GT#2 Round 2: Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks 5-5-15 8PM Philips Arena on TNT

[pineappleheadindc]

You guys have the most poorly run offense in the NBA. It honestly is dribble, dribble, hand off, high screen, maybe a roll or a pull out. Please tell your coach to draw up some plays, and beat this lineup of scrubs... Is John out for the playoffs?

The Wizards have the 3rd best offense in the playoffs and the highest eFG%.

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

[tontoz]

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

In the playoffs Beal is averaging 6.3 foul shots per game vs 2.6 in the regular season. Still shooting under 80% though.

[nate33]

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

In the playoffs Beal is averaging 6.3 foul shots per game vs 2.6 in the regular season. Still shooting under 80% though.

I like Beal's aggressiveness in drawing free throws, but I'd still like to see him draw those free throws by guile rather than fearlessness. He's going to get hurt. He needs to get a couple of cheap free throws a game by pump fakes and misdirection rather than by bumping chests with people while soaring through the air.

[DCZards]

Sessions IS better than Miller for us. As-far as flipping Miller for Sessions with Sessions guaranteed another year? I did not like the trade and would have preferred that we find a PG that is stronger in areas that Wall is not (shot creation and shooting) Sessions is not good at getting his shot off.

It didn't make sense for the Zards to wait to find the perfect complement to Wall before pulling the trigger on a trade, because that player may not have been available. As you say, Sessions is better than Miller for the Zards and that's what counts most.

What I've always liked about Sessions is that he attacks the rim and gets to the FT line. On top of that, his shooting has been more than solid recently. Ramon shot 60% from 3 pt. range in April, and during the playoffs he's shooting almost 50% from 2 pt. range and better than 50% on 3 pters. As it turns out, the trade for Sessions was a smart move on the part of EG and the Zards.

Why was it necessary to remove Sessions early and have Beal run the point for some minutes? Sessions was horrible before he regained his composure, they hated him at SAC.

Sessions was coming off a back injury in SAC. And who really cares what they thought of him in Sactown anyway. All I know is that Ramon is ballin' for our Zards...as the numbers attest to...and that's all that matters.

Why is it so hard for you to admit that Sessions was a good pickup for the Zards? Does it have something to do with the guy who made the trade for him?

[LyricalRico]

Why is it so hard for you to admit that Sessions was a good pickup for the Zards? Does it have something to do with the guy who made the trade for him?

[dckingsfan]

The Wizards have the 3rd best offense in the playoffs and the highest eFG%.

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

More importantly - who starts the next thread? Who has a good winning streak?

[AFM]

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

More importantly - who starts the next thread? Who has a good winning streak?

I'm 0-4 or 0-5. They call me Ji 2.0

[dckingsfan]

Why is it so hard for you to admit that Sessions was a good pickup for the Zards? Does it have something to do with the guy who made the trade for him?

Assume you are asking me... I didn't like Sessions in Sacramento because I felt he played matador defense. I felt that he really didn't finish well. I felt that he didn't shoot the three well. I didn't like that he was going to have 2 years vs. 3 years. I didn't like that we didn't take Clarkson so we had to make a "last second trade".

Given all that - he has surprised me. Mostly with his defense - he isn't good but he is actually trying. He is actually hitting 3 point shots. So, I was wrong on this one. Especially if he improves next year over this year.

[closg00]

Why is it so hard for you to admit that Sessions was a good pickup for the Zards? Does it have something to do with the guy who made the trade for him?

I said he was better than Miller for the team, but I stop there. Why! It's for the reason I posed the question that you dodged Zard. Why was it that Beal had to play even a second as our PG yesterday? Why was Sessions benched early in the game?



#FireErnie ~ Because he believed Stephen Curry couldn't help us and Jan Vesely could.

[hands11]

The wizards did a good job holding the score close until the last 7 mintues in the 4th. Only so much you can do that's when the game was unreachable. When is Nene going to make a basket. The Hawks made too many threes and transition points made it look easy on their part.

I think it was down 4 with 5 mins to go and then they lost Gortat.

When you review the game in your head, they were right there.

But

No Wall. No Gortat.

Come on. Closing that out like that was near impossible.

