The Case for Rasho Nesterovic
by Jake Whitacre on Jun 30, 2009 11:08 AM EDT
in Free Agency
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If I've learned anything over the last few months, it's that a off-season rumor's sexiness is inversely proportional to its likelihood of actually happening. If you don't believe me, look no further than our most recent trade. Players like Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobili, and Jason Terry were all floated as players who could come to Washington in exchange for the #5 pick and other assets. Yet at the end of the day, we ended up with Randy Foye and Mike Miller. It's a trade that makes the team better, but it lacks the buzz that landing one of those players would have brought. But if we were truly honest with ourselves, I think that we would admit that those trades were more pipe dream than anything else.
We should look at this year's free agency crop the same way. We already know that the super pipe dreams (Paul Millsap, David Lee, Carlos Boozer, etc.) are out of the picture because they'll get much more than the mid-level exception on the open market. Keeping that in mind, the players that have been bounced around the most as potential targets in free-agency are Marcin Gortat and Zaza Pachulia. Again, both of those guys are nice players, but I think they both fall under the category of pipe dreams since Abe probably doesn't want to pony up most or all of the MLE on a backup big man.
Once you take those guys out of the equation, you're left with a smattering of veteran and D-League players who can come in and fill out the team's front court rotation. As you can tell from the title, there's one player that stands out to me more than anyone else: Rasho Nesterovic. Here's my reasoning:
- He can defend other centers: Without Haywood in the lineup last year, centers pounded away last season. His return will help with that, but having another big who can slow the big guys down wouldn't hurt. At 7 ft. tall and 248 lbs., Rasho has a little more bulk than McGee and Blatche, which would come in handy when Brendan needs a breather and the Wizards are going up against the bigger centers in the league. Opposing centers has a PER of 16.5 against him last season, compared with 18.3 for Andray and 23.3 for JaVale McGee.
- He can take on some of Darius Songaia's roles: Aside from his grit and Songaila was valuable because he was a big that could stretch the floor by knocking down open shots off the pick and pop and he was a solid passer. Rasho's jumper isn't quite as automatic as Songaila's, but it's good enough to make opposing teams respect it and he averaged more assists per 36 than Darius.
- Familiarity with Flip Saunders: Rasho spent his first five seasons in the NBA in Minnesota with Flip Saunders where he became a very dependable sidekick alongside Kevin Garnett. As Flip begins his first season in Washington, it would probably be a good idea to have someone on the roster who already knows the system. Not only does that mean he'll have one less player to teach the system to, but it also in effect gives him another assistant who can teach guys like McGee and Blatche the little nuances of Flip's offensive and defensive sets.
Signing Rasho Nesterovic won't bring in the headlines that signing Paul Millsap or Marcin Gortat would, but he's a more realistic option who could help out for a decent price. It's not a sexy move, but he fits the team's needs and direction. Don't be shocked if you see him in Washington next season.
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I am in
Especially for a 1-year deal. The Wiz really can’t take on any more contracts, unless the they are will to pay a bigger tax penalty or let miller or Foye or Haywood walk.
by Blatche4MVP on Jun 30, 2009 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
No Thanks
He’s 33 and would probably rather return to Europe.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.
common we could sign him to a 1 year deal … i know shaq will say somthing about his name Shagavich Nesterovic they will get a nice little rivary going lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0qCnDmEMEE&feature=related
he dose have some of songalias game
Rasho would be a solid 1-year signing...
A bigger, stronger Darius… you are right he does not have quite the 15-18 ft. accuracy, but as I recall he is a very high FG percentage guy, which means he takes advantage of the opportunities he gets. I believe his repetoire includes a pretty nice short hook shot which he has the height to loft easily over most opponents.
So, if the deal goes down. we will have to switch our loyalties from Lithuania and the Ukraine to Slovenia… which is a MUCH nicer place to visit. Ljubljana is a lovely city and the lakes and mountains are quite beatiful.
I would not worry about him being 33 either. Heck, Vlade Divac came from Serbia (a few miles south of Slovenia, both were once part of Yugoslavia) and he was just hitting his stride at 33.
If we pick up Rasho and a D-leaguer or end of bencher like Foyle so be it… But if the purse strings open wider… Rasho AND Zaza or Gortat would increase our beef quotient to scary heights.
