How do you fix this team?

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I'd be interested in FA Aaron Gray to add to the center mix, a type of player we lack, big w/ good fundamentals and low post game.

I also definately like Mo Evans coming back for his leadership, toughness & shooting.

C - Mcgee, Gray, Seraphin, NDiaye, Blatche

F - Blatche, Lewis, Vesely, Booker, Singleton, Evans, Young

G - Young, Crawford, Jeffers, Evans, Mack, Wall

[LyricalRico]

As the Wiz have potential max contract space in the summer of 2012 I'd rather the Wiz make the playoffs, even as an 8 seed just, to present themselves well for a vet star. We're one year behind the Pacers with a better core. They squeeked into the playoffs and have max cap space to scoop up Nene, who fits their team perfectly. Nene would never consider Indy if they weren't a young playoff team on the rise. Similarly a star FA in 2012 would never consider signing as a FA with the Wiz if they're coming off a 24 win season.

In addition, what does it say of John Wall if in his second season he leads the Wiz to 23 and 24 win seasons in his first two years? Certainly doesn't say "franchise caliber star". I'd rather they win, utilize their massive cap space, and develop the strong core of young talented raw players on the roster than hope for lady luck to grace them in the lotto--because she definately wasn't around this year dispite an excellent tank job this season.

+1

I agree with this as well, which is why I'm in favor of moving some assets with "potential" for decent vets who may have a lower ceiling but can help us win immediately.

[nate33]

I'd be interested in FA Aaron Gray to add to the center mix, a type of player we lack, big w/ good fundamentals and low post game.

I also definately like Mo Evans coming back for his leadership, toughness & shooting.

two realistic offseason acquisitions that could really help this ballclub. I'd be fine with this plan assuming they're signed to one-year deals.

[fishercob]

Been thinking about it for a few days, looking at win totals, the likely lottery drop (1-2 slots usually), and trying to figure out how to insure we get a top 10 pick in next year's potentially loaded draft, so i collected the win total's for the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 slots across the past 5 drafts just to give us a vague idea of where our potential win total would slide us, assuming we landed a top 8 slot, pre-lottery.


1. 17, 12, 17, 15, 22 Average: 16 wins, median 17
2. 19, 15, 19, 20, 24 Average: 19 wins, median 19
3. 22, 25, 19, 22, 28 Average: 23 wins, median: 22
4. 23, 26, 23, 22, 30 Average: 24 wins, median 23
5. 24, 26, 24, 23, 31 Average: 25 wins, median 24
6. 24, 27, 24, 23, 32 Average: 26 wins, median 24
7. 30, 27, 29, 26, 32 Average: 29 wins, median 29
8. 32, 29, 32, 32, 33 Average: 31 wins, median 32

Basically, if we hit 33+ wins, we're in danger of dropping out of the elite zone in the next draft. The Sweet spot seems to be 22-24 wins, with a max of 27. Got a feeling we'll slot in around 7-9 pre lottery.

If there's no season, there's been a lot of speculation as to how they'll determine the '12 draft order. If they use average win total over the past 3 seasons to determine lotto balls, Wiz would would the 3rd most chances (22.67 wins is only "bested" by SAC's 22 and MIN's 18.67). However, if the NBA follows what the NHL did post lockout (for the Sidney Crosby draft) the Wiz won't be in nearly that good shape.

In that draft each team started with 3 ping pong balls. They lost one for every season over the last three that they had made the playoffs OR gotten the #1 overall pick. So under such a system, the following teams would have 3 balls (ouch): MIN, SAC, NJN, TOR, GSW. Two ballers would be: WAS, LAC, HOU, DET, PHX, CHA, MIL, NY, MEM and IND. UTA, OKC and PHI would have one ball each, and everyone else (including CLE) would be castrati.

[hands11]

Nick was top 6 in ranking for SG most the season until he got hurt.

6-7 SG with long ass arms, a wet stroke and leaps. And now he is working more on his handles, which I thought were pretty good to start with. I just want to see him drive more at this point. Force the issue and get the +1. Hell, just add another pure shooter and figure out the defensive center thing and this team would be good as is once they gel.

