Keys to the Palace: D-Leaguers Color Me Optimistic
by Jon Kelman on Apr 11, 2011 12:59 AM EDT
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Print'No I don't have a dog house, I have a Palace of Good Play.' I'm looking for someone who's playing well so I can put them in that palace."
Keys to the Palace
| Player | Week 24 PER | Week 23 PER | Difference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andray Blatche | 16.8 | 15.9 | 0.9 | What is going on here? I can understand the performance jump at the end of last year when he became the team's primary option, but this seems different.....like a light bulb came on. The only bad sign I see is 4 turnovers in 3 of the 4 games, but there is a ton to like. He is scoring much more efficiently, generally being much more patient and letting the offense come to him, rebounding, and generally seeming to 'give a crap.' It begs the question where this was all season and what changed, because we need him to play like this all the time. |
Guest Passes
| Player | Difference | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Wall | 15.6 | 15.2 | 0.4 | He did lead the team to victory over the Pistons, but wasn't overly impressive the rest of the week. The high turnover numbers of late are concerning; when I compared him to Derrick Rose in the preseason, a big point I noted was that Rose managed to lower his turnover rate from college to the NBA, a feat which would be tough for Wall to match. Jimmy's turnover rate is slightly above projections (in a bad way), so it would be nice to see him rectify that slightly in the last few games. In terms of the rest of the projection, Jimmy is not shooting the ball as well as projected, but his rebounds, assists, and steals are all exceeding projections. |
| JaVale McGee | 17.3 | 17.7 | -0.4 | I really wanted to give him a full Key this week as a general reward for his improved play of late, but 5 fouls in 9 minutes against the Pacers and no insanely awesome games will keep him in the guest house for now. I know some of you think I am a JaVale hater, but I just have extremely high hopes/expectations for him. Overall, I have been extremely happy with his play of late even though it is merely meeting my hopes/expectations. I shouldn't have to say it, but next year is massive for him. |
| Othyus Jeffers | 13.7 | 11.1 | 2.6 | It looks like he ran laps around the Hawks, putting up 13-11-3-2 with no turnovers....tasty. Even more to the point, as I mentioned above, I can't help but think his effort is influencing Dray and the rest of this team. Not just in games, but I bet that he also goes 100% in practice, and might be his greatest contribution to this year's team. I realize I am slightly contradicting myself by not giving him a full Key, but I am mostly going by box scores for this week. |
| Larry Owens | 14.9 | N/A | N/A | He jumped right into the mix and provided a little of everything. I literally did not watch 1 minute of his action though, so want to hear what everyone thinks of how he performed. |
Locked Out
| Player | Difference | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Crawford | 13.8 | 13.6 | 0.2 | All those bad shots finally stopped falling and the box scores I'm reading do not show much other than he likes to shoot and doesn't score efficiently. I think he reminds me a lot of a player with a similar name, Jamal Crawford. Both are very talented but streaky, and possess some nice playmaking skills. This comparison does not warm my heart, but the good news is that Jordan is in his 1st year and should become a better player than Jamal. |
| Yi Jianlian | 9.8 | 9.6 | 0.2 | Nothing exciting happened for the young big man this week, and I think he is putting the nails in the coffin of his DC career. I almost hate to put the idea out there, but the only way I see him coming back is if the Wizards have a roster spot available, he is cheap, and the team sees him as a great revenue/marketing opportunity as the now #1 Chinese player in the NBA. He has like 3 million Twitter followers, ridiculous. |
| Maurice Evans | 10.7 | 11.2 | -0.5 | A nice game against the Pistons and a 'I don't know what to make of it' one against the Hawks do not make up for 2 bad ones in the losses this week. I do like hearing Sean's report that he was affectionately mobbed by his former Hawks teammates, which gives further evidence to the thought that his influence on this team extends beyond what we see in his stats. |
| Kevin Seraphin | 8.3 | 8.8 | -0.5 | There is little to discuss about him this week. The fouls are still high, and 3 turnovers against the Pistons is not what we should see from a big man who doesn't get many touches. He clearly needs a lot of work on his game, but the best way to get that is plenty of minutes in the remaining games. |
| Mustafa Shakur | 6.7 | 5.8 | 0.9 | He passed my semi-arbitrary minutes threshold for the first time in awhile, but there is still not much to evaluate here. The bigger picture is despite some seemingly decent performances, it looks like the Wizards are not dying to keep him on next year's roster. |
NOTE: Nick Young, Josh Howard, Trevor Booker, Rashard Lewis, and Hamady Ndiaye were left off this week's Keys to the Palace because they did not receive enough playing time for a fair evaluation.
