Bullets Forever

Zachary Leonsis will represent the Wizards at the NBA Draft Lottery

2012-05-25T20:32:32Z

Zachary Leonsis will represent the Wizards at the NBA Draft Lottery

So announces Ernie Grunfeld.

2012 NBA Draft Lottery Countdown: How Will The Wizards Make A Decision Drafting Top 2-4?

2012-05-25T16:00:22Z

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.

Poll

Which premium lottery prospect has the most to offer the Wizards if their talent level is given to be relatively equal?

Links: Does radio silence mean Randy Wittman will return as Washington Wizards head coach?

2012-05-25T14:47:15Z

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.

In his latest edition of "Better Know A Free Agent," Mike profiles Nets wing Gerald Green, The Fightin' Green!
Ben Standig thinks the Wiz have been waiting to talk to Stan Van Gundy. [CSN Washington]
Standig also thinks North Carolina forward John Henson could fit nicely beside Nene in the (extremely) unlikely scenario that the Wizards (inexplicably) decide to trade down into the back end of the NBA lottery.
The season reviews keep on coming. Here's one for Trevor Booker. [Truth About It]
Another for Shelvin Mack. [Wiz of Awes]
And one for JaVale McGee. [Wizards Extreme]
The Wizards held a pre-draft workout Thursday featuring Ohio State's William Buford, Iowa State's Scott Christopherson, Auburn's Kenny Gabriel, Dayton's Chris Johnson, Georgia's Gerald Robinson and South Dakota's Charlie Westbrook. Here's some video of the workouts, a slideshow and thoughts from Glenn Consor, who lets us know the team is holding a workout today for big-man prospects.
Predictably, your ratings for JaVale McGee's 2012 season are all over the map.
Wow, stat geeks will love the normal distribution of Cartier Martin's 2012 season ratings. [BF]
Flip Saunders has enjoyed being reunited with Kevin Garnett in Boston as an adviser to the Celtics' coaching staff. [Washington Times]
Do you like your insanity unbridled with a touch of implacable hysteria? Then you have to check out this dance video dedicated to Mack and former Bullet Robert Pack by D.C. sports fan Ryan Kopf of Springfield, Va. Also, make sure to stick around for the Don Carlo-Clausstastic ending. Yaayyyy. [D.C. Sports Bog, Ball Don't Lie]
Most of the time it would be impossible to beat Blake Griffin getting the NBA Jam treatment, but thanks to Kopf, this is only the second-best thing you'll see all day.
Led by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James 41 and 28 points, respectively, the Heat took down the Pacers 105-93 in Game 6 and will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where it's tough to imagine the Celtics or Sixers slowing Miami down. Recaps: [SB Nation | Daily Dime | Ball Don't Lie | SI | AP]
With James and Wade playing so well, Adrian Wojnarowski think the Heat's only challenge will come in the NBA Finals. [Yahoo! Sports]
Bench players have also given the Heat a boost. [Heat Index]
David West was in no high-fivin' mood at yesterday's halftime.
Apparently those playoff series against the Wiz really left an impression on LeBron, because he still thinks those games were more physical than those he just finished against the Pacers, which at times resembled back-alley brawls more than basketball games.
GAH!!
Zach Lowe has Game 7 of Celtics-Sixers as a toss-up. [The Point Forward]
Shaq has turned a reported invitation to interview as the next Orlando GM, but did he actually turn himself down?
Steve Perrin on what the All-NBA teams tell us about the league's increasing trend toward dynamic duos and why NBA coaches can't seem to identify the league's best defenders.
John Hollinger breaks down Spurs-Thunder, and gives the advantage to the higher seed. [ESPN Insider]
I and many other people think the Spurs are awesome. Kevin Durant doesn't care. [Ball Don't Lie]
In the wake of a shooting that left eight wounded after Game 5 of Thunder-Lakers, Oklahoma City has shut down its outdoor "Thunder Alley" area, where for fans who couldn't get into the game can watch it on a giant big screen outside the stadium. Thunder fans, as would be expected, are not pleased.
Ernie's kid breaks down the qualities that make the Spurs so awesome at basketball.
Check out the latest edition of Nick Collison's playoff blog. [GQ]
L.A. teams, the crew at Staples Center and Craig Sager have made a parody video of "Call Me Maybe." God damnit.
Should the Lakers be looking to pick up the oncourt pace ala the Spurs and Thunder?
Chad Ford compares Perry Jones III to Paul George, but more importantly, Ziller compares Andre Drummond to Andray Blatche. [SB Nation]
The early schedule for Team USA has been released, and has them kicking off against a Tony Parker-led France team and ending pool play against Manu Ginobili-led Argentina.

2012 Wizards' Player Evaluations: JaVale McGee (BONUS EDITION)

2012-05-25T13:43:03Z

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

At some point during the 2011-12 regular season, JaVale McGee turned into an answering machine. Many of you may not be familiar with the concept of this outdated technology, but once upon a time, when you were away from your house there was a machine that would record the messages of calls you had missed. Many messages were left to JaVale by the Wizards coaching staff and my assumption is that he picked up every two out of three calls. Sometimes, the messages left would become garbled or the tape would warp, leaving McGee to try to parse together whatever mixed message the coaching staff had left for him. ("Substance before style!" "5 good plays out of 250." Its not a videogame. ect.)