I think to many people sell Nick short. As he continues to mature, he will get even better. But where his peak ends up will be determined by how much he drives or not. A pure shooter like a Reggie or R Allen is great but if you want to be a bigger impact, you have to drive like Wade and Kobe. Now Reggie was unique because he could draw the fool while shooting from the outside. Nick is athletic and long enough to drive and have that kind of impact.

He just will never be the sharpest tool in the shed. That may be the only thing to hold him back.

As for evaluating what my be a lot of role players, I have no problem with that. If we luck out and add a UFA like lets say, DH or even Lopez then everything else is already in place. Pretty much, add a solid center to this team and I think they will be pretty damn good.

If that even ends up being McGee, I don't think he will be at that level for at least another year. But as of right now, if he was backing up a proven stud center, that would be awesome.

[The Consiglieri]

As the Wiz have potential max contract space in the summer of 2012 I'd rather the Wiz make the playoffs, even as an 8 seed just, to present themselves well for a vet star. We're one year behind the Pacers with a better core. They squeeked into the playoffs and have max cap space to scoop up Nene, who fits their team perfectly. Nene would never consider Indy if they weren't a young playoff team on the rise. Similarly a star FA in 2012 would never consider signing as a FA with the Wiz if they're coming off a 24 win season.

In addition, what does it say of John Wall if he leads the Wiz to 23 and 24 win seasons in his first two years? Certainly doesn't say "franchise caliber star". I'd rather they win, utilize their massive cap space, and develop the strong core of young talented raw players on the roster than hope for lady luck to grace them in the lotto--because she definately wasn't around this year dispite an excellent tank job this season.

I guess for me, I don't believe that's a winning plan. I think if we win what it takes to sneak the 8 seed (37-41 wins over the past five years-37, 41, 39, 37, 40) it doesn't do anything for the team in terms of recruiting and it doesn't do squat in terms of building a better core. I personally feel it would be an abject disaster. I simply cannot think of 8 seeds that were EVER able to recruit elite free agents (that could build a legit contender), and land them unless those teams were in the elite collection of cities that could autodraw players simply for the city itself, NYC and LA for entertainment and marketing dollar and city life, Miami for city life and taxes, and I suppose Boston can kind of do it. But DC? DC is is not one of those cities. To be sure, DC can lure free agents when the team way overspends (Snyderskins), and the city can recruit if it’s got a winning franchise, it isn’t Indiana, or Utah or Denver after all, states and a city that simply don’t do well at recruiting African-American players, but DC also isn’t NYC, LA, Boston or Miami, it’s a city that still has to play the, “Show me” game, whereas the other four cities have already shown why, and players have systematically embraced each and every one of them.

So if we climb to 37-41 wins, and grab the 8 seed via a 15 to 18 win jump, what will we get for our trouble? I believe the 15th pick, just outside the zone of the last of the elite players, no free agents of any note will come, and we’ll have to figure out how to build a contender out of Wall-Young/Crawford-Vesely-/Singleton-Blatche/Seraphin/McGee. Is that good enough? It’s hard to see how. I don’t see any chance whatsoever that the Wizards pull elite free agents as a borderline 40 win team with that core, even with Wall at PG. I think FA’s will look at it, be intrigued, but be far more intrigued by Miami, LA, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas as well as the well run contending organizations in lesser cities like OKC, and San Antonio. The Wizards? No history since Jimmy Carter was President, only a decade removed from being considered the cheapest, most poorly run team in the league (w one exception), “Clippers-East” was the nickname from some, and to be that closely compared to Sterlings kings of pink granulated soap showers clippers in the freaking 90’s? That stuff is remembered. The team not only has to live down the Pollin years in how the team was run, but it also has to live down 30+ years of total irrelevance. It’s the NBA equivalent of the Arizona Cardinals or Cincinnati Bengals, except at least the Cards and Bengals have played for titles in the last 20+ years. What have the Wiz done?