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I know some of you think I am a JaVale hater, but I just have extremely high hopes/expectations for him. Overall, I have been extremely happy with his play of late even though it is merely meeting my hopes/expectations. I shouldn’t have to say it, but next year is massive for him.
Said all that so well. Sums up my feelings on the guy too.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
Stress fractures are inevitable when you kick as much ass as Trevor Booker does.
by returnofswagger on Apr 11, 2011 1:13 AM EDT reply actions
good post
i never watched a full game (since, ya know, there are better games on elsewhere), but I have to agree with the D-leaguers assessment.
Its simple free market economics, relying on rational human behavior. Players with no guarantees have greater incentive and thus play harder. We see the same thing all the time in the NFL with late-round and undrafted WRs outworking their highly paid 1st round counterparts.
The guy I would love the Wizards to seek out is Deron Washington, formerly of my alma mater, Virginia Tech. He is playing in Spain right now I believe. He is nothing but hard work and hustle, and was the Pistons’ final cut back in fall of 2009.
by John Park Williams on Apr 11, 2011 1:48 AM EDT reply actions
D leaguers play hard because they want to earn a contract
Not sure they will be this awesome once they millionares though
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
Not give JC and ME a guest pass?
JC’s shot might not have been falling against the Hawks but he gave out 8 assists and was almost TO free….
ME played well in the wins and continues to be a very postive influence. On the eve of the Pacer or Celtic loss, I did opine that as Mo’s minutes were way up and that as he seemed tired, it might have made sense to start O. Unlike JC who is very young and full of energy, an older player like ME really cannot go from sitting deep on the bench to playing starter’s minutes in two sets of back to back games.
Mustafa Shakur I still like, but I think that management in its wisdom appears to prefer an older backup to JW. At this point, LAL would probably part with Steve Blake for the Wizards 2011 second rounder and an expiring contract, but Blake may yet redeem himself in the playoffs. Does TJ Ford’s deal expire this year? Has anyone done a head-check on him lately, because he might be a good option if he has his mental house in better order?
Stats don't lie
Unless they say something our eyes don’t see or our emotions don’t want to believe.
In looking at the recent stats on 82games.com, maybe Leonsis’ emotions got in front of reality in declaring Wall, Crawford and Blatche to be the new big 3.
Moreover, maybe Wall and Crawford aren’t playing as well as we’d like to believe, and maybe McGee and Blatche are playing as badly as we regularly see.
http://www.82games.com/1011/1011WAS.HTM
Conversely, in looking at the best two-player combinations on the Wiz, Blatche and McGee don’t make the top 50 combos.
http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus_sort.jsp?pcomb=2&season=22010&split=9&team=Wizards
One encouraging sign is that the PER of opposing centers has gone from 25 last year to 17 this year for McGee. He’d didn’t crack the 10 top centers this year, but he’s a shoe-in next year if he continues to improve.
In addition, if we can get Wall and Crawford in positive territory on the “simple rating” next year and if Barnes or Williams can breakeven, that will be a good start. After that, EG will have to earn his salary in getting a complementary PF for McGee.
