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

jivelikenice · Post #161 » by **jivelikenice** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:01 pm

You're right. You can definitely tell they're trying to anticipate him setting up for that pull up mid range jumper. He adjusted slightlly yesterday and went with the floater more often. This is good experience for him. He's figuring out when he has to be a pg, and when he has to flip the switch and go into scoring mode.

Nivek · Post #162 » by **Nivek** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:15 pm

Tank when the Wizards are within reach of that all important 9th place finish?

jivelikenice · Post #163 » by **jivelikenice** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:23 pm

Haha...The 9th place thing is laughable from the outside but can you really slam a HC for trying to get his team to compete all the way through the 82 game schedule? I mean would you rather be Cleveland and totally be tanking? Is anything positive coming out of the situation they're in? Their goal should be to finish the season strong and the results are what they are. Its easy to poke fun at, but they're doing their job and unfortunately that's not very common in the NBA. This is also dissimlar to last years worthless 6 game win streak to end the season. They've been playing at a consistent level for 3 months now, they've figured out how to win at home consistently, and Wall is living up to his potential. The end of this season has been a lot more positive than any season in recent memory and does build optimism for the future if you could keep the backcourt healhty.

Edit...My concern is Ernie gets too carried away with their success w/ Wall and refuses to make a necessary signature move to get a young core piece in the front court.

tontoz · Post #164 » by **tontoz** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:24 pm

Nivek wrote:Tank when the Wizards are within reach of that all important 9th place finish?

Not to mention that magical 30 win mark. I hear they are already making plans for a parade just in case.

Nivek · Post #165 » by **Nivek** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:49 pm

jivelikenice wrote:Haha...The 9th place thing is laughable from the outside but can you really slam a HC for trying to get his team to compete all the way through the 82 game schedule? I mean would you rather be Cleveland and totally be tanking? Is anything positive coming out of the situation they're in? Their goal should be to finish the season strong and the results are what they are. Its easy to poke fun at, but they're doing their job and unfortunately that's not very common in the NBA. This is also dissimlar to last years worthless 6 game win streak to end the season. They've been playing at a consistent level for 3 months now, they've figured out how to win at home consistently, and Wall is living up to his potential. The end of this season has been a lot more positive than any season in recent memory and does build optimism for the future if you could keep the backcourt healhty.

Edit...My concern is Ernie gets too carried away with their success w/ Wall and refuses to make a necessary signature move to get a young core piece in the front court.

I blogged about this a couple days ago. I'm cool with whatever a team wants to do to maintain motivation. If it's pizza parties or hustle charts or trying real hard to reach 9th place -- fine. Whatever works. But don't say it publicly. Just say the team will play hard, try to win every game, and work hard in the offseason to come back and make the playoffs next year.

But 9th place seems like such an "only the Wizards" kind of goal. In a league where 8 teams get the "prize" of competing in the playoffs, the Wizards are left battling hard for 9th.

I know that it's symbolic. I know it's really a reflection that they've played much better after a horrific start. But still. Don't say it publicly. Don't celebrate going from an F- to an F+ -- even if it mean doing B/B- work for a few months.

jivelikenice · Post #166 » by **jivelikenice** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:58 pm

I agree....should have been kept in the lockerroom. I do have to say I prefer this strongly to tanking though and I go back to the Cleveland example. They're a mess...They're getting blown out at home, Kyrie is injured/ taking shots at the coach/ and just not playing well as a facilitator or defender, and the team as a whole seems to have quit on Scott. They actually looked better when Kyrie was out and Dion was the lead player. They''ll pick 4-5 spots ahead of us in all lieklihood but look at all the negative that went along with it. Does anyone really still think Lebron is going to leave Pat Riley and the Heat after next season to go back there? Is a bigtime HC going to take the job based on the hope that LB will join him in a year?

dobrojim · Post #167 » by **dobrojim** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 6:07 pm

Jimmy Recard wrote:Webster is 1 off his last 19 threes. Yikes.

one issue is that I think fewer of them on the whole have been corner 3s

dobrojim · Post #168 » by **dobrojim** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 6:15 pm

nate33 wrote: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.

as brooks robinson used to say on Os broadcasts, it's a combination of factors

Nivek · Post #169 » by **Nivek** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 6:25 pm

The reason Webster has played badly the last few games is that he's hurt. He has a strained abdominal muscle, which can be a nasty injury. He's playing because of that "all-in for 9th place" thing. He really shouldn't be out there.

