Washington Wizards 2012-2013 Season Thread - Thanks for a great year!

[abovelegit1]

Good to see them playing well. For a while they were legitimately hard to watch, as the quality of basketball was just so poor. Now it seems they'd have been in contention for the playoffs had the team been healthy from the outset.

Wall has played well. His current PER would be ranked in the top 20 had played enough games to qualify.

 

[Platinum State]

7-3 over the last 10 games.
Wall's been back for 9 of those.
Wish they could''ve got it together earlier.

 

[jjs07]

Good to see them playing well. For a while they were legitimately hard to watch, as the quality of basketball was just so poor. Now it seems they'd have been in contention for the playoffs had the team been healthy from the outset.

Wall has played well. His current PER would be ranked in the top 20 had played enough games to qualify.

8 games out of the 8th seed with 40 to go....

[kevin garnett] NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEEEEE [/kevin garnett]



But you're right...if this team is healthy from the outset, there is ZERO doubt in my mind that they'd be in contention for the playoffs and over .500

I just hope that the FO doesn't sit back on this and get complacent due to what's happening.

What a BALANCED win last night. Completely washed Chicago. Not for nothing, Okafor is earning his dough. He's been playing excellent basketball since mid-Decemeber. Also, I don't care what it takes, but Wizards need to retain Martell Webster. Perfect role player for this squad.

 

[jordan2233]

i was at the game yesterday and the wiz controlled the whole game. i wouldnt make a major trade at the moment since they are playing so well at this point. if they only won more games while wall was gone we would be in much better shape.

 

[hypebeast5]

Just glad we finally getting those wins

Damn I really think we could of got the 8th seed of healthy from the start

 

[thekingofva]

Game vs the Kings tonight, we owe them one after giving the game away. I think we blow them out tonight.

 

[victor page]

Terrible. 

Why would Ariza be glued to Tyreke Evens way beyond the three point line when he's no threat from out there? As soon as Zeke went left he should have been right there with the help defense.

Terrible

 

[thekingofva]

Terrible. 

Why would Ariza be glued to Tyreke Evens way beyond the three point line when he's no threat from out there? As soon as Zeke went left he should have been right there with the help defense.

Terrible

I agree, I'm just glad we don't play the Kings anymore this season. I know that sounds sad but we keep choking vs those guys.

 

[jking0821]

Did they really think if they put Temple on Thomas at the end of the game that he would be able to stop him?

Isaiah was blowing by Wall most of the game and John is quicker then Temple. Randy probably thought Temples length could bother him? Either way great shot by Isaiah, i would have left wall on him personally. But our offense at the end was terrible.....Nene with his drive across the lane to turnover.....

Its only one game....

 

[mrtarheel]

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/31/3937630/ted-leonsis-apologizes-to-fans-for-poor-start

"Leonsis also explained his expectation for .500 play the rest of the season and said that he doesn't see any "transformational star" that would come to D.C. in free agency."

I dont know, but I dont think the owner should talk like that. If you dont think a star would come here why own the team??? 

 

[extraordinary swag]

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/31/3937630/ted-leonsis-apologizes-to-fans-for-poor-start

"Leonsis also explained his expectation for .500 play the rest of the season and said that he doesn't see any "transformational star" that would come to D.C. in free agency."

I dont know, but I dont think the owner should talk like that. If you dont think a star would come here why own the team??? 

An owner definitely shouldn't talk like that even if it's 1000% true

 

[Methodical Management]

Given that all it ultimately took to land Rudy Gay was Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, and Austin Daye (the Pistons' version of Jan Vesely), you have to wonder what they wanted from Washington.  Seraphin and Ariza, probably, with some extra ballast thrown in.

I'm fine with holding off on that trade, as I think Washington could put together a very attractive trade package next season, which will be the final year of Okafor's contract.  Anybody in need of salary relief could get a bunch of young players, expiring contracts, and picks from Washington.  That's the only way to bring a star in. 

We'll just have to hope that the right situation presents itself.  A lot of teams, as Memphis has proven, are afraid of that "super luxury tax", and if a contender suddenly starts underachieving there's an opportunity to swing a trade and bring in a real anchor.  Rudy Gay is a second tier player making first tier money.  Settling for him would've made us a playoff team, but it wouldn't have put us in contention by any stretch.  Bring the young guys along, build up their value, and hope Beal can learn to draw some fouls to take that next step and become the reliable point scorer this team needs him to be.  Even if the current crop of young players won't be core components of a contending team, they need to be worth exchanging for those components. 

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/31/3937630/ted-leonsis-apologizes-to-fans-for-poor-start

"Leonsis also explained his expectation for .500 play the rest of the season and said that he doesn't see any "transformational star" that would come to D.C. in free agency."

