We will lose. Wizards @ Hawks Game Thread

[truwizfan4evr]

Why everyone upset we lost? IM fine with it. I want us to lose every game to better are chances come draft lottery.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

How is Booker -21

McGee got traded.

[hands11]

How is Booker -21

McGee got traded.

??

Not following that logic.

[nate33]

How is Booker -21

McGee got traded.

Booker was -21 because he was on the court when Josh Smith was on the court.

[7-Day Dray]

There was no reason to play Wall that late in the game. The guy obviously didn't have it tonight. Playng 4 of 5 nights, what's the point? You have 10 guys and you are using 9?

This. No point of keeping your starters in that late in the game, especially when you have a lot of games ahead.

Good tank game though.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

How is Booker -21

McGee got traded.

Booker was -21 because he was on the court when Josh Smith was on the court.

It was really a joke.

Seriously, now that McGee is gone someone else will suffer the dreaded minus.

--When a team gets outscored, whoever is on the floor suffers the minus.

--Booker was probably on the court for almost all of Wall's 9 turnovers, too.

All +/- shows is who is on the court when the score goes one way or the other. It is not a good metric, but I've used it myself in the past.

Today, Smith and Joe Johnson took over. Booker can't stop them. Randy Wittman will play Jordan Crawford more minutes than Seraphin and Crawford will take more shots. The Wizards will be a perimeter-oriented team.

Booker played the most minutes when the Hawks were surging past the Wizards. Not saying he was the cause at all.

[hands11]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320316001

I know what the number means, it just Booker at -21 is 10 more than an anyone else. Just wondering what the combo was that lead to that. He scored 18 pts. Seems like even though he was scoring, the team didnt play as well for some reason.

KS played 29 and only -3

The -21 just really jumps out considering he played pretty damn well.

As for them being a perimeter team. Hard to imagine how they would be more of one after trading Nick and not replacing him with a perimeter player.


http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/shotchart ... =320316001

Interesting chart. Atl lining it at the arc.
Wizard with more post points but a lot of shots just north of the FT line also. North of the FT line is about the same distance as the corner 3 ATL was lighting up. But it takes passing it around to get open shots from there. Wiz were not passing the second half.

[Illuminaire]

I think it was just a quirk of when the scoring came, Hands. He was playing fine. Plus/Minus has a ton of noise factor.

[Cramer]

Kirk Hinrich: Zero turnovers in over 41 minutes of court time.

Well, Kirk had no intentionality of blowing that game for draft position.

Wall, on the other hand, "knows how the game is played."

[hands11]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320316001

Look how ATLs assists are spread out. They all passed and rebounded.

It helps to play that style of defense and still have shooters on the floor who will also pass.

[Ruzious]

They had Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, and we didn't have anything in the same universe.

[tontoz]

Over his last 10 games Seraphin has shot 28/39 from the field. That's 72%.

[jivelikenice]

I absolutely can't stand Crawford. Does he just not get it? After watching Young & McGee play their way out of town and out of extensions, does he not understand that chucking the ball up is going to get him nowhere? I'm stunned by how clueless he is. He just doesn't get it. I'd really like to see Mason inserted into the starting lineup.

Wall had a rough game....Looked tired by the 2nd half and Atlanta's length and physicality seemed to wear him down. That being said, he needs a 2 guard that can open the floor. Atl sagged and then closed out well when Wall looked to set up for the mid-range shot.

Wall & Wittman also have to do a better job of calling plays for the bigs. Seraphin isn't established, but we need to give him some opportunities. He shoots a high percentage and will do well if given more opportunities IMO. Ernie messed up the '12 draft, but it seems like he hit in '11 w/ all 3 picks.

[miller31time]

I absolutely can't stand Crawford. Does he just not get it? After watching Young & McGee play their way out of town and out of extensions, does he not understand that chucking the ball up is going to get him nowhere? I'm stunned by how clueless he is. He just doesn't get it. I'd really like to see Mason inserted into the starting lineup.

I don't think it's a matter of "getting it" or not. He simply is who he is.

To actually have thought process going into a possession would make him someone other than Jordan Crawford.

[hands11]

I absolutely can't stand Crawford. Does he just not get it? After watching Young & McGee play their way out of town and out of extensions, does he not understand that chucking the ball up is going to get him nowhere? I'm stunned by how clueless he is. He just doesn't get it. I'd really like to see Mason inserted into the starting lineup.