TGW · Post #170 » by **TGW** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 9:59 pm

Nivek wrote:The reason Webster has played badly the last few games is that he's hurt. He has a strained abdominal muscle, which can be a nasty injury. He's playing because of that "all-in for 9th place" thing. He really shouldn't be out there.

To think they're playing hard for the title of "best team in the Eastern Conference to not make the playoffs" is just really.....sad. :lol:

TheBabyMaker · Post #171 » by **TheBabyMaker** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 11:22 pm

No whats sad is Wizards fans laughing at players that are out there actually trying???

Total crap.

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #172 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Thu Apr 4, 2013 11:36 pm

Nivek wrote:Tank when the Wizards are within reach of that all important 9th place finish?

The Wizards striving for 9th is like striving for 69% when it takes 70 to get a C. You still get D. If you're taking a core college course and there's no way you're going to pull it out you may as well go to the party. Have a good time. Sleep in. You might even do what I did during my (brief) stay at UMCP, and that is to take a test buzzed. Yeah, I thought I had bad nerves and maybe if I wasn't SO nervous I would do better on the engineering exam. I mean, after all, I sure did better at parties and dances when I had a little something.

The result: I actually dozed off during the test, probably drooling on the paper. Not a great idea … Good thing I never became an engineer. Also, I have not touched an alcoholic beverage in at least 2 years, and never was a drinker. That passed. Just wanted to say that I never busted my butt when the goal was out of reach….

The Wizards are striving for just below mediocre and all that is doing is reducing their lottery chances. They need to do what Charlotte did the bulk of this season and that is to tank.

Wall proved his point. Shut him down while he is confident and with a great rep going around the league. Washington should let guys like Singleton, Vesely, Booker, and Seraphin try and have a good time and break through to end the season on a good note. It is much wiser to lose playing those guys and to think about the draft and beyond to next season.

Post #173 » by **nate33** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:04 am

TheBabyMaker wrote:No whats sad is Wizards fans laughing at players that are out there actually trying???

Total crap.

+1

All this complaining about the Wizards going for the 9th seed is annoying. What's wrong with trying to win for pride's sake. I think it's great.

Post #174 » by **nate33** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:05 am

hands11 wrote:http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.html?PlayerID=2731&groupFeedtype=splitsShooting&MeasureType=Base&PerMode=Totals

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

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

Great find, hands11. This is amazing.

hands11 · Post #175 » by **hands11** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:24 am

nate33 wrote:
TheBabyMaker wrote:No whats sad is Wizards fans laughing at players that are out there actually trying???

Total crap.

+1

All this complaining about the Wizards going for the 9th seed is annoying. What's wrong with trying to win for pride's sake. I think it's great.

Like some grumpy old men or petulant children. Whatever shoe fits.

Its really not a big deal. They aren't likely to do it anyway. May as well go down fighting. Anything is better then the second half of that last game. That was awful to watch. I want to at least enjoy the last few games. Let them be competitive and close.

Lots of good team and road games. They will get loses. Nothing to worry about there.

As for them setting a goal. Good. Better then publicly announcing you have given up and have no goals.

hands11 · Post #176 » by **hands11** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:29 am

nate33 wrote:
hands11 wrote:http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.html?PlayerID=2731&groupFeedtype=splitsShooting&MeasureType=Base&PerMode=Totals

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

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

Great find, hands11. This is amazing.

http://stats.nba.com/playerStats.html?PlayerID=202322

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

If you liked that one, look at this one.

