Timberwolves Vs. Wizards: Flip Saunders And Others On Preparation
by Mike Prada on Jan 8, 2012 5:24 PM EST
in First-hand reporting
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PrintWASHINGTON, D.C. - Flip Saunders' post-game press conference following the Wizards' 93-72 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves almost sounded like a job interview. It makes sense, considering his boss, Ted Leonsis, had a front-row seat to the debacle that just transpired.
There was Saunders making a pledge about what he'll do when he has the position.
"My job over the next few days is trying to find five guys who can play the right way and five guys who can play with some heart," he said.
There was Saunders saying that as important as he is, it's a team effort.
"You can't give 82 Knute Rockne talks, every night," he said. "Your job as a professional in this league is to start preparing for a game the day before and be ready to play. That's what you do."
There was Saunders saying how he needed to improve.
"I'm going to go home tonight and say, 'What can I do better as a coach to make us better. Because I haven't done a good enough job. We're not getting totally through to guys, and some guys continue to play the way they want to play and not the way we need them to play as a team."
But then, there was Saunders digging a bit of a hole for himself and pinning it back on his players.
"You give them a different message every game, so maybe that wasn't the right terminology. What I'm saying is that they have to be prepared. I'm talking about their preparation prior to the game. What are you doing the night before a game? Are you getting up and getting your breakfast the day of a game? We send out more scouting reports and more stuff on YouTube as far as video scouting reports than probably anybody in the league. How much are you taking that stuff in?"
The point isn't whether this is right or wrong. The Wizards probably aren't preparing well, and I'm sure Saunders is giving the team plenty of scouting reports. Blaming the coach isn't not blaming the players. But there's a certain desperation in a coach when he has to frame it in such a way where he looks like he's working tirelessly. We send out more scouting reports than probably anybody in the league is an awfully political thing to say when you're the coach of an 0-8 team.
In Saunders' defense (sort of), he has a supporter in that locker room.
"Flip's message should be getting through to everybody," Andray Blatche said. "Even though he's been hard on me in the past, coming from me to another man, he's a great coach."
When presented with Saunders' quote about the scouting reports, Blatche very quickly agreed with it.
"Our coaching staff gives us more than enough information on the next team. They give each player the offense and defense of the player they're guarding, offense and defense of the team. They give us scouting reports. They give us more than enough. Now it's basically on us," he said.
It sounded sincere enough to the point where you can assume Saunders hasn't lost Blatche, at least to the point where he'll speak out publicly. John Wall, though? Somewhat different story.
"I thought we did [prepare]. I just thought they did a great job running pick and roll today," he said.
Oh. Well that's interesting. I asked Wall if he was saying this was an execution issue rather than a preparation issue.
"It could be both. We were trying to go by the game plan, but we got to help when somebody got beat, and when we helped, they found the right guy, and they made a lot of shots."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Saunders' comments. In fact, in listening to Wall, he almost seemed jealous of the situation Ricky Rubio walked into in Minnesota. As so many of you have noticed, the Timberwolves have surrounded Rubio with tons of shooters. When Rubio penetrated, he found those shooters and they knocked down those open shots.
I asked Wall if having as many shooters as the Timberwolves have would make things easier for him.
"We got guys that can shoot," he said, correcting me. "I just think that, like I said, at times we aren't taking shots when we're supposed to. We're pump-faking or taking an extra 2-3 dribbles when we don't have to. We got guys who can make shots. We just need the confidence to take them when we're supposed to."
I'm not sure I buy that, to be honest, but it's still a secondary point. The major question is whether Saunders is getting through to his team, and specifically, his star.
"I think it's getting through," Wall said when asked. "It's just tough out there. The other game against the Knicks was the first time we shot over 29 percent in the first half. Just for us to make shots and play together as a team, that's what we've got to do."
I'll let you decide how you feel about that quote, but to me, it sounds pretty evasive.
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This is absurd
Time to add flip to the large list of unemployed Americans.
by Wizards Khalifa on Jan 8, 2012 5:31 PM EST via mobile reply actions
He won't need to draw an unemployment check.
