"The Eight-Man Rotation Is Coming"

[just1bullet]

Good off season topic.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2009/08/the_eight-man_rotation_is_comi.html?wprss=wizardsinsider

Flip was on a radio broadcast from Minn.(http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2009/08/03/flip-saunders-you-can-compare-ricky-rubio-to-jason-williams/) Flip is only playing 8 and he has only commited to 4; AJ, Gil, Haywood and Tough Juice.

As Lee asks "who will be the other 4 who make the rotation?"

My Guess
Miller, Randy, Oberto, and Blatche

[TheSecretWeapon]

The regular season rotation will almost certainly be a 9-man rotation. Here's how I see the core rotation breaking down:

1. Arenas
2. Jamison
3. Butler
4. Haywood
5. Miller
6. Foye
7. Blatche
8. McGee
9. Young
10. Oberto
11. McGuire
12. Crittenton
13. Stevenson
14. James

[LyricalRico]

Wow, lots of love for JaVale McGee in the comments to the Post article. My guess is this:

Haywood/Oberto
Jamison/Blatche
Butler/Jamison
Foye/Miller
Arenas/Foye

Nick Young and McGee will probably be 9 and 10.

Of course I'll get flamed for putting Oberto in the top 8 but IIRC one of the reasons his agent listed for him picking DC was playing time. He's going to pick up the offense faster than McGee and make far fewer mistakes. I think he ends up playing 15+ mpg.

[MJG]

I'd add two things. First, like the article says, it's really a question of what two will make the rotation, because we didn't trade for Foye and Miller just to sit them. Second, it says that there will also be a ninth and tenth to cover foul trouble, and there's always going to be someone in foul trouble.

I think the simple way to look at it is that the seventh and eighth will be a guard and a big who regularly get 20 or so minutes, and then the ninth and tenth will be another guard and big pair who will combine for another 20 or so minutes, split up based on game-to-game situations.

Going by that, I'd peg Young and Blatche to start out as the seventh and eighth, and Stevenson and McGee as the ninth and tenth. Key phrase being "start out"; if Stevenson plays like he did last year, or McGee's defensive decision making ability magically doubled over the summer, then things would be shifted around as need be.

[closg00]

The anti-EJ, you gotta love this guy. Love what he's doing. Could you imagine EJ flying around to visit players in the off-season? If EJ had done stuff like this, we wouldn't have had the wasted years of Haywood warming the bench. Might have to put this article in the appreciation thread also

[LyricalRico]

:clap: The anti-EJ, you gotta love this guy. Love what he's doing. Could you imagine EJ flying around to visit players in the off-season? If EJ had done stuff like this, we wouldn't have had the wasted years of Haywood warming the bench. Might have to put this article in the appreciation thread also

Yeah, the only time EJ did anything like this was when Ernie dragged him to NC and forced him to make-up with Haywood after trying to get him traded earlier in the summer. I love Flip!

[miller31time]

I agree with what Nate has said in previous posts - that the Wizards will be better in the long-term (ie: playoffs '10) if we play McGee and the rest of our youngins more time during the regular season as opposed to veterans like Oberto. Yeah, we would lose a few more games but be much better prepared for the post-season.

[fifthstop]

I don't see Nick as outside-looking-in. I see him on the floor more than McGee. He's too lethal to leave on the bench when trying to come from behind, which happens every game. I think it's more likely that he'll add passable defense to his outrageous offense than McGee will have his head in the game all the time on both sides of the ball. Blatche is a little further along there. So I see

1. Arenas
2. Jameson
3. Butler (only 3 due to health ?s)
4. Brendan
5. Miller
6. Blatche (bigs usually subbed before guards)
7. Foye (even though he's 2nd off bench, more likely to be on floor during crunch time)
8. Oberto (see #6)
9. NY1
10. McGee (does not play ahead of starter from NBA champ team unless he really develops)
11. DSteve (a real wild card--if he's effective he could even end up starting)
12. McGuire (situational player. could be more if Flip loves him as glue guy)
13. Crit
14. James

[doclinkin]

Wow, lots of love for JaVale McGee in the comments to the Post article. My guess is this:

Haywood/Oberto
Jamison/Blatche
Butler/Jamison
Foye/Miller
Arenas/Foye

Nick Young and McGee will probably be 9 and 10.

Of course I'll get flamed for putting Oberto in the top 8 ...

No you'll get flamed for being unable to count...

[closg00]

Having expressed my love for Flip, I do recall the Piston board being quite upset with Flips rotation- rigidity, this was an EJ fault as-well. How are Young & McGee ever going to progress riding the pine.
Perhaps we will send McGee down to the D-League for a stint. McGee needs minutes.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Hm, lessee...

Arenas/Foye
Miller/N1/Foye (Foye could displace N1 entirely if N1 sucks)
Caron/Miller (and maybe Dom)
Jamison/Blatche
Haywood/Oberto

That's nine. McGee might displace Oberto if he has improved at all. Kind of hard to see it working out any other way really, assuming DeShawn is done.

Nice to know the default quality at backup C is Oberto and not McGee, that was a big worry. Backup PF is our only question mark now and Oberto I think can fill in there also. Now if the zards could just be and stay healthy...

