Mike Jones (who?) wants you to chill on the JaVale McGee trade rumors

"I have it on very good authority that there is no truth to this whatsoever. Perhaps OKC has interest in McGee, which would make sense, but that doesn't mean the teams have had discussions. Often, I'm told, teams will throw rumors out there to get counterparts to nibble, thus starting up some discussions.

The Wizards are very happy with McGee and believe he will blossom into a multiple All-Star. Trading McGee would also put the Wizards on the market for another center of the future and backup to Brendan Haywood, because Etan Thomas is injury prone and has an expiring contract the Wizards would like to move.

II'm also hearing that the Wizards aren't at all interested in James Harden, believing that the Arizona State guard lacks the expolosiveness, athleticism and ball-handling skills that they're looking for."

over 2 years ago Kyle Weidie 24 comments 0 recs |

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Read More: javale mcgee, mike jones, rumor, trade

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They don't like Harden?

That would be typical Ernie, going for athletes rather than basketball players.

(groan)

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

by Mike Prada on May 22, 2009 12:06 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe it was his crappy NCAA tournament play too.

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on May 22, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions

That Would Also Nix Any DeJuan Blair Dreams

That would be typical Ernie, going for athletes rather than basketball players.

Blair supposedly does not have good hops and therefore plays beneath the rim. So despite being so dominant, it looks likely Ernie would not want him either. Bummer.

Which leads us to Plan B:

What WILL the Wizards do? Hard to say, but I believe they’ll definitely try to trade the pick. For who and in exchange for whom remains to be seen.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on May 22, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Any team the Wiz talk to about anything

is going to ask about mcgee

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on May 22, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions

True that.

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on May 22, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

This is good news

but not surprising. Does anyone really think Ernie would give up on his 1st rounder from last year just to possibly end up with only Thabeet, in the process losing the 5th pick also? Ernie makes mistakes sometimes, but trading McGee just to move up 2 slots would be a mistake of the highest magnitude.

As for not liking Harden, A) we have to believe that this isn’t just a smokescreen (though I suppose NBA teams probably don’t want to spread bad rumors about players they actually like, given that they want the player to want to play for them), and B) even if true, it’s not like Harden is that great of a player. There are so many candidates for the 5th pick that it’s a little too early to read much into Ernie not liking a certain player.

That said, PLEASE do NOT draft another project. Either move up or move back if you can’t get a player that will contribute 15-20 minutes THIS year.

Getting buckets since 2003.

by Icantfeelmyface on May 22, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Not surprising

That Ernie would deny rumors that he’s “talking” to ANYBODY.

That still doesn’t mean that the rumor isn’t true.

and 2: Ernie is not stupid enough to make the proposed trade NOW… when there’s no way to guarantee he gets the guy he wants (Rubio)…. If there is talk about a trade, it won’t happen until after the Grizzlies pick Thabeet…. THEN the Commissioner would say “we have a trade”….

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by Rook6980 on May 22, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

But

Does it really make sense for us to trade away JaVale McGee after the potential he showed?

I agree with the statement someone made that he would have been a top 3 pick had he stayed in school this year… so we’d be trading away one of the most athletic players at the most difficult position to find a good player… for someone who hasn’t played in the NBA yet? It doesn’t make sense to me.

Dear Diary, JACKPOT!!!!!!!!!!

by Evander holyfield on May 22, 2009 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Wonderful

Great news here.

They like JaVale and want to keep him.

They don’t like Harden…. I’ve watched about 9 ASU games throughout the year, and I STILL don’t get why people are huge on Harden. I don’t think he’s going to be that good. – Especially in his first year, and as EG has told us, the time to win is NOW.

As far as immediate impact goes, this is a one-man draft. Let’s package this pick, which was our original plan months back, and move the hell on.

by se7en on May 22, 2009 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

I find it believable that the Wizards wouldn’t want to trade McGee and their pick for Rubio (no way that trade is made unless Rubio is guaranteed). But a lot of what we hear between now and the actual draft we should take with a grain of salt – whether that’s the original trade rumor or Mike Jones’s rebuttal.

In any case, I certainly can’t wait to find out what Ernie has up his sleeve. The draft is next week right? (kidding)

by Johnnie Futbol on May 22, 2009 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

Folks, I should make this more clear

My objection is not in that they don’t like Harden. It’s the reasons they don’t like Harden. It’s that they don’t like him because he’s not athletic or explosive. Those are mostly non-basketball skills. (To their credit, MJ did say “ball-handling,” which is odd because that’s the major praise for him).

