The Ongoing Problem That Is AD

[doclinkin]

Have to say these simmering issues aren’t helping rehab his perceived value around the league. I get that he’s promoting a show and people will ask difficult questions. But he’s been shipped by his last 2 teams and carries the rep of a guy who’s a poison pill to front offices. Along with a giant contract and players option. To put his agent in front of a camera stirring the muck doesn’t entice successful organizations to reach out and steal him. Understood he’s more excited about being a producer now and setting up his career after basketball. But you’re still in the business of basketball for a minute. You want to make it worth the risk to drop huge money on a guy. Not look like a PR problem coming in the door.


The thing that helps AD most is if he helps the team win. Improve. Teach young guys. Heal and look dominant in the minutes he plays. Make Trae look good. Look like the difference maker. Integrate with the youth. The way Gobert is changing the narrative on his career.

The opportunity is there in the east. You’re not going up against Wemby Joker OKC etc in half your games. He can instantly be one of the best front court players in the conference any time he plays. Surrounded by shooters. A big to take pressure off him. A true PG to feed him. The tank years aside, the team is set up to make him look good. What he does well is exactly the X factor this team has lacked.

But yeah. He’s on a media tour. As a high profile guy who has periodically put his foot in his mouth. Not necessarily the best way to play it.

It’s gonna be a long offseason. Sigh.

[DCZards]

Now we're expecting stars not to hold organizations that trade for them accountable. Only we can call the organization a **** show but when a player does it's a problem.

AD is in his last window of a championship. He said he wants the org to prove they want to win, so far all they've done is committed to Keefe. We're so used to average-below average behavior this is seen as a "problem."

Hear, hear!

[lastemp3ror]

Now we're expecting stars not to hold organizations that trade for them accountable. Only we can call the organization a **** show but when a player does it's a problem.

Neither AD nor I play, but one of us gets paid $60m per year to play.

[DCZards]

Now we're expecting stars not to hold organizations that trade for them accountable. Only we can call the organization a **** show but when a player does it's a problem.

Neither AD nor I play, but one of us gets paid $60m per year to play.

The Zards didn’t want AD to play… last season.

[smoothSeph]

Now we're expecting stars not to hold organizations that trade for them accountable. Only we can call the organization a **** show but when a player does it's a problem.

Neither AD nor I play, but one of us gets paid $60m per year to play.

The Zards didn’t want AD to play… last season.

Right, let's not count Ted's pockets when 90% of our salary sat the entire year.

[payitforward]

I can't figure out what this thread is about.

It's in everybody's interest for Davis to be healthy & play well. Our interest, his interest, everybody's interest. He isn't going to dog it.

As to trading for him & then trading him soon thereafter, for that to be a success all we need to get back is more than we gave for him! Common sense.

What more is there to this? I don't see any more....

[lastemp3ror]

Now we're expecting stars not to hold organizations that trade for them accountable. Only we can call the organization a **** show but when a player does it's a problem.

Neither AD nor I play, but one of us gets paid $60m per year to play.

The Zards didn’t want AD to play… last season.

And the rest of his career?

Just because a team isn't ready to push all the chips into winning now, doesn't mean that they are not accountable. They have a plan and so far, that plan is moving along in the right direction. Just because it isn't on AD's "win-now" timeline doesn't make the team less accountable, sorry.

As many people have pointed out, AD has no bargaining power at this point. He is making $60m, and plays very little even before he was benched here. It's a bit delusional IF AD thinks he can make any demands. If he doesn't want to play for the Wiz, then he will continue what he does best, sit out, and that hurts nobody but himself. We paid close to nothing, and at worst, we get back the same value.

[payitforward]

I don't understand why so many people are ragging on Anthony Davis.

Of course he wants to win another title! His career is winding down.

The only way he's going to do that is if he's traded to a much better team than ours. & the only way that's likely to happen is if he plays well in a Wizards uniform.

Which gives him plenty of motivation. I expect to see AD play hard & play well. & be rewarded with a trade!
If he isn't traded this Summer....

[doclinkin]

I expect to see AD play hard & play well. & be rewarded with a trade!

If he isn't traded this Summer....

Which is the only frustration I have with his trashing the Wiz and his agent alluding to a summer trade. It tanks his value if teams think we’re being forced to move him early. And he doesn’t get to showcase his rehabbed game etc for higher return on investment.

Plus it kinda poisons the well if you’re talking about how the Wizards are a very bad team etc in interviews— but these are the teammates you’re going to share the floor with next season if you don’t get a deal in the summer.

Bad form that’s all. With a long summer before it shakes out.

[DCZards]

AD may have trashed the Zards as a “bad team,” which has the benefit of being true. But a few moments before that he had high praise for the Zards organization and its owner. Funny how no one here has mentioned that.

[badinage]

I can acknowledge that.

I think he’s thoughtful and insightful. And accurate.

Very accurate, in fact. Nothing he’s said is wrong.

But.

I don’t want to hear either negativity or OBJECTIVITY, for that matter, from a player who was brought in to lead (and who, by the way, we are doing a solid for). I want to hear enthusiasm and eagerness. Raringness to go. These assessments of his should be kept far from the public eye. This is why you build a culture with young players, because older players like to bitch, which undermines the camaraderie and undoes the cohesion.

