Page 69 of 74

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2021 9:35 pm
by Chocolate City Jordanaire
Dat2U wrote:
payitforward wrote:Well, it was TGW I was hoping to get an answer from. He was critical of the Holiday trade. I was too. & I weighed in on what I would have done instead -- (take Springer) &, for that matter, what I would have done once we'd made the trade (move #31 for #34 & #36).

Just seems to me that if you're going to criticize a move it has to be because a better move was available. In which case, point to that better move. Otherwise, how can anyone understand your criticism?

NBD. If TGW doesn't know what he would have done, there's no point in him making something up after the fact.


Springer & Cooper. But there were 10-15 guys I'd have taken over Todd who I viewed as a pure project and worthy of a pick in the 40s. I think by the time Todd is decent (if he ever gets there), he'll be on a 2nd deal.

Jackson would have been a fine pick if there was a need at C.

Garuba who I wasn't super high on would have been a much better upside play than Todd.


Todd might do like Bradley Beal -- exceed wildest expectations. Don't look at him now and expect a normal progression.

For one, I LOVE his background story. His mom and supportive others, as well as his G-League path. Mean streets but with a younger brother watching him. Like Lonzo Ball, Isaiah Todd will steadily improve ... at least. Plus, he's got the physicals! His mom is a BIG woman. Todd's going to fill out nicely.

Second, this kid Todd put up 25/11 and was the best player ON THE SAME COURT that one game as Jalen Green and Daishan Nix. I will give Tommy the benefit of a doubt--HE CLEARLY THINKS HE SAW...SOMETHING. Future greatness, as Jerry West saw Lower Merion Kobe.

Last, I just think synergy is going to take place with just about every player Tommy bought low on. ALL OF THEM can have rebirths, best seasons (or none, depending largely on Wes Jr.)

I've got rose colored imaginary glasses (y'all know my story ATM). Todd's going to be a GREAT player. (But I still would have gone differently, as we said above)

Chinese checkers, so be it.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2021 12:59 pm
by Frichuela
An optimistic take on the Wizards offseason…

Read on Twitter
?s=21

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:38 pm
by payitforward
Have to hope Tommy's work was better than this guy's writing: his skills would earn him a C- grade in Freshman Comp.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:34 pm
by 80sballboy
https://theathletic.com/2786154/2021/08/24/wes-unseld-jr-unplugged-wizards-rotation-new-ways-to-use-bradley-beal-and-more/
Wizards’ Wes Unseld Jr. unplugged: Spencer Dinwiddie is ‘a dynamic fit’, new ways to use Bradley Beal and more

LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 10: Corey Kispert #24 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League on August 10, 2021 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Wes Unseld Jr. knows what a good screen action looks like. After all, he coached Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic for half a decade.

Murray and Jokic have become particularly adept at the dribble handoff, a play when the star guard curves around the NBA’s reigning MVP to grab the rock from Jokic, who also acts simultaneously as a massive screener and basketball dispenser. Murray can shoot, drive or make a play for a teammate as the defense scrambles to stop him. If the league has a premier dribble-handoff combination, these two are it.

But there is an All-Star guard in Washington who thrives in dribble handoffs as much as anyone, and Unseld — who was an assistant in Denver from 2015 until this summer when the Wizards named him their head coach — sees parallels between the way his former stars ran dribble handoffs and the way Bradley Beal can in D.C.

“It’s a simple action, but you can get a lot of mileage out of it, especially late game,” Unseld said in a conversation with The Athletic earlier this month at the Las Vegas Summer League. “We’ve all seen it, and Denver has had a lot of success doing it. I will definitely use a lot of that, as well, because we know (the Wizards are) very efficient using that.”

They’re abundant, too.




Beal has received more dribble handoffs than any player in the NBA during each of the past two seasons, according to information compiled by data-tracking site Second Spectrum and supplied to The Athletic. And he’s blown out the rest of the competition in that stat.

In 2019-20, he received 21.1 dribble handoffs per 100 possessions. The second-place finisher that season averaged only 13.6. This past season, Beal averaged 16.0 per 100. Second place was 13.8.

