What do you guys think about Chuck defending the Wizards?

[nate33]

Even if they are a higher seed, I still wouldn't go as far as saying they should
win a playoff series. Hopefully they'll make it, play well and win a round.
But I still wouldn't say should.

Throwing out Indy and Miami, who SHOULD be favored over the wizards in a series?

Toronto if they don't trade Lowry or Amir Johnson.

Brooklyn if Deron Williams is healthy. They are actually better at C with Garnett than they would have been with Lopez. Garnett is still a rock solid low post defender.

Atlanta is a pick'em to me. We have better talent but I'd give a significant edge in coaching to Atlanta and our bigs would have trouble matching up with their bigs on the perimeter. We should win, but it wouldn't shock me if Atlanta did.

Chicago scares me because of three things. I'd expect Noah to run circles around Gortat and Wall can't really guard smallish, quick PGs like Augustin. And the difference in coaching acumen is night and day. Washington has far more talent but Chicago is better prepared, more experienced and lives off mistake prone teams.

I'd feel confident about facing either NY, Charlotte or Cleveland. NY doesn't have the low post defense. Charlotte is just as green as we would be with less talent and Cleveland is still a mess of situation that I don't quite trust to work itself out.

I'm not too worried about Chicago. They're going to be run down by the time the playoffs roll around. Also, I think coaching is less of a factor in the playoffs. A good coach will come up with good schemes and rapid adjustments that may make a difference in a one or two-game series, but once you get to Game 3 or so, everybody knows everything about the opposition and it really just boils down to talent. The Bulls, without Rose and Deng, simply don't have much talent. I don't think they'll be able to score enough points to beat us.

I think the same analysis holds true with Atlanta. They are well coached, but ultimately don't have much talent as long as Horford is out.

I fear Toronto. We just can't seem to beat them.

Brooklyn is tough to figure out. As a veteran team, you would think that they'll do well in the playoffs. The game slows down and there are no back-to-backs. On the other hand, all those nagging injuries of the regular season are likely to weigh heavy on them by season's end. We also seem to match up pretty well with them.

[Brenice]

Jersey is too old and fragile. Toronto is close, but they are too young, IMO. The Wiz should be favored. All Chuck is saying is the Wizards are the 3rd best team in the east. I agree and had that opinion before Chuck said it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Wow. I agree with all of those, Dat.

Williams is hurting, and this is why they're better with Shaun Livingston at the moment. The Nets are better as you said with KG at C. Kirilenko helps them. Plumlee really helps, even more than KG. Teletovic is a beast scorer. IMO they should trade Brook Lopez in the offseason. Dude is overrated IMO.

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[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Jersey is too old and fragile. Toronto is close, but they are too young, IMO. The Wiz should be favored. All Chuck is saying is the Wizards are the 3rd best team in the east. I agree and had that opinion before Chuck said it.

Kidd started winning when Plumlee started getting minutes. Kirilenko with Garnett improved the defense. Getting the ball out of Deron Williams' hands and more on Joe Johnson helps.

The Nets ARE real slow guarding the perimeter and especially defending fast breaks. But I think by playoff time they will do better in halfcourt.

The Knicks and the Nets are peculiar teams. Either can win on a given night but both are dogs.

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[Dat2U]

Wow. I agree with all of those, Dat.

Williams is hurting, and this is why they're better with Shaun Livingston at the moment. The Nets are better as you said with KG at C. Kirilenko helps them. Plumlee really helps, even more than KG. Teletovic is a beast scorer. IMO they should trade Brook Lopez in the offseason. Dude is overrated IMO.

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Well I kinda of compare Lopez to Cousins.

Of course, Cousins is an incredible rebounder, much much better than Lopez.

But defensively, both guys are "meh". Lopez just offers very little deterrent in the paint. Cousins seems about two steps late on everything if he even recognizes he's supposed to rotate over. A poor defender at the C position usually means .500 or a losing record in most cases, defense at the 5 position is probably the biggest determining factor in terms of overall success.

The last so-so defender at the C spot to win a title was Shaq with the Heat... and that was with Pat Riley using every trick in the book to hide him on pick & rolls while Shaq was every bit as dominate as always offensively.

[Illmatic21]

Toronto would most certainly be favored over Washington in a series. Flat out better on both sides of the ball.

They're 6th in defense and 11th in offense. We're 11th in defense and 21st in offense.

[TrosstheBOSS]

Charles Barkley is a bandwagon guy he jumps on and jumps off all the time.

[dobrojim]

Jersey is too old and fragile. Toronto is close, but they are too young, IMO. The Wiz should be favored. All Chuck is saying is the Wizards are the 3rd best team in the east. I agree and had that opinion before Chuck said it.

I'll note that while my memory at this advanced age can be suspect at times, I don't
remember Chuck saying we WERE the 3rd best in the east. The way I remember it
is more like we could be...that's not nearly the same as saying we are. Lots could
happen and it's too close to say. Heck, it might stay this close to Fools day or later.

[Brenice]

Jersey is too old and fragile. Toronto is close, but they are too young, IMO. The Wiz should be favored. All Chuck is saying is the Wizards are the 3rd best team in the east. I agree and had that opinion before Chuck said it.

