Wizards vs. Suns Recap: JaVale McGee Excels Despite the Best Efforts of the Wizards
by Sean Fagan on Feb 20, 2012 11:29 PM EST
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PrintI honestly think that I blacked out at one point during the third quarter. In fact, I must have a history of blacking out during the 3rd quarter because this keeps happening again and again and again and again. Instead of the team that took the court during the first two quarters of play, the Wizards were obviously abducted and replaced by a local Pee-Wee team.
Yikes.
On a positive note....
If one were to watch this game from a player development standpoint, you would be exceedingly impressed at the strides that JaVale McGee has taken as a professional basketball player over the course of the last few games. This road trip has been a real eye opener on the possibility of the complete player that McGee can become when mentally focused as he relentlessly worked the entire evening on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He exploited Marcin Gortat with both his drop step as well as his quick hook in the lane which left the floor bound Suns center looking helpless and ineffective. Its this type of development that Flip Saunders talked about last year when he discussed McGee having eight amazing plays out of a possible 250. Tonight, McGee had about 70 good possession out of the 110 he took part in, but one "McGee-like" play led to him sitting for a large portion of the game. This, in conjunction with the Suns switching to a zone defense, led to the Suns outscoring the Wizards 31-7 in the 3rd quarter.
Normally, this type of disciplinary action wouldn't bother me because a precedent must be set that ill-advised decisions will lead to a trip to the bench. However, it is disconcerting to see McGee sit on a night where the vast majority of his play was exceptional, while both Nick Young and Jordan Crawford both had moments that were arguably more frustrating than McGee's bouts of poor decision-making. Both went 1-4, shot early in the clock, and for the most looked like the act of passing the ball would cause their heads to blow up. Yet, because of their "offensive prowess" they were allowed to remain in the game while McGee sat pinned to the bench.
BNIE was at the game and will have his thoughts later.
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Great showing by McGee tonight.
Impressive and hopefully he will be consistent for the rest of the year. How much does he demand if this is consistent?
Near max looks like a possibility.
*for the ppl that wanna believe he was one problems tonight*
cuz i know u exist lol
by KurisuDevil on Feb 20, 2012 11:36 PM EST up reply actions
I think my issue was more with the fact that Crawford had plays
such as when he led a 3 on 1 break and pulled back for a three. However, he didn’t get buried for the next 10 minutes
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Feb 20, 2012 11:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That was one play
and i see Nick Young make bad 1v2 or 1v3 plays…dominate the ball all possession long and settle for a long jumper. Yet somehow Crawfords transgressions seem to have more weight?
by KurisuDevil on Feb 20, 2012 11:54 PM EST up reply actions
Nick didn't do it on a fast break
by oakhillswag on Feb 20, 2012 11:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
You are missing the point
The point is the fact that JaVale disappeared after having a good start. Whether it was from injury or what have you, I will reserve judgment.
Its another roster construction issue. You can’t discipline players when you are essentially putting in the same player to make the same mistakes.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
yeah but your lumping Nick and Jordans performances tonight together as if they were the same
when really, one of them was good and the other was bad
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:00 AM EST up reply actions
No, actually I'm not
I’m pointing to the fact that that Crawford and Young made the same type of decisions in game that normally would see a player riding pine. Yes, Crawford had a decent game. He also did something horrendously stupid and selfish that should have seen him get send directly to the bench. However, when your only choice is to replace him with a player performing at a lesser level or Roger Mason’s corpse, you are kind of stuck.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
i dont think we watched the same game
cuz Jordan was facilitating AND scoring. Nick did neither
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:13 AM EST up reply actions
2 assists and 4 TOs is facilitating?
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:22 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
Craw suffered from the same issues Wall has
the players didnt finish
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:25 AM EST up reply actions
thats a perfect example of how just using the stats doesnt prove anything
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:26 AM EST up reply actions
I watched the game
And Crawford didn’t do much facilitating. He had the usual couple of nice passes, but he also tried forcing plays that weren’t there and got TOs because of it. And then there was the selfish play too
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:29 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I never saw him force it tonight
i saw the one bad play in transition, and as usual it got carried way too far. If Nick had Jordan’s game, ppl here would be praising it as a good game. He had at least 5 dimes tonight, and as far as forcing plays, that lineup of he,Mack,Shard,Mason, and whoever was play C did him no favors so i dont think thats fair to call him out for forcing the action
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:35 AM EST up reply actions
Are you really stating that people on this site don't
criticize/analyze Nick Young enough?