And who was the runner-up in both of those seasons? None other than Murray, each time.

“Not to akin their individual talents, but I think that two-man combination is dynamic. When you have a guy who can score the ball like both of those guys (in Denver) can, it’s a tough thing to guard,” Unseld said. “And then you have to choose. Do I chase over (the screen)? Well, if you chase over, you’re creating a two-on-one. Somebody’s open. If you go under, both are capable shot-makers.”

Beal has never scurried around more dribble handoffs than he did in 2019-20 when the Wizards instilled more motion into their offense than they had in previous seasons with John Wall out from the beginning of training camp. Unseld wants to reinforce those principles.

The reigning All-NBA guard has reached an expert level at using handoffs to head in every which direction. He’ll curl around them. He’ll approach a teammate as if he is about to grab the ball and drive downhill but instead will come to a stop and back cut his defender. Murray and Jokic do this beautifully, too.




The return of Thomas Bryant will matter for the Wizards too, even if they have a trio of capable centers.

As Unseld mentions, when both players in a dribble handoff can score — and especially, when both can shoot — it makes decisions far more difficult for defenses. Bryant will likely miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from the ACL rupture he suffered in January. Washington can scamper Beal around all kinds of screens in the meantime, considering he can run those actions with Montrezl Harrell, Daniel Gafford, Rui Hachimura and others. But when Bryant comes back, he’ll add a new wrinkle.

He is the one Wizards center who shoots 3s. And he does it quite well; he’s at a 41 percent clip over the past two seasons. He can pull a handoff back, take a dribble into the paint and finish around the hoop. He and Beal already have chemistry together.

The Wizards’ new coach knows something about this kind of offense. Maybe he can teach his new squad a subtlety or two he learned in Denver.

Unseld touched on several more topics during his conversation with The Athletic, which followed a summer-league practice in Las Vegas.

‘A dynamic fit’
Unseld called new point guard Spencer Dinwiddie “a dynamic fit” next to Beal.

“On paper, it’s one of the most dynamic 1-2s, 2-1s, however you wanna call it, on the East Coast,” he said. “So, I’m excited to have both those guys. I think they’re about the right thing. I think they’re gonna play together, make us better. Honestly, the way they can score the ball, they’re gonna bail us out of a lot of tough spots.”

The addition of Dinwiddie — who signed a three-year, $62 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade deal to Washington — is one of many changes to the roster since the last time Unseld spoke with reporters about his vision for the upcoming season.

The trade that brought Dinwiddie to D.C. and sent Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles also included four more players coming to the Wizards: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Harrell and Aaron Holiday. The personnel is not the same as it was heading into draft night.

“On a macro level, (changes to the team) don’t change our overall philosophy when it comes to spacing, playing with pace, shots, as far as what we value,” Unseld said. “That doesn’t change. I think you’ve got to shift your gears as far as some of the nuanced things you run. … I think as coaches, we all steal from each other, so there are gonna be some things that are very similar-looking to what you’re accustomed to.”

Dinwiddie is, of course, the big fish of the summer. He missed nearly all of last season with an ACL injury but averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists in 2019-20. He’s been one of the league’s top guards at getting to the line, a trait that will work well next to Beal, who shares the same strength.

Beal, for example, had a 33 percent free-throw rate (free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt) last season. Dinwiddie had a 44 percent rate in his most recent healthy season. To put that in perspective, only two qualifying starting backcourts around the NBA last season boasted a couple of guards with individual free-throw rates above 30 percent. One of them was Beal and Westbrook.

(I could give you 30 guesses, one for each team in the league, and you still may not get the other backcourt. It’s the Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio and Josh Okogie, who posts elite free-throw rates every season partly because he rarely ever shoots and partly because a defender trying to stop his drive is like a cat trying to stop a bowling ball.)

Beal, though, has played with a free-throw glutton before — just last season. And this time, he’ll have more shooting around him with the additions of Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma, first-round pick Corey Kispert and an eventually healthy Bryant, which will theoretically open up more driving lanes.