I agree
Nesterovic has been solid for awhile, though like Truth his age makes me a little wary.
Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, now with more draft coverage.
Of course ... I like Jeff Foster too
and he’s only about 7.5 months younger than Rasho.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.
foster would be great
is he available?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jun 30, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
He's NOT a Free Agent - if that's what you're asking...
He is owed $6 Million this year, and $6.7 Million next…
Indiana really likes the Foster / Hibbert combination at Center… Which is why Nesterovic is available.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Think I'd take ...
Shelden Williams or Joe Smith before Rasho …. but Rasho over Elson and Frye.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.
by Kyle Weidie on Jun 30, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Rasho and Shelden as a package would work for me too...
Joe Smith is done, I think.
I wouldn't
mind signing him for the short term. Frankly, given what we have to spend, I don’t see a “sexy” signing out there.
I’m probably being nit-picky here, but I didn’t see the Ginobli or Terry rumors as buzz-worthy. Terry especially. Ginobli is on the downside of his career, and Terry is nothing more than a bench scorer, way too small to play SG, and not much of a passer. He’s also been around awhile as well.
I like him
but only if they can sign him for a reasonable contract. After all, he’s 33 and has played 11 years. I’d be ok with 2-years for 3.5M per year (at a maximum)…
With other teams looking for Centers, there may be more competition for Nesterovic than you might think (Houston). Indiana will probably allow Rasho to walk, considering the development of Roy Hibbert in the second half of last season (9.2 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks in 19 minutes per game in March and April) – but there may be other teams in competition for his services
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Good Work Jake
Agree, he seems like an excellent get for our needs. Although I wouldn’t rule out getting him and someone else. I personally anticipate both a free agent signing and a trade involving Mike James that will net us at least two competent bigs.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
oh I
certainly hope we get more than one guy, whether it’s Nesterovic or not. We will be pummeled in the paint if we don’t add at least 2 more bigs. And I mean bigs with some beef to them. 250 or so. Right now our back up bigs probably weigh 250 COMBINED
Funny
Someone pointed out to me that Blatche actually weighs in at over 250 lbs. now. I didn’t believe him at first, but then I checked and he was right! Of course, most of that is fat, which doesn’t help him hold position that well in the paint.
As to the point about adding two bigs, I wholeheartedly agree and think that’s what Ernie will ultimately do. But Jake seemed to imply that this was going to be the only move that we make. Personally, I think a more “sexy” trade is coming, although probably not something we would call a blockbuster.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Um, no please
How come when I do a video search the results are as follows, Jason Richardson dunks over Rasho Nesterovic, Kevin Durant dunks over Rasho Nesterovic, Andre Igoudala Dunk On Rasho Nesterovic …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h3MGdNold0
Maybe Because
He actually attempts to defend those players, instead of just stepping out of the way like most of our defenders normally do?
Steve Nash and Charles Barkley are two names that first came to mind when I thought of players who have been posterized on dunks. Not exactly losers.
Oh, and both Horace Grant and Michael Jordan were posterized by John Starks once in the playoffs. That doesn’t make them bad players either.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
NBA ability isn't measured by how many times they're dunked on
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
actually
I think the most posterized player in history could be Partick Ewing. It seems to me like every time I see a Jordan highlight, Ewing is in there. (My favorite being Jordan blocking Ewing’s breakaway dunk) Mutombo is on a few posters as well.
But I get the original point. Those guys are posterized for trying to block shots, and they swatted quite a few. Nesterovic doesn’t really strike me as a “Not in My House” kind of defender.
Yeah, But
We shouldn’t be picking or passing on a player because of “Not in My House” impressions or number of posters that player has been the victim of. Leave that sort of analysis to the Wizards Insider comments section. We pride ourselves on being a bit smarter than that.
And blocked shots are extremely overrated, most of them don’t even result in a change of possession. I would be happier if Nesterovic simply forced a lot of lane drivers to miss their shot. It wouldn’t show up in the box score, but it would help the team more.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
I think a good gage of Nesterovic's defensive value
Is in how Toronto replaced him with Jermaine O’Neal, a player with an excellent defensive reputation, and dropped from 13th to 22nd in defense.