No. I understand why you say what you say, and sucking bad for another year carries massive risk. Not only does it put concern into the, “Is Wall actually a franchise player?” question, but it also runs the risk of, “Is Wall going to jump ship because the team simply isn’t a winner?” question. I don’t think Leonsis will tolerate quick fixes. I think he believes fundamentally that while some of the details with the Caps may be flawed, the rebuild executed sporadically from in ’02, skipped ’03, then reinstituted in ’04 and continued up through the ’06-’07 season was basically a four year rebuild, and the superstar it was built around would have to wait three years post draft to see the dividends. I happen to believe the rebuild will be shorter with Wall because basketball teams simply don’t have as many moving parts, or a baseball lake developmental system like Hockey does (where 18 year old draftees usually require 2.5-4 years to become NHL ready), and don’t have as many pieces required (about 33% more players required for hockey teams). So I do believe the rebuild could be completed by the trade deadline in February 2013. That trade deadline will be one where we pick up a guy for a run, or where we position ourselves to sign a big time free agent that summer.

I believe we absolutely have to run the risk of taking a little too long, rather than try to go the quick fix route and just strap ourselves to some lesser free agent like Joe Johnson, that wants max money (whatever it be with the new CBA), because we simply can’t land a Dwight Howard, or a Blake Griffin in their first year of free agency. If we try the quick fix, we are not going to get the piece we need and we are going to be stuck in 37-45 win land for a decade before the pieces fly off, and we rebuild again. I believe the suck for one more year strategy is sound (might not have been necessary if the idiotic short sighted trade wasn’t made in ’09 but unfortunately it was), and just as importantly, is frankly unavoidable anyway.

You look around the east and who looks set to be worse than us? Cleveland? Check. Toronto? Check. Anybody else? Then it starts getting into crickets territory. Charlotte is obviously in tank mode, and they could be worse than us. Detroit could be worse, although they had an absolutely dream come true draft that is sliding them above us in my view. New Jersey should be better than us, trying desperately to add talent to keep D Will. So in the east, I think it’s a lock that two teams are worse than us, pre lottery, and another one or two teams that could possibly be worse than us. Chances at the 8 seed? I see no chance whatsoever. I could see us swinging in with 30-34 wins, and sliding in at 10, but I don’t see anyway whatsoever we actually win 15-20 more games in one single season simply because Blatche isn’t quite as fat, Vesely is sick, and Singleton is pissed off. That doesn’t equal 15-20 more wins, particularly when virtually all the teams in the east, stayed steady, or got better that are ahead of us. Look in the west, well I have no idea how bad Minny or Sac are going to be, though I do feel comfortable saying they could be worse than us. Beyond that? Phoenix could collapse, and I do not know whats going to happen with Golden State. Clippers should get better. But after that one is reaching. I think it’s virtually a lock that only 8 teams could be worse than us, if you really reach, you might be able to find 9 or 10, but in my view, we’re looking at an uptick of wins of maybe 3-6, and that’s going to put us below Sacramento, Minny, Cleveland, and Toronto for sure, and possibly Charlotte. After that, I just don’t know, I would pencil us in with a record that’s somewhere between 4th worst and 9th worst in the league, the 8 seed, like the 7th seed, is something in ’12-’13. This year, we’re going to be fighting for 30 wins (I’d prefer 24-26 simply to land one more piece before going free agent hunting in 2013/2014), and hopefully landing one more elite draftee. That’s the plan, I’m sure, in Leonsis’ mind. If we win, fine, that’s great, but I think they believe this team is a 24-30 win team next year, and will probably slide in pre lottery between 5th and 8th, and hopefully land a top 8 draft pick in a fantastic draft where we will definitely get one more piece, then we get our playoff birth in Wall’s third year, and then we go hunting for people that would love to play on a team that can run like the old suns, and the new knicks, but also on a team that has hard working, defensive minded players unlike the old Suns, and newer Knicks. That could pull a great free agent. That works in 2013, and 2014, and short circuits all fears, in my view, of becoming a perennial first round exit team like the Hawks have been every year for decades (until just recently).

Shew. That was longwinded. Sorry Folks

[The Consiglieri]

Important detail I missed. Who are the big free agents for '13 and '14? I'd imagine Blake Griffin would be one. Who else?

[7-Day Dray]

Now that I think about it, I'm starting to lean towards The Consiglieri's side. I don't want us to get too good too fast. And it's not like getting the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference is some great achievement. No great free agent like Dwight Howard is going to be attracted to us any more because we got the 8th seed and got eliminated in the 1st round.

