Washington Wizards NBA Draft Grades: A Good Draft, Maybe Great
by Mike Prada on Jun 24, 2011 7:03 AM EDT
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PrintMy 2011 NBA Draft grade for the Washington Wizards is coming at the bottom, but ultimately, I thought they had a good draft. Many pundits thought they had a great draft, which I think is perhaps a bit strong. Their opinions rest on the idea that the Wizards managed to get the man they wanted in Jan Vesely at No. 6. I'm a little less convinced Vesely was the right pick there, though I certainly think the Wizards' position on him is logical. I see why the Wizards made the pick, and while I probably would have chosen someone else, I accept their take on it and am excited to see whether they turn out to be right.
Otherwise, I thought the Wizards did great. Read on for more.
Jan Vesely: Give the Wizards credit: they got the guy they wanted all along. From the very beginning, they zeroed in on Vesely. Despite having their intentions be fairly clear, they got Vesely without having to trade up for him. That's a positive in and of itself. It also was important that two of their best alternatives to Vesely -- Tristan Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas -- were gone the two picks before. The only other serious candidate the Wizards looked at with the pick was Kawhi Leonard, and he tumbled all the way to No. 15. I personally would have chosen Bismack Biymobo, but he was never an option, probably because of the presence of JaVale McGee.
Opposition to the Vesely pick seems to come in two forms. The first is that the Wizards should have instead traded up to land Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter. I sympathize with this, but it seemed like it was much more difficult in practice to do. Ted Leonsis, in an interview on"Overtime" with Bill Rohland and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan, said the asking price of teams ahead of the Wizards was staggering.
We tried to trade up, but the price was really high," he said. "Some people wanted No. 6, No. 18 and our No. 1 pick next year. So we thought: let's use all three of those picks."
If true, that's way too high a price to pay even for Williams, who you all know I like. Even 6 + 18 seems a bit high for Kanter, who is much more of an unknown than Vesely (though he may fit into a supposed area of weakness better). It seems like that was just not a good option.
The second potential issue with Vesely is whether he can learn the skills he needs to be successful in the league. We all know about his shooting issues, his putrid free-throw shooting and his struggles with hanging onto the ball. Those are serious issues, and they have me concerned. Vesely himself acknowledged those problems as ones he needed to fix, and said his first goal is to work on his free throws. So at least he knows the problem is there.
"My shot, you know. I have to work on that, and of course to be more strong," he said, later joking that "I'm comfortable [shooting], but it goes out."
But there are some positives Vesely brings too. The Wizards love his athleticism, and it is legitimate at his size. They also, I believe, like his court sense and the way he cuts into open space and finishes on offensive rebounds. They are projecting him, I believe, to be someone who doesn't need the ball to score his points, and I think he can do that. I don't think they are as concerned about whether he can take a guy one-on-one and score on him. That's not going to be his role on this future team, so it really doesn't matter much.
The bottom line with Vesely, though, is this: he's not like most Europeans. Whereas Kanter hasn't played in a year and Valanciunas and Biyombo play limited minutes for their club teams, Vesely was a main player on one of the best teams in Europe in Partizan. He's tough, he wins and he plays big in big spots, which the Wizards witnessed when he scored 18 points in the Serbian League title game. He's not a star in Europe, but he's a key role player and a big part of their team. He's also kind of cocky, and he won't back down from anything or anyone. The Wizards, I believe, feel that they need that attitude more than they need his skills. Or, they think the skills will come around to match the attitude.
I'm less convinced than them, but it certainly could happen. We'll have to wait and see.
Chris Singleton: A complete no-brainer, and I believe the steal of the draft. I can't believe New York picked Iman Shumpert over him. Singleton said the Wizards were considering him at 6, so they have to be thrilled he ended up at 18.
All the reasons I said for picking Singleton here hold true, with a few cherries on top. I love how he's pissed at the teams that passed on him. He didn't even realize who they were at first, stuttering when trying to figure out which ones had two picks. He said his agent was even talking to New York just before they picked Shumpert. To a certain extent, he was baited into the answer he gave, but he didn't have to play along either.
I also love how intelligent he is defensively. He played for Leonard Hamilton, who is one of the best defensive teachers in college basketball, and it showed in his media comments on how to defend at the NBA level.
"You got to dictate on the defensive end. You can't always let the offensive player get where he wants or anything like that. You got to scout teams," he said. "That's one thing we did a lot [at Florida State]. We broke down teams, and that's something he helped me with and something I'm used to. He made me more prepared than any other spot I could have gone to."
He acknowledged that he is a "developing" offensive player, and I hope he realizes his value is in spotting up for corner threes and not taking those tough pull-up jumpers. If so, though, I think he's a definite rotation player at least and great value for No. 18. I don't think anyone within or around the organization expected him to fall so far, so they're all thrilled.
Shelvin Mack: There were a couple other guys who could have gone here, like Michigan's Darius Morris or Hofstra's Charles Jenkins, but I think the Wizards wanted a winner like Mack. It's a little cliche, but Mack has probably been in more big-game settings than many guys on the Wizards' roster, and that always helps when trying to execute a culture change. I think he's a pretty crafty player too, so I approve.
Overall: I'd give this grade a B or B+, with the ultimate grade to be determined by Vesely. Singleton and Mack were good value, but good value matters less going forward if the top picks don't produce. Vesely was Ernie Grunfeld's guy, and now, it's on him to show us why. He wasn't my first choice, but I look forward to him proving me wrong.
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I say B as well
Although I hated the thought of drafting Vesely, I am okay with the pick. I feel like if the Wizards wanted this guy this bad, they did their homework on him, and if they saw something to change their minds, they would’ve done that.
My biggest gripe on Vesely was his hands, but Rook says he didn’t see any problems with them in the games he saw. That’s a good thing to hear, because if his hands are good, that makes all the difference for a rebounder and cutter.
Defensively is my least worry tbh, because I feel like he has all the tools to improve their the easiest. He’s smart, hardworking, athletic, put those together and you should be able to teach him to be a good defender.
Shooting is my biggest worry, and I feel like he may never be a good shooter (something we need). His FT percentage projects this imo, because players with poor FT percentages usually don’t seem to ever develop a reliable jumpshot. Let’s hope he can make some strides in this department.
As for Singleton and Mack, both are guys I wanted on the team, so I’m very happy on those picks. So all in all, a good draft imo, but only time will tell.
I generally agree
Vesely makes or breaks this draft. I’m even more negative than you on him too.
As an aside, Could Kanter have landed in a worse position? Granted Utah has Okur. But they also have Jefferson, Millsap, and Favors all ahead of him on the depth chart. It is a great organization, but I doubt a young man is thrilled to have to play in Utah with all those young big men in front of him.
He fits perfectly.
Big men play fewer minutes. He’ll get plenty of burn. And he’s easily talented enough to break the top three of the rotation at some point in the near future.
