Javale Mcgee Haters Need a Reality Check
by gregjohnson1229 on Jan 17, 2012 4:55 PM EST
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PrintJavale Mcgee is a 4th year player. Last year was the first year Javale got any significant minutes on the floor. He didnt get enough playing time his 2nd year to really get the experience needed to be a consistent performer. Last year he was learning on the fly how he can be most effective as a starting center in the NBA. Not to mention it wasnt until halfway into the season the terrible Wizards training staff figured out that he had asthma. Even under the circumstances he still averaged 10 points 8 boards and 2.4 blocks a game. Those are career numbers for many centers in the league, He didnt get a tryout with the USA Olympic team for no reason. Coach K knows what the big man can bring. Yes he had a lot of goaltends and left his feet to much but, those are things that can be learned. I will prove to you why that everyone should be on the Javale Mcgee bandwagon.
On the other hand Mcgee has greatly improved his defensive rebounding. Mostly because he is boxing out better and going up with two hands more instead of one. (He could still get better with the boxing out though) He hustles a lot more for loose balls and tips a lot of passes in the passing lanes. His goaltends are much less this year and arent usually of the stupid variety like last year when he would get them on a foul. Most of the ones I've seen have been pretty close to still on the way up and some just werent goaltends. He is staying home much more on has man instead of going for the block. He is learning quickly that altering a shot can be just as effective as a block.
People here still say that Mcgee is a me first player. Maybe in years past you could say that but, not anymore. He is getting really good at tapping the ball back out on the offensive rebounds. This a team play, A me first player would only grab the offensive rebound and try to score for himself. i like that he is working on his offensive post moves in the game. Lets face it are Andray Blatche and Kevin Seraphin good opponents to be working on your post game with in practice? The answer is NO! He showed against the Sixers that he is getting a lot better with his post moves. The most impressive one is he just turns of his man and goes up for a power dunk.
His numbers stack up with many of the top centers in the league. He gets ten less minutes a game than Dwight Howard easily the best center in the league. He still only averages 9 less points than he does and a little over 5 rebounds more. However his averaging almost a block more than Dwight Howard right now. As of right now Mcgee has better numbers than Tyson Chandler who is averaging 10,4 points 9.2 boards and 1.5 blocks a game. Mcgee is giving you 11.4 points a game 9,4 boards 3.0 blocks a game and getting 5 mins less a game than Tyson Chandler. Tyson Chandler just got 4 year 58 million contract with the Knicks.
Javale Mcgee right now is a top 10 center in the NBA according to Hollinger from ESPN. He has been the most consistent and impressive Wizard this year by far. A lot of times after the Wizards are down by +15 in the fourth quarter the only reason I still pay any attention is to watch Mcgee. I think many people on this site lump him in too much with Blatche and Young. Neither of these players hustle like Mcgee. Blatche is a reason why IMO Mcgee numbers arent better. When you have a jump shooting Power Forward that means a lot of long rebounds. If we had a power forward that went inside more Mcgee would probably average another 4-6 points a game just on putbacks.
By no means do I think Mcgee is perfect or doesn't still have flaws. He needs to still work on the pick n roll defense, boxing out, touch on his post shots and foul shooting. He is starting to put it all together this year. The Wizards would be stupid to let him go during the upcoming free agency. The last thing the Wizards need to do is create more holes on this team
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.
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Using the word "haters" is frowned upon here and takes away from a well-argued fanpost
by Mike Prada on Jan 17, 2012 5:17 PM EST reply actions 7 recs
Okay I will used a different word next time. How about doubters. I really enjoy you articles by the way mike
by gregjohnson1229 on Jan 17, 2012 9:15 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, we're clarifying site rules and recommendations now, but "hater" is not a word we use here
Too inflammatory and hurts discussion.