Our Best 5 man Rotation
is our projected starting line-up for next year, with a lot of minutes and a solid sample size:
Wall, NY, Lewis, Blatche, McGee
And our other significant sample size with good numbers is:
Wall, Crawford, MoE, Blatche, McGee
Sprinkle in some Booker, Draft Pick, Jeffers, and Seraphin and there is no reason our +/- is not a net positive and we don’t win around half our games next year. Just sayin’ if you are looking at +/- stats only, that is how things shake out.
shine like bald head, smoke trees call me log head
PER league average is 15
The following wizards ROOKIES are at or near 15.
Booker 16.4
Wall 16.2
Crawford 14.0
I think it’s a good bet that some of them will get significantly better in the next two years to get into that 20+ level that makes you an all star. Hopefully their D gets better too.
Then the older players who have average or above PERs are:
Blatche 17.2
McGee 18.8
Young 14.9
Of course, defense is a problem for everyone I named except Young. But it’s still reason to hope next year.
You've inflated almost everyone's PER
Booker 16.4 15.3
Wall 16.2 15.7
Crawford 14.0 (with the Wizards only)
Blatche 17.2 16.8
McGee 18.8 17.4
Young 14.9 14.5
"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR
oh thanks
I wonder how I did that. I grabed the numbers from 82 games because they show opponents. Maybe yours are more updated?
I don't know why they're different, but they always are
My guess would be that they calculate theirs differently.
"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR
Jon
I think by Larry Drew you meant Larry Owens…unless you mean Larry Drew not able to fire up his Atlanta team in that game.
Yikes, fixed
It was a long crazy week and I was a little delirious, so am actually happy this was even coherent
I don't get
the “lockout” of Crawford. He has blossomed even more than I imagined when we first got him. Yes, his shit sucks right now, but at least he’s not hesitant about taking it, unlike our other rookie guard. And, quite frankly, I’d much rather have the ball in his hands than, say, McGee’s. At least you can TELL Crawford has offensive skills. He’s also an exceptional playmaker. In fact, I’d venture to say he’s a better passer than even Wall. Now, pay attention here, don’t get this mixed up. He’ll never be a better assist guy, because he doesn’t have the same athleticism as JW. But, at least in MY OPINION, he has better overall court vision, and comes up with much more “spectacular” passes. Again, I don’t want anyone to get this bent. I’m not, IN ANY WAY, saying JC is a better player OR point guard than JW. I just think he has a better recognition of when there’s enough room to get the ball to a guy who has a chance to score.
He’s also very adept at making “un-makeable” shots around the rim, due to his uncanny hang time.
As for the Jamal Crawford reference, I definitely see it. (though I obviously this Jordan is a better playmaker) Where we differ is that I think we NEED that kind of player on our team. Good teams tend to have that volume scorer off the bench, a la Crawford, Jason Terry, Manu Ginobli and, one of the best ever, Vinnie Johnson. As good as JC and JW seem to work together, I still like JC coming off the bench as a hybrid guard. He’s proven time and again he can handle the point when needed.
Anyway, this was longer than I wanted it to be. My main point is, I think we need to recognize Crawford for what he is – a VERY promising rookie who we swindled from Atlanta. The operative term here is ROOKIE. We want to give Wall a for his shot and turnovers because he’s a rook, well, I think Crawford deserves the same. And, remember, like Glenn Consor keeps saying, this is basically DECEMBER for Crawford. He hasn’t played near the minutes that most rookies have, yet he ranks high in a lot if rookie categories. Something else to think about – in my estimation, JC has made MUCH more progress 2 months than Nick Young did in 4 years.
by CJHutch on Apr 11, 2011 9:31 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Playing time.....
– in my estimation, JC has made MUCH more progress 2 months than Nick Young did in 4 years.