No way they trade favors
The goal is to get two or more good big men. Favors and Kanter is a great frontcourt to develop.
Certianly good for Utah
Just not good for Kanter. I’d sure he’d rather play on a team where he’d get more minutes and not have beer have 3 % alchohol. But if he’s a talent, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
A very solid draft
At 6, the Wizards were one Toronto pick away from an A++ draft in my view, but those dang Canadians took Valanciunas. I’m not sure who else the Wizards should have selected. Biyombo would have been more of a gamble than Vesely. Maybe Kemba Walker. The Wizards clearly like Vesely, and he apparently is the best kisser in the draft.
At 18, those of us who were reluctant to package 6 and 18 to move up because of the strength of the draft at 18 were proven correct. A total homerun.
At 34, the Wizards picked someone who is arguably the best winner in college basketball in the last two years. A good roll of the dice.
Good news is
Haven’t seen one nba analysts downplay this draft for the wizards, it’s all two thumbs up around the web.
Well, my experience as a dc fan tells
Me beware of the offseason title.
by DavidDunn on Jun 24, 2011 8:54 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Lots of people praised the wizards for the trade in 09 at the time
by Mike Prada on Jun 24, 2011 7:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I gave us a B...
I like the players we got but picking two SF’s is interesting given it’s expected to be the strength of next years draft. I know, I know….“You can’t make your strategy in this year’s draft contingent on next years!” I know, BUT at some point it will be a reality that Vesley and Singleton will be matching up against those guys and I hope we come out on top.
I agree with Mike, it will come down to Vesley – he may be a joy to watch if his IQ is as high as advertised.
Ultimately, neither of these guys are adding too many wins next year by themselves – most W’s will probably come from the improvement of the core – which many of you have already said.
Both can and will play PF too.
A glut of forwards is not a bad thing. Let the cream rise.
I gave us a C
Vesley is another athletic guy but we need someone can back someone down and score at the rim. I hope he plays well I haven’t seen much of him so really not a knock on him just the fact that he isn’t the type of player I was seeking. Also not knocking Ernie because I think he took the best project at 6. Singleton was a great pick up and I know nothing about Mack. CBS Sports had other thoughts though below….
Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton. Grade: A+. The Wizards got two of the best steals of the draft. Vesely will bring aggression and athleticism. Singleton, defense and versatility. They knocked this out of the park.
So what do I know, hopefully there is a season so we can see these guys play!
How could you know nothing about Mack?
and make a comment about this draft at all…LOL Mack was a major part of why Butler has played for the national title two years in a row. I think he’ll make a nice complement to the current backcourt rotation.
by JeffMalone#24 on Jun 24, 2011 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
"we need someone can back someone down and score at the rim"
Al Horford was ineligible for this draft unfortunately. Seriously though, this ideal player wasn’t available so it doesn’t make sense to dock them for that.
I believe
That everything is happening for a reason. There’s a reason why the finger guns happened. There’s a reason why we won the lottery last year and have our superstar in john wall. There’s a reason why we dropped at six and have vesely and not kanter. There’s a reason why we became lucky to draft singleton on 18. Whatever the reason is, I’m happy and thrilled to have these three new players. I believe that pieces will fall in perfect place for us and become succesfull.
by Spartacus07 on Jun 24, 2011 7:54 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
other than the fact ernie made these picks, u have to be happy with what the wiz got
by all accounts, the wiz made the best possible pick for what was available at 6 and 18 … and, when was the last time you heard someone on the wiz talk about “locking” someone down
B+
I’m drooling thinking about JWall running the break with McGee and Jan on either side for alley-oops and Booker T flying in for those put back dunks. Yeah we have some holes but they got Mack to help shore up the PG spot and if we can keep NY for a reasonable price, I think we have a chance to fight for that #8 spot.
Would much rather...
be fighting for the 8th spot in the lotto next year. No need to get ahead of ourselves. We still need more help.
I guess that begs the question
Playoffs or Lottery?
I'll take playoffs.
At some point you want your young team to put it together. Sooner is better than later. If we make the playoffs, that closes the draft day door (except for the fact that Ernie earns his living in the mid-first so its not all THAT bad a proposition) but opens up trades for prospects (something we’ve got an absolute GLUT of).
yeah i say playoffs too
the confidence the would come from a playoff run would be immeasurable. plus having something to play for late in the season makes a difference. also, put the players into thinking what they can do to take that next step the following year.
Yup.
If they win (even modestly) then we will not have to speculate as to whether they can be contributors to a playoff contender. We will know it.
The only question mark that would be left would be can they be contributors to a championship contender…
If we...
make the playoffs we’d be picking outside of the lottery. We want a lotto pick next year.
Quite honestly
I believe that the draft up and down will be stocked with the new guys that came in this year and those others that decieded on staying another year.
by KonartistNupe on Jun 24, 2011 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
But
None of those 4 can shoot. You need floor spacers as well or defenders will just clog the lanes and dare us to pull up.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Jason Kidd couldn't shoot, either!
Anyone else remember when Jason Kidd entered the NBA? He was known as a super assist guy, without much of a shot. Now, Kidd ranks #3 all time for 3’s made – maybe, Wall can make the same climb!
by LotteryNot2Day on Jun 24, 2011 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Well
You add in Booker for extra minutes over a guy like Yi
Seraphin over Armstrong
Vesely could be a great rebounder for all we know
Singleton takes pressure off of bigs to let them get rebounds
And hope Javale goes for more rebounds
All that together would be a big increase
Props Mike
You must be tired as all hell and there’s not a word in there that isn’t 100% spot on. I agree with everything completely. Now let’s get into a summer league!
I have no good signature ideas.
by Juice over Whine on Jun 24, 2011 8:10 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Yep, thanks to Mike and all the BF editors for great coverage leading up to the draft!
by mogoman on Jun 24, 2011 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions 16 recs
Amen
Totally agree I’m up in celtics country on vacation and I’ve been on my phone checkin BF every few hours the past few days. Good stuff guys thanks a lot
by Cmp27 on Jun 24, 2011 12:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, tnx Mike
Since we have several international fans now, I think for all of us the coverage on BF makes it fun to follow our team closely.
:-)
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jun 24, 2011 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
A
I would have been satisfied with Singleton and Mack.
Throw in Vesely as a bonus (this may not make sense).
These picks also put Andray and Rashard on notice. Get in shape and be ready to run or sit on the bench.
This may also force Andray to backup JaVale at Center which I am glad off.
No more D-League backup point guards (Shakur) or bringing in a free agent Small Forward (Gee) who we would later cut.
by jmpalomo on Jun 24, 2011 8:17 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Seconded
The Wiz basically drafted two lottery picks after an unfortunate ping-pong ball drop.