JaVale McGee improved this year. He improved to the point where he could he could be traded almost even up for one of the most established big men in the NBA. Though statistics demonstrate the the team defensively performed worse with him on the floor than off, he still had worked enough on his low post game, staying down on defense and rotating to where he dominated every fourth contest. Which leads everyone to the question, why would the Wizards trade a player with potential who was improving gradually and brought awareness to the team (both good and bad) for his monstrous dunks and various foibles?

I think, if we strip away all the things that have been written about McGee on this site and others on his playing habits and Youtube ventures and posturing, the answer lies in his upcoming RFA status. The Wizards made the judgement (IMO) that to retain McGee would mean making him the second most important player on the team, an investment they were ultimately unwilling to make with an upcoming loaded draft class and the possibility of having a large amount of cap space going into the offseason.

Beyond the fingerpointing that is bound to follow over the years, the public statements of Pam McGee and the eventual trajectory of the Wizards franchise, McGee leaving the team still makes me more wistful than elated. I don't think I have ever had the pleasure of watching a player with more athletic prowess than McGee, nor have I ever been as frustrated on a night to night basis with a player's inability to put together a "complete" game. I wish McGee the best wherever he ends up this summer and I am certain that there will be points that I will rue the day we traded him. However, substance before style never appeared to be on the docket in Washington, so here is hoping that George Karl or another gifted coach can bring out the best in a truly unique player

Better Know A Free Agent: Gerald Green

2012-05-25T12:32:39Z

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.

Team: New Jersey Nets.

Type: Unrestricted free agent.

This past year: Revived his NBA career with an outstanding 31-game stretch in relative obscurity with the Nets. Received plenty of playing time and took advantage of it by showing off a smooth and efficient offensive game. Thirteen points a game in 25 minutes per game with very good efficiency is impressive, even if it came at the end of a dreary year for the Nets.

Why he's fit in well: Green can score, and the Wizards need wings who can score. In his brief time with the Nets, Green was proficient in all types of offense, scoring efficiently in isolation situations, post-ups and spot-ups, according to MySynergySports.com. He didn't run a ton of pick and roll, but that might not be a bad thing because the Wizards need guys who can play off others. While Green is still a bit trigger-happy, he reigned in those tendencies compared to previous years in the NBA.

Why he might not: Green is still a very weak defender, though coach Avery Johnson said he improved on that end in his brief time in New Jersey. As noted, he still displays poor shot selection at times, and he's not the kind of guy who can make plays for others in the pick and roll.

Likely price tag: I could see a whole range, but I suspect he'll get half of the mid-level exception.

Verdict: Green's an interesting gamble. I do believe that, temperamentally, he has become much more mature since his Boston days. I just wonder if his deadly-efficient scoring is a fluke. My concern is that the Wizards would give him a guaranteed deal, only to see him have a couple bad shooting years. If he's not scoring, he's still not bringing a lot to the table, so it's kind of a waste to have him on the roster.

But as a fallback option, there's certainly some upside here that makes him worth considering.

NBA Playoffs 2012 Game Thread: Heat Vs. Pacers Game 6

2012-05-24T23:45:38Z

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

Wizards officially one of 23 NBA Teams participating in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from...

2012-05-24T20:13:26Z

Wizards officially one of 23 NBA Teams participating in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from July 13-22. The only teams not participating: Brooklyn, Detroit, Indiana, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Utah.

Press Release

2012 Wizards' Player Evaluations: Cartier Martin

2012-05-24T18:30:11Z

Feel good stories have been rare for the Washington Wizards during the past few years, so that Cartier Martin's triumphal return to the team was greeted with such enthusiasm should not surprise fans or critics of the team. Cartier Martin was one of the most liked individuals in the locker room last season, as his proximity next to John Wall had him at many times jokingly fighting his way around reporters to try and get dressed or deflecting attention after Wall had a particularly rough night. Martin was always unfailingly polite and well spoken and all were sad to see him let go last season due to roster constriction.

However, if this story was a simply about a nice guy returning to the team, it wouldn't have much legs. When Martin was brought back to the Wizards along with James Singleton, the improvement in his game was obvious for all to see. We all have fond memories of Martin's winning shot from last season, but during his other stints internationally he developed a tenacity for rebounding, court vision and headiness which had previously been lacking. Martin made the most of his second go around with the Wizards and I hope that the team recognizes his improvement and rewards him accordingly.

Bullets Forever

Zachary Leonsis will represent the Wizards at the NBA Draft Lottery

Zachary Leonsis will represent the Wizards at the NBA Draft Lottery

2012 NBA Draft Lottery Countdown: How Will The Wizards Make A Decision Drafting Top 2-4?

Which premium lottery prospect has the most to offer the Wizards if their talent level is given to be relatively equal?

Links: Does radio silence mean Randy Wittman will return as Washington Wizards head coach?

2012 Wizards' Player Evaluations: JaVale McGee (BONUS EDITION)

How would you rate JaVale McGee's 2012 season?

Better Know A Free Agent: Gerald Green

NBA Playoffs 2012 Game Thread: Heat Vs. Pacers Game 6

Wizards officially one of 23 NBA Teams participating in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from...

2012 Wizards' Player Evaluations: Cartier Martin

How would you rate Cartier Martin's 2012 season?