GT #75: Wizards @ Raptors, 7 PM on CSN

[Darknemo2000]

Valanciunas shot 18 free throws.

I'm not sure if that means he's really good, the refs really suck, or we really didn't show up to play defense. Probably a bit of all three.

A bit of all three. refs were really forgiving him at times but also your D wasn't that good specially inside. Got to give Val the credit of taking advantage of it and sinking 16/18 FTs for a big man thats a pretty nice %.

[hands11]

I need to check some stats...

Is Okafor really a better shooter from outside then Nene ?

Because it sure looks like it.

[Illuminaire]

Just watched the second half. The third quarter enraged me - Wall kept getting teammates open shots, and no one would bloody shoot! GRRRRR.

[sfam]

I need to check some stats...

Is Okafor really a better shooter from outside then Nene ?

Because it sure looks like it.

They really should limit Nene to like 15-18 minutes from here on out. He ends up running on empty after that.

[Severn Hoos]

Webster is fading on all of his jumpers instead of going straight up

Fixed.

[hands11]

http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.html?P ... ode=Totals


http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.html?P ... tsShooting


Wow, Okafor is a good bit better than Nene at outside shooting.

[tontoz]

Looked like they just ran out of gas in the 2nd half, not surprising playing the 3rd game in 4 nights. That's where quality depth really helps and the Wizards don't have it.

[jivelikenice]

Just watched the game on DVR. Thank God I was able to forward through the second half. The refs were absolutely horrible in the third quarter but at this point there's no need to get upset over it. Why was the ball going through Nene in the post so much? Where was the pick & roll w/ Nene getting it in the high post and him having the option to attack the hoop or dish it? Did they not realize that his back to the basket game was just not working? I was also disappointed that Wittman didn't go to Wall/Price earlier & more often. He could have brought wall back earlier in the 2nd Q and gone w/ that in the 4th....

Webster is concerning me. He seems like a good dude and a guy that the players and coaches want around, but I don't know if he's worth the full MLE. If he's not getting open looks in the corner then how much does he actually contribute. He needs to be able to do more off the pump & drive game and he really offers nothing if the ball ends up in his hands and he has to create a shot. Its a tough call but what does he give you that you can't get from a Corey Brewer, Gerald Henderson, or Wesley Johnson?

[Higga]

Wasn't really paying attention to the game(was more focused on the Nats, an actual contender), but no surprise we can't win on the road. If we could even be an average road team next year we'd likely be a top 4 seed in the East.

[penbeast0]

As bad as the Wizards riff-raff are playing, what does it say that Singleton can't get in?

Wittman never goes that deep in his bench. He almost always goes with a 10-man rotation. The only reason Vesely got burn was because Okafor and Seraphin each had 4 fouls and Nene had 3. There's no reason for Singleton to play just because Vesely did.

But as bad as Webster has been, wouldn't it make sense to try Singleton?

Have they played SIngleton at 3 at all this year? I haven't seen as many games but I don't think I've seen him playing wing at all. Seems like they decided this year he was a stretch 4 and have stuck to that after trying him at the 3 most of last year.

[Jay81]

great loss

[B-easy]

Looks like that was a pretty bad game from wall. He doesn't have many of those these days.

20/5/5 on 17 shots.

[Illuminaire]

Looks like that was a pretty bad game from wall. He doesn't have many of those these days.

20/5/5 on 17 shots.

It wasn't actually bad. The stat line doesn't really capture how well he penetrated and kicked to wide open shooters who pump faked, jab stepped, and then turned the ball over about seventeen hundred times. I exaggerate, sort of.

He took several end of the clock shots after plays broke down as well; while his jumper was off, he was doing a good job penetrating and collecting fouls. Without those desperation heaves meant to bail out the team, his percentages would look a lot nicer.

It wasn't a great game from Wall, but I think he actually player pretty well. The team was short-handed and tired though, and he didn't have his shot going, so he couldn't carry them.

[montestewart]

Looks like that was a pretty bad game from wall. He doesn't have many of those these days.