“It gives you a different dynamic,” Unseld said. “Obviously, you have two dynamic guards who can score at will, so I think it gives us a lot of flexibility on offense.”

What to do with the rotation?
Unseld has a problem any coach would appreciate: some player, at any given moment, might feel like he deserves more playing time than he’s receiving. The Wizards are deep. And their new coach will have to carve out a rotation inside a roster filled with forwards and big men.

Particularly intriguing will be what route Unseld chooses once Bryant returns from his ACL injury. The Wizards have three centers: Bryant, Harrell and Gafford, the projected opening-day starter. Each could justify consistent playing time.

“I made this point to those guys when I spoke to them. All of that is great, but all of our decisions are gonna be based on what’s best for the group,” Unseld said. “I may at times ask somebody to sacrifice a little bit for the betterment of the group. There’s times when I may ask (them) to do more. And I think that’s a fair way to look at it, and I think it’s just one of our pillars. It’s about us. It’s about ‘we,’ not ‘me.’ ”

The Wizards are stacked with forwards, too. Kuzma, 2019 first-rounder Hachimura, 2020 first-rounder Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans and Anthony Gill are all conventional forwards, and more players could receive time at the three or the four, as well.

“That gives you more flexibility,” Unseld said. “It allows you to play big at times. It allows you to downsize.”

He also says Hachimura could play center at times and likes Kuzma as both a three and four. Unseld believes Caldwell-Pope, a 3-and-D threat who can play the three but more consistently defends guards, has shown he can guard big wings in moments.

“I don’t know if doing it on a full-time basis is fair, but there are gonna be some nights we’re gonna have to ask him to do that,” Unseld said. “Just like anyone else, we’re gonna have to ask him to do some things that maybe are out of their box, and we’ll find things schematically to help manage that.”

Unseld calls Kuzma “a weapon” for the way he can shoot and play at multiple positions.

“Whether you wanna call him a two, three or four, he’s gonna be out there. He’s gonna space the floor. He’s gonna make shots,” Unseld said. “I think the game has moved away from the standard point guard, two-guard, small forward, etc. I think you wanna put your best matchups out there.”

Of course, there is one name missing from this list: Kispert, the sharpshooter who the Wizards selected with the No. 15 pick in the NBA Draft last month.

The team is loaded up with competent players. It’s difficult to imagine Dinwiddie, Beal, Caldwell-Pope, Hachimura, Gafford, Kuzma, Bertans, Avdija, Harrell or Raul Neto out of the rotation heading into the fall. Well, that’s 10 players. A healthy Bryant would be another possible contributor. And Holiday still could fit in somewhere.

So, where does Kispert fall? And will he play right away?

“I don’t know. I never wanna paint myself into a corner, commit to something I’m uncertain of, but I think he has a good chance to be impactful,” Unseld said. “I said at draft night, he’s got a discernible NBA talent. His maturity, the fact that he’s played four years at a high level for a great coach — he’s disciplined. He understands his strengths. He’s gonna play to his strengths. And his ability to stretch the defense is a premium in the league.”

Creating chemistry
This group’s dynamic is almost entirely new.

Westbrook wasn’t just a fixture on the court last season. He also was the loudest voice in the locker room. Now, he’s gone — as is most of the coaching staff, including most assistants and Scott Brooks, the team’s head coach for the previous five seasons. Well-respected veterans, like Robin Lopez and Ish Smith, have gone to Orlando and Charlotte, respectively.

Maybe even more striking than all the basketball changes in Washington are the personality ones.

“It takes time,” Unseld said when asked for his philosophies in building chemistry inside an environment that will present something new for everyone. “I think the most important thing is being able to have that organic relationship build slowly. You have to take those unscripted moments to just spend time, whether it’s on the floor with players.

“Obviously, we had an opportunity to kinda bond a little the last few days (in Las Vegas), grab some meals. I think that those are great moments to kind of figure each other out. The sooner we can do that, I think it allows us to exude our strengths. They can understand how we wanna teach, how we’re speaking the same language. I think that transitions into your group. The sooner that happens, the chemistry now develops.”

