Drafting to beat the Heat?
by zeke5123 on Jun 24, 2011 12:40 PM EDT
Email
Print
The Heat, with all due respect to the Magic, are the Wizards biggest challenge in winning their division. They also may stand in their way of advancing through the playoffs. With the drafting of Vesley and Singleton have the Wizards added the pieces to successfully defend and defeat the Heat?
If we re-sign Nick Young, we can run a crunch time match-up of:
John Wall v. Mario Chalmers
Nick Young v. Dwayne Wade
Chris Singleton v. LePippen
Jan Vesley v. Chris Bosh
Pierre v. Scrub Center
Nick Young has proven he can defend against Wade effectively. Chris Singleton has the athleticism, size, and wherewithal to defend LeBron. Jan Vesley is an excellent match-up against Chris Bosh. Bosh is not a banger, he is more of a really tall three playing the four. Vesley won't be out-muscled by Bosh but can keep up athletically and has the length to bother Bosh. Offensively, you let Wall and McGee take advantage of their mismatches. Young and Singleton (he can knock down open threes) can spread the floor and tire Wade/LeBron by making them chase after them through screens etc. Bosh doesn't always show the most awareness. Vesley may be able to sneak in a few good cuts for easy baskets. In the end, most of the offense would originate from the Heat's defensive weakness, the one and five. But defensively, we can slow them down. We can do that probably better than any team in the league, at least match-up wise.
This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.
39 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
We're not in a position to just draft players to combat one or two guys on another team.
Right now, we have to try to just win in the regular season consistently and with reg season success comes playoff success.
by thewiz06 on Jun 24, 2011 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Really?
Despite almost beating the Heat last year a couple times? We significantly improved defensively without sacrificing much in the way of offense. I’d beat we beat the Heat at least once next year, probably twice.
At this point in time, in a 7 game series we'll lose 100 times out of 100 tries
Might win a few games here and there but not the series.
Part of that is that, that team isn’t good enough to make the play offs at all. Not in by a long shot, not even in the east.
"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 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
In short, we have to hope the CBA works in the owners favor
so we can compete. Otherwise, there is basically no chance of us succeeding.
You might as well
put dray there because it ain’t gonna be vesley yet…when dray gets up for this PF meetings like against bosh or KG, he more then holds his own…
by Meraj Chowdhury on Jun 24, 2011 1:20 PM EDT reply actions
Let's just worry about beating teams like the Bobcats first
by jeffco01 on Jun 24, 2011 1:24 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Good sentiment
I think the Heat are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Doesn’t mean I hate them, but they have so much talent it’s hard not to see them as the favorite toe win the Eastern conference.
Much like teams were built to “stop Jordan.” I think building to stop Miami is important. However, I don’t see it yet with the Wizards. Why?
Chris Singleton is a rookie- Even if he is a defensive ace, I think it’ll take him a year or two to fully realize that pontential
Jan Vessely- He needs to add bulk before he’ll be able to take on Bosh. I’m also not sure you don’t want him on Lebron James. Lebron struggled with Turk and Lewis guarding him. He also had some problems with Jared Jefferies guarding him. (not a lot of problems). Tall players who sag off him to take away his drives and can still challenge his jump shot seems to be the ideal defender. If Veselly has more lateral quickness than he’s displayed, he and Singleton might take turns guarding Lebron.
I’ll agree that Young has done a good job on Wade. I’ll also agree with McGee and Wall develop, the Wizards would be great in positions that the Heat are weakest. Nevertheless, I still think they’re ahead of us significantly.
Now, if we add Gilchrist or Barnes at the 2 or Davis at the 4, I think the tables may turn.
We're a good matchup against Miami, Boston, Chicago and NY
just by virtue of our glut of athletic defenders at the 1-4 and the fact that they aren’t imposing teams down low. Not saying we can take any of them in a 7 game series; just that we have a team that could give them fits for stretches. They all have too much star power and firepower for us. But we have a puncher’s chance.
Atlanta matches up well against us; they have athletes at all positions, and they’re veteran. Orlando is still gonna kick our butts. Indy is slightly tough for us because they’ve got bangers in Psycho T and Hibbert and extremely gifted perimeter players in Collison, Granger, PGeorge, and now GHill. Philly is a wash.
If we can sniff .500 (or even .400), the playoffs are a real possibility just based on how we match up defensively with the teams above us.
We didn’t intentionally assemble this roster to challenge Miami, but I don’t care, I just wanna see our defenders take it to them. For the love of God, please somebody bloody LeBron’s lip. Give him a REAL reason to check it.
we are only three pieces away from being a serious contender
offense, defense, rebounding
once we add those pieces, look out!
by les boulez bomber on Jun 28, 2011 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Lets see this Bullets squad play 1st
We won like 2 games last year. Lets aim for not coming in last in our division then lets start aiming at the big fish. Baby steps… it’s for my heart condition, you see I’ve been a Bullets fan… no Witness for 34 + years and have learned not to jump the gun.