He’s still on the payroll through 2013, barring him selling team secrets (if any), stealing Ted’s intellectual property, or sexually harassing employees. And besides, ESPN or the Wolves’ broadcast team will pay him extra money to be an analyst.
You'd think they'd at least sit in a roorm and watch film together
Hard to imagine an NFL coach saying “we emailed them youtube videos.”
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 8, 2012 5:37 PM EST up reply actions
WHAT?!?!?!
So, with a young team and in a condensed season where everybody knew there would be few practices, Flip doesn’t even have film sessions with these guys?
Ted's Take
I thought this quote from yesterday’s Ted’s Take was illuminating on how Ted views the Wizards and the need to make changes:
[W]e are young and fast and willing and we can play with passion. We can run and rebound and play defense man to man. We can have fun in an up tempo game. I am happy that our coaching staff is adapting quickly – on the fly – to craft a system that is more aligned with the young talent we have on the floor. bq.
How Ted can believe that we rebound well is beyond me. Notice too there’s no mention of interior defense. Why? My guess is because Ted has bought into Ernie’s spin that fast-flying athleticism is all that matters and that sweaty unglamorous interior defense is unimportant (after all, how often is it featured on ESPN’s nightly top ten highlights).
Ted is delustional...
if e don’t win our next game then we’ll go winless in the month of January and if Ted don’t fire him before Valentines Day then i’ll have to start second guessing him…
pretty funny that Dray is all onboard with Flip
Dead Men Walking
One thing I was perplexed about
is that many callers in the post game show thought that we were more talented than the Wolves, and that they have a bad team.
The wolves played competitively til the end in every game. Aside from the Cleveland loss on the road, they have not lost any game by more than two possessions, and there was clear chemistry in all their games. And note that two of their wins are against perennial playoff powers in Dallas and San Antonio. Sure, they were home games, but winning those games against superior competition certainly helped boost their confidence for their current road trip as they fly to Toronto and face the Raps tomorrow, and that team is really good on team defense thus far, though their loss to Philly was not good… That game should be a great one tomorrow on League Pass.
their bench could be a better team than our starters
especially with Beasley out…
And what the heck is Pitt’s defense doing?
Flip said "Knute Rockne," not "New Rocky"
Which I mention only because…
For all his success, Rockne also made what an Associated Press writer called “one of the greatest coaching blunders in history.”3 Instead of coaching his 1926 team against Carnegie Tech, Rockne traveled to Chicago for the Army–Navy Game to “write newspaper articles about it, as well as select an All-America football team.”3 Carnegie Tech used the coach’s absence as motivation for a 19–0 win; the upset likely cost the Irish a chance for a national title.
sigh...
when does Ted realize it’s his club and that he’s fielding a loser? and that patience does not translate into a winning record, either this season or in five seasons? at least with the current regime of coaches and gm and training staff. and a majority of the players. don’t be afraid to build a new culture, ted! offer jerry sloan $6million a year for 3 years and see what he can do with this squad. and replace eg. start fresh next year with a new pick, and hopefully our dead weight either bought out or traded.
Ted says process is more important than results.
We have young players and are losing enough for another top pick, therefore we will be great.
fair enough
but in terms of systems theory and feedback loops, his organization is entrenched in a systemic process of losing. and this process is reinforced by personnel. maybe he just has a better eye for pyrrhic victories than his fan base.
The "process" is destroying a team not creating one.
And it’s frustrating everyone – the fans, the coaches and the players. But, unfortunately, we have very little in the way of a rope to pull us through this “transition”. The kids can’t do it by themselves and the rented mentors (Evans, Mason. Lewis) don’t seem to help them.
Ted guessed wrong on how this team could be built. No stellar draft pick in 2012 will make
much of a difference to a team on its way to becoming shell-shocked. With Wall bolting in a few years, Leonsis will realize that the plan had no time to be enacted and was doomed from the start.
Last years draft class hurt
So did our roster entering the rebuild
Here's an idea...