With Vesely, I think we got the best available player. I get the haters’ beef, but his athleticism is promising, and I believe he has the tools to improve (motivation, basketball IQ). I read somewhere once (don’t ask me to be able to find it) that the difference in talent at the NBA level in marginal, and it is what’s upstairs that separates the wheat from the chaff.
I’m tired of these D-League darlings we bring in halfway through the season. They’re the bee’s knees of BF for a while, but they aren’t the kind of pieces we need to compete. If Singleton becomes a defensive stopper (and possibly more) and if Mack can develop into a serviceable off-the-bench combo guard, then these are some “good pieces” with which we can move forward, when we can hopefully make some major additions later via trade and free agency.
Bully!
by TeddyIMH on Jun 24, 2011 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec for this:
“I’m tired of these D-League darlings we bring in halfway through the season. They’re the bee’s knees of BF for a while, but they aren’t the kind of pieces we need to compete. "
Exactly
D-Leaguers are perfect for the Wizards because they are 1) cheap contracts 2) contracts with minimal commitment 3) help the Wizards tank in a more legitimate way
by Emmet O'Neal on Jun 24, 2011 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree in principle,
but Jeffers is a gamer. One hit out of four or five d-league misses isn’t a bad track record.
Jeffers is like a 6-2 version of Biyombo.
The D league guys usually come in
Because of injuries. It’s not like Wiz are locking them up to 5 year deals.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions
I think he means borderline castoff FA.
Slightly above D-League, but not good enough to stick on a big league roster.
I have no idea what you are trying to say
If you are talking about last year, the Wiz lost so many people to injuries that they had to sign and play some D-League talent. Obviously, that’s not a winning formula for a championship contender. But Wiz are rebuilding and these things happen. What is your alternative?
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
True enough
But it seems that the Wizards have been resorting to the D-League when an injury occurred as often as a MLB team resorts to the minor leagues. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but using D-Leaguers on a consistent basis to fill key rotation slots is a dangerous practice.
That’s why . As just one example of a way to circumvent D-League players, lets look at Juwan Howard and Theo Ratliff. They’re old; way past their prime. They shouldn’t be more than backups to backups. But in an emergency they’re serviceable and experienced, and given they aren’t disgruntled, they can act as assistant coaches in the locker-room. Those are things most D-Leaguers just can’t provide.
Bully!
Personally I'd probably sign a fringe young guy over Juwan Howard type guys
Cheaper, and always a chance that they could develop. Some guys just need that first shot.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
This
and this and this.
I think the any of the guys off the Toros are worth a look, especially when it acts at the Spurs finishing academy. I much rather have Othyus Jeffers pushing people in practice than Juwan Howard bitching about time on a rebuilding team.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Jun 24, 2011 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Though
If my team is a championship contender then I might prefer the veteran. It’s really team/situation dependent, and IMO Wiz aren’t in a place where signing washed up vets will do much good.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
B +
I’d say a b+ becaue ultimately there weren’t a ton of options at Six and having read that this guy is a hard worker Im satisfied. We need guys who have the drive to improve along side wall. Mack is a winner and I was ecstatic to see us pick up singleton he’s got a chip on his shoulder not to mention he easily could’ve been a lottery pick. I dunno about u all but to
Me he’s got the body to become a pretty special player. All in all if nick young can make another improvement like he did last season and if dray plays as hard as he did at the end of the year I think we’ve got some things to be excited about
by Cmp27 on Jun 24, 2011 8:25 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Analysts are raving about our draft
In any case, as I said elsewhere, the Vessely pick has hidden value because he can play in Europe in a lockout and continue developing his game. We also know they plan on keeping NY barring him going beserk in terms of asking price.
B because I have concerns on Vessely, but Ernie did a good job. I am satisfied.
Btw-I couldn't agree more with your analysis Mike
The only thing I would add is concern about Minutes. Flip is really going to have to work to keep everyone growing. And frankly, in a meritocracy I could see Vessely fighting for minutes all year over Singleton due to Singleton’s defensive readiness and Booker’s experience. That isn’t great for a #6.
Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
by DavidDunn on Jun 24, 2011 8:49 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
That's the part I like
Except for Wall, after last night, what player on the team should be comfortable that he’s getting minutes? I love the competition.
yes...a good point...especially with this team
We are in a rebuild process. As long there is real competition, this will create an atmosphere where the Wizards will compete every night!!
No they aren't.
They’ve got five guys pushing them.
JaVale yup Dray nope
McGee is the only serviceable C on the team (Seraphin has miles to go) so he’ll get his minutes. Now if only he’ll drop the Pierre shtick and actually get better. Dray should be on high alert. Wiz now have Vesely, Lewis, Booker, Seraphin, who could grab minutes at the PF spot. Hopefully this get Dray to change his attitude and get in shape. But it probably won’t. I think he’s the kind of guy that will never give 100% effort everyday. He’s never had to for most of his career. And he’lll probably get benched a month into the season for one of the younger guys. Hopefully he’ll be gone by Christmas.
by Ron Carlos Jeines on Jun 24, 2011 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
If you had to hand pick a PF who couldnt push Dray, it would be Vesely
Skinny, cant rebound, no J, possibly poor defender…..good athlete, but Dray is 6’11" and fairly long with good hands so Ves doesnt have a size advantage on him. Remember when late-season Dray was pulling down 15 off boards vs the Cavs? Ves is like 225, cant even fathom that type of inside play unless he bulks up.
i think the trick with Jan is the matchup advantage he gets as 7’ SF.
Agree
We don’t have one legit PF on the roster other than Blatche (unless Seraphin makes a quantum leap). I don’t see AB being bumped from a starting role by anyone on this roster.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
DIsagree
They list Vesely at 240 lbs, which is lighter than Blatche (a not in-shape Blatche), but abut the same as Bosh and Nowitzki, and just a little lighter than Pau Gasol.
He won’t be any worse of a defender than Blatche, and considering his motor and drive, will be a much better team defender, at the very least.
I agree he needs to add core strength and maybe 10-15 lbs of bulk over the next few seasons, so do 95% of rookies.
Have you watched him play though?
He doesn’t appear to be comfortable defending the low block (admittedly I’ve seen very little footage). He’s essentially a perimeter player in a gangly 6’ 11’’ frame. Sure, in theory he can probably guard the Dirks/Boshs of the world, but I’m not convinced at all that he can man the PF full time.
If he can, then this pick suddenly looks a lot better.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
well atleast he would try
hate seeing AB just watch at times…
I agree that AB isn't necessarily the answer either
But AB has the body to board and defend down low. Put Vesely’s intensity in AB’s body and we have a heck of a player!
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
You see the picture with Stern? Dude is rail thin.
I think at PF…..Dray does everything better than him other than jump. We’ll see
I know measurements lie but...
Blatche is listed at 6’11" 260. McGee 7’ 252. Vesely, at 6’11" 240. Bosh 6’11" 235. Pau Gasol 7’ 250. Tyson Chandler 7’1" 235.