Remember getting Webber & Howard… two of the Fab Five! We should have won a championship or at least our conference, but alas we are Bullets. Cursed by Wes Unseld’s ghost.
Not that we can’t win, I just want to see steady progress before I invest my emotional well-being into this squad. I’m still heart-broken over Gil, if you can’t tell. He gave me more hope than Obama. If only we had Universal Health Care, it could have saved his fractured mind and his enormous delusional ego.
I am liking Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack. Jan I want to see play an NBA game or two and see how he performs against the big boys. I’m hoping at the very least he can be that high energy guy like bird man, and at most the next Dirk ;)
Have a great summer y’all and lets pray to the Basketball Gods for a No-Lockout season.
crush our enimies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their women!
Le Bullet - where being a fan isn't easy, but at least we have lots of cool scars to show for it.
Agreed 100%
"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 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I am not buying what you are selling.
Bosh would likely devour young Jan, and then poop him out. Chalmers, along with the rest of that swarming defense could do more than bother John Wall. I am not even sure that our new ‘defensive specialist’ could handle his assignment as well as you project. Joel Anthony didn’t do a bad job of pushing Tyson Chandler around at times. And Javale is simply Tyson Chandler lite.
Ohhh my God.
Where is my FACE? I CANT FEEL MY FACE!!!
by returnofswagger on Jun 24, 2011 6:23 PM EDT reply actions
The Heat will be past their prime in 5 seasons
Wade- 34
Lebron- 32
Bosh- 32
Five seasons is about where I see the Wizards becoming a serious threat in the Eastern Conference. That would be Wall’s 6th season. Given that the Thunder is really beginning to compete for the West in Durant’’s 4th/5th seasons, 6th seems about right for the Wizards under Wall.
by Emmet O'Neal on Jun 25, 2011 1:50 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Given whatever roster upgrades they make,
that’s still a championship caliber team.
Maybe
I think Wade breaks down before that. I can’t seem him remaining in the top tier when he’s over 32. He’s just a bit frail. I don’t think he’ll be terrible, by an means, but I think Wade the most vulnerable to decline from injury. Five years from now might be a good prediction.
A new CBA could make it really tough for Miami to make improvements, since they’re locked 3 players at a relatively high salary. A hard carp could make it very difficult, especially if one of the big three struggles. Finally, Miami’s decision to trade picks to get Bosh and Lebron has put them in a really precarious position in terms of acquiring young talent.
Yeah I can see Wade breaking down too.
and the CBA is a MAJOR concern for them. I could still see UFAs taking less money to go there though.
If Wall improves year to year a la Rose, we should be able to compete in year 3 or 4
Ted and Ernie have stated that attaining young assets around Wall is the current goal. They have succeeded in that respect. Now either these young assets (Crawford, Young, Booker, McGee, Dray, Seraphin, Vesely, Singleton) turn into good to great players for us in the next couple years (it’s possible), or we use them as pieces to a trade puzzle, gunning for a top tier player. Similar to what Boston did a few years ago, trading multiple young promising players for two all-stars. We also have the financial flexibility to make a big splash in the next few years. All in all, I see us making a big leap in Wall’s 3rd year.
"Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesely" - Jan Vesely
by PhenomenalSwag on Jun 25, 2011 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
If we trade for all stars,
let’s try not to cripple our cap room in the process which is what happened to Boston and Miami. At least for Boston, they were able to win two Eastern Conference titles in 3 years, and won the championship once.
Agreed. Now, let us make sure he re-signs first...
"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)
Oh Yeah!
We can compete with the Heat & Celts but we can’t beat the Cavs, 76ers, nets or Kings.
By the time we are Competitive with the current elite teams those teams will be on their way down——Celts, Magic & Heat in a couple of years.
We gotta worry about beating the sub 500 teams first.
Next season we will be another Lotto team.
With low expectations we can get a chance to see if the non starters can play or not.
The 3 new guys need game time not bench time. Give it to them when we aren’t going anywhere. Let them develop. Sink or swim. Find out what we got. It also gives other teams a chance to see someone that they want to trade for.
You are right....about matching them offensively...
but stopping them… or rather slowing them down is another matter…
The Wizards have drafted smart, high energy, defensive minded guys for the last two drafts… (Booker, Singleton, Seraphin, and yes, even Vesely)…
Nick Young is a very good one-on-one defender and has done very well in the past guarding Dwyane Wade…
Booker did a reasonable job last year against LeBron – and got better defensively as the season progressed.
Singleton, at 6’9", with his mind set, skill set, length and strength is tailor made to harass guys like LeBron… and Vesely’s length and quickness could also be a hinderence to LeBaby.
