Washington Wizards 2017-2018 Season Thread

[Methodical Management]

[h1]Washington Wizards 2017-2018[/h1]

[h2]Regular Season Record 43-39[/h2]
October 4-2
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]10/18/17[/TD][TD]Philadelphia[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 115-120[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]10/20/17[/TD][TD]Detroit[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 111-115[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]10/23/17[/TD][TD]@ Denver[/TD][TD]9:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 109-104[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]10/25/17[/TD][TD]@ L.A. Lakers[/TD][TD]10:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 99-102[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]10/27/17[/TD][TD]@ Golden State[/TD][TD]10:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 117-120[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]10/29/17[/TD][TD]@ Sacramento[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 110-83[/TD1][/TR1][/TABLE]

November 7-8
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]11/1/17[/TD][TD]Phoenix[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 122-116[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/3/17[/TD][TD]Cleveland[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 130-122[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/5/17[/TD][TD]@ Toronto[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 107-96[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/7/17[/TD][TD]Dallas[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 113-99[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/9/17[/TD][TD]L.A. Lakers[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 95-111[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/11/17[/TD][TD]Atlanta[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 94-113[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/13/17[/TD][TD]Sacramento[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 92-110[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/15/17[/TD][TD]@ Miami[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]W 102-93[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/17/17[/TD][TD]Miami[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 91-88[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/19/17[/TD][TD]@ Toronto[/TD][TD]3:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 91-100[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/20/17[/TD][TD]@ Milwaukee[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 99-88[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/22/17[/TD][TD]@ Charlotte[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 124-129[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/25/17[/TD][TD]Portland[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 108-105[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]11/28/17[/TD][TD]@ Minnesota[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 92-89[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]11/29/17[/TD][TD]@ Philadelphia[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 113-118[/TD1][/TR][/TABLE]

December 10-6
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]12/1/17[/TD][TD]Detroit[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 109-91[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/4/17[/TD][TD]@ Utah[/TD][TD]9:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 69-116[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/5/17[/TD][TD]@ Portland[/TD][TD]10:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 106-92[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/7/17[/TD][TD]@ Phoenix[/TD][TD]9:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 109-99[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/9/17[/TD][TD]L.A. Clippers[/TD][TD]3:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 112-113[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/12/17[/TD][TD]@ Brooklyn[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 98-103[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/13/17[/TD][TD]Memphis[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 93-87[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/15/17[/TD][TD]@ L.A. Clippers[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 100-91[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/17/17[/TD][TD]Cleveland[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 99-106[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/19/17[/TD][TD]New Orleans[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 116-106[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/22/17[/TD][TD]@ Brooklyn[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 84-119[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/23/17[/TD][TD]Orlando[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 130-103[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]12/25/17[/TD][TD]@ Boston[/TD][TD]5:30 PM[/TD][TD1]W 111-103[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/27/17[/TD][TD]@ Atlanta[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[TD1]L 99-113[/TD1][/TD][/TR1][TR][TD]12/29/17[/TD][TD] Houston[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 121-103[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]12/31/17[/TD][TD]Chicago[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[TD1]W 114-110[/TD1][/TD][/TR1][/TABLE]

January 7-6
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]1/3/18[/TD][TD]New York[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 121-103[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/5/18[/TD][TD]@ Memphis[/TD][TD]9:30 PM[/TD][TD1]W 102-100[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/6/18[/TD][TD]Milwaukee[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 103-110[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/10/18[/TD][TD]Utah[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 104-107[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/12/18[/TD][TD]Orlando[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 125-119[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/13/18[/TD][TD]Brooklyn[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 119-113[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/15/18[/TD][TD]Milwaukee[/TD][TD]2:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 95-104[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/17/18[/TD][TD]@ Charlotte[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 109-133[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/19/18[/TD][TD]@ Detroit[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 122-112[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/22/18[/TD][TD]@ Dallas[/TD][TD]8:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 75-98[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/25/18[/TD][TD]@ Oklahoma City[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 112-121[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]1/27/18[/TD][TD]@ Atlanta[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]W 129-104[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]1/30/18[/TD][TD]Oklahoma City[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 102-96[/TD1][/TR][/TABLE]

February 8-4
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]2/1/18[/TD][TD]Toronto[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 122-119[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