I like the post couldn't have said it better
I agree I see mcgee as a top 5 center in the east and potentially (keep in mind how weak the center position is today) top 3 in the league. yeah I said it. I also think alot of wizards fans have a little flip saunders in them when it comes to mcgee… in my opinion there was nothing wrong with that dunk the game was close at that point (60-64 after he scored)and he had a chance to get everyone hyped on a OPEN fastbreak so whats so wrong with having alittle fun and getting the crowd excited.. If flip had not taken javale out of the game or had it been john wall it would have just been another highlight on espn… that being said javale still has a ways to go to reaching his full potential but he’s definitely on his way
by Jon81387 on Jan 17, 2012 6:54 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Personally, I am surprised Grunfeld hasn’t already inked him to an extension. With the way McGee is playing this season, every day he waits will, in the end, likely cost the team more money, or cost them McGee. McGee is 9th in the league in rebounds, and 7th in rebound rate, 1st in blocks and 3rd in block rate. At this rate, the Wizards will be lucky to resign McGee to a DeAndre Jordan type of deal.
by disgrunted on Jan 17, 2012 7:06 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Personally, I am surprised Grunfeld hasn’t already inked him to an extension.
ehhh…. in the Jeff Green article, D.A. reported that the Wizards FO (read Ernie) isn’t really inclined to even give McGee DeAndre Jordan type money……
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jan 17, 2012 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
who knows about articles like that
but it was worded in a way that sounded as if Ted just doesnt want to spend much money on salaries yet, which would lead you to think if Mcgee walks there wont be an impact FA coming in behind him.
javale is loads better than Jordan. Jordan is only getting 7 points a game with the best pg in the leauge in his prime passing him the ball in chris paul. Chris Paul made Okafor into almost a 20 point scorer.
by gregjohnson1229 on Jan 17, 2012 10:08 PM EST up reply actions
O I agree
I am very worried that we end up keeping Blatche of the three ‘old era’ players while we let the best (McGee) and second best (NY) walk.
I’m afraid Ernie stays, Flip stays, aquisitions like Green will be made and raw players like Seraphin will be drafted. John will walk in a few years if we are going to be forced to watch the trainwrack with patience…. They’ll lose me as a fan if tis happens. I don’t live in D.C. I just chose the Wiz because of MJ and then stuck around because of Gilbert. I am a huge Wizards supporter and a loyal one but if Ted sticks with Ernie and Flip, I’m out at some point. Not that Ted cares though, I don’t buy tickets since I’m over sees.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jan 18, 2012 2:52 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Same worries
my biggest concern is that we let NY and JM go because they don’t seem to get along with Wall. I haven’t seen them high-fiving, ever (not that there’s much to high five about this season anyhow). Like I’ve said in a game thread. Make Javale the franchise player. Sure, he thinks he’s better than he actually is but he’s driven. He wants to be a bona fide star in this league. Maybe I’m overanalyzing, but I get a feeling that McGee and Wall don’t get along cause they both want to be the head honchos and McGee isn’t getting any love out of Flip or the Front Office. It’s all about Wall. So, let’s trade Wall because the league is full of young good point guards, not so full of young freakishly athletic centers. Get someone who is willing to lob to McGee all night and high-five him after a succesful dunk.
OTOH, spending money on McGee would seem to be a part of ‘the plan’ which is about rewarding homegrown players.
Ted needs to show his true colors after this season. We will get a high pick, we should match any offer for McGee (unless Dwight is coming here) and get a top notch FA (and pay him).
Patience for now with a side of fear of the curse o’ lez boulez.
I like the Bullets
i would love
for someone closer to the team to shed some light on this. sean? mike? BNIE?
I like the Bullets
It would be like we got rid of Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, and Juwan Howard in that order. This was the incorrect order to get rid of that group as well. I know totally different front office but i hope we dont have a similar outcome with Mcgee, Young, and Blatche
by gregjohnson1229 on Jan 18, 2012 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
McGee definitely has the potential, I don't think any BFers deny that.
