All that Glitters...

Shorter BF reaction to 2009 NBA Draft:

I come not to bury the Washington Wizards, but to praise them; for if we've learned anything about our current group it's that anything is possible. Quite simply, we have the most unorthadox, surreal, outside-the-box team in the NBA right now.

It's not a curse. The Clippers are cursed. With us, it's more "organized chaos."

First things first: the chances of Rubio coming here were slim. If anyone needed to draft an exciting player, it was Memphis. If any team needed to draft a game-changing PG, it was Oklahoma or Sacramento. Don't believe the after-hype: everybody and their grandmother had Rubio going no later than fourth. Oh, and check this out: Rubio's dad and Kevin Love both say Rubio's staying in Spain; so we essentially got two decent backcourt players for some European postcards.

And that leads me to our roster: no matter what anyone says, this team runs with an engine named Gilbert Arenas. Players imitate their leader; do people really think things like this were inspired by hanging around Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison? That being said, we needed insurance in case Arenas couldn't make it through a full season and the team of Mike James & Javaris Crittenton wasn't going to cut it. So why not acquire a combo guard and a player who can play (and score) from the wing to keep teams honest?

Yes we're guard-heavy. But honestly, those who have a problem with that either (a) didn't realize what we gave up or (b) really don't like our current options. What we gave up was a passionate poet who's undersized for the center position, a tough-minded PF who "couldn't jump over a newspaper," and a 7'0" shooting guard who, over time, decided that rebounding and passing were cutting into his shooting drills. Our current options include the team's best defensive player (and arguably one of the franchises best ten centers), an undersize PF who can literally score from every spot on the floor, an immature PF who (under proper guidence) could be the next Theo Ratcliff, and a lanky, court running, slam-dunking center who is just starting to bulk up.

Personally, I was looking to shore up our SF spot (it was looking rather sickly). With the Minnesota trade, we are four deep there (Last Man Standing, Taser, Tough Juice and  2XM).

So go ahead and argue that we should trade Stevenson (or James) and one of the kids for a flagpole Power Forward; in April you'll be wondering why Howard and Shaq are dropping 25-and-12 on us while Haywood always seems to be on the bench in the third quarter with his fifth foul. Me? If we can't get a bruiser ala Boozer, it's ain't worth it.

Speaking of "worth it," wouldn't it be cool if Ernie Grunfeld used some of that cash to help parlay an actual PF? I mean a guy who's at least 6'8" & a half, 245 lbs, and likes to benchpress VWs? Someone  around the basket who would allow a Brendan Haywood patented "Hey, every North Carolina Player can do a fadeaway...watch!" jumper or McGee to contest every shot without us screaming, "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?"

As for our division...Orlando's too busy with their NBA arms race with Cleveland to be bothered with us...the Hawks aren't scary at all...Dwayne Wade aside, the Heat seem more preoccupied with being in a Boyz II Men video...and as for the 'Cats: MJ's trying to buy them. 'Nuff said.

Now if the sour reaction is a way to get everyone else to have low expectations about the Wizards, ignore everything I just wrote.