For now, the road to the Finals runs through Miami. In the post-handcheck era, perimeter play is the sine qua non of contending teams and the Wizards are sorely lacking. There's a need in just about every perimeter category you could name; there are more holes than can realistically be addressed via the draft and free agency. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting the Wizards should identify their area of greatest need and draft to fill that need rather than draft the best available player.

If the Wiz have their choice of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal they will choose the greatest talent because the playoffs depend so heavily on matchups, even in the hybrid zone. Teams grow around their players because talent rises to the top in the NBA like no other league, but let's say for a moment that MKG, TRob and BB's talent levels are equal for the sake of argument.

Kidd-Gilchrist would bring elite perimeter defense and finishing at the rim despite a somewhat shaky offensive game, perhaps shades of Andre Iguodala? Robinson would bring that physical flavor of play we love in DC, the defensive rebounding we rabidly slaver over, the high-energy athleticism we take for granted and another offensive game with asterisk. Beal would bring perimeter playmaking and three-point shooting to a team that just so happens to be in desperate need of it. Is it worth exploring which skillset is more valuable to a contender as opposed to pure talent level?

Draft players that fit the system, not the best player. Draft the best player for the system. Don't deviate or get seduced by agents, media demands, or by just stats or hype. Envision how this player will slide into your system.

The Ten Point Plan has a LOT of operational flexibility built into it. It's easy to reach for conclusions from the preceding point, but it's definitely worth pointing out that the system will heavily depend on the head coaching position, which makes accurate draft projection difficult. Or, since Ernie and Ted seem to have a vision of the team in place, maybe not. But for now, let's go ahead and artifically level the playing field and ask which of the three prospects we assume would be looked at the hardest have the most to offer a DC contender.

The 2012 NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 30th. T minus 6 Days, and counting.

Because "no news" is never an option for beat reporters, the lack of activity from the Wizards' front office in its search for a new head coach must mean something, right? Right?? Links:

• Does the lack of chatter regarding the Wizards head coaching search indicate Randy Wittman will be back next season? Some think it does. Or doesn't. [Wizards Insider]
• Craig Stouffer thinks that if the Wiz mean to keep Wittman, they should just say so already. [Washington Examiner]
• Scott Jackson thinks the Wizards should at least consider former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan in their head coaching search. [SB Nation DC]
• Speaking of Sloan, Sam Amick caught up with the former Bullet for a quick chat about his coaching future.
• What could be more awesome than an old video of Red Auerbach railing against the flop? How about an old video of Red Auerbach directing legendary Bullets Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes (and also Mike Riordan) through some (ridiculous) slow motion flopping scenarios. Jake actually had a post about this almost four years ago to the day, but I guess TrueHoop decided the video was pertinent given recent momentum in the Stop the Flop movement.

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It is the end of the season which marks the point where the Bullets Forever community get to weigh in on how well they think each Wizards player did over the course of the the abbreviated 2011-12 season. Each player is rated on the 1-10 scale. Next up: JaVale McGee

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Depending on what the Washington Wizards do with Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis, they could have around $12 million of salary-cap space to spend this summer. It remains to be seen if the Wizards actually use it or bank it towards the 2013 class, but in any event, there are a number of free agents that could help the team's push into playoff contention. We'll take a look at several of those options in this running series. Next up: Gerald Green.

PREVIOUSLY: Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum, O.J. Mayo, Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Lou Williams, Danny Green, George Hill, Marco Belinelli, Landry Fields, Brandon Rush, CJ Miles, Kris Humphries, Jeff Green.

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Can the Pacers keep their season alive, or will the Heat push on to the Eastern Conference Finals? Discuss the game here.

It is the end of the season which marks the point where the Bullets Forever community get to weigh in on how well they think each Wizards player did over the course of the the abbreviated 2011-12 season. Each player is rated on the 1-10 scale. Next up: Cartier Martin

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