Outside Opinions on 09/10' Wizards Team

[Agent0_MVP]

Arash (anaheim Hills): Which non-playoff teams have the greatest chance of not just making the playoffs next year but maybe make a to 4 or 5 seed?

John Hollinger: (3:59 PM ET ) Throwing one final bone out the lottery teams -- I think you have to look to the East for this, where moving into the top five will be much easier, and I think you have to look hard at Washington, who will have Arenas, a lottery pick and an excellent coach next year.

[Severn Hoos]

Wait, wasn't it Hollinger who said they were "delusional" to keep their core in tact at the trading deadline this year? But that same core has a good chance to secure home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs next year?

Yup, just found it:

Disco (Chicago): Chad Ford said the Wizards HAD to get a deal done and yet nothing, why not?

John Hollinger: I'm shocked and I think they're delusional. Really, you want to pay the tax to see if Jamison, Butler and Arenas can go 42-40 and finish 27th in Defensive Efficiency again? At what point do you suppose they'll accept the idea that they aren't contenders and never were? It's going to cost them a lot more to make the same kind of deals this summer once they wake up and smell the coffee -- they may end up having to give Butler to Detroit.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=25127

Dude, pick a lane and stay in it.

[Agent0_MVP]

Well when your realize how good we were "Healthy" and then add experience to our younger players, add Blake or some solid vets, and then add Saunders...

Thats what makes a fan of the game different then that of a team. We know our team. He knows what he wants to see.

Ps. Let me note again I have the Cavs losing in Rd 1 Fellas!!

[pancakes3]

ah the pressures of being a pundit.

in a way he's correct on both counts:
we're definitely the team that will make the biggest +/- differential next season - maybe even a historically large improvement. our core big 3 is also not championship caliber when compared to other big 3's in the league. the frustrating part is the extremes these guys go to in establishing their opinion because when they recognize the other side of the argument, it makes them look that much more hypocritical.

[Agent0_MVP]

I dont agree. Never will! I dont believe ANY teams Big 3 is better than ours...When Healthy!

Only time and healing will tell!!

[miller31time]

We won't make a historically large improvement. The Celtics went from 24 wins (07) to 66 wins (08). That's a 42-win improvement.

We'd have to become a 62-win team to surpass the Celts.

[doclinkin]

We won't make a historically large improvement. The Celtics went from 24 wins (07) to 66 wins (08). That's a 42-win improvement.

We'd have to become a 62-win team to surpass the Celts.

New mission.

Let's all pull to make it happen. No more negative thoughts. 62-win season here we come. It will happen. Book it. Woo, we're winning the lottery! Watch out now... We can do It!!!

/rah rah.

[FreeBalling]

We won't make a historically large improvement. The Celtics went from 24 wins (07) to 66 wins (08). That's a 42-win improvement.

We'd have to become a 62-win team to surpass the Celts.

Miller I'm sure the Wizards will make a historical improvement, it's only going to be a Washington team record. I have no facts to back this up but we should win 50+ next year.

[Brenice]

I think that next years team will be better than the pre-injury team. It will be less reliant on the Big 3. Even if Gilbert is able to play at the Agent0 level, he will not have to. In the past, I would not have passed the ball do Brendan on the block. Now that is an option for him. Who would you rather backup the 5/4 positions, Ruffin and Etan or McGee/Blatche/Songaila? Nick will prove to be as good as Roger Mason, and Mason was not a major contributer during the pre-Gilbert-injury era. As green as D-Mac is, I would much rather have him than Jared Jeffries. DeShawn should be back to his role of being 50/50 and not having to play without Gilbert drawing attention. The asset of a lottery pick will provide extra depth. And don't trade the future away either, unless you get a young, established vet, 26 years old or younger.

Talk about the sweetest revenge, my money is on the wiz over the cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals next year.

Talk to me!

[Severn Hoos]

I guess it depends what you mean by historic. If you mean "best ever" then no, doc's recovering spleen aside, the Wiz won't be setting any records next year. But based on this slide show, it's entirely realistic to get in the discussion.