20/5/5 on 17 shots.

I wouldn't say he had a good game, but so many shots not dropping and clear looks passed up give a distorted view. He was finding his guys much of the night but it didn't lead to conversions, and his shot wasn't dropping either. He might have been forcing a bit, trying to make something happen. Change takes time.

As others have already said, they might as well shut Nene and Webster down for the year, the better to have them healthy next year. (Though they both could be with other teams by then.)

Okafor/Seraphin/Collins (time to start getting our money's worth)
Booker/Seraphin/Vesely (Last Chance Jance)
Ariza/Singleton (see a little more of him back at SF)
Temple/Martin (backup SG minutes to audition for his next gig)
Wall/Price

That lineup could probably crawl to the finish line.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Booker, Vesely, and Seraphin combined for 9 fouls in 29 minutes and made a combined 1 of 4 from the field. They are an amazingly inept group of backup bigs.

The best thing the Wizards can do is keep the tank rolling the rest of the season with those three and Chris Singleton.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Looks like that was a pretty bad game from wall. He doesn't have many of those these days.

20/5/5 on 17 shots.

It wasn't actually bad. The stat line doesn't really capture how well he penetrated and kicked to wide open shooters who pump faked, jab stepped, and then turned the ball over about seventeen hundred times. I exaggerate, sort of.

He took several end of the clock shots after plays broke down as well; while his jumper was off, he was doing a good job penetrating and collecting fouls. Without those desperation heaves meant to bail out the team, his percentages would look a lot nicer.

It wasn't a great game from Wall, but I think he actually player pretty well. The team was short-handed and tired though, and he didn't have his shot going, so he couldn't carry them.

I am happy with this season. Wall still got 10 FTs. The first 2 and 1/2 seasons, Wall routinely got 5, 6 or at most 7 FTs. Before this past game Wall had shot 70 FTs in 5 games. He was being awarded 14 FTs a game. Just from more FTAs, Wall was scoring about 6 more points a game. On top of that his turnovers have been down. So, I'm not worried about bad shooting nights here and there from Wall.

I also am cool with Washington losing. Let Toronto squeeze back ahead. Detroit and Minny and those other teams need to get hot and win. I've seen enough from the Wizards to be somewhat encouraged. Wall is better than he was even with poor shooting nights. If he's not that much better the referees are sure showing John Wall love.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Looks like that was a pretty bad game from wall. He doesn't have many of those these days.

20/5/5 on 17 shots.

I wouldn't say he had a good game, but so many shots not dropping and clear looks passed up give a distorted view. He was finding his guys much of the night but it didn't lead to conversions, and his shot wasn't dropping either. He might have been forcing a bit, trying to make something happen. Change takes time.

As others have already said, they might as well shut Nene and Webster down for the year, the better to have them healthy next year. (Though they both could be with other teams by then.)

Okafor/Seraphin/Collins (time to start getting our money's worth)
Booker/Seraphin/Vesely (Last Chance Jance)
Ariza/Singleton (see a little more of him back at SF)
Temple/Martin (backup SG minutes to audition for his next gig)
Wall/Price

That lineup could probably crawl to the finish line.

I want to see a lineup with Collins, Vesely, Singleton, Temple, and Price out there for a few series in crunch time.

[Jay81]

I think its time to shut down Wall too. Let him rest that knee. We know he can play and be potentially great. No reason to add stress to a knee that is problematic

shut down wall,nene and webster

[jivelikenice]

^Why? As long as there's no discomfort in the knee I want to see Wall out there and have him continue to play at this level he's played at over the last month. He's not a finished product & he needs the work. It will be good to see how he adjusts to teams who are now focused on stopping him from scoring.

[tontoz]

^Why? As long as there's no discomfort in the knee I want to see Wall out there and have him continue to play at this level he's played at over the last month. He's not a finished product & he needs the work. It will be good to see how he adjusts to teams who are now focused on stopping him from scoring.

Lately teams definitely aren't giving him as much space on his jumper. Last game he was off but he did make a few nice floaters.