Start Booker instead of Blatche. It’s that easy.
Yes to this
Very much
Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.
Why don't you know?
We send out more scouting reports and more stuff on YouTube as far as video scouting reports than probably anybody in the league. How much are you taking that stuff in?"
Hire interns and have the watch with them. Have coaches watch with them. Teach. Quiz. Reinforce.
He is treating them like veterans. They aren’t. If they want to act and play like college players…treat them as such.
A quick hook is also a good teaching tool. Not for missed shots. For leaving the system for no good reason
He sound like he has no authority??
i keep refreshing the home page...
waiting for a report, tweet, quote, anything about Ted giving Ernie his walking papers.
and as much as I love Wall
I could care less whether he’s jealous of Rubio or not. Rubio hit open jumpers and open threes. He kept Wall in check for most of that game. He can be jealous all he wants but at the end of the day (and I was afraid this would happen), Wall’s success in the summer league got to his head.
by jaffejoe on Jan 8, 2012 6:13 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
I was worried about the Summer League as well
I thought there may be too much of the one on one action in and no defensive play in Summer League that would take place and break any good habits that formed last year.
by Kuruption on Jan 8, 2012 7:01 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Wasn't Rubio 5 of 14 with 5 turnovers?
Wall could get 7 assists off Love alone
by spotless on Jan 8, 2012 7:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
im just saying...
Wall has the potential to be a great player…great. Period. But…just like we’ve been heaping praise on him for the past two years, he’s been hearing it his whole life. So, when he steps on the court, he does so not with confidence but with a bit of arrogance. I say arrogance, because its becoming painfully obvious this year that Wall didn’t do anything to seriously adjust his game, so he’s unwilling to adapt. Which is troubling. It’s clear he expects to dominate game in and game out doing the same things he’s been doing his whole life (running from baseline to baseline in .4 seconds and converting a layup). The Wizards have made it even worse for him, because they have decided to tailor their entire roster (minus fat andray) to that skillset. So you have a player who came into the league thinking his current skillset was elite and you reinforce that by drafting a team that can literally run with him. That’s why you fire Ernie. its the job of the fans to drool over a star player, not management.
Sorry for the long post, but I needed to get that off my chest. I’m pretty pissed right now. The Redskins are more entertaining than this.
by jaffejoe on Jan 8, 2012 8:34 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
great players add a little wrinkle something to their game every year
when MJ was a rookie, he couldn’t shoot either. The next few Seasons he became a great mid range jump shooter
Magic added a baby sky hook
LeBron has added a post game.
Wall didn’t add a thing… Nothing..Nada…Zippo.
by HeyHeyDoctorJ on Jan 8, 2012 8:46 PM EST up reply actions
Wall didn't blossom until the end of high school
Single parent low income family, no basketball camps, no coaching growing up, one year in college.
Wahl is very young and still very raw
Geez... Stop apologizing for Wall
He is playing professional basketball
He ought to act like a pro.
Everyone knew he had to improve his jumpshot
But he didn’t do jack to improve it.
In fact, he has regressed…. His jumper is worse
If he wants to be a great player, then he ought to take responsibility and act like one.
by HeyHeyDoctorJ on Jan 8, 2012 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
Once again
It’s not that easy to improve a jumpshot. If it was everyone in the league would be 3-point threats. I think it’s more mental than anything. Just look at Shaq: his first year in the league his free throw percentage was 59% and his last year it was 55%. Do you seriously think Oneal never practiced free throws and didn’t have coaches tinkering with his form over the course of 20 years?
Also look at Rajon Rondo, there’s a video on youtube of him in a 3-point contest with Durant I believe and he made nearly 10 straight 3s, but in game that jumpshot is garbage. Some people just suck at shooting, and yes, to a degree you can improve..but it will take years and he’ll probably never be a consistent deep threat. Jason Kidd is one of the few people who I think has legitimately improved their outside shot, and his first 4 season in the league he averages around 33-34% from deep and his last 4 he’s about 38%, and this is over the course 17 years so to expect any improvement at all after 1 season from anybody isn’t being fair.
by Ball with Wall on Jan 8, 2012 9:34 PM EST up reply actions
Kobe has improved his 3 point shot too
I remember in late 90’s I used to rag on Kobe’s 3 because it was awful, but after SEVEN years in the league it seemed like he finally turned a corner and figured it out. Keep in mind we’re only talking about a statistical improvement of about 4%.
