WizarDynasty wrote:payitforward wrote:WizarDynasty wrote:The wizards have a winning card this year, you don't gamble and risk losing it all because you thought you could read the other GM's mind. ...
Respect, WD -- but...
Precious Achiuwa is a risk. Every player is. Look back over those 19 years of drafts, & tell me you weren't wrong about... anyone? There's no success without risk. All of life is a risk.
Going "all in" on a single player -- any player -- is a mistake in every draft: name me one draft where there weren't at least 3 better players than the #9 guy, all of whom were taken at least 5 picks later than him. Sometimes 20 or 30 picks later.
Plus, we are a 24-40 team. We need more than one guy out of this draft -- & this draft is deep enough that there'll be a very good player available at #37. So, who's that going to be, man? Who
should it be?
Look this draft is no different that any others. There are always guys hyped up the true scouts so that the player that they want falls to them. Usually the crappy teams are crappy because they can't identify true talent and is self fulfilling prophecy. The GM's are underqualified and all they are interested in doing to saving their jobs which makes sense. They present to their owners what popular opinion is for who to draft so that they keep job security if that player fails. Almost none of these GM's, or final decision makers are hall of fame players who played in the NBA so they have no idea what the true psychology is of a hall of fame player.
Since most of the owners were never true basketball players, they don't even know how to hire qualified GM's to scout. that's why there is risk in the draft.
But Leonsis, is a different breed, we kept Beal and Wall. Leonsis wants to win, look at the capitals! He knows the formula.
I am *really* enjoying your posts, WD. I hope to hell you stick around. But... it's hard to know where to start with this one, amigo!
1. Ex-NBA players don't make better GMs. Period. Do I really have to make the list for you?
2. The idea that scouts hype other guys so that the guy they want falls to them... sure! But, since every single one of them does it, the net effect is zero. Plus, the guys who create mock drafts year after year are also learning from experience -- not to mention that, if you show year after year that you're bad at it, pretty soon you don't get to do it or at least no one pays attention!
3. "Hall of fame players" & their "psychology." This has nothing to do with the draft. Nothing at all. No one knows who's going to be a hof player, & anyway you don't go into the draft with the goal of drafting a hof player.
4. Ted Leonsis...? Ted hasn't done a thing to make anyone think he's special. What's the Wizards record over the last 10 years? He's no different from the rest of them. Someone wins every year. In hockey, in basketball, etc. The Caps one title...? That's nice for fans, but it doesn't mean a thing.
5. No, man, GMs
do not present popular opinion to their bosses! The best way to keep your job is to succeed. Duh.
We're a 30-win team. We're also a rebuilding team that has only 2 players from as recently as 2 years ago. Other than Wall & Beal, the average age of our players is 23 -- & that's including Ish Smith! A month from now that average age will go down not up.
Of course, if you are right about Precious Achiuwa, if he turns out to be the best player out of this draft -- or at least better than anyone we could conceivably have picked when our number came up -- i.e. a one-of-a-kind value at #9 -- then you should feel free to crow.
Me, I wanted us to take Kawhi at #6 in 2011. I wanted us to take Butler with our 2d R1 pick. When we didn't, I was hoping he'd still be there when our #34 pick rolled around.
Should I crow? Nah, the 2 other guys I liked were Kenneth Faried & Bismack Biyombo.
