doclinkin wrote:The Rui Clarke boondoggle has finally driven PIF over the edge. Everyone has a breaking point. This clearly snapped his fragile brain. The only saving grace will be if Rui somehow manages to have a better career than Clarke. Or Clarke and everyone else that PIF claims he would’ve picked. But if not then be prepared to hear about it ad nauseum. Yet another reason to root for the guy we did pick. Earn us some ‘shut yo mouth’ points Rui. Lessgo!
Personally yeah I wanted a trade down. And Clarke was on my list of players who could be good. Worth a pick. But as a Wizards fan you either have to love griping and bitching. Or have a short memory or optimistic heart and move on quickly. Me I’m in the second category. Already have welcomed Hachimura into my heart with no bitterness over what could’ve been. I’m deciding he’s gonna be good. Until he proves otherwise or is traded to another team then in the sunny oasis of my fandom he shines bright and will always someday be a great player. Clarke? That’s a guy on another team. Who cares. I’ve moved on. Love the one you’re with.
Says the guy who still kicks rocks when he thinks about my guy Steph Curry. Wanted him since his freshman year.
But yes. Onward. Hachination. There’s good character guys on this squad. It will be fun seeing them work and learn. My expectations are low so for now I’m looking for development and scrappy play and maybe eventually we hire a front office team that changes the culture and builds a dynasty. Just I dunno. Maybe not this year. We will see.
I love Rui, Doc -- some impersonator (probably hired by you!) has smeared my reputation. Nor have I been driven over the edge; far from it -- there is no edge.
It's certainly possible (as I have written, that is my impersonator has) that Rui will have a better career than Clarke. The opposite is also possible. Plus, they may both be terrific -- or bums! I think I've made my position abundantly clear (insofar as mud may be clarified) that drafting well is about using picks well, acquiring picks intelligently, etc. It's not about "is Joe a good player?"
For example, last year I criticized Ernie for picking Troy where he did (& for about every aspect of his handling of such a great draft). But, during the year this year I was constantly calling for the kid to get playing time. I've said that he should have played 1500 minutes. & I've also praised his play (I guess that goes w/o saying -- otherwise why did I want him to play more?).
Ditto Rui. Did we get the most out of the draft that we could have. No. But that's not Rui Hachimura's fault! I want him to play 1500 minutes this year (on the assumption that he doesn't mess up miserably -- which I have no reason to think he will).
Above all, this is real: I don't ever root for some kid to fail, & I don't ever take any pleasure in someone's failure. I'm too old & have lived too variously for that. It's bad karma. Nor am I "griping and bitching."
I remember a week or so ago you were saying you'd pick Luka Samanic @ #9. Nothing the matter with him as a prospect. Lets say you were the Wiz GM & he was one of the guys you had high on your board; you could have picked him or -- lets suppose as a thought experiment -- you could have traded down to the Celtics for their #s 14 & 22 which would have gotten you Samanic & another outstanding prospect, Grant Williams.
Samanic is the same whichever way you go, but your draft is better (you are a better GM) if you trade down & also get Williams. Duh. Of course, you do take a risk that someone takes Samanic @, say #13. & that is why they say never to focus on a single player (as it seems -- they brag about it! -- Sheppard & his crew did). So, in that case, somebody drops obviously, & you get Herro (or Washington or maybe even Rui, or maybe Clarke) & Williams. Now... I suppose you could somehow get totally screwed; everyone on the tier w/ Samanic is gone. So you get Goga & Williams or Thybulle & Williams. But, come on... you're ready for whatever the choices are.
That's all. Meanwhile, welcome Rui.
just being redundant. 