Wiz trade Shard and 2nd rounder for Okafor and Ariza

[doclinkin]

As for half court. Eh, it's late, this is long, I'll follow up in another post but here are my notes for later:

Okafor without Chirs Paul: WTF? Created more of his own offense, had to shoot more jumpers, but somehow his percentages at every range improved? eFG fell because he had to shoot more jumpers instead of dunking. Which shows his usual rage to improve. Knew he'd have to shoot, worked on his jumper.

Now he'll play with a set-up man in John Wall, while showing an ability to hit a wide-open shot, while playing for a coach who allows and encourages his bigs to show that midrange shot.

Nene displayed nice range heretofore unseen in Denver under the encouragement of Wittman. Seraphin has a developing shot with nice efficiency that teams will have to guard. Makes all three bigs a threat for both pick and roll and pick and pop. If JWall turns the corner on a pick and their man collapses to the lane, he has the option to kick to a big man wide open. One of them will be left open on almost every play, or else the lane will be empty. All three plus Booker, and even Vesely, set punishing stunning staggering and sticky picks. Playing defense while on offense. Hockey style body Czechs. Picture trying to chase John Wall at top speed and meeting a pick set by Seraphin. A double screen of Nene then Booker.

Neither Nene nor Okafor has played next to a big of similar calibre. Both have been the primary Big on their squads playing often with undersized bigs next to them, not similar muscle.

Upgrade in IQ, Okafor's insane course load at UConn and near 4.0 GPA. Nene & Meka: great tutors for all of our young Bigs. Not to mention another tie to HOFer, Okafor studying with fellow Houstonian/Nigerian Olajuwon. Now ditto KSera. Maybe add the Dream to the bench next to Sammy? Picture KSera and Vesely learning the footwork for the Dram shake. Seraphin already has the hookshot to pull it off (Ves doesn't have the hands though).

Easy to root for: hardest working collection of smart good guys who never cheat the fans of effort, and you will never flinch in the offseason if you see their name in the news.

Brings us to Blatche. Too bad. Okafors' weight room leadership. Alas. Rehab and trade? Pipe dream?

^^^ Will clean all that up later.

[Ruzious]

I'm not overrating Okafor, you're overrating our scrubs. But we'll see who's better next season by who starts when the season begins. lets let the coach decide and come back to this in November. Wittman seems fair to me, may the best big win.

Yeah this team was a bad shooting team because of the guys that were on the team, and the terrible shots they took, not because of the guys we added. The guys we added will make the team collectively take better shots.(because they're part of the team and because it will rub off ---like fairy dust--- for all the kids who played with dolls and never played team sports) We won a decent amount with poor shooting, no defense, and chuckers like Crawford. Hopefully this moves JC to the bench a little more in favor of a big lineup. That alone's gotta be worth at least 1 win over the course of the season.

How many games we gonna win once I draft MKG? I'd predict 35, but that has too much to do with Wall and #3, and not so much with this trade. If Wall makes the jump, and we can get something out of #3, no reason they cant go .500.

Only thing James Singleton can teach these young guys is how to fall out the league every year That's not an example, that's an end of the bench squad filler. Meanwhile somehow that's equated to a 8year NBA starter. you're the one who just way off on this.

In every sport that I've followed, the best coaches are the guys that had to fight for a roster spot; because they didn't have great talent, they had to learn the game and be smarter than everyone else. It's foolish to just assume players will learn more from Okafor than James Singleton. To expect that simply having Okafor to watch... rather than Singleton or any other "scrub" who's had to fight year in and year out for a job... will make a significant difference... makes no sense.

And you're predicting 35 wins. Wow. Do you understand that 35 wins means a lousy team? If they win 35 games with the trade, they'd likely win 33 or 34 without the trade while doing a better job of developing Vesely, Seraphin, and Booker.

[leswizards]

And you're predicting 35 wins. Wow. Do you understand that 35 wins means a lousy team? If they win 35 games with the trade, they'd likely win 33 or 34 without the trade while doing a better job of developing Vesely, Seraphin, and Booker.

By itself, I don't see how this trade helps the Wizards win any extra games. Okafor is not a huge upgrade over what the Wizards already have in the front court, and while Trevor Ariza is an upgrade at SF, I don't see it being enough to add all that many extra wins.