[DCZards]

I said he was better than Miller for the team, but I stop there. Why! It's for the reason I posed the question that you dodged Zard. Why was it that Beal had to play even a second as our PG yesterday? Why was Sessions benched early in the game?

I really don't recall Sessions being benched early in the game. If so, I don't think it had anything to do with him not playing well. Do you know something different...other than speculation?

Ramon's a vet and I suspect Witt trusts him...certainly more than the NBDL players you wanted the Zards to sign.

[pineappleheadindc]

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

More importantly - who starts the next thread? Who has a good winning streak?

I'm 0-4 or 0-5. They call me Ji 2.0

AFM, that is a Ji-like record. yikes.

[hands11]

we turned it over too many times (> 15)

didn't stay attached to shooters

Hands, Noah and Horford are very different players. Noah is annoying and not as good as
he was 2-3 years ago and has limited (being charitable) offensive skills. He thinks sidespin
on his shot is OK as opposed to an abomination. He could be a fit on a certain team but you
better have players that cover his weaknesses.

Horford can actually play on either side of the ball. Any team can use a player with the
range of skills he has.

Interesting that you choose to compare the 2 since they were teammates on UFL b2b's.
Noah peaked that first year, would have been 1st overall pick. Waited a year and IIRC,
Horford was taken ahead of him. And wisely so.

I know they are different. Ok course they are. Horford is offense. Noah is more defense.

I was looking at their similarities.

Mobile centers.
Annoying players that uses lots of hand checking and moving screens and whine after they actually get called for a foul.
But they are pretty much always fouling or moving.
He travels a lot.
Both kind of undersized for a true center.

That block he had on Beal where he clearly push him first. I wanted to slap him with lock on this face after.

What next game. ATL is really good at disrupting the Wizards direction by misdirection hand checking and hip checking.

Korver even got his nose busted up because he was leaning over Beal and Beal straighten up and his head slammed into Korver nose. And that was just from Beal straightening up vertically. He didn't learn over into him.

They are mauling the Wizards. Moving into screens. Hand checking low and in Horford case, high.

All good stuff if you can get away with it. But that's the problem. Refs are letting them get away with it.

Wizards have always been under par with the flopping to show when they are getting fouled. Only Gooden really plays it up. Paul gets legit contact. Once in a while Gortat does a small flop. That's about it.

And on the other side. They always seem to get called for it.

Last game I counted flops from... Korver, Antic, Teague, and Horford. And that's just the flops. Never mind all the 50 50 balls, hacks, traveling by Horford. Charges we didn't get. Beal fouled we didn't get. etc.

Its was a horribly refed game.

[hands11]

Anyone still think the Sessions trade was a bad one?

It would be hard to see why.

He isn't IT.

But he doesn't cost like that either.

$2,077,000 $2,170,465

Not bad. Plus the player exemption and saved money.

And lets not forget, separately, we have our 2nd still.

This dead end rebuild people endlessly argued against me about... I'm just not seeing it.

I mean.. every move they made was supposed to be bad short of Wall and Beal. Yet year after year, they just keep getting better. And they still have their picks. First and second. And cap space. And KD is still in the mix. I still don't see a cap on their upside.

Actually, the opposite is true. I think they are just on the edge of their window.

[hands11]

You guys have the most poorly run offense in the NBA. It honestly is dribble, dribble, hand off, high screen, maybe a roll or a pull out. Please tell your coach to draw up some plays, and beat this lineup of scrubs... Is John out for the playoffs?

The Wizards have the 3rd best offense in the playoffs and the highest eFG%.

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

I'm leaning toward it was a league call.

Just can't have the best winning team in the East at 60 win go down 2-0 to a Wallless Wizards on the road. The optics are terrible.

People are already on the quality of the East vs the West. That would have looked horrible.

[hands11]

I don't think we even underperformed during the regular season - I think it was the way the team was built.

Come on DC.

They clearly under performed in the reg season.

They played little to no S4 line ups. That had a huge effect on Wall and Gortat.

They could have had as big as a 10 game swing if they opened the floor.

Totally different style and effect.

Ignoring that is making you sound like you are just missing everything that happened and is happening.

[hands11]

The Wizards have the 3rd best offense in the playoffs and the highest eFG%.