I just worry we’re not picking with fit in mind.

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

by Mike Prada on May 22, 2009 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Ball handling

Harden is a very good ball handler, going left…. going right, it’s a different story.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on May 22, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

I also don’t like this. It is not because they don’t like Harden, because I don’t like him either. But I don’t like him because I don’t think he’ll be any good, not because he’s not athletic. I worry now that they won’t take other players who aren’t very athletic, but have proven they can ball (bye-bye DeJuan Blair). Instead, we can look forward to another hit or miss athletic project (Jordan Hill perhaps?) and hope that Ernie can hit again.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on May 22, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup, exactly

Summed up my concerns perfectly.

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

by Mike Prada on May 22, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

It's OK to have concerns....

. . . but let’s cut EG some slack. He knows that regardless of the numbers a player has put up in college, athleticsim is essential in a high draft pick Gurnfeld himself is a case in point. He put up better numbers at Tennessee than Bernard King (in fact he held the Vols all time scoring mark until Allan Houston surpassed it). The more athletic King went 7th and went on to an (eventually not selected yet) Hall of Fame career. Ernie was picked 11th and played creditably for many years in the NBA but never approached King’s level.

If it is possible to trade McGee and the 5 up for Rubio (and no one else) I think you have to consider the deal seriously. Otherwise trade down into a DeJuan Blair or Stephen Curry.

by khrabb on May 22, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Why I Don't Buy That Argument

He knows that regardless of the numbers a player has put up in college, athleticsim is essential in a high draft pick…

Yes, it is true that a lot of players who are dominant in college cannot bring that success into the NBA. But there is a whole lot more to this phenomenon than athleticism. You have to take into account many factors, and you have to focus on some statistics while disregarding others.

For one thing, analysis into what statistics can reliably translate from college to the NBA tells us that rebounding success is such a statistic. Players who have a knack for getting boards in college tend to have a knack for getting boards in the NBA, regardless of athleticism. Does lack of athleticism keep Kevin Love off the boards (2nd in NBA Total Rebounding %)? What about Troy Murphy (4th in NBA Total Rebounding %)?

Then there is the other side of the coin, judging a player solely by his athleticism. The league has chewed and spit out many great athletes because they never learned to be great or even good basketball players. Granted, Ernie’s track record in the draft has been pretty solid, but I worry every time he picks an athletic project that that player will turn out more like Marcus Haislip than like JaVale McGee.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on May 22, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions

If Ernie doesn't like Harden

What does he think about Songalia?

by disgrunted on May 22, 2009 2:25 PM EDT reply actions

And did Grunfeld not push so hard to resign Roger Mason because he too is not explosive, especially athletic, etc.?

by disgrunted on May 22, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions

those are some good points

But let’s not jump the gun on Ernie. In truth we really don’t know what he thinks about Harden.

by Johnnie Futbol on May 22, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know why he would let it slip that he dislikes him

It’s in Ernie’s best interest to hype all of the players up so that his pick is worth more. If I were in his place, I wouldn’t leave the house without wearing a Derozan, Harden, or Hill jersey.

by pantslessyoda1 on May 22, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

well we don't really know he let it slip

And arguably Grunfeld could say that to discourage anyone else from taking Harden.

I just don’t think we should take much stock in these rumors.

by Johnnie Futbol on May 22, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Taking it out of context

He never said that Ernie doesnt want anybody on the team thats not explosive and athletic. He’s just saying that if they pick up somebody in the draft they want them to be explosive, athletic, and a good ball-handler. Its impossible for everybody on their roster to be like that so you are taking it way out of context.

by lj15 on May 22, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes I think that's the point...

Athleticism isn’t the criterion for playing on an NBA team (I love Songaila’s game!) but I think it is a rational criterion for a high pick. Troy Murphy is a very good player but he was not a #5 pick, he was a #14. Kevin Love was a #5 pick but considering that Danillo Gallinari was #6… eh?

by khrabb on May 22, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I dont even think it needs to be taken that deep

Not liking a shooting guard because he’s not athletic is COMPLETELY different than not liking a big post player because he’s not athletic. At least IMO.

'he nails an open three from the corner....just like you and me, this one was made by penetration' - Truthaboutit - Round 1 Game 5 Recap

by KD Drummond on May 22, 2009 11:14 PM EDT reply actions