JaVale McGee

[JWizmentality]

Here's the real pic.

[doclinkin]

Well Doc, to be fair, on draft night you uttered the exact words "McGee is suck..7 ft of suck".

Granted, it was probably because you hated the Bill Walker fiasco, but it was weird when the most optimistic poster said that.

Well yeah. I thought the Bill Walker pick was an absolute steal, even banking on Dominic to develop behind Caron. I got heated when we traded him for Jack Squat. For one year of Juan Dixon it turns out.

But by the next morning after sleepless research I'd reversed 190 on Javale (a slight juke to the left).

The more I read about the Big Secret, more local TV video I tracked down, etc, the more I got a strong dawning sunny feeling of a real good thing. A steal. The premise being: if you ever pick on raw potential, for a chance at a homerun shot out the park, well there's next-to-NEVER been a kid with the physical bonifides this kid displays, that big, that long, that quick, that bouncy, all in the same package. A reach like Yao, the ups of a 2-guard.

And the background & intangibles are good. The likelihood of development and maxing out the talent: Skinny? He's quickly putting on weight (237 his sophomore season, but 243 by draft day-- After leaving Highschool at a puny 210... ) with an excellent frame to build muscle without losing quicks, wide shoulders, decent thick-enough wrists, balanced torso to leg-length ratio. He's not a genetic aberration (naturally big and athletic via his parents-- never pick a player who got big from disease). He's got a great family background, raised around the game, he showed some struggle trying to adapt to his larger frame after being raised to play as a guard in a big man's body, but still he's no african phenom hwho never touched a ball until two years ago.

As for lack of college production: he's a young superbig -- they take longer to develop. His stats and development were suppressed playing behind a top quality college baller in Nick the freak Fazeke. And even then he was the #1 draft leader in blocks + steals / personal foul.

So, ultimately I didn't feel bad about this pick. Even in the draft thread I recanted on second reflex. But I'm pretty nimble that way. I can stop on a dime and get ya eight cent change. As far as potential is concerned there was nobody at 17 with the chance to be a #1 #1 overall quality talent 5 years down the road, nobody close to this kid. All he needs is time and hard work. And apparently not as much of the former as I expected.

[doclinkin]

Here's the real pic.

Still impressive. Look how he jumped over that wee tiny referee.

[bulletproof_32]

Now that the big secret is spreading, I think this next month or two is going to be an interesting stretch in McGee’s development. I suspect that he hasn’t been more than a 1-2 sentence blurb in the opposing team’s pre-game plan up until this point.

Now that he’s earning significant court time, it’s a given that he’ll be more heavily included in opposing team scouting reports. I suspect that opposing bigs are going to get up in his grill early and bully him a bit to try and prevent him from gaining any momentum for potential put-backs/ boards. It’ll be interesting to see how he (and the coaching staff) will react.

[WizarDynasty]

Now that the big secret is spreading, I think this next month or two is going to be an interesting stretch in McGee’s development. I suspect that he hasn’t been more than a 1-2 sentence blurb in the opposing team’s pre-game plan up until this point.

Now that he’s earning significant court time, it’s a given that he’ll be more heavily included in opposing team scouting reports. I suspect that opposing bigs are going to get up in his grill early and bully him a bit to try and prevent him from gaining any momentum for potential put-backs/ boards. It’ll be interesting to see how he (and the coaching staff) will react.

I think they will be even more worried about how guard Bulletproof with a powerforward on the perimeter and the post..and double team bulletproof opens up the wizards half court offense.

[WizarDynasty]

Here's the real pic.

Still impressive. Look how he jumped over that wee tiny referee.

you can tell he is the real deal when you watch him sprint in the half court to set screens, and watching natural adjustment on defense instinctively shutting down passing lanes...from guards as he makes rotations...kicking a ball that would have been an easy pick roll dump to a big. Those are instincts that you learn from being in bball all your life....not just being a body builder..and they way he fights for rebounds on both sides...he is out chasing rebounds on the perimeter..something you never see haywood or thomas do. This is a guy that has big man basketball instincts...even guards don't hustle that hard for rebounds. He has like dennis rodman motor for rebounds...I could believe until i saw continously battle for them even when they weren't his initially but fought and maintain possession. Him and blatche...are a deadly combination especially if blatche starts finally hitting shots when he has a hand in his face.