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2021 6:53 pm
by nate33
80sballboy wrote:https://theathletic.com/2786154/2021/08/24/wes-unseld-jr-unplugged-wizards-rotation-new-ways-to-use-bradley-beal-and-more/
Wizards’ Wes Unseld Jr. unplugged: Spencer Dinwiddie is ‘a dynamic fit’, new ways to use Bradley Beal and more
Spoiler:
LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 10: Corey Kispert #24 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League on August 10, 2021 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Wes Unseld Jr. knows what a good screen action looks like. After all, he coached Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic for half a decade.

Murray and Jokic have become particularly adept at the dribble handoff, a play when the star guard curves around the NBA’s reigning MVP to grab the rock from Jokic, who also acts simultaneously as a massive screener and basketball dispenser. Murray can shoot, drive or make a play for a teammate as the defense scrambles to stop him. If the league has a premier dribble-handoff combination, these two are it.

But there is an All-Star guard in Washington who thrives in dribble handoffs as much as anyone, and Unseld — who was an assistant in Denver from 2015 until this summer when the Wizards named him their head coach — sees parallels between the way his former stars ran dribble handoffs and the way Bradley Beal can in D.C.

“It’s a simple action, but you can get a lot of mileage out of it, especially late game,” Unseld said in a conversation with The Athletic earlier this month at the Las Vegas Summer League. “We’ve all seen it, and Denver has had a lot of success doing it. I will definitely use a lot of that, as well, because we know (the Wizards are) very efficient using that.”

They’re abundant, too.




Beal has received more dribble handoffs than any player in the NBA during each of the past two seasons, according to information compiled by data-tracking site Second Spectrum and supplied to The Athletic. And he’s blown out the rest of the competition in that stat.

In 2019-20, he received 21.1 dribble handoffs per 100 possessions. The second-place finisher that season averaged only 13.6. This past season, Beal averaged 16.0 per 100. Second place was 13.8.

And who was the runner-up in both of those seasons? None other than Murray, each time.

“Not to akin their individual talents, but I think that two-man combination is dynamic. When you have a guy who can score the ball like both of those guys (in Denver) can, it’s a tough thing to guard,” Unseld said. “And then you have to choose. Do I chase over (the screen)? Well, if you chase over, you’re creating a two-on-one. Somebody’s open. If you go under, both are capable shot-makers.”

Beal has never scurried around more dribble handoffs than he did in 2019-20 when the Wizards instilled more motion into their offense than they had in previous seasons with John Wall out from the beginning of training camp. Unseld wants to reinforce those principles.

The reigning All-NBA guard has reached an expert level at using handoffs to head in every which direction. He’ll curl around them. He’ll approach a teammate as if he is about to grab the ball and drive downhill but instead will come to a stop and back cut his defender. Murray and Jokic do this beautifully, too.




The return of Thomas Bryant will matter for the Wizards too, even if they have a trio of capable centers.

As Unseld mentions, when both players in a dribble handoff can score — and especially, when both can shoot — it makes decisions far more difficult for defenses. Bryant will likely miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from the ACL rupture he suffered in January. Washington can scamper Beal around all kinds of screens in the meantime, considering he can run those actions with Montrezl Harrell, Daniel Gafford, Rui Hachimura and others. But when Bryant comes back, he’ll add a new wrinkle.

He is the one Wizards center who shoots 3s. And he does it quite well; he’s at a 41 percent clip over the past two seasons. He can pull a handoff back, take a dribble into the paint and finish around the hoop. He and Beal already have chemistry together.

The Wizards’ new coach knows something about this kind of offense. Maybe he can teach his new squad a subtlety or two he learned in Denver.

Unseld touched on several more topics during his conversation with The Athletic, which followed a summer-league practice in Las Vegas.

‘A dynamic fit’
Unseld called new point guard Spencer Dinwiddie “a dynamic fit” next to Beal.

