What Should the Wizards Should Do with the 5th Pick?

[Benjammin]

No offense to anyone and I'm not coming up with anything better, but these deals really are depressingly uninspiring.

[miller31time]

What I think the Wizards should do:

I personally don't think Redd, Carter or Hamilton puts us over the top.

I agree that neither Redd, Carter nor Hamilton will "put us over the top" but with the 5th pick as the main piece, it's unreasonable to expect a move that will.

What we want to accomplish is getting us closer to the top, which acquiring Richard Hamilton or Vince Carter would do.

It would, hopefully, be the move that precedes another move that WOULD put us over the top.

If we were either a bottom-feeder NBA team or an elite team, we could afford to keep the pick and take a guy like Evans. I mean, if he pans out, great! If not, oh well, we're still either rebuilding or elite.

But we can't afford to take that chance. We're in a bad position - sort of like NBA Purgatory. We're not good enough to be an upper-echelon team but we're not bad enough to rebuild. We're not young enough to stock-pile rookies and 2nd-year players but we're not old enough to give up on our core of players.

So what does a team in our predicament do? Shuffle the deck and hope you get dealt a good hand. Take a chance on Hamilton or Carter, then hope that you can pull off another trade to further bolster the squad.

That's how I'd do it, at least. Much easier said than done, though.

[tigerblood]

Suns fan. Would u guys be interested in Nash?

Thomas/ blatche/ pick

Or J rich for the same.

[GilArenas88]

I was super bummed when I saw us fall to the fifth, but hey what are you going to do remember guys we only had a 17.8 chance to land Blake, you can't let this get to you that much. Believe me I wanted Griffin just as much as the next guy here, but what can you do, its a lottery, even if it is a sucky system.

With all that said I have two hopes as of right now...

A. Ernie pulls a rabbit out of his hat and we pull of a trade for a good vet SG or PF, I'm hoping for a PF.

B. We get someone who loads of talent who might be a surprise and produce right away, Drozan could be that, just please don't take a Blair or a Harden.

[miller31time]

Suns fan. Would u guys be interested in Nash?

Thomas/ blatche/ pick

Nah, if for no other reason than his sub-par defense. We just can't afford to add that to our team.

But there are plenty of suitors for Nash - New York, Golden State and Portland among the top.

[boshjonesford]

Chris Bosh

for

Caron Butler + 5th pick

[miller31time]

Chris Bosh

for

Caron Butler + 5th pick

I wouldn't offer Butler but how about this revision?....

JaVale McGee, Etan Thomas (Expiring), Mike James (Expiring) and the 5th pick

for

Chris Bosh

You guys are left with this lineup....

Calderon
5th pick (could be any number of guards)
Marion
Bargnani
McGee

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

What I think the Wizards will do:

Trade out of the draft completely. My best guess is that they want to win with the core they have now and avoid adding anymore young talent. Michael Redd, Rip Hamilton, Vince Carter are possible candidates. I'd hedge that the Wiz will look at Redd & VC very hard b/c of EG's connection to Redd (he drafted him years back) and VC's connection to Jamison & Haywood.

The Wizards will use Mike James & Etan Thomas as bait and cap filler in any deal. I don't see them trading Songaila or Stevenson unless it took one of them to get a deal done. Pecherov may also be used as filler to.

What I think the Wizards should do:

I personally don't think Redd, Carter or Hamilton puts us over the top. I also don't see a viable deal for Bosh, Amare, Kevin Martin or even the likes of Rudy Fernandez or Marresse Speights. Drafting 5th just kills much of the value to the point where the Wizards would have to settle for a collection of aging SGs with flaws (as mentioned above) or mediocre role players in the Hinrich or Mike Miller mold.

I also don't see trading down as a good option. There's not a big difference in talent b/w the 5th pick or the 9th or 12th pick. I don't think teams will be clamoring to trade up to get DeMar DeRozan or James Harden. Especially if we expect to dump a contract or two as the price to pay for moving up. And trading down too far may prevent us from getting anything of quality. Blair, Curry, Evans or Lawson may be available a few slots down but none will probably last past the lottery. For example, if the reports about Blair are true and he's more explosive & skilled than he showed in college, then he may very well slip into the top 10.

I'd personally lean towards Curry or Evans with the 5th pick. But I also wouldn't be upset with Blair or Lawson. I'd avoid Harden at all costs b/c he's got below average athleticism and he plays with basically one hand (he struggles to go right). I'd also avoid Jordan Hill b/c he's a low skilled and low IQ baller. Jennings did nothing overseas so I'm skeptical about him. DeRozan isn't a good fit b/c of his rawness and lack of skillset although he's a tremendous athlete.

