Game Thread: Wizards @ 76ers

[sfam]

the game tomorrow is the real benchmark game for the wiz.

flip sat wall & co the entire 4th Q. if the wiz dont show up tomorrow and keep it close a the very minimum i expect flip to be fired.

I think it was a good idea for flip to sit Wall. I'm not sure how this relates to Flip being fired. The thing that gets Flip fired is the continued lack of effort.

[nate33]

Trade Wall to Charlotte for Augustin and their unprotected 1st. (Wall will suck there too because they also lack shooters, so their record will remain lousy and the pick high.) Trade Blatche for Luke Ridnoir. Let Seraphin and Crawford go this summer.

Go into next year with Booker, Singleton, Vesely, McGee, two top 4 picks and $30M or so in cap room. Overpay a few second tier free agents with frontloaded contracts. If all goes well, we can start all over again with the following lineup:

PG Augustin, Ridnoir
SG E.Gordon, R.Fernandez
SF Gilchrist, Singleton
PF Davis, Booker
C McGee, N.Mohammed

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

This is easily the most frustrated I've ever been with this team. I've watched about 80% of the team's games over the last three years and I think I'm done with this year - I don't plan on watching any more games. Jan sucks, we're stuck with Blatche, Crawford sucks, Rashard freakin' Lewis is our best player, heck even Wall sucks (and I just bought one of those $90 Wall jerseys and I feel like such an idiot now). The environment is cancerous and I just don't see anyone succeeding in this environment. Yea, I'm pretty sure I'm done this year.

[jivelikenice]

If they dont make any moves and just try to ride this out they are going waste a a whole season, under the current structure how much are players even going to develop just getting minutes if they are not in positions to be successful. A new coach would be the minimum at this point but hopefully EG is gone as well and hopefully even some low level moves just to get some rotational quality players in here that can at least help us start playing more like a professional team we look like a rec squad on most nights.

You're right. There won't be any development with the status quo. It will be a wasted year. Our guys don't know how to play NBA basketball. Our inability to even stay in a game consistently, our pathetic road play for 2 seasons now, and or shot selection are proof that this just isn't a professional bunch. This isn't an NBA team.

[jivelikenice]

Trade Wall to Charlotte for Augustin and their unprotected 1st. (Wall will suck there too because they also lack shooters, so their record will remain lousy and the pick high.) Trade Blatche for Luke Ridnoir. Let Seraphin and Crawford go this summer.

Go into next year with Booker, Singleton, Vesely, McGee, two top 4 picks and $30M or so in cap room. Overpay a few second tier free agents with frontloaded contracts. If all goes well, we can start all over again with the following lineup:

PG Augustin, Ridnoir
SG E.Gordon, R.Fernandez
SF Gilchrist, Singleton
PF Davis, Booker
C McGee, N.Mohammed

You don't trade Wall....All these trade Wall ideas are just ridiculous. You want another 1st? Why in the world would you want another young player? Why would Gordon come here? to play with Augustin? Wall's play is really down but these ideas are worthless. You might as well contract the team if you're actually suggesting this.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Trade Wall to Charlotte for Augustin and their unprotected 1st. (Wall will suck there too because they also lack shooters, so their record will remain lousy and the pick high.) Trade Blatche for Luke Ridnoir. Let Seraphin and Crawford go this summer.

Go into next year with Booker, Singleton, Vesely, McGee, two top 4 picks and $30M or so in cap room. Overpay a few second tier free agents with frontloaded contracts. If all goes well, we can start all over again with the following lineup:

PG Augustin, Ridnoir
SG E.Gordon, R.Fernandez
SF Gilchrist, Singleton
PF Davis, Booker
C McGee, N.Mohammed

Trade him for Kemba Walker and a future, protected first works better for me. Walker can play well enough to start.

Use that future first and somebody like Seraphin to acquire a lottery pick this year.

[miller31time]

I worked tonight so I DVR'd the game.

In my entire time watching Wizards basketball, this is the only time I can remember where I couldn't finish the game out of sheer boredom (and trust me, there have been more than a handful of clunkers in Wiz history....).

