The Official Will Dawkins / Wiz Front Office Appreciation Thread

[AWIZZINGBULLET]

It's necessary.

The Deni trade hurt when it took place, but this is business and they had their reasons for moving him, reasons that we may never know unless given bits and pieces of insight from someone within the org. or close enough to get the skinny.

I'm getting over the Deni trade because what's done is done and because I sense that the new group of guys led by Will Dawkins actually have a strong vision of the type of team and makeup of guys they want the roster constructed under.

I love that the FO now seems to be able to spot trouble areas on the roster and makes moves that offset them versus showing undying commitment to certain players long-term as was the case for many seasons in the past.

I'm happy with every single one of our 2024 1st round draft picks: the youth, the youthful energy/positivity, and the positioning and aggression it took to get this group of guys who will establish the new identity of the Wizards moving forward.


I like a lot about Will Dawkins and think a lot of good things are coming. Real excited to see how the young guys develop!

[nate33]

I very much appreciated what they did last year in moving Beal and drafting Coulibaly. And I also liked them selling high on Gafford.

But I'm not over the Deni move. Not at all. I think it's the worst move the organization has made since signing Beal to that max contract. Now is not the time to get me to endorse a front office appreciation thread. The Deni trade was AWFUL. The Sarr pick may well have been pure luck. The Valanciunas acquisition is a head scratcher, though probably harmless enough. I'm not really a fan of the Kyshawn George pick either, but I'm willing to defer judgement.

[TGW]

Yea can't wait for the next 3 seasons when they go a combined 57 and 186. Awesome job Will!

I mean what a goofy thread. If Process 2.0 works and they win a chip in 2034, fine, but until then no credit should be lobbed to a front office that is blatantly throwing entire seasons away.

[DCZards]

Yea can't wait for the next 3 seasons when they go a combined 57 and 186. Awesome job Will!

I mean what a goofy thread. If Process 2.0 works and they win a chip in 2034, fine, but until then no credit should be lobbed to a front office that is blatantly throwing entire seasons away.

We were told a year ago that it was a full rebuild…and that it would require patience.

[nate33]

Yea can't wait for the next 3 seasons when they go a combined 57 and 186. Awesome job Will!

I mean what a goofy thread. If Process 2.0 works and they win a chip in 2034, fine, but until then no credit should be lobbed to a front office that is blatantly throwing entire seasons away.

We were told a year ago that it was a full rebuild…and that it would require patience.

I don't mind blatant tanking. I just mind if the tanking is done by trading away actual good young players like Avdija.

They can trade away guys like Kuzma, Tyus, or even Kispert, and I wouldn't have a problem with it. I just feel like Avdija was a guy who could actually start on this team when they are a playoff team 3 or 4 years in the future. The goal is to acquire young players who can start on a future playoff team. The goal is not to get rid of them.

[DCZards]

They can trade away guys like Kuzma, Tyus, or even Kispert, and I wouldn't have a problem with it. I just feel like Avdija was a guy who could actually start on this team when they are a playoff team 3 or 4 years in the future. The goal is to acquire young players who can start on a future playoff team. The goal is not to get rid of them.

Agree. Deni was getting better and better….and really growing on myself and other Zards fans. (As evidenced by the largely negative reaction to the trade.) I thought Deni was the one untouchable player on the roster.

But Dawkins & Co. took the calculated risk that Bub, a 2029 FRP, two SRPs, and Brogdon (I think a healthy Brogdon can get you another SRP), were more valuable to the rebuild than Deni.

We’ll see.

[Halcyon]

I think Deni's "leap" was to a role player, not much else. I don't believe in his shooting and his numbers were inflated by their pace. He was still limited in the half court which I think will limit him ultimately. I think they got great value for Deni.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[LyricalRico]

I can appreciate how active this FO is and how willing they are to make moves. I had no desire to watch any games last year, but they've got me curious enough to plan on catching a few this season. Not expecting a lot of wins but looking forward to seeing what this group has in them. Heck, I'm even posting again!

It's funny that I used to defend Ernie for giving up picks all the time - now we have a GM to trades for picks and folks still aren't happy lol. The fact is we've never actually been through a true rebuild because of all the "band-aid to compete for 8th" moves over the years. This is completely new territory for all of us and I for one am excited to see how it plays out!

[payitforward]

They can trade away guys like Kuzma, Tyus, or even Kispert, and I wouldn't have a problem with it. I just feel like Avdija was a guy who could actually start on this team when they are a playoff team 3 or 4 years in the future. The goal is to acquire young players who can start on a future playoff team. The goal is not to get rid of them.

Agree. Deni was getting better and better….and really growing on myself and other Zards fans. (As evidenced by the largely negative reaction to the trade.) I thought Deni was the one untouchable player on the roster.

But Dawkins & Co. took the calculated risk that Bub, a 2029 FRP, two SRPs, and Brogdon (I think a healthy Brogdon can get you another SRP), were more valuable to the rebuild than Deni.

We’ll see.

Exactly. Trading a 23-year-old guy who is both playing well & improving cannot feel good. Hence the intensely emotional responses.

Nor can one say that a guy Deni's age is too old to be a productive part of a long-term rebuild. If we're terrific in 4 years, say, having a 27 year old prime Deni would be great. Obviously.

OTOH, let's not allow either that fact or the predictably emotional response to the trade cause us to think that we traded Deni for pennies on the dollar. That's not the case.

We got two Round 1 picks -- one of them to take a guy we really really liked & wanted this year. We got two Round 2 picks. & we got a player who, with some luck, will be healthy enough to bring a pretty good return in a trade -- a high 2 pick, let's say.

