2015 Free Agency and Offseason - Part II

[gambitx777]

Maybe Otto has been hitting the gym, but I think he is your better bet at the 4, right now I see them starting Otto and Dudley. unless a trade goes down I don't see a better option. If we can some how get Markieff Morris that would be amazing! Can yo imagine
Wall/Beal/Otto/Morris/Gortat. That would be a solid starting 5!

[Ruzious]

I mean maybe sure he could be a decent back up if they use him as a back up. no more than 18-20 a game and he can't start, No more of this Gortat NENE combo! NO! Hump or Otto Needs to start at PF! END OF STORY! If Iggy can take a bench role and less minutes for the good of the team so can NENE!

I find the idea of Otto or Hump starting to be disconcerting. Otto could barely deal with the strength of SFs and big guards and now were expecting him to play extensively at the 4? I've already discussed Hump ad naseum. He's an empty stats guy who hurts you on both sides of the court. I don't think either is a passable option at PF other than for limited minutes or specific matchups.

It is disconcerting - with regards to Humphries, the other choice is to start Gooden. That might be the better choice to pair with Gortat. Let Humphries play with Nene since he is a better defender.

As for Porter - your other choice is Dudley. I personally would rather have Porter starting and see where he takes us - but I am basing that on the playoffs and not the regular season.

Maybe the biggest problem with the 2015/16 team is going to be its overwhelming reliance on Gortat. They've got no other bigs that they can rely on. Nene might be done, Hump basically didn't play in the playoffs, and Gooden is a player you can't reasonably rely on for major minutes. Gortat pretty much has to put up all-star numbers and stay healthy for the team to do as well next season.

[Dat2U]

I mean maybe sure he could be a decent back up if they use him as a back up. no more than 18-20 a game and he can't start, No more of this Gortat NENE combo! NO! Hump or Otto Needs to start at PF! END OF STORY! If Iggy can take a bench role and less minutes for the good of the team so can NENE!

I find the idea of Otto or Hump starting to be disconcerting. Otto could barely deal with the strength of SFs and big guards and now were expecting him to play extensively at the 4? I've already discussed Hump ad naseum. He's an empty stats guy who hurts you on both sides of the court. I don't think either is a passable option at PF other than for limited minutes or specific matchups.

It is disconcerting - with regards to Humphries, the other choice is to start Gooden. That might be the better choice to pair with Gortat. Let Humphries play with Nene since he is a better defender.

As for Porter - your other choice is Dudley. I personally would rather have Porter starting and see where he takes us - but I am basing that on the playoffs and not the regular season.

Porter is a SF. He should be our starting SF. As he bulks up over his career, I could see him getting spot minutes at the 4 in time but starting Porter at PF is a non-starter IMO.

Not sure how Dudley starts at PF either. Spot minutes at 4? Sure but he is not Draymond Green. I think there is an overreaction to small ball here. Were expecting guys to play roles that they aren't comfortable with themselves.

[Kanyewest]

I think Porter can see spot minutes at the 4 much like Harrison Barnes does with the Warriors. Certainly Porter isn't Draymond Green since Green can play minutes at center.

[Ruzious]

I think Porter can see spot minutes at the 4 much like Harrison Barnes does with the Warriors. Certainly Porter isn't Draymond Green since Green can play minutes at center.

Even Barnes - as thin as he is - probably has more than 15 lbs on Porter. I wouldn't even consider Otto as an option at PF at this point in his career.

[Kanyewest]

I think Porter can see spot minutes at the 4 much like Harrison Barnes does with the Warriors. Certainly Porter isn't Draymond Green since Green can play minutes at center.

Even Barnes - as thin as he is - probably has more than 15 lbs on Porter. I wouldn't even consider Otto as an option at PF at this point in his career.

Porter is also an inch taller. Barnes saw an increase in his rebounding numbers this past regular season, Porter saw an increase in his rebounding numbers when the Wizards went small in the playoffs.