[omegatronic3]

Assuming Haywood returns this season (say the 4 month projected return from injury rather than 6 month variety). What do we do with McCheese? I mean, can we put both seven footers on the floor at the same time? Seems this would be crippling offensively at first blush. And, assuming McCheese develops into what we think he can be over the course of the year, what would that do to our fortunes next year if we were to try and showcase Haywood during his contract year?

There is no way that ET and Haywood could co-exist but I actually think that for stretches you could play Wood and MCgee since Mcgee has the athleticism to move to PF a-la KG. He can hit a mid range J so thats good enough. Imagine the length with that tandem...and ten add Blache at the 4 and you probably have the longest front court ever!!! I would love to see that lineup..that would be a blockapalooza.

I think in the short term though Mcgee allows Wood to come back slowly.

The thing i find amusing is that Jordan is talking about how much we miss Wood...but he never have him major props last year and constantly rode him in previous years.

[The Consiglieri]

Found my old post, on the McGee Pick, definitely wrong about him not being able to help us "now" but right on the wisdom of making the choice...

Arenas4Three wrote:"Just got back from work saw our pick and i am about to jump off a cliff.

So much for grabbing someone that can help us win NOW."



How could he have? Who represented that at #18? We've already heard ad infinitum that this draft was 2 deep in all stars, had 1-2 players that might be all stars, and then about another 20-30 guys that could go in the first round but that noone, anywhere had a handle on, and nobody viewed as anything particularly special. Whose gonna help us win now in this draft? Noone. To me he did the next best thing, getting a guy, who if everything breaks right, could help us a ton in a few years when Antawn and Etan are gone, and we need two-three answers from the pack that is Pech, Blatche, Sogaila and Haywood. If we can't add a piece that would be a difference maker now (and I dont believe we could I think we're pretty set on starters and most of the reserves), then the next best thing would be adding a guy who down the road could be especially valuable, particularly if Blatche never grows into anything special.

I agree w/ripping to pieces round 2. Not so much the McGee pick. If you can't get a stud you get upside for the future, you can always add reserves through cheap signings in free agency and the 2nd round. Pay attention to what happened to the Redskins after Gibbs, to the Caps after '98. These teams didn't continue to draft pieces that down the road could be valuable and by the time the vets couldn't cut it anymore ('93 for the redskins about '02 for the Caps w/the aberration that was '03) there were no new guys groomed to take over starting roles and be difference makers for the next generation squad. McGee, Blatche and Young are all potential building blocks, hell Pech might be too (since when is a guy, permanently manure, simply because he struggled as a rookie (after coming from the Ukraine league if memory serves) in no small part because he was injured much of the year? Even Pech could be valuable. They've got a bunch of building blocks in those four, potentially another in D Mac, and a vet core as well. I don't have a problem w/that. My only issue again is tossing away the 2nd rounder as if the franchise is a finished product. Three straight exits at the hands of a very 1 dimensional cavs team says there is plenty of room for guys like Bill Walker. To sell him, rather than at least trade the pick was absoulutely criminal and an insult to fans, and I dont care if 3 or 4 other teams did it. That did piss me off.

[The Consiglieri]

Here, reposted for you guys is my post collecting quotes from my local newspaper following and before the draft (Reno Gazette Journal):

Just a few pre-draft quotes from the local paper (I live just outside Lake Tahoe, Nevada side, about an hour from the UNR campus).

Pists director of basketball ops Tony Ronzone: "I think JaVale is going to do really well. I like him a lot. He is a very talented player. You can't teach what he has with his length and his explosiveness and he also comes from a family with professional pedigree." He added that he's confident McGee will become a good player, "JaVale likes to play the game and that means he is going to be in the gym, working on his game and getting better."

Jay Bilas added, "I would be on him going in the lottery. Some of the talk about him slipping down the board has been smoke screens which happens at times."