I don't want to be a team like Cleveland that got too good too fast after they got LeBron. Those of you scared that Wall will jump ship when he contract expires, just look at what LeBron did. They were always a pretty good team during his tenure in Cleveland, and even the best team two years in a row, but LeBron still jumped ship. We shouldn't try to win now just to satisfy Wall so he doesn't leave years from now. That a horrible plan.

We must make sure we build what's best for the team in the long-term, allowing us to win as many championships as we can, instead focusing on the short-term and getting stuck in 7/8 seed purgatory.

[nate33]

Important detail I missed. Who are the big free agents for '13 and '14? I'd imagine Blake Griffin would be one. Who else?

Blake Griffin will be restricted and therefore unattainable. The Clippers will match any offer.

Basically, you can't acquire a young elite player coming off their rookie contract via free agency. You have to wait for their second contract to expire. Most players aren't "young" when their second contracts expire. The exceptions are the ones like Lebron and Dwight who enter the NBA straight out of high school.

Dwight Howard is really the only viable free agent target in the foreseeable future who is both young and elite. And he's only a realistic possibility if the new CBA doesn't stack the deck too much in favor of the retaining team.

[The Consiglieri]

Important detail I missed. Who are the big free agents for '13 and '14? I'd imagine Blake Griffin would be one. Who else?

Blake Griffin will be restricted and therefore unattainable. The Clippers will match any offer.

Basically, you can't acquire a young elite player coming off their rookie contract via free agency. You have to wait for their second contract to expire. Most players aren't "young" when their second contracts expire. The exceptions are the ones like Lebron and Dwight who enter the NBA straight out of high school.

Dwight Howard is really the only viable free agent target in the foreseeable future who is both young and elite. And he's only a realistic possibility if the new CBA doesn't stack the deck too much in favor of the retaining team.

Thanks for the insight. While I research the hell out of some things, I'm out of the loop on a few others. That makes the draft and tanking that much mor important in my view. There is litterally no chance, whatsoever, none, Dwight would come here, so we aren't going to be in position to get "that player" without a package deal trade, and it will make it that much more important to land a legit option in the next draft, and turn some of our youngsters into foundation pieces, and/or guys seen by other clubs as potential pieces, really need to see what we have in Seraphin, Blatche, McGee, Singleton, Vesely and Crawford, these are the guys with the most flexibile ceilings on the team in my view. I think we know what we have already in Wall and Young, the rest of those guys are all somewhat unclear for very differing reasons.

We've got to land a top 8 slot next draft. It's an absolute must.

My view of the guys:

Big Front Court Guys:
1. Anthony Davis *
2. James McAdoo*
3. Jared Sullinger

*Wild Card: Andre Drummond*
.
¾’s:
1. James McAdoo*
2. Michael Gilchrist*
3. Harrison Barnes
4. Perry Jones*
5. Q. Miller
6. T. Jones

Guards:
1. Austin Rivers*
2. Jeremy Lamb
3. Bradley Beal

I placed asterisks around players I think have the highest upside, some of my rankings are probably a bit off, I have Gilchrist ranked higher than seemngly everybody, perhaps I'm off on that, I'm also underselling Sullinger, and Barnes because I haven't seen things that suggest greatness to me, only future NBA quality player, which is something that won't be good enough to turn our fortunes. I'm interested in targetting guys that I think have a huge ceiling, even the eternally frustrating Perry Jones. I have no clear sense of Andre drummond, but looking at this list, which is to me, a generalized list of the players most likely to be legit something in the NBA, you can see it's around 10-12 deep, some of the guys like torn ACL Miller, Beal, Terrence Jones, Jeremy Lamb are guys that like Jones, strike me as more likely to not live up to my hopes than to live up to them. Looking at these guys, generally speaking, I think as long as we end up picking in the top 8, we should be okay, especially if all these guys declare, including the enigmatic Drummond. If we're picking 10 or lower, I really don't know what we'll do, but to me, landing a star in this bunch wuld be the difference maker in our fortunes. With our luck with Wall, we only need a little more luck, a top 3-8 pick for a shot at something special. I really see hope here. If we're 9-12 or so, it's much higher risk, if we're somewhere in that top 7-8, we got a shot with a good chance. The only major bummer is that the bulk of the talent is at forward, where we already have a ton of questionable but interesting potential.

