Round 1: GT #2: Wizards @ Raptors 7:00 PM (NBATV/NBCSW+/1500) [4/17/18]

[Dark Faze]

We don't have a 5 to play small ball with Nat. Markieff is a net negative at the 5. He has no explosion defensively, is not a rim protector, can't switch onto guards, can't really do anything. The only positive to Kieff at the 5 is he has some range on his shot. You'd literally be better off with Porter at the 5.

Should have given McCullough some decent minutes this year at the 5 and just made sure he couldn't do the job. He probably couldn't, but we wasted 82 games not giving guys tryouts for the position.

[NatP4]

Don’t need to go small at that 5. They play traditional centers all game. Just go small at the 4. That’s small ball.

Having a 45% 3pt shooting perimeter player at the 4 instead of a self check that isn’t even being guarded outside the paint (Morris) would make a huge difference.

Plus Otto Porter is one of the best team defenders in the NBA, compared to Morris and Scott who are two of the worst defensive players at the position. Porter also rebounds better than both.

Why is this even a debate actually?

The wall-beal-Oubre-Porter-Gortat lineup had the lowest defensive rating (by an entire 9 points) of any lineup that was used for 150+ minutes.

[80sballboy]

I don't think Brooks is going anywhere with that contract but it's obvious that he's not the right guy for this team. Not sure there is a "right" guy, but I wonder what Spo, Stevens, Pops, Doc (who might be available), Mike D., Kerr, and Thibs could do with this team.

[80sballboy]

Don’t need to go small at that 5. They play traditional centers all game. Just go small at the 4. That’s small ball.

Having a 45% 3pt shooting perimeter player at the 4 instead of a self check that isn’t even being guarded outside the paint (Morris) would make a huge difference.

Plus Otto Porter is one of the best team defenders in the NBA, compared to Morris and Scott who are two of the worst defensive players at the position. Porter also rebounds better than both.

Why is this even a debate actually?

The wall-beal-Oubre-Porter-Gortat lineup had the lowest defensive rating (by an entire 9 points) of any lineup that was used for 150+ minutes.

Draymond Green is a small ball center. That kind of works out. Gortat needs to sit. Porter is obviously not close to 100%. But at this point, you can put him at center or point guard. I don't care. They need to change that sh-t up.

[NatP4]

It’s so funny, because none of us would argue that Oubre is all that great of a player, then why this:


2014-2015 playoffs (when they unleashed Pierce and it all started) (AGAINST TORONTO)

Small ball: +21.3
Starters(nene): -12.1


2015-2016 (with Dudley in place of Morris)
Small ball: +7.6
Starters: +5.6

2016-2017
Small ball: +17.4
Starters: +8.1

2017-2018
Small ball: +14.8
Starters: +6.0


It’s almost like there’s a trend with creating space for your athletic pass first PG.

[closg00]

We don't have a 5 to play small ball with Nat. Markieff is a net negative at the 5. He has no explosion defensively, is not a rim protector, can't switch onto guards, can't really do anything. The only positive to Kieff at the 5 is he has some range on his shot. You'd literally be better off with Porter at the 5.

Should have given McCullough some decent minutes this year at the 5 and just made sure he couldn't do the job. He probably couldn't, but we wasted 82 games not giving guys tryouts for the position.

I was just coming to post about Chris, I was so desparate for ANY big who could match the Raps speed and athleticism. Did the Wizards org truly give it their all in-terms of coaching and development the entire season, or was he so bad that they said F this?
Yeah, he looked pretty bad any time he was on the floor, but he probably could have seen time at small-ball 5.

[NatP4]

and just for fun, the lineup with Jason Smith at power forward, that Brooks loved last season and used for over 130 minutes, was a net -14.7.

Just in case you were wondering why that elite defense disappeared last year in the 2nd half.


2016-2017:
Wall-Beal-Oubre-Porter-Gortat defensive rating: 100.2
Wall-Beal-Porter-Smith-Gortat defensive rating: 127.8


The starting lineup in this years playoffs is -36.0 net with a 136 defensive rating. Just in case you were blaming the bench.

Shake it up

[youngWizzy]

Watch on YouTube

[Dark Faze]

I would start Wall/Beal/Sato/Otto/Mahinmi.

[truwizfan4evr]

Watch on YouTube

im sure this wont make nate happy lol

[truwizfan4evr]

a minus 34 beal was.

[nate33]

Watch on YouTube

im sure this wont make nate happy lol

I don't understand why people think I'm some sort of Beal apologist.

[80sballboy]

Lawson, Wall, Beal, Porter, Kieff. Go even smaller when they go to Ibaka at center.

[Dat2U]

And last year we had the same awful front court and got a similar result. People want to give up on this core, and yet the foundation has always been awful: Gortat and Markieff. Luckily, both are expiring next year.

