Bullets Forever

NBA Playoffs 2012 Open Thread: Wednesday

2012-05-16T23:09:12Z

Forgot to do this earlier. Here's the thread for tonight.

Evaluating Washington Wizards' Coaching Options: Stan Van Gundy

2012-05-16T19:00:00Z

The Wizards find themselves entering this off season without a head coach under contract. After firing Coach Flip Saunders, the Wizards finished the regular season under the tenure of coach Randy Wittman. While Wittman's achievements with the team can be viewed in a mostly positive light, this off season represents a chance for the Wizards to make an aggressive move to hire a a coach with a new voice. Whether the Wizards take that opportunity or stick with Wittman remains to be seen, but in the meantime, we'll evaluate several other coaching possibilities. First up: Stan Van Gundy

Stan Van Gundy

Career Record: 579-371

Why he is available: The details coming out of Orlando this spring have read like a plot out of Shakespeare, or possibly a very special episode of Days of Our Lives. Van Gundy feuded throughout the season with his star player Dwight Howard to the point where Van Gundy let it slip during a press conference that Howard had asked for Van Gundy to be terminated. This led to the surreal scene of Howard walking into the press conference completely unaware of Van Gundy's comments and putting his arm around the coach in a display of solidarity. Van Gundy quickly exited the press conference and left Howard to be bushwhacked by the media wolves.

A few weeks later, it was reported that Howard again reiterated his demand that Van Gundy be terminated to the team's owner and conversation was leaked to the media. Howard then immediately shut down his season with a back injury, leaving Van Gundy to piece together a competitive team without the player for whom the roster was constructed around. Throughout the process, Van Gundy remained at an even keel and managed to get Orlando to the playoffs, where they were quickly dispatched by the Indiana Pacers. As of this writing Van Gundy still remains in the employ of the Magic, but one wonders how long that last.

It should be noted that if Van Gundy is terminated, it will not be the first time he has been pushed out of town by a dominant center. Shaquille O'Neal was behind the ouster of Van Gundy in Miami, which both Van Gundy and O'Neal have never let us forget. It leads one to question whether the demanding style of Van Gundy has a shelf life or whether he is better suited to a team of up and comers rather than a team of veterans who chafe at Van Gundy's abrasive style.

Why would he want to come here: At first glance, Washington does not appear to be the ideal destination for Van Gundy, as he is used to coaching playoff ready teams rather than working with rebuilding projects. However, since the trade for Nene, Washington has become a much more attractive destination for free-agent coaches. The Wizards have a franchise player in place already with point guard John Wall, and Van Gundy has never gotten to coach a dominant PG with the exception of the two years that Jameer Nelson appeared to be an above-average player. Van Gundy would also be able to avoid the headache of working with Prima Donna big men, as both Nene and Kevin Seraphin have the reputation as extremely coachable and heady players.

The issue is whether Van Gundy would view the Wizards as a piece or two away from contention or a team that destined to tread water behind Miami and Atlanta in the Southeast Division. Van Gundy might want to try his luck in another conference or take his talents to the broadcasting booth, where he can trade barbs with his brother Jeff or the mumbling O'Neal.

Why would it work: Van Gundy preaches accountability and defense, two things that have been missing on the Wizards for the last few years. Van Gundy's team's have consistently ranked in the upper echelon of defensive teams with the added defense that they don't foul that much. Much of that can be attributed to the abilities of Dwight Howard, but credit should be given to Van Gundy for turning sub-optimal defensive players such as JJ Reddick into average defenders and developing players such as Ryan Anderson and Hedo Turkoglu. He also has been able to make chicken salad out of chicken s*** his entire career by successfully turning GM Otis Smith's most boneheaded acquisitions into semi-passable working parts. If anyone is going to find out what is left in Rashard Lewis' tank or uncover the talent of Andray Blatche, I wouldn't bet against Van Gundy.

Why wouldn't it work: Roster construction would appear to be the most the serious impediment to a Van Gundy-led Wizards as he Orlando teams have always relied heavily on three-point shooting. Outside shooting, of course, is the one thing the Wizards are most desperately in need of at the moment. Van Gundy also has a reputation for being tough on young players who do not commit defensively, and one has to wonder how well that will go over with Wall and others who sometimes slack on defense. Finally, there is the issue of how much control and input Van Gundy would be given in roster construction and player acquisition, as I would personally find it hard to believe that he would not demand some greater degree of control after having been axed in Miami and subverted in Orlando. Whether Ted Leonsis and Ernie Grunfeld would be willing to give up some of that control would be an interesting situation should it develop further.