[Kanyewest]

I think Davis's trade demand to the Lakers probably annoyed me more than anything he's done here so far although maybe it's because I'm prepared for the worst. I believe the Pelicans even had some talented players around him like Randle and Holiday and later they got the number one pick. But playing with LeBron did get him a title.



Young has done a better job embracing the role so even when Davis says nice things, it doesn't feel as good in comparison.

[Benjammin]

^They are different personalities and AD has achieved much more in his career and are at different places in their career arcs. Trae also has a contract extension in his back pocket and that makes all the difference in attitude.

Sent from my Pixel 10 Pro XL using Tapatalk

[FAH1223]

I can acknowledge that.

I think he’s thoughtful and insightful. And accurate.

Very accurate, in fact. Nothing he’s said is wrong.

But.

I don’t want to hear either negativity or OBJECTIVITY, for that matter, from a player who was brought in to lead (and who, by the way, we are doing a solid for). I want to hear enthusiasm and eagerness. Raringness to go. These assessments of his should be kept far from the public eye. This is why you build a culture with young players, because older players like to bitch, which undermines the camaraderie and undoes the cohesion.

He has been speaking positive of the organization and the young players. He has repeatedly said these guys can ball and they’re hungry. So there’s that.

^They are different personalities and AD has achieved much more in his career and are at different places in their career arcs. Trae also has a contract extension in his back pocket and that makes all the difference in attitude.

Sent from my Pixel 10 Pro XL using Tapatalk

Yup. AD just turned 33. I think he can play many seasons if he stays healthy as he’s never had a major catastrophic injury. But he’s already accomplished more than most will ever do.

Trae is 28 and has more to prove.

[TGW]

A primadonna on the Wizards? We know that has worked out well in the past.

[Tyrone Messby]

Was AD this loud about being traded to a contender when he was in Dallas?

[FAH1223]

Was AD this loud about being traded to a contender when he was in Dallas?

Nope.

[payitforward]

Why is everybody ragging on this guy?

Anthony Davis is going into his 15th year. He's been an absolutely tremendous player. Why does it seem odd to you that he would like to be on a contender? To have a shot at another title?

Why is he being described as if he was a jerk for what seems an altogether sensible desire NOT to play on a rebuilding team at this point in his career?

[doclinkin]

Why is everybody ragging on this guy?

Anthony Davis is going into his 15th year. He's been an absolutely tremendous player. Why does it seem odd to you that he would like to be on a contender? To have a shot at another title?

Why is he being described as if he was a jerk for what seems an altogether sensible desire NOT to play on a rebuilding team at this point in his career?

Because we are Wizards fans. And the guy publicly is expressing he doesn't want to play for the Wizards. Therefore F that guy, we don't have to care about his dream to play for somebody else. Before he even touches our court. Or plays a minute with this firey young crew.

Cool, if he goes elsewhere we get to root for him to crash like a kamikaze. Better for us if so. Its a zero sum game. Other teams losses may be our wins. It'd be that much more satisfying if our team rises and plays better than whatever squad is chosen by a guy who didn't want to play here.

If he had played the PR game better we might be rooting for him to succeed elsewhere. Instead of resenting him before he ever wears the uniform.

How bout hey, maybe play a few games with this squad and discover if we are on the rise. Before sending your agent out to trash the team and talk about how you plan to be elsewhere. What if we do catch a superstar in the draft. What if a number of the young players suddenly hit their breakout years. What if the addition of an aging injured former superstar is the catalyst needed to make the jump. What if you could change your legacy by carrying a team to the next level.

AD by himself was not enough to win anywhere else. I get that nowadays in the Klutch LeBJ era players are looking to hop onto someone else's coattails and ride along to a Parade with another superstar. But unless you are joining Wemby, there's no obvious team to jump to. We are in an era where the next dynasty has not yet been determined. It's all up in the air. Curry riding into the sunset. LeBJ still ageless but each year is a precious coin, not a certain future. OKC is staring down the barrel of cap hell.

My impression of AD is less that he's a bad guy, and more that he is influenced by other people's opinions. If it seems like other people are laughing about the situation, he doesn't want to change their mind, he wants to look for an out. I think he is missing the opportunity he could make by taking a run with Young and the young guns. Win here in an early surge and you can write the ticket for your next team.

I trust Winger and Dawkins to sort it out. I expect a draft day trade of some kind. If AD is involved, so be it. I would have liked to see him here for a time, but if it doesn't happen then cool. I don't have to care about being sensible on his behalf. If he plays for us, I'm on his squad and will defend him. If not, then I got no use for that guy. The only issue is he's making that choice for us before we get a chance to cheer for him.

It'd be nice to cheer for a guy who likes playing for this team that's all. We don't have to be sensible about his reasonable desires or whatever.

[nate33]

Ultimately, I'm not really worried. AD simply cannot dog it this year in a power play move to get traded because he needs to negotiate an extension on his deal. Nobody is going to give him anything near $60M a year if he has spent the last two full seasons whining and/or being hurt.

And opting out next summer is most likely not an option because that would leave him as a free agent and few if any good teams are likely to be waiting around with $60M in available cap room to throw at AD. If AD wants big money, it will have to be a sign-and-trade, which means he will have to play well and prove that he is worth it.

We will either trade him this summer for a good return, or he will play and play hard this season. I don't really see any other options for AD's camp.