I’m not sure it can be proven – but I’ve always believed that young players improve faster the more playing time they get… And not garbage time…. but real, significant time. Even better if they are starting and playing with established players (Blatche, Evans, etc…) ; and not coming off the bench and playing with a bunch of other young kids (Dominic McGuire, Pecherov, Blatche of 4 years ago)…
Comparing Crawford’s “development” to Nick Young’s is unfair to both. JC will get close to 1,100 minutes of playing time this year – the greatest majority of those minutes will be in the 26 games he played for the Wizards…. Nick Young got 1,100 minutes his Rookie season – in fits and spurts – in 75 GAMES. Apples to Oranges – and unfair to both.
Now, we’ve all seen how Jordan Crawford has burst onto the scene…. but has he really improved or “made progress”? Or was he just a diamond in the rough, waiting to be unearthed and brought out into the light? Other than the normal “getting comfortable” adjustment he’s made – I have not seen much “improvement” in JC’s game. In other words, after the first 5 or 6 games, where he was used sparingly (15-16 minutes) when he started getting 20-30 minutes a night, he’s been mostly putting up 20 point games…. His efficiency has not improved…. His passing, which was stellar from the first time he put a foot on the floor for the Wizards, certainly has not improved… His turn overs are still a bit high…. and his defense is still suspect.
BUT, I also don’t think it’s fair to look for “improvement” in a player after only 24 games… I like his scoring. I love his passing. I think his intensity and fire is something the Wizards really need.
This summer is when he needs to “make progress”… He has GOT to work on his 3-point shot; he HAS to make more than 24% of those shots…. He’s gotta become a more efficient scorer, and his 3-point shot is key. He’s got a good stroke (mechanics are fine), so I think he just needs to put up a thousand shots a day until he’s comfortable shooting it.
The Wizards are 27th in the League in 3-Point attempts (only 14.6 attempts per game), and 27th in the league in 3-point percentage (33%). SO the Wizards as a team, and John Wall in particular need guys that can stroke the open 3…. Nick Young can. Rashard Lewis can. But that’s it….Perhaps the Wiz will draft a guy like Harrison Barnes, or Derrick Williams, and they can develop into a 3-point threat – but Jordan Crawford, more than anyone else on the current roster, needs to be able to improve enough to make that shot 38-40% of the time.
I think that as he plays, his turn overs will decrease naturally, with experience and time, so I don’t think he needs to work on anything there….. His ball handling is excellent. He has great floor vision. He’s pretty good at finishing at the basket…
But the most important thing, is that he’s got to come back next year ready to defend. Nick Young has worked each of the last two off-seasons with Sam Cassell and Flip Saunders on his defense (positioning, footwork, etc…) – Jordan Crawford needs to do the same.
He’s got to get better at cutting off dribble penetration. He’s got to contest shots. He’s got to stop gambling for steals (Gambling, reaching, fouling is NOT defense). He’s got to learn to make his opponent either pass the ball or take a contested 2-point jump shot (the least efficient shot in basketball).
So – if JC comes back next year as a 40% 3-point shooter, and plays sticky defense – I’ll be jumping on that bandwagon….
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
If JC had been given a starting PG position somewhere
He’d be vying for ROY because he’d probably have had some monstrous nights where his shot was falling and he went like 21-27 or whatever. He is a score first PG moreso than a SG imo, and the truest comparison to him is how he performs compared to Wall rather than NY.
If he was our #1 overall pick, we’d be salivating over him being as good as DRose in his rookie year, hopeful that next season he’d be averaging 23pts/8assts…just my opinion
on Nick's defense compared to JC
Nick is the only Wizards starter this year that limited his opponents PER below the league average.
I bet JC’s defense will get better if he comes off the bench next year and plays against the other teams reserves. Plus he won’t get rookie “fouls” and rookie defensive mistakes.
You should write up a front page article on JC vs NY
There is a lot to cover here, but
-How they stackup right now
-How much should the Wiz buy into JC’s performance when considering how much to pay NY
-How they should be used when both are healthy and conceivably both here next year.