Again, it’s a vast oversimplification, but I think it gives you an idea of how underrated Rasho is as a defender.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
I think
my reflection was misinterpreted. I wasn’t saying we should not sign him because he gets dunked on. I could care less about that. I just meant that’s not the type of player he is. I think I went on record as saying I wouldn’t mind signing him for a year or two.
As for Blocked shots being “extremely overrated”, I tend to disagree. No they don’t usually cause a change of possession (although Bill Russel was famous for starting a fast break on a block, and Mourning was good at keeping it in play as well), I think the mental aspect has to be considered. Players are much more hesitant to challenge a shot blocker. Plus, in today’s SPORTSCENTER culture, players don’t want to see their shot being swatted into the 3rd row replayed all over the TV and internet.
My Apologies
I meant to attack the line of thinking you were alluding to, not your overall opinion on the guy. I realize I didn’t distinguish between the two.
I agree that blocked shots can affect a certain kind of player’s mentality, but I think too much is made of it. The good players shake those things off. Steve Nash didn’t have his confidence shaken after Kobe posterized him in the playoffs a few seasons back. On the contrary, he led his team to a come-from-behind series win over the Lakers that year. If anything, he used the humiliation as motivation to come back strong.
Your examples of Bill Russel and Alonzo Mourning are excellent, because those were guys who were more interested in helping their team win than they were of making SportsCenter. In many cases, a player can grab the ball to steal possession and help his team, but chooses instead to “swat” at the ball so that he can look cool on SportsCenter. I’ve seen it happen so many times where the opposing team immediately makes a shot after the following inbounds pass and then trots back to the other side and pretends the block never happened. The block shows up in the box score, but didn’t help the team one little bit.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
agreed
and to your point
a player can grab the ball to steal possession
Some of my favorite highlights of all time are of Barkley catching shots in mid air. The best one was against the Pistons I think.
Or Jordan’s block as a Wizard against the Bulls. I know you all know which one I’m talking about.
by MR on Jun 30, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Uh-huh... Pinned Ron Mercer's shot to the backboard...
I was there and it was unbelievable, the more so given MJ’s age at the time…
I belive Ron decided to pursure other career options short y thereafter.
I was there too
Highlight of the Jordan era, which is pretty sad if you think about it.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
He had a buzzer beater
against Phoenix?
Actually my favorite play was a small one. Guarding an inbounds play, he had his back to the inbounder seemingly not paying attention. The player tried to pull the old “throw it off the back of the defender” move, but Jordan expected it (in fact baited him into doing it) and turned around and stole the ball.
by MR on Jul 1, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
what about
when he dove for the loose ball. I don’t remember the game, only the replay. When they showed it in slow motion, his chin was completely flat against the floor. That to me is the difference between today’s stars and yesterday’s. Jordan was the biggest star in the world, but he still did the dirty work. Very few of today’s prima donna’s would do the same.
Very few of today’s prima donna’s would do the same.
I don’t agree.
by MR on Jul 2, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Full MLE, I think
Definitely not much less than his current contract (4 million/season).
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
I'd love to hear
what some of you guys think about what our prospective FA pickups would cost
Rasho
Wilcox
McDyess
Varejao
Birdman
etc
by MR on Jun 30, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Um
Quick crack:
-LLE
-LLE<Wilcox’s salaryMLE
-MLE
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
That didn't show up well
Try again:
-Rasho: LLE
-Wilcox: Between the MLE and LLE
-McDyess: MLE, maybe less for a contender
-Varejao: MLE at least
-Birdman: MLE
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Don’t you think FAs are going to have a hard time this year? I can’t imagine a lot of teams are going to be doing excess spending.
by MR on Jun 30, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably, but it's tough to say until we know what the tax level is
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
yeah...
I’m very interested to see what the market’s like. I expect Grunfeld will be patient hoping to find a bargain. There have to be bargains to be had in this market.
by Johnnie Futbol on Jun 30, 2009 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I may be misreading
but it seems like at least half the league will be in Luxury Tax this year.
by MR on Jun 30, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I keep
seeing Varejao’s name showing up. I may be alone on this, but I don’t care. I would HATE to see him end up here. I understand it’s part of the game, but I can’t stand flopping, let alone when players are known for that. To me, it takes away from the game. When a player is more concerned with fooling the refs than with playing defense, it bugs the hell out of me.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Varejao has a pretty good game. He’s a good rebounder, has high energy, and knows his role. But he has become known more for his flopping than anything else.