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
there is a serious JC witch-hunt on this guy
and i mean, its a blog, so ppl are entitled. Its just odd to me
by KurisuDevil on Feb 21, 2012 12:53 AM EST up reply actions
No, I think you like Crawford
and are seeing what you want to see. The criticism of him as a player is no worse than what you have seen this year of McGee, Young, Singleton and even Wall.
And let’s not forget Blatche.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
I'm going to steal that, Sean.
I think you like Crawford
and are seeing what you want to see
I love this quote. I think when people watch a bad team for so long they get used to watching shitty basketball and cut out the bad plays. I love a lot of these players and want to see them succeed, but they aren’t winning games. They’re getting blown out at least once a week it seems like. JaVale has had a good strech, but Kwame had streches just as good.
Our 6th pick looks awful. People are sugarcoating his play, but he has been in no way shape or form impressive.
yeah i agree with this 100% for sure
not the part about Kwame and Javale…but the part about seeing our guys as better than they are…until of course they become the villains at which point they are what’s wrong with the whole organization.
oh i def like JC, worlds more than i like Nick
the criticism and patience is just way outta proportion between the two
JC really needs to work on his shot to become more efficient.
Just like John. If people had to play up on them they would look a lot quicker in the half court.
I would love to see NY tear it up on a team like the Bulls.
Or Clippers, or the Heat. People here would change their tune quickly…
He would be a perfect fit on all those teams…no doubt about out—he would go ham.
It will certainly be interesting to see
what Young can accomplish in another offensive system.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
I don't think either Crawford or Young did a great job of facilitating
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
what infuriates me is that Crawford clearly can pass but chooses not to
Nick just doesnt see the floor, it is what it is
I think Crawford makes up his mind wether he is going to pass or shoot beforehand.
But I agree, some of best passes these past 2 seasons are probably more impressive than John’s.
Jump shooting teams dont win.
Once you accept this general statement, your expectations will be reset and nights like this wont bother you.
We got killed inside…again…which is the more probably path to victory
by les boulez bomber on Feb 21, 2012 1:32 AM EST up reply actions
But the didn't win
Until Dirk got a post game. And Jason Kidd is one of the best post-up point guards of all time. Do they rely more on outside shots than anything else? Definitely. Difference is, they have a team BUILT for their offense. They’re guys can actually make shots. We, on the other hand, have a team built for pushing the tempo and going to the basket, yet we run an offense predicated on the jumpshot. Stupid.
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.
The other issue is that no one from the SF position has shown up
for 3 nights straight.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Feb 20, 2012 11:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
its not that...
he doesn’t play hard. I love his competitiveness. It’s that he plays selfish and doesn’t get anyone else involved. Sure he’ll have some good games but ultimately you can’t win like that.
by NotGivinUpOnDray on Feb 20, 2012 11:42 PM EST up reply actions
I wonder when will lewis hit a 3 again.
Amazed how he can miss so much. Hope it’s no need to wait until next game against Orlando!!!
LeWIS'
lack of hustle is beginning to really annoy me. add in the bricks he throws up, i dont know why we even play him 1 seocnd
by NotGivinUpOnDray on Feb 20, 2012 11:47 PM EST up reply actions
Because he is our best SF
He is better than Singleton and Mo Evans. Vesely for some reason doesn’t get any burn at SF although he is clearly an SF but yeah. At this point, Lewis is our best option there.
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 Feb 21, 2012 5:02 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
it's *Marcin Gortat
Their starters kill us. We came out from Half time strong but we are so fragile and all of a sudden we were behind like 20 points.
McGee-like play . . .
for a moment thought you were talking about the one that had him sitting for a long stretch in the first half (e.g. the self-inflicted blow to the groin, which was mostly just really, really bad luck on a decent hustle play).