Having said that, the front court is now overcrowded with talent, and if EG were to trade one of those players (preferably Okafor) for a decent SG or SF, and were to trade Chris Singleton for a swing man then I could see this trade helping the Wizards winning quite a few extra games.

[Ruzious]

I agree 100%, Les. The problem is - that's a big If that I don't expect to happen.

[tontoz]

That explains a lot.

That's not true. I just dont like numbers when people use them to lie.

By all means please give some examples of people using numbers to lie.

[montestewart]

That explains a lot.

That's not true. I just dont like numbers when people use them to lie.

By all means please give some examples of people using numbers to lie.

"That says 13? I thought it said 18." (Roman Polanski)

[leswizards]

Could EG be smarter than people are giving him credit for?

http://naption.com/hoops/2012/04/24/nba-pm-the-loaded-2014-free-agent-class/

If EG is planning to make a run at the 2014 Free Agent class, I could see how this trade makes sense. IE, EG brought in Okafor because he plans on moving Nene for a contract that will expire before 2014. If EG does that, then he has built a team that will be quite competitve for the next 2 seasons while being in great financial shape to make a run at the best free agent class available over the next 3 seasons. I am not saying that is what is going on, but if it is, it is actually a pretty good plan.

[DCZards]

Way to go, doc. Glad we were finally able to coax you over to this thread. Very rationale take on the trade. But let me warn you, being rationale is not an attribute of most of the posters who don't like this trade.

[nate33]

While I was on the pro trade side, today's deal between Detroit and Charlotte has officially ended this debate. We're idiots!

I was never on the pro trade side but I agree with the conclusion here.

[nate33]

Could EG be smarter than people are giving him credit for?

http://naption.com/hoops/2012/04/24/nba-pm-the-loaded-2014-free-agent-class/

If EG is planning to make a run at the 2014 Free Agent class, I could see how this trade makes sense. IE, EG brought in Okafor because he plans on moving Nene for a contract that will expire before 2014. If EG does that, then he has built a team that will be quite competitve for the next 2 seasons while being in great financial shape to make a run at the best free agent class available over the next 3 seasons. I am not saying that is what is going on, but if it is, it is actually a pretty good plan.

Except that with cap holds on Wall, Seraphin and Booker, we won't have all that much cap space in 2014.

[LyricalRico]

Way to go, doc. Glad we were finally able to coax you over to this thread. Very rationale take on the trade. But let me warn you, being rationale is not an attribute of most of the posters who don't like this trade.

Yeah, great post by doc. I think I'm officially done looking for ways to immediately flip Okafor, and will just look forward to seeing him and Nene on the floor together.

[VictorPage44]

That explains a lot.

That's not true. I just dont like numbers when people use them to lie.

By all means please give some examples of people using numbers to lie.

I coUld find aboUt ten examples from u alone in this thread, but it's i've already made my point and it's not worth it for me.

Here's 1 though: using ariza's fg% to say he's no better than Crawford. Very disingenuoUs and it indicates to me u dont know the game of basketball very well.

[closg00]

@ Doc. Okafor could also be this-years Howard or Shard, he just began working the rehabbed knee. Howard, Shard, Arenas, Okafor. Players love paid-rehab with the Wizards until they are traded.

[verbal8]

Could EG be smarter than people are giving him credit for?

http://naption.com/hoops/2012/04/24/nba-pm-the-loaded-2014-free-agent-class/

If EG is planning to make a run at the 2014 Free Agent class, I could see how this trade makes sense. IE, EG brought in Okafor because he plans on moving Nene for a contract that will expire before 2014. If EG does that, then he has built a team that will be quite competitve for the next 2 seasons while being in great financial shape to make a run at the best free agent class available over the next 3 seasons. I am not saying that is what is going on, but if it is, it is actually a pretty good plan.

Except that with cap holds on Wall, Seraphin and Booker, we won't have all that much cap space in 2014.

Not to mention the only guys who would fit age-wise would be Luol Deng, Rudy Gay and Bogut. Maybe Bosh is good enough that he would be a good acquisition even if he will be 34 at the end of his deal. LeBron of course would be worth making an exception and is a year younger. However the chance of him coming to the Wizards are not worth worrying about.

If they get 4 year deals in 2014 Dirk, Pierce and Kobe will be 40(Dirk) or 39(Pierce and Kobe) at the end of them.

