ESPN ranks teams future prospects and Wizards finish 24th?

Not sure if anyone caught this article on ESPN. I thought it was a pretty good piece. I was a little surprised at first but to be honest I can't argue with it really. Our roster is a mess of mismatched players and we still lack a top player who is above average at defense AND offense(essential for any good team IMO). Basically we are hoping for a Gasol like trade for any chance of being in Championship contention in the next few years. What are your guys thoughts on this? Prada can you either bump this fanshot or write an analysis of the piece?

about 2 years ago BayAreaBullet 10 comments 0 recs |

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I also thought the piece was pretty well done, though I still think 24 seems a little low. The Market rating of 19 was especially surprising though, I thought it was fairly well documented that many professional basketball players enjoy Washington, DC. Sure, we don’t have the cachet of a team like the Lakers, that’s obvious. But how many free agents would truly decide to play in Toronto over Washington?

Regardless, it’s interesting, and the basic takeaway that the Wizards in three years will likely not be a playoff-caliber team is tough to argue with.

by EverettCase on Nov 11, 2009 7:20 PM EST reply actions

yeah the market rating did surprise me a bit

but they make a good point about taxes, crappy weather, redskins domination of the market, and our teams historical crappyness. What players grew up dreaming of being a Bullet? I think the biggest thing I took away(probably cuz I agree) was that the Wizards are entering a time of dimishing returns with their second highest player getting older, 3 of the top 6 best players on the team being FA’s and our cap situation being so horrid. Our only chances for improvement or really just maintaining our current level is by overpaying all our FA’s and trading expiring contracts(which prolongs salary cap hell).

by BayAreaBullet on Nov 11, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions

I glanced at it during work, will read it more when I get a chance

From my very first glance, I think the analysis is fine. 24’s a bit low, but no way we should be in the top 15.

The problem with this whole exercise is that we literally have no idea what the NBA landscape will look like after 2010. Maybe all the stars go elsewhere. Maybe someone like Miami develops a super team. Maybe the Knicks get someone good. Maybe the Nets become a powerhouse. It’s just so difficult to predict the future. A lot of those teams ahead of the Wizards are going to have future problems because they’ll whiff in the 2010 free agency frenzy.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 11, 2009 8:06 PM EST reply actions

I think we do belong in the top 15

Our current record aside, being number 14 or 15 really wouldn’t be that much of a compliment. There are a lot of really bad teams in the NBA right now. We’ve got some growing pains with a new system, and we’ve got the injury bug, but none of those are long-term issues (yet). Top-15 would basically say to me that we’re going to be a playoff team every year in this study/survey/marketing gimmick. And that doesn’t seem too far fetched at all. (I think this was for the next 3 years)

Now, if you ask about the next 4-6 years, we’re screwed in terms of what we have right now. Above-average front office. Great coaching. Gilbert Arenas past his prime. Caron Butler in/going past his prime. Antawn Jamison retired (probably). We’re pretty weak on young talent right now. That’s cool if we can figure out a way to make an ECF run in the next couple of years, but we’d better start building for the future asap.

"One-on-one? You can't." -Gilbert Arenas
JC Bandwagon all day!

by kseandoyle on Nov 12, 2009 2:43 PM EST up reply actions

it wasn't so much a prediction of record

as an evaluation of a teams resources and salary cap. We will probably have a top 15 record the next few years but there are alot of teams that have more options and resources to improve while ours is limited. Hence why Portland is ranked higher than the lakers but aren’t gonna be better than them the next year or 2.

by BayAreaBullet on Nov 12, 2009 2:57 PM EST up reply actions

That is all I thought about when I read this article

It’s just so difficult to predict the future. A lot of those teams ahead of the Wizards are going to have future problems because they’ll whiff in the 2010 free agency frenzy.

by ccrun1800 on Nov 12, 2009 1:44 AM EST reply actions

well it was an analysis of a team's cap situation, management and market

not a projection of future success. It doesn’t take much projection to analyze a teams salary cap situation and their management/market.

by BayAreaBullet on Nov 12, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

24th worst = 7th best?

by yop32 on Nov 12, 2009 10:25 AM EST reply actions

thanks brain fart

I fixed the title.

by BayAreaBullet on Nov 12, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions

we are hoping for a Gasol like trade for any chance of being in Championship contention

I read statements like this and it makes me want to pull up my old posts talking about how if this team ever wants to succeed we need to package antwan jamison, his old expiring contract, and maybe even caron butler to memphis for gasol and miller… but im better than playing told-you-so games… so I wont

by dt3 on Nov 16, 2009 3:51 PM EST reply actions