Deni is a significant loss. But, we got a significant haul for him.

[DCZards]

I can appreciate how active this FO is and how willing they are to make moves. I had no desire to watch any games last year, but they've got me curious enough to plan on catching a few this season. Not expecting a lot of wins but looking forward to seeing that this group has in them. Heck, I'm even posting again!

Lyrical, good to have you back on the scene. Remember when you and I would have those heated debates about Eddie Jordan. Seems like decades ago! Hey, it was.

[LyricalRico]

I can appreciate how active this FO is and how willing they are to make moves. I had no desire to watch any games last year, but they've got me curious enough to plan on catching a few this season. Not expecting a lot of wins but looking forward to seeing that this group has in them. Heck, I'm even posting again!

Lyrical, good to have you back on the scene. Remember when you and I would have those heated debates about Eddie Jordan. Seems like decades ago! Hey, it was.

EFJ! Good times, good times...

[payitforward]

Gonna be slow. Inevitably. But it feels good right now. Feels like something real is under way.

[Endless Loop]

Read on Twitter

Wow!
It sounds terrible, but they only kept four first round picks during that entire period. Those picks ended up being-
#21 in 2014, Mitch McGary
#29 in 2014, Josh Huestis
#14 in 2015, Cameron Payne
#17 in 2017, Terrance Ferguson

Here's some of the picks they ended up trading away at various times-
Sengun in 2021
Quickly in 2020
Brandon Clarke in 2019
Also Lively in 2023
IDK what they got in those trades...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_Thunder_draft_history

[WizarDynasty]

Officially good times ahead. I am 100 percent behind Dawkins. 20 year dream finally a reality. Perfect moves but he is spending.. our captured suffering of 15 years. The previous didnt know how to translate past suffering into true bball assets efficiently. Dawkins is officially synonymous with Wizardynasty..or longterm greatness, not to be confused with a crazy fatal boat accident... there is no dying with Dawkins. Basketball Wizardry is now in full EFFECT. That is the spell that has been cast for the next 50 years. Let the great times roll now.

[badinage]

Officially good times ahead. I am 100 percent behind Dawkins. 20 year dream finally a reality. Perfect moves but he is spending.. our captured suffering of 15 years. The previous didnt know how to translate past suffering into true bball assets efficiently. Dawkins is officially synonymous with Wizardynasty..or longterm greatness, not to be confused with a crazy fatal boat accident... there is no dying with Dawkins. Basketball Wizardry is now in full EFFECT. That is the spell that has been cast for the next 50 years. Let the great times roll now.

This needed to be a poem:


Officially good times
ahead. I am
100 percent behind
Dawkins. 20 year dream
finally a
reality. Perfect
moves

But he is spending our
captured suffering of
15 years. The
previous didnt know
how to translate
past suffering
into true
bball assets
efficiently. Dawkins
is officially synonymous with
Wizardynasty or longterm
greatness, not to be
confused with a crazy fatal
boat accident

There is no
dying with
Dawkins. Basketball
Wizardry is now in
full EFFECT. That is the
spell that has
been cast for
the next 50
years. Let
the great
times roll
now.

[wewillnevertank]

Yea can't wait for the next 3 seasons when they go a combined 57 and 186. Awesome job Will!

I mean what a goofy thread. If Process 2.0 works and they win a chip in 2034, fine, but until then no credit should be lobbed to a front office that is blatantly throwing entire seasons away.

I agree with the sentiment that it's too early to be overly effusive, but I think calling it "goofy" is unnecessarily rude.

I think we can express appreciation for finally having a modern vision while still being able acknowledge that we're still in the extremely early phase of this new build. (I've decided I'm calling it new build because rebuild implies we're keeping at least some pieces intact. We're not. This is a controlled teardown to be followed by new construction)

I can understand why fans are eager to shower Dawkins with praise. Frankly, I am too. The prior 20 years have been a combo of Ernie and his protege. The thought of having anyone not from an inner circle that long overstayed its welcome is exciting, and we're rooting hard for it to work. In an age where instant gratification is at an all-time high, the urge to rush to judgment is very strong. Even the folks who adopt the macro "wait and see" mindset with the FO can't resist deeming a trade good or bad before anyone plays a game.

[payitforward]

Yea can't wait for the next 3 seasons when they go a combined 57 and 186. Awesome job Will!

I mean what a goofy thread. If Process 2.0 works and they win a chip in 2034, fine, but until then no credit should be lobbed to a front office that is blatantly throwing entire seasons away.

Man o man you are hard to please!

We are finally rebuilding, & you want to call it "throwing... seasons away?"
You liked what we were doing with our "seasons" before Will?
There was a good option other than trading Brad for whatever & starting over from scratch?

This is the only road -- at least as far as I am able to tell.

If there's something you would have done differently, let's hear about it.

[AFM]

Officially good times ahead. I am 100 percent behind Dawkins. 20 year dream finally a reality. Perfect moves but he is spending.. our captured suffering of 15 years. The previous didnt know how to translate past suffering into true bball assets efficiently. Dawkins is officially synonymous with Wizardynasty..or longterm greatness, not to be confused with a crazy fatal boat accident... there is no dying with Dawkins. Basketball Wizardry is now in full EFFECT. That is the spell that has been cast for the next 50 years. Let the great times roll now.

Brother I said your name three times in the mirror last night and here you are

[AFM]

And he returned with a HOF post too

“Not to be confused with a crazy fatal boat accident…there’s no dying with Dawkins” I have tears in my eyes

[doclinkin]

Dropped it to the Poetry thread. Good to see the guru of bowlegged defense pop back up.