However these last couple of years he’s awful from 3, and I believe it’s largely due to his 90 year old finger so I cut him slack. His shooting percentages have dropped across the board ever since he got that brace.
by Ball with Wall on Jan 8, 2012 9:39 PM EST up reply actions
Going further
Let’s talk about MJ. I haven’t watched a lot of his early year footage so I don’t know how bad his jumpshot was, but I see he had a very high free-throw percentage. I think there’s a high correlation between the potential someone has to be a shooter and their free-throw percentage. I see MJ’s abysmal 3%‘s, but he attempted so few his first 3 years you have to toss out the stat. The first year you can “fairly” evaluate MJ on his 3 is 1988 and he shot 27.6%. The next year he attempts 3x as many 3s and shoots 37.6%. There’s a definite positive correlation between the number of 3s MJ attempted and his percentage, which is making it hard to gauge whether he improved the shot at all. For example, in 1996 he shot 37.4% on 297 attempted 3s and then the next year he shoots 23% on 126 attempted.
by Ball with Wall on Jan 8, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
Well the first year doesn’t count because whenever a person shoots 3s that infrequently it’s a low percentage. The 2nd year is a legit percentage, but when you take all NBA players into consideration, I think a better explanation for Kevin Love’s low 3% his second year is from the growing pains of transitioning his gameplay to be an outside threat. Again, if all it takes is 1 summer to increase your 3-pointer by 8%, EVERYONE would do it.
by Ball with Wall on Jan 9, 2012 1:38 AM EST up reply actions
My point is he is still developing
Not apologizing for his many shortcomings, just saying keep some perspective.
Half these posts act like he is already a bust
not saying he's a bust,
but he was easily one of the more active players in summer leagues over the lockout. I doubt he had the time while he was jetsetting around the country to really put in work in the filmroom or in the gym.
Maybe this season, he’s a casualty of the lockout so I’m not too worried. But the rate he hits the floor on fastbreaks is alarming and his turnovers are troubling.
I think going into next season, Wall has got to humble himself and really adapt his game to the nba.
Great incite
I agree with your assessment. His development, or lack of it, is 50% on him and the rest on the coaching staff. Can you imagine if he were on another team, like a Boston or Chicago, that he would be at the level he currently is at? I doubt it. The coaches would get it together and get it done.
I think the entire, including Sam, entire staff should be gutted. This franchise, and team, need a kick in the ass and a pat on the back at the same time, and Flip just is not getting it done.
"Are you getting up and getting your breakfast the day of a game?"
so that’s where we are Flip, is everybody eating enough? I mean come on Ted, do it now.
i guess so, when you're dealing with a handful of children. How do you not know
Love is shooting 40% from 3 Aaaandray???
we have to fire both Ernie and Flip
Dear Passionate fan, I know you are passionate, but please reply with a logical answer or I will ignore you.
by TerpsAllTheWay on Jan 8, 2012 6:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'm sorry but we need a low post scoring presence.
I’m not even sure if we are even going to get that in draft this year.
Anthony Davis, too weak and raw
Andre Drummond, too raw
Jared Sullinger, too short
Nick Young and John Wall are the only one who can put it in the bucket, and they have to struggle their ass off just to do it because the defense mainly focuses on them.
Our two biggest need right now as far as I’m concerned is SCORING.
TNT should've treated Lebron's return to Cleveland game like 2k11 and cut the game off after the Cavs were down by 30. lol
Jeremy Lamb.
I dont even have to make the point
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 do you guys think if Jerry Sloan becomes the Wizards' head coach?
