Davis Bertans "the Latvian Laser"

[JWizmentality]

I'm really hoping we can retain him. He's the ultimate cheat code/break glass in case of emergency player. If we do trade him I hope Tommy accepts nothing less than a 1st round pick...and even then I don't think I'd be satisfied.

[closg00]

If we're serious about contending when John returns, we must retain Bertans, Tommy's back-up will be retaining a poor-mans version in Moe.

[Illmatic12]

Davis Bertans , by multiple metrics, is a criminally underrated role player who unlocks lineups that allow the Wiz to play modern basketball.



Offensively, he makes for a great frontcourt partner next to Rui, as Zach Lowe describes here:

8. Rui and Bertans!

The League Pass Rankings reverse jinx lives! The Wiz -- dead last in that annual column -- are kinda ... fun? They are especially so with Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans manning the forward spots. (Side note: This kind of look, pairing two tweeners who lean more toward the nominal power forward designation, seems to be en vogue this season.)

Hachimura is a whirling dervish who is somehow both chaotic and balanced at once. He can overpower wings in the post, and he looks comfy stepping into old-school long 2s. Those are unsexy shots, but they bode well for Hachimura stretching to 3-point range.

Bertans is one of the best shooters alive, and Scott Brooks is running nifty tandem set pieces for Bertans and Moritz Wagner. (I can't believe that sentence is a true thing.) This double pick has been killing teams, since both Bertans and Wagner are threats to chuck:

Overplay the Bertans curl and he'll bust it to the rim:

The Wizards have scored 126 points per 100 possessions (not a typo!) with Hachimura and Bertans on the floor, though their 159-158 game of NBA Jam against Houston on Wednesday inflated those numbers. (Warning: Don't look up the defensive figure; your mobile device might combust.)

Washington isn't good, but they're feisty and entertaining.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27969493/ten-nba-things-like-including-karl-anthony-towns-superstar-push

He also gives Washington a multiplier effect of having two of the best shooters in the league , in terms of gravity/floor spacing (which is especially important for when Wall returns given his shooting limitations)

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Davis also seems to be a great locker room guy, and his shotmaking ability on the court instills confidence in his teammates. This kind of chemistry is an ineffable quality that can’t be quantified (but whatever it is, it was clearly lacking on past Wizards teams):

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Lastly, at 26 years of age, Bertans career arc dovetails perfectly with Bradley Beal’s prime. If we had cap room to go out and pursue FAs next offseason, Bertans is one of the top young players we’d be looking at to add to our core. Fortunately through Sheppard’s maneuvering the Wizards were able to get this player’s Bird rights and have a whole season to pitch him on re-signing , hopefully to a 3-4yr deal on a cap friendly number. I don’t believe Sheppard has ANY intention of dealing Bertans at the deadline (unless we’re getting much better value than measley second round picks)


Some will recall Sheppard went out and signed that random Latvian stiff for our G-League team , which one could interpret as a way to help Bertans feel comfortable in DC by having one of his countrymen around. So we can see that the Wizards organization really value what Bertans brings to the culture they want to build , and the FA recruitment process has already begun:

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[tontoz]

I like this guy. Off the ball threat with length who moves well and isn't shy.

Could he play the 3? Looks to me like he has the mobility to play the 3.

[pcbothwel]

I like this guy. Off the ball threat with length who moves well and isn't shy.

Could he play the 3? Looks to me like he has the mobility to play the 3.

Agreed...
Im not really looking to move him at the deadline for anything less than a solid 1st. Given our cap status next summer (Over cap but FAR under the Tax), it becomes very hard to add players.
Keeping Bertans allows us to resign him, use lotto pick & top 35 2nd, and the Full MLE. Trading him gives us no more flexibility.

Again, everything will be a lot more clear by July in regards to Wall's health and the development of Rui, Brown, and Bryant. So no need to get wrapped around the axle now about it I guess.

[DCsOwn]

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Lol

[Illmatic12]

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[FAH1223]

Hot take: The Spurs wouldn't be on a 8 game losing streak if they had Bertans

[tontoz]

Over his last 5 games he is averaging 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 28 minutes. Looks like someone got in his ear to do more than just shoot.

His 3 point shooting is pretty scary though. He is like a 6'10 Klay Thompson.

[Mojo Amok]

I like this guy. Off the ball threat with length who moves well and isn't shy.

Could he play the 3? Looks to me like he has the mobility to play the 3.