[dckingsfan]

I find the idea of Otto or Hump starting to be disconcerting. Otto could barely deal with the strength of SFs and big guards and now were expecting him to play extensively at the 4? I've already discussed Hump ad naseum. He's an empty stats guy who hurts you on both sides of the court. I don't think either is a passable option at PF other than for limited minutes or specific matchups.

It is disconcerting - with regards to Humphries, the other choice is to start Gooden. That might be the better choice to pair with Gortat. Let Humphries play with Nene since he is a better defender.

As for Porter - your other choice is Dudley. I personally would rather have Porter starting and see where he takes us - but I am basing that on the playoffs and not the regular season.

Maybe the biggest problem with the 2015/16 team is going to be its overwhelming reliance on Gortat. They've got no other bigs that they can rely on. Nene might be done, Hump basically didn't play in the playoffs, and Gooden is a player you can't reasonably rely on for major minutes. Gortat pretty much has to put up all-star numbers and stay healthy for the team to do as well next season.

I think you really hit the nail on the head here - if Gortat were to go down for any substantial amount of time we would really struggle, IMO. Either way, we have to hope that Nene does the right thing and backs up Gortat.

[80sballboy]

I find the idea of Otto or Hump starting to be disconcerting. Otto could barely deal with the strength of SFs and big guards and now were expecting him to play extensively at the 4? I've already discussed Hump ad naseum. He's an empty stats guy who hurts you on both sides of the court. I don't think either is a passable option at PF other than for limited minutes or specific matchups.

It is disconcerting - with regards to Humphries, the other choice is to start Gooden. That might be the better choice to pair with Gortat. Let Humphries play with Nene since he is a better defender.

As for Porter - your other choice is Dudley. I personally would rather have Porter starting and see where he takes us - but I am basing that on the playoffs and not the regular season.

Porter is a SF. He should be our starting SF. As he bulks up over his career, I could see him getting spot minutes at the 4 in time but starting Porter at PF is a non-starter IMO.

Not sure how Dudley starts at PF either. Spot minutes at 4? Sure but he is not Draymond Green. I think there is an overreaction to small ball here. Were expecting guys to play roles that they aren't comfortable with themselves.

From Kevin Pelton's grade of the Dudley trade (I think he could start at the 4 because he might be the best option. However, let's remember he's had some knee issues and has never been more than a 31mpg player. That's also when he was about 26 with Phoenix. He's probably more than 25mpg player now)

While it was tricky to parse positions at times with the Bucks last season, based on lineup data from NBA.com/Stats I have Dudley playing 1,015 minutes at small forward and 608 at power forward, with the team outscoring its opponents with him at either position. Expect a similar split with the Wizards depending on Wittman's comfort using small lineups in the regular season, Porter's development and how Martell Webster rebounds from last year's back surgery.

[TheSecretWeapon]

Porter is a SF. He should be our starting SF. As he bulks up over his career, I could see him getting spot minutes at the 4 in time but starting Porter at PF is a non-starter IMO.

Not sure how Dudley starts at PF either. Spot minutes at 4? Sure but he is not Draymond Green. I think there is an overreaction to small ball here. Were expecting guys to play roles that they aren't comfortable with themselves.

I agree. Getting a bunch of SFs and playing one at PF doesn't make the guy a stretch 4. The idea behind a stretch 4 is that he can do the rebounding and interior (especially on defense) while still creating offensive spacing by knocking down threes. Playing non-rebounders at 4 raises issues of rebounding and paint protection. Dudley hasn't rebounded well throughout his career. Porter was good on the boards in the playoffs, but it's a 10-game sample, which is difficult to trust.

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

[dckingsfan]

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

Nooooo.... You are probably right but I really hope not. I hope we see Nenê as the backup C.

[DCZards]

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

I'd be surprised if Dudley started at SF ahead of Otto. I think it's more likely that Dudley starts at the PF...although that wouldn't necessarily be the best idea given his poor rebounding. My preference would be for Hump to start at PF, for Nene to backup Gortat at center, and for Dudley to basically split his minutes between SF and PF. Dudley reportedly played around 1000 minutes at SF for the Bucks and 600 minutes at PF. I expect those minutes to be split closer to 50-50 with the Zards.