I think it's because this team is looking so completely rudderless right now. I need something...ANYTHING...to make me watch these games. Wall improving. A young, up-and-coming team. Bouts of good defense and high-energy offense. The light going on in McGee's head.

ANYTHING.

[LyricalRico]

Trade Wall to Charlotte for Augustin and their unprotected 1st. (Wall will suck there too because they also lack shooters, so their record will remain lousy and the pick high.) Trade Blatche for Luke Ridnoir. Let Seraphin and Crawford go this summer.

Go into next year with Booker, Singleton, Vesely, McGee, two top 4 picks and $30M or so in cap room. Overpay a few second tier free agents with frontloaded contracts. If all goes well, we can start all over again with the following lineup:

PG Augustin, Ridnoir
SG E.Gordon, R.Fernandez
SF Gilchrist, Singleton
PF Davis, Booker
C McGee, N.Mohammed

Trade him for Kemba Walker and a future, protected first works better for me. Walker can play well enough to start.

Use that future first and somebody like Seraphin to acquire a lottery pick this year.

Yeah, I'd rather have Walker as well (especially since Augustin is about to be a FA). But then CHA would probably want more.

Wall+Vesely+Seraphin

for

Walker and CHA's 2012 first



I'd hate to give up on Vesely so soon, but lanky energy guys aren't all that hard to find IMO. Walker might actually be an upgrade over Wall since he can shoot and has been a leader before. If we went all in with a young, energetic coach - I could see this working.

[nate33]

Trade Wall to Charlotte for Augustin and their unprotected 1st. (Wall will suck there too because they also lack shooters, so their record will remain lousy and the pick high.) Trade Blatche for Luke Ridnoir. Let Seraphin and Crawford go this summer.

Go into next year with Booker, Singleton, Vesely, McGee, two top 4 picks and $30M or so in cap room. Overpay a few second tier free agents with frontloaded contracts. If all goes well, we can start all over again with the following lineup:

PG Augustin, Ridnoir
SG E.Gordon, R.Fernandez
SF Gilchrist, Singleton
PF Davis, Booker
C McGee, N.Mohammed

You don't trade Wall....All these trade Wall ideas are just ridiculous. You want another 1st? Why in the world would you want another young player? Why would Gordon come here? to play with Augustin? Wall's play is really down but these ideas are worthless. You might as well contract the team if you're actually suggesting this.

Yeah, that's why I buried it in the game thread. If I put this proposal in the trade thread, somebody might dig it up and use it to embarrass me a year from now.

[Zonkerbl]

Really, though, what is wrong with our players? They showed against the Raptors how they need to play to have any chance at all. Why don't they do that? I must say, this is the most obvious example of a team having tuned out their coach that I've ever seen.

Sad 'cause Flip's a good coach.

[7-Day Dray]

Really, though, what is wrong with our players? They showed against the Raptors how they need to play to have any chance at all. Why don't they do that? I must say, this is the most obvious example of a team having tuned out their coach that I've ever seen.

Uhh...because the Raptors suck???

[hands11]

Really, though, what is wrong with our players? They showed against the Raptors how they need to play to have any chance at all. Why don't they do that? I must say, this is the most obvious example of a team having tuned out their coach that I've ever seen.

Sad 'cause Flip's a good coach.

I don't think it is really that hard to figure out and blaming this on Flip is beyond ridiculous. They are very very young. They have three rookie who have played 10 or less games. The roster and line ups keep changing because of injuries, late additions to camp, etc. They have every little margin for error because even hitting on all cylinders, it would be a challenge for them to win against any of the good teams.

TOR was the as good as it had been all year. If they could have stuck with those line ups and rotations, they could playd competitive most nights. That was the first time most the players were available and the line up were adjusted so you had a defensive starting line up and points coming off the bench. Losing Dray changed all of that.

People may like to bash Dray but he is very important to these line ups working. In order for the team to match the level of play they had at TOR but without Dray, you would need KS and Lewis to both step up in big ways to replace Dray. Actually, it would probably take, KS, Lewis and Mo Evans since with Dray there, Lewis was already on the floor.

