GT #71: Wizards @ OKC 8 PM EST CSN

[keynote]

So what we've learned here today is John Wall can't win with a bunch of stiffs two days in a row.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

come on, wall was part of the problem today.

I disagree. When has Wall ever pressed that much? He had to because no one else could create scoring opportunities, let alone hit an open J. With a healthy team of shooters, Wall's line would've looked more like 3-9 from the field with more assists.

Before the MEM game, Webster told Wall that he'd need to score 40 to win with that line up. The same is the case tonight. If you want to blame Wall for not being able to conjure up back-to-back 40-point nights against tough playoff teams, feel free.

[sfam]

So OKC flat out mailed this game in and had no problem waxing us. Not surprising.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

[DANNYLANDOVER]

I'm just happy Miami's streak is ending tonight!!!

[GhostsOfGil]

I'm just happy Miami's streak is ending tonight!!!

Dont jinx it!

[DANNYLANDOVER]

I'm just happy Miami's streak is ending tonight!!!

Dont jinx it!

haha I knew the Bulls weren't gonna choke like the Celtics

[hands11]

Walls fine. He's shooting in rhythm. He just keeps being a focal point offensively so he's forced to take shots when he's cold. With more weapons on the court he'd have higher assists and less shots taken.

The sad part about this game is just how bad everyone on the court is that isn't Booker or our two d-league call ups. Singleton, Seraphin, Vesely...just cut them. If we can get more guys like Temple then it'd help loads.

Temple has been a very nice Christmas present. He is just a mature solid young man. I liked him from the very start.

Props to the Wizards for at least keeping it close through the first half. Just to many injuries. No Jason Collin was just more then they could over come.

They didn't stand a chance in this one with all those injuries. Not against a good team like OKC on the road.

Note: Since Walls ejection, Wall is getting a ton more calls. That the good news.

[GhostsOfGil]

I'm just happy Miami's streak is ending tonight!!!

Dont jinx it!

haha I knew the Bulls weren't gonna choke like the Celtics

[Jimmy Recard]

Wall played excellent defense and distributed the ball brilliantly. He took a few bad shots and a lot of good ones - he just had no legs. He still ended up with 18 points on 18 shots. That's not good, but it's better than most of the team. I have difficulty saying Wall was "part of the problem" when the real problem here was that the Thunder's B-team had more talent than the Wizard's healthy starters.

+1

[Jimmy Recard]

Wall was far from the problem. His jumper was off all night, but he still had a stellar floor game. Stayed aggressive on both ends and set up his teammates plenty. He would've finished with at least 4 or more dimes if it was Webster and Beal spotting up in the corners instead of Temple and Singleton. Bottom line is the only hope we had winning this game was Wall going ham again, like he did against Memphis. OKC just have too much firepower, especially at home. We had 4 guys in our rotation 8 man rotation tonight that are d-league caliber, and 2 others who are backups at best at this level.

[payitforward]

Temple ...is just a mature solid young man. I liked him from the very start.

That's how you remember it, huh?

But I agree -- he's a smart basketball player. And he plays by *using* those smarts -- even more important. Here's hoping our fearless leader values him more than he did James Singleton!!

[payitforward]

...sad ...how bad everyone on the court is that isn't Booker or our two d-league call ups. Singleton, Seraphin, Vesely...just cut them.

We got 8 guys out of the 2010 and 2011 drafts. 2 of them -- the 1st and 23d picks of the '10 draft -- are players and guys you can build on (w/ Booker's health being the one question about him).

The other 6 have been utter busts. Crawford we traded for nothing -- just to get him out of here. Seraphin just doesn't seem to develop. Vesely was a horrible pick. Singleton off his college career gave really no reason to think he'd be a good NBA player. Mack we had to cut. N'Diaye wasn't a player (no blame, however, given he was picked #56).

This pathetic record of "building through youth and the draft" (Ted's exact words) hasn't cost Ernie his job. How can that be?

Edit: Just to frame the wasted opportunity, imagine we'd picked Bledsoe instead of Seraphin and taken Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried and Chandler Parsons in 2011. Yes, this has to be characterized as hindsight -- but Leonard, Faried and Parsons were kinda obvious. And no one would have complained about us picking Bledsoe with what was, in effect, a "free" pick at the time.

Of course we wouldn't have gotten Beal in 2012, so the net's not as good as it looks. Still.... maybe we'd have gotten Drummond instead! and English in R2. Then buy out Lewis instead of the Okariza trade, and sign Brand off the amnesty waiver -- leading to:

PG -- Wall/Bledsoe/Price
SG -- Webster/Temple/English
SF -- Leonard/Parsons/Martin
PF -- Faried/Booker
C -- Nene/Brand/Drummond

That team is on its way to becoming a title contender. It also has tons of cap room. It's also a total fantasy...! (e.g. getting Drummond would have been dumb luck...)

[dlts20]

IDK what Wall was last night but I think it may have been like 2-18 and I tell you that may have honestly been the most impressive stat I have seen since Wall has been here. This guy had literally the worst J in the league. It was so bad that he turned down open shot after open shot after open shot.

Now dude is so confident that he is missing everything but still takes 18 shots because we needed him to with everyone out. Even with all the injuries, the old Wall wouldve taken like 11 shots at best and 9 of them wouldve been with no confidence.

I was impressed by that last night except for the one where I felt the game was still in reach, he drove baseline all the way to the rim and then kicked it to Singelton in the corner for a 3. He missed it and OKC came down and hit a 3 which I think finished the game off. Gil use to do that too sometimes that made me mad. If you get that close then you have to shoot it. Most likely you will either score or get fouled

[dlts20]

I also have a feeling that dude has changed so much that he will come back with another beast game against Orlando. Like 25 & 13 or 26 & 12 on 50% shooting

[Higga]

I'm not gonna kill Wall for having a bad shooting night last night. He literally had D League scraps around him against a legit title contender in their house. Kind of an obvious situation for a bad game.