GT: Nuggets @ Wizards (12/9/13)

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I noticed that Phil and Buck were praising Rice's defense last night (saying he's always in good position). Is this legit? You never know whether they're toeing the party line, or making legitmate observations. (Case in point: at one point, Buck mentioned that Maynor had "perfected" the tear-drop runner, which ... well, is bull.) So, for those who notice such things, is Rice really that good a defender? It's hard to tell on TV. Because if he is, that's a reason for optimism (as it speaks to his having a high bball IQ).

Double post

[AFM]

I noticed that Phil and Buck were praising Rice's defense last night (saying he's always in good position). Is this legit? You never know whether they're toeing the party line, or making legitmate observations. (Case in point: at one point, Buck mentioned that Maynor had "perfected" the tear-drop runner, which ... well, is bull.) So, for those who notice such things, is Rice really that good a defender? It's hard to tell on TV. Because if he is, that's a reason for optimism (as it speaks to his having a high bball IQ).

GR Jr looked very, very good on defense and looks like he can guard two positions (and pg if there is a switch)

Moves his feet really well and does some very savvy things, like crowding a pump faking jump shooter without fouling.

I don't have really high expectations on the offensive end. Seems to lack explosion, shot is kind of flat.

But hey, if the guy can guard and can hit the broad side of a barn, he's better than any of our other scrubs

Definitely does not lack explosion. His shot has been disappointing though

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLK4t9Q_sxk[/youtube]

[barelyawake]

John Wall ‏@John_Wall 9h
I gotta do better at end of games and make big plays....#wizplayoffs !!

This is why I luv Wall. Always takes it on his shoulders and why I always will try him to reslove the problem

I love that tweet. And I'm starting to love Wall as well.

[awolfinwater]

I noticed that Phil and Buck were praising Rice's defense last night (saying he's always in good position). Is this legit? You never know whether they're toeing the party line, or making legitmate observations. (Case in point: at one point, Buck mentioned that Maynor had "perfected" the tear-drop runner, which ... well, is bull.) So, for those who notice such things, is Rice really that good a defender? It's hard to tell on TV. Because if he is, that's a reason for optimism (as it speaks to his having a high bball IQ).

GR Jr looked very, very good on defense and looks like he can guard two positions (and pg if there is a switch)

Moves his feet really well and does some very savvy things, like crowding a pump faking jump shooter without fouling.

I don't have really high expectations on the offensive end. Seems to lack explosion, shot is kind of flat.

But hey, if the guy can guard and can hit the broad side of a barn, he's better than any of our other scrubs

Definitely does not lack explosion. His shot has been disappointing though

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLK4t9Q_sxk[/youtube]

He look tentative out there on the offensive end when we ran plays for him. Just didn't have the confidence that his shot was going to fall. You could tell he was out of rhythm on his first three spot up shots that the wiz ran for him. Although, he looked smooth on his one made 3. Gives me hope he'll increase his shooting percentage with more confidence. I thought all of his shots were "good shots" in last nights game.

I was really impressed with GRJR on the defensive end. Really quick feet and fast on rotations. I can really see him getting more extended time in the near future. Needs to work on fighting overtop on screens, looks like Denver was having fun setting the pick and roll on him.

[Illmatic21]

John Wall ‏@John_Wall 9h
I gotta do better at end of games and make big plays....#wizplayoffs !!

This is why I luv Wall. Always takes it on his shoulders and that why I always will trust him to reslove the problem

Agreed, that's why I posted it. For a young professional athlete, Wall is refreshingly self-aware.

I hate to bring it up right now, but just compare him to someone like RG3 who refuses to admit any of his faults.

Every time I've criticized Wall for some aspect of his game, I've either heard him mention in postgame or read an interview of him saying himself that he needs to work on that exact thing. His knowledge of the game is far beyond what we actually see on the court (and many people who've been around him have testified to that). He just needs to put in the necessary training for his skill level to catch up.

[hands11]

I noticed that Phil and Buck were praising Rice's defense last night (saying he's always in good position). Is this legit? You never know whether they're toeing the party line, or making legitmate observations. (Case in point: at one point, Buck mentioned that Maynor had "perfected" the tear-drop runner, which ... well, is bull.) So, for those who notice such things, is Rice really that good a defender? It's hard to tell on TV. Because if he is, that's a reason for optimism (as it speaks to his having a high bball IQ).

He has played really good defense. He is active. Doesn't jump on fakes. Jumped the lane great on that late game steal.

He is good. Looks to be Trevor A level good. He had 3 steals last night.

Why Randy iced him after having such a good preseason is just Randy being Randy again. Coaching just for today. Gotta play the bench vets. The 2nd unit really needs a player like Glen who can play both sides of the game and plays with confidence.

He needs minutes so he can get his offense going. The guy put up a bunch of points in the DL. And he can drive. Made a real nice one last night. Did is all preseason and even late in games when other get tight.

