WP: Nene out 6 weeks

[Dat2U]

There is a fear among some members of the Washington Wizards that Nene is done for the season with a torn ligament in his left knee, although the team won’t know for certain until the Brazilian big man meets with team doctors and has an MRI exam on Monday. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, “It doesn’t look good.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... -for-nene/

Feel free to merge but I thought this might be worth it's own thread.

Amazing how it comes right after his best game of the year.

[Zonkerbl]

Yeah, I don't have my hopes up.

I mean really. We were going to get crushed in the playoffs anyway.

But gawd. #SoWizards

[AFM]

Don't worry. Noel will be back soon.

[montestewart]

Fortunately, Chris (Also DNP) Singleton is ready to step up to the plate. EG was prepared for this.

[J-Ves]

With KS playing well the past month he would be the logical replacement, but then we have 0 backup centers. So that leaves Book or Harrington to start, and considering Book hasn't played well the last 2 games I think Al has the inside track, comically enough.

[nate33]

I'm hoping he is out until mid-April. With him out, one of two things is likely to happen:

1. We will lose down the stretch, miss the playoffs, get a lotto pick, and get EG canned.
2. Seraphin will step up and become a worthwhile rotation player and finally realize his potential, giving us at least one building block in the front court.

I really hope Nene is healthy for the playoffs (if we make it) though.

[Jay81]

can we sign Tiny Gallon?

[nuposse04]

Bold prediction, Seraphin actually plays well down the stretch. This is his opportunity and he needs to seize it.

Get better Nene, I'll assume the worst...

Also, anyway we may be able to get an injury exception out of this?

[jivelikenice]

Nene does a lot to irritate me on the court but his loss is big. That being said, I think the expectation we fall off a cliff is exxagerated. Beal has been out a lot of the games that Nene has missed so I wouldn't think we'd be 1-6 had Beal played the games Nene missed this year. This is also an opportunity to see what this team looks like if we run a ton of pick & roll with Gortat, go small, and spread the floor with shooters. Will Wittman do it? Who knows.

[jivelikenice]

Bold prediction, Seraphin actually plays well down the stretch. This is his opportunity and he needs to seize it.

Get better Nene, I'll assume the worst...

Also, anyway we may be able to get an injury exception out of this?

I'd think we get one next year since Nene is likely to miss at least half the season. How big are the injury exceptions typically? Having that plus the MLE could make for an interesting summer even if we re-sign Gortat.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

An injury was bound to happen - it seems like every team has/had at least one rotation player out for 3+ months. We'll still make the playoffs as 6th seed or so.

[dobrojim]

while recognizing our record with/without Nene, until the NOP game, he really
hadn't been playing all that well, lately. Don't like losing him (we'll see for how long,
the story quoted still doesn't seem that well sourced to me, but maybe it's accurate)
but we shouldn't 'fall off a cliff'.

[FAH1223]

I kind of had a feeling he was done when he fell and hopped to the locker room.

Hopefully he gets the surgery and rehabs the right way and comes back fresh next year..

Now Grunfeld has a major injury excuse to stay on for another 2-3 seasons. Great..

[nuposse04]

while recognizing our record with/without Nene, until the NOP game, he really
hadn't been playing all that well, lately. Don't like losing him (we'll see for how long,
the story quoted still doesn't seem that well sourced to me, but maybe it's accurate)
but we shouldn't 'fall off a cliff'.

Even when he isn't shooting well, he does a lot of other little things well. He is very good on the defensive end (easily our best defensive big) and still isn't a black hole. I don't know how much spacing we lose with him as oppose to Booker and Seraphin but we should be analogous on the boards. Effort should be better too, competency....eh we'll have to see.

I don't think we'll fall off the face of the earth without him, but hopes of homecourt are going to be very arduous unless preseason Beal makes an appearance.