That leaves John Wall on Chalmers (or whoever is the flavor of the month at PG for Miami) – and Pierre to roam the paint looking to erase any “mistakes” the Wizards perimeter players make on defense…
I think that this team, in a couple years, could actually be very, very good defensively against teams like the Heat, Boston and Chicago… The Lakers, on the other hand, with their tremendous front line – well, that’s a whole different story.
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
by Rook6980 on Jun 26, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Would you say Dallas’s defense was the deciding factor in the Finals?
My opinion; Dallas was just making more shots than Miami could. Two things about that though: 1. It is hard to expect Miami to ever be that bad again… Maybe not that hard for me, cuz I am a hater but… 2. The first (maybe) two games were defensive battles, but other wise, I wanna say that Dallas’s full throttle was better than Miami’s full throttle.
If we are judging from one series, then (as I predicted from the beginning) that Big 3 just can’t work. Too much of some things, and not enough of a whole lot on that team.
Am I selling that team way short out of a bias? More than likely.
Ohhh my God.
Where is my FACE? I CANT FEEL MY FACE!!!
by returnofswagger on Jun 26, 2011 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd say Tyson chandler was the single biggest reason
outside of Dirk and Terry hitting shots. He was the 5th best player in the series (behind dirk, lebron, wade, and bosh). Especially the last four games of the series. He was too much for Miami to handle on the glass and he anchored the defense superbly.
Miami desperately needs more size and defense in the post and more rebounding from the center position. They need one big physical body to complement Haslem, Bosh and Anthony. Its gonna be tough for them to get it though, unless they can get a UFA to take less money at some point.
I'd say it was the Dallas bench
and high % shooting especially from downtown.
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
they need to but
don’t think they can except with more scrubs and old vets. makes me smile :-)
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
Plus
I think last year might give some vets pause.
Nobody wants to get Bibbied.
by MR on Jun 27, 2011 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions
They all have far too much ego to think that it'll happen to them....
Or enough humility to accept the risk. We’re talking about rings… Not one, not two, not three…
maybe they'll sign DSteve?
that way he can get under LeBaby’s skin every game. LOL
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
No one on the Mavs could stop Lebron either..
.. but doubling on him when he had the ball had the desired effect.
Teams beat players
Professional sports turn on individual matchups much more than fans tend to acknowledge. Certain bad teams seem to always particular good teams “trouble”, the colloquialism we use to describe a team that should not beat the other team “on paper” (W/L record, media-ascribed talent to particular players, etc.). This happens because of individual player vs. player, player vs. coach, coach vs. coach situations (really, the differential element one could use to describe any possession). Versatility of players is useful; but only in so far as it wins you more possessions, aggregate.
That said, playing a divisional-heavy schedule, there is at least some logical credence to having an eye toward match-up dependency. I think one can see the draft picks as logical choices to become good matchup defenders against the Heat… but really, if you are talking about defensing Wade/Bron/Bosh, you should be able to defend at least fairly well against lots of players. You should be able to win more possessions against many teams with 6’9"+ guys with good attitude toward defensive performance, respectable basketball IQ (our single biggest team weakness) and “coach-ability” (to learn a new approach and consistently repeat it in game situations). Most of all though, you want to build a team that wins you possessions by turning more match-ups into coach vs. players match-ups.
That is to say, the Mavs beat Bron-siah because Rick Carlisle made them believe if they were a much better team, they could overcome player vs. player match-ups unfavorable to them. They were right. It also helped that Marion surged at the right time, and basically canceled out the perceived advantage the Heat had at that position entirely.
When you draft Vesely + Singleton, you do so to bother the Heat.. and everybody else. Why? Because they might listen to Flip, build some chemistry, and put away “superior” collections of players by being a better team, and turning games by winning coach vs. player matchups.
by CapitalDominion on Jun 26, 2011 8:12 PM EDT reply actions
we are making progress...
remember that game when mcgee rejected bosh and wade on like consecutive plays? we definitely have the tenactiy to wreak some havoc, but i dont think much will change unless we really commit to team defense (!!!!!!!) much like the bulls last season, and the celtics since getting the big 3. im glad that we have a lot high energy, high motor guys. defense is all about intensity and intelligence, and EG did a good job addressing defense in the draft by picking smart and energetic players. next step is to get good one on one defensive guys like young (?) and mcgee to learn how to play off the other guys on the court. if our TEAM D improves, we’ll definitely be making some splashes.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Bullets Forever
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Miami Heat are moving on to the conference finals
- Kevin Durant is tired of hearing about the Spurs
- The 10-man rotation, starring your Indiana Pacers
- Blake Griffin highlights, ‘NBA Jam’-style (VIDEO)
- Finally, Shelvin Mack and Robert Pack have a dance dedicated to them (VIDEO)
