2025 Offseason

[AFM]

Anti French bigotry. Still mad they haven’t thanked us for WWII. Have you even said thank you?

[penbeast0]

Have you ever thanked them for the fact that we even got started as a country? Without France, we don't win the Revolutionary War. (And it bankrupted the king and helped lead to the French Revolution).

[payitforward]

Dallas just waived Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 R1 pick. Still only 22.

Interesting to us?

[nate33]

Dallas just waived Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 R1 pick. Still only 22.

Interesting to us?

Which two players do you want to cut (and still pay their guaranteed salaries) to make room?

[AFM]

Most pretentious name in the league

[payitforward]

Dallas just waived Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 R1 pick. Still only 22.

Interesting to us?

Which two players do you want to cut (and still pay their guaranteed salaries) to make room?

Now, nate -- I just asked a question... no need to get sniffy.

I know nothing of Prosper -- it simply occurred to me that someone else might have something to say about him.

On a quiet day....

Anyway, though you are right that we already have to cut one of the 16 guys on our regular roster, we do have a 2-way spot available....

[payitforward]

Late August feels like being becalmed in the middle of the ocean.

Meanwhile, Dawkins, Winger & their families are probably on vacation on a beach somewhere!

[payitforward]

Devin Carter on the block?

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281780/Devin-Carter-Seen-As-Potential-Trade-Candidate-To-Make-Room-For-Russell-Westbrook-Signing

Went one pick before Bub in '24....

[doclinkin]

Late August feels like being becalmed in the middle of the ocean.

Meanwhile, Dawkins, Winger & their families are probably on vacation on a beach somewhere!

Not a chance. They’re surely scouting Eurobasket. Every game has a player in it that’s a revelation. Loving the French back up PG Francisco. Tough mug.

Every game I’ve watched reminds me that the Euro games are a fun product. Like March Madness with skilled veterans not just raw talent.

[doclinkin]

France briefly with my fav line up.

Francisco
Risacher
Bilal
Sarr
Yabusele

Happy to see Sarr playing next to a beast. They subbed out Bilal for Timothe LC. But that was a smothering line.

[doclinkin]

4th quarter down by 2. Sarr and Bilal both play well against Luka but he still has 27. Good chemistry between Risacher and Sarr. But Risacher has 4 fouls.

[doclinkin]

Sarr hitting dunks. Hooks. Floaters. Only bobbled one lob. They’re sticking with him for the 4th quarter.

[WallToWall]

Dallas just waived Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 2023 R1 pick. Still only 22.
Interesting to us?

Never put it together in DAL. He showed flaws and flashes there, though. After Sept 9th, we'll have more flexibility to make trades. If Prosper is still around after we make trades to shed some players, I wouldn't mind it if we sign him...G-League maybe. Maybe DAL will re-sign him to their G-League team (Texas Legends) and that's part of their plan...?

[doclinkin]

Sarr really with the best game I’ve seen him play.late in the 4th asphyxiating defense on Luka and back to back blocks. France pulling away with both Bilal and Sarr on court. Francisco. Yabusele. Mix and match the 5th player. Luka throwing a tantrum when refs didn’t buy his flopping act.

[thomas1897]

The Wizard's management is making some very creative moves but what will the final product look like? Training camp will be very competitive and challenging. The Wizards have a bundle of talented players. The forward positions are loaded with skilled players who will be contending for 3/4/5 positions on the active roster. The guard positions are not as strong of an asset but have good players CJ McCullum, Tre Johnson, and Bud Carrington with Bilal Coulibaly. These players have a high level of skills, but the leadership is best from CJ McCullum. Tre Johnson is still unknown at the NBA level does he get better and get a starting position. What was accomplished in the summer league is not a guarantee for success in the NBA? Now what will the coaching staff do for 2025-2026? Dawkins has done the job supplying the coaching staff with very good players. The next steps are critical who are your core players, bench personnel. Players who show potential is there development in the G league or they can be traded for future assets. This is a good scenario for the Wizards if all the pieces fall into the right places. Can the Wizard's Management keep it together?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Late August feels like being becalmed in the middle of the ocean.

Meanwhile, Dawkins, Winger & their families are probably on vacation on a beach somewhere!

Speaking of vacation, I am in Alaska with my sister. We were in Anchorage for three days before arriving here in Juneau.

It has been a fantastic trip.

[payitforward]

Nice, Ken! Enjoy yourself...!