Ah, so nice to have the scrubs not starting and instead bringing specialized skills when the situation demands it (e.g. Javaris will come in when itty bitty pgs are driving us batty, Dom will come in when LeBron gets our threes in foul trouble, etc.).

[LyricalRico]

Wow, lots of love for JaVale McGee in the comments to the Post article. My guess is this:

Haywood/Oberto
Jamison/Blatche
Butler/Jamison
Foye/Miller
Arenas/Foye

Nick Young and McGee will probably be 9 and 10.

Of course I'll get flamed for putting Oberto in the top 8 ...

No you'll get flamed for being unable to count...

Huh?

Arenas
Butler
Jamison
Haywood
Foye
Miller
Blatche
Oberto
------------
Young
McGee
------------
Everybody else

That's the top 8, the next 2, and everybody else. I don't see where my count is off.

[doclinkin]

Eight man rotation would seem to be:

5 Starters
--plus one each of--
Guard
Forward
Big.

The only question mark in the starters is at the 2-guard spot. But it's realistic to assume it's filled by one or the guys we traded for. So Miller/Foye. Whomever is the odd man out will play as the back-up guard. Caveat being that Miller is probably slated as a primary back-up SF whether he starts at guard or not. Both players can handle a little and pass a bit, so there's no desperate need for a back-up true Point. When Gil is on court, he runs the show, when not then probably Foye is the primary.

Lack of depth in the frontcourt suggests that Dray Blatche gets the nod in the front court. The only question is if he has developed sufficiently to be reliable at the forward spot instead of simply tapped as an emergency Big. His tendency towards foul trouble suggests that as a back-up at two positions he'll need a second 'second'.

F/C is then the question for that final spot. McGee, Oberto, McGuire perhaps.

Rotation
Gil/Foye
6MM/Foye
CB3/6mm/Tawn
Tawn/Blatche
Haywood/Blatche

That's seven, plus the back-up for Dray at whichever spot. Oberto for the first half of the year probably, until McGee simply seizes it.

Personally I'd like to see Nick Young work in to the rotation in the back court in that Rip Hamilton role (offball scorer).

And there is still no Prince/Hassell player as the keystone perimeter player in that defensive zone (McGuire/DeShawn) so we'll see experimentation, possibly trades to get the right chem mix. I think he'll find himself playing 9-10 for longer than he hopes trying to get the right line-up, and showcasing players for swap.

[doclinkin]

No I'll get flamed for being unable to count...

No coffee, late night. You right.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

doh!

[verbal8]

I think Nick Young has to move ahead of Miller or Foye in the depth chart to get in the rotation. Blatche makes sense as the 7th guy in the rotation. For the final rotation spot I would like to see McGee start the season and have Oberto fill in when he struggles or there is foul trouble. What I think is more likely to happen is that Oberto starts in the rotation and McGee will move into the rotation if he shows improvement and/or injuries occur.

Of the guy out of the rotation I think Crittenton moves into the rotation if Foye or Arenas are injured. I think Nick Young moves into the rotation if there are any injuries to SG or SF(except Foye). If a big(including Jamison) is injured then Oberto and McGee would both be in the rotation.

If Arenas, Foye, Crittenton, Stevenson, Miller, Juan Dixon(and a couple other 10 contract guys) are injured then Mike James would be in the rotation.

[fishercob]

I think Nick Young has to move ahead of Miller or Foye in the depth chart to get in the rotation......

Based on what? They traded for those guys to play them. Nick cannot play the 1 like Foye can, and he cannot shoot from deep, pass play the 3 the way Miller can. He might be the most "pure" 2, but I think he belongs, and will be, behind both those guys in the rotation.

[LyricalRico]

I think Nick Young has to move ahead of Miller or Foye in the depth chart to get in the rotation......

Based on what? They traded for those guys to play them. Nick cannot play the 1 like Foye can, and he cannot shoot from deep, pass play the 3 the way Miller can. He might be the most "pure" 2, but I think he belongs, and will be, behind both those guys in the rotation.

I think he meant that, in order for Nick to get minutes, he's going to have to beat out Miller or Foye. Looks to me like both of you are saying the same thing.

[verbal8]

I think Nick Young has to move ahead of Miller or Foye in the depth chart to get in the rotation......

Based on what? They traded for those guys to play them. Nick cannot play the 1 like Foye can, and he cannot shoot from deep, pass play the 3 the way Miller can. He might be the most "pure" 2, but I think he belongs, and will be, behind both those guys in the rotation.

My point was that if Foye and Miller are in the rotation(which I think they are) it leaves Nick out of the rotation. Basically I see the Wizards roster as falling into 4 categories.

Must-Starts
Arenas
Bulter
Jamison
Haywood

Major Minutes
Miller
Foye

Significant Minutes
Blatche
Oberto

Injury(foul trouble) back-ups/garbage time
McGee
Young
Crittenton


DNPs
Mike James
DMac
Stevenson

[montestewart]

I don't see Young moving ahead of Miller or Foye based on past seasons. McGuire and Stevenson (if he's recovered) are on the periphery, offering defense that may be missing from the rotation. If only Young would/could develop his own sporadically observed defensive tools.