Wiz trade 5th pick to Minnesota

[Kanyewest]

By the time Rubio developed, every core player on the Wizards would be 30 or over. I'm still glad they dealt the pick.

Good point. Now that I have time to clear my head, it was good that we traded the pick.

Rubio could be an epic bust and clearly has an attitude problem. He would have never came to DC and played for us anyways.

He could be like Steve Francis, who pushed himself out of Vancouver. Or he could be more like Kobe Bryant (who pushed himself out of Charlotte). Time will tell.

Rubio's play was impressive in the Olympics that he held his own as an 17 year old. Constantly made the right decision. Did the little things; pass, rebound, and come up with a few steals. But his stats weren't THAT impressive that he would come right in and contribute right away.

His stat line in the Gold Medal game. 6 points (1 from 3 from the field), 3 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 turnovers in 28 minutes. Solid for an 17 year old. But who knows if he will improve that much more (ie shooting, athleticism, etc) for him to be a franchise point guard.

[Hoopalotta]

I think Rubio would have been a great pick if we were going to ship Arenas out of town. If we did that, we'd probably need to send of Antawn and Haywood too. Butler wouldn't like that, so.....

At that point the JCN nickname of 'La Bomba' would have been even better for Rubio because we would have had to 'blow it up' to make it work. Either that or wait about four-five years, likely with the situation souring day by day.

While he might well be a great boost for an NBA team one day, it sure doesn't look like that team is going to be the Wood-Wolfes. Can they (we) afford to sit him in Europe for two years? I don't know. More? Zoinks! Is he even going to fit in with the personnel they (we) have when he comes over from an age standpoint? I don't know, if you do that, you draft 'upside guys' it seems. What kind of value can they get for him if they (we) trade him? How many teams are capable of working with him given his age and cosmopolitan druthers?

Very similar to having to trade JCN, but finally sending him to just where he wanted to go for less than ideal value.

I say he's 'Spanish Hassle Magic' for about 90% of the teams in the league. We might think he sounds like 'Sketches of Spain', but as the record spins, I'm hearing more about 'Kvetches of Pain'.

Or he could be called 'Sketchy of Spain'?. That's not bad.

[Zerocious]

I think Rubio would have been a great pick if we were going to ship Arenas out of town. If we did that, we'd probably need to send of Antawn and Haywood too. Butler wouldn't like that, so.....

At that point the JCN nickname of 'La Bomba' would have been even better for Rubio because we would have had to 'blow it up' to make it work. Either that or wait about four-five years, likely with the situation souring day by day.

While he might well be a great boost for an NBA team one day, it sure doesn't look like that team is going to be the Wood-Wolfes. Can they (we) afford to sit him in Europe for two years? I don't know. More? Zoinks! Is he even going to fit in with the personnel they (we) have when he comes over from an age standpoint? I don't know, if you do that, you draft 'upside guys' it seems. What kind of value can they get for him if they (we) trade him? How many teams are capable of working with him given his age and cosmopolitan druthers?

Very similar to having to trade JCN, but finally sending him to just where he wanted to go for less than ideal value.

I say he's 'Spanish Hassle Magic' for about 90% of the teams in the league. We might think he sounds like 'Sketches of Spain', but as the record spins, I'm hearing more about 'Kvetches of Pain'.

Or he could be called 'Sketchy of Spain'?. That's not bad.

[Wizardspride]

Stevenson is not as bad as many make him out to be. trust me i don't like the guy and he can go for all i care. and there's no need to throw stats at me, i know he ranks dead last in pretty much everything. here's what i think he brings: toughness. HAHAHA i can here you all laughing, however, not toughness that an opponent might see, or that we bring to an opponent, but more like toughness from within, towards the players on the wizards. i think maybe some of the team core might feel he is some of the gritt the team has. yeah, he sucks, but he obviously doesn't care. he gives the wiz a little sense of 'don't f with us or we'll send fist swinging DS on your ass even though it might cost us the game'.

Great post!