[rockymac52]

I'm with Consiglieri, I think. I'll be honest I didn't read through everything he wrote, but I think I got the gist, and I think I agree with it.

As much as I'd like to see us step it up and start winning games this season and end up as an up and coming 8 seed, I just don't think it's worth it. I don't think we'd be attractive enough to get Howard still. Maybe it puts us on the map as a potential destination when we wouldn't have really been otherwise, but I still think there will be at least one other team that is a more attractive destination for Howard. So then we'll be stuck in the middle of the 1st round with no Howard, and just the basic core we've got now. Maybe we add an above average free agent at this point that further solidifies us as a playoff team (like a Boozer type acquisition), but not enough to push us over the top into title contender territory. And we'd give up whatever cap space we had left to get that Boozer type free agent, so getting better would become that much more complicated.

Meanwhile, we could just be **** again this season, get a top lottery pick, and cross our fingers and hope that the guy we draft ends up allstar quality. Maybe not as good as Howard, but hopefully still good. And if that guy doesn't work out, or takes a couple years to get going, we can add yet another lotto pick in 2013 if need be.

Far from a guarantee either way, but I'd much rather go the lotto route at this point. Howard just isn't coming here guys. We can hold out hope if we want, but I'd hate to see us put all our eggs in one basket this early in the game. There doesn't appear to be a consolation prize to not getting Howard either. If we win now, and don't get Howard, we're dangerously close to being the perennial team treading water. I don't want to be the Pacers!

[theboomking]

How do you fix this team ideal version(no hard cap):

Win a top 3 pick and draft Harrison Barnes.
Trade Blatche and 2013 pick for 2012 late lotto pick
Draft Jon Henson (projected 26 @NBA draft.net, 111 @ draftexpress, 12 @walterfootball)
Sign Dwight Howard
Trade McGee and Young for Stephen Curry

Starting 5
PG: John Wall
SG:Stephen Curry
SF:Harrison Barnes
PF:Jon Henson
C:Dwight Howard

backups:
PG:Mack
SG:Crawford
SF:Vesely/Singleton
PF:Booker/Vesely
C:Seraphin

Obviously that is pie in the sky. Obviously any more realistic fix wouldn't involve Howard or likely Curry. Maybe Bynum? Honestly, I don't love Bynum because of the money he will command and his injury history. We're almost better off trying to consolidate talent and move up in the draft next year to try to get another true star, maybe Barnes or Anthony Davis.

[nate33]

I don't think there's really much of a dilemma. The team has talent but is very young and inexperienced. I want them to try their best to win every game possible, but I'm not too worried that their efforts will result in them actually making the playoffs and missing the lottery.

The best-case scenario is to miss the playoffs and get a lotto pick, but do so in a manner that leads one to believe that the team is turning the corner - maybe a late-season surge where we win 13 of the last 20 games and barely miss the 8th seed, or something like that. Or maybe we play extremely well and look like a team to be reckoned with, but then John Wall breaks a pinky or something and we lose enough games down the stretch to miss the playoffs.

[verbal8]

I don't think there's really much of a dilemma. The team has talent but is very young and inexperienced. I want them to try their best to win every game possible, but I'm not too worried that their efforts will result in them actually making the playoffs and missing the lottery.

The best-case scenario is to miss the playoffs and get a lotto pick, but do so in a manner that leads one to believe that the team is turning the corner - maybe a late-season surge where we win 13 of the last 20 games and barely miss the 8th seed, or something like that. Or maybe we play extremely well and look like a team to be reckoned with, but then John Wall breaks a pinky or something and we lose enough games down the stretch to miss the playoffs.

Is the difference between 10-12 and 16-18 really worth a lost season? If you are talking about finishing bottom 5(top 8 pick) I can see an argument for that. I could see trading away older talent near the trade deadline if it yields another pick(or prospect).

