Wizards @ Bulls

[cwb3]

I can say one thing ... i'm sick of coaches that make lineup decisions based on their opponents strengths. EJ was notorious fo such nonsense and Taps showed and actually said the same crap in this game. Who cares if the opposing center is a lumbering oaf that might give McGee some trouble with defensively? Tap said himself that it was all but a token start for McGee and would never even give him a chance to see how he handles the situation. I mean come on, the dude averages 4/4 and we're gameplanning for him? What a F'ing (Please Use More Appropriate Word) ... don't you think an athletic 7-footer would give heaps of problems (if not more) against such a lumbering oaf?

I would have some great patience for Taps as an interim coach if he would show that he's actually trying to teach the guys something new and used this unique opportunity to have the rookies learn with on-the-job training without much downsound of a shot season. If you sense that McGee will have trouble against a certain type of player ... then great, throw him out there and see what he can do so he can improve and not just hide in fear because of a perceived weakness.

^^^^^
Amen Brother!
We have some strengths, why not try playing to OUR strengths and make the other team react to US?!?

[dobrojim]

not a whole lot to add to what has been said

I'm as baffled as anyone why McGee should have played so little
and why we don't force them to match us. Worried about Aaron Gray?
puhlease.

Re DS - mild defense of Tapps here, N1 was off (1-7?) big time this game.

I would love to see DMac get a healthy dose of minutes at the SG spot.
Let's see how that works. I think that it'd be worth trying with Dee Brown
in at the same time...the all-D backcourt with almost any frontcourt
we have would seem no worse than what we put out there most of
the time anyway.

oh and finally agree with the frustration of our announcers treating
us like idiots by saying absolute nonsense like "we just ran into a hot shooting
team".

Thought we lost the game with a critical stretch where Caron turned it over
2-3 times in a row. While he put up pts and had a mostly good statline,
he needs to be accountable for the TOs.

[Ironpanthr]

I can say one thing ... i'm sick of coaches that make lineup decisions based on their opponents strengths. EJ was notorious fo such nonsense and Taps showed and actually said the same crap in this game. Who cares if the opposing center is a lumbering oaf that might give McGee some trouble with defensively? Tap said himself that it was all but a token start for McGee and would never even give him a chance to see how he handles the situation. I mean come on, the dude averages 4/4 and we're gameplanning for him? What a F'ing (Please Use More Appropriate Word) ... don't you think an athletic 7-footer would give heaps of problems (if not more) against such a lumbering oaf?

I would have some great patience for Taps as an interim coach if he would show that he's actually trying to teach the guys something new and used this unique opportunity to have the rookies learn with on-the-job training without much downsound of a shot season. If you sense that McGee will have trouble against a certain type of player ... then great, throw him out there and see what he can do so he can improve and not just hide in fear because of a perceived weakness.

Bingo. I mean, seriously, does Taps think he's the coach of the Hoyas? College was the last time ANY team/coach gameplanned for Aaron Gray. I'm a PITT alum, so you could say I watched Aaron Gray play during his heyday. He tended to have his best games against slightly smaller versions of himself. His worst games were against quick and athletic centers. Even those college coaches didn't pull their starting centers fearing the Aaron Gray matchup, and that was back when the name Aaron Gray might legitimately generate some fear. They recognized that they might give up some on one end, but would likely get it back (and often get more back) on the other end. It is shocking to me that any NBA coach would admit to letting Aaron Gray dictate his coaching strategy.

Taps would have been far better off just not saying anything about why McGee didn't play more.

[BigA]

<snip>Even if, as I contend, we're clearly taking advantage of key injuries to tank with dignity. Clearly. It's indisputable!!

"Tank With Dignity" is much catchier and more accurate than "Character, Commitment, Connection."

I remember the season before last when daSwami rolled out a "06-07 Wizards: I Still Believe" siggy with Jarvis, Etan, and Ruffin. The "Tank With Dignity" siggy would feature DS2, DS9, and AD.

[cwb3]

<snip>Even if, as I contend, we're clearly taking advantage of key injuries to tank with dignity. Clearly. It's indisputable!!

"Tank With Dignity" is much catchier and more accurate than "Character, Commitment, Connection."