But to think John Wall is out of control and McGee isn’t? Like somehow McGee has finally got it? I’m not seeing that. McGee has improved no doubt, but he still is pretty out of control on a lot of possessions. His basketball IQ hasn’t seemed to improve either. I still undecided as to whether I would give him a big extension after this season, or let him walk. I haven’t made up my mind yet. Bynum is comparable in age and is a center that is always under control. I wish McGee would just study Bynum film all day long. I could live with that kind of play.
"Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesely" - Jan Vesely
do you think Bynum would be this good if we'd drafted him? I certainly don't.
all the stuff we like to make excuses for John about (not enough talent around him, bad situation, gungate, etc) affects all our players.
Give credit where credit is due
for the record, most people here that "hate on" mcgee
respect his talent and potential. we also recognize that he’s playing better this year. it doesn’t make us any less bewildered and frustrated with his decision making at times. while you make good points, your post doesn’t do much to ease our doubts.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 17, 2012 8:28 PM EST reply actions
derrick williams for mcgee
last year minnesota apparently wanted mcgee and next year’s first for williams. i wonder if that’s still the case. i think a mcgee for williams swap makes a lot of sense for both teams, particularly if you could move blatche in the process.
assuming our first rounder is no longer required… i would have done a straight up swap in a second over the summer, but i have to admit mcgee’s play this year gives me some pause
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 17, 2012 8:34 PM EST reply actions
D Williams
I’d trade mcgee and the 2013 1st rounder and hopefully draft Andre Drummond
by Jon81387 on Jan 17, 2012 8:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I am not sure DWilliams is the better player
Including Blatche ánd drafting Drummond makes it worth it though
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jan 18, 2012 2:55 AM EST up reply actions
He's got loads of talent and potential to do even better.
And just because I hate this cliche, you can’t teach size!
I think he’d be much better off on a more mature team and surrounded by more focused players. When so much is going wrong, it’s easier to focus on his screw ups. (And I do consider the dunk/salute ill advised at best.) I’m not sure things are ever going to truly work out with Dray and Nick and JaVale all still here – it’s semi-reminiscent of the baby Bulls era, when the labels had just been so firmly attached there was no escaping it. People make note of what confirms their preconceptions.
by wjb1492 on Jan 17, 2012 10:28 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I agree with you on the fact that McGee could be better off on a more mature team
The salute after the dunks are fine with me actually.
Maybe I’ve been too hard on him like other JaVale doubters, and perhaps many of us are too hard on Dray and Nick as well, and I’ll admit that I’m also hard on them.
By themselves I don’t find them as bad guys or even bad players, even Andray. However, these three guys have all remained together since Gilbert was here, and as one commenter said above, they have endured quite a bit since arriving in DC.
by thewiz06 on Jan 18, 2012 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
When I see consistent lack of effort, I remember
Those guys aren’t acting like Pros
when the labels had just been so firmly attached there was no escaping it. People make note of what confirms their preconceptions.
That describes it perfectly.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Jan 18, 2012 1:34 PM EST up reply actions
When people here doubt McGee, it's based on his next contract
The one that hasn’t been signed yet. McGee is a very talented player, but there are warning signs. Some other players in the past who’ve gotten big paydays and shown signs of immaturity have been crippling to the future of the teams that paid them.
McGee has been showing some consistency this year for the first time in his career. At the end of the year, we need to sign him to a huge extension or pretty much expect him to leave. It’s fair to wonder whether his progress is genuine or playing for a contract, given his past.
Almost nobody on this site thinks we should just get rid of him. He’s a good piece to have, but he hasn’t shown himself to be a franchise-level player yet, in my opinion. I only want to overpay talent and not potential, but I can see how others would disagree. I’m going to keep my doubts until we see how this year goes though.
by Elvin_is_my_Elvis on Jan 18, 2012 11:29 AM EST reply actions
what i dont understand is why worry so much about the contract?
let’s say it takes 5yr/$60mill to keep him….what’s the big deal(assuming he has a solid season that shows improvement)? We have enormous CAP flexibility and most of our players are on rookie contracts. At what point does “saving CAP room for a FA” morph into just being cheap? Javale is not Dray and he never will be, at the very least he clearly loves being in great shape. That alone means that he will be tradeable for the length of a 5yr deal, he is only 23 and by the time he’s 26 will probably look like a Marvel superhero even if his game isnt where we hoped it would be. And if all he does is make the exact same progress over the next 2-3yrs that he has every year since he came in…won’t we be happy to have him at $12mill/yr?