I think NY starts next year, and JC plays the perfect combo guard, even able to play with NY. I think there are enough minutes for him in that role. We could also go small with all 3 of our young guards playing together….intriguing…..
I really think another BF editor should do that article...
I have a built in NIck Young bias….. and not sure I could be objective enough.
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
cry me a River
the team started to noctieably player much better when 2 glaring things happened Nick Young went down as did Andray Blatche.
John Wall plays a much better game with JC than he does with NY. Why because JC plays with much more energy he has very good open court speed can push the ball and can finish and penetrate to pass contorting his body into odd angles he fits Wall’s style of play much better than Nick Young ever does.
Nick Young is a half court player He comes off the screens iso’s out top and pull up for the shot the majority of the time and instead of driving.
Plus and this is the huge difference Nick Young is a collossal black hole and embarrasing one when he plays and is not hitting he sucks the life outta the team with continued forced shooting when bigs are laying open under the basket. Mcgee noticeably picked up when Young went down because he got the ball dumped to him much more on penetration by JC then he ever got with NY who would come off the curl get trapped by the guard and the big with Mcgee wide open and flailing his arms and NY would just shoot over both guys.
sorry I just see JC as a more natural fit with Wall and with the direction the team is headed in he hustes hard and doesn’t letting his fg% determine the energy output he puts into a game if NY isn’t hitting he doesn’t do much of anything else in a game to help the team.
And NY’s alleged defensive advantage to me is neglible in comparison maybe he’s alittle better than JC there but only when he has his shot going when its not falling he doesn’t compete as hard on that end either. NY is bigger can force the sg’s into tougher situations shooting over him surely but he doesn’t contain the dribble or steal the ball quite as effectively JC does gamble for steals more often.
I think this scenario of Wall, JC, and NY coexisting in a happy line up is a fantasy. Ideally I think it fits because JC can run point as a sub but I think Nick Young is too damaging a player as a strarting sg with his unwillingness to pass the ball.
I think moving forward its clear to me Javale mcgee needs to become an option on offense that needs the ball dumped into him he shoots it 55% on limited but developing post moves right now I think with maturity and some hard work he could be a 60% fg shooter with dunks and hooks and a guy who gets to the lane with his length and quickness.
If thats the case then how does NY and Blatche 2 low percentage scorers fit tying up possesion after possesion forcing bad shots exist with Wall and mcee’s need o be more involved,
I think if Blatche stays we should let NY go and use jeffers or Owens as a sub at sg a development player. NY to me isn’t worth what I think his agent is gonna want and having lucked into his replacement to me gives us an edge in negotiations as well as a transition away from him as a player.
to me he and Blatche have been here long enough both have had painfully slow periods of finally developing and neither has shown they can be main parts of a winning team. They learned under the Big 3 developed alot of those bad habits and now might not fit as vets on the team that is built into a winner here.
NY has value when Hot he can go for 40+ he can seem Kobe great in those moments but it comes also at he detriment of the team.
The Wizards need Walll to become Rose dominant on a team …has spot shooters and other players who defer to his game and fit his game. I just don;t think NY fits that bill.
I respectfully disagree with every point you make
the team started to noctieably player much better when 2 glaring things happened Nick Young went down as did Andray Blatche.
Fallacy. Total lack of context.
he fits Wall’s style of play much better than Nick Young ever does.Actually, its more Wall ór Crawford making a play while the other stands around. (except in transition, i’ll give you that but i don’t recall a Wall-Crawford fast break though)
Nick Young is a half court player He comes off the screens iso’s out top and pull up for the shot the majority of the time and instead of driving.Mostly Young catches and shoots it, pass it back out or if non of that is available iso’s. Besides, if you are looking for a profile for a wing who fits Wall, than stop. You found it.