In the same artilce Dick Vitale is quoted: "Somebody is going to take a shot at his potential in the first round. He is all about potential. He has great upside, there is no doubt about that, but he has to refine his offensive game. You can't teach some of things he has."

I quoted rather than searched a link as the gazzette makes past papers generally cost $$$ to track down. Today's paper i figure sourced quotes so I decided not to add todays gazette journal's notes.

Anyway, don't know if you guys care, just figured I'd add some local flavor to what's already been dicussed.

[GilArenas88]

I think we need to start giving this kid more of a role in the offense. Start posting him, pick-in-rolls, etc, the team especially Jamison seem not to want to give him the ball. I know hes young but he's shown he can score, let him develope, god forbit we feed a big man so we can have a low post game. No just let our guards and fowards chuck up how many they want to. Im sure between Stevensons ill advised three, Jamison and Carons one-on-five chucking, Andrays jumpers, Youngs fadaways, we can give the kid atleast 7-9 good oppurtunities to get us some high percentage shots.

[crackhed]

I think we need to start giving this kid more of a role in the offense. Start posting him, pick-in-rolls, etc, the team especially Jamison seem not to want to give him the ball. I know hes young but he's shown he can score, let him develope, god forbit we feed a big man so we can have a low post game. No just let our guards and fowards chuck up how many they want to. Im sure between Stevensons ill advised three, Jamison and Carons one-on-five chucking, Andrays jumpers, Youngs fadaways, we can give the kid atleast 7-9 good oppurtunities to get us some high percentage shots.

one thing mcgee can do is also occasionally screen and roll to an open spot on the floor... rather than roll to the basket every time he sets the pick (where its usually too crowded to receive a return pass). i bet he can stick that jumper a good percentage from 18ft.

[pancakes3]

i don't know about posting up. someone else said he was a tyson chandler clone, which i think is fairly accurate. the hornets just let him run loose and throw Ooops to him. Granted we have nobody on our roster that can throw a decent oop, we can still use mcgee in the pick and roll game, definitely. He would have to have a clear lane to pass to him, because i don't think he's strong enough to finish after contact/in traffic.

[AgentOvechkin08]

I just read some of the posts right after the pick and I am laughing

People thought he was like the WORST PICK IN THE WORLD, and wanted Chalmers, Hickson etc.

BTW Chalmers may be doing well for Miami, but they dont have a PG and I would have been pissed cuz he got busted with marijuana at the Rookie symposium.

[yungal07]

I'm not impressed with Chalmers. He's playing decent basketball -- nothing earth shattering. Playing next to D. Wade, who's the real point guard on that team, helps a ton. He must have gotten about 10-12 open looks in the past 2 games against us. A good shooter would have put down nearly all of them but he managed to miss a ton of easy looks.

[fishercob]

Dap from Hollinger:

15. JaVale McGee, Wizards
Several players from this year's draft class have turned out better than expected, but McGee has received much less attention than the others.

Although the Wizards are mired at 1-8, McGee has been a revelation with his length, coordination and shooting ability for his size. Seen as a project on draft day, he's shooting 52.0 percent from the floor while averaging 15.9 points and 11.0 boards per 40 minutes, and he has taken over Washington's starting center spot. Best of all, he's only 20 years old, so he should be able to improve plenty from this point forward.

[pancakes3]

i had a little chuckle from wondering from this point forward, or from this point forward?

[ZonkertheBrainless]

I don't think he's a point forward, I think he's a pure center.

[hands11]

I'm wondering. Is there anyone out there who can get above the rim higher then McGee?

His combination of height, arm length and leaps gets him up there.

[Kanyewest]

^^ Dwight Howard

[Da HomeTeam]

I love the Kid's demeanor. There was one play where he fell to the ground and a Warriors player tried to help him up as the teams went to the sidelines after a timeout. JaVale wouldn't grab his hand to get helped up. I liked that.

During the post game interview he was all business Phil and Steve kept trying to get him to smile but he was all business he finally cracked a smile at the end. The kid is the real deal.

Great pick-up