Davis Bertans "the Latvian Laser"

[Kanyewest]

He has that kyle krover type of game, other then running around to get open. He has a sweet stroke from 3. Could of used him in the game 7 vs Boston a few years ago.

Wizards had Bojan in 2017 and he only took 2 shots in game 7.

Sometimes those money from downtown textbook stroke guys (Mike Miller) play disappearing acts. Very frustrating at crunch time.

Interestingly enough Bojan only had 3 points in game 7 with the Pacers/Cavs but at least he took 9 shots .

[doclinkin]

We keep penciling Bertans in as a Power Forward but if you look at hiis game in FIBA play he's a face-up outside player all the way.

Watch on YouTube

our rebounding remains a problem no matter what but if we can play him as a giant guard or a wing player then we might see better use out of him instead off calling him a 4 just because he is tall. He's a forward if Kyle Korver and Durant are forwards, but his game is motion, outside shooting, and killing 'em from range.

[Ruzious]

We keep penciling Bertans in as a Power Forward but if you look at hiis game in FIBA play he's a face-up outside player all the way.

Watch on YouTube

our rebounding remains a problem no matter what but if we can play him as a giant guard or a wing player then we might see better use out of him instead off calling him a 4 just because he is tall. He's a forward if Kyle Korver and Durant are forwards, but his game is motion, outside shooting, and killing 'em from range.

He does a nice job of creating space for his 3's for a big guy. I think he'll be somewhat positionless, but Rui's the only other PF on the team, so he'll probably be technically at the 4 mostly. He'll be out there playing 30 plus minutes a game, because that stretch the floor shot makes everyone else's job easier. He might even play some stretch 5 in crunch time.

[closg00]

We keep penciling Bertans in as a Power Forward but if you look at hiis game in FIBA play he's a face-up outside player all the way.

Watch on YouTube

our rebounding remains a problem no matter what but if we can play him as a giant guard or a wing player then we might see better use out of him instead off calling him a 4 just because he is tall. He's a forward if Kyle Korver and Durant are forwards, but his game is motion, outside shooting, and killing 'em from range.

You're an evil man, I've just been infused with a delusional fantasy where the Wizards snipe their way to the 8th seed with Brad, Bertan & Mo and just raining 3's from everywhere....then I woke up.

[doclinkin]

You're an evil man, I've just been infused with a delusional fantasy where the Wizards snipe their way to the 8th seed with Brad, Bertan & Mo and just raining 3's from everywhere....then I woke up.

Doubtful about Wagner. But maybe he finds his range. And never know in the East. It always seems like some team surprises and falls flat. And our defense and rebounding figure to be a problem.

But. Yeah. We are built to attack from outside. Bertans opens up a lot. Bryant has displayed good range on a catch and shoot. Hibachimura hit a pull up three in Summer play. I talked about it in another thread but:

Beal scores on 55% of his drives. And has seemingly found his range outside.

Bertans hit 42% from outside with mousetrap quick release after motion on the catch and shoot.

Hachimura hit 60% from the midrange and in. Even when tightly guarded. Showing advanced moves for a college player. And on few rare shots a game still hit a decent clip from NCAA three.

Thomas Bryant hit over 80% on dunks. Scored at a ridiculously efficient clip on the few shots a game he was fed. And his 33% from outside is the same as 50% in lay ups.

All you need then is a point guard or smart passing glue guy to find the open man. John Wall on the drive and kick. Troy Brown as a point forward when Brad drops off the ball and goes in motion. Maybe Bonga if he develops quickly. There are plays and sets and inbounds tricks you can diagram for this crew.

We just have nothing much yet behind them. Prospects and developing players and untested rookies and question marks.

Should be interesting.

[Ruzious]

Might as well get this out of my head, because I keep humming it every time I see this thread's title. Ahem, clearing my throat... oh more flegm than I thought - pardons, sung to the tune of "Lonesome Loser":

Have you heard about the Latvian Laser?
Beaten by the quick forwards every time.
Have you heard about the Latvian Laser?
He's a shooter and he still keeps on firin'.

Sit down, take a look at this team.
Don't you want it to be somebody?
Some day somebody's gonna post up inside.
You have to face up, you can't pick and ro-o-oll.

Have you heard... what? That's all I got. I ain't no stinking song writer.

[payitforward]

Bertans is just a guy filling a slot for a year. That's all. He was available free for the simple reason that SA made 3 terrific draft choices. They are at 15 players without Weatherspoon.

Talk about rebuilding on the fly. SA has 9 good young players for a total of just over $25m. They have several seasons of control over most of them.