So it’s really hard to tell what is accurate. I’m not saying Vesely is going to be a dominate defender at either position. He won’t be. But he can block shots, he does have lateral quickness. He does have an aggressive attitude in his play. All of these things could add up to him being a better defender at the starting 4 spot then anyone else we’ve put there the last 6 years (Booker I think could be better, but he also lacks reach).
but Blatche don't give a damn
he can do everything better when in shape and healthy and putting the effort forward to do it better. but he’s never been in great shape. he’s been healthy at least. and he’s never been known for putting forth a high level of effort. Blatche is a ‘get mine" guy. that don’t help a team win. can’t count on him.
I would bet
that Vesley is stronger then Dray right now. He sure doesn’t weigh more.
But he looks stronger.
Vesely as the 6th pick will be getting major minutes. Can't have him sit.
Singleton as the best defender on the team the second the lockout gets lifted will command major minutes.
Shelvin Mack steps right into backing up Wall.
He can sit and earn his minutes.
There’s no rule that states that you have to play him. I think Singleton gets more burn in year one.
But really, year one shouldn’t be the focus here.
so many young guys on team, year1 is important IMHO
Singleton and Vesely should be looking to establish something in their first year’s. They are both rookie playing the same position, I want Booker to try and crush both of them as they battle each other for minutes. Only the strong survive, team is so young that young players who dont show signs of developing might end up left behind so to speak.
Well yeah, you're not saying anything I disagree with.
But I just don’t see minutes in year one as a concern.
At the very least, there will be opportunities for stretches of PT over the course of the season (ala Booker last year). That’s plenty. Their real development will happen in the film room, the weight room, and the practice floor.
Another great part of the draft
Stern getting booed everytime he walked on stage.
Apparently that happens every draft
and is delightful every time
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jun 24, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
B
Singleton saved our draft.
Apparently it was impossible to move up. Ok, I can understand that.
On the clock at # 6, Singleton would have arguably been good pick in this draft. Picking a run-jump-twig who runs with Wall at # 18 is fun and a back up PG/SG at # 34 was the plan all along.
So as long as I keep pretending Ernie drafted Jan and Chris in a reverse order, I’m happy ;-)
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
Singleton has a great shot to be a better NBA player than Vesley
We got lucky that he fell to 18. But hey, give EG credit for picking him even though he and Vesely essentially play the same position. Best talent available.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yay, Dutch!
You were so mad, I was afraid you were charging off to attack a windmill or something :)
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jun 24, 2011 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Haha yeah, I believe I could have
But I didn’t. I actually missed the Singleton and Mack picks cause I went to bed ( it was 2 o’clock here already at pick 6) Had to get up early and my morning coffee tasted that much better when i flipped on my laptop and saw # 18 Chris Singleton.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked at # 17 lol
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jun 24, 2011 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Teds comments make me ok with the Vesely pick
They tried to move up, and the price was too high. I didn’t see any mention of McGee in there, but I can live with this. Lets hope Vesely is a real find.
Winners
No intended reference to Charlie Sheen. I don’t like Vesley at all, from what I’ve read about him, but the guy just helped one of the best teams in Europe win a championship. That stands for something in my book. Singleton was very productive last season, when healthy, and might have even helped FSU win an NCAA championship if not for an excellent game from my alma mater, VCU. The only team that played VCU tougher in the tournament was of course Butler, led by one of the greatest big game players in college basketball the last two seasons. All three guys are known for playing big in big games. I hope they bring that winning mentality to the Wizards, and hopefully not lose it despite what will probably be another tough season.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
"JaVale has five highlight plays a game. Unfortunately, there's about 200 plays in a game. He's got to get more substance than style." -- Flip Saunders summing up Javale McGee perfectly
Somebody on here once described Vesely as having the heart of a lion
(I think it was either Khrabb or Dutch Hoopfan.) By adding him, I think we now have a few players like that, which is pretty sweet.
These guys need to work on their shooting. JW, too. And with a lockout coming, soon players won’t be able to use team facilities or trainers. The players’ union needs to come up with some alternatives. A full season lockout would be awful, but a partial season lockout that culminates with these guys not being ready would be almost as bad.
Mack
Prada- You are absolutely dead on when you say Mack has been in more big games than most guys on the Wizards roster. Hes played in 4 Final Four games and 2 title games, who else can even compare, either at the pro or college level?
I wish the Wizards could have had this draft in 2006.
Bullets Forever: Waiting for the Fat Lady to sing since 2006. | @jakewhitacre
B-
Singleton is cool, Vesely is a total unknown. I really think Crawford is a combo guard, so I would have gone big with the late pick instead of a point guard (although I like the idea of Mack hitting some threes ala Chris Whitney!) Also, why not buy a pick and get JaJuan Johnson. In this whole draft we couldn’t find a rebounder with size?
Singleton MUST develop a spot up game, and Vesely MUST hit free throws and defend, or I don’t see too much to get excited about. At the end of the day though, weak draft. We did the best we could.
Side note – That Booker tweet kind of bothers me. I hope this will motivate him to work on his jumper.
i was bothered
with booker’s tweet also.. i really like singleton because his DNA is all about defense.. ad with bokker’s tweet, does it mean that he’s afraid of competition?
I seriously doubt Booker is afraid of anything
but Flip had spoken of trying to groom him into our SF and we went and drafted 2 SFs
i really hope Vesely spends ZERO time at SF
the team and the player both need to be committed to him being a PF. no chance at success playing the 3.
but wouldnt that make him a bad pick at 6th?
guy who never played PF at all that you try and convert? I thought the whole magic of Vesely is the idea of a 7’ SF and the matchup issues it creates. At PF, isnt he just another guy to a certain extent?
i don't think it does.
Williams will play SF most likely but never has done that. Got guys projected as SGs who played the 3 or 4 in college. Guys who played SG who are projected as PGs, etc. its common to project a guy to a position that you feel fits him best. i looked at athletic 7 foot guy as being his selling mark. not as much 7 foot SF view.
Booker probably thought (like us)
that Wiz would go bigger, since that’s what we need. Instead we bring in two undersized 3/4s who basically are built to play the exact same role he does. But he shouldn’t worry — he’s proven he can play and he’ll get his shot here or elsewhere.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't see Singleton as a tweener.
He’s got the necessary attributes to play both positions. He’s got legit PF size and frame at 6’9 (once he bulks up), he’s got legit SF agility, and he’s a good spot up shooter. He’s not a liability on either end of the court at either position. That’s not a tweener in my book. Tweeners, by my definition, have a glaring weakness at either or both positions.
Vesely’s a tweener. But he’s got excellent height and athleticism.
In other words,
Singleton is a 3&D wing with excellent height AND a stretch 4 with D and excellent quickness.