Agreed...
Im not really looking to move him at the deadline for anything less than a solid 1st. Given our cap status next summer (Over cap but FAR under the Tax), it becomes very hard to add players.
Keeping Bertans allows us to resign him, use lotto pick & top 35 2nd, and the Full MLE. Trading him gives us no more flexibility.

Exactly. We're right in that salary zone this summer and for a few years after that where adding veterans of note is really difficult - especially considering that we're about to be all out of expiring contracts. Outside of Bertans' bird rights, we don't have any other avenues to acquire a veteran of his pedigree unless we steal someone with the MLE. And we're going to use the MLE anyway without any conflicts, so it's not an either/or.

This is often ignored in 'Trade Bertans" plans. For me it would have to be a really nice first and I have little confidence that the guy we'd pick would come close to Davis.

Over his last 5 games he is averaging 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 28 minutes. Looks like someone got in his ear to do more than just shoot.

His 3 point shooting is pretty scary though. He is like a 6'10 Klay Thompson.

Yeah, his guard skills - particularly his utility ball handling - is really nice and something I wasn't expecting to be so advanced or steady. He actually ticks all the boxes out of what you want in a rotation small forward offensively. I didn't think he'd be playable as anything other than a 4.

[payitforward]

Bertans is having his best season by far -- another feather in Tommy's cap!

[payitforward]

Here are some numbers. Each line is

what : career : last year : this year
3pt % : 40.8% : 42.9% : 44.3%
efg % : 59.5% : 61% : 63.1%
TS% : 61.5% : 63.2% : 64.7%

Per 40 minutes:
Points : 15.85 : 14.85 : 18.75
Rebounds : 7.1 : 7.8 : 7.7
FGAs : 12.17 : 11.1 : 13.9

Nice!

[BearlyBallin]

Here are some numbers. Each line is

what : career : last year : this year
3pt % : 40.8% : 42.9% : 44.3%
efg % : 59.5% : 61% : 63.1%
TS% : 61.5% : 63.2% : 64.7%

Per 40 minutes:
Points : 15.85 : 14.85 : 18.75
Rebounds : 7.1 : 7.8 : 7.7
FGAs : 12.17 : 11.1 : 13.9

Nice!

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Nice interview at the end, of Bertans by Glenn Consor who points out that’s DB is having a career year thus far.
The scoring and rebounding doesn’t surprise me but I did not know about his passing and ball handling ability.
I hope we can sign him. I think he likes playing here.

[queridiculo]

What the Bertans highlights drive home to me:

Spoiler:

Gooden and Kutcher are awful

[BearlyBallin]

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[nate33]

Bertans is off to an historic start as a 3-point shooter when factoring volume and accuracy.

Here's a list of guys who averaged 7 or more 3PA's per game while shooting 43% or better:


And Bertans is getting those shots up as a 27 MPG 6th man. If you look at 3PA's per possession, he looks even more impressive. Here's a list of guys who averaged12 or more 3PA's per 100 possessions and shot 43% or better (20 MPG minimum to weed out the Steve Novak style low-minute role player types)



Basically, there's Curry and nobody else. Bertans and Towns are making a run at it this year.

[nate33]

Which guy is a better offensive player? They're both catch-and-shoot snipers who do little off the bounce.

Spoiler:

Player 2 is Klay Thompson two years ago at age 27

[J-Ves]

If the goal is to win next year, the Wiz have to sign him long term. It’s not like they have the cap space to bring in a free agent they don’t have the bird rights to.

[payitforward]

Which guy is a better offensive player? They're both catch-and-shoot snipers who do little off the bounce.

Spoiler:

Player 2 is Klay Thompson two years ago at age 27

Well... it's pretty well known here that I think player 2 is quite over-rated. It's likely, however, that he's a better defender at his position than Davis at his. &, in fairness, the comparison will be more meaningful when it's a whole season of numbers for each player.

Still, the most important point is that Davis Bertans is playing much better this season than he ever has in his career.

Above all, he is scoring 30% more points per 40 minutes than he did last year (his previous best year). & he's doing it at a higher TS% than he's ever posted before. He's rebounding slightly better than last year (again, that was his previous best). & overall the rest of his numbers are also slightly up. But the big story is his outstanding scoring!

[tontoz]

Bump to get this back on page 1.

This guy has a hair trigger. He is looking to jack up 3s every time he touches it, even when a defender is close, yet he is still shooting 45% on 3s. He is taking 10 3s per 36 minutes.

His TS is 67% which is ridiculous for a perimeter player.