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

There were at least 2 plays that I remember where we got favorable calls.
Gortat's uncalled obvious travel (how'd they miss that?) and Gooden getting the 3rd foul on Antic.
(either a no call or a call on Gooden depending on when the mutual fouling started).
I deleted the game from my DVR so I won't be able to go back and review more comprehensively.
I'm sure we got hosed a few times too. Remembering one egregious moving screen by Horford
that went uncalled compared with a much less egregious that Nene did get called for.

I watch the Gortat thing in slow mo.. Its wasn't a travel.. He Euro stepped.

It looked really awkward. But it wasn't a travel. Just two long slow steps.

Meanwhile. Horford and Milsap shuffle their feet before dribbling all the time... NOTHING.

And the screen Paul set on the Teague break.. Paul was set. Teague ran into him and then flopped.

It was a horrible game to watch regarding the refs.

They did everything they could to hand it to ATL. And even then.. down 4 with 5 mins to go.

And we played horrible Nene all those minutes. And Gortat fouled out.

Wizards did just fine.

[hands11]

Yeah but how much of that is coaching/scheme and how much of it is individual greatness from Wall, Beal, and Pierce?


Frustrating game to lose though. I hate to blame the officiating(never my style)but the foul discrepancy was huge. Our guys get hip checked Hockey style and its no call, but we barely bump them and its 2 shots.

Of course, its tough to win when one of your starters goes 0-for from the field. Nene has got to step it up. If not, then Wittman needs to bring in Humphries or hell even Blair. We can't win basically playing 4 on 5 when Nene is on the floor.

Need Wall healthy though. Without him we are done, no shot at winning the series.

I think the Wizards offense is a bit different in the playoffs. They're taking (and making) more 3s, that's for sure.

Also, I don't have stats, but it looks like Beal, at least, is taking it to the hole a lot more per game than during the regular season.

Threes at a decent rate, drives to the cup, and FTs. These are the makings of a good offense.

More importantly - who starts the next thread? Who has a good winning streak?

It doesn't matter who start the freanking thread.

Wizards are going to win because they are the better team and ATL sucks on the road in the playoffs.

[hands11]

I said he was better than Miller for the team, but I stop there. Why! It's for the reason I posed the question that you dodged Zard. Why was it that Beal had to play even a second as our PG yesterday? Why was Sessions benched early in the game?

I really don't recall Sessions being benched early in the game. If so, I don't think it had anything to do with him not playing well. Do you know something different...other than speculation?

Ramon's a vet and I suspect Witt trusts him...certainly more than the NBDL players you wanted the Zards to sign.

He played ever minute of the first quarter.
Half the 2nd
All the 3rd
And 10 mins of the 4th.

Nothing bothers me more then baseless nonsense post by people to laze to actually look up any information.

[dckingsfan]

I don't think we even underperformed during the regular season - I think it was the way the team was built.

Come on DC. They clearly under performed in the reg season. They played little to no S4 line ups. That had a huge effect on Wall and Gortat. They could have had as big as a 10 game swing if they opened the floor. Totally different style and effect.
Ignoring that is making you sound like you are just missing everything that happened and is happening.

It is possible that I am ignorant to basketball. But from what I saw, Wittman felt he needed to go big with the lineups. Remember, his wings at the beginning of the season were Bradley Beal, Paul Pierce, Garrett Temple, Otto Porter Jr., Rasual Butler and the injured Martell Webster.

Otto was coming off a horrible rookie year and really didn't play well at the beginning of the season. Temple and Butler played out of their heads. But to think that you would have moved PP to the S4 - meh. And I will add that Beal had long stretches of playing poorly.

AND we won a lot of games at the beginning of the season. We played a VERY easy schedule. And then I think teams caught onto us/didn't take us lightly. Wall got tired playing all those minutes (remember how badly Miller was playing?).

As I recall you had a thread on Seraphin's breakout year - so, you wanted a stretch 4 and to play Seraphin. meh

We were also fortunate to give up so few games to injuries.

That's my take - I think they are a mid 40s regular season team. I guess if I had predicted more wins - I would agree with you. Or less wins and I would say they over achieved.

But since they won 46 games, they are a 46 win team, right? Or do we just use facts when convenient?