Darkest before the dawn

Darkest before the dawn
I’m a long time Wizards fan and I’ve enjoyed reading BF for years. This is my first post… I’m a fan and I have hope for our team,…just not this year.
I’m not surprised Flips gone, but coaching is not our problem.
The lockout hurt us more than most… no contact with coaches, 8 players under 24 years old, no summer league and a short training camp focused on fitness …that’s a recipe for what we’ve got. Add three rookies and then mix in Young wanting to be somewhere else, Lewis not knowing if he’d be here, Blatche coming into camp out of shape and wanting to be the team leader and then there’s McGee. We’ve put our young players in NBA purgatory.
My hope comes from the leadership of Wall, Singleton and Booker, and the promise of Mack, Seraphin and Vesely . Bookers my Oakley off the bench, Seraphin has a little Anthony Mason in him and Crawford is young enough to forgive. I’m confident EG will wisely spend the money he has to spend.
I’ve been optimistic about McGee and Blatche, but no longer. Blatche is looking slow and McGee’s great moments are followed by terrible moments. I don’t mind some inconsistent play, but his lack of focus and attitude is bothering me. During the second 76ers game Flip and McGee were on camera with Flip speaking and McGee was grimacing and turning his head away, eyes closed…it looked like a “you’re not the boss of me” moment and he wants my all-star vote! I think he’ll eventually mature into a good player but that process will be difficult and years down the road… Four years and over 40 million?…no, no, no.
Blatche could join an early morning fitness group, eat right, start going to bed early and and focus on being the player he can be and within a month he’d be my favorite Wizard. I’m not optimistic.
Right now the potential of Blatche and McGee is a burden for this team…they could work through this but the team can no longer wait, we are in chaos…I say treat them like trade assets, not part of our core of young talent. Can we restructure Blatches contract to make him a more acceptable trade piece? Can we trade McGee for a first round pick? Young is gone this off-season and Lewis is gone next year. Can EG get some trade value for them? Losing four veterans would be a catastrophe for most teams but they are not our leaders and their exit will allow us to move forward. Add a second 2012 first round draft pick for McGee and we’re a playoff team sooner than later!
I didn’t like Jason Reids “dump those 3” article but I went back and looked at as many stats as I could, McGees and Blatches plus/minus numbers, Youngs assists….Reid may well be right. We need to trust EG to wheel and deal us another good character big to play with Turiaf, Seraphin and Booker and then get us a high basketball IQ guy who can score,… then draft some offense (is Barns and Sullinger too much to ask?). There are 15 players in this next draft that could help our team, lets get TWO of them! We need TEAM players that will work toward TEAM accomplishments.
I’m fine with EG directing this rebuild. He didn’t trade Ben Wallace for Ike Austin and if anyone can get an unknown star for Blatche, he can!
I liked Flip and I like Whitman (a little Bobby Knight influence), Banks and Cassell but before another coach comes we need to make these changes.
This season will fly by with few practices so spread out the minutes, play 10 or 12 players each game and get our young guys some solid experence. The last third of the season, take a deep breath and spotlight our trade assets. Start them. Let McGee get some blocks and dunks for the highlight reel…pat him on the back when he pouts. Run some plays for Blatche and Lewis and hope a team trying to sneak into the playoffs makes us an offer. We may have to add Mack or Crawford to move Blatche, and that will hurt, but we’ll survive. Let EG do his thing!
Next off-season is key…we need a summer league and a camp with everyone coming back more skilled, lean and stronger…and don’t forget, a year older! I don’t think these guys will be eating cinnamon or planking around the world, I think they will be working on fitness and specific skills. Maybe Vesely and Seraphin can do the Hakeem big man camp and Wall and Booker can work with Dave Hopla, or someone like him. With a few more team first guys around him, Wall will be the leader we want and need.
Maybe we can win a championship led by John Wall, maybe we can’t but please, give him a chance. Surround him with good players who play hard, respect the game, listen to coaches and train like champions. Players that save their theatrics for game winning shots, wouldn’t hurt either.