[VictorPage44]

I'm not overrating Okafor, you're overrating our scrubs. But we'll see who's better next season by who starts when the season begins. lets let the coach decide and come back to this in November. Wittman seems fair to me, may the best big win.

Yeah this team was a bad shooting team because of the guys that were on the team, and the terrible shots they took, not because of the guys we added. The guys we added will make the team collectively take better shots.(because they're part of the team and because it will rub off ---like fairy dust--- for all the kids who played with dolls and never played team sports) We won a decent amount with poor shooting, no defense, and chuckers like Crawford. Hopefully this moves JC to the bench a little more in favor of a big lineup. That alone's gotta be worth at least 1 win over the course of the season.

How many games we gonna win once I draft MKG? I'd predict 35, but that has too much to do with Wall and #3, and not so much with this trade. If Wall makes the jump, and we can get something out of #3, no reason they cant go .500.

Only thing James Singleton can teach these young guys is how to fall out the league every year That's not an example, that's an end of the bench squad filler. Meanwhile somehow that's equated to a 8year NBA starter. you're the one who just way off on this.

In every sport that I've followed, the best coaches are the guys that had to fight for a roster spot; because they didn't have great talent, they had to learn the game and be smarter than everyone else. It's foolish to just assume players will learn more from Okafor than James Singleton. To expect that simply having Okafor to watch... rather than Singleton or any other "scrub" who's had to fight year in and year out for a job... will make a significant difference... makes no sense.

And you're predicting 35 wins. Wow. Do you understand that 35 wins means a lousy team? If they win 35 games with the trade, they'd likely win 33 or 34 without the trade while doing a better job of developing Vesely, Seraphin, and Booker.

You can say it makes no sense that guys can learn from watching their teammate execute the right way in games. you can give the 14-46 squad from last year 35 wins next year too, but that doesnt make you right either. We both have our opinions, and they both make sense, but we'll just have to see who was actually right.

And I'm stillnot buying that James Singleton thing. Okafor, as an individual (not just a generalized "veteran NBA player") is much more worthy of a leadership role than James Singleton.1st, he's very intelligent. Okafor plays the right way and is always working to get better. So you can give the benefit of the doubt to Singleton because he's a scrub and Scott Brooks was a scrub, therefore Singleton must be able to coach like Brooks. I'm gonna break it down to the individual level. If we had added Etan Thomas, it wouldnt have been the same. Etan was a veteran, but he was a selfish player. He took horrible shots and he tried to be the second coming of Hakeem. Okafor wont do any of that. He's a level headed vet who literally cannot hurt.

[tontoz]

I coUld find aboUt ten examples from u alone in this thread, but it's i've already made my point and it's not worth it for me.

Here's 1 though: using ariza's fg% to say he's no better than Crawford. Very disingenuoUs and it indicates to me u dont know the game of basketball very well.

That's a lie right there, or your memory just sucks.

[Hoopalotta]

@ Doc. Okafor could also be this-years Howard or Shard, he just began working the surgically repaired knee. Howard, Shard, Arenas, Okafor. Players love paid-rehab with the Wizards until they are traded.

When was Okafor's knee surgery? I haven't heard any mention of knee surgery.

[leswizards]

Except that with cap holds on Wall, Seraphin and Booker, we won't have all that much cap space in 2014.

I am not a cap expert, but I think your numbers are wrong. I think you are counting Nene's salary in those numbers, when I suggested that trading Nene for a contract that expires between now and then would be part of the plan. Additionally, if Blatche were still part of the team, the Wizards could amnesty the final year of his contract.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/washington.htm

[nate33]

Except that with cap holds on Wall, Seraphin and Booker, we won't have all that much cap space in 2014.

I am not a cap expert, but I think your numbers are wrong. I think you are counting Nene's salary in those numbers, when I suggested that trading Nene for a contract that expires between now and then would be part of the plan. Additionally, if Blatche were still part of the team, the Wizards could amnesty the final year of his contract.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/washington.htm

Sorry. Didn't catch that part. Yes. You are right. If Nene is traded for a 2004 contract, we would have max cap room in 2014. But for who?

[Hoopalotta]

I just wanna say it's good to have hoopalotta back. Miss ya bro!

Hey, Man!

I really appreciate everyone's well wishing in here; you'ze guys, I mean.....