I dont know, but I dont think the owner should talk like that. If you dont think a star would come here why own the team??? 

He's been trying to manage fan expectations to avoid disappointment, but let's get real:  how can any Wizards fan not be disappointed?  Yes, Ted's only been majority owner for two seasons and, yes, he tried his best to clean out the knuckleheads from the roster - but our disappointment isn't with the players.  The players didn't sign and draft themselves.  

The front office is a disgrace, and that's on Ted.  It's an enduring legacy of nepotism, penny pinching, and utter incompetence.  This is quite literally the worst franchise in the NBA, and it's in a market that lives and breathes basketball.  

The only changes Ted's made thus far have been cheap and superficial.  Change what the public sees:  the jerseys, the floor, the players, the coach.  The foundation is cracked, the basement's flooded, the wiring is faulty, and Ted's picking out new drapes. 

We all know that a "transformational star" isn't going to voluntarily sign with a laughingstock unless they're grossly overpaid.  The last big free agent this franchise acquired was Gilbert Arenas, and we only beat out the Clippers due to a coin flip.  

Thirty years ago, which franchises were the league's punchlines?  The Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers, and the Washington Bullets.  The more things change around the league, the more they stay the same here in DC.  

 

[victor page]

Given that all it ultimately took to land Rudy Gay was Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, and Austin Daye (the Pistons' version of Jan Vesely), you have to wonder what they wanted from Washington.  Seraphin and Ariza, probably, with some extra ballast thrown in.

I'm fine with holding off on that trade, as I think Washington could put together a very attractive trade package next season, which will be the final year of Okafor's contract.  Anybody in need of salary relief could get a bunch of young players, expiring contracts, and picks from Washington.  That's the only way to bring a star in. 

We'll just have to hope that the right situation presents itself.  A lot of teams, as Memphis has proven, are afraid of that "super luxury tax", and if a contender suddenly starts underachieving there's an opportunity to swing a trade and bring in a real anchor.  Rudy Gay is a second tier player making first tier money.  Settling for him would've made us a playoff team, but it wouldn't have put us in contention by any stretch.  Bring the young guys along, build up their value, and hope Beal can learn to draw some fouls to take that next step and become the reliable point scorer this team needs him to be.  Even if the current crop of young players won't be core components of a contending team, they need to be worth exchanging for those components. 

I said this in here when the team was in talks for Gay and got shot down...simply because everyone here just hates Rudy Gay. Any opportunity that comes along...more than likely the player is going to be in the same tier as Rudy Gay. Otherwise, his team wouldn't be looking to dump him for the sole reason of avoiding a luxury tax. People in here have unrealistic expectations and think the team can just easily go out and swing a deal for DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, or any other desirable possible cornerstone...when that just isn't going to happen. Fans freaked out when Beal's name came up in the Gay talks and it was put out there numerous times that it was false info...yet everyone was still afraid to make a move for Rudy. 

So when this opportunity presents itself again next season and another team is looking to dump a 2nd tier type of player for salary purposes...will everyone still be opposed to bringing in a player that is just going to make them a middle of the pack playoff team... or will everyone still think the team can just trade anybody except for Wall and Beal and expect to get a superstar back?

I still say Rudy for anybody not named Wall or Beal would have a move worth making.

 

[jordan2233]

i hate myself for being a wizards fan. this team will ALWAYS disappoint you in the end.

 

[frshstunna]

Given that all it ultimately took to land Rudy Gay was Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, and Austin Daye (the Pistons' version of Jan Vesely), you have to wonder what they wanted from Washington.  Seraphin and Ariza, probably, with some extra ballast thrown in.

I'm fine with holding off on that trade, as I think Washington could put together a very attractive trade package next season, which will be the final year of Okafor's contract.  Anybody in need of salary relief could get a bunch of young players, expiring contracts, and picks from Washington.  That's the only way to bring a star in. 

We'll just have to hope that the right situation presents itself.  A lot of teams, as Memphis has proven, are afraid of that "super luxury tax", and if a contender suddenly starts underachieving there's an opportunity to swing a trade and bring in a real anchor.  Rudy Gay is a second tier player making first tier money.  Settling for him would've made us a playoff team, but it wouldn't have put us in contention by any stretch.  Bring the young guys along, build up their value, and hope Beal can learn to draw some fouls to take that next step and become the reliable point scorer this team needs him to be.  Even if the current crop of young players won't be core components of a contending team, they need to be worth exchanging for those components. 