So in order here's what I'd like to see us get for the #5 pick:

1. PG Stephen Curry
2. SG Tyreke Evans
3. PG Ty Lawson
4. PF DeJuan Blair

Dat, I like the exact same 4 guys (if Evans was basically just along for the ride in the drive by). I just lean towards Blair over Curry because I'm biased toward liking the undersized PFs. THAT SAID, I could have just as easily gone on a crusade posting for Curry. Curry's got the DNA, the successful parents, the shooting eye and the PG skills to be a very good bet to serviceable if not a lot better.

I'd even throw Harden in there as a 5th guy they could pick and I'd be fine with it. Dat, I respectfully will disagree (but know you know more about Harden than I do) and just base my perception of Harden on his numbers. I think he's relatively limited athletically, but a basketball player. Kinda like Redd or Kevin Martin or a Rip or a guy the Wizards had back in the day, Jeff Malone.

Blair's who I want, but any of the 5 expected to be there could turn out to be the real deal.

EDITED TO ADD: Dat, you also have given the very reason I'd pick Blair at 5. He might go top 10 if we don't pick him. I don't think, in retrospect, teams would hesitate to pick a Paul Millsap at #5 today. A few years back it was Shelden Williams in the spot that Jordon Hill occupies today with folk saying Millsap was a second rounder. I happen to feel Blair will be a stud player, even better than Millsap. Thus to me, worth a 5th.

[likwitdesi]

What about this series of trades:

Butler + James + #5 for Bosh

Blatche + Etan + Nick Young for Vince Carter

McGee + Pesh's expiring + Stevenson or Songaila for Ron Artest

I think VC is a better player than Butler. More complete game and someone who has led a team into the conference finals before.

This is a ton of committed salary but screw it.

[likwitdesi]

Chris Bosh

for

Caron Butler + 5th pick

I wouldn't offer Butler but how about this revision?....

JaVale McGee, Etan Thomas (Expiring), Mike James (Expiring) and the 5th pick

for

Chris Bosh

You guys are left with this lineup....

Calderon
5th pick (could be one of any number of guards)
Marion
Bargnani
McGee

I like this deal and I feel it is fair for both sides.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

What about this series of trades:

Butler + James + #5 for Bosh

Blatche + Etan + Nick Young for Vince Carter


I think VC is a better player than Butler. More complete game and someone who has led a team into the conference finals before.

I really like the defensive competence of an Arenas, Carter, McGuire, Bosh, Haywood starting lineup with a Jamison, McGee, Songaila bench

I wouldn't do the first trade. Bosh isn't THAT MUCH better than Caron.

NJ would do that second deal for Carter.

How about just one deal: Blatche, Young, Etan, #5 for Carter and #11 from NJ?

That could end up being Blair at #11.

[Wizards2Lottery]

I still can't believe that this is all we get out out of the 19-63 miserable season. The 2008-09 Wizards were as pathetic as they got starting from the coaching job done by Tankscott and the point guard suckfest that was Mike James and Javaris Crittendon. All we get out of it is a guy who will be a mediocre role player at best.

Meanwhile Donald Sterling gets to ruin the career of another top lottery pick

[clubbing_caveman]

I think we have to trade the pick. The Kings will more than likely trade their #4 pick and whoever gets that will take Jordan Hill ahead of us. So Griffin, Rubio, Thabeet, Hill will be gone. That leaves us with a bunch of SGs, combo guards, and PGs to choose from...Harden, Holiday, Evans, Teague, Jennings, Williams, DeRozen. Not sure there's anyone there I want at #5. Not sure I want Blair because he just cant jump....he's got everything else that the round mound of rebound has (to a lesser degree), but no jumps. Clark scares me...cant get a good read on him. If I had to pick, I guess go with Harden, but I hope we trade the pick. We should look to move down in the draft.

[jivelikenice]

I'm sorry but you cannot trade this pick for a +30 shooting guard. You also cannot trade this pick just to dump contracts. This is the 5th pick, not the 15th and I didn't know this team was good enough to throw away valuable assets.

Trade the pick?? Vince Carter?? He's 32 and will be 33 in the middle of next season. Michael Redd?? He'll be 30 this season coming off of an acl injury.... Didn't we learn from the Mitch Richmond fiasco.

To me the choice here comes down to two players. Tyreke Evand or Harden. We have not had a starting 2 guard since Larry Hughes left and we've also been missing another key element to the team. When Hughes and Arenas were together it gave Arenas somebody that could share the ball handling duties and he also was able to drive & dish or create his own shot. We don't have thate right now at the 2 guard. Nick Young is more suited for a 6th man scorign role but doesn't seem like a 35-40 minute/ game player. Tyreke or Harden both could bring that element immediately to this team and I think that's our most immediate need.