I remember the season before last when daSwami rolled out a "06-07 Wizards: I Still Believe" siggy with Jarvis, Etan, and Ruffin. The "Tank With Dignity" siggy would feature DS2, DS9, and AD.

Someone PLEASE make the "Tank With Dignity" sig happen! daSwami's sig (which I shamelessly converted to jpeg and printed) was a big hit here at the office!

We also got ourselves an Ed Wood sighting in this thread. . .so things are looking up!

[nate33]

<snip>Even if, as I contend, we're clearly taking advantage of key injuries to tank with dignity. Clearly. It's indisputable!!

"Tank With Dignity" is much catchier and more accurate than "Character, Commitment, Connection."

I remember the season before last when daSwami rolled out a "06-07 Wizards: I Still Believe" siggy with Jarvis, Etan, and Ruffin. The "Tank With Dignity" siggy would feature DS2, DS9, and AD.

That would be the best sig ever.

[hands11]

I can say one thing ... i'm sick of coaches that make lineup decisions based on their opponents strengths. EJ was notorious fo such nonsense and Taps showed and actually said the same crap in this game. Who cares if the opposing center is a lumbering oaf that might give McGee some trouble with defensively? Tap said himself that it was all but a token start for McGee and would never even give him a chance to see how he handles the situation. I mean come on, the dude averages 4/4 and we're gameplanning for him? What a F'ing (Please Use More Appropriate Word) ... don't you think an athletic 7-footer would give heaps of problems (if not more) against such a lumbering oaf?

I would have some great patience for Taps as an interim coach if he would show that he's actually trying to teach the guys something new and used this unique opportunity to have the rookies learn with on-the-job training without much downsound of a shot season. If you sense that McGee will have trouble against a certain type of player ... then great, throw him out there and see what he can do so he can improve and not just hide in fear because of a perceived weakness.

No good answer for what Tapps is doing. He is a smart BB mind. That is for sure. But maybe he just isn't good HC material. Some people are just better and seeing things from the outside and when they have to do the main gig, they loose their perspective because they are not outside looking in.

If that's the case with him, then he was a poor decission as a HC. Even if it is only temporary.
Or, maybe he will get batter. It is a very small sample we are looking at. But there is something about his delivery that doesn't say head coach to me. I don't know. This sucks to watch.

But I tell you what really scars me. It's having Wes Jr on the side lines. I don't know the man and I don't care. Just like I don't want another Bush in the white house, I don't want another Unseld on the side line. It's just bad mojo.

[yungal07]

But I tell you what really scars me. It's having Wes Jr on the side lines. I don't know the man and I don't care. Just like I don't want another Bush in the white house, I don't want another Unseld on the side line. It's just bad mojo.

[fishercob]

Handsy and others: Perhaps Ernie knew that in-game coaching wasn't Tapps' strength -- and didnt think it was necessarily a bad thing. Maybe the main motivation for interiming Tapps was that he'd give top priority to developing/teaching the kids in practice. I think they'll all see more minutes when they've earned them in practice. Again, we're not going to the playoffs either way. Might as well improve our chances at bingo.

I don't know about you, but I don't want my worth in the world (professional or otherwise) to be judged based on my father's accomplishments. Just judge me. Wouldn't all of you agree? Can we extend the same standard to Wes Jr?

Wes Jr is undeniably smart -- he went to Hopkins, one of the best academic schools in country (and D-III schools dont give athletic scholarships). Played for a coach who has been there 23 years and won nearly 400 games at a 64% clip in one of the best leagues in D-III. No one is saying he's qualified to be a head man, but I have no problem with his presence on the staff and drawing up plays out of timeouts.

[kebzach]

Interesting comment on Insider's game recap:

That was I that posted that comment on the insider blog. AJ clearly has the ear of the coaching staff...at least he sure did on Saturday night.

[WizarDynasty]

Javale got yanked because he still hasn't improved his lateral acceleration. Any time Rasheed made a move sideways, Javale was off balance and couldn't recover quickly enough. He also has one of the poor lane agility time for a center which explains why rasheed was ripping him a new one. I think the scouting reports have identified his biggest weakness on defense and teams are attacking him. If he doesn't improve, he will be regarded very soon as a very poor one on one defender...great help defender. http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-dra ... os=5&sort=