I think Singleton will be much better than Vesely
At defending 4s. I agree he’ll be a very good stretch defender. But, like both JV and TB, I don’t think he’s built to play 30+ minutes a night at the 4 night in and night out. And it’s not like he’s going to be bulking up a lot — he’s solid for his size already.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
C
Vesely and Singleton play the same position and could very well hinder each other’s development. Hopefully Vesely is the better player and just gets the minutes. But it won’t surprise me when Singleton is the better player but can’t the burn due to 18th vs 6th. IMHO, if Vesely is “your guy” then you shouldnt need another player in the 1st round playing the same position. Now we spent 2 picks on SF without addressing interior size/defense and with a crazy deep SF draft coming up next year.
Ok fine, they dont really have THAT much faith in Jan so they take Singleton to hedge their bets….but then Mack instead of Tyler or Leuer? I dont know, I wanted to get some interior size out of this draft and that wasnt addressed at all.
At any rate, hopefully Jan blows up and makes EG look like a genius. And me a fool!
This
IMHO, if Vesely is "your guy" then you shouldnt need another player in the 1st round playing the same position.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I disagree
They both may play the same position, but they clearly play very different roles on both offense and defense and should have no trouble being on the court at the same time.
Who guards Blake Griffin?
Of course, every team has that problem….
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 26, 2011 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I was big on Leuer's potential Ryan Anderson game
But he probably would’nt crack the rotation here. If big man, I think we only needed a clear back-up Center for McGee.
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
I'll money quote it
This was a critical summer for the Wizards. Drafting John Wall was easy last year. This year the challenge was to surround him with players who complement his talents. Mission accomplished.
Vesely is one of the most athletic forwards in the draft and should be great flying up and down the floor with Wall. Singleton is also a terrific athlete and the best defender in the draft. Factor in Shelvin Mack as a solid backup guard at No. 34, and the Wizards came away more athletic and tougher. That’s a great draft.
To clarify a bit more
While he gave them an A along with a few other teams, Ford specifically labeled the Wizards as having the best draft on the NBA Today radio show
Yeah, I heard the podcast too. They didn't really seem to go very indepth on it though (they did all 30 first rnd picks)
So they didn’t really adress anything but the run-and-jump fit with Wall. Still its better than hearing Rusillo making jokes about “Andray-Blatche-Fool!”.
Btw, Rusillo is possibly the best ESPN analist out there. He actually watches a ton off games including NBA, College and international footage and really knows his stuff.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jun 24, 2011 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
"Vesely is one of the most athletic forwards in the draft and should be great flying up and down the floor with Wall."
That’s great except that in the NBA, you half to also play half-court basketball.
And unless you are 7 seconds or less Suns you have to rebound/defend before
you get a chance to “fly” down the court. Sigh.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
1 problem
We don’t have shooters.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I keep noting this
and no one seem to think its an issue.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
Singleton is a spot up shooter.
And apparently Vesely can hit an open J.
Dray. A healthy foot should help him regain his shooting touch.
Young. Nuff said.
Not nearly enough shooting, I agree, but its not a total zero.
The problem though as we saw last year
was that once defenses keyed on Young, his efficiency dropped off. As for Dray, its never his shot that worried me, it was his decision making process in taking it.
I don’t think Jan could be described as a shooter with those FT statistics.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
His efficiency dropped once he became a focal point for opposing defenses, but the floor opened up that much more
Which benefits the rest of the offense (Wall and the garbage points players the most). It cuts both ways.
I think the overarching point that we don’t have enough offense is. But I’m of the opinion that a) Wall offsets that as a shot creator for offensively limited players, and b) we can compensate with a whole lotta defense.
At the end of the day, I think it’ll be easier to add some offense to a great defensive team than it would be to add some defense to a great offensive team.
Which isn't a big deal
Because maybe only Kanter and Valanciunas fit that and were both gone. Biyombo may have been a good gamble but no one expected Singleton to fall to 18
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
Still no perimeter shooting - which is important for floor spacing purposes.
Singleton: may develop into a spotup shooter. I won’t rule him out.
Vesely: Doesn’t have NBA 3-point range.
Dray: Again, not a 3-point shooter (though he’s pretty solid on 15-18 footers).
Young: 1 solid NBA shooter.
Conclusion: lots of work to do. However, I actually am optimistic that Mack will provide a boost to the perimeter shooting, especially when he plays off the ball.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 26, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
The Chad Ford Kiss of death
I actually loved Charlotte’s draft more, but Singleton was such a homerun, it’s hard to not say the Wizards had a great draft.
Yeah Michael Jordan had an impressive draft.
Who would’ve every though we’d be saying that…
Yeah I was gonna mention him. I just wonder if he was on Mike's payroll
before or after he left Portland ;-)
On the flip side, Cho’s (and Pritchard’s) departure really showed in Portland’s draft. I thought they really reached on Nolan Smith at 21.
At any rate, Walker and Biyombo seem to me like players he would have been high on playing with as a player.
Yup
Tobais Harris, sleeper of the draft. Or did they trade him?
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
Depends on the standard
If the standard was to get the best players for your picks, EG would get an A.
If the standard was to use the draft to improve the team, EG would get a C.
Remember, the Wiz need somebody strong at the PF who can rebound and defend.
The Wiz also need somebody at the 3 who can shoot.
by Izman on Jun 24, 2011 9:50 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
JaVale must be pleased
No new competition at C, and he didn’t get traded. Good news for his next contract.
i think Vesely is a PF all the way.
plus Lewis has played PF plenty, booker can play. if Blatche comes in out of shape again Flip knows he has options. Can just sit Blatche til he figures out for himself that he needs to change things.
doesnt that negate many of his skills?
He’s supposed to be a great cutter with court sense…at PF he’d have to rebound, defend the interior, hit 17ft Js….none of that is on his resume
can still make good cuts to the basket from PF spot - is about spacing
and honestly, i don’t think he has that many skills period. so not much to get negated. he’s has to get stronger, but activity level and length combined with the trouble he’d have guarding 3s makes for a better fit at PF. and while his handle sucks for a 3 its passable for a 4. athletic ability would stand out more against other bigs who can’t move as well as he can move. for a 3 his athletic ability isn’t too special.
Not without a jumper he can't
No J = no spacing. Opposing PFs will just sag into the lane.
no J means they probably take their eyes off him...
while not having any contact with him. if he’s truly a good cutter and has good b-ball IQ he’ll know that’s his chance. if the ball is in Wall’s hands he won’t need but a half a step on a guy for him to get hit in stride going to the basket.
Yeah but they'll also be within 5-8 feet of the basket
clogging up the lane with plenty of time to react. Back cuts also require floor spacing.
if he's 17 feet out they won't give him 10 feet of cushion
if that’s the case he can knock down completely uncontested shots. he does have a nice stroke. just doesn’t have 3 range. mid range jumpers that are uncontested he probably can knock down or learn to pretty quick since the stroke is already smooth.