Just throwing it out there.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
It would be great...
but no way he is taking this job. Hope I’m wrong though.
by Kuruption on Jan 8, 2012 6:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Jerry Sloan would be the kind of guy
who you could not complain about. However, it’s not going to happen.
by NY1 on Jan 8, 2012 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
I agree he would be great for Wall
but all he has to see is what this team has done to Saunders reputation
by hambonejackson on Jan 8, 2012 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
I would love Sloan
But isn’t he like 70? I doubt he comes back to coaching, especially to this dysfunctional franchise.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
Just saw a headline about Sloan coming back to coaching.
But yea. I don’t think he will want to come here. What about a GM job? Ted needs to revise his rebuilding plan.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
Sorry, I missed the game
How did Singleton look compared to Derrick Williams? Is there a noticeable difference in talent?
Well for one, Williams can shoot
Williams didn’t really have the ball in his hands on offense. He was basically just spotting up for 3’s. But he’s a more talented offensive player than Singleton.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
how beautiful would it be if we traded the JV pick + Mack pick + Blatche/anyone else for Derrick Williams...
alongside Chris Singleton at #18.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
I think they were asking for this year's pick
Plus the JV pick. Too much.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 8, 2012 7:20 PM EST up reply actions
They wanted the 6, 18 AND the 2012 first
Way to much
that would leave us with nothing.
Damn Kahn.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
I just saw the Modern Warfare 3 commercial and it made me think of a dope game idea...
You are a ghost in a doctors waiting room whom only children can see. You must inspire children to make the best lego block buildings.
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 8, 2012 6:55 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Not spam.
I’m not sure what it was. Those buildings falling down everywhere reminded me of Legos.
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 8, 2012 7:11 PM EST up reply actions
Finger pointing in every direction iidentifies collective failure throughout the organization
It starts at the top, period. Any changes that do not include that spot is not change. The only question is timing.
by les boulez bomber on Jan 8, 2012 7:11 PM EST reply actions
EG will fire Flip when he feels the heat turned up on him to buy some time.
But we don’t have the picks, the players to trade, or the appetite to spend in free agency to balance out this out of whack roster in one year. And within two years, the front office will be shaken up as the obvious will become evident to Ted. What’s left of the fan base will be the biggest casualty in the interim.
by les boulez bomber on Jan 8, 2012 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
Hmmmmm
Sounded like Wall was talking about Dray when he said we have shooter’s they are just to busy dribbling the ball, this could get intresting. Blatche has already been called out once in a meeting, but at this point it doesn’t matter how many meetings you have and call out Andray dude is not in shape so it is a lost cause, right now those trades where they are getting money in return look like Ernie is trying to get a reinbursement for Blatche to pay off his salary cause nobody wants him.
Nah
its all of them. Even Lewis. They have an open look at the basket and then pump fake and then move closer to the basket. Too often it leads to difficult contested shots and its annoying.
by hambonejackson on Jan 8, 2012 7:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
this loss took the cake for me Flip shoulda been gone 3 games ago
this team has tuned him out they all say the right things and then most of them play the wrong way.
with how bad selfish and lazy Blatche is playing he really should just no comment and move on him waxing on about anything with regards to what his coach is saying is ridiculous.
Its like a serial killer waxing on about World Peace and its importance.
A loss is a loss
A loss is a loss is a loss. A day later it doesn’t matter whether it was a 1 point loss or a 20 point loss. Sure it is galling to see Rubio get 14 assists and to realize that the Wizards could have drafted him. But that decision is pretty far in the past now. I don’t think you fire EG because of the Foye/Miller deal, not at this point. EG has made some good draft picks and good trades. I don’t think Flip should be fired at this point either. How will it help the young players develop to have turmoil in the coaching staff? I don’t think it will.
Rather, the Wizards owner, and coaches and players should just ignore all this and stick to their knitting. Better results will come sooner that way, than by creating chaos.
by David4705 on Jan 8, 2012 7:50 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Have to disagree.
You have every right to have your own opinion but it is not the fact they are losing it’s how they are losing. No team ball, No effort, and most importantly the play like they have No direction or game plan.