Mcgee noticeably picked up when Young went down because he got the ball dumped to him much more on penetration by JC then he ever got with NY who would come off the curl get trapped by the guard and the big with Mcgee wide open and flailing his arms and NY would just shoot over both guys.Wall or Crawford should be the one’s penetrating and dumping it to Javale, not Nick. If Nick takes it inside, Javale should trail him for the putback and when Nick curls and shoots it, Javale should get inside position for the offensive board.
And NY’s alleged defensive advantage to me is neglible in comparison maybe he’s alittle better than JC there but only when he has his shot going when its not falling he doesn’t compete as hard on that end eitherNick is better on D than Crawford by a HUGE margin. If you don’t see that then….uh….well, look again man!
If thats the case then how does NY and Blatche 2 low percentage scorers fit tying up possesion after possesion forcing bad shots exist with Wall and mcee’s need o be more involved,If you think Young and Blatche are inefficient, look up Crawfords efficiency numbers
NY to me isn’t worth what I think his agent is gonna want and having lucked into his replacement to me gives us an edge in negotiations as well as a transition away from him as a player.Crawford’s game actually overlaps Wall’s game more than it does Young’s. Crawford can not really be seen as a cheaper substitute for Young imho. For the 2 spot Crawford brings things, Nick doesn’t ánd he is capable to backup Wall at the point. To me, Crawford and Young don’t bite each other at all.
The Wizards need Walll to become Rose dominant on a team …has spot shooters and other players who defer to his game and fit his game. I just don;t think NY fits that bill.Again, if you are looking for players to fit the ‘dribble-drive’ game of Wall a high usage Crawford is not the guy (you even say yourself that spot up shooters are needed dude, how does is that not Young’s game?!?!)
I would add that Crawford is more like Rose than Wall. Crawford and Rose are scoring guards who happen to also have good vision and passing abilities, while Wall is a pass first pg who also happens to be able to score.
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on Apr 11, 2011 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
For the 2 spot Crawford brings things, Nick doesn’t
By that i mean they bring different things for the 2 spot and thus compliment each other. That is a good thing imo.
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on Apr 11, 2011 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
it’s not really an “apples to apples” comparison. But the playing time, AND the “who they’re playing with” argument falls a little short, in my opinion. Now, I’m not trying to bash Young here, just pointing out my own personal observation. Young played with essentially the same players as Crawford. At times, he even played with better ones. Sure, JC got MUCH more useful PT in his rookie year than Young, but my statement covered Young’s entire career thus far. Again, I realize its an unfair comparison because they’re completely different players. JC is a much better all around player, while Young has always been a good shooter. (Hell, combine Tue two and we probably have a top ten player) One thing JC has that Nick never did was unwavering confidence. I didn’t see it much this year, but we all know Nick would tend to disappear if he missed a few shots.
Anyway, this thing kinda got away from me. Like I said, I didn’t want to bash NY. My point was that Crawford is a rookie, and should be graded on the same “curve” as Wall. All the points you make about his improvement are spot on. No doubt he has plenty to work on this summer. In the meantime, he’s EXTREMELY fun to watch (for me at least), and he definitely seems to be developing a chemistry with, not just Wall, but the rest of the team as well.
What's the order of operations?
One more Nick vs. JC question:
Do the Wizards have to draft before they find out what it would cost to resign Nick? If they can resign Nick you might not need to draft a 3 point shooter so badly.
The Wizards need to draft an upgrade in reserve F-C from Yi/Seraphim really badly too (It wouldn’t hurt if the pick had upside to replace Blatche/McGee eventually).
Easy enough.... to answer... Not so easy to execute on.
Free agents cannot sign before July 1st… Unfortunately the current CBA expires June 30th, so unless they sign a new Agreement before then, the Wizards will have to make a decision in the draft without knowing the status of Nick Young OR Maurice Evans.
Everyone knows that in the Lottery there are some good shooters: Harrison Barnes, Derrick Williams
But good shooters – and I mean really good shooters, can be had later in the draft as well. There are good shooters: Jordan Hamilton, Kyle Singler, Chandler Parsons
AND
There are catch-and-shoot 3 and D guys sprinkled throughout the last half of the first round: Jeff Taylor, Chris Singleton (my favorite), Tyler Honeycutt, etc…
Not only that, but good shooters may also available in Free Agency.