[miller31time]

Stevenson is not as bad as many make him out to be. trust me i don't like the guy and he can go for all i care. and there's no need to throw stats at me, i know he ranks dead last in pretty much everything. here's what i think he brings: toughness. HAHAHA i can here you all laughing, however, not toughness that an opponent might see, or that we bring to an opponent, but more like toughness from within, towards the players on the wizards. i think maybe some of the team core might feel he is some of the gritt the team has. yeah, he sucks, but he obviously doesn't care. he gives the wiz a little sense of 'don't f with us or we'll send fist swinging DS on your ass even though it might cost us the game'.

Great post!

Stevenson isn't intimidating anyone. He's the laughing stock of the NBA - a player with a big mouth but nothing to back it up.

[dandridge 10]

Stevenson is not as bad as many make him out to be. trust me i don't like the guy and he can go for all i care. and there's no need to throw stats at me, i know he ranks dead last in pretty much everything. here's what i think he brings: toughness. HAHAHA i can here you all laughing, however, not toughness that an opponent might see, or that we bring to an opponent, but more like toughness from within, towards the players on the wizards. i think maybe some of the team core might feel he is some of the gritt the team has. yeah, he sucks, but he obviously doesn't care. he gives the wiz a little sense of 'don't f with us or we'll send fist swinging DS on your ass even though it might cost us the game'.

Great post!

Stevenson isn't intimidating anyone. He's the laughing stock of the NBA - a player with a big mouth but nothing to back it up.

I'm not a huge fan of Stevenson either and wouldn't be heart broken if he was dealt (I think he is expendable now), but I think a lot of people forget that he was pretty good fit here before last year. When asked not to carry the team, he was a pretty decent player, providing defense and hitting open 3's. I remember most people were happy with Stevenson before the playoffs two years ago.

[miller31time]

I'm not a huge fan of Stevenson either and wouldn't be heart broken if he was dealt (I think he is expendable now), but I think a lot of people forget that he was pretty good fit here before last year. When asked not to carry the team, he was a pretty decent player, providing defense and hitting open 3's. I remember most people were happy with Stevenson before the playoffs two years ago.

I don't think that necessarily addresses the point I was making, which was that he isn't an intimidating player. The one regular season he had as a member of the Wizards, he followed it up with one of the worst post-season performances in NBA history. His tough guy act isn't fooling anyone and I don't believe he scares a single player in this league, nor do I think any of them are at all threatened by him.

That's what I was saying.

[Kanyewest]

I'm not a huge fan of Stevenson either and wouldn't be heart broken if he was dealt (I think he is expendable now), but I think a lot of people forget that he was pretty good fit here before last year. When asked not to carry the team, he was a pretty decent player, providing defense and hitting open 3's. I remember most people were happy with Stevenson before the playoffs two years ago.

I don't think that necessarily addresses the point I was making, which was that he isn't an intimidating player. The one regular season he had as a member of the Wizards, he followed it up with one of the worst post-season performances in NBA history. His tough guy act isn't fooling anyone and I don't believe he scares a single player in this league, nor do I think any of them are at all threatened by him.

That's what I was saying.

Stevenson's lack of scoring was more so to do with Cleveland's clamp down defense more than anything. Manu Ginobli shot 37% in a 4 game sweep against Cleveland. Vince Carter shot 35% (40-113) from the field. Yes Ginobli and Carter were more efficient because they have the ability to get to the free throw line but they also have all star point guards and pretty good small forwards. The problem was that Stevenson became the 1st to 2nd option on the perimeter with Jarvis Hayes and Antonio Daniels instead of Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

DeShawn Stevenson's act isn't supposed to intimidate anyone. It just gets him pumped up to compete for games. Anyways, it's much harder to be an intimidating perimeter player than a big man for obvious reasons.

[Dat2U]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks ... -land.html

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported that the Wolves turned down a deal with the Houston Rockets that would have resulted in Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier headed to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio.

Of course its just a rumor but its certainly better than any offer the Wizards got. And IMO its clearly superior to the Miller/Foye offer we excepted. It goes in line with the thinking that EG may have shot his wad too soon.

[verbal8]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks/2009/06/knicks-dont-have-knack-to-land.html

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported that the Wolves turned down a deal with the Houston Rockets that would have resulted in Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier headed to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio.

Of course its just a rumor but its certainly better than any offer the Wizards got. And IMO its clearly superior to the Miller/Foye offer we excepted. It goes in line with the thinking that EG may have shot his wad too soon.