What move to make?
I have a hard time blaming the coaching staff when I look at the number of coaches on the coaching staff and their individual and collective years of experience. I just can’t accept that Flip or the coaching staff as a whole, doesn’t know the job I don’t doubt that before each of the games this season, the coaches have done all that coaches should do. The simplest explanation is that roster is very inexperienced, especially at point guard. Inexperience is a problem that most likely will start to solve itself, over time.
I guess firing the coaching staff, or maybe just firing Flip, would buy some time with the fans, but I suspect, not much. How long a honeymoon would a new coach get? How long was Ed Tapscott’s honeymoon?
Another move that might help would be to sign a veteran pg to play the same role with Wall as Heinrich did. Or perhaps Roger Mason can do it. If not, then unfortunately it may be Shevlin Mack who has to be cut to make a roster spot for a veteran pg.
by David4705 on Jan 8, 2012 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Coaching a good team isn't the hard part
Great coaches don’t have flips record here. Pre and post gungate, we just lose a lot
Flip sounded like he is losing/lost the locker room.
Would be very hard to keep on doing the same thing if no one cares.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
Lewis' absence
Frank Hanrahan tweet:
Frank Hanrahan @JFrankHanrahan 4m
Source: Wizards’ Rashard Lewis was late scratch versus Minnesota because he got into an argument before game with an asst coach. #Wizards
The guy is done. Let em chill on the bench.
I love seeing Chris Singleton start.
Skins, Bullets/Wizards, Nats, Caps.
All Washington Everything.
That might (partially) explain why the team was so flat.
Not excuse; explain.
by disgrunted on Jan 8, 2012 8:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Wow, that headline doesn't really match Blatche's quotes
Makes Blatche sound worse than his quotes.
"Flip is definitely doing his job," Blatche told Ken Berger, NBA insider for CBS. "I just don’t feel like guys are listening and following behind what he says and what he wants us to do."
and
"Guys want to try to do it their own way, and it’s not working," Blatche said. "The record shows that. I feel like everybody should go home and focus and think and take consideration for what Flip is saying, because it can’t hurt. It damn sure ain’t helping us our way."
Flips strategies don't work
Neither do his gameplans
Blatche is one to talk about implementing the coaches plan
Flip is finished here.
Think about it!
Nothing short of a serious run at the playoffs keeps this job for him.
Ergo he is fired.
Pull the trigger soon Ted. Do it. DO IT
Headline writer didn't read the article.
Direct opposite of what Blatche is quoted as saying.
Not really.
The writer didn’t say that Blatche has tuned the coach out.
Blatche said the players are not listening to and following up on what Flip is preaching. That equals tuning Flip out, imho.
Ah, could be.
But still a poor headline since it’s equally (if not more) likely that when they find themselves losing, they all just panic and go into “hero” mode.
Wall didn't blossom until his last 2 years in high school
He is from a low income single parent family, and never got to go to the basketball camps. His high school competition wasn’t in his class. He just ran by everything. John Wall is still very very raw.
True indeed.
But fact is Blatche is really hurting flip more than helping what owner in their right mind would want to hear players openly admitting that the coach has lost the locker room.
Still early in the season - what to expect from Vesely
We all know of examples of teams getting off to wretched starts and showing major improvement as the season progresses. It’s too soon to know if the 2011-12 Wizards are going the route of the 1972-3 Sixers or the happier path of the Durant’s 2nd year Thunder (or the very familiar road of the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 Wizards).
One critical component to watch in that regard is Jan Vesely’s performance. As a #6 pick, he should be expected to become a key building block in Ted and Ernie’s rebuild plan. I thought it might be helpful to look at the early-season statistics of the rookie forwards who Ernie bypassed to select Vesely. If we’re being led by a good GM, then I would expect Vesely to outperform all, or at least most (there’s always one or two surprise late round diamonds in the rough), of these players. So what should we expect from Vesely this season? The following are the 36 minute/game stats for the five forwards picked after Vesely:
Bismack Biyombo (#7) – .474 FG%, 7.8 pts, 8.9 rbs, 3.9 blocked shots
Markieff Morris (13) – .521 FG%, 15.5 pts, 9.9 rbs, 1.0 bs
Marcus Morris (14) – assigned to D-League
Kawhi Leonard (15) – .425 FG%, 10.7 pts, 9.1 rbs, 0.3 bs
Nikola Vucevic (16) – .632 FG%, 15.9 pts, 13.4 rbs, 1.8 bs
And how about our own Chris Singleton?