Having said that, he’s at least showing that there is something to work with. Ever since getting the new asthma-meds he has stepped up his game. Still this team is in desperate need of a SF who can stretch the floor and consistently hit mid-range jumpers and 3 pointers. The Suns pulled away in large part because the Wizards stopped moving the ball and weren’t able to create and convert open looks.
T'Wolves strategy
worked for them. Lets just keep drafting them to create one super SF
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
Vesely is a PF . . .
Singleton is a SF, but only in a best-case scenario was he penciled in as the starter. Neither of the guys was drafted specifically for their offensive play at SF.
That's also a possibility . . .
Vesely has looked OK at times as a 21 year-old rookie playing PF. Singleton was drafted more for his defensive ability — even on that score has fallen off from his very good start.
It still stands that neither of those guys was specifically drafted to address offensive woes at SF and that remains a big need for this team to move forward.
For the short-term maybe the team should look at a Wall-Crawford-Young combo at PG-SG-SF with Booker and McGee at PF-Center.
82games actually has that as the only 5-man combo with a winning record for this team. Granted the +/- is just barely positive.
21 is the new 23 for rookies nowadays...He's still young, but he was the 6th pick of the draft.
We knew he couldn’t shoot coming out of the draft, but still I was expecting a little more.
6th pick in a thin draft . . .
the hope is that maybe he makes an All-Star game or two at best. The hope that he might develop into a reliable starter is maybe a more realistic expectation. He needs to develop a jump shot — that much is certain. At moments he’s looked pretty good, but mostly he’s looked like a rookie. I agree that I would like to have seen even more at this point, but with the lock-out and the absence of a summer league, clearly hasn’t helped his development this year. We are still a long way though from knowing what his ceiling will be.
How often do 7' players that cant shoot FTs develop reliable Js?
How often do 7’ players with clearly bad hands develop a soft touch and the ability to receive passes well in traffic? How often do 7’ players with bad handles develop nba SF level ability to put ball on the floor?
I dont know what Ves’ ceiling is, but can’t agree we are years away from making a determination. One of the most critical jobs of a GM is to decide on players relatively quickly rather than investing years into guys who will never pan out.
why? Seems to be performing exactly as expected
looks like the same player I saw in the euro league and the draft analysis…
they've got to force vesely to shoot
have crawford give him some points on how to chuck
by stevie on Feb 20, 2012 11:51 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Ves usually has positive plus minus
Tonight was no different, he was flat.
McGee on the other hand is at the bottom of plus minus.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
Since getting the new asthma meds . . .
his numbers are better than most of the other starters. I haven’t crunched them, but in the losses he’s been in negative single digits, while most of the other starters are in double-digit territory. He’s obviously been in positive territory in the wins.
As DCrez points out the numbers are harder to gauge too on a bad team, in part because McGee isn’t getting points in garbage time against an opponent’s bench. A larger percentage of Vesely’s minutes are coming in garbage time, so we aren’t exactly looking at apples-to-apples.
UNLEASH SERAPHN
seriously this guy deserves more time. He’s still looks improved over last year and has a smooth hook and jumper. I’d say he’s ascending. He’s a 4 tho. He doesn’t have those long arms to guard 5’s.
by NotGivinUpOnDray on Feb 20, 2012 11:45 PM EST reply actions
he is starting to look like an ok PF off the bench
which is more than i thought he’d be last year
Why do you say Seraphin doesn't have long enough arms to guard 5's?
He was measured as having a wingspan of 7’3 and a standing reach of 9’1.
If you compare that to other C’s in the league, his wingspan matches that of Tyson Chandler and Andrew Bogut, and is longer than Al Jefferson, Al Horford, Greg Monroe, Amare, Enes Kanter, Joakim Noah and Chris Kaman, among others.
His standing reach matches that of Nene and is better than Amare, Monroe, Horford and Noah.
Nobody says Joakim Noah is to small to play C and Seraphin has a better wingspan and standing reach than him. You don’t play basketball with the top of your forehead.
where did those measurements come from? Treviso?