This entire offseason was geared around adding perimeter shooting, which is what Witt said he wanted and needed. So I'd expect a lot of lineups featuring Gortat and Wall surrounded by three basically positionless shooters.

I watched a lot of Porter at G'Town and his instinctive rebounding may be the best and most consistent part of his game. I think we'll see similar rebounding #s from Otto that we saw during the playoffs.

[hands11]

I find the idea of Otto or Hump starting to be disconcerting. Otto could barely deal with the strength of SFs and big guards and now were expecting him to play extensively at the 4? I've already discussed Hump ad naseum. He's an empty stats guy who hurts you on both sides of the court. I don't think either is a passable option at PF other than for limited minutes or specific matchups.

It is disconcerting - with regards to Humphries, the other choice is to start Gooden. That might be the better choice to pair with Gortat. Let Humphries play with Nene since he is a better defender.

As for Porter - your other choice is Dudley. I personally would rather have Porter starting and see where he takes us - but I am basing that on the playoffs and not the regular season.

Maybe the biggest problem with the 2015/16 team is going to be its overwhelming reliance on Gortat. They've got no other bigs that they can rely on. Nene might be done, Hump basically didn't play in the playoffs, and Gooden is a player you can't reasonably rely on for major minutes. Gortat pretty much has to put up all-star numbers and stay healthy for the team to do as well next season.

They aren't out of the wood yet regarding depth. But it keeps getting a little better year over year. If Gortat goes down, they have options/bodies, but none as good a Gortat. Same is true with Wall. But that true of most teams. They have keep players they can't get injured.

PG and Center is where they are most reliant on the starters. But its not like they can't get by for a few games over a week or so.

I think its likely they start my rotations for the reason I outlined. If they do, they will be in good shape. Even if they keep Blair.

Sure the board will come around to that eventually.

[nuposse04]

Porter is a SF. He should be our starting SF. As he bulks up over his career, I could see him getting spot minutes at the 4 in time but starting Porter at PF is a non-starter IMO.

Not sure how Dudley starts at PF either. Spot minutes at 4? Sure but he is not Draymond Green. I think there is an overreaction to small ball here. Were expecting guys to play roles that they aren't comfortable with themselves.

I agree. Getting a bunch of SFs and playing one at PF doesn't make the guy a stretch 4. The idea behind a stretch 4 is that he can do the rebounding and interior (especially on defense) while still creating offensive spacing by knocking down threes. Playing non-rebounders at 4 raises issues of rebounding and paint protection. Dudley hasn't rebounded well throughout his career. Porter was good on the boards in the playoffs, but it's a 10-game sample, which is difficult to trust.

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

So much this.

Playing Dudley for extended minutes against teams with REAL S4s is going to prove problematic. He isn't going to keep anyone off the boards nor will Anderson. None of these guys they have brought in are going to address that issue and the only forseeable way it may work is if Porter has added tremendous strength this off-season. I think Hump should be the startin 4 on day one should he have added a 3pt jumper. I think he has good individual numbers but his on/off numbers suffered cause he played with a bad bench for a good portion of the season.

I also don't see the options of having Nene/Blair as the primary centers should anything happen to Gortat as being a pretty thing. I'd rather they get rid of Webster as soon as possible to lock up a guy like Sims, Jeff or anyone else.

I really hope Nene isn't starting Day 1, that would show a major lack in creativity and foresight. Nene is best preserved in the long run on the bench. I also don't think Porter should be coming off the bench anymore. If he does work on his 3 pt shot, no reason he should be 2nd fiddle to Jared.

[montestewart]

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

I'd be surprised if Dudley started at SF ahead of Otto. I think it's more likely that Dudley starts at the PF...although that wouldn't necessarily be the best idea given his poor rebounding. My preference would be for Hump to start at PF, for Nene to backup Gortat at center, and for Dudley to basically split his minutes between SF and PF. Dudley reportedly played around 1000 minutes at SF for the Bucks and 600 minutes at PF. I expect those minutes to be split closer to 50-50 with the Zards.