[payitforward]

Remember "Linsanity?" -- https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281787/Jeremy-Lin-Announces-Retirement-From-Basketball

[nate33]

Remember "Linsanity?" -- https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281787/Jeremy-Lin-Announces-Retirement-From-Basketball

Linsanity was a fun little vignette in the middle of a long season.

The woeful NY Knicks, who had missed the playoffs in 6 of the 7 previous years, had started the season with a dismal 6-15 record. Then, on a game against the New Jersey Nets on February 4, a random 12th man walk-on 2nd-year player out of Harvard, who had played a total of 52 minutes in the first 21 games, happens to have a nice run with the second unit in his 2nd quarter stint. Mike D'Antoni decides to ride him for most of the game, playing him 36 minutes and he finishes with 25 points, 7 assists and a +13 +/-, leading the Knicks to a 7 game win.

The Knicks don't really have a real starting backcourt (they started rookie Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields) so D'Antoni just rolls with it and starts Lin the next game. Lin goes on to have one of the most improbable 9-game stretches ever seen. Over the next 9 games, this guy, with a total of 337 career minutes under his belt, proceeds to average 25 points, 9.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals a game with a .583 TS%. He does it in the biggest media market in the world. The Knicks go on a 8-1 tear and get back into the playoff hunt.

His actual production actually kind of fizzled after that and the hype was sustained mostly by selective highlights and the NY media machine. Over the next 17 games, his averages dropped to 15.0 points and 6.8 assists on a .525 TS% and then he got hurt. But wow, those 9 games were a fun ride!

[doclinkin]

The Wizard's management is making some very creative moves but what will the final product look like? Training camp will be very competitive and challenging. The Wizards have a bundle of talented players. The forward positions are loaded with skilled players who will be contending for 3/4/5 positions on the active roster.

The guard positions are not as strong of an asset but have good players CJ McCullum, Tre Johnson, and Bud Carrington with Bilal Coulibaly. These players have a high level of skills, but the leadership is best from CJ McCullum. Tre Johnson is still unknown at the NBA level does he get better and get a starting position. What was accomplished in the summer league is not a guarantee for success in the NBA?

I expect Tre Johnson to swiftly show why he was the right pick. The only questions I have on him relate to his defense/physical strength, and therefore whether he’s playable with Bub long term. But I’d bet Tre’s shooting wins him the starting job in preseason. Then it’s just a matter of whether they want to bring the veteran CJ in off the bench or if they want him to set the tone as the starting Point.

And yeah. Lead ball handling guard is still a question that I hope Bub answers this year. We have secondary playmakers but not a true offensive initiator to conduct the team. I think the same way they tried Kyshawn in the role, they might audition Tre and even Will Riley as potential 1’s. Dawkins loves the option to go big at every spot. At 6’4”
Bub is big for a PG but next to the 6’5” Tre we’re not dominant and long. But everybody moving over a slot makes us huge.

1G. (CJ 6’3”). Bub 6’4”. Tre 6’5”. Riley 6’8”.
2G. Tre 6’5”. AJJ 6’5”. Riley 6’8”.
2/3. JC 6’6”. (KMidd 6’7”). Cam 6’7”. Kispert 6’7”. Watkins 6’7”. Bilal 6’8”. Kyshawn 6’8”.
3/4. Bilal 6’8”. Kyshawn 6’8+”.
4/5. Vuk 7’. Sarr 7’
C. Sarr.

As an experiment I want to see Cam at 2. Riley at 1.

Now what will the coaching staff do for 2025-2026? Dawkins has done the job supplying the coaching staff with very good players. The next steps are critical who are your core players, bench personnel. Players who show potential is there development in the G league or they can be traded for future assets. This is a good scenario for the Wizards if all the pieces fall into the right places. Can the Wizard's Management keep it together?

Roster construction wise, aside from growth and development, I think we are a dominant rebounder away from having a solid team. I’d like to see that guy in a solid 4/5 type who is an intimidating defender in the paint. Especially with a decent high post game in passing and shooting out the midrange.

This despite that Sarr is opening my eyes in his Euro play, adding a package of hook shots on the fly to replace those weak fading jumpers in the midrange. I still think his instincts are as a forward. But it’s good to see his growth in the front court. Except he got injured. His body isn’t ready for the pounding at C.

I still want a monster in the middle. Or at least a strong power 4. Give me Boozer and I think I’m happy.