Wall has got to do a better job on the road. Its not just him but he is a PG #1 pick.

tontoz · Post #177 » by **tontoz** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:49 am

Since the 08/09 season Nene has shot at least 40% on jumpers outside 10 feet every season except this one. He is shooting 33% this season. I think his shoulder has been a bigger issue than he has let on.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... rder_by=fg

TGW · Post #178 » by **TGW** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 1:49 am

TheBabyMaker wrote:No whats sad is Wizards fans laughing at players that are out there actually trying???

Total crap.

Who's laughing at player for trying? You missed the point altogether. It's fine that their trying to win—what's laughable is the goal they set. It doesn't mean ****. Are they going to hang up a "mission accomplished" banner like George W. if they reach this lofty goal of 9th place in the Eastern Conference? Should they consider the season a success if they do?

They can play hard to win for pride sake—that's fine. But to set this ludicrous "goal" of 9th place is pathetic, if that's actually the case. It's just another indictment of this organization embracing mediocrity. Last season, the team ended on a 6-game win streak, and the FO mistakenly thought that was some sort of breakthrough, which led to a misguided trade for two underwhelming, unwanted veterans. Before that, they traded a lottery pick for Mike Miller because, once again, they thought the team was one piece away.

Whooptie doo if they play hard from here on out...I actually don't care if they win or lose every game from here on out. What I care about is this front office accepting the FACT that the team STINKS. I don't want to hear the whole "on the cusp of making the playoffs" BS during the offseason if they actually do get to 9th place. I don't want to see a lotto pick traded for some unwanted vet because they don't want to waste time with a project. I want to see moves to make this team better for the longrun...whether that means drafting projects, so be it. I cannot stomach another **** season like they had again next year.

hands11 · Post #179 » by **hands11** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 2:11 am

tontoz wrote:Since the 08/09 season Nene has shot at least 40% on jumpers outside 10 feet every season except this one. He is shooting 33% this season. I think his shoulder has been a bigger issue than he has let on.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... rder_by=fg

And yet he shot a lot more of them this year :-?

TheBabyMaker · Post #180 » by **TheBabyMaker** » Fri Apr 5, 2013 2:11 am

TGW wrote:
TheBabyMaker wrote:No whats sad is Wizards fans laughing at players that are out there actually trying???

Total crap.

Who's laughing at player for trying? You missed the point altogether. It's fine that their trying to win—what's laughable is the goal they set. It doesn't mean ****. Are they going to hang up a "mission accomplished" banner like George W. if they reach this lofty goal of 9th place in the Eastern Conference? Should they consider the season a success if they do?

They can play hard to win for pride sake—that's fine. But to set this ludicrous "goal" of 9th place is pathetic, if that's actually the case. It's just another indictment of this organization embracing mediocrity. Last season, the team ended on a 6-game win streak, and the FO mistakenly thought that was some sort of breakthrough, which led to a misguided trade for two underwhelming, unwanted veterans. Before that, they traded a lottery pick for Mike Miller because, once again, they thought the team was one piece away.

Whooptie doo if they play hard from here on out...I actually don't care if they win or lose every game from here on out. What I care about is this front office accepting the FACT that the team STINKS. I don't want to hear the whole "on the cusp of making the playoffs" BS during the offseason if they actually do get to 9th place. I don't want to see a lotto pick traded for some unwanted vet because they don't want to waste time with a project. I want to see moves to make this team better for the longrun...whether that means drafting projects, so be it. I cannot stomach another **** season like they had again next year.

Goal is to win. don't matter if they win another game this year or not but not just lose BS games on porpuse.?? We need to build a winning mentality around this place from the players to the fans. Yes the playoffs is lost has been for a long time but why just quit??? I jus don't get the tanking BS that people advocate around here. :roll:

If you want to lose just do us all a forvor an forfeit the game and just stop wasting peoples times.