2021 Offseason & Offseason Grades

[doclinkin]

Whatever the result of the season, this offseason has been more compelling to me than any other. I think likely due to the changeover of all the starters and most of the bench. Plus a new coach. It is intriguing to see it coming together. This group seems to be a low-ego bunch of basketball lifers. These are guys who would play the game if they had to pay money to do it.

And smart? Guys like Montrezl can succeed in this league not from superior size and talent, but because he has competitive fire and an innate feel for the thing he does do well. He has put in his 10,000 reps in playing the pick and roll. What better mentor could Zay Todd and Daniel Gafford have for the role of a big in the motion game. I think Trez will likely be a coach when his time under the lights is done.

Kispert comes into the league with a high level understanding of how to play at this level. He has played with how many eventual NBAers in his 4 years in school? This draft alone he can count Suggs, Ayayi, Petrusev, add Brandon Clarke and Rui.

KCP and especially Kuzma were tempered by their championship experience, playing next to 2 HOFers and learning the habits of winning ball. Aaron Holiday grew up playing against 2 older brothers who have each now played on NBA champion teams.

To me, even if Brad taps out and picks a different franchise in a sign and trade, there is a foundation here to build on. Still, I get the feeling that playing with friends like Pope, and next to shooters to spread the floor, and with a smart PG like Spencer setting the table, and in a system designed by Unseld, he is going to have more fun this year than any other in his 10 year career. There is no question he is the captain of this team, it has been built around him, built to support his game, he is the veteran on the team with more years in the game than any other, and has had input to every key personnel move. He personally recruited Dinwiddie to play next to him, hand-picked his running mate in the back court. With the depth of scoring around him he won't be taxed with playing 46 minutes a game like he has in the past. He will be able to pick his spots on offense and give high effort on D when needed. We will see if he has another level when he doesn't have to empty his tank every night.

I don't expect us to go deep in the playoffs unless somebody does breakout and radically improve this year. Team ball however will prove to be key in our regular season record. I see the development of guys like Kuz and Deni and even Trez as secondary playmakers becoming a theme this year. The team will see an uptick in assists, even while losing a triple double machine in Westbrook. Smart game planning may start our team with a lead instead of having to fight from behind every game. Half-time adjustments will prove significant. It may take a while to discover what late-game and inbounds plays work for us, but with no dominant superstar, we will prove tough to predict. Beal's best seasons have been his 'everybody eats' seasons. He has played high-level international ball since the U-16 Team USA days (as has his friend KCP). We may not beat teams with unstoppable talent but who does.

Either way going into the season I have a dawning confidence that this team is going to be really tough to stop on offense, and a pain to attack when on defense. Without a dominant PF we may get beaten up in rebounding, but when we can afford to go 4 out, teams will be run ragged trying to chase the ball, while the center is loose to play with abandon on the inside.

Mostly, I like these guys. Every one is a good interview. Each seems an interesting character. Some years I ignore these boards when my curiosity is directed elsewhere, but there is something about this team that Tommy has put together that I can't ignore and find myself more eager than most years for the games to begin. We may struggle early while the team learns each other, and Wes learns the personnel, but I think we might even surprise on that front and simply click, given the smarts and unselfish nature of the guys on the squad. That may be the problem early on: who wants it, whose turn is it to score. The ball may go side to side more often than it goes in the basket, with guys deferring instead of being aggressive. But Dinwiddie has no problem calling his own number, Bertans is going to shoot when he touches it, Trez in the pick and roll knows what to do, Beal can deal from anywhere on the court, Gafford will dunk. We've got high % finishers, we should see results.

Anyway, I guess this is all to say: Good job Tommy. He has put together a team I will pay money to see. A squad that is easy to cheer for. Offseason nicely done.

[Dat2U]

Anyway, I guess this is all to say: Good job Tommy. He has put together a team I will pay money to see. A squad that is easy to cheer for. Offseason nicely done.

He's done well in the constraints that he has to maintain a competitive team and appease Ted.

Not a fan of his drafting thus far but he'll work every inch of a deal.

I don't think the team is built for any postseason success but again, just getting there might be good enough with a rookie coach & significant roster turnover.

[doclinkin]

Anyway, I guess this is all to say: Good job Tommy. He has put together a team I will pay money to see. A squad that is easy to cheer for. Offseason nicely done.

He's done well in the constraints that he has to maintain a competitive team and appease Ted.

Not a fan of his drafting thus far but he'll work every inch of a deal.

I don't think the team is built for any postseason success but again, just getting there might be good enough with a rookie coach & significant roster turnover.

Right, I think it possible the best chance we have at a championship is with whatever package we might get from a Bradley Beal sign and trade for high picks. The caveat being that it would be tricky to fit all the players on the roster you would need to trade to make up the outgoing salary.

That said, every few years a Detroit or Mavericks or Raptors win in an off year for a superstar. And we have surplus players we could send out in a mid-season consolidation trade for an upgrade and improved player in the front court.

I do think it likely we see career peaks from a handful of players on the roster over the life of their contracts. And see developing star potential in Gafford at the least. He is working on exactly the things I would want him to focus on, and Wes seems like an ideal coach for what he needs to learn. I'm also tentatively optimistic on Zay Todd over the next few years. He's getting an early career crash course in fundamental basketball at both ends, which is where he fell short in the G-league. Shot selection and team defense and what his role is at this level are basic 101 level pro ball lessons he needs in order to succeed. But that is on Wes. Early on he needs weight room work, and smart players around him to make him look good, but the talent is there. Hopefully the fire is too.

Our ceiling right now feels like we may win enough games in the season that we get a decent playoff seeding, especially if some of the teams in front of us that rely on star starters get a setback from injury etc. And in the playoffs we could mess around and knock down a team that is less fresh or not as well prepared. So, yes, making the post season and winning a few games, if not the first round, would be a good start.

[payitforward]

I'm pretty much in accord will the above. Tommy has completely transformed the Washington Wizards in just over two years.

How good will this team be? This year or in a year or two? I don't know, but it's already an interesting team, a much better team, & a team with potential.

TBH, if we'd had a good draft -- imaginative & purposeful -- the last 3 years, or even 2 of the last 3 years, we'd be on our way to becoming one of the very top teams in the East.

But forget all that. We have a lot to pay attention to & a lot of potential for reasonable success... right now. I'm really looking forward to this season.

[closg00]

*bumping* To review what the discussion was like here about our off-season