If the supposition is that he can't hit jumpers, then how are you throwing his jumper back into the equation?
He’ll have to prove that he can consistently hit open jumpers before they stop sagging.
cause i never made that supposition
His perimeter shot isn’t nearly as good teams would want from their small forwards. He has a fairly smooth and compact shooting motion with none of his fundamental too far away from being good. Vesely puts a good amount of arc on his jumper and decent touch. If he has time to set his feet and is open, Vesely becomes infinitely more accurate. His mid-range jumper also looks promising.
But some of Vesely’s perimeter misses are appallingly ugly. He doesn’t shoot very well when closely guarded or in any situation where he needs to rush his attempt.
Even though Vesely almost certainly will never become a knock-down shooter, he should become adequate if he reps it constantly. He at least should be good enough where his defender must respect his jumper where he can’t sag off to help on bigs.
Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/blog/213660/Draft_Report_Jan_Vesely_Of_Partizan_Belgrade#ixzz1QCxCKH6n
the above is assuming he’s a 3. but as a 4 the shooting requirement gets scaled back some. if you are saying they are going to sag as much as your saying then he’s going to be able to spot up at 15-17 feet and shoot uncontested jumpers. i’m saying with that scenario he’ll hit enough that guys either stay closer or close out harder which leads to a simple punk fake once and while and a couple dribbles and a7 foot of him is at the basket. hopefully Fran Fraschilla is right with his Tom Chambers comparison and Vesely after a year or two is knocking shots down in the mid range like its a lay up.
oops not punk fake...
pump fake.
and as a 4 i hope he never takes a 3.
Oh ok.
So they’re saying he can hit the wide open jumper. Alright I’ll retract. He still has to prove it.
yeah its show and prove time for all these guys
especially guys like Vesely who people haven’t seen much of.
Not to mention
“Open” shots in the NBA are a hell of a lot less open than many players are used to because of the closing speed of the NBA athlete.
Still, if he can knock down the set J then he’ll be a heckuva lot more useful then I’m thinking he will be.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
A PF who can't rebound
Not cool.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
A PF who can't rebound.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Blatche is McGee's "new" competition at C
Vesely and Rashard are Blatche’s “new” competition at PF
But who will defend/rebound?
That’s a serious problem on this team as constructed. And we were a pretty bad rebounding team last year too. Long way to go before this team will have a winning mix of players.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
The minute I heard there was a long, scrawny kid who could run and jump but couldn’t catch or shoot, my sub-conscience fears kicked in that Ernie will love him. And now we go into the new season with no real competition for our dynamic front court duo.
I hope they are right.
by les boulez bomber on Jun 24, 2011 10:03 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Please, then, account for Booker/Seraphin/Singleton.
And Blatche was never known as a great athlete. He was always known for his skill level. This analysis doesn’t wash.
Booker/Singleton = too undersized to be fulltime NBA PFs
And Seraphin = project. I mean, I like Booker and Singleton a lot. But neither of them give us much of a frontcourt.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Singleton is a legit 6'9
He’s not undersized.
That wasn't my point.
Bomber and DCrez implied that Ernie only likes kids who can run and jump. I was trying to point out that that isn’t the case.
The history of EG's drafting bears out the running and jumping theory
he also likes gritty tweeners like Singleton. Last year’s draft was more of an exception rather than the rule.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
Sean,
Why do you see Singleton as a tweener?
I think he is a taller McGuire
Who can lock down, but doesn’t possess the physicality to guard PF or speed to guard SG. Tweener is probably the wrong word (because it describes a physical aspect rather than a skill) but I’m not sure that he has one “skill” that is going to make him effective in the league.
One of the things that concerns me about him is that everyone is touting his defense, but not noting the fact that he is a middling rebounder. When I have watched him, he seems to gamble an awful lot, and seems slow to recover position after the shot goes up.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
the physicality to guard PF or speed to guard SG.
Assuming you meant ‘’speed to guard SF’, I see both of those in him.
As for his rebounding, I could see that concern. But he offsets that with his spot up J. That works at both positions (and probably better at 4)
No, I meant SG
because I thought that one of the benefits being touted was that he was a hybrid guy who could guard 4 positions?
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
i think it depends on the SG and on the PF
against Zach Randolph he’d lack the physicality to guard him well. but against Amare, Bosh, Dirk, Garnett, Gasol, Jamison, Hickson, and pretty much anyone not named Randolph, Duncan, and maybe Blake Griffin i think he could cover at the 4.
at the 3 he’s perfect.
at SG it would be dependent on the guy. i think he can handle most, but wouldn’t want him out there trying to a point guard of a 2 guard Monta Ellis, or running around after Ray Allen all game, but otherwise i wouldn’t hesitate to let him have a shot at slowing down/stoppping any SG.
i wouldn’t have him guarding PGs tho for the most part. specific match ups maybe, but overall i’d avoid it.
I can live with that.
We’ve got Young and Jeffers for SG’s. I’m jacked to get a potential GREAT defender at the forward positions!
3/4 Sprint
Russell Westbrook 3.08
Singleton 3.09
Darren Collison 3.10
He’s 1.5 inches taller than Booker and tested stronger than Kanter and Alrich.
FSU also wasn’t like most college teams, they had legit size throughout their lineup. On a different team he would have played more PF and grabbed 8 or 9 boards. That said, he nearly got 7pg as a 3. He’s not Faried but he’s not Nick Young either, he will be above average.
I hear you
I was more supporting Lez’s point that we still don’t have a real front court competition.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I was saying EG believes in Dray and javale
because he hasnt drafted anyone who can push them
There are 5 guys pushing them...
There’s no one that can push them right now, but that’s more because they’ve got a head start.
by jones-y on Jun 24, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
in a different system...
Booker probably could push Blatche out the starting line up quick. But in this jump shooting loving system he’s got less of a chance. Lewis could push Blatche out the way, but if Lewis is healthy he needs to lobby to play SF cause his body will break down again if he’s still trying to play PF.
so that's another full season of no real competition?
i just think a motivated, partially hungover Dray will dog all these guys in practice unless he is 15 pounds overweight which is always a possibility. Everybody rips Dray and Javale for their lack of interior presence and rebounding….Book is 6’7" and Ves is a waif who didnt rebound in Europe. Javale is 7’2" and Seraphin is maybe 6’8.5"
i dont know….just seems to me that EG must have faith JVM/AB
I definitely have faith in JaVale
And also Blatche, even still they gave him a contract and trading him would be pointless because we wouldn’t get back fair value. A developed Seraphin and hopefully Booker should help and don’t underestimate the impact a great wing defender can have on the entire defense
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
What are they supposed to do?
You don’t build good frontcourts in a year or two unless you’re the Lakers. Or Mavs. Or Celtics. Or lucky.