My thoughts exactly when I saw that. I think Brooks could have been a great back-up for Arenas. All it would have taken would be an expiring like Mike James and we probably could have included the 2nd rounder we sold them to make up for that. Not only is the talent better, but the contracts are 2 year deals, which means no rental players.

The Wizards still would have needed a starting 2 guard, but Butler could be made available to fill that need.

[Ruzious]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/knicks/2009/06/knicks-dont-have-knack-to-land.html

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported that the Wolves turned down a deal with the Houston Rockets that would have resulted in Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier headed to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio.

Of course its just a rumor but its certainly better than any offer the Wizards got. And IMO its clearly superior to the Miller/Foye offer we excepted. It goes in line with the thinking that EG may have shot his wad too soon.

My thoughts exactly when I saw that. I think Brooks could have been a great back-up for Arenas. All it would have taken would be an expiring like Mike James and we probably could have included the 2nd rounder we sold them to make up for that. Not only is the talent better, but the contracts are 2 year deals, which means no rental players.

The Wizards still would have needed a starting 2 guard, but Butler could be made available to fill that need.

The key question there would be - can Butler play the 2? If yes, then I'd probably lean towards Brooks and Battier over Miller and Foye - though Battier will be 31 before the season starts, and he's becoming less of a factor. Also, we need rebounding, and Miller and Foye help out there. Battier is a surprisingly bad rebounder for a forward. I'm a Brooks fan, and he's cheap.

I'd still take the trade I suggested before the trade happened over both of them - Miller and Lawson for the pick and filler.

[LyricalRico]

First of all, Houston would be idiots to make that offer, especially after learning that Rubio won't come over right away. They are contenders right now and could get better if they can ship TMac's expiring off for guys who will actually play.

Second, people don't want Foye playing with Arenas...but Aaron Brooks is okay? You can't deny Brooks' talent but where would he fit? Battier is great defensively but I think he's a bad fit next to Caron.

Finally, I think Miller/Foye's supposed lack of defense is being overblown, while their fit with the current team is being underrated. I think people set their sights way to high when it came to the value of the #5 and they are showing their disappointment with reality. Maybe we didn't get a superstar but we're still a better team.

[yungal07]

LOL...Brooks and Battier is not making this team any better than Foye/Miller.

[MDStar]

LOL...Brooks and Battier is not making this team any better than Foye/Miller.

+1

[verbal8]

LOL...Brooks and Battier is not making this team any better than Foye/Miller.

The advantage of Brooks and Battier is they are a 2 year window. Also trading for them would leave the team with one hole(2 guard) and a number of assets to fill it, Butler and the expiring contracts.

[DCZards]

I'd take Foye over Brooks. Brooks might be a slightly better scorer, but Foye is bigger, stronger and a better defender and, most of all, a better fit next to GA. The contract stuff will be worked out.

I might take Battier over Miller...if only because of his superior D.

[WizStorm]

If this rumor has any bit of truth to it, I wonder what Houston was asking in return aside from Rubio's rights to match salaries (and possibly talent). I know when Houston was angling for the #2 pick, there were rumblings that Battier & Brooks was offered for the #2 and Rudy Gay.

[miller31time]

I'd take Brooks and Battier in place of Foye/Miller in a heart-beat. We need a defensive stopper and there are few better defensive specialists than Shane Battier. It also helps that he's a knock-down spot-up shooter.

He would instantaneously make us a legitimate defensive team, assuming he'd get about 30mpg.

Arenas
Battier
Butler
Jamison
Haywood

That's a top-5 offense and a top-10 or 15 defense.

The fact we'd be getting Brooks only helps matters. He's instant offense off of the bench, while also being a competent ball-handler and passer.

[nate33]

Any chance Houston would trade Battier + Cook for Mike Miller? It would make some sense if they decided to keep Artest.

[Wizardspride]

I'd take Brooks and Battier in place of Foye/Miller in a heart-beat. We need a defensive stopper and there are few better defensive specialists than Shane Battier. It also helps that he's a knock-down spot-up shooter.

He would instantaneously make us a legitimate defensive team, assuming he'd get about 30mpg.

Arenas
Battier
Butler
Jamison
Haywood

That's a top-5 offense and a top-10 or 15 defense.

The one problem with that line up is that there's no 2-guard.