payitforward wrote:Looking at the Wizards in their current state with the idea of making an assessment of the team, is like looking at a house under construction with nothing in place but framing & saying, "Wow, what are they going to do when it rains?"
It is possible to start to see the formulation of an actual plan developing. With the reconstruction of the roster this offseason, the restructuring of the organization and management team, the unveiling of the new facility last season, the addition of the Go Go...
The objective is to make this a legitimate and viable destination. This is a great city, the nation's Capital, with a knowledgeable fan base and basketball rich tradition and community. Growing the Monumental Sports brand, the ownership group all in to provide the resources, bringing in people like JT III, improving the training and medical team and facilities. Bringing it all together, the Wizards and the current NBA, the young & hungry GoGo, the winning mindset of the Mystics, Alumni coming in to share their experience and knowledge, all under one roof, one umbrella. Really changing the culture of the organization, modernizing the facilities and the technologies available to players coaches and scouts. Adding analytics and data. Build something that emphasizes pride and a winning mentality.
Build a roster of hard working, high IQ, coachable, high character, team oriented, high motor players that love the game and want to be here.
Get the foundation of the roster to a place where we have a up and coming team, built on those kind of players with talent and work ethic and willing to find their roles. Ideally this happens and coincides with Wall coming back and proving to be healthy and productive, so we can move him and open up that cap space to bring in a bona fide top tier player.
Someone like The Greek Freak, just for an example...
Say we build a roster along the lines of this...
We get a high draft pick this year, and draft someone like Cole Anthony... Checks the Tommy Sheppard boxes high IQ player, high motor, well coached. PG enabling us to move on from Wall.
Cole Anthony, Robinson, Bonga, Beal, Admiral, TBJ, Rui, Bertans, Wagner, Bryant.
We move Wall and have the cap space.
Does someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo (for example) look here and see he can team up with Beal, and we have supporting cast of Rui, Bryant, TBJ, Anthony, etc. A great city, a strong ownership group, top rate facilities, a great work environment, good coaches and trainers, a fan base desperate for a winner.
Antetokounmpo as a free agent target makes sense. A hard worker, plays hard, versatile, in his prime, marketable. Coming from Milwaukee, D.C. is a major market and major city.
I think this is the plan. I think it's why they want to keep Beal. He is not a #1, but he is a #2 that a top guy can say I can go there and team up with him and win. And the plan is to build up everything else the roster, the management and organzation, from the ground up, so it is an appealing destination when the time comes and the opportunity presents itself. Sheppard said they are hitting a lot of singles right now. Well what that does is put you in a position to have the bases loaded, so you can hit a grand slam! Antetokounmpo would be a grand slam.
Imagine a roster...
Bryant / Wagner
Antetokounmpo / Bertans
Hachimura / Schofield / Jones
Beal / Brown Jr / Matthews
Anthony / Bonga / Robinson
Something like this, another player or 2 from 2020 2nd round , etc.
But imagine that starting 5. The versatility in matchups also... We can go big with Bryant, Antetokounmpo, Hachimura. We can go Antetokounmpo, Rui, TBJ. Or Bryant, Hachimura, TBJ.
Bertans gives us a big time shooter off the bench. TBJ & Admiral off the bench. Beal leading the team at SG, backed by any of TBJ, Admiral, Bonga. The quick Anthony running point backed by versatile Bongs & steady Robinson.
I think Ted learned from the KD fiasco, and repeatedly hearing this team is not a destination point and irrelevant.
The key is build the foundation in management, infrastructure, facility, resources, and roster. Set it up so a move like this is possible.