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2013/1/31/3937630/ted-leonsis-apologizes-to-fans-for-poor-start

"Leonsis also explained his expectation for .500 play the rest of the season and said that he doesn't see any "transformational star" that would come to D.C. in free agency."

I dont know, but I dont think the owner should talk like that. If you dont think a star would come here why own the team??? 

He's been trying to manage fan expectations to avoid disappointment, but let's get real:  how can any Wizards fan not be disappointed?  Yes, Ted's only been majority owner for two seasons and, yes, he tried his best to clean out the knuckleheads from the roster - but our disappointment isn't with the players.  The players didn't sign and draft themselves.  

The front office is a disgrace, and that's on Ted.  It's an enduring legacy of nepotism, penny pinching, and utter incompetence.  This is quite literally the worst franchise in the NBA, and it's in a market that lives and breathes basketball.  

The only changes Ted's made thus far have been cheap and superficial.  Change what the public sees:  the jerseys, the floor, the players, the coach.  The foundation is cracked, the basement's flooded, the wiring is faulty, and Ted's picking out new drapes. 


We all know that a "transformational star" isn't going to voluntarily sign with a laughingstock unless they're grossly overpaid.  The last big free agent this franchise acquired was Gilbert Arenas, and we only beat out the Clippers due to a coin flip.  


Thirty years ago, which franchises were the league's punchlines?  The Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers, and the Washington Bullets.  The more things change around the league, the more they stay the same here in DC.  

I was wonderin why the team seemed like they werent really in the Rudy talks... woulda been a good pick up for the Wiz too, plug him in at sf and the 1,2,3 positions are taking care of for a while....they could have got him for nothing really and im pretty sure he would rather play in DC, being closer to home than canada

 

[mrtarheel]

I said this in here when the team was in talks for Gay and got shot down...simply because everyone here just hates Rudy Gay. Any opportunity that comes along...more than likely the player is going to be in the same tier as Rudy Gay. Otherwise, his team wouldn't be looking to dump him for the sole reason of avoiding a luxury tax. People in here have unrealistic expectations and think the team can just easily go out and swing a deal for DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, or any other desirable possible cornerstone...when that just isn't going to happen. Fans freaked out when Beal's name came up in the Gay talks and it was put out there numerous times that it was false info...yet everyone was still afraid to make a move for Rudy. 

So when this opportunity presents itself again next season and another team is looking to dump a 2nd tier type of player for salary purposes...will everyone still be opposed to bringing in a player that is just going to make them a middle of the pack playoff team... or will everyone still think the team can just trade anybody except for Wall and Beal and expect to get a superstar back?

I still say Rudy for anybody not named Wall or Beal would have a move worth making.

No we had a chance to get the 5 leading scorer in the league in James Harden. They made the right move in passing on Rudy Gay tho I think he's worst Joe Johnson. Decent player bad contract. 

 

[mrtarheel]

Given that all it ultimately took to land Rudy Gay was Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, and Austin Daye (the Pistons' version of Jan Vesely), you have to wonder what they wanted from Washington.  Seraphin and Ariza, probably, with some extra ballast thrown in.

I'm fine with holding off on that trade, as I think Washington could put together a very attractive trade package next season, which will be the final year of Okafor's contract.  Anybody in need of salary relief could get a bunch of young players, expiring contracts, and picks from Washington.  That's the only way to bring a star in. 

We'll just have to hope that the right situation presents itself.  A lot of teams, as Memphis has proven, are afraid of that "super luxury tax", and if a contender suddenly starts underachieving there's an opportunity to swing a trade and bring in a real anchor.  Rudy Gay is a second tier player making first tier money.  Settling for him would've made us a playoff team, but it wouldn't have put us in contention by any stretch.  Bring the young guys along, build up their value, and hope Beal can learn to draw some fouls to take that next step and become the reliable point scorer this team needs him to be.  Even if the current crop of young players won't be core components of a contending team, they need to be worth exchanging for those components. 

He's been trying to manage fan expectations to avoid disappointment, but let's get real:  how can any Wizards fan not be disappointed?  Yes, Ted's only been majority owner for two seasons and, yes, he tried his best to clean out the knuckleheads from the roster - but our disappointment isn't with the players.  The players didn't sign and draft themselves.  

The front office is a disgrace, and that's on Ted.  It's an enduring legacy of nepotism, penny pinching, and utter incompetence.  This is quite literally the worst franchise in the NBA, and it's in a market that lives and breathes basketball.  

The only changes Ted's made thus far have been cheap and superficial.  Change what the public sees:  the jerseys, the floor, the players, the coach.  The foundation is cracked, the basement's flooded, the wiring is faulty, and Ted's picking out new drapes. 