I'll note that while my memory at this advanced age can be suspect at times, I don't
remember Chuck saying we WERE the 3rd best in the east. The way I remember it
is more like we could be...that's not nearly the same as saying we are. Lots could
happen and it's too close to say. Heck, it might stay this close to Fools day or later.

What he said is that by the end of the season, he expects the wiz to have the third seed.

[stealthmode]

wizards are a playoff team but no way they dethrone the raptors for the 3rd seed.

[Nivek]

To this point in the season, the Wizards are 5th best in the East (using a combination of scoring differential and strength of schedule). They'd be 11th in the West.

[tontoz]

The only way the Wiz are catching the raps is if they trade Lowry or get hit hard with injuries.

[mohammed10]

wizards are a playoff team but no way they dethrone the raptors for the 3rd seed.

Currently sitting as a #6 seed and only 3 games ahead of Detroit as being last team out. Let's not get to comfy with the fact that the Wizards 'are a playoff team' just yet.

There's still plenty of work to do...

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Wow. I agree with all of those, Dat.

Williams is hurting, and this is why they're better with Shaun Livingston at the moment. The Nets are better as you said with KG at C. Kirilenko helps them. Plumlee really helps, even more than KG. Teletovic is a beast scorer. IMO they should trade Brook Lopez in the offseason. Dude is overrated IMO.

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Well I kinda of compare Lopez to Cousins.

Of course, Cousins is an incredible rebounder, much much better than Lopez.

But defensively, both guys are "meh". Lopez just offers very little deterrent in the paint. Cousins seems about two steps late on everything if he even recognizes he's supposed to rotate over. A poor defender at the C position usually means .500 or a losing record in most cases, defense at the 5 position is probably the biggest determining factor in terms of overall success.

The last so-so defender at the C spot to win a title was Shaq with the Heat... and that was with Pat Riley using every trick in the book to hide him on pick & rolls while Shaq was every bit as dominate as always offensively.

Okay, we have common ground. Yeah Dat, Brook is IMO defensively like Cousins. I agree neither dude is a good defender at C.

Boogie is nasty in most match ups. I see him as very similar to Zach Randolph. In time, I think Cousins on a great team will be like Randolph as a playoff stud was for Memphis.

He's going to need a Larry Sanders.

Maybe a healthy Javale McGee, as porous a defender as he is would be good next to Cousins. Run, dunk, block from weak side is all McGee would need. Boogie is a superb passer. Pam would protect Javale. .

I am waiting to see McGee paired with a guy like Love or Cousins. Dominant rebounding, excellent outlet and big-to-big passes, leader paired with follower--I predict symbiosis would follow. Like yin and yang, I think chemistry being good and roles being Barney - simple breeds cohesion.

Javale with Love or Cousins seems would be balanced.

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[nate33]

A poor defender at the C position usually means .500 or a losing record in most cases, defense at the 5 position is probably the biggest determining factor in terms of overall success.

Learn it. Love it. Live it. You don't win without a defensive deterrent at the 5. End of story.

It's why we have to find a way to trade for Asik or Sanders.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

wizards are a playoff team but no way they dethrone the raptors for the 3rd seed.

Currently sitting as a #6 seed and only 3 games ahead of Detroit as being last team out. Let's not get to comfy with the fact that the Wizards 'are a playoff team' just yet.

There's still plenty of work to do...

I am very comfortable with the Wizards falling apart and missing the playoffs. After all, the Wizards would be better off without Ernie Grunfeld as GM. They could have a good chance to draft someone like McDermott or Tyler Ennis or Noah Vonleh by virtue of keeping their draft pick.

Missing the playoffs might be for the best. TeachTed Leonsis how falling just short of mediocre and messing up in personnel decisions is not going anywhere unless EG gets some sort of job change and a better GM moves in.

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[Higga]

I'm no Ted fan either, and I can't stand Wittman(aka Witless). But I can't stomach another year in the lottery. Even if it's only one and done in the playoffs, we need to start winning at some point. Our young guys need playoff experience, and we need to show the Durants of the world that we're one central piece away from being a legit contender. Another year in the lottery doesn't help, and besides I don't think Wiggins/Parker will be all that to be honest. This is no 03 draft class.

[dobrojim]

well after last night it's pretty clear that right now, we're not 3rd best.
And if we finish 6th and face TOR, it would be hard to argue that we
'should' win that series. They're just flat our better than us.

[Zonkerbl]

Yes. Gortat.

Another thing is that Barkley, as well as most fans in general, tend to assume that youngsters develop faster than they really do, and that older players decline slower than they really do. So Barkley is projecting Beal to be in his prime in just a year or two (when it is likely to take more like 4 years) and he is assuming that the Nene will be just as good in 2 years as he is right now (which is unlikely).

Aw man, I thought a trade had happened that I didn't know about...

[Zonkerbl]

Why can't Barkley be a straight shooter who tells it like it is? At the time he was saying we sucked, WAS HE WRONG?

Now that he says Wall and Beal are playing well and we have a good shot at the #3 seed, IS HE WRONG?

If anything, I would criticize him for just blurting at the patently obvious.