DeRozan & Aldridge will be gone next year. I won't be surprised to see Rudy Gay traded to an EC contender at the deadline this year. That FO is full of geniuses!

[Ruzious]

Bertans is just a guy filling a slot for a year. That's all. He was available free for the simple reason that SA made 3 terrific draft choices. They are at 15 players without Weatherspoon.

Talk about rebuilding on the fly. SA has 9 good young players for a total of just over $25m. They have several seasons of control over most of them.

DeRozan & Aldridge will be gone next year. I won't be surprised to see Rudy Gay traded to an EC contender at the deadline this year. That FO is full of geniuses!

Yeah, I think Milwaukee will try to make a run at Rudy.

[doclinkin]

Bertans is just a guy filling a slot for a year. That's all.

I don't think so. Given that we seem to be loading up on perimeter shooting Bigs, and considering that Beal was involved in all their decision making, I get the feeling there is an institutional decision being made on how they want to play.

They added face-up Big Hachimura in the draft.
Traded low post C Howard for perimeter forward Miles in a veteran swap.
Got in on a trade for Bertans.
Added Moritz Wagner who they had been tracking for a long time.
And renewed their young C with 3pt range.

Aside from ball handling guards (and wildcard Jemerrio Jones) face-up Bigs are all they landed this summer. That speaks to a vision they are trying to shape for this franchise. And aside from Bryant, Bertans is the best of the bunch.

The thing is with all of Tommy's European and FIBA scouting I get the sense he is trying to recreate some of that FIBA/Olympic style stateside. I would not be surprised if his first coaching selection would be from the European ranks. Even Johnny Rogers has international scouting experience. There is something going on here that has not been articulated but of which Bertans is a signal.

For sure having better spacing will preserve Beals career and make his drives inside even more successful. Ditto John Wall. And it increases the utility of a guy like Troy Brown even. I'm curious to see how it plays out. There is no institutional emphasis on rebounding for instance. Or defense. Space and secondary ballhandlers seemed to be the thing the team decided it needs most. Why....

[payitforward]

Doc, there's no way for me to agree or disagree with your analysis above, as it's entirely speculative. That doesn't mean it's wrong of course. But you're not really citing evidence, you're interpreting events in a way that supports your idea.

To take a single example, interpreting C.J. Miles as an asset added to build the team in a certain direction is pretty arbitrary. He is an expiring veteran on his last stop in the league, acquiring whom allowed us to move Howard -- period.

Bertans & Hachimura are such utterly different players that it is arbitrary to yoke them together as evidence of the same thing. Worse yet, to me, would be if we really had acquired Davis Bertans as some kind of key piece of our future. That would really give me pause!

Still, you may be right -- of course! But, really, I'd say what we've mostly done is get rid of most of our players from last year. We're cleaning up Ernie's mistakes. We're acquiring young guys to assess in as large numbers as possible: 10 of them this Summer, I think.

1-year rent-a-vet types aren't evidence of anything. In fact, if I thought we really had already decided what kind of offensive team we were going to be, I'd be less than optimistic to say the least. Get the best possible players you can & build what you do around those guys & what they do best!

[closg00]

Bertans is just a guy filling a slot for a year. That's all. He was available free for the simple reason that SA made 3 terrific draft choices. They are at 15 players without Weatherspoon.

Talk about rebuilding on the fly. SA has 9 good young players for a total of just over $25m. They have several seasons of control over most of them.

DeRozan & Aldridge will be gone next year. I won't be surprised to see Rudy Gay traded to an EC contender at the deadline this year. That FO is full of geniuses!

I read (sorry no link now) that SA moved Bertans to make room from Morris, then they got burned, now they have neither

[doclinkin]

Doc, there's no way for me to agree or disagree with your analysis above, as it's entirely speculative. That doesn't mean it's wrong of course. But you're not really citing evidence, you're interpreting events in a way that supports your idea.

To take a single example, interpreting C.J. Miles as an asset added to build the team in a certain direction is pretty arbitrary. He is an expiring veteran on his last stop in the league, acquiring whom allowed us to move Howard -- period.

Bertans & Hachimura are such utterly different players that it is arbitrary to yoke them together as evidence of the same thing. Worse yet, to me, would be if we really had acquired Davis Bertans as some kind of key piece of our future. That would really give me pause!

Still, you may be right -- of course! But, really, I'd say what we've mostly done is get rid of most of our players from last year. We're cleaning up Ernie's mistakes. We're acquiring young guys to assess in as large numbers as possible: 10 of them this Summer, I think.

