House can exude some promise if ever called on. Hell any D-League SF might be a decent option for the SF spot.

I assume Ochefu makes it too. Cya Eddie.

nuposse04 wrote:

Read on Twitter

I assume Ochefu makes it too. Cya Eddie.

WOW!!

Huge surprise honestly. Eddie had a guaranteed contract, I figured he was a keeper.

RIP Jedi master JEDDIE.

nuposse04 wrote:Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

Shocking that we agree on something.

I thought the second unit in the second quarter was horrific, esp. the backcourt. If Brooks likes defense, but he wants to start two undersized, slow and one overweight two guard, he must be smoking something. I'm not in love with Sato like others on this board, but I think you need him on the floor with the second unit. Look at the way the ball moved with Wall, Beal and even Morris. Of course, some of the starters will play with the second unit, but I just can't say that backcourt doing anything but hurting us. We have no other options aside from Burke or Thornton. One of those guys has to play 12-15mpg. To me, Thornton is a situational player who you only play if you are desperate for shooting. Wish that Brooks would have played more of McLellan or even House in these last two preseason games. Jason Smith is pretty much a stiff outside of hitting 15 footers and Nicholson is fine playing center on defense because he doesn't get exposed by playing more athletic power forwards. Oubre has star potential down the line, but you really don't know what you're going to get from him this year, night-in, night-out.

On the bright side, love the passing and perimeter shooting of the first unit.

80sballboy wrote:

nuposse04 wrote:Burke is bad. So is thornton... Bench unit should be Tomas-McLellen-Oubre-Andrew-Ian by mid season.

They better not keep BOTH Eddie and Thornton... let alone both. Ugggh.

Shocking that we agree on something.

I thought the second unit in the second quarter was horrific, esp. the backcourt. If Brooks likes defense, but he wants to start two undersized, slow and one overweight two guard, he must be smoking something. I'm not in love with Sato like others on this board, but I think you need him on the floor with the second unit. Look at the way the ball moved with Wall, Beal and even Morris. Of course, some of the starters will play with the second unit, but I just can't say that backcourt doing anything but hurting us. We have no other options aside from Burke or Thornton. One of those guys has to play 12-15mpg. To me, Thornton is a situational player who you only play if you are desperate for shooting. Wish that Brooks would have played more of McLellan or even House in these last two preseason games. Jason Smith is pretty much a stiff outside of hitting 15 footers and Nicholson is fine playing center on defense because he doesn't get exposed by playing more athletic power forwards. Oubre has star potential down the line, but you really don't know what you're going to get from him this year, night-in, night-out.

On the bright side, love the passing and perimeter shooting of the first unit.

I think if they start Tomas and Sheldon with the 2nd unit, save for Nicholson.. when ian comes back the 2nd unit can use their defensive scrappyness to generate a decent amount of offense. It may take a couple months until we see it but it should manifest eventually. I just don't think you can bring both Thornton AND Burke in at the same time. They can possibly play off the ball and shoot alright... but they do nothing else.

I think House might get situational minutes against stronger SFs... LBJ, Melo...Crowder.. hell even Aaron Gordon since they are trying that down there it seems.

Oubre seems to benefit when Tomas and him share the floor... He needs someone to create for him... Also if Nicholson tries to pass out of the double teams he is gonna see in the post... can help the bench A LOT... here is hopin'

AFM wrote:

nuposse04 wrote:

Read on Twitter

I assume Ochefu makes it too. Cya Eddie.

WOW!!

Huge surprise honestly. Eddie had a guaranteed contract, I figured he was a keeper.

RIP Jedi master JEDDIE.

Guy peaked in his first game.

I liked Eddie's towel-waving, but it seems like after he got that guaranteed contract he rested on his laurels a bit. If you don't keep producing there's always someone looking to take your spot