GT #50: Wizards @ Hawks 7:30 PM (CSN/99.1 FM) [2/4/15]

[Illmatic12]

Btw, the Nets just torched the Raps and Hollins said they beat them by playing 4 guards. 2 of them are really sf's but the point is the same. Even Raps fans were saying that teams have figured out to beat them by playing small. However there is one dimwitt who hasn't figured it out

Of the Bulls, Raptors and Wizards all of whom have been losing lately you guys should feel the best. The Raptors board is melting down because we recognize the team has a horrible style of play on offense by chucking as much as any team in the league which combined with poor defensive effort basically makes them a house of cards. Lowry the last 3 weeks is the worst he's ever played in a Raptor uniform and Derozan has been not close to a star this season. It's not a talented enough team to survive playing like a bunch of dumbasses while Lowry plays like Michael Carter-Williams. As for the Bulls LOL well something's obviously up there. Right now things can hardly look better for Cleveland but I'd say Washington is top 3

I told Raptors fans that Lou Williams was not a player to be trusted, got flamed off your board for being a 'hater' even though I have been complimentary of the players on your team who I like, like Lowry, Amir Johnson, Patrick Patterson, and I know he's not playing well right now but Vasquez is one of my favorite college players of all time.


Check Lou Williams playoff stats on bball ref or ESPN.. he's never played well in any meaningful game and will try to shoot you guys out of the playoffs. Some players aren't necessarily team cancers in terms of choking the coach or anything, but their style of play is cancerous. I have always felt that Lou Williams, though he can get hot and win you some regular season games, his playing style imo is cancerous. He's basically just a smarter JR Smith (smarter at staying out of trouble off the court). However he can be great in a limited role, but imo the Raptors need to shrink down his role because right now he has too much freedom to take bad shots.

Also Lowry mostly just needs to lose a few pounds, when I saw him the other day I was like my goodness.. if he wants to extend his career he can't be playing at that weight. If he loses weight he will have better conditioning to go hard the entire season.

[tontoz]

I bought Wall's alt jersey after the game last night. Hopefully i didn't jinx him.

[FAH1223]

Btw, the Nets just torched the Raps and Hollins said they beat them by playing 4 guards. 2 of them are really sf's but the point is the same. Even Raps fans were saying that teams have figured out to beat them by playing small. However there is one dimwitt who hasn't figured it out

Of the Bulls, Raptors and Wizards all of whom have been losing lately you guys should feel the best. The Raptors board is melting down because we recognize the team has a horrible style of play on offense by chucking as much as any team in the league which combined with poor defensive effort basically makes them a house of cards. Lowry the last 3 weeks is the worst he's ever played in a Raptor uniform and Derozan has been not close to a star this season. It's not a talented enough team to survive playing like a bunch of dumbasses while Lowry plays like Michael Carter-Williams. As for the Bulls LOL well something's obviously up there. Right now things can hardly look better for Cleveland but I'd say Washington is top 3

Raps play a much better efficient style of offense

[dckingsfan]

We can't rely on Webster contributing this season.

Word - and more defensively than offensively. He just can't stay with anyone right now.

[Dat2U]

Yeah, not sure what Webster has shown to conclude he was the savior for this game. He made a 3 pointer. So what. He also made a horrible TO as soon as he was inserted in the game with about 2 minutes left.

I recall when we were playing well that someone came up with some stats showing that we were really only playing like a 45-47 team. I think we are just now realizing that stats don't lie. This is a decent but not great team. We played an elite team tonight and they took care of business like elite teams do.

Really

Are people really that short sighted. Dude was injured and had back surgery so he wasn't playing all summer... AT ALL.

If you can't see how he is getting back into game level grove then I can't help you. Webster is just as good as he always was.

And once he started getting closer to being back, he smacked knees really bad a few games ago.

2013 1.8-4.3 .422
2014 1.9-4.8 .392

I have ZERO doubt he can still do that. NONE. ZIP

And we didn't need a savior. We were in it. We needed someone better then 1-7 in 20 mins and 1-5 in 25 mins

Given Websters history of production on this team and that he was already 1-1 from 3, yeah. I think he could have likely given them the little extra they need to get over the hump.

Odds are way more in my favor that I am right then they are that you are.

You realize back injuries are pretty serious don't you? Guys with his type of injury don't usually get back to a point where they are as 'good as always'. It's why many including myself were against re-signing him in the first place, because he's had a history of back ailments and those tend to be career changing injuries.

It's also interesting to see you have less patience for Otto than you did for Jan "future emotional leader of the Wizards" Vesely.

[TGW]

Webster is finished. Horrible resigning...

