Washington Wizards links for September 16: Wizards players actually playing basketball

I saw him standing off to the side and not actually playing during the video.

So Mike Miller was so critical to the Wizards’ success last year, because why, because he never shot unless he was wide open? Because he put up a negative +/- score?

The WoW Win share system loves shooting efficiency and rebounding and hates turnovers. Fair enough, but it also means players like Joey Dorsey rank high because they never pass and only dunk, thus no TOs and high percentages. And players who are too timid to attack the basket show up higher on the list than players who go get it.

WoW was suspicious of Derrick Rose and John Wall. Anybody who has functioning optical nerves knows these two have powerful talent and unsurpassed athleticism. I fully expect to see midseason blather scrambling to backpedal and justify the preseason assessment: ‘Nobody could have predicted that….’ blah blah blah.

Really? Because you ain’t watched a minute of the games and are running with stats based on a one-legged Gil rusty from a long layoff trying to instantly succeed in a complex offense that’s the polar opposite of his role in the previous system. You figure that defines his new level?

On a team where none of the other starters fit the personnel needs of the system (Jamison who never passes playing in the KG role of midrange passing finesse Big; dribble attack Caron in the catch and shoot swing-guard spot; subpar defensive rebounder Brendan Haywood as the primary boardsman; and DeShawn Stevenson as a starting 2-guard for freakin’ crying out loud). You expect Gilbert to look his best there? That he’ll have no room for improvement in his 2nd year, with a role more defined to suit his strength?

Really? Nobody can predict that a well-rested and fanatically determined Gil will prove an upgrade from Randy Foye ? That the 6’4" long armed John Wall won’t defend better than the 3’3" Ewok Earl Boykins? That Kirk Hinrich is worse than DeShawn Stevenson? That this year’s version of JaVale and Dray won’t prove better than last year? That 270 lb. banger Kevin Seraphin can’t even foul as well or better than foul per second leader Fab Oberto?

The premise is almost as absurd as the idea that a supertalented kid like the teenager John Wall is a finished product, unlikely to improve.

Can’t stand would-be stat mavens who worship their pet system to the exclusion of self-doubt. There’s little more annoying than a smug nerd. As though your hard won mastery of esoterica puts you higher on the evolutionary rung than those who can actually defy the impossible and do this thing you admire but can neither understand nor really quantify.

John Wall is a supertalented kid who works hard and is desperate to improve in all instances. Barring disaster (pray, and hope) in short order you will eat every word of your doubts, every letter off your keyboard.