KS being a reliable back up center would probably help the most and that is asking the kid to make a lot of progress in just two games. It would probably take at least five. He did play better last game. Without Dray and Ronny, a lot falls on that young mans shoulders. Not only do you not have a vet back up C but there is no one to bench McGee when he isn't playing right. This team is to thin with talent/experience to instantly adjust to that. Specially against good teams.

Then you have to replace his mid range shot which while it doesn't always go in, it does enough to be a treat. That would means someone with experience like Mo getting minutes and hitting. Mason hitting would help as well. This team was thin on outside scoring as it was. Now good defensive team are all in their shorts and that just compounds the issues.

On a team that has no clear star who can take over and raise their game if someone goes down, it takes all the pieces working together so they can play well enough for the younger players to grow. You can't just lose a Dray and recover in a game or two. There is a huge drop off in skill and experience having Dray as your back up center and then trying to replace him with KS. That is in part why Dray was moved there to begin with.

All they can do to get better is have everyone play with in themselves and play as a team which is actually the best they could do even with Dray. Players that can get better need to and there are lots of them. KS, McGee, Wall, Singleton - needs to go more then 1-2 for the game, Booker needs to find and outside shot, Jesely, Mason needs to start to hit and they need Mo out there hitting from outside. Crawford needs to get moved back to starter and Nick moved to the bench so they have a shooter off the bench. And they really need to get Mo Evan rolling. He is the vet presence that can replace Drays experience.

These are no excuses. This is were this team is. They have enough piece to play better without Dray but it isn't going to happen in a two games against top teams.

So it will be ugly watching very inexperienced players all on the court together while they gain their first NBA experience. They seem to have finally figured out the PG rotation. It is Wall and then Mack. They have had that for three games. One second year player and one rookie. I don't think the guard rotation is really worked out yet and Mo just got his first minutes last night. At SF, Singleton is a rookie and he is back up by who ? Lewis ? Mo ( again just played his first minutes last game ). At PF Booker starts ( 2nd year player ) and he is back up by who ? Jesely who is a rookie with 3 games under his belt or Lewis. And then at center McGee is the clear starter with who backing him up ? KS who is just finding him way.

No Dray. No Ronny. Mo getting a late start and Mason not finding his shot yet is putting a lot of pressure on such a young team. But at least they are getting court time and that is what they need to gain experience and get better. I hardly would expect them to win against Chicago or Phili though. Actually, I would expect them to get blown out given the recent lose of Dray. Any one of those above players contribution would help a ton. It would take pressure off a line up of players that is very thin with experience. But the biggest things that would help is time/experience for KS, or Dray and Ronny healthy again.

But as is, at least KS is gaining experience.

They were losing bad when they had McGee and KS as center before. Well, that is what they are back to so now KS has to step it up big time. If he can build on what he did late last game, that will help a ton.

[JWizmentality]

Oh, didn't realize we play them again tonight. Their asses must still be sure.

[Zonkerbl]

Maybe what it is, is that last year they didn't know how sucky they were, so they played hard. This year they know they suck so the weak-minded ones give up at the first sign of adversity. Don't think it's John Wall, Trevor Booker, or Singleton, so I think it must be Nick Young and McGee.

So fine, you yank Nick and the next best alternative is Jordan Crawford, who is awful. You yank McGee and your alternative is Seraphin, who is awful. So when those two guys give up, you are in a world of hurt no matter what you do. Leave 'em in and get blown out, or take 'em out and get blown out.

[dandridge 10]

I'm missing those optimistic days of the lockout. Good luck would have been seeing the entire season canceled.

I thought that for a while too. However, I think this season is important for our future for several reasons. First, it gives the organization clarity on both Blatche and Young. I think the organization finally has the proof that Blatche will never be an impact player. I also think the organization has the proof that they should not give Young anywhere close to the money he was asking for. Second, it will give McGee another year to improve and show his worth before we pay him. Third, it will solidify our needs in terms of FA's. We desperately need a starting SG and a starting PF. We probably wouldn't have come to that full realization without this season.

While I hate that we will have to watch this pitful excuse for a basketball season this year, I think this year was needed to show where we have to go in the future.