Singleton (18) – .538 FG%, 8.9 pts, 5.3 rbs, 0.8 bs
Now admittedly this is a sample after only a handful of games and there are a whole range of intangible factors that aren’t always shown by simply looking at statistics (such as, for example, Singleton’s aggressive man-to-man defense). But still, this provides some insight into what we should expect from Vesely if Ernie’s eye for talent didn’t fail him.
Nobody's really lighting it up, are they
Bismack has nearly as many points as rebounds? That’s a shocker. I like Nicola’s rebounds tho.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 9, 2012 5:01 AM EST up reply actions
That's not a fair way to look at it
In their rookie seasons picks 1 and 2 from 2004 Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor had very similar statlines. 7 years later…
The point is a pick can’t be evaluated in a rookie season, let alone 7 or so games. Players develop.
by Llamaman on Jan 8, 2012 9:01 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Appreciate the comment
I didn’t mean to say that we can make definitive judgments on Vesely and the other rookie forwards by a few games at the beginning of their careers. This is obviously only a very early snapshot comparison. But it is some data we can look at and it may be an early signal that, for example, Markieff Morris may turn out to be a better NBA player than his brother. Mid-way through the season we’ll have much more to compare and by the end of the season even more. And so on as their careers progress. I’m not by any means either writing off Vesely or crowning Vucevic or Markieff Morris as future all-stars. Like you wrote, time will tell and that time may be months or it may be years before the final verdict is in.
One further point
Whether it takes months or years, Ted should certainly keep track of the respective play of the Morris brothers, Leonard, Biyombo and Vucevic so that he can properly evaluate Ernie’s ability as a GM. This along with all the draft picks and trades engineered by Ernie. But, as a #6 pick, there’s more at stake and a higher return should be expected than from a mid or late first round selection. In Ernie’s case, this is particularly so since the record is now clear that he did a poor job with our #5 pick in 2009.
Just like I said
Before the game, Rubio will haunt us for years to come. Now, again, I’m not saying Rubio is better than Wall (yet). But he does have enough ability to make us pull our hair out over the many possibilities we passed up on.
I also believe he will have better numbers than a wall, which will make it worse. Obviously this is due to the fact that he is surrounded with much better talent, but still. The overwhelming sentiment will be that Rubio is better, just because of the numbers.
Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.
Why would that pick haunt us?
People complain so much but at the time, with the pieces we already had, that pick wasn’t as bad to lose as it seems now. 20/20 hindsight i guess.
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
by qthaballa on Jan 9, 2012 4:40 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
There's no point
To continue to dwell on it, but this isn’t a “hindsight is 20/20” scenario. I was one of many people around here who recognized, at the time, what an awful trade that was. Even if we didn’t use the pick (which I wanted to do), we could’ve done a LOT better in a trade than renting two average players for one year.
Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.
To all the people saying that Wall hasn't changed his game
I disagree. In the first couple of games on fast breaks, he would put his head down ignoring the two people flanking him down the court and take it to the basket to put up a contested layup; half the time getting blocked or missing.
In the past couple of games, he has found his streaking teammates who miss about half the time. The Wizards’ problem isn’t JW. They can’t shoot. If they shot 40% from the field, he would be near the top of the league in assists.
What baffles me is that Saunders doesn’t have an offense that gets people open for shots. They run the same two plays all game that end up with NY or AB in isos taking contested jumpers, unless they have no choice but to pass it to JM so he can make a post move and take a contested layup. The rest of their offense is fast breaks. Other teams consistantly have people wide open. I just don’t understand
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