We all know that a "transformational star" isn't going to voluntarily sign with a laughingstock unless they're grossly overpaid.  The last big free agent this franchise acquired was Gilbert Arenas, and we only beat out the Clippers due to a coin flip.  

Thirty years ago, which franchises were the league's punchlines?  The Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers, and the Washington Bullets.  The more things change around the league, the more they stay the same here in DC.  

I glad they passed on Rudy Gay also. He would have made us a 42-40 7 to 8 seed for the next 3 or so years. No real chance at winning a championship.

 

[victor page]

That Harden to Wizards **** has been shot down and denied by all parties involved except for sports writers and their "league sources"...yet everyone still believes they could have had Harden for Beal and Singleton.

OK.

 

[mrtarheel]

That Harden to Wizards **** has been shot down and denied by all parties involved except for sports writers and their "league sources"...yet everyone still believes they could have had Harden for Beal and Singleton.

OK.

When and where was the Harden deal shot down? All I heard was that the owner didn't want to pay him.

 

[mrtarheel]

That Harden to Wizards **** has been shot down and denied by all parties involved except for sports writers and their "league sources"...yet everyone still believes they could have had Harden for Beal and Singleton.

OK.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...klahoma-city-thunder-houston-rockets/1771607/

"Even if we posit Leonsis' theory as true, it's worth noting he never denies the trade rumor. He never mentions James Harden's name, as part of his screed is the bashing of discussing other teams' players"

 

[Methodical Management]

That Harden to Wizards **** has been shot down and denied by all parties involved except for sports writers and their "league sources"...yet everyone still believes they could have had Harden for Beal and Singleton.

OK.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...klahoma-city-thunder-houston-rockets/1771607/

"Even if we posit Leonsis' theory as true, it's worth noting he never denies the trade rumor. He never mentions James Harden's name, as part of his screed is the bashing of discussing other teams' players"

I'd tend to think they were at least in the mix.  It's not like Washington was unable to compete with Houston's offer.  Whenever he's pressed on the subject, Ted swears that he's WILLING to pay, which leads me to believe that it was a player evaluation issue.  They didn't think Harden was worth the money.  Oops.

Is Rudy Gay the best or only option for Washington?  It's true that most of the available free agents are bigs - power forwards, mostly, and Nene makes that difficult.  We'd be stuck playing him at center.  We all know that Josh Smith wouldn't sign here, but you don't necessarily have to go the free agent route.  Kevin Love - and I'm not saying I endorse the idea by any stretch - is the perfect example of an available All Star who could be traded for young players and cap relief.  

Teams don't give away franchise players unless there's a meltdown, e.g. Melo, Dwight, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, etc. - but that happens too often to be considered an anomaly.  You want to be prepared to take advantage.

Then there's a class of players who are close to term and that means that their teams have to make a decision.  Danny Granger's in this category.  Indiana's gotta cut somebody loose.  West is a free agent.  Lance Stephenson's restricted.  You know Paul George will command a big contract next summer.  They overpaid Hibbert, so his trade value is low.  Granger is the obvious sacrifice.

Chicago could have trouble hanging on to Luol Deng if they can't find a taker for Boozer or summon the courage to use the amnesty on him.  

The Knicks are in a bind with JR Smith, who's clearly set himself up for a big raise.  Kawhi Leonard, Taigo Splitter, and Gary Neal are all restricted this summer and Manu will likely need to take a pay cut to keep all three.

I don't think Jeff Green's really the answer, but he's available, makes half of Gay's salary, and could likely put up roughly similar numbers if given the opportunity.  Boston would LOVE to give you Green and Lee for Okafor.  I wouldn't do it, but the point is that upgrades are available at the SG/SF positions.  Will any of the above catapult this team to title contention?  No, but neither would Rudy Gay - and look at what his trade value turned out to be.  Better to stay flexible.

We settled with Nene.  We can't afford to make the same mistake again, or that's it for the next five years. 

 

[hypebeast5]

It's been known we have one of the worst owners in sports

Maybe Donald sterling is worse but yea he's a racist owner in a predominately black sport

 

[victor page]

He's been the owner for not even 3 years now. One of the worst owners in sports? Really?

 

[hypebeast5]

Lol my bad meant basketball

Still, he thinks he can cut corners and succeed, and undermines all the players

 

[mrtarheel]

He's been the owner for not even 3 years now. One of the worst owners in sports? Really?

How long has dude owned the Nets? I would be one thing if the Wizards were bad, but Ted always has something to say and makes crazy statements. Like the playoff talk before the season started. And anybody that gives Ernie a new contract without giving other GM's a chance to interview deserves some criticism