1-year rent-a-vet types aren't evidence of anything. In fact, if I thought we really had already decided what kind of offensive team we were going to be, I'd be less than optimistic to say the least. Get the best possible players you can & build what you do around those guys & what they do best!

The team is been talking about vision for the future. They have been in consultation with Bradley Beal on the direction of the franchise. And with Brooks on fit with the team. This is from public statements they have made.

They added nothing in the areas that the wizards were most deficient. Rebounding and defense. Despite the fact that those skills were available in the draft and in free agency.

Most of the players they have added have FIBA experience. Three played for their national teams in qualifiers. CJ Miles killed this team with outside shooting. And the team said they’ve had their eye on him for a while. Both Bertans and Hachimura played for their national teams. Both played a face-up perimeter game in FIBA play. Don’t take my word for it. The FIBA qualifier games are still available as links online. Bertans plays differently for Latvia than the limited role he played for San Antonio. Ditto Hachimura for Japan compared to how he played for Mark Few.

If you think the moves made by the team were simply the best available players you’re deliberately deluding yourself.

Whether or not we retain Bertans long term, to anybody watching Tommy clearly is trying to shape the team beyond simply getting the best available players. There’s an offensive emphasis on space and ball handling in every player they picked up except Jones. And he’s the one that you yourself are most worried we will lose.

You honestly think Tommy is randomly selecting players and all these moves were done by accident? I’d be more concerned about that. You and I would have taken the rebounding player ahead of the flashy scorer. But. If they have a plan at all, especially with some analysis and vision behind it, it’s a switch from the last guy who did exactly as you say: took the best player in his own judgement, irrespective of any vision or concept.

[doclinkin]

I know you box yourself into a corner with logical arguments. And you disallow imagination as a tool with predictive use. However. If you let go of that high school debate team for a minute and let that teacher who impressed you so much turn his head. Allow yourself to wonder: if these moves were intentional, why? What sort of team is this front office trying to build?

A defensive juggernaut?

A dribble drive motion offense like the Calipari system with four out and one big moved to the weak side baseline?

A ball control halfcourt offense?

It seems to me Sheppard is setting up a three-and-drive efficiency offense. A Houston-lite squad. Where defensive considerations are secondary to the ability to outscore opponents with high efficiency. Hachimura was one of the most efficient scorers in the game from wherever he released his shot. Guarded or not. That seems to be the emphasis.

You can say “we can’t know”. But guess. If this team is being intentionally built. Why did they add the players they did.

Four. Four FIBA players. I forgot that Wagner didn’t play for Germany. But Bonga did.

[payitforward]

The team is been talking about vision for the future. They have been in consultation with Bradley Beal on the direction of the franchise. And with Brooks on fit with the team. This is from public statements they have made.

They added nothing in the areas that the wizards were most deficient. Rebounding and defense. Despite the fact that those skills were available in the draft and in free agency.

Most of the players they have added have FIBA experience. Three played for their national teams in qualifiers. CJ Miles killed this team with outside shooting. And the team said they’ve had their eye on him for a while. Both Bertans and Hachimura played for their national teams. Both played a face-up perimeter game in FIBA play. Don’t take my word for it. The FIBA qualifier games are still available as links online. Bertans plays differently for Latvia than the limited role he played for San Antonio. Ditto Hachimura for Japan compared to how he played for Mark Few.

If you think the moves made by the team were simply the best available players you’re deliberately deluding yourself.

Whether or not we retain Bertans long term, to anybody watching Tommy clearly is trying to shape the team beyond simply getting the best available players. There’s an offensive emphasis on space and ball handling in every player they picked up except Jones. And he’s the one that you yourself are most worried we will lose.

You honestly think Tommy is randomly selecting players and all these moves were done by accident? I’d be more concerned about that. You and I would have taken the rebounding player ahead of the flashy scorer. But. If they have a plan at all, especially with some analysis and vision behind it, it’s a switch from the last guy who did exactly as you say: took the best player in his own judgement, irrespective of any vision or concept.

As I said, doc, you may well be right. But, I could give you a narrative for every one of those moves that was altogether different & also made sense on its own terms. Wouldn't mean I was right either.

As to "rebounding and defense," I can't believe you leave out my man Jemerrio Jones in that context!!

The problem with the previous guy wasn't that he took the BPA, but that he didn't do that!