“On paper, it’s one of the most dynamic 1-2s, 2-1s, however you wanna call it, on the East Coast,” he said. “So, I’m excited to have both those guys. I think they’re about the right thing. I think they’re gonna play together, make us better. Honestly, the way they can score the ball, they’re gonna bail us out of a lot of tough spots.”

The addition of Dinwiddie — who signed a three-year, $62 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade deal to Washington — is one of many changes to the roster since the last time Unseld spoke with reporters about his vision for the upcoming season.

The trade that brought Dinwiddie to D.C. and sent Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles also included four more players coming to the Wizards: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Harrell and Aaron Holiday. The personnel is not the same as it was heading into draft night.

“On a macro level, (changes to the team) don’t change our overall philosophy when it comes to spacing, playing with pace, shots, as far as what we value,” Unseld said. “That doesn’t change. I think you’ve got to shift your gears as far as some of the nuanced things you run. … I think as coaches, we all steal from each other, so there are gonna be some things that are very similar-looking to what you’re accustomed to.”

Dinwiddie is, of course, the big fish of the summer. He missed nearly all of last season with an ACL injury but averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists in 2019-20. He’s been one of the league’s top guards at getting to the line, a trait that will work well next to Beal, who shares the same strength.

Beal, for example, had a 33 percent free-throw rate (free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt) last season. Dinwiddie had a 44 percent rate in his most recent healthy season. To put that in perspective, only two qualifying starting backcourts around the NBA last season boasted a couple of guards with individual free-throw rates above 30 percent. One of them was Beal and Westbrook.

(I could give you 30 guesses, one for each team in the league, and you still may not get the other backcourt. It’s the Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio and Josh Okogie, who posts elite free-throw rates every season partly because he rarely ever shoots and partly because a defender trying to stop his drive is like a cat trying to stop a bowling ball.)

Beal, though, has played with a free-throw glutton before — just last season. And this time, he’ll have more shooting around him with the additions of Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma, first-round pick Corey Kispert and an eventually healthy Bryant, which will theoretically open up more driving lanes.

“It gives you a different dynamic,” Unseld said. “Obviously, you have two dynamic guards who can score at will, so I think it gives us a lot of flexibility on offense.”

What to do with the rotation?
Unseld has a problem any coach would appreciate: some player, at any given moment, might feel like he deserves more playing time than he’s receiving. The Wizards are deep. And their new coach will have to carve out a rotation inside a roster filled with forwards and big men.

Particularly intriguing will be what route Unseld chooses once Bryant returns from his ACL injury. The Wizards have three centers: Bryant, Harrell and Gafford, the projected opening-day starter. Each could justify consistent playing time.

“I made this point to those guys when I spoke to them. All of that is great, but all of our decisions are gonna be based on what’s best for the group,” Unseld said. “I may at times ask somebody to sacrifice a little bit for the betterment of the group. There’s times when I may ask (them) to do more. And I think that’s a fair way to look at it, and I think it’s just one of our pillars. It’s about us. It’s about ‘we,’ not ‘me.’ ”

The Wizards are stacked with forwards, too. Kuzma, 2019 first-rounder Hachimura, 2020 first-rounder Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans and Anthony Gill are all conventional forwards, and more players could receive time at the three or the four, as well.

“That gives you more flexibility,” Unseld said. “It allows you to play big at times. It allows you to downsize.”

He also says Hachimura could play center at times and likes Kuzma as both a three and four. Unseld believes Caldwell-Pope, a 3-and-D threat who can play the three but more consistently defends guards, has shown he can guard big wings in moments.

“I don’t know if doing it on a full-time basis is fair, but there are gonna be some nights we’re gonna have to ask him to do that,” Unseld said. “Just like anyone else, we’re gonna have to ask him to do some things that maybe are out of their box, and we’ll find things schematically to help manage that.”

Unseld calls Kuzma “a weapon” for the way he can shoot and play at multiple positions.