They also said he was 6’10" think that’s true?
by DCrez on Feb 21, 2012 10:44 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
It's from Treviso
Where they said he was 6’9.
by Llamaman on Feb 21, 2012 12:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
those numbers are bogus imo
watch him play for 5mins and it’s obvious he’s lacking length for an nba C, players score over top of him with ease
Don't imply I haven't watched the games
I’ve seen almost every game this year and when defenders try to score over him, he often blocks their shot or challenges it. imo he is definitely tall enough to play C, especially as a backup
to be honest
jsut from looking at the guy. I just feel he’s really a 4.
by NotGivinUpOnDray on Feb 21, 2012 11:36 AM EST up reply actions
I smell a losing streak coming
we have some winnable games coming up but i could easily see us getting into a funk
I didn't watch the game, but hoe exactly did Mcgee excel?
This didn’t even seem like one of his better games. He had 5 buckets. Gortat either tore him or the backup center up for 20 points. I’m guessing a lot of that came off pick and roll buckets, where McGee has actually improved this year on defense, but still…It seems like every game good things are said about McGee the opposing center had a better game anyway. Don’t mean to be negative—but there’s not much good in ANOTHER blowout loss. This is becoming a common theme with this years team.
It’s funny when bloggers here get mad about national TV heads calling us the Generals…sometimes I think people here only watch the Wizards. Watching a team like this makes you lower your expectations. We were so happy with a fringe playoff team.
Minute distribution:
Looking at the box score you’ll see McGee played 20:08 minutes tonight. He had 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and his post moves in the paint were above average. Wall played 30 minutes and was rested for the 4th quarter.
Wittman had Vesely playing center tonight and Seraphin got 16 minutes of burn after getting none whatsoever recently. McGee played above average defense when he was in the game. He wasn’t in foul trouble (getting his 2nd late in the 2nd quarter).
With all of that… JaVale made a JaVale mistake and Randy took him out of the game and didn’t insert him in for the rest of the game. When JaVale was taken out of the game, we were 2 points behind. Phoenix then went on a 30+ to 7 run to put us away.
I’m not giving JaVale all of the credit, but it was a phenomenal game from him tonight.
Javale was also yanked in the 1st quarter for standing around after a miss and watching Gortat run up the court and score.
McGee played well in spurts, but when he got tired he started making dumb plays and got yanked. When you get pulled out of a game a second time for doing something dumb, I’m guessing your coach has a harder time putting you back in.
That said, when he was playing hard McGee looked terrific.
by MR on Feb 21, 2012 4:33 AM EST up reply actions
That's on Wittman's minute distribution then
We know McGee should be played in shorter stretches of time. He was good for most of the game and along with Crawford the reason we were in it. Then 1 dumb sequence which he got punished for disproportionally.
Crawford was as bad as always but this game his shots fell. He got rewarded for making his shot by being played big minutes.
both are 2 bad developmental decisions on Wittman imho.
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 Feb 21, 2012 5:09 AM EST up reply actions
So you're saying
that punishing a guy for bad play is a coaching error and not punishing a guy for bad play is a coaching error.
it was absolute foolishness to sit Mcgee for that long.
Especially considering the nut shot limited his first half minutes so he had some wind to burn (hopefully)
I am saying that both players should have been punished, non of them should have been out for the entire game
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:00 PM EST up reply actions
McGee was the offense . . .
in the first half along with Crawford. After McGee got the self-inflicted shot to the groin going for a rebound, he sat for the remainder of the first half. He wasn’t the same player when he returned. e.g. 5-7 or 5-6 in the first half. 0-5 shooting in the second. He actually held his own against Gortat at least in the first half (didn’t shut him down, but I believe McGee actually outscored him by a couple points when he was on the court and held him to a lower shooting percentage).
The Wizards kept it close and actually went up by 1 in the middle of the 3rd period, but then the Wizards went cold on offense, and the Suns went on a twenty point run. That’s the game.
Some interesting and fair comments from Bright side of the Sun
It was really interesting to see
How the Wizards played when they were in the game, and then once they got into a big whole. They just abandoned their ball movement and went ISO city.
by isum on Feb 21, 2012 2:14 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
and this
The FTs are what really killed the Wizards. They kept fouling our guys when they were in the act of shooting.
by isum on Feb 21, 2012 2:14 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
All fair comments . . .
we put the Suns in the penalty early in both the first and second halves. To top it off, we shot just over 50 percent from the free throw line out of 19 attempts. That’s 10+ points right there.