Final Verdict: The Wizards would be a foolish organization if they did not at least do their due diligence and explore signing Van Gundy if he becomes available. Since they are not foolish, I assume they will at least be mentioned in the conversation once he officially becomes a coaching free agent. If the Wizards landed Van Gundy, it would constitute a huge splash and an indication to the fanbase that the team considers themselves not that far removed from the playoff picture. A Van Gundy-coached team becomes an immediate destination for FAs, as most of his players love him as a coach (with two notable exceptions) and he earned respect around the league. Unlike Flip Saunders, Stan Van Gundy has never "lost the locker room," as almost every other player he's coached has spoken glowingly of him.

I would pursue Van Gundy aggressively, but first ensure that his vision of what the Wizards will be meshes with that of the GM and the owner. Further, I would accept the fact that obtaining Van Gundy's services are a long shot at best, with teams such as the Clippers and Knicks being more attractive locations, and have a list of qualified candidates ready in case of rejection.

Better Know A 2012 NBA Draft Pick: Anthony Davis

2012-05-16T18:00:30Z

Editor's Note: The 2012 NBA Draft is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start looking at this year's prospects. We've enlisted the help of a couple of our community's top draftnicks to break down as many prospects as possible from this year's class, whether they're high-lottery picks, potential first-round sliders or sleepers that could make an impact on a team from the second round. Today: Kentucky center Anthony Davis, by qthaballa.

PREVIOUSLY: Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond.

Team: Kentucky Wildcats

Expected Draft position: Consensus No. 1.

College Career Recap: Anthony Davis came into his freshman season with some already projecting him as possibly being a No. 1 pick overall. Davis then went on to shatter all expectations and then some. In addition to setting a couple blocks records (SEC single-season & NCAA freshman blocks), he finished the season as National Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, leading his team to a NCAA championship.

Freshman season stats: 32 MPG/ 14.2PPG/ 10.4 RPG/ 1.3 APG/ 1.4 SPG/ 4.7BPG/ 62.3 FG%/ 15.03pt%/ 70.9FT%

Best Attributes: Before watching him play, I dismissed him as a sort of JaVale McGee clone, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. We can begin with the general floor IQ. Watching Davis, I was in awe of the ease in which he excelled where many big men typically struggle -- he is phenomenal at pick-and-roll help and recovery, closing out on shooters, moving his feet to stay with wings, cutting off passing lanes by keeping his arms up and contesting shots without leaving his feet. That IQ, combined with freakish athletic ability and a ridiculous 7'6'' wingspan, means he has the potential to be one of the greatest rim-protectors of all time. It's not just that he has the physical ability to block shots, it's that he also has the court sense to always know where to be in addition to that. He's no slouch defending the perimeter either, possessing quick feet and good hands that make him able to guard practically any position in college.

Davis is also hyper-efficient, posting the fifth-best true-shooting percentage in all of college basketball. Davis did most his damage off-ball with clean-ups, transition buckets and ally-oops that you can pretty much throw to the moon and he'd catch. That said, he also still showed some ability to be effective in pick and pop situations. His shooting form is sound and his solid percentages are promising signs that show he can easily transform into a reliable shooter, if he isn't already).

Davis is also a good ball-handler for his size thanks to a growth spurt between his junior and senior years in high school that saw him go from 6'3'' to 6'10''. Finally, he doesn't turn the ball over (just one per game) or foul much (two per game), even though he is challenging almost every shot.

Biggest Weakness: Strength. This is the one glaring hole in his game and happens to be one that can be corrected with hard work and some long days in the weight room. It is a big concern early, though, because Davis will have a tough time holding his ground in the paint on a day-to-day basis, which may lead to frequent foul trouble until he gets his weight up. He does have the ability to score from the inside, but his post game is also far from refined and he sometimes rushes shots.

Why he'd fit in D.C.: Davis falls in line perfectly with two defining factors of this Wizards team going forward: defense and transition scoring. Defensively, he'd immediately anchor a unit that buckled down and started to improve after the JaVale McGee/Nick Young trades. I think would propel the team into the upper half of the league in that regard, at the very least. Kevin Seraphin did a good job blocking some shots, but Davis would give the team a legit rim protector.

In transition, Davis runs the floor very well, and I wouldn't want to see a John Wall-Jan Vesely-Davis fastbreak coming at me. He can also fit with any style of player next to him. With Nene or Seraphin, he can play at the elbow and be a pick and pop guy. However, he can go down to the paint and use his speed and athleticism to finish, face up bigger defenders or can roam the baseline and finish off feeds from Wall.

He can help in two other areas as well. Let's not forget the team's very real weakness: rebounding. Davis averaged 10 per game and has the athleticism and court sense to contribute here even before he gets stronger. He can clean up the rebounds above the rim while guys like Seraphin, Nene and Trevor Booker box out below. Also, passing is another underrated aspect of his game. He isn't great by any means, but he isn't selfish either. Imagine the interior passing between him and any combination of Nene, Vesely, Seraphin or Booker. Also, every second counts on the break, and Davis can make passes to help ignite it like other bigs can't because of his vision and his ability to handle the ball himself.