“Whether you wanna call him a two, three or four, he’s gonna be out there. He’s gonna space the floor. He’s gonna make shots,” Unseld said. “I think the game has moved away from the standard point guard, two-guard, small forward, etc. I think you wanna put your best matchups out there.”

Of course, there is one name missing from this list: Kispert, the sharpshooter who the Wizards selected with the No. 15 pick in the NBA Draft last month.

The team is loaded up with competent players. It’s difficult to imagine Dinwiddie, Beal, Caldwell-Pope, Hachimura, Gafford, Kuzma, Bertans, Avdija, Harrell or Raul Neto out of the rotation heading into the fall. Well, that’s 10 players. A healthy Bryant would be another possible contributor. And Holiday still could fit in somewhere.

So, where does Kispert fall? And will he play right away?

“I don’t know. I never wanna paint myself into a corner, commit to something I’m uncertain of, but I think he has a good chance to be impactful,” Unseld said. “I said at draft night, he’s got a discernible NBA talent. His maturity, the fact that he’s played four years at a high level for a great coach — he’s disciplined. He understands his strengths. He’s gonna play to his strengths. And his ability to stretch the defense is a premium in the league.”

Creating chemistry
This group’s dynamic is almost entirely new.

Westbrook wasn’t just a fixture on the court last season. He also was the loudest voice in the locker room. Now, he’s gone — as is most of the coaching staff, including most assistants and Scott Brooks, the team’s head coach for the previous five seasons. Well-respected veterans, like Robin Lopez and Ish Smith, have gone to Orlando and Charlotte, respectively.

Maybe even more striking than all the basketball changes in Washington are the personality ones.

“It takes time,” Unseld said when asked for his philosophies in building chemistry inside an environment that will present something new for everyone. “I think the most important thing is being able to have that organic relationship build slowly. You have to take those unscripted moments to just spend time, whether it’s on the floor with players.

“Obviously, we had an opportunity to kinda bond a little the last few days (in Las Vegas), grab some meals. I think that those are great moments to kind of figure each other out. The sooner we can do that, I think it allows us to exude our strengths. They can understand how we wanna teach, how we’re speaking the same language. I think that transitions into your group. The sooner that happens, the chemistry now develops.”


It'll be interesting to see who steps up as a vocal leader. Beal does some of that, but he seems to be more of a lead by example guy. And frankly, some of his on-court body language isn't always inspiring.

Westbrook showed that having a strong vocal leader really helped provide this team some direction and energy during the dog days of February. Can a guy like Dinwiddie or Harrell fill that void?

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:15 pm
by DCZards
I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:26 pm
by keynote
Leadership is such a fickle thing; it's so context-specific, and its impact is hard to measure. Our assessment as fans is largely dependent from lockeroom anecdotes shared with beat reporters and the occasional player tweet. When all else fails, we just assume that the best players on successful teams are strong leaders, and the best players on floundering teams aren't.

Chris Paul has been lauded as a consummate leader and culture-setter in OKC and Phoenix. OTOH, his teammates clearly tuned in him out in LA and, prior to this season, he hadn't advanced very far in the playoffs. So, were Griffin and DeAndre unreachable knuckleheads? Was CP3 a "choker" and a bad leader prior to the past two seasons? Or did Paul learn from his previous experiences on other teams, become less grating, and grow as a leader?

Kobe's reputation as a leader and mentor has grown posthomously, but he routinely threw less-talented teammates under the bus, and his inability to maintain a relationship with Shaq arguably cost him 2+ rings. Was he a good leader?

Jordan is lionized by many as the ultimate leader and winner. But I've long felt that he was a poor teammate who succeeded on the basis of his supreme talent + the high EQ of Jackson and Pippen, in spite of his poor leadership skills. Obviously, others disiagree.

As far as Wizards go: I never got the sense that Wall was a born leader. He did a lot of pocket-watching, and while I can certainly think of a number of spot-up shooters who made big $ thanks to his elite court vision, I can't think of too many players who arguably improved their work ethic or attitude because of his influence.