25 more wins gets you in the top 10 all-time. That's just 44 wins next year. I would guess that a huge majority of posters here believe the Wiz will win at least 44, and if you add Blake Griffin, most pundits will too.

30 more wins would move them up to #6 all time. With Griffin and Saunders in the fold, I could see 49 wins as a possibility - and again, I bet there'd be several "professional" observers who would agree.

They'd have to get up to 54-55 wins to challenge the dual Spurs turnarounds (Robinson's and Duncan's respective rookie seasons). That's probably too much to ask, but please - feel free to prove me wrong, Gil.

Point is, a 25-game turnaround, top-10 all time, I would consider at least mildly historic - and I'm hoping (like all Wiz fans) that that's the floor for next season, with the potential to do even better.

[Tyrone Messby]

I think if Flip is 100 percent behind Haywood, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. I can't wait to see what this team does and accomplishes in the off-season.

[DaRealHibachi]

OT... but when will the season prediction thread go up...??? Any rules or anything holding it back...???

[hands11]

If all goes well, it will be a historic turnaround.

The keys are

Haywood Healthy - You know he will come back stronger then ever.

The New Gil - Mr Tripple Double - His focus finally seems to be in the right place. Good by AI, hello Chris Paul + I couldn't be happier then to hear him talking this way.

Mr Mentor Gil - Someone finally realizes you can't be the best player and decide he doesn't want to be a mature leader, well, at least not on a great team. Gil will be practicing with AB and NY under his wing this summer. Hopefully Haywood grabs McGee by the neck and drags him into the gym.

Respected experienced playoff coach with assistants leading the charge.

I think it wouldn't be a stretch to believe that this team believes, this is their window. The time is now. They have the core players who are vets, the coach and the young talent. Time to focus 100% at getting to the top because this window doesn't come around very often.


So

Healthy Haywood with Gil returning = 45 wins
Adding new coaching staff +5-10
Gil changing his focus to PG complete player +5-10
A good summer from Nick, Blatche, DMAC and McGee = healthy for the playoffs and + 2-3

57 - 68 wins
+38-49

[MJG]

OT... but when will the season prediction thread go up...??? Any rules or anything holding it back...???

Sometime in October would be my guess. I imagine the six months between now and the start of next season may be what's held others off from creating it.

[pancakes3]

whoah whoah whoah. when i said historic, i meant top 5 - maybe a 30 win swing. it's definitely exciting.

as for the predictions... i think nobody is ready to make any predictions without a) finding out who we draft, b) looking at improvements over summer league, c) monitoring injury rehab/coaching news at preseason.

68 wins though... wow. that's a BOLD prediction, hands.

[DaRealHibachi]

68 wins...??? That's 2 shy from the NBA record!!! We'll NEVER reach 68 wins... Unless this team commites itself fully to a working defensive scheme, we won't even reach 55...

[hands11]

68 wins...??? That's 2 shy from the NBA record!!! We'll NEVER reach 68 wins... Unless this team commites itself fully to a working defensive scheme, we won't even reach 55...

You can't just take two numbers out of a comprehensive post and comment on them out of that context.

But if all the rest of my post applies, then I was saying that was our outside limit.

That means, least likely even if everything else goes well.

As for 55 which would be as good a Denver, SA, or Portland this year, I think that would be defiantly in reach.

[cdouglas]

I dont agree. Never will! I dont believe ANY teams Big 3 is better than ours...When Healthy!

Only time and healing will tell!!

I LOVE the way you think!!

[KF10]

If everything goes well like Saunders is a success here in Washington, Arenas fully committed to play (and being healthy), great years from Butler/Jamison, role player playing their games, a nice rookie (Rubio/Griffin) and etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they hit the 50 win mark. I think they are going to be really good.

[call.me.dude]

I dont agree. Never will! I dont believe ANY teams Big 3 is better than ours...When Healthy!

Only time and healing will tell!!

I hope you're not serious.
I love the Wizards Big 3, especially Gil and Butler, but right off the top of my head:

when healthy...

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili
Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum
Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard/Jason Terry
Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu

all are clearly better...

others might be debatable