But good Centers? Few and far between in this draft….
There’s Enes Kanter in the Lottery – then nothing else until you get to the two International guys Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas (neither of whom are ready for the NBA) – unless you want to wait until the second round and pick up a guy like Nikola Vucevic or Keith Benson.
Unfortunately, there aren’t too many choices in the 2012 draft either…. NBADraft.net only shows TWO Centers in their entire 2012 mock draft…. pretty pathetic. On the other hand, there are lots and lots of Small Forwards available – from potentially Franchise changing Super Stars (Quincy Miller, Michael Gilchrist) to All-Star quality (Adonis Thomas, LeBryan Nash, and others), and good solid starters….
.
.
That is another reason that I’m hopeful that the Wizards will be in a position to draft Kanter…. Because at 6’11", 260 pounds, and with his skill level and intangibles (work ethic, IQ, toughness), he could be a very, very good Center for years to come. All-Star? Maybe… Solid starting quality? Definitely. Bust potential? None.
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
Can you stop talking about Kanter
I keep deciding I don’t want him, but then I read something you post, and I get all confused again…
Right now, I feel like Kanter and Singleton/Parsons would be a good draft for us.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
Stress fractures are inevitable when you kick as much ass as Trevor Booker does.
by returnofswagger on Apr 11, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually think if Ernie has the choice
he would pick Harrison Barnes or Derrick Williams over Kanter….
And I could live with that…. But I think Barnes is going back to College….. and Williams will be long gone before the Wizards pick (unless they get incredibly lucky again with the ping pong balls)…
Then it comes down to whether Ernie likes Perry Jones, Terrence Jones, Kanter or one of the International prospects (Van Vessely, Jonas Valanciunas or Donatas Motiejunas)…. And then I hope that he picks Kanter – because I think Perry Jones has bust written all over him…. Terrence Jones is a undersized Power Forward, and will have trouble playing SF in the NBA, and none of the International guys are ready.
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
If you take Kanter, you can play him.
If Yi is gone, and Seraphim still disapoints, and JaVale is only good for the 24-32 minutes he normaly is good for, then you have some 16-20 minutes to give to a rookie at C. That should be a good amount of time to develop a bit.
Whereas one of the small forwards would have to beat Lewis, Booker, and any of the vets (Evans, Howard) the Wizards resign at SF.
If you don’t take a C, you have to use Seraphim, H or find a free agent backup center.
Agreed
Depending on us resigning our own players. We have many options at SF. Lewis, Booker, Evans, J Howard (knee still recovering, he should be much better next season). Even the D-league crew can contribute some at that position.
At the 4/5 position?
McGee – I feel safe in saying we can count on McGee. (if Flip doesn’t sabotage him)
Blatche – This guy’s turnaround lately is amazing to me. AB is on the court battling and screaming, fist pumps, not complaining to referee’s, etc. But I wonder:
Does he play hard knowing he is going on an extended vacation beginning next week?
Or is JC and the D-league boys attitudes that infectious?
Or has the ‘Heist Miester’s (NY)" injury allowed him to know he would get ball if he fought hard for position? (by the way I don’t want anything to do with NY. Good riddance)
I vote for the latter!
Yi – not an option, please leave
Kevin S – will improve with another year post surgery, a solid NBA offseason, etc. Keeper.
Ndayie – ???
We need depth inside period!
my thought exactly…there is a scarcity value to a solid starting center in the nba. when u can get one, you have to pull the trigger. i would have even taken cousins last year…IF he did not have the attitude/motivation concerns. so JW was the right pick. kanter does not have those concerns and i think u have to take the guy. we really do not have the front court set.
by les boulez bomber on Apr 11, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
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