Which Wiz will surprise this year?

[Nivek]

I'm with penbeast. I think Wall is the most likely candidate to make The Leap.

My second choice is McGee -- tremendous physical ability and he'll be in a contract year.

Booker is also a good choice. He plays way hard. I don't think he'll be a big scorer, but he'll rebound and defend, and the Wiz need that.

I don't see it with Blatche and Young. They've been around awhile and are pretty well established. Plus, Young's going to have a new contract, which could dampen his motivation a bit. Maybe they'll surprise me.

[hands11]

I have one game recorded on my DVR. It was the one right after Flips mother passed.

First thing I noticed when watching..... Dray is a lot better then some people give him credit for. He knows the game. He is a real talent. He does a lot of little things that you only see from talented players who have played for a while. I would expect a healthy Dray to produce very good numbers. Something a lot more in line with what we expected to see to start last season if he wasnt hurt over the summer.

What player do I think will surprise ? Like other have said, that depends on one personal exceptions.

Nick was already playing great before he got injured so expecting him to breakout would be a prediction made a year late. He already did that. But this year I would expect him to drive more and if he does that, he has an opportunity to be a elite player in the league.

Booker also began to establish his game last year. For him, its all about adding a mid range.

So basically, anyone who has already played here, wouldn't surprise me. And I expect Singleton and Mack to play mature ball from the start.

So that leaves only one player. I would be surprised if Vesly has a large impact his first year.

[closg00]

I'm with penbeast. I think Wall is the most likely candidate to make The Leap.

My second choice is McGee -- tremendous physical ability and he'll be in a contract year.

Booker is also a good choice. He plays way hard. I don't think he'll be a big scorer, but he'll rebound and defend, and the Wiz need that.

I don't see it with Blatche and Young. They've been around awhile and are pretty well established. Plus, Young's going to have a new contract, which could dampen his motivation a bit. Maybe they'll surprise me.

Not sure where/how will Booker get minutes to shine, I suspect Ves might get those scrub PF minutes. Seraphin has been looking like he can play a legit PF also.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

[/quote]Not sure where/how will Booker get minutes to shine, I suspect Ves might get those scrub PF minutes. Seraphin has been looking like he can play a legit PF also.[/quote]



I think Seraphin will most likely see pt exclusively at C as McGee's primary backup, with N'Diaye for added depth. Blatche will start at PF backed by Vesely and Booker. Lewis (if he's still here) would start at SF, backed by Singleton and Young. With Young, Wall, Mack and Crawford soaking all the minutes at G.

At least that's how I see things shaking out.

[hands11]

The way I see the center position is simply this. We do not currently have a pure traditional center on the roster. So unless they add one, the center position will be somewhat fluid.

McGee is slatted to start. Dray is the most experienced back up.

So because of that lack of depth with traditional centers, who plays will depend on what scheme they run. Will they be running and/or stretching the defense.

But all the combination they can put out there are basically C/PF or PF/C hybrids.

Regardless of label, KS has the most back to the basket basic game. He can do it from PF or C but his defense is still not polished.

Dray can post or work his way to the post, but he likes to float outside so it will depend on his focus.

McGee is a garbage type who can follow up or drive from two steps out to dunk. Things will depend a lot of how much better his mid range has improved. That and will he finally prove he can defend the paint. He will get first crack at it again.

They still need someone who shows a steady focus on defending the post. On this roster, that has to be McGee, Dray and HD. That will continue to be their weakest link until they add a player or McGee or Hamady step it up. If not, they have to put Dray there.

The team has plenty of options from PG to PF. Center is the focus that needs figured out this year and because this team has so many hybrid players we are likely to see someone moved if McGee doesn't clearly show he can defend the position.

It could work out that it is easier for them to find someone who can defend and moderately play offense from the PF easier then finding a viable center. That would put Dray as the starting center with McGee backing him up. If they were trying to win today, I think that would be their best option as they rotate in several PFs including Dray will McGee is playing C.

[montestewart]

McGee is a garage type who can follow up or drive from two steps out to dunk. Things will depend a lot of how much better his mid range has improved. That and will he finally prove he can defend the paint. He will get first crack at it again.

I'm anxious to see if if he's a one-car or two-car garage.

[penbeast0]

If Vesely plays PF his rebounding had better improve. From his draft report, he was a below average rebounding SF in Europe and it's a more physical game here.

[Nivek]

I have one game recorded on my DVR. It was the one right after Flips mother passed.

First thing I noticed when watching..... Dray is a lot better then some people give him credit for. He knows the game. He is a real talent. He does a lot of little things that you only see from talented players who have played for a while.

I used to say the same thing about Antoine Walker. And I agree to a point. But Blatche also does a lot of little things badly that come from a lazy player who doesn't want to pay the price to be great.

He does have skills in the same sense that I have a lawn mower. The fact that I own the lawn mower doesn't make my grass shorter until I actually apply it to the lawn.

[dobrojim]

my camping buddies, mostly philly boyz, aren't buying the McGee possibility

and I only said it was possible. But they all think I'm crazy for suggesting he has
elite athleticism which I think simply shows their naivete. I always caveat my
McGee claims with 'if he ever figures out how to play' which goes for a lot of
players out there. But I think is more true of McGee.

Wall...hard to say since these exhibition games really aren't anything like
an actual NBA game but as Wiz fans, we can hope and he would be the one
case where it doesn't end up being a lump of coal in our stockings.

[Illuminaire]

Leonsis will surprise us all by destroying our fandom for the sake of a few more percentage points.

[nate33]

I don't see how it's possible for Wall to be the biggest surprise. As of now, I suspect most of us expect him to be an All-Star caliber player, or at least a borderline All Star who barely misses the cutoff. That's a high expectation. The only way to really surprise someone with that expectation is if Wall somehow manages to put together a season where he earns some MVP consideration.

I think the most likely to surprise is Blatche. I say this because the expectations of him are low. The average fan thinks of Blatche as a starter only by default. If Blatche steps up and become a true starting-caliber, two-way player, it would surprise most. In reality, he's not so far from achieving that. There's no reason he can't average 17, 9 and 3 with a TS% in the .54 range while playing respectable defense. All he really needs is to play for a whole season like he did for the 2nd half of each of the last two seasons (plus put more effort into help D).

[Nivek]

I can think of one reason why Blatche won't end up with a TS% around .54 -- he's never done it for a season. Not even close. His career best was .519.

[nate33]

I can think of one reason why Blatche won't end up with a TS% around .54 -- he's never done it for a season. Not even close. His career best was .519.

That's why it would be a surprise.

[willbcocks]

I'm going with Crawford--I think he'll have much improved TS%.

[hands11]

We are about to see what everyone has been up to while the lockout was going on.

Here's to crossed fingers for Dray and McGee

Come home Kevin

[doc.end]

If you expect a guy will surprise, then how is it a surprise?

Well, Blatche will surprise and you can expect that. You just can't imagine how it will look like.

[queridiculo]

Andre Blatche will surprise... with how little things have changed from the past.