Should Wiz Go Small?

by SpecialSauce on Feb 22, 2012 12:24 PM EST

It only took Michael Lee 32 games to write a story on it, but SF, the position that was supposed to be the Wizards strength at the beginning of the season, is now an Achilles heel (and they have a few). We here on BF have acknowledged it for a while, other sites as well, but with all the other "story lines" surrounding the Wizards this season, this topic finally got poked and prodded in the locker room. Finally calling a spade...a spade.

After drafting Jan Vesely 6th overall, then "stealing" Chris Singleton at #18, resigning Mo Evans, and not amnestying Lewis, conceivably the Wizards had four players at the SF position, making it their deepest position. However Vesely hasn't played SF, Singleton is showing why he slipped in the draft, Mo is here for leadership (from the bench), and Lewis looks like the oldest 32 year old I've ever watched.

The Wizards are getting ZERO production from their SF and that just can't happen from a position that usually produces scoring. Think about. The modern NBA is dominated by SF's and PG's. From LeBron to Durant, Pierce to Gay, talented small forwards are abundant in the league, just not for the Wizards.

Often we've seen Randy Wittman go "small" in the fourth quarter and play three guards (Wall, Young, and Crawford), which typically has been a rather effective lineup, at least from a scoring prospective. So my question then becomes, why not get right to business and start the game with Nick Young at SF and Crawford at SG, making sure that offensively they're going to get production from their perimeter players?

Singleton has a long ways to go offensively and his defense isn't nearly the "lockdown" player we had all talked about previously.

Lewis is shooting 32% averaging 4 ppg and 2 rpg in his last 7 games.

At 7-25 there's no reason why the starting lineup needs to remain consistent, clearly whatever they're doing is not "working", therefore I'd prefer to see Wittman change it up, tweaking the rotations, being creative, and try to find something that puts the team in a better chance to be successful, after all that's what a coach's main responsibility is at the professional level.

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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Comments

Is Crawford an effective enough defender to make that lineup work?

by Hog's Bacon on Feb 22, 2012 12:48 PM EST reply actions

That line-up requires more bulk...

…at the 4 than Booker (given McGee is at the 5). But it’s as good as the alternatives.

The interesting part of Lee’s story is that he doesn’t even mention Vesely at the 3. As I recall, Flip and EG introduced Ves to DC as a 3.

by Izman on Feb 22, 2012 1:08 PM EST reply actions

EG is hoping everyone forgets Jan was supposed to play SF

by DCrez on Feb 22, 2012 3:52 PM EST up reply actions

consistancy in scoring form every position has been one of our many problems

Wall is either at 8 or 28, same for Young and Crawford. We know non of our forwards will produce while Booker and JvM are at 25 points combined at least.

We need Blatche to produce more than anything. He is the one who CAN produce and he also get’s paid handsomly to do so.

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 22, 2012 1:31 PM EST reply actions

Nick at SF is our best lineup, folks have been saying it since last year

by DCrez on Feb 22, 2012 3:53 PM EST reply actions

Keep starting Singleton

He’s a rookie.
So what if we lose.
We need to see if he can learn anything.
Better on the floor than the bench.
Yeah he’s been a waste lately but so has Lewis and he’s a vet.
Let’s see if Singleton can work himself out of this hole.

by VBfan on Feb 22, 2012 5:14 PM EST reply actions

Lewis' Minutes Are The Real Issue

If they go small, Crawford gets more minutes and gets a trial run at SG. Singleton can come off the bench to spell NY or JC, while the other slides to SG.

I can see that Singleton is struggling. He wore a head band at FSU, didn’t wear one in the beginning of the season, went with one for a stretch, and now is back without one. To me that’s an easy indicator that he’s frustrated and trying to find himself in this league and I don’t blame him. He’s starting, yet averaging less than 20 mpg. That would frustrate anybody!

by SpecialSauce on Feb 22, 2012 6:04 PM EST up reply actions

He is frustrated because he finds out he is not as good as he thought.

He may think he is good, but he is not earning any playing time. But I will give him time. He can still start and if he is having a bad game he can stay on the bench.

Headband – that reminds me of Dray who messes up with headband and still not playing any better with / without it.

by isum on Feb 22, 2012 11:31 PM EST up reply actions

hells yes they should

by BigPenisArenas on Feb 22, 2012 6:39 PM EST reply actions

When Blatche returns we should make the switch

The improved shooting Crawford brings to the two is way more than Lewis, Singelton, Ves bring at the three. Our offense will be more balanced.
Also makes coach have to find minutes for Mack. A positive in my book.
What about starting Kevin next to Mcgee? Bringing Blatche and Booker off the bench?

Wally's World

by forthepeople on Feb 23, 2012 12:02 AM EST reply actions

I think it's pretty hard to argue against this now...

After Crawford went off like he did, but this shouldn’t have been a surprise, as he’s been getting his game headed in a good direction over the last few weeks.

Crawford is the most creative player they have, has unbelievable body control, and is probably the team’s best passer. Not to mention that starting Crawford and Young would give Wall exactly what he needs on each side of him when he pushes the tempo…a guy that can hit the open shot or pump fake, dribble, and shoot.

by SpecialSauce on Feb 23, 2012 10:53 AM EST reply actions

Go big instead

Going small helps us in the short term but hurts us in the long term.

Long term, we need Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Singleton, and Vesely to improve their shooting touch and get comfortable taking outside J’s within the flow of the offense. Going to a three guard offense might improve our offense now, but it will end up taking shots away from the guys who really need the practice and experience.

If anything, I’d like us to go big instead. Surround Wall with guys who can’t shoot now, but who we hope will become solid shooters in the future. For now, just accept that our guys don’t have the skills yet to be a decent offensive team. We need good execution, of course, but if we clank a lot of open J’s, so be it. Focus on the defensive end, getting stops and grabbing rebounds. Change the culture and become a hard nosed, smash mouth type of team. This summer, with no lockout, our guys need to shoot J’s all day, every day, maybe under the tutelage of a real shooting coach. Then, next season, we’ll have both a rock solid D and a competent O.

by yop32 on Feb 24, 2012 10:31 AM EST reply actions