Top Stories of the Week: Wizards hold draft workouts, Mystics move up the standings

It’s been awhile since I last posted the weekly recap since I was on vacation. But now, I’m back, just in time to see the NBA Finals end while talk around the Draft, Summer League, and the Mystics season gets into full swing.

So let’s get right to it.

Wizards links

During the summer, the Wizards’ players are getting some much needed rest. But for the front office, they’re getting ready to evaluate players who they may draft or bring on their Summer League team.

Before you laugh about Washington trading their first round pick for the second straight year, let’s keep in mind that NBA teams can have 17 players on the roster next year. Draft workouts aren’t always about picking the next superstar. They’re also about picking up solid second round (or even undrafted talent) as well. Remember, Washington holds the 52nd pick in this year’s draft.

Here’s a list of the players who worked out while I was away:

• On Tuesday, May 30, the Wizards hosted six players, including former Maryland star Melo Trimble.
• This past Monday, the Wizards hosted six more prospects, including Frank Mason, the AP Player of the Year.
• Kris Jenkins of Villanova and Przemek Karnowski of Gonzaga were two of six more prospects that came last Tuesday.

We also started working on player evaluations for the 2016-17 season. Here are the ones we worked on since the start of the month:

• Markieff Morris
• Kelly Oubre Jr.
• Marcin Gortat

The Mystics are one of the WNBA’s hottest teams right now

The Mystics were probably happy to see me on vacation, as they went on a five game win streak. In the last week, they won their fourth and fifth straight games against the Dream and Wings respectively.

Unfortunately, they lost yesterday to the Lynx, 98-73. Before you start freaking out, Delle Donne sat out due to a groin injury, while Emma Meesseman was in Belgium. In that game, we also learned just how much the Mystics value their two frontcourt stars.

Before the loss to Minnesota, Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post detailed how the Mystics are turning things around ... after being bad for D.C. sports standards.

Emma Meesseman shows her all around game with the Belgian Cats

Meesseman did play four games with the Mystics before heading to Europe, and I’m glad to see that her focus is back. Yes, she was in Washington and all, but I feel like she was kinda checked out with her mind already in Ieper. I don’t blame her one bit. It’s normal for people to be checked out right before an exciting vacation or commitment for example.

Since coming back to Europe, Meesseman led Belgium in an Italy-based tournament. After, she played like the number one option we expected her to be in two losses to Spain last weekend while playing in Wevelgem, West Flanders. Later today, we’ll see Meesseman lead the Belgian Cats in a friendly against the Netherlands’ Orange Angels.

Odds and Ends

• Jake Whitacre wrote a quick piece on why KD2DC was still the right thing to do, even if the execution was flawed.
• John Wall was at last Sunday’s Mystics game against the Dream and answered some questions about it to Monumental Sports Network’s Dan Nolan where we praised the WNBA’s fundamentals. He believes that Ivory Latta plays a game like his. He even promoted her children’s book:

• Speaking about Latta’s children’s book, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post wrote about its release. The book is called “Despite the Height,” where Latta writes how a short player can still hold her own on the court. You can buy it at Amazon.
• Emma Meesseman got a new Volvo back at home earlier this week:

• Latta and Natasha Cloud, along with Capitals goalie Braden Holtby will walk in D.C.’s Capital Pride Parade on Saturday. In addition, 100 Monumental Sports employees will also take part in the march.
• Staying on the topic of Monumental Sports cross-team marketing, Wall and Capitals PA Announcer Wes Johnson were featured for a McDonald’s Mobile App commercial. Cool stuff!

• Scott Allen of The Washington Post reported that the Verizon Center will operate on 25 percent solar power in an effort to be “greener” and more energy efficient.
• Former Wizards player Jan Vesely is attracting a lot of attention from other NBA teams. Every player deserves a second chance, right?

Alright, that’s all the links I have in a summary over the last week and a half or so. There are certainly more links out there besides these. If you have one that you’d like to share, feel free to do so in the comments or in a FanPost.

Enjoy the start of summer!