I didn't say Tommy picked guys at random, doc, obviously not. & every team in the league values spacing and ball-handling. For sure we do too. But, if you're saying he looked away from better players to pick guys who fit a particular vision of team emphases, I can't agree that either the expiring, career-end C.J. Miles or the had-to-be-traded Davis Bertans were targets out of the pursuit of that vision. I think of both of those cases precisely as examples of BPA in context. In effect, we're paying Miles $3.5m to be the adult in the locker room, as otherwise we'd have had to cut/pay Howard. & Bertans is a competent veteran whom it cost us nothing whatever to acquire & whose salary is modest enough that we can stay under the tax.

Still... what would be a conclusive proof of either POV? For that matter, they might both be right! I.e. it's perfectly possible that Tommy didn't have to look away from BPA-for-how-much-he-costs to assemble this first post Ernie roster. &, if "space and ball handling" are what they do best, then obviously that's how we'll play this year: we're not going to ask Davis Bertans to play an inside game!

Whatever -- most importantly, it's been fun to watch so far, it's great to feel we're on the move, it's gratifying that we are NOT going all out to get to the 8th spot in the East. All good as I'm sure we agree.

[payitforward]

...It seems to me Sheppard is setting up a three-and-drive efficiency offense. A Houston-lite squad. Where defensive considerations are secondary to the ability to outscore opponents with high efficiency. Hachimura was one of the most efficient scorers in the game from wherever he released his shot. Guarded or not. That seems to be the emphasis.

You can say “we can’t know”. But guess. If this team is being intentionally built. Why did they add the players they did.

Four. Four FIBA players....

I think I've already responded to this. To me at least it seems a little early to be making those kinds of decisions; plus, I wouldn't necessarily interpret the moves we've made this Summer in quite the way you do.

Still, as I've said, you may be right. We'll see.

[prime1time]

I think it's way too premature to talk about how this team is going to be built. This is just an interim phase. You can't judge a painting half way through. With that being said, I like Bertans. He's an elite 3-point shooter and he accepts his role. We'll have to hide him defensively though. His presence on the floor will make everyone better. I'd resign him.

[nate33]

I think it's way too premature to talk about how this team is going to be built. This is just an interim phase. You can't judge a painting half way through. With that being said, I like Bertans. He's an elite 3-point shooter and he accepts his role. We'll have to hide him defensively though. His presence on the floor will make everyone better. I'd resign him.

FWIW, Fivethirtyeight ranks Bertans as a plus defender.

[payitforward]

Glad to hear it, & I like Bertans. I was aware of him in the run up to the '11 draft & thought he'd be an NBA player. He's a tremendous shooter, an absolutely awful rebounder, & about average on everything else.

If you are playing an average NBA 4, then you take him out of the game & replace him with Davis Bertans, the result is that you get worse. Period.

Why, otherwise, do you think SA would want to replace him with one of the Morris twins? Why, otherwise, would you imagine that he was available to us for... nothing. Zip. Zero.

Bertans is "a guy filling a slot for a year." Not a bad guy to fill that slot; I have always liked him. But not a building block of the Wizards' future. Not an indication of Tommy's long term plan for the team. Any more than C.J. Miles is.

Doesn't mean Doc is wrong in what kind of team he thinks we'll become. Not at all. But, neither Bertans, nor the players we picked up from LA, nor Miles, nor signing IT for the veteran minimum, nor signing Ish Smith for 2 years -- none of these moves -- are any indication of that direction.

We came into this off-season with very few players, a high salary load for that number, no one we wanted to trade except guys who were more or less untradable, & very few other resources allowing us to acquire players. Thank you, Ernie Grunfeld.

For lack of anything better to do, we'd given Jordan McRae & Tarik Phillip un-guaranteed contracts -- so that we'd have a couple of guys! The Lakers trade was an absolute godsend for us: we acquired 3 low-cost guys & a R2 pick for absolutely nothing. A terrific piece of good luck. Do you actually think we were out trying to acquire those players? The fact that Tommy says "we were looking at Mo Wagner" last year... well, that's what you would expect him to say! Of course! But, if I thought Sheppard had initiated that trade in order to acquire Moritz Wagner, I'd have no confidence in him at all!

The Lakers had to get rid of those guys, & we were/are the perfect destination for someone else's excess. Thank you, Ernie Grunfeld.

I like Jemerrio Jones, I like Isaac Bonga, I like Davis Bertans (just don't fool myself about him). No problem. I like Rui Hachimura. I like Admiral Schofield (just don't fool myself that we got the most we could out of this draft). I like Troy Brown Jr. (just don't fool myself that we got the most we could out of last year's draft either).

For that matter, none of this means Bertans won't be here next year -- he'll be very cheap, so maybe he will. But he's here b/c he was avaiable for nothing & fills a slot. Isn't terrible. Etc.

