GT #4: Chicago Bulls @ Washington Wizards 7 PM 12/29 (NBCSW/1500 AM)

[Kanyewest]

My turn.

The Wizards were outscored 43-19 against the Magic, blowing a 17 point lead in the 2nd half, questioning whether Brooks is up for the job. Vegas already had him as the most likely coach to get fired first going into in the 2020-21 Season.



There won't be a thread about how the Wizards are better without Westbrook at least for a few more days, hours, or minutes.


Now the Wizards play the Bulls (who are currently beating the Warriors as I'm writing this) and the Wizards lost the seasons series 3-1 in both 2019-20 and 2018-19.


The Bulls are coached by Billy Donovan who replaced Brooks the last time around in OKC.




Former Wizards Otto Porter, Tomas Satoransky, and Garrett Temple come back to town.



Washington is close to number 1 in something! http://www.tankathon.com/.

And they have done well against the Bulls in the playoffs in this millennium!

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=xMiami3Heatx

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=gearmast3r

[J-Ves]

ESPN said we had a 98% chance to win after 3 quarters vs the Magic. Never tell me the odds!

[JWizmentality]

Scott Brooks got to go. Enough. No mas.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Are the Wizards better without Russell Westbrook?

Discuss.

[NatP4]

Play Garrison Mathews

[pcbothwel]

We match up well. No excuse.
- Beal and Westbrook should cook White and Lavine
- Markennen has been shooting the 3 at 47% and his 3PA is 58%... meaning he should come back to earth and he likely wont out muscle Deni/Bonga.

[NatP4]

Dropping this one would be the end of the Scott Brooks era, which is a necessary step to go anywhere as a franchise. Rooting for a loss.

[Eli Babak]

We match up well. No excuse.
- Beal and Westbrook should cook White and Lavine
- Markennen has been shooting the 3 at 47% and his 3PA is 58%... meaning he should come back to earth and he likely wont out muscle Deni/Bonga.

Markkanen also hurt himself ("calf contusion") against GSW and possibly doesn't play in this game.

Wiz should win this but you can't trust Brooks and this team.

[closg00]

This has to be a must-win game for Scotty, the pressure is all on him really.

[J-Ves]

Helpful tips for coach:
-Bonga needs at least 25 minutes
-Robinson can’t see the floor

[dlts20]

Did we have a culture change or not. I just don't get finally removing Ernie and you replace him with his understudy and you keep the coach who he literally calls his son... Lol

That's not a culture change at all. Stephen Silas led an offense that was the best in NBA history and seems like the most likable guy in the world and we stick with Brooks. MDA is free and we do nothing. Same with Bud before that. I can't stand Leonsis

[nate33]

Maybe the problem here is FAH1223. He started the first and third game thread. And obviously the second game was lost because ducler started it.

C'mon Kanyewest! Turn this thing around!

[pancakes3]

there's a way to do this though. the roster is talented. less shots for WB, better shots for Beal, Bertans will revert to the mean, Rui comes back in 2-3 weeks, Bonga is not a let down, and Neto allows us to not rely so heavily on Ish.

we're bad now, but things are trending positive whereas the past few seasons we were treading water as a 30-win team with no draft picks.

[NatP4]

First sub: Beal&Bonga out, Mathews&Bertans in
Westbrook-Mathews-Avdija-Bertans-Bryant

Second sub: Westbrook&Avdija out, Brown Jr&Neto in
Neto-Brown Jr-Mathews-Bertans-Bryant

Third sub: Bryant out, Wagner in
Neto-Brown jr-Mathews-Bertans-Wagner

2nd quarter:

First sub: Westbrook and Beal in, Neto&Mathews out
Westbrook-Beal-Brown Jr-Bertans-Wagner

Second sub: Brown jr&Bertans out, Avdija&Bonga in
Westbook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Wagner

Third sub: Wagner out, Bryant in
Westbrook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Bryant

Really doesn’t seem that difficult.

[DCZards]

First sub: Beal&Bonga out, Mathews&Bertans in
Westbrook-Mathews-Avdija-Bertans-Bryant

Second sub: Westbrook&Avdija out, Brown Jr&Neto in
Neto-Brown Jr-Mathews-Bertans-Bryant

Third sub: Bryant out, Wagner in
Neto-Brown jr-Mathews-Bertans-Wagner

2nd quarter:

First sub: Westbrook and Beal in, Neto&Mathews out
Westbrook-Beal-Brown Jr-Bertans-Wagner

Second sub: Brown jr&Bertans out, Avdija&Bonga in
Westbook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Wagner

Third sub: Wagner out, Bryant in
Westbrook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Bryant

Really doesn’t seem that difficult.