As for Beal: he's been known for his physical expressions of malaise and disappointment more than anything else. I don't know how much influence he has had on the other guys. Westbrook recevied props for working with younger players, but can he lead vets and peers? Not our concern now. We'll see if Beal is able to lead a more vet-laden team this year. But to be honest: we will likely only get a limited sense of his effectiveness, and our analysis will end up being reductive as a result. (shrugs)

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:29 am
by TGW
PIF, if you wanted an answer to your question...well I'll be brief:

Spoiler:
what dat and/or doc would have done.


Of course I'm not privy to in-depth scouting reports, interviews, workouts, etc. From the outside looking in, Springer/Cooper would have been fine.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:30 am
by TGW
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.


That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:19 am
by DCZards
TGW wrote:
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.


That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Why would you trade Kuzma if he's playing well and helping the Zards win games? His salary is a fairly reasonable $13 mil and he's under team control for that salary for two seasons after this one.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:40 am
by doclinkin
DCZards wrote:
TGW wrote:
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.


That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Why would you trade Kuzma if he's playing well and helping the Zards win games? His salary is a fairly reasonable $13 mil and he's under team control for that salary for two seasons after this one.



His hair looks douchey apparently.


:king:

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:51 am
by payitforward
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.

For sure he will have plenty of opportunities to shine.

I'm really interested to see how minutes are distributed & who winds up playing with whom at forward. Rui played 31.5 minutes per game last year. Bertans played over 25.5 minutes per game. For the moment, let's assume those minutes don't drop.

Kuzma logged almost 29 minutes a game for LA last year. His career average in 4 seasons is almost 30 minutes a game. If his minutes don't drop -- which is what one would expect, given that he is going from a better team to a worse team -- those 3 guys only leave about 10 minutes per game for anyone else at forward.

Presumably, KCP will back up Brad & probably also eat up those 10 minutes -- that should get him close to the 28 minutes a game he played for the Lakers last year.

Kind of leaves Deni the odd man out -- & no minutes for Kispert either.

It'll be extremely interesting to see how this works out! Seems kind of challenging to me....

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:02 am
by payitforward
TGW wrote:PIF, if you wanted an answer to your question...well I'll be brief:

what dat and/or doc would have done....

:) -- except Doc liked the move you criticized! So... that's what he would have done! I.e. what you wouldn't have done!
Back to the drawing board! :wink:

TGW wrote:...Of course I'm not privy to in-depth scouting reports, interviews, workouts, etc. From the outside looking in, Springer/Cooper would have been fine.

Except... if we don't trade for Holiday, which you want us not to do, we don't have a pick to use on Cooper.

So... I hate to do it! :) But, really, what would you have done? You have the #22 pick... you don't trade it... you take --- fill in the blank....

Springer? Ok... I like him too. Only.... who's our backup point guard? Cassius Winston?

Don't get me wrong -- I didn't love the Holiday trade either. But... you were pretty extreme in damning Tommy Sheppard, because he didn't do the right thing.

Surely, for that critique to having any force at all, you have to actually say what the right thing was. :)

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:06 am
by TGW
DCZards wrote:
TGW wrote:
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.


That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Why would you trade Kuzma if he's playing well and helping the Zards win games? His salary is a fairly reasonable $13 mil and he's under team control for that salary for two seasons after this one.


Because he's going to stifle the development of Rui, Deni, and Kispert. Can't play all of them, and I'd rather they move him and/or Bertans.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:54 am
by Chocolate City Jordanaire
TGW wrote:PIF, if you wanted an answer to your question...well I'll be brief:

Spoiler:
what dat and/or doc would have done.


Of course I'm not privy to in-depth scouting reports, interviews, workouts, etc. From the outside looking in, Springer/Cooper would have been fine.


We really need to develop a Wizards Board Consensus Algorithm. Weight what certain (see spoiler) posters say heavier. Trust me every now and again on that lone outlier.

Years ago I thought of the idea of a movie and or a crowd-source type of people's consensus team in which player contracts would be subject to different criteria. Playing rotations would be up to fans, BUT AGAIN with weighting factors assigned to more knowledgeable fans and newbies just give bare bones influence.