Why he might not: .........

Verdict: He's the clear-cut best player in the draft and his potential is so high it's almost impossible to project him. At worst, he's a better Marcus Camby. At best, he could be as brilliant as Tim Duncan. I see absolutely no bust potential. He's already one of the best defensive power forwards in the league the moment he slips on his draft cap.

On May 30th, we should all brow our heads and pray

#QUOTESANITY: 3. American Jan Vesely vs. 8. Willing To Die For This

2012-05-16T17:15:06Z

For the next few weeks, we're voting on the top Wizards quote of the year, bracket-style, in a little something we like to call #QUOTESANITY. In this installment, we select a champion for the Humblebrag Regional. American Jan Vesely got here by beating the Morris Almond Era with 63 percent of the vote, while Willing To Die For This continued its Cinderella run with 57 percent of the vote over Nick Young's Complete Player quote.

3. American Jan Vesely

I don't know, I think Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesely. -Jan Vesely when asked on draft night about being called the "European Blake Griffin".

8. Willing To Die For This

I told my teammates: I'm willing to give y'all 100-percent out of me every game. I'm willing to die for this. -Andray Blatche at Media Day

Each quote had a unique and important role in shaping the 2011-12 Wizards, but only one can advance for the chance to have the final word on this season. It's time to vote.

Poll

Which quote was better?

Better Know A Free Agent: Marco Belinelli

2012-05-16T16:34:40Z

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: Marco Belinelli.

PREVIOUSLY: Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum, O.J. Mayo, Ryan Anderson, Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Lou Williams, Danny Green, George Hill.

Team: New Orleans Hornets

Type: Unrestricted free agent, and a guy who played on the qualifying offer last year. History says he's gone from New Orleans.

This past year: Was a solid, if not spectacular iron man for a Hornets team that lacked talent, but always played hard. Without Chris Paul, his shooting efficiency took a hit, especially his three-point shooting, which fell from a spectacular 41 percent to merely a solid 38 percent. However, he always played hard and consistently, prompting Hornets coach Monty Williams to call him a "monster" and one of his "favorite people" to coach in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Zach Lowe.

Why he's fit in well: He's a solid perimeter shooter that can space the floor for John Wall. In the past, he was prone to poor shot selection, but he's curbed that habit under Williams in New Orleans. Seeing as he shot much better playing with a ball-dominant point guard in his first year in New Orleans than without one in his second year, I think Wall could get the most out of him.

He's also surprisingly lethal on three-pointers in transition, shooting 48.8 percent on those shots this year and 49.4 percent last year, according to MySynergySports.com. With Wall pushing the ball and kicking out to open three-point shooters so much, this is a really valuable skill.

Why he might not: He's not a very good defensive player, nor is he especially dynamic as a playmaker. He's decent at running pick and roll to get his own shot, but his assist rate is pretty low and he doesn't get to the basket very much. David Locke, the great Utah Jazz broadcaster, made a really good point in a video chat yesterday: it's hard for NBA teams to keep shooters on the floor if they're so inept elsewhere. There's a concern that Belinelli's weaknesses often take away from his strength as a shooter.

Likely price tag: I think he had be had for half the mid-level.

Verdict: Belinelli wouldn't be my first choice, but he's an excellent cheap fall-back option, along with someone like Carlos Delfino. If the Wizards don't draft Bradley Beal and get outbid for someone like George Hill, O.J. Mayo or Courtney Lee, you could do worse as a backup plan than Belinelli.

SBNation.com's Jon Bois includes the Wizards' 2010-11 "Back To Basics" slogan as one of his most...

2012-05-16T16:14:14Z

SBNation.com's Jon Bois includes the Wizards' 2010-11 "Back To Basics" slogan as one of his most ridiculous NBA marketing campaigns of all time. The whole piece is hilarious and worth a look.

Links: Which NBA assistants most deserve a head coaching gig?

2012-05-16T14:05:12Z

Today's links:

Could any of these career NBA assistants be the next Wizards coach? [SB Nation]
BNIE starts our "Draft Lottery Countdown" by qualifying Ted's season-ending 'We plan to be GOOD' proclamation.
Randy Wittman's comparison of bad basketball to chain smoking was a favorite among those who covered the team. References to the quote repeatedly found their way into coverage as the season rolled along, earning Wittman's analogy a two-seed in our #QUOTESANITY bracket. Well, you all were evidently less impressed with Wittman's paralleland have slated it for early defeat to another metaphor: JaVale McGee and Nick Young joking that playing for the Wizards is akin to doing time. Meanwhile, Jan Vesely telling a Czech website that he heard Flip Saunders "likes white players" is winning because, well, how can't it?
In his latest "Better Know a Free Agent," Mike makes it clear that he is a fan of Pacers guard George Hill, The Fightin' Hill! But is he worth what Indiana might be willing to pay him?
pantlessyoda breaks down UConn center Andre Drummond for our latest "Better Know a Draft Pick." No, thank you.