This entire offseason was geared around adding perimeter shooting, which is what Witt said he wanted and needed. So I'd expect a lot of lineups featuring Gortat and Wall surrounded by three basically positionless shooters.

I watched a lot of Porter at G'Town and his instinctive rebounding may be the best and most consistent part of his game. I think we'll see similar rebounding #s from Otto that we saw during the playoffs.

Looking at 82games.com, I think some people are overestimating how much time Dudley has spent at PF, and Porter too, for that matter. Of the top twenty listed 5-Man Units for Dudley and Porter, only one listed unit for each showed them as PF. In Dudley's case, he frequently shared the front court with Antetokounmpo, so I guess a case could be made that they were interchangeable hybrid forwards, but Antetokounmpo is taller and a better rebounder and shot blocker. The admittedly small sample size for Dudley at PF shows his PER as 19.6 and opponent PER as 27.4 (!), which probably doesn't really tell us anything.

Dudley http://www.82games.com/1415/14MIL9.HTM
Porter http://www.82games.com/1415/14WAS8.HTM

Good to see some lineup experimentation, good to see signs that the team is (hopefully) moving toward more threes at the expense of long twos, and good to see any sign that Wittman is entering the 21st century. I'm not going to pencil Dudley (or Porter) in as a Pierce-style success at PF just yet. Hopefully Dudley is used to best advantage and not wedged into a role that doesn't really suit him, because he's a good pickup for the team.

[Dark Faze]

i'd like to see Otto at the 4 regardless of his weight right now--he averaged 10 and 8 in crucial playoff games--I just think he can pull it off.

we REALLY need a backup C though--Gooden should be saved for the playoffs.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Porter is a SF. He should be our starting SF. As he bulks up over his career, I could see him getting spot minutes at the 4 in time but starting Porter at PF is a non-starter IMO.

Not sure how Dudley starts at PF either. Spot minutes at 4? Sure but he is not Draymond Green. I think there is an overreaction to small ball here. Were expecting guys to play roles that they aren't comfortable with themselves.

I agree. Getting a bunch of SFs and playing one at PF doesn't make the guy a stretch 4. The idea behind a stretch 4 is that he can do the rebounding and interior (especially on defense) while still creating offensive spacing by knocking down threes. Playing non-rebounders at 4 raises issues of rebounding and paint protection. Dudley hasn't rebounded well throughout his career. Porter was good on the boards in the playoffs, but it's a 10-game sample, which is difficult to trust.

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

My guess is that when the season rolls around Drew Gooden will be the best PF. Porter will lose ground to Dudley. Humphries will request a trade. He wasn't playing in the playoffs. He's not going to be playing moving forward.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

My guess is that when the season rolls around, Nenê will start at PF with Humphries as the primary backup. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dudley starting at SF.

I'd be surprised if Dudley started at SF ahead of Otto. I think it's more likely that Dudley starts at the PF...although that wouldn't necessarily be the best idea given his poor rebounding. My preference would be for Hump to start at PF, for Nene to backup Gortat at center, and for Dudley to basically split his minutes between SF and PF. Dudley reportedly played around 1000 minutes at SF for the Bucks and 600 minutes at PF. I expect those minutes to be split closer to 50-50 with the Zards.

This entire offseason was geared around adding perimeter shooting, which is what Witt said he wanted and needed. So I'd expect a lot of lineups featuring Gortat and Wall surrounded by three basically positionless shooters.

I watched a lot of Porter at G'Town and his instinctive rebounding may be the best and most consistent part of his game. I think we'll see similar rebounding #s from Otto that we saw during the playoffs.