If we do decide to trade, we need to trade for a young player who can give us 5-7 productive years, not 2-3 years. One player I would inquire about is Monta Ellis. If you could pry him from Golden State using our pick, Blatche, and some expiring contracts as bait I would do that in a heartbeat....But forgot the players on the decline. We need this pick or a young player for this pick because this asset as well as Arenas, McGee etc..are the future after Jamison and Butler move on....

[Wiz99]

At #5 we're not getting a star, but that doesn't mean we should immediately fall into the trap of "pick the best guy available / guy with the most upside".

Let's look at what we really need. Most of us agree the 2 is our biggest weakness. DeShawn was supposed to do two things.

Be a 3 point shooter, but wasn't. He shot a sucktastic .271 last year and merely mediocre .383 the previous season.

Be a defensive stopper, but he wasn't. Hard to think of a stat off the top of my head to illustrate this, but all you had to do was watch games. He's merely mediocre at this role.

What we really need is a guy who could fill this role better than DeShawn. To me, Harden is NOT it. He's not a defender and lacks a lot of lateral quickness. And his 3 ball is mere isn't stellar from the college line (.356). Let's look at the stats closely and find someone who can D up and shoot from downtown.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

At #5 we're not getting a star, but that doesn't mean we should immediately fall into the trap of "pick the best guy available / guy with the most upside".

Let's look at what we really need. Most of us agree the 2 is our biggest weakness. DeShawn was supposed to do two things.

Be a 3 point shooter, but wasn't. He shot a sucktastic .271 last year and merely mediocre .383 the previous season.

Be a defensive stopper, but he wasn't. Hard to think of a stat off the top of my head to illustrate this, but all you had to do was watch games. He's merely mediocre at this role.

What we really need is a guy who could fill this role better than DeShawn. To me, Harden is NOT it. He's not a defender and lacks a lot of lateral quickness. And his 3 ball is mere isn't stellar from the college line (.356). Let's look at the stats closely and find someone who can D up and shoot from downtown.

I personally think Dominic McGuire could become much more than just serviceable at SG, but that a guy in this draft IMO who is better at SG would be Terrance Williams.

Terrance Williams CAN defend, rebound, and distribute reasonably well at SG.

I KNOW he's not on the mock drafts anywhere near 5, but I think he MIGHT be better than Evans for at least the next year or two. I think Williams is a good option at SG for the Wizards next to a healthy Gil.

Wiz99, I also think a guy the Wizards worked out, Wesley Matthews might be an upgrade over DeShawn.

Last name is the kid Green from UNC. I like him better than Gerald Henderson.

Any of those guys, including Henderson could eventually be an upgrade over DeShawn or Nick as far as I'm concerned.

[omegatronic3]

well the last time we had a number 5 pick we traded for Jamison ...if we trade then its got to be for a need position like 2 guard or pf..otherwise get the best available talent in the draft...the 6'6" combo sounds good. Arenas needs a running mate with similar skills so he doesnt have to do all the ball handling.

I think this was a one man draft and after Griffin theres no sure thing so I dont see 5 being much worse than #2.....Rubios not a sure thing and thableet isnt either....who else were we gonna get at 2 or 3.

#2 pick has more leverage in a trade but other than that I dont see a huge difference

[GopherIt!]

Hey guys,

Washington is on the clock in the mock draft I'm conducting on the Draft Board. If one of you would like to come over and make your teams pick we would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for your participation,
Gopher

[Jajwanda]

Personally I think it'll be traded to NY for a future first round pick (say 2012 or so) and that Mobley 75% insured contract to get the Wizards out of luxury tax land. If that's not enough they may thrown in Nate Robinson and another few million in cash. The Wizards are pretty stacked in talent and I can't see the 5th picking making a dent really. Saving 10m would be pretty attractive to Washington's ownership.

NY would like to get that 5th pick to probably try and get rid of Curry and Jeffries. They may even decide to buy another pick late in the first day for a few million in order to find enough assets to deal off those two anchors to their team. If they do so, they'll basically have a blank canvas for 2010 with Wilson Chandler remaining (by himself lol ).

[Pollinator]

I think I'm higher on the guys in the draft than a lot of other people here. Washington Times says the guys we like are Hill, Jennings, and Curry. These are guys with a lot a talent. I don't think we trade the pick for anything less than a player like Jamison or Ray Allen. Obviously to get a Bosh or Amare would require the pick and one of the big 3 (probably Butler)- which I would do in a second, but I'm not sure if even that would be enough to get it done. I just wouldn't trade the pick either to get cap relief or a role player. Has to be an all-star or borderline all-star caliber. If we can't get that kind of a player, we have to keep the pick and hope the kid pans out.

Guys, we were never going to get the #1- I never for one second thought that was going to happen. But somebody in the 3-8 range is going to develop into an all-star player down the line. We just have to trust Ernie Grunfeld is going to find and get that guy.