Most of you were 'meh' on Mo Evans's decidedly 'meh' season.
TAI has posted season reviews for Jordan Crawford and Chris Singleton.
Frank Hanrahan thinks Cartier Martin showed enough this past season to earn an invite to training camp. [CSN Washington]
If healthy, could Rashard Lewis actually contribute to the Wizards next season? [Crossover Chronicles]
Here's a cute video of Wizards players talking about their favorite team or charitable activities of the year. [WashingtonWizards.com]
Recaps from yesterday's playoff action: [Daily Dime | Spurs-Clippers (SB Nation, SI, AP) | Heat-Pacers (SB Nation, SI, AP)]
How old is Tim Duncan again? Because he ran circles around Blake Griffin and the Clips last night. [ESPN]
Duncan looked like he was 10 years younger en route to scoring 26 points and snatching 10 rebounds. [Yahoo! Sports]
Dwyane Wade was't happy that the Pacers were happy after their Game 2 win. [SB Nation]
Wade should worry less about whether the some Pacers were celebrating after the game and more about how to prevent another subpar showing like the Heat had in Game 2. [Heat Index]
Can the Clippers bounce back from being blown out in Game 1? They've made a habit of responding to adversity. [ESPN Los Angeles]
Could Chris Bosh's injury do more to restore his reputation than his at-times-excellent play? [Yahoo! Sports]
Everyone already knew the Thunder was very good, but Kevin Durant & Co. officially announced their arrival as an NBA power with their Game 1 shellacking of the Lakers. [SB Nation]
But the Thunder could be without center Kendrick Perkins in Game 2 after he aggravated a right hip strain in the second half of Game 1. [Yahoo! Sports]
Oklahoma City has found success exploiting Andrew Bynum on the pick-and-roll. [The Point Forward]
Kobe Bryant knows that if his Lakers are to win their series against the Thunder, it won't be with athleticism, but strategy. [Yahoo! Sports]
Good lord. It's possible Derrick Rose could miss all of next season with his ACL tear. [SB Nation]
The Mavericks have re-signed head coach (and former Virginia Cavalier) Rick Carlisle to a four-year contract with an optional extension. [Dallas Morning News]
David Thorpe is really impressed with Kyrie Irving. Like, I'm-worried-he's-fallen-down-too-many-flights-of-stairs impressed. Am I the only one that didn't think Irving's rookie year (18.5 points and 5.4 assists versus John Wall's 16.4 points and 8.3 assists as a rookie) was that big of a deal?
Interesting post over at SLC Dunk comparing each NBA team based on number of wins since the 2000-2001 season and their respective market shares. Warning: As with most things, this is very depressing for Wizards fans.
Tracee Hamlton has a problem with David Stern fining Frank Vogel $15,000 for calling the Heat "the biggest flopping team in the NBA" when Ron Artest got only a seven-game suspension for essentially committing assault on a basketball court. [Washington Post]
The folks over at Deadspin are quite good, and they've uncovered another doozy, apparently catching former NBA coach and current ESPN scouting writer plagiarizing, of all things, a Spurs message board.
The Atlantic's Kevin Fixler thinks the traditional NBA center has fallen by the wayside, but Kelly Dwyer thinks that's a bit overblown.

#QUOTESANITY: 1. Can't Say I Do vs. 3. Apparently Not

2012-05-16T14:00:27Z

For the next few weeks, we're voting on the top Wizards quote of the year, bracket-style, in a little something we like to call #QUOTESANITY. In this installment, we begin quarterfinal action with the McGee Regional Final. Can't Say I Do got here after squeaking out of Round 2 with 55 percent of the vote over 1 Percent Full. Apparently Not upset Future of the NBA with 65 percent of the vote to make it here today.

1. Can't Say I Do

I can't say I do, but I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later. - JaVale McGee, when asked if he understood the message Randy Wittman was trying to send by benching him.

3. Apparently Not

Apparently, if you get a fast break and throw it off the backboard in the third quarter, and you're 1-11, you're not supposed to do stuff like that. - JaVale McGee after being benched for doing just that.

JaVale McGee had a season to remember in Washington, but only one of his illustrious quotes can advance to the final four. I get the feeling your choice may be swayed by how you feel about riding dogs like small horses.

Poll