Totally agree
but don’t worry, we aren’t getting him anyway.
by MR on Jun 30, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
He seems the perfect person
to have as a backup center. It’s not like he can give you 30 good minutes a night, but for 15 minutes a night he could be effective.
"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck
by George Templeton on Jun 30, 2009 3:46 PM EDT reply actions
Nice write up Mike, but I'd still rather have...
Wilcox. I’m not the only one either Paul Tinari (Spelling?) of the Washington Post believes it as well as he just stated on Washington Post Live. Now admittedly his reasoning was stupid (Fans would like it since hes a UMD guy). But I really think Wilcox is perfect for this team because he can be the second team banger inside. As long as Brendan is healthy he will be our defensive anchor, but I think getting other defensive specialists will not help this team much. Much was made of Cleveland’s defense but in the end Orland outscored them.
1st Team
Arenas
Miller
Butler
Jamison
Haywood
2nd Team
Young
Foye
Blatche
Wilcox
McGee
We also need to fill our awkward white-guy quota
by trading away D-Song & Stewie, we are seriously lacking in this department
Please Tell Me Miller Isn't Awkward
I haven’t seen him play much, but I was hoping he was one of those guys whose athleticism and talent made him more like Keith Van Horn in terms of body balance than Gheorghe Muresan.
Then again, there was no smoother play in the history of the NBA than this one. I saw that play unfold live. I literally fell off my chair when it happened. Pure awesomeness.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Sign me up for 1 year
If we can get him for 1 year he seems like a really good fit given his familiarity with the system, experience, and the fact that he is a decent defensive player with some strength.
He isn’t worth getting though unless he is willing to take a 1 year contract, but strange though it sounds, I’d be willing to pay him 50% more for that first year to take a 1 year deal just so we can maintain our flexibility beyond this year.
I kinda doubt we can get him for the LLE, but it should be much less than the full MLE.
Settle in folks
It may be a bit of a wait to see how the roster fills out.
I could see this offseason playing out in a manner similar to how baseball’s economy “contracted” during its offseason. For baseball, the “proven veterans” such as Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell really had to wait and let the market settle for premier talent before finding a place for their services, often at one-year deals at salaries they probably hadn’t dreamed of a few years before. These deals were signed late in the offseason as the dust cleared and reality set in that payrolls were shrinking at that teams were cutting back.
The types of players that we’d be looking at will likely fall into that category. It’s certainly understandable to think (based on past offseasons) that a guy like Wilcox could command multiple years at $3-$4 million per, but I would imagine that there will be a lot of hesitance on big, multi-year deals on role players. The contracts we doled out to guys like AD and Songaila seem unlikely to me. If Ernie is patient, there could be a real deal to be had, and it might be much closer to training camp than many would expect.
There’s only one guy that we’d be looking at who I’d throw the MLE at out of the gate: Antonio McDyess. For the rest, let’s be patient and see if we can get a better than expected player on a one-year deal.
mike james trade
if we want to trade james for a good bigman and not damage our salary in the future there are some players who we could use and expire after the upcoming season.
kwame brown
fabricio oberto
marcus camby
udonis haslem
-kwame could workout but could also mess with our team chemistry
-not so sure if we could get oberto since the pistons traded to get him but if we offer another expiring contarct, which the pistons love these days, they could bite
- marcus could also workout since the clips need more pt for others in the frontcourt
- udonis not sure if heat will give him up
there are other players these were just some i saw on espn.com
If these contracts do expire after this year, what would the incentive to trade them for another expiring contract?
by MR on Jul 1, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
upgrade the front court. giving us a better chance of competing for a title
plus it won’t conflict with the sigining of haywood in the offseason
sorry, unclear
I meant what would our trading partner’s incentive be? Acquiring Mike James?
by MR on Jul 2, 2009 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Amazing job!
I love nesterovic, he has stepped up huge, and i know doing an AMAZING job, he is being consistant and makes a huge impact on the floor! He is a useful body and has a VERY bright future ahead of him!
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