[hands11]

I awoke this morning realizing that this whole process is good for John Wall's development. It's good that he has to play exorbitant minutes. It's good that he has to play gassed. And it's good that he learns to finish while exhausted. Because if he learns this now, he will develop the character needed to take the next step. I'm hoping he does.

It still will mean, however, that we will need a superstar here to pair with Wall and Beal (to win a championship). And I hope management continues to understand that. And that's healthy for them to know as well.

A bench of Marco/Rice/Webster woulda been very good for us.

Right. What star PG is going to get you a title without another star out there. And that player is usually a bigger then the star PG.

Westbrook needs KG. They haven't got there yet, but can. Remove KD and they go no where.
Portland has LaMarcus Aldridge
Parker needs Duncan
Lakers had Kobe
Dallas had Dirk
Miami had LeBron, Wade, Bosh
Chicago had MJ had Pippen
Rondo had PP and KG

Actually, I'm not really a fan of a max PG because you really need a star that's a SG or SF or PF to win a title. PGs and Cs are important, but without a star at these other positions, you don't win it all.

CP3 isn't winning a title unless B Griffin is the legit stud of that team.

KD, George, LeBron, LA ... those are the players that are going to be winning titles. SA might still be able to pull it off milking Duncan.

Its just a lot harder to build a team with a player like the above while you are laying your PG a butt ton.

Beal would have to develop sick handles for this current Wizards to get there. Other then that, you really do need a player like Melo. Wall, Beal, Melo would be a tough combination. But both Wall and Melo would have to step their games back some. Like Miami had to do with their players. And even then, Beal would have to step up his dribble drive in a huge way and probably be the go to player for it to work.

On their current path, Wizards can or have a team that can get past a playoff series. But they are not getting farther with the current design. And its not Wall that is the key. Its Beal. And they need a much better SF or stud PF to go with him. Trevor A and Webster are great compliment pieces that would fit on a title team. But neither is the starting SF with a top tier SG or PF out there.

Pistons did it with Isaiah and Dumars as their star players. Thats a 1 2 combo that won not one, but two championships for Detroit.


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Right. Everyone is well aware of DET. They had a one two combo of scoring guards that could both handled the ball well. They also had the defensive player of the year at center. And R Wallace at PF. And Prince who could handle the ball. They had good players at every position. And they played under a totally different set of rules then today.

They didn't have CP3 max player at PG, a SG with no handles, SFs with no handles, a PF with no handles.

There are vastly more example designed the way I laid it out.

[hands11]

John Wall ‏@John_Wall 9h
I gotta do better at end of games and make big plays....#wizplayoffs !!

This is why I luv Wall. Always takes it on his shoulders and why I always will try him to reslove the problem

I love that tweet. And I'm starting to love Wall as well.

He just need to play smarter down the stretch. More balanced. Get player to bit on a fake. Wall never fakes. And please stop shooting early in the clock under 4 minutes. He did it again last night.

Why is that so hard for him to understand ?

[gesa2]

Right. Everyone is well aware of DET. They had a one two combo of scoring guards that could both handled the ball well. They also had the defensive player of the year at center. And R Wallace at PF. And Prince who could handle the ball. They had good players at every position. And they played under a totally different set of rules then today.

They didn't have CP3 max player at PG, a SG with no handles, SFs with no handles, a PF with no handles.

There are vastly more example designed the way I laid it out.

Wrong Detroit team Hands. And you're also forgetting this guy named Magic...

[dlts20]

This is why I luv Wall. Always takes it on his shoulders and why I always will try him to reslove the problem

I love that tweet. And I'm starting to love Wall as well.

He just need to play smarter down the stretch. More balanced. Get player to bit on a fake. Wall never fakes. And please stop shooting early in the clock under 4 minutes. He did it again last night.

Why is that so hard for him to understand ?

IDK, Im kinda 50/50 on that. Its always best to run the clock down but Wall is terrible at it. He ususally runs it down and then has nothing to do but settle for a long off balance 2 pointer. I rather him get the best shot he can, even if that means going earlier. .Also, 4min is still alot of time. Our lead wasnt so big that we could play not to lose at that point or just run the clock down every play. 2min is alot different than 4.

All in all, the best case is he just gets better at it period and then he can always run the clock down

[awolfinwater]

[\

He just need to play smarter down the stretch. More balanced. Get player to bit on a fake. Wall never fakes. And please stop shooting early in the clock under 4 minutes. He did it again last night.

Why is that so hard for him to understand ?

IDK, Im kinda 50/50 on that. Its always best to run the clock down but Wall is terrible at it. He ususally runs it down and then has nothing to do but settle for a long off balance 2 pointer. I rather him get the best shot he can, even if that means going earlier. .Also, 4min is still alot of time. Our lead wasnt so big that we could play not to lose at that point or just run the clock down every play. 2min is alot different than 4.