[queridiculo]

It all goes back to who is running the basketball operations for this franchise.

Ernie once again struck out on a MLE deal, and then compounded his mistake by adding a glut of small forwards to the roster while ignoring areas of obvious needs such as backcourt and frontcourt depth.

I'm not a fan of Randy Wittman. He's pigheaded, and stuck in his old ways, but i's not his fault that the Wizards are paying $13.5 million to Seraphin, Miller, and Webster, three guys Washington needs to count on for production from the bench.

You could add Porter to that list, but as a second year player it's probably a bit too soon to declare him a bust. He does some good things out there, but it'd be nice to get some more consistent production from a player that was picked third over all.

As it stands, the Wizards starters have no margin for error.

Washington got away with it earlier this year, but it seems like it's finally starting to catch up with them and I don't really see how Washington can get back on track.

I absolutely hate that the architect of this 'rebuild' is still around, but being mad at Grunfeld seems kind of pointless, he should have gotten his walking papers following the dismissal of Flip Saunders.

Leonsis had a golden opportunity to make a clean cut, but let himself get swept up in last years success, and the Wizards will continue to be mediocre for the foreseeable future as a result.

Season ticket sales are bound to go up though, am I right?

[Dat2U]

The rebuild is finished. We are what we are. Were an old & decrepit team with the exception of:
> John Wall who is literally carrying us despite playing in a system & lineup that doesn't really suit his strengths
> 21 yr old at SG that's not ready for prime time (nothing wrong with that except were trying to go all in with the current roster)
> another 21 yr old SF that were not willing to roll the dice with and let him get comfortable.

The fact is Nene & Pierce are our 2nd & 3rd best players right now and neither is consistent or capable of playing more than 30 minutes a night anymore. That means we MUST have a quality bench to offset our part-time starters... but we don't so the whole contender thing is laughable.

Phoenix is the 8th seed in the West... in no way shape or form is a contender but has the far younger and more talented roster.

Meanwhile Ernie has blown through asset after asset in recent years (maybe we wouldn't have to be so old & downtrodden if he didn't blow so many opportunities) but still gets to basket in the glory of a 2nd round playoff exit.

[dckingsfan]

I have a bad feeling about the Charlotte game - who is starting the thread - we need some luck.

[Higga]

The rebuild is finished. We are what we are. Were an old & decrepit team with the exception of:
> John Wall who is literally carrying us despite playing in a system & lineup that doesn't really suit his strengths
> 21 yr old at SG that's not ready for prime time (nothing wrong with that except were trying to go all in with the current roster)
> another 21 yr old SF that were not willing to roll the dice with and let him get comfortable.

The fact is Nene & Pierce are our 2nd & 3rd best players right now and neither is consistent or capable of playing more than 30 minutes a night anymore. That means we MUST have a quality bench to offset our part-time starters... but we don't so the whole contender thing is laughable.

Phoenix is the 8th seed in the West... in no way shape or form is a contender but has the far younger and more talented roster.

Meanwhile Ernie has blown through asset after asset in recent years (maybe we wouldn't have to be so old & downtrodden if he didn't blow so many opportunities) but still gets to basket in the glory of a 2nd round playoff exit.

I think EG's goal is to try to win as much as possible the next two years before a lot of the contracts come off the books in 2016 to make a run at Durant. Durant won't want to come here if we aren't winning. But if we're a consistent ~50 win team that is making the 2nd-3rd round of the playoffs, it would entice Durant more. Then you got a trio of Wall/Beal(who will be more developed in the next two years)/Durant and THEN you're talking about a title contender.

Bench is the big issue right now, along with not enough reliable scoring. Wall needs help. He put up a 20/10 type game last night and we still lost.

[Kanyewest]

The fact is Nene & Pierce are our 2nd & 3rd best players right now and neither is consistent or capable of playing more than 30 minutes a night anymore.

Pierce has been playing well - last night was the exception though. Out of all the starters he played the worst.

[Kanyewest]

Bench is the big issue right now, along with not enough reliable scoring. Wall needs help. He put up a 20/10 type game last night and we still lost.

Yup, Wall can't play the entire second half of games for the Wizards to sustain success. One thing that the Wizards need to to do is do a better job of not falling behind by double digits.

[dobrojim]

Lately Wall has not generally been the best player on the court not that he's been truly bad.
When Wall is not the best player on the court, we have a much harder time winning.
We should be worried that Al Jefferson may be the best player in terms of most impactful,
tonight. And that we will lose again.

[evolushunize]

ANother game another loss. Dont know what to think about the Wizards lately. Even with Beal I predicted a L. This seems to me more than a mid season slump. More like mid season crisis.