Wizards Invite Earl Barron, S. Randolph, and S. Gray to Camp

[DMVleGeND]

Per WT:

Earl Barron and the Washington Wizards have agreed upon a non-guaranteed training camp deal, according to sources.

Barron most recently played in the NBA with the Warriors in 11-12, but has since played in both the Philippines and Puerto Rico.

Barron is a seven-foot center out of Memphis.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/22 ... z26CWtQcf5

From the little I remember of his as a Miami Heat a few yrs ago, I think he was a good mid-range shooter.

EDIT: Michael Lee is reporting that we also invited Shavlik Randolph and Stephen Gray to camp: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... _blog.html

I like what I saw out of Stephen Gray in SL. Even though he's known as a shooter (didn't shoot very well), he seems like a smart player and made good decisions w/ the ball, showing that he could possibly play some spot minutes at PG. I'd keep him over Mack.

[fishercob]

Anytime you can bring in a 30-year old big man with a career offensive rating of 90 and PER of 8.8, you've got to do it.

[Dat2U]

The final piece to the championship puzzle!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

That's one way to make sure the training camp roster has at least one 7 footer.

They might as well bring in Patrick O'Bryant, Jeff Foote, and that 7'8" white guy from Great Britain, who plays on the Harlem Globetrotters.

Don't just stop with the great Earl Barron.

[TGW]

Might as well bring Oberto in while we're at it.

[verbal8]

That's one way to make sure your roster training camp roster has at least one 7 footer.

I see this as a move to bring a big guy in for training camp.

[truwizfan4evr]

I actually think he be a good 15 man for us he can hit a open shot and he plays hard. I wouldn't mind having Barron or Toilver for the last roster spot.

[Nivek]

Should edit the title: they also signed Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray.

[Ed Wood]

I disagree; maybe if we ignore it it'll go away.

[truwizfan4evr]

I have to admitt Shavlik Randolph was good in summer league for us if he make the roster i would not even be mad he deserved it.

[payitforward]

Off-topic -- can someone point me to an explanation of how to calculate a player's Ortg and Drtg. An individual player not a team.

Thanks.

[Nivek]

Off-topic -- can someone point me to an explanation of how to calculate a player's Ortg and Drtg. An individual player not a team.

Thanks.

Both sets of formulas are detailed in Dean Oliver's book, "Basketball On Paper." Individual offensive rating is a terrific stat -- best measure of overall offensive efficiency. Individual defensive rating is a decent try at using box score stats to estimate an individual player's defensive contributions, but...it overvalues guys who get blocks, steals and defensive rebounds, and undervalues good defenders who don't generate those kinds of numbers. So, with individual drtg, guys like Joe Dumars and Bruce Bowen don't rate all that well. A guy like Javale McGee would have a solid drtg.

That said on drtg, the formulas Oliver developed -- the concepts and thinking behind drtg -- first-rate. Dean has a chapter about "Project Defensive Scoresheet," which became the launching pad for my defensive tracking project a few years back. The hand-tracked stats produced robust info on defense.

[hands11]

Shelvin Mack has a partially-guaranteed deal.

Kid will be fighting for his NBA life this camp.

John Wall, Martell Webster, Trevor Booker and Chris Singleton are among the players already at Verizon Center working out in anticipation of the first practice on Oct. 2.

Now who is surprised Booker is in that list. Boooook. Lets hope he make it a complete season this year.

Also good to see Wall there already. He seems to be going the right things to have a big year.

[payitforward]

Shelvin Mack has a partially-guaranteed deal.

Kid will be fighting for his NBA life this camp....

Last year was a difficult one for a rookie w/ no Summer work w/ the team and an abbreviated TC. Mack certainly deserves another year. Now, if we had somehow acquired a terrific replacement, fine. But we acquired a guy who hasn't yet had a season as good as Mack's mediocre rookie year. Of all the boneheaded moves, signing Price was the one I found the most puzzling and frustrating.