You're ignoring a fundamental problem here, when Morris and Gortat expire, along with Oubre's contract btw, the Wizards will be left with Beal, Wall, Porter and Mahinmi making a combined $107.6 million for the 2019/20 season.

The projected salary cap that year, $108 million.

Please explain to us how you expect the Wizards to field a competitive team.

People are ready to give up on Wall because there's not a realistic scenario where this group will do anything but repeat this cycle of mediocrity.

Well were either are going to have to waive & stretch Mahinmi or hope that the 2019 pick is enough to dump the final year of his deal...

But here's the interesting thing. We probably only have 2 more years of Porter after this season. He's got a player option after the 3rd year which he'll likely exercise ... I don't see much chance at keeping him.

[Dark Faze]

People want elite roleplayers on a bargain, not pay 28 million for them

[Dat2U]

I'd go super small with Wall, Beal, Sato, Oubre & Porter. I'd put Porter at C and let Wall drive & kick. We can switch everything.

Lawson, Scott & Morris would be the only bench guys to see minutes. I'd limit Morris' minutes based on his energy level.

[truwizfan4evr]

I'd go super small with Wall, Beal, Sato, Oubre & Porter. I'd put Porter at C and let Wall drive & kick. We can switch everything.

Lawson, Scott & Morris would be the only bench guys to see minutes. I'd limit Morris' minutes based on his energy level.

jonas would destroy porter inside. bad matchup.

[Dat2U]

I was surprised by last night. I expected the Wizards to compete but even John didn't initially come out with the energy I expected.

Beal looks like he has dead legs. I was hoping he was saving something at the end of the season but his struggles the last few weeks have carried right into the playoffs. I want to kill Brad for his performance but at what point do we hold the coach responsible for running his guys into the ground?

Otto looked better in game 2 but I was a bit worried that playing with a calf injury is not ideal right now. Brooks inability to run plays for Otto is just another one of the many failings he's been a part of.

This playoff series without a doubt has exposed our front court. it's even worse than I thought. I thought Toronto's bigs were one of the few playoff teams we could match up against. I was wrong! Gortat used to be able to dominate Jonas, not anymore. Jonas expanded his game on the perimeter and got better at finishing on the P&R. Gortat has lost a step and is simply no match.

Morris has been a disaster. Despite the good numbers in game one he refused to guard the perimeter or rotate to challenge shots. Even if he's making shots he's killing us because he won't put in the effort defensively.

I'm not ready to give up & rebuild but I'm certainly ready to give up on the coaching staff and everyone outside of Wall, Otto & Brad. I like Oubre & Sato but even they would be trade bait if it bought something good in return. And yes, I'd be calling SA this offseason and pray they'd take my offer of Beal, Oubre & Smith for Leonard & Mills.

[Dat2U]

I'd go super small with Wall, Beal, Sato, Oubre & Porter. I'd put Porter at C and let Wall drive & kick. We can switch everything.

Lawson, Scott & Morris would be the only bench guys to see minutes. I'd limit Morris' minutes based on his energy level.

jonas would destroy porter inside. bad matchup.

Pick your poison. Death by 3 or hope we can cope with bully ball. We've experienced death by 3 for two games now. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[nate33]

And last year we had the same awful front court and got a similar result. People want to give up on this core, and yet the foundation has always been awful: Gortat and Markieff. Luckily, both are expiring next year.

You're ignoring a fundamental problem here, when Morris and Gortat expire, along with Oubre's contract btw, the Wizards will be left with Beal, Wall, Porter and Mahinmi making a combined $107.6 million for the 2019/20 season.

The projected salary cap that year, $108 million.

Please explain to us how you expect the Wizards to field a competitive team.

People are ready to give up on Wall because there's not a realistic scenario where this group will do anything but repeat this cycle of mediocrity.

Well were either are going to have to waive & stretch Mahinmi or hope that the 2019 pick is enough to dump the final year of his deal...

But here's the interesting thing. We probably only have 2 more years of Porter after this season. He's got a player option after the 3rd year which he'll likely exercise ... I don't see much chance at keeping him.

I don't think Porter will opt in on that option. The days when teams are flush with free agency cash due to the rapid increase in the cap are over. When Porter's option is due, there will be very few teams with max cap room, and those teams will surely be chasing bigger name free agents.

And I don't see stretching Mahinmi as a viable option. Stretching makes sense only if you are worried about a short term spike in the payroll that lasts only for a year. We don't have that problem. We have a structural problem where we will be consistently flirting with the luxtax for as long as Porter, Beal and Wall are on the team. Stretching Mahinmi only pushes back the salary crisis one year later, and it will hurt even more than because Wall's salary keeps escalating.