The ball movement comment is also right on the mark.
And come to think of it
Gortat missed quite a few easy ones at the bucket, although McGee had a sick-ass block down there as well.
I did watch the game and don't agree with Sean at all here
Javale was clearly imploding at that point in the game. He just had a stretch of several minutes where he was clearly losing focus, culminating in that glaring display of un-focus that ended with Javale barrelling wildly into Gortat’s chest. Wittman left him in for a little bit longer after that and he made a few more mistakes on defense and then took that ridiculously lazy/dumb shot that finally got him the hook. You could argue that he should have been put back in sooner, but it wouldn’t have mattered — Phoenix grabbed that momentum and was up by 20 only 4 minutes later. I actually was sitting there cursing McGee during that entire run, because he was responsible for things going sour. It’s just based on my intuitive interpretation, but I truly believe McGee was the goat in this one.
by steadyhand on Feb 21, 2012 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Is Harrison Barnes the Answer
Look, I think our need at the SF outweighs any need anywhere else and this game proved it…the Bullwiz were up 56-55 and Phoenix went on a 30-4 run because we get no scoring out of that position. Barnes scares me because I see a lot of Calbert Chaney in his game but if we don’t get the #1 pick and take Davis then we need him or as a conselation prize, Perry Jones III. Is it possible to get another lottery pick to possible get both (Jones is slipping down the draft boards). I know folks are down on Jones but I think JWall could be the PG to bring out the best in him…either way Barnes or Jones III and I am happy with the draft!
ive only seen him a few times
but he doesn’t look like a future great to me. he will be decent thou, which is better than yet another project.
seriously
time to draft someone who can DEFINITELY play, not someone who will be ‘great’ if only he improves drastically in like 3-4 areas
YES Please!
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 Feb 21, 2012 5:11 AM EST up reply actions
I think we need more than just one player. I'd love Thomas Robinson, Perry Jones, or MKG.
Barnes would be awesome too. But we have holes at PF, SF, and if we let Nick go then we have a hole at SG. I think people dont realize Nick’s game is what most people really want out of a role-player type 2 gaurd nowadays.
by tw10 on Feb 21, 2012 12:41 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Seriously
Which missing piece are we gonna address in the draft, and how are we going to fill the other two. This is why I think we need to resign young unless we’re gonna draft an sg. Also, we desperately need another 1st round pick.
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:56 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not just starters, our bench isn't even solid. Hopefully Blatche can make some semblance of a comeback, and provide some depth.
He should—theoretically—look a little better against bench players. If JC keeps improving then him, Blatche, Booker is a solid 3 off the bench,
And this assumes McGee is re-signed
We need a SF (despite the fact we draft 2 this year)
We need a PF (despite the fact that we drafted 2 last year)
And if Mcgee and Young walk we need a SG and a C as well.
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 Feb 21, 2012 5:13 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I watch tons of college ball around mid-season
Not sure what people’s fascination with Perry Jones is. I will be extremely upset if that is who the Wizards pick. Same deal with Andre Drummond but thankfully he is likely returning for his another year of college. Both passive players who will disappear for long stretches of games.
Barnes seems like Rashard Lewis (not the Wiz version) will not as great of a post game. Good shot-maker but will struggle creating his own shot in the NBA. I’ll pass there too.
Terrance Jones is slipping but I think he won’t drop past #14. If we find a way to get a player like him 2nd I’d be happy.
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
Calbert Cheaney was once a really fine player
My memory is fading as I get older, but Cheaney was doing just fine as a Bullet until one particular game at Cap Centre I was at in 1993 or so. In that game Cheaney was playing exceptionally well, hitting that smooth jumper and also penetrating to the hoop. Late in the game, at which point he had put up 28 or so, he drove the hoop for the last time and got put down HARD. I believe he missed a few games afterward, and I swear to this day that when he returned he was never the player he was because he had become skittish, gun-shy, whatever about driving to the hoop.
The ability to drive to the hole hard and fearlessly is essential if a wing player is to reach the highest level. When a defender fears that an SF might put the ball on the floor and drive past him, he automatically gives up a few inches of defensive space, and that is the extra space that a confident offensive player needs to rise up and consistently hit the jumper. When a wing defender knows that his man is hesitant or not likely to drive, his defensive efficiency against the jumper is enhanced.