All in all, the best case is he just gets better at it period and then he can always run the clock down

I side with dlts20 on this one. I prefer to just run our offense and look for a good shot. I'm not a fan of John Wall waiting till 5 seconds left and making a move off a high pick. Has not produced great results.

Less than 2 minutes and up by two possessions? Okay, then feel free to milk that clock and hit an 18-footer.

[barelyawake]

I'm so sick of hearing about Detriot. For us to be Detriot, we'd need Ibaka, Cousins (or Hibbart) and have Porter develop into an Allstar.

Stop using Detriot as some excuse to have hope in a team that has no chance to reach the finals. Such thinking actually prolongs moment when we, collectively, protest management until we get a superstar.

[mhd]

Phil, while always being polite and not one to critisize, has been pretty down on Maynor this year. Heck, even the eternal optimist Glenn Consor has been "down" on Maynor (which means that he's suprised that he's played so poorly).

[dlts20]

You could tell that Phil & Glenn were holding back all year and giving him chance after chance. They just knew he would improve. I mean, he had to. Its impossible to get worst. Sure enough though, he has gotten even worse then when he staarted and that was already horrible.

I actually feel bad for him though. He has that older/serious face so he looks like he's a grown man that can take it all but if you stare at him long enough, he actually starts to look like a young inexperinced guy who is trying to figure it out and is feeling like he's letting everyone down. Makes me want to root for him. He's actually the 1st one to cheer on the sidelines alot of times and the 1st one to jump up and run on teh floor after the opposing team calls a TO because we just went on a mini run. I like that. He's being a good teammate and I can tell everyone wants him to do well.

I think he just needs to let loose. I feel like he's holding himself back. Just say "F It" and go out there and ball. You suck without that anyways so you might as well just go for it. Its like a boxer who is just being content with losing as long as he goes the distance. He's scared to take the risk to go all out because he may get KO but Maynor is about to get KO anyways. Porter is already back and will have his legs in a couple of weeks. We will also have Beal & Webster back. Witt still likes Temple some and Rice played solid D last game. If Maynor doesnt take it now, he wont get any more chances anytime soon

[dangermouse]

I think Rice showed he can be Beal's backup when Beal and Webbo return so we dont have to play them both 36 mins+ per game.

Hopefully that means more Temple at PG, and absolutely no Eric Maynor.

[pancakes3]

I think he just needs to let loose. I feel like he's holding himself back. Just say "F It" and go out there and ball. You suck without that anyways so you might as well just go for it. Its like a boxer who is just being content with losing as long as he goes the distance. He's scared to take the risk to go all out because he may get KO but Maynor is about to get KO anyways. Porter is already back and will have his legs in a couple of weeks. We will also have Beal & Webster back. Witt still likes Temple some and Rice played solid D last game. If Maynor doesnt take it now, he wont get any more chances anytime soon

This is funny because it's pretty much the opposite advice that people were giving Crawford. Also, I just realized that in the summer, most of us had bought in that Maynor is a backup pg by merit of what he did for a brief period in limited minutes for OKC but if we dial it back to his VCU days, he was definitely a combo guard much like Jordan (but better).

I agree. Why not give MAYNOR the green light on offense on the 2nd unit rather than forcing him to be a set-up man? He's got the scoring instincts for sure.

[Dat2U]

Also, I just realized that in the summer, most of us had bought in that Maynor is a backup pg by merit of what he did for a brief period in limited minutes for OKC but if we dial it back to his VCU days, he was definitely a combo guard much like Jordan (but better).

I agree. Why not give MAYNOR the green light on offense on the 2nd unit rather than forcing him to be a set-up man? He's got the scoring instincts for sure.

Not a comparable situation. Maynor doesn't have the raw talent and Maynor was never a good backup PG, even in OKC. I don't think most people bought the idea of Maynor being a decent backup though. Your right in that Maynor's advanced numbers & assist rate read more like a combo guard looking throughout his career. He was never really a true PG and the assertions that he was one where so far off it makes me wonder if people had ever seen him play in OKC or Portland.

[dobrojim]

haven't read the game thread but noticed Faried sat out a lot of the game.

I would have expected him to play bigger minutes.

[wizardry]

Maynor wasnt even in the game when we lost a 12 pt. Lead. And couldnt score in the last 3-5 minutes. You guys are funny

[montestewart]

Maynor wasnt even in the game when we lost a 12 pt. Lead. And couldnt score in the last 3-5 minutes. You guys are funny

This team has a lot of needs and definitely lacks a clutch/closer element. They are in need of upgrades up and down the roster, but especially among the bench/reserves, a most disappointing group. The thing about that disappointing group of reserves is that, with the exception of Singleton, they all have had spans where flashes of something was shown, something that indicated they might just contribute something someday. They have had those flashes mostly playing with fellow reserves, and playing with PGs like Pargo, Price, Mack, etc. Price and Mack had those flashes too. Maynor, no flash. If they all suck so bad, how did they occasionally show something with each other, but he can't show nothing with nobody? In a vacuum, Maynor sucks.