Nah...it's not difficult at all, especially if you're sitting at home on your computer and don't have to take account things like matchups, fatigue, foul trouble, etc.

[NatP4]

First sub: Beal&Bonga out, Mathews&Bertans in
Westbrook-Mathews-Avdija-Bertans-Bryant

Second sub: Westbrook&Avdija out, Brown Jr&Neto in
Neto-Brown Jr-Mathews-Bertans-Bryant

Third sub: Bryant out, Wagner in
Neto-Brown jr-Mathews-Bertans-Wagner

2nd quarter:

First sub: Westbrook and Beal in, Neto&Mathews out
Westbrook-Beal-Brown Jr-Bertans-Wagner

Second sub: Brown jr&Bertans out, Avdija&Bonga in
Westbook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Wagner

Third sub: Wagner out, Bryant in
Westbrook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Bryant

Really doesn’t seem that difficult.

Nah...it's not difficult at all, especially if you're sitting at home on your computer and don't have to take account things like matchups, fatigue, foul trouble, etc.

True, when you factor all of those things in, Jerome Robinson is the real answer. Good point

[tontoz]

Doesn't take an expert to see the 2-3 pg lineups are crap and that our forwards (who are better players) should be playing more.

Bonga especially should be getting over 25 minutes a game. We already know he is a good defender but he is shooting over 80%! Granted it is a small sample size but if you can't get more minutes when you are doing well on both ends it has to be deflating, especially when you see the mini-me lineup sucking on the court.

After that last game Robinson should be glued to the bench for awhile, if not deactivated.

[nate33]

First sub: Beal&Bonga out, Mathews&Bertans in
Westbrook-Mathews-Avdija-Bertans-Bryant

Second sub: Westbrook&Avdija out, Brown Jr&Neto in
Neto-Brown Jr-Mathews-Bertans-Bryant

Third sub: Bryant out, Wagner in
Neto-Brown jr-Mathews-Bertans-Wagner

2nd quarter:

First sub: Westbrook and Beal in, Neto&Mathews out
Westbrook-Beal-Brown Jr-Bertans-Wagner

Second sub: Brown jr&Bertans out, Avdija&Bonga in
Westbook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Wagner

Third sub: Wagner out, Bryant in
Westbrook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Bryant

Really doesn’t seem that difficult.

I think you want one of Westbrook or Beal in the game at all times. First, it's good to have one of them to draw defensive attention. Secondly, by having one on the court at all times, you are minimizing the time they share the court, which is also a good thing since both are better with the ball in their hands.

I'd do something fairly simple like this:


Beal and Westbrook get 34 minutes. Avdija, Bonga and Bryant get 28. Brown gets 24. Bertans and Wagner get 20. Neto gets 14. And Mathews gets 10.

As Bertans rounds into shape, you start bringing him back in for the final 4 minutes of Bonga's 2nd and 4th quarter shift, getting Bertans up to 28 minutes and Bonga down to 20.

[NatP4]

Sign me up. When Rui comes back, you get a little creative, some Brown at PG, some small ball 5 for Rui. Less minutes for Brown and Bonga. The team would be 3-0 with the above rotation.

[DCZards]

First sub: Beal&Bonga out, Mathews&Bertans in
Westbrook-Mathews-Avdija-Bertans-Bryant

Second sub: Westbrook&Avdija out, Brown Jr&Neto in
Neto-Brown Jr-Mathews-Bertans-Bryant

Third sub: Bryant out, Wagner in
Neto-Brown jr-Mathews-Bertans-Wagner

2nd quarter:

First sub: Westbrook and Beal in, Neto&Mathews out
Westbrook-Beal-Brown Jr-Bertans-Wagner

Second sub: Brown jr&Bertans out, Avdija&Bonga in
Westbook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Wagner

Third sub: Wagner out, Bryant in
Westbrook-Beal-Avdija-Bonga-Bryant

Really doesn’t seem that difficult.

Nah...it's not difficult at all, especially if you're sitting at home on your computer and don't have to take account things like matchups, fatigue, foul trouble, etc.

True, when you factor all of those things in, Jerome Robinson is the real answer. Good point

My bad, Nat. I shouldn't have gone there. Can't blame you for trying to help Brooks and the Zards get their act together.

My formula is a little simpler. More Bonga, less Ish and more lineups where Beal, Russ and Bertans share the court. Russ should probably still be the first guard to the bench since I'm sure the plan is to have him play fewer minutes than Beal. I also still want to see Lopez get minutes (he's far from our problem)...but Wagner should play some as well.

I believe the return of Rui will help significantly, especially on offense and I also would like to see what we could get from Mathews, even though we all may be a bit overly optimistic about his impact. But will never know if he doesn't get an opportunity.