That is the quality the Wizards should be looking for in their next SF, the ability to create space for his own jumper by driving to the basket often enough and effectively enough to keep defenders off balance. It is a rare skill (and too often a short-lived one, ask Grant Hill) and I have not often seen it in a Bullet/Wizard… Gus Johnson, Bobby Dandridge, Bernard King (who also paid the physicial price for it), Cheaney for his first season or two, and (though often blunted by his ball-stopping) Caron Butler.
The Wizards need to keep several potential draft picks under the microscope on this one and the guys on this site are right to focus in on these players.
As far as last night goes, good on Coach Wittman for his comments. Absence of a top SF notwithstanding, it is unforgiveable to abandon a successful game plan, go hero and let a middling team like the Suns enjoy a 31-4 run at your expense.
by khrabb on Feb 21, 2012 3:26 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I was real big on Jones before this year
But every big game he has is against sorry teams and he dissapears in big moments. He doesn’t seem to want to be the #1 offensive option and that is what this team needs.
uh, you didnt watch the game
Javale was taking it to Gortat on both ends
Ok. You all watched the games so I cant argue. He's just the most frustrating player to watch.
So how did Gortat end up dropping 20 on him? I’m not trying to sound like a douche here, but I didnt watch the game…Did Gortat tear up the backups? And why didn’t JaVale score more than 10 points?
Javale only played 20 minutes and they stopped giving him the ball basically after the 1st
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:48 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Understandable. Bynum's breakout year gives me a reason to stay patient...
Too bad Bynum came straight out of High School and his lack of hops has forced him to develop some nasty post moves. And his injuries have stopped him from getting on the court…Not stupid play.
the big problem with Mcgee is what's the alternative
His biggest supporters can see that he is inconsistent and often loses his matchup to “elite” Cs….but his biggest detractors can see he is a reasonably good player who still has some serious upside and clearly puts in the work to get better….i dont know, it’s hard for me to envision how they could let him walk, it would be a huge step back. Overpaying him may be just the cost of doing business in the nba.
How about Turiaf/Blatche/Seraphin rotation
If the Wiz are stuck with Blatche, he might as well earn his salary by taking elbows in the face every game, and at his current weight, he’s not really a 4 any longer. That’s not a great rotation at 5, but McGee isn’t much better. Btw, Seraphin and McGee’s rbs (1.3 diff) and bks (.5 diff per 48) are about the same, McGee is only significantly better at scoring.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
To be clear
McGee is better, but is he $12m/year better? At 30 min a game? I’m not sure he’s significantly better than an improved Seraphin (he has shown huge improvement) and a healthy Turiaf. And signing McGee means finding a place to ship Blatche, imo.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
why do you think Seraphin isnt playing more already? Bad coaching?
and how much weight do you put on numbers like last night when a player gets stats after we’re down 30pts and the game is really over?
Ernie is committed to long and fast
Seraphin isn’t fast or long.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
Buy you're right
For a guy who they traded a ton for, he’s gotten surprisingly little playing time. Why don’t we see more of his nifty little hook shot? Hard to say.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
because Seraphin is just not tall or long enough, no way around it.
and when you consider that the guy EG drafted as a SF has played more C than SF….roster construction look horrendous
Agreed. He also lacks the athleticism to make up for it.
He really is a back to the basket pf
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
He's 5th in the league in blocks per 48
How is that possible if he’s not big or athletic?
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
do you remember Jim Mcalvaine(sp)?
He led the league in blocks per48 while playing about 10-12mins for us, so Seattle signed him to a big deal assuming that per48 illustrated what kind of player he really was. It didnt work out that way!
Jim had a good contract year
Still think Kevin can play center. Ben Wallace does, and he has a similar build to Kevin.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Feb 21, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions
It was more of a bad series than one bad play
but nothing worse than the normal stuff.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Feb 21, 2012 12:54 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The sequence where he tried 3 shots was pretty bad
Although he was hustling his ass off for the rebounds. The 14 ft hook shot is what did it for me.