You throw draft picks at it, suck for a while, and wait.
Singleton is a projected 3 though
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
One huge plus: we “probably” (depending on these new rookies’ production) have a lot of assets now that could be traded for the right player. NYoung (after he’s signed), Singleton (assuming he starts and is good), BLATCHE, and (ahem) Epic Vale. And the 2012 pick that we have next year. Countdown to Dwight Howard trade speculation starting in 3..2..1…
I was thinking the same thing last night
Any teams trying to trade, we definitely have to be an appealing partner. Young, Singleton, Crawford, McGee, Blatche (kinda).
You probably all know this
but Jan’s girlfriend is his sister
Respect thy brother and thy noodly appendage.
"The man who does not comply with the Pastfarian belief is a man not worthy of the afterlife" Mozzarella 17:3
Delonte took his talents to Gloria
not show if this was a joke...but if it wasn't
that was his sister with his girlfriend…not his sister being his girlfriend
i also would have opted for Bismack Biyombo
based on my little knowledge of all the players.
Biyombo is younger, better athlete.
Who knows? Only time will tell.
although, one thing we can all agree, thank god we are not Sacramento kings fans
by John Park Williams on Jun 24, 2011 10:31 AM EDT reply actions
1. Biyombo is not younger 2. Biyombo is a much bigger project than Vesely
by PhenomenalSwag on Jun 24, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
?
Biyombo is a much bigger project than Vesely
Not sure about this — both have many things they need to work on. But at least Biyombo projects as a damn good NBA defender, while Vesely needs to improve everything but his hops.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m still on the “Biyombo’s age is a fraud” bandwagon. He’d have us believe that he’s been playing pro ball for four years (since 14 yrs old), therefore didn’t go to secondary school full-time or at all, and speaks five languages. It’s remotely possible, but he’d be a genius if so.
by Tbonebullets on Jun 24, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Ehh
Ibaka had a shot – Biyombo, not so much.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
In most of sub-saharan Africa
government officials’ kids are akin to royalty. I have no problem believing he got the absolute best schooling available to him from the time he could walk and talk.
I don’t think its fair to use his educational achievements as an indicator of his age. Heck, I took french in the second grade.
dialects or languages?
lots of african folks speak half a dozen dialects and refer to them as languages
That would make more sense. I can speak Southern and San Diego Cal.
by Tbonebullets on Jun 24, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL its a little different
when the other two tribes you share a nation with (damned Berlin Conference) actually have different (yet related – in the sense that Italian is ‘related’ to French is ‘related’ to Spanish) languages…
You guys should consider discussing this when there are facts to parse.
They are both projects
Biyombo is almost nothing on offense. But he’s already a great defender. Vesely isn’t “great” at anything, other than being a a great athlete, which, btw, 80% of the NBA also is.
by segastyle on Jun 24, 2011 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
that made me laugh
Nick has the highest standing vert in the history of the combine, Javale makes other nba players envious, Booker is possibly faster than Wall….and we drafted Ves because he’s the best athlete…in the euroleague
i’m worried KAAAAAAAHHHHN…..will soon be
ERRRRRRNNNNIIEEEEEEE!!!!!
Listening to 980
What’s up with Jay Glassie. He’s so down on the Wizards every time I hear him speak. I don’t expect him to be a fan of the team, but his analysis are always so negative. He was on the radio yesterday saying McGee is so bad that he would trade the 6th pick and McGee for the 2nd pick. Crazy!
those guys are total haters
and Loverro/Sheehan rail on Nick Young like it’s 2007, utterly clueless
Yea thats the problem with old time media
Local radio guys often are out of touch and are on the air mainly because they have been there for so long and because they know how to get the ratings. Nothing gets ratings like a good old fashioned rant. They may know a lot about sports in general, but increasingly you have to go to blogs like this one to really get good info and opinions on one specific team. Why do you think Czaban has been on the air so long. He hates everything and his rants are kind of funny so they keep him around.
by Ron Carlos Jeines on Jun 24, 2011 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Czab at least appreciates the league for the most part.
Guys like Andy and Loverro are typical, crotchety nba haters
Glassie is an idiot.
He’s a beat reporter who doesn’t beat report. The rest of them are football guys. I doubt they even watch the games. I think they just look at the Wiz W/L record and regurgitate everyone else’s stale opinions about prospects that have since developed and improved.
There is one sure fire way to turn them into converts, however….
I would love to hear Nick whooped one of their asses on his way out of town.
seriously, because they know nothing about the wizards they treat JVM, Nick, and Dray as the same person and fill the time making petty, personal attacks against them. I really dont get it, might as well talk DC United instead or something. You call a man an idiot enough times publicly and it’s time you said it to his face
ok, rant over
sometimes the less you think about this stuff
the less you try to convince yourself guys we have are better than they are. the ‘outsiders’ could be spot on with their analysis.
i see the same thing with huge redskins fans. they always think they’ll make the playoffs.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jun 24, 2011 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
I get that.
All I’m saying is do your dang homework, or you expose yourself for what you are: little more than a basher who knows jack about the team or the players. A beat reporter who doesn’t beat report. A bball analyst who analyzes nothing more than the W/L record (to the exclusion of the film and the stats???)… Glassie called McGee the worst conditioned athlete in the NBA. Glassie doesn’t know McGee has asthma.
I personally think its an embarassment to call him a beat reporter.
As for 980 as a whole, you get some balanced analysis of the Wiz (from an overview perspective) at times. Glassie is a joke.
And another thing
Glassie is paid to ‘think about this stuff’.
Not saying he's not an idiot
But getting Derrick Williams for McGee + (Vesely pick) is not a bad trade at all IMO. It’s at least debatable — McGee is still a project who may or may not figure everything out.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I couldn't disagree more
Trading your starting center plus a high draft pick for Williams is not a fair deal at all. McGee could be an all star. He played like that for a few games in the middle of last season and towards the end of the season. I’m glad EG didn’t go for it.
Yes
We think he could be a star. It seems much of the league disagrees. That is why the rumored trade involved our pick as well as other players tacked onto the deal.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
I'm not sure I agree
I think there were other Wizards fans saying we should have made that deal. I think the rest of the league is trying to sucker us into letting McGee go for nothing. I believe there is a team out there that will offer McGee major dollars if he becomes a free agent.
Well apparently EG agrees
I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m saying that trading two projects for a player that every expert thinks is a likely future all star is hardly a bad trade. McGee may be our starting center, but he is a very long way from being an all star.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 26, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Good Picks
Considering everything——who was available when we picked——-I gave it a A-.
Yeah it woulda been better if we got Williams or Kanter but it was too costly to move up.
We won’t really know til we see them play a couple dozen games ( whenever games will be played) what we got.
But you gotta like Singleton & Mack that late in the draft. Jan V ?