Lemme know if this makes No sense. :)

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:03 am
by Chocolate City Jordanaire
TGW wrote:
DCZards wrote:
TGW wrote:
That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Why would you trade Kuzma if he's playing well and helping the Zards win games? His salary is a fairly reasonable $13 mil and he's under team control for that salary for two seasons after this one.


Because he's going to stifle the development of Rui, Deni, and Kispert. Can't play all of them, and I'd rather they move him and/or Bertans.


:nod:

We've been here before.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/WAS/2012.html

Several players 22 and under. Several more 23-25. Worse, with the minutes going to JAMES (not Chris) Singleton, Rashard Lewis, Nene (After trading McGee; who had been a prominent player for the previous coach).

TGW is right. SOMEONE has to be moved.

I think the smarter thing is to go ahead and turn Kuzma into the +20ppg scorer and then look to trade the right players.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:19 am
by gambitx777
Are trades done?

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 4:58 am
by DCZards
TGW wrote:
DCZards wrote:
TGW wrote:
That would be great. Maybe the Wizards can up his value by the trade deadline.

Why would you trade Kuzma if he's playing well and helping the Zards win games? His salary is a fairly reasonable $13 mil and he's under team control for that salary for two seasons after this one.


Because he's going to stifle the development of Rui, Deni, and Kispert. Can't play all of them, and I'd rather they move him and/or Bertans.

I’m all for developing Rui, Deni and Kispert. That’s important. But it’s obvious that this team is built around Beal--and his new running mate Dinwiddie--both of whom are 28 years old.

It will probably be 2-3 years before Deni and Kispert are ready to contribute at a high level, and I don’t think the Zards (or Beal) are interested in waiting around for that to happen. They want to at least try to win sooner rather than later.

Kuzma is 26 years old and just approaching his prime. So it’s not like it’s a 30 plus year old stealing minutes from the youngins’. If Kuzma is playing well and the Zards are improving and winning, it doesn't make sense to trade him, imo, especially if they hope to resign Beal.

Rui, Deni and Kispert will get minutes, albeit maybe limited minutes in the cases of Deni and Kispert. They’ll just have to prove that they deserve those minutes and more by playing well when they get the opportunity.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 5:33 am
by WallToWall
payitforward wrote:
DCZards wrote:I found it particularly interesting what Unseld Jr. had to say about Kuzma. He seems to have serious plans for using him as an offensive weapon. Of all the new players, I think Kuzma is the one most likely to really shine in a new setting.

For sure he will have plenty of opportunities to shine.
I'm really interested to see how minutes are distributed & who winds up playing with whom at forward. Rui played 31.5 minutes per game last year. Bertans played over 25.5 minutes per game. For the moment, let's assume those minutes don't drop.
Kuzma logged almost 29 minutes a game for LA last year. His career average in 4 seasons is almost 30 minutes a game. If his minutes don't drop -- which is what one would expect, given that he is going from a better team to a worse team -- those 3 guys only leave about 10 minutes per game for anyone else at forward.
Presumably, KCP will back up Brad & probably also eat up those 10 minutes -- that should get him close to the 28 minutes a game he played for the Lakers last year.
Kind of leaves Deni the odd man out -- & no minutes for Kispert either.
It'll be extremely interesting to see how this works out! Seems kind of challenging to me....


This is a great problem to have. If a forward is not playing well, or just doesnt match up well, then he will get fewer minutes. I think the coach will play to the strengths of each forward and put each in the game at opportune times. I, for one, dont expect to have the same predictable starters, or minutes spread each game at the forward spots, like I would at SG or PG. Also, keep in mind that injuries will happen. This depth at forward is a good thing.

Re: 2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:42 pm
by payitforward
Sure, why not? Too many players is a better problem than too few! :) But... given limited rosters & a cap, having too many forwards almost always means having too few at some other position.

In our case, it's guard. We have Brad, Spencer & KCP. Past that it's problematic. If Aaron Holiday takes a significant jump, that will make the problem a minor one.