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:59 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I understand that play though
Vale was busting his ass and was determined to get the rock and score it. Maybe he should have kicked it back out but I loved the effort. On that play instead of crashing for the boards when the entire defense was focused on JaVale, everyone was spectating.
The 14ft hook shot was pretty bad 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
loved that play
Javale will really turn the corner when he starts playing big more consistently
a 14ft hookshot that was totally unnecessary
but on the series before he attempted 3FGAs, it was Javale with Gortat and 2 other Suns around the basket and he got his own rebound twice, muscled through Gortat, then on the last attempt Gortat flopped and Mcgee got the foul. Personally I thought it was what we have alwyas wanted to see from him. He’s not skinny or weak anymore, and he is long as all hell….what was odd is that the rest of the team stood and watched him on that sequence.
I would have liked to see him kick it out and restart the offense.
The hustle was great, but there was no need to turn that sequence into a one-on-one thing with Gortat. After the second rejection everyone knew he was going to try and muscle his way to the hoop, including gortat, which allowed him to position himself to take the charge.
by Alpha_Snail on Feb 21, 2012 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
that was terrible call though
and Mcgee is always criticized for being soft
It WAS a terrible call, one of several bad offensive foul calls.
But it was a moment that we NEEDED a bucket. The Suns were on an 8-0 run. It’s one thing for McGee to keep going up on the first play, but when he comes down the next possession and throws up that horrible selfish junk….what is Randy going to do, wait to see how bad his shot is the next time down?
well, that's what he seems to do with Nick and JC
i get pulling him for sure, but he never came back in the game…that seems absurd to me
it's interesting to wonder if a single call can turn a game
what if there was no whistle and Javale scored, Wiz team went apeshit….does that fire us up and keep the game close? Or does the 30-6 run just become a 30-8 run….not that it matters, but that was an odd quarter who knows
Gortat KILLED Vesely.
Yes. Vesely was guarding Gortat. Moreover, Gortat took it to Booker. Just shot right over the top of him.
by Craig_ on Feb 21, 2012 1:24 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Gortat may not get up off the ground all that well...
But he does everything else you want in a Center. Sending a stringbean like Vesely up against him is a recipe for disaster, Gortat has about the same height and reach and is what 280 pounds of muscle and bulk? Booker has the body strength but as you say Craig, is vertically challenged against a player like Gortat.
Agianst Gortat, a mobile big guy McGee is our team’s only viable alternative, but he should have been paired up with someone like Seraphin, and I do not know ho often that pairing was on the court for the Wizards last night.
i've always like Gortat because he has the best motor in the league at C imo
although Noah is right there too….but Gortat’s Dad was a professional boxer and Marcin does these insane summer training workouts that keep him as arguably the best conditioned player in the league.
all that said…i do think he is a guy that a good breathing Javale can have consistent success against, someone as long and quick as Mcgee is a bad matchup for him
Crawford MUST change his game. He can't continue to throw up such junk, even if they do go in sometimes.
I just don’t get him. If he just stopped shooting those really really tough shots he could be a good player.
As is, he is a team killer.
I agree but I don't see him wanting too. He 's better than MJ himself you know.
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 Feb 21, 2012 5:16 AM EST up reply actions
I find it kind of funny that throughout the whole recap and the 100+ comments
we haven’t discussed our franchise player/game-changer/ potential superstar, John Wall. I only watched a part of the third quarter, so I can’t really formulate an opinion of the game. Did he play well, and dominate some stretches of the game, or was he thoroughly outplayed by Nash.
I’m guessing he played okay but not great, because if he played terrible he would be in every single post.
He forced some bad passes and didn't get calls at the line
But I don’t think his play is the issue that bears the most discussion.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
he didnt get outplayed by Nash imo
We just dont have players that can knock down shots the way Pho does
He was on track for a triple double at half.
But then the 3rd quarter happened and he didn’t get much time in the 4th
by oakhillswag on Feb 21, 2012 12:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, he really had a great first quarter with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
Sat till about 6 minutes left in the 2nd and missed atleast 5 assists because his teammates put up brick after brick on wide open shots. By the end of the quarter they were down 25 points after being up by 1 early in the 3rd….
He finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists I believe and he never really saw the floor after the first view minutes in the 4th.
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
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