C+
Singleton was a great pick at 18. Great. One of the two best defenders in the draft. Certainly the best wing defender. And he can hit spot up outside shots, and finish at the rim. Being able to guard the 2,3, or 4 spots makes him a versatile defender who we can place on the opposing teams best player most night.
Mack is fine at 34. Can’t complain about him, though I would’ve gone for Honeycutt.
The fact that we “zeroed in” on Vesely since almost last year worries me. The fact that we never even bothered to even look at Biyombo tells me Grunfeld is a jackarse. There is nothing. Nothing that says Biyombo could play alongside McGee. 6’9" and 7’. Bot hgreat reach. Both can block shots. And Biyombo actually KNOWS how to play defense, both one-on-one and team. Maybe he has no offensive skills, but so what. We just drafted Vesely, who everyone of the pundits loves, yet they all say he can’t create his own scoring opportunities. So Wall needs to create for him. Well Wall could just as easily have created for Biyombo.
We missed out on having a Joakim Noah/Ben Wallace type of anchor on defense.
by segastyle on Jun 24, 2011 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I have to agree
Even though it’s possible Biyombo is a total bust. I think his skill set would have been better for the team though.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 24, 2011 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Biyombo reportedly has a herniated disk in his back.
And he’s a skillset duplication of McGee. (overlapping players is not bad, duplicating players is asking for trouble). There’s no way you can play two roaming shot blockers who are offensive zero’s in the front court together.
He didn’t want to come here because of McGee, and we didn’t want him because of the potential for back problems.
but we never even looked at Biz
and apparently had zero’d in on Vesely a year ago. Seems like Ern must have a lot of free time to me.
That's what everyone reported
So we don’t know for a fact, but based on all reports from various sources, we skipped workouts and were never interested or considering him.
They reported that we didn't look at him over the past few weeks.
Not the past few months. That only means we made our decision on him early in the game. And nothing changed leading up to the draft to sway our opinion.
by jones-y on Jun 24, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Which is what makes us stupid
You should see the guy in person as much as possible to make a decision. We clearly put blinders on to the type of player we wanted at the 6 pick. Even going so far as to make a promise to player. Why promise someone when we have the 6th pick? Especially someone that nobody was going to try and trade up in front of us to steal if he had worked out for them.
Just makes me question if we really did our due diligence. And if we did, makes me question if we just decided that a guy known only for defense, but for great defense, wasn’t as important as a guy that fits the style of player Grunfeld has been searching for his entire career but has yet to land.
It’s been proven that you need an above average defense to win, with at least one top-flight NBA defender. I’m just not sure Ernie believes that.
(overlapping players is not bad, duplicating players is asking for trouble).
Great point and that’s why I never understood when people mentioned Tristan Thompson (Trevor Booker)
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
No overlap between Biyombo and McGee
McGee is a pogo-stick shot-blocking 7-fotter who has some skill on offense. I actually think he could be a solid 15pt a night guy and with good percentages. But let’s be realistic. No matter how good his shot-blocking is, he is not at this point, nor has he shown any evidence of becoming, a smart, knowledgable position and team defender. He may yet get to that, but so far, after three years in the pros, and two in college, he’s not there.
Biyombo is 18, and already has proven to have an abundance of that ability. On top of that, he can still block shots, and is able to defend guys outside of the box. Even if he’s not 18, and he’s 21, he’s still just as young as Vesely.
I see no reason why Biyombo couldn’t play the $ to McGee’s 5. If anything, he could help McGee’s game by allowing him to be more of a weak-side, off-the-ball, help defender.
by segastyle on Jun 24, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
My grade is mostly about who we didn't take
It’s not an indictment on Vesely. It’s more that I believe that even if Biyombo never ever gives his team anything on offense except rebounds and put-back dunks, he’ll still potentially be a top 10 player on defense. And I think we need that desperately. Much more so than any all-around solid player.
We could have been sporting a lineup of:
1. Wall, Mack
2. Young, Crawford (or flip that)
3. Singleton, Booker (or flip that)
4. Biyombo, Booker, Seraphin
5. McGee, Seraphin, Biyombo
I think that makes us one of the better defensive teams in the league, potentially the best in a few years.
now we have:
1. Wall, Mack
2. Young, Crawford (or flip that)
3. Singleton, Vesely, Booker (or flip that)
4. Vesely, Booker, Seraphin
5. McGee, Seraphin
Which may make us a little better on defense, but not really better on offense.
About Vesely
I don’t hate him as a player. I love his attitude and energy and aggression. And I think that will be great for this team. I do think he should play the 4. The power forward spot in this league is not really about ‘power’ anymore. It’s more about length and being able to finish inside. I think he’ll provide mismatches with his quickness at that position, and will actually still have a height advantage on most players there. What scares me about him potentially being a ‘bust’ is he terrible shooting all around (outside, midrange, free throw), and his lack of rebounding despite the size and athletic advantage he had the last two years.
my main concern are...
will the team commit to him being a PF? and will he commit to it? Will need to bang. didn’t see him do much physical stuff in any of his highlights. will he shy away from contact? i hope not, but don’ t know.
isnt there a 10x better chance Bismack becomes a banging PF than Vesely?
i dont think they will expect or ask Jan to bang inside at all, the kid is barely ever involved in contact when you watch the clips. He is going to be 110% finesse imho
on defense is where i think he'll have to
offensively i doubt he’d try to bang too much. be aggressive yes, truly bang…probably not.
that last part is why EG is a jackarse.
drafted a guy without the skillset for any position, his whole premise is based upon improving in a raftload of areas that he hasnt managed to as of yet. 48%FT shooter from a SF? Are you kidding me? The way stuff like that just gets brushed under the rug by analysts while a kid like Kawhi is villified for his shaky J mystifies me.
Mike, I'm still not seeing the major difference in game
Between Tristan Thompson and Trevor Booker
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
Thompson is over an inch taller, over 2 inches longer, and far quicker. I imagine they envision him as a slightly less explosive Kenyon Martin
Far quicker?
Booker is pretty fleet of foot by the numbers…
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
100% not impressed with Vesely
But steal of the draft for you guys with Singleton at 18.
Mack is also pretty good, and a winner.
I hear you.
But Valanciunas was hand crafted for your team… And for your current frontcourt. I mean really. My thing is, if it was the whole buyout situation, then your GM should be chained and flogged. If they plain liked Thompson better, then you just kinda have to swallow the pill…
To me, it makes no sense to pass on the better prospect just because he can’t come help a bad team suck next year.
As for Vesely, I wasn’t impressed either at first. But it seems we got more than we fans thought we did:
http://nbaplaybook.com/2011/06/24/overseas-scouting-report-jan-vesely/
Buyout + uncertainty
Cavs didn’t want to wait, I’m guessing. No one wants another Ricky Rubio scenario.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jun 26, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
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