Looking at 82games.com, I think some people are overestimating how much time Dudley has spent at PF, and Porter too, for that matter. Of the top twenty listed 5-Man Units for Dudley and Porter, only one listed unit for each showed them as PF. In Dudley's case, he frequently shared the front court with Antetokounmpo, so I guess a case could be made that they were interchangeable hybrid forwards, but Antetokounmpo is taller and a better rebounder and shot blocker. The admittedly small sample size for Dudley at PF shows his PER as 19.6 and opponent PER as 27.4 (!), which probably doesn't really tell us anything.

Dudleyhttp://www.82games.com/1415/14MIL9.HTM
Porterhttp://www.82games.com/1415/14WAS8.HTM

Good to see some lineup experimentation, good to see signs that the team is (hopefully) moving toward more threes at the expense of long twos, and good to see any sign that Wittman is entering the 21st century. I'm not going to pencil Dudley (or Porter) in as a Pierce-style success at PF just yet. Hopefully Dudley is used to best advantage and not wedged into a role that doesn't really suit him, because he's a good pickup for the team.

Looking at Ernie Grunfeld's track record over very many years; I think the man brought in 4 new SFs and all that's going to happen is one of the veteran SFs will play much better than Porter. Wittman will rely on the veteran. Porter will take a step back. Oubre won't play.

Wittman's 21st century coaching career ends this year.

God-willing, if we're all still here posting next year we'll be talking about how players shouldn't be forced to try and change positions. When they get to the NBA that's NOT the time to reinvent them.

[80sballboy]

I'd be surprised if Dudley started at SF ahead of Otto. I think it's more likely that Dudley starts at the PF...although that wouldn't necessarily be the best idea given his poor rebounding. My preference would be for Hump to start at PF, for Nene to backup Gortat at center, and for Dudley to basically split his minutes between SF and PF. Dudley reportedly played around 1000 minutes at SF for the Bucks and 600 minutes at PF. I expect those minutes to be split closer to 50-50 with the Zards.

This entire offseason was geared around adding perimeter shooting, which is what Witt said he wanted and needed. So I'd expect a lot of lineups featuring Gortat and Wall surrounded by three basically positionless shooters.

I watched a lot of Porter at G'Town and his instinctive rebounding may be the best and most consistent part of his game. I think we'll see similar rebounding #s from Otto that we saw during the playoffs.

Looking at 82games.com, I think some people are overestimating how much time Dudley has spent at PF, and Porter too, for that matter. Of the top twenty listed 5-Man Units for Dudley and Porter, only one listed unit for each showed them as PF. In Dudley's case, he frequently shared the front court with Antetokounmpo, so I guess a case could be made that they were interchangeable hybrid forwards, but Antetokounmpo is taller and a better rebounder and shot blocker. The admittedly small sample size for Dudley at PF shows his PER as 19.6 and opponent PER as 27.4 (!), which probably doesn't really tell us anything.

Dudleyhttp://www.82games.com/1415/14MIL9.HTM
Porterhttp://www.82games.com/1415/14WAS8.HTM

Good to see some lineup experimentation, good to see signs that the team is (hopefully) moving toward more threes at the expense of long twos, and good to see any sign that Wittman is entering the 21st century. I'm not going to pencil Dudley (or Porter) in as a Pierce-style success at PF just yet. Hopefully Dudley is used to best advantage and not wedged into a role that doesn't really suit him, because he's a good pickup for the team.

Looking at Ernie Grunfeld's track record over very many years; I think the man brought in 4 new SFs and all that's going to happen is one of the veteran SFs will play much better than Porter. Wittman will rely on the veteran. Porter will take a step back. Oubre won't play.

Wittman's 21st century coaching career ends this year.

God-willing, if we're all still here posting next year we'll be talking about how players shouldn't be forced to try and change positions. When they get to the NBA that's NOT the time to reinvent them.

So you are giving up before the season starts?

[80sballboy]

Another opinion about the starting lineup.
http://wizofawes.com/2015/07/10/nab-free-agency-2015-washington-wizards-starting-lineup-to-change-next-season/

[MikeTheKid]

Anyone watching Clarkson in SL right now, F*** Ernie!!!