Wall had a rough game....Looked tired by the 2nd half and Atlanta's length and physicality seemed to wear him down. That being said, he needs a 2 guard that can open the floor. Atl sagged and then closed out well when Wall looked to set up for the mid-range shot.

Wall & Wittman also have to do a better job of calling plays for the bigs. Seraphin isn't established, but we need to give him some opportunities. He shoots a high percentage and will do well if given more opportunities IMO. Ernie messed up the '12 draft, but it seems like he hit in '11 w/ all 3 picks.

Yes Mason should be starting if he can pull it off healthwise.
Interesting to see so many tuning on to KS after calling for him to be gone and a bust.
That class didnt look nearly as good last year. Booker looked better later in the year but had no outside shot. Now he has something but only after half of his second year. Maybe this years class needs another year before we judge them to harshly. They didnt even have a summer camp and the compressed season means less practices.

[MDStar]

I absolutely can't stand Crawford. Does he just not get it? After watching Young & McGee play their way out of town and out of extensions, does he not understand that chucking the ball up is going to get him nowhere? I'm stunned by how clueless he is. He just doesn't get it. I'd really like to see Mason inserted into the starting lineup.

Wall had a rough game....Looked tired by the 2nd half and Atlanta's length and physicality seemed to wear him down. That being said, he needs a 2 guard that can open the floor. Atl sagged and then closed out well when Wall looked to set up for the mid-range shot.

Wall & Wittman also have to do a better job of calling plays for the bigs. Seraphin isn't established, but we need to give him some opportunities. He shoots a high percentage and will do well if given more opportunities IMO. Ernie messed up the '12 draft, but it seems like he hit in '11 w/ all 3 picks.

Yes Mason should be starting if he can pull it off healthwise.
Interesting to see so many tuning on to KS after call for him to be gone and a bust.
That class didnt look nearly as good last year. ooker looked better later in the year but had no outside shot. Now he has something but only after half of his second year. Maybe this years class needs another year before we judge them to harshly. They didnt even have a summer camp and the compressed season means less practices.

Very good point about this years rookie class! Neither Singleton nor Vesley was supposed to be good enough to come in a set the league on fire, so I'm not sure its a good idea to believe they're both busts after such a abnormal season.

Most thought that Booker and especially Kevin, we're busts halfway through last season too but now their both considered key pieces in our development.

[nate33]

I for one have never considered Singleton to be a bust. I still think he's going to have a long NBA career as either a starting SF or a backup. I think he's the kind of player that's only going to need one offseason to address the deficiencies that are holding him back. All he needs is more leg strength, more film study on opponent's offensive moves, and more 3-point shooting.

I do consider Vesely to be a bust relative to his draft slot. #6 is way too high for a guy who can only play one end of the floor (unless we're talking about a dominant defensive center). As I have said before, my only hope for Vesely is that he can put on enough bulk to play center. With his frame, I think it's unlikely, but possible.

[jivelikenice]

I absolutely can't stand Crawford. Does he just not get it? After watching Young & McGee play their way out of town and out of extensions, does he not understand that chucking the ball up is going to get him nowhere? I'm stunned by how clueless he is. He just doesn't get it. I'd really like to see Mason inserted into the starting lineup.

Wall had a rough game....Looked tired by the 2nd half and Atlanta's length and physicality seemed to wear him down. That being said, he needs a 2 guard that can open the floor. Atl sagged and then closed out well when Wall looked to set up for the mid-range shot.

Wall & Wittman also have to do a better job of calling plays for the bigs. Seraphin isn't established, but we need to give him some opportunities. He shoots a high percentage and will do well if given more opportunities IMO. Ernie messed up the '12 draft, but it seems like he hit in '11 w/ all 3 picks.

Yes Mason should be starting if he can pull it off healthwise.
Interesting to see so many tuning on to KS after call for him to be gone and a bust.
That class didnt look nearly as good last year. ooker looked better later in the year but had no outside shot. Now he has something but only after half of his second year. Maybe this years class needs another year before we judge them to harshly. They didnt even have a summer camp and the compressed season means less practices.

Very good point about this years rookie class! Neither Singleton nor Vesley was supposed to be good enough to come in a set the league on fire, so I'm not sure its a good idea to believe they're both busts after such a abnormal season.

Most thought that Booker and especially Kevin, we're busts halfway through last season too but now their both considered key pieces in our development.

Not giving up no them...but for Vesely especially its in relation to where he was selected. We should have been able to include that 6th pick as at least a part of the future.... Right now that's totally up in the air.