So really, what is the giant risk in signing him? That Dwight won’t come here? How laughable is that?
The other thing about Javale
Durability. You are probably paying for him for the entire length of the season when you pay him. Seems like he’ll always be the in shape type. And he just doesn’t have the build and body of guys like Bynum, Yao, or Oden who will never stay healthy. And that’s not always the case with the big guys. Think of what LA has been paying Bynum per game that he actually plays.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Jan 18, 2012 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
You're willing to gamble $60 million in cap space on this
he is only 23 and by the time he’s 26 will probably look like a Marvel superhero
I’m a little more cautious. If I had to pull the trigger today, I would not. If Javale plays consistently for the entire season, albeit a shortened season, then maybe.
by Elvin_is_my_Elvis on Jan 18, 2012 12:19 PM EST reply actions
No, i'm saying that's why it isnt so much of a gamble.
Because at 26 he will still be a freakishly athletic 7’2" Big….thus a relatively easy asset to trade rather than a deadweight. Haywood got 6yr/$55mill at age 30 and really he is a stiff.
but can you tell me how $12mill/yr is a huge gamble with our CAP space? I dont see it, I mean just how low do we have to keep payroll? Eventually people need to be paid or they leave. We’re in the enviable position of having mainly rookies and only one complete turd of a deal in Lewis’ which is coming off the books. I just cant see where a contract for Mcgee hamstrings us in the future.
it's looking like a smart gamble, but it's far from a sure thing
you’re also assuming javale will take that contract. he might look for more.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 18, 2012 12:52 PM EST up reply actions
It's pretty much a given that we need to keep him
It’s just at how much, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if someone pays him 60 mil for 5 years, which is near max contract and absolutely insane to give to Mcgee given his conditions. Of course Mcgee can live up to it if he keeps improving but paying someone based on potential is always a risk. I just hope that the risk is why they haven’t extended his contract yet compared to the Wizards not being high on Mcgee…
by Young Wook Lee on Jan 18, 2012 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
I'm so torn about McGee
for all the obvious reasons. If we invest in him then we need to just move on from Blatche and Young after the season. And the time to extend McGee would actually be within the next week by the January 25 deadline. That’s when we can probably get the best value, but stupid incidents like this dunk makes you hesitate. Hopefully he can show discipline the rest of the season after this incident and justify us extending him before June 30.
This sounds like a great plan to me!
If we invest in him then we need to just move on from Blatche and Young after the season. And the time to extend McGee would actually be within the next week by the January 25 deadline.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
reply fail to gorebd
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Jan 19, 2012 9:57 AM EST up reply actions
I've been thinking about it more and more lately.
With a team that is most likely going to be involved around dribble penetration with John Wall, I just don’t see what McGee brings to that table.
I for one don’t see alley-oops as a bread and butter play in a half-court offense, and it’s not like McGee can set killer picks and hit a 10-15 foot jumper (Which I personally think is severely undervalued in bigs these days.)
What we’re seeing from McGee now is a lot of one on one play whenever he gets the ball in the post. I get that, that is a viable strategy, but he’s not dominating at it, and when this happens, It freezes everyone else out of the offense. Most of the time McGee either passes the ball back to the wing and resets the play, effectively wasting the shot clock, or fires a very raw hook shot.
I think a player like Chris Kaman would gel with Wall a lot better. Someone who’s used to the pick and roll game, can hit that 15 foot jumper, spaces the floor, and most importantly , can hold his own on the defensive glass.
Geting it done.
by Knowledge92 on Jan 24, 2012 9:27 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Compensation if Mcgee walks as a RFA?
Would we receive anything if we declined to match an offer Javale gets as a rfa? I was under the impression it would be something like a future second rounder?
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