[rockymac52]

Brian Cook is now getting an invite as well, and there are rumors that he might be getting a non-guaranteed deal as well. I mean, it's non-guaranteed, and his role will clearly be minimal even if he makes it, but come on, what are we doing here? SIGN BARBOSA.

[closg00]

Brian Cook is now getting an invite as well, and there are rumors that he might be getting a non-guaranteed deal as well. I mean, it's non-guaranteed, and his role will clearly be minimal even if he makes it, but come on, what are we doing here? SIGN BARBOSA.

All practice dummies are on non-guaranteed deals and all of them will most-likely be cut unless they really show-up someone on the roster.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Brian Cook is now getting an invite as well, and there are rumors that he might be getting a non-guaranteed deal as well. I mean, it's non-guaranteed, and his role will clearly be minimal even if he makes it, but come on, what are we doing here? SIGN BARBOSA.

The Wizards were speaking of bringing in Anthony Tolliver a while back. Seems to me Brian Cook demonstrated all they could hope to get from Tolliver. Why not sign Cook? He did play well last season.

The Wizards need to trade Mack IMO. Sam Cassell dissed Shelvin. The Wizards brought Price at his spot. Beal will get some minutes at PG also. Trade him for a second round pick to a spot where he can land on his feet, like with the Utah Jazz and his Butler teammate Gordon Hayward.

Barbosa makes all the sense in the world for the Wizards. He is a gunner and they need scoring. Barbosa is better than Price and Crawford to the same extent Nene is better than McGee. Barbosa is Brazilian. Leandro Barbosa is a playoff-tested, veteran who will put points on the board. He would balance this roster because he is a speedy, competent, three point shooter.

[rockymac52]

Not to mention he's one of the fastest players in the league (he's getting older, so maybe this isn't as true as it once was), and teaming him up with some of our speedsters could be fun to watch. But yeah, you summed it up nicely. He is a perfect fit. I sincerely hope the only reason we haven't signed him yet is because he has no interest in coming here, even if we offer him more money than everyone else (around $3 million for a year or two). Or because we have something much better planned (highly doubt it, in this regard).

[verbal8]

Not to mention he's one of the fastest players in the league (he's getting older, so maybe this isn't as true as it once was), and teaming him up with some of our speedsters could be fun to watch. But yeah, you summed it up nicely. He is a perfect fit. I sincerely hope the only reason we haven't signed him yet is because he has no interest in coming here, even if we offer him more money than everyone else (around $3 million for a year or two). Or because we have something much better planned (highly doubt it, in this regard).

I wonder if Barbosa may get more money(or at least a longer deal) overseas. It seems he has a game where he is a good role player in the NBA, but could be "the man" in a foreign league.

[payitforward]

Not to mention he's one of the fastest players in the league (he's getting older, so maybe this isn't as true as it once was), and teaming him up with some of our speedsters could be fun to watch. But yeah, you summed it up nicely. He is a perfect fit. I sincerely hope the only reason we haven't signed him yet is because he has no interest in coming here, even if we offer him more money than everyone else (around $3 million for a year or two). Or because we have something much better planned (highly doubt it, in this regard).

I wonder if Barbosa may get more money(or at least a longer deal) overseas. It seems he has a game where he is a good role player in the NBA, but could be "the man" in a foreign league.

More of this "we need to add X" stuff. "Shooting," "speed," whatever. Barbosa is not a good player. He doesn't do anything well or efficiently. He won't make any difference for the team he signs with -- us or any other NBA team.

We need better players, either good players who are underrated and whom we acquire via trade or as FAs, or else players we draft who have at least a chance to become good and make us lucky.

We had plenty of shots at players in both categories this off-season. Brandon Rush, Landry Fields, Ilyasova and Danny Green are a few who leap to mind in the first category; there were plenty more. Crowder, Barton, Doron Lamb, Chris English, Kyle O'Quinn, Marcus Denmon and Scott Machado are a few who leap to mind in the second.

There's no point now in thinking about marginal players like Barbosa; the question remains is there any move -- any whatever -- available now that could conceivably enhance the core of a team trying to develop into a title contender? I can't think of one, but maybe you can -- ??