If all goes well, Tommy's made a pretty good start to rebuilding the Washington Wizards.

[Gig18]

Bertans is just a guy filling a slot for a year. That's all. He was available free for the simple reason that SA made 3 terrific draft choices. They are at 15 players without Weatherspoon.

Talk about rebuilding on the fly. SA has 9 good young players for a total of just over $25m. They have several seasons of control over most of them.

DeRozan & Aldridge will be gone next year. I won't be surprised to see Rudy Gay traded to an EC contender at the deadline this year. That FO is full of geniuses!

A lot of people could have said the same thing last year about Thomas Bryant.
Let's see how Bertans plays ...

[doclinkin]

Glad to hear it, & I like Bertans. I was aware of him in the run up to the '11 draft & thought he'd be an NBA player. He's a tremendous shooter, an absolutely awful rebounder, & about average on everything else.

If you are playing an average NBA 4, then you take him out of the game & replace him with Davis Bertans, the result is that you get worse. Period.

Why, otherwise, do you think SA would want to replace him with one of the Morris twins? Why, otherwise, would you imagine that he was available to us for... nothing. Zip. Zero.

Because San Antonio has 12 players on their roster that are perimeter players. And you’re thinking of Bertans as a 4 not a 3. Here he will play that role. A face up perimeter player. A giant 2-guard. A top of the key Small Forward. Durant lite.

The Spurs have that guy four deep at all outside positions. They needed defense and extra fouls and veteran depth up front behind Aldridge considering they were losing an aging Pau. And the West is getting bigger. Well, the league is all over.

But if you look at his FIBA play, Davis is a perimeter player all the way. And if you notice, many of the players we picked up have FIBA experience. A front office puts their stamp on a team. If you were trading and drafting you would make your choice based on Rebounding first. You weight Offensive rebounds highly.

This team had opportunities to choose those players and bypassed them. Why? They have an analytics department. Tommy is a numbers guy. They talk about having a system for weighting players. Carefully choosing players based on their own internal calculus.

Now Unless you think they’re lying, or making bad choices, or simply passively selecting whatever was offered, you have to take them at their word. And if so ask yourself what is the common thread if any in each of the players they made an effort to acquire.

Our selections in the draft and in fee agency seem to be weighted towards TS%. That and ball handling are the two areas they chose to address.

Now you may not like the players they picked up. You may hope our front office is just filling slots. But you’re baffled that we didn’t make an effort to land Vonleh. Clarke. Or better rebounders with the Admiral selection.

CJ Miles, veteran perimeter forward. Bertans, perimeter forward with FIBA experience. Wagner, perimeter 4/5, played in the U19 FIBA leagues. Bryant, noted in drafting for his smooth comfortable outside stroke. Hachimura, they had their eye on him since before Gonzaga, in FIBA play he’s even more face up oriented.

Bertans is not a rebounder. He’s not a low post player at all, so you’re bound to be underwhelmed especially in your pet fetish stat of Offensive boards. In your metric he is “just a guy”.

But on this team, in year one of a deliberate rebuild, he is a starter for us. And that will definitely shape the team and how we play.

Stick your head in the sand all you want. But this team is being built around ranged gunning and efficient scoring. Outside scoring, with drive-and-kick guards.

Don’t argue with me about it if you have issue, email their analytics guy who is sending Ted 96 page long missives on the proper direction of the team.

Even Bryant, who Tommy stormed in and demanded Ernie acquired, had a strong record of efficient scoring as his primary skill in his resume. Not dominant rim defense and boardwork. Outside shooting. Catch and dunk in traffic. Good hands on the roll.

That is the team that this FO is trying to build. A team that can outgun opponents.

Unless of course there is no analysis whatsoever and they’re simply taking whatever the wind blows them as is your theory. Seems unlikely to me. But given that this team has emphasized analytics, take a look at the stats yourself and guess what sort of team you think they’re building. Make your case. Seems to me you’ll find that TS% number is the standout in the bigs they’re picking up. Look at college. Look at FIBA. See what I’m talking about. Challenge your own opinions. Guess their chess game.

FWIW you know me. I predicted teams would or ought to go big and heavy on defense and rebounding as a counter to the outside metagame. I’ve been banging on that for a year. That these players are undervalued. I wanted Vonleh mid season. I agree with your assessment on all but the value of NCAA offensive rebounds in draft assessment. This FO is working a different angle than me. Tommy May have his prejudices from all those years scouting the international game. He may be wrong.

But from everything I can see this is clearly deliberate. Theres a direction in how we are going to play this year. And with Wall as well,since they got a Wall Jr. in Ish Smith.