[Sluggerface]

Nene does a lot to irritate me on the court but his loss is big. That being said, I think the expectation we fall off a cliff is exxagerated. Beal has been out a lot of the games that Nene has missed so I wouldn't think we'd be 1-6 had Beal played the games Nene missed this year. This is also an opportunity to see what this team looks like if we run a ton of pick & roll with Gortat, go small, and spread the floor with shooters. Will Wittman do it? Who knows.

There are a lot of factors that go into that 1-6 record. 3 of those games came against MIA, IND, and LAC, and Gortat was on an uphill climb getting used to the team's defensive schemes.

[miller31time]

Happiest man on the planet right now? - Ernie Grunfeld

I think he was sweating a little bit as the Wizards were on the verge of just sneaking into the playoffs and getting crushed in the 1st round (or possibly missing the playoffs all together) with basically 100% health all season long.

But now, the glorious injury excuse has presented itself. He's golden, no matter what happens.

We somehow play respectable basketball the rest of the season and finish with the 5th or 6th seed? = "This is a great team we have here in Washington and we'd be even better if Nene was healthy and playing. I can't wait until next season when we have a healthy roster."

We predictably play much worse and either get the 7th or 8th seed or fall out of the playoffs completely? = "You just can't plan for injuries, especially to players as good as Nene. But the core of this team is strong. With a healthy roster next year, we'll get to see just how good this team can actually be!"

[Zonkerbl]

Happiest man on the planet right now? - Ernie Grunfeld

I think he was sweating a little bit as the Wizards were on the verge of just sneaking into the playoffs and getting crushed in the 1st round (or possibly missing the playoffs all together) with basically 100% health all season long.

But now, the glorious injury excuse has presented itself. He's golden, no matter what happens.

We somehow play respectable basketball the rest of the season and finish with the 5th or 6th seed? = "This is a great team we have here in Washington and we'd be even better if Nene was healthy and playing. I can't wait until next season when we have a healthy roster."

We predictably play much worse and either get the 7th or 8th seed or fall out of the playoffs completely? = "You just can't plan for injuries, especially to players as good as Nene. But the core of this team is strong. With a healthy roster next year, we'll get to see just how good this team can actually be!"

LA LA LAAAAAAA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!!!!!

[manifested]

Happiest man on the planet right now? - Ernie Grunfeld

I think he was sweating a little bit as the Wizards were on the verge of just sneaking into the playoffs and getting crushed in the 1st round (or possibly missing the playoffs all together) with basically 100% health all season long.

But now, the glorious injury excuse has presented itself. He's golden, no matter what happens.

We somehow play respectable basketball the rest of the season and finish with the 5th or 6th seed? = "This is a great team we have here in Washington and we'd be even better if Nene was healthy and playing. I can't wait until next season when we have a healthy roster."

We predictably play much worse and either get the 7th or 8th seed or fall out of the playoffs completely? = "You just can't plan for injuries, especially to players as good as Nene. But the core of this team is strong. With a healthy roster next year, we'll get to see just how good this team can actually be!"

The one thing about an injury to Nene is that it lays out the draft failures for all to see. The backups at PF are/were Booker, Seraphin, Vesely, Singleton. Booker will probably start and be competent. Vesely's gone now but Seraphin/Singleton will get exposed trying to soak up Nene's minutes.

I really hope Leonsis doesn't buy the injury excuse. 4 first round picks in 3 years has yielded one solid NBA bench player.

[JWizmentality]

I sense an Atlanta like free fall on the horizon. This is where coaching shines. OKC loses westbrook and they go on a 13GM win streak. San Antonio could field a freakin girl scout team and win. Miami loses Lebron and they win.

Let's see how creative Wittman can...lol lol...sorry I can't type that with a straight face. Lmao!

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[Dark Faze]

If it's a torn ligament we may never see him come back for a significant amount of games for the remainder of his contract.

He's had so many injury woes that I suspect it will take him a year and a half to even look serviceable after that kind of injury.

So we're basically screwed