[hands11]

I for one have never considered Singleton to be a bust. I still think he's going to have a long NBA career as either a starting SF or a backup. I think he's the kind of player that's only going to need one offseason to address the deficiencies that are holding him back. All he needs is more leg strength, more film study on opponent's offensive moves, and more 3-point shooting.

I do consider Vesely to be a bust relative to his draft slot. #6 is way too high for a guy who can only play one end of the floor (unless we're talking about a dominant defensive center). As I have said before, my only hope for Vesely is that he can put on enough bulk to play center. With his frame, I think it's unlikely, but possible.

Singleton being a starter will highly dependent on who is at SG. Between the SG and SF you have to have at least one of them that can dribble really well and create. Singleton at a min needs to develop as a lock down defender who can spot up. If he starts or not is not in his hands. It will depend on who is at SG. I dont see Singleton developing as a ball handing SF, so he will only be a starter on a team that has that at SG. That is what is would take for him to determine his own starting roll. On Boston, you can have a pure shooter in Ray Allen at SG but you have a PP at SF. Singleton couldnt start next to a pure shooter like Ray. He can only start with a real studs Kobe and MJ type who are kind of hyrid SG/SFs. But wounldnt every team want that ?

It keeps coming back to this for me and this team. They need to have a very good player that fills the roll of SG/SF You need your PP, Kobe, Manu, Shawn Marion type. A ball handler, shooter, driver who can defend, hit FTs. Come the playoffs, you have to have that player.

Teams who have that player at their PG are going to have a tougher time in the playoff. Chicago is going to struggle unless unless Taj or Deng can step it up. They have the pure shooter SG type, what they need is the SF dribbling, rebounder, shooter. I see the Wizard having the same problem if Wall becomes a D Rose. CP3 had the same problem. And so did AI. A ball dominate shooting PG is a tough way to go in this league. The roles are making it more viable now but we will see what Chicago can do. As for OKC, well they have Durrant. Hard to copy that model.

All positions are important and teams can be designed differently to fill all the needs. It just all needs to add up and I say it is really important that it adds up at SG and SF. Shaq couldn't win without a Kobe or Wade. As good as Howard is, he can't get it done alone. Dallas wouldnt have made it all the way without Shawn Marion. SA and Duncan can't get it done without Manu.

You need that player. Look at Philly. Iggy is a very important piece to that puzzle.

I dont see Singleton becoming that player so I project him as a back up. Starting SG and SF is wide open on this team. The players that fill those holes are not even on the team yet in my book and that is why he was the wrong second pick for the Wizards.

Given the team needs at starters in those slots, I hated the last draft. Brooks could have been your starting SG prospect and he has star potential written all over him. He was the one player I pimped all pre draft that they had to have. Even when he was listed bottom of draft x in the first round early on. There was no long jam there or viable prospects to compete with him long term. Nick was likely gone. With Faried you had the Booker argument so I can understand the why some worried about duplication. Ves it seems now is a longer term prospect for starting PF or Center in 2-3 years. Not SF. He is only 21. I can see what they saw in him. That could still happen. But Singleton made no sense to me given they needed a starting SG and or SF. You can get that player via FA, but it is hard to come by and really expensive. That is why you roll the dice on that type in the draft. Its really hard to acquire a Wade. They already had a stud PG locked up. They had a log jam of prospects up front to evaluate and out of that group Booker and now KS are looking like keepers. Brooks was the right pick.

Brooks would be starting for them right now. And cheap for another 3 years. By next year he should be ready to roll. Even without trading down, they could have that. If they could trade down, they could have had even more. But Singleton was a bad pick at that slot given they drafted Ves and Brooks was there for taking.

Wall/Mack
Brooks/Mason
SF? J Howard could have been resigned/Lewis or a Gee D league type prospect.
Booker/Dray/Ves
Nene/KS

They would have had one less hole to fill. Then you could target MKG or Barnes if that is the player you like there. Or load up by adding Beal. Or go get a SF if you can. Wilson Chandler ? Granger, Batum. If they got any of these last 3, they are a playoff team instantly. Specially with the added draft pick. You could pretty much pick whoever you wanted at that point. It would just be for depth. They would be loaded.

[FAH1223]

Singleton isn't a bust. Remember, he, like ALOT of young players, are a victim of the lockout. The schedule doesn't help either. Imagine going from playing 1 or two games week in college to playing 4 games in 5 nights... back to backs. In an 82 game season, rookies hit a wall.. but Singleton hit it harder. I think he'll be fine and he's a smart player. I just wish he was more of a scorer and he could be the definite starter at SF.