Getting the 5th seed in the play-offs may only cost in terms of drafting, moving to the late teens and gives the team a decent shot to advance. I think this should be the goal going into the season. If everything falls apart in the beginning of the season, then it should be a full tank. If the team kind of flounders around the 8th seed, I think it does make sense to deal some vets and see what the prospects can do. I do see the argument later in the season to "aim for the lotto". But I think short of disastrous start to the season, it doesn't make sense as the goal for the season.

[The Consiglieri]

I don't think there's really much of a dilemma. The team has talent but is very young and inexperienced. I want them to try their best to win every game possible, but I'm not too worried that their efforts will result in them actually making the playoffs and missing the lottery.

The best-case scenario is to miss the playoffs and get a lotto pick, but do so in a manner that leads one to believe that the team is turning the corner - maybe a late-season surge where we win 13 of the last 20 games and barely miss the 8th seed, or something like that. Or maybe we play extremely well and look like a team to be reckoned with, but then John Wall breaks a pinky or something and we lose enough games down the stretch to miss the playoffs.

I can see what you're saying although the late season run you describe would drive me to insanity and rage. I've listened to players talk about it, hell, it was a conversation piece just last spring on a bay area radio show and a former basketball player argued pretty convincingly that late season runs are generally meaningless and do absolutely nothing when it comes to building momentum for the new season, particularly with the advent of free agency, and high turnover rates, the nearly 7 months between games, long summers and often heavy roster turn over for poor teams tend to render march april runs moot, in his view. What mattered more was coming back after the offseason and being able to acknowedge that it appeared the FO knew what it was doing, quality signings and resignings, a good draftee, good chemistry coming in, bad coming out etc, but late season runs were generally totally forgotten.

In the NFL I was always curious about it because our very own redskins seemed to habitually turn failure or heartbreak into success ('81 to '82, '86 to '87, the heoric revenge bodybag gameonly to get crushed in the 2nd half against the niners in janary '91 the following year absolutely dominate on the way to the super bowl, or for atalnta fans, turning a second half turnaround in '97 into a run to the super bowl in '98), but in the NBA, I'm not sold it matters much, and a late season run like that would cause us to lose out on a much surer thing on draft day, and for me, getting the right player,is far more important than moral victories, if you get just a couple of pieces, you're golden, if you don't, you're screwed. I really want to take advantage of this draft and get one more elite difference maker, I really think that could be the difference in this rebuild being a failure, being a never ending Hawks like vicious circle of being god but never good enough, and being a truly great contender. I think we can recrut future free agents with one more elite player, and I think the team has a very good shot at being really really athletic, fast, and versatile with one more geat piece. I'll take that everyday of the week, over going from 20-40 in mid march, to 30-52 after the last game. I think that would be crushing for me. I understand that you have a different perspective on it, and after the horrendous chemistry issues recently, that concern is that much more amplified.

[Illuminaire]

It's a lot easier to trade the 10+Vesely than the 17th+Vesely to get a good pick in a strong draft.

[theboomking]

It's a lot easier to trade the 10+Vesely than the 17th+Vesely to get a good pick in a strong draft.

I don't think in a draft with some true elite players like next year's, you get to #2 with the 10th pick, and any combination of Vesely, NY, Blatche, the 10th in 2012, and an unprotected 2013. If we aren't doing that well next season, and Vesely hasn't shown well, I'm not sure hom much higher Vesely gets us from the 10th spot. It costs a lot to move up in the NBA draft.

As hard as it is to face, if the system to determine lotto order is favorable, it might be best if we lose all of next season. If they go by the combined record of the 3 previous years, we should be around 4, which seems fair. If they use the NHL system, we would be screwed, and honestly, why should teams like Miami have any balls in a lotto?

[PANDEMONEUM]

Bucks fan here.

im excited to watch the Wizards, again, this up coming season
i think people want drastic or un-realistic changes for the team
they should just stay the course, and build through the draft
when the time is right, then trade the back 5 and future draft picks
to teams, looking for big changes and/or at the bottom of the league with Quality players

Timing is very important
right now, the Heat, Magic (with Howard) and the Hawks
will b the top 3 spots in the Wizards division
add the Bulls to the list of top teams
the Wizards wont/cant b a top 4 team in the East for the next 4 years
so the timing has to be right also

Rashard Lewis $21,136,630 $22,699,550
Andray Blatche $6,442,083 $7,118,502 $7,794,921 $8,471,339
John Wall $5,530,080 $5,915,880 $6,674,574 Q-$8,676,946
Yi Jianlian Q-$5,403,366
Nick Young Q-$3,695,857
JaVale McGee $2,462,400 Q-$3,494,145
Kevin Seraphin $1,680,360 $1,797,600 $2,761,114 Q-$3,898,692
Trevor Booker $1,294,920 $1,385,280 $2,350,820 Q-$3,420,433
Jordan Crawford $1,120,440 $1,198,680 $2,162,419 Q-$3,206,867
Hamady N'Diaye Q-$952,744
Othyus Jeffers Q-$1,105,366
Larry Owns Q-$952,744
(some #s could b off)

the salaries for everyone is real nice
except Lewis, but last year is nonG
they should NOT have kept YI for that $

wall, young, lewis, blatche, mcgee
mack R, crawford, Vesely R, yi, seraphin
singeltary R, booker, ndiaye

PG vet needed and another C

2 more years of draft picks
8th seed in the playoffs in 2013
then trade the youngs, not needed, and future draft picks for that All star player

[The Consiglieri]

I don't think they'd use the NHL season. I really think that's highly unlikely, there's no seeming fairness to it whatsoever. It seemed rather rigged at the time too, to save Mario's Pittsburgh franchise. Much simpler to repeat the '11 set up, or to use a 3 year combined set up, whichever. I don't expect it to be a screw job lottery no matter how much Bill Simmons might love it.

As for moving up, Vesely and a top 10 pick would certainly help, but i dont think there's chance in hell we'd move Vesely, we've been scouting him since 2008, so i have a hard time imagining us giving up on him after his rookie year, or half year or whatever happens. Vesely is a much loved prospect with the organization, it would not surprise me at all if he's more esteemed than anyone on the roster save wall behind closed doors (though it was heartening to see seeming mental midget mcgee so thoroughly valued that we wouldn't deal that former 17th overall pick for a #2 overall in a package deal, tells you how valued he is around the league, and with us, though of course he's monumentally frustrating too).

Keep hearing awful things, i have a hard time seeing us getting a full NBA season unless something dramatic happens, the Europe angle is going to provide even more ammo for a work stoppage as is the lesson's learned from the '98 strike alongside the NFLPA's lessons learned from the '87 debacle. I think the players union knows they won the last few negotiations, and is prepared to hadle a stoppage unlike '98 when the league was filled with the stupidest and most egomaniacal collection of players probably ever, little leadership, and no plan.

A shortened season, but a season, would do us very good stead, as we'd probably take a long time to gell and be one of the worst teams around, thus building slot power, and yet also give us time to start building chemistry for the future. A lost season would just be a waste, and slot risk. I'm hoping for a repeat of '98-'99,I just have no idea what's going to happen. Loks really bad.

[theboomking]

I don't think they'd use the NHL season. I really think that's highly unlikely, there's no seeming fairness to it whatsoever. It seemed rather rigged at the time too, to save Mario's Pittsburgh franchise. Much simpler to repeat the '11 set up, or to use a 3 year combined set up, whichever. I don't expect it to be a screw job lottery no matter how much Bill Simmons might love it.

No way they repeat the '11 set up and just hand Cleveland the rights to the second slot in the lotto when they just had the 1st and 4th picks. I think it is more likely that they use a weighted average of the records over the last 3 years. The question is whether or not they penalize teams for recently winning the lotto.

How about we draft Barnes this year, and resign McGee and Young. We retain Blatche long enough to build his trade value, then move him when we can do so for a decent value. In 2014, we sign Stephen Curry as an URFA, then the following year add Cousins and resign Wall.

2015:
PG: Wall, Crawford
SG:Curry, Young
SF:Vesely, Singleton
PF:Cousins, Booker
C:McGee, Seraphin.

Meh, not sure I like it. I'm intrigued by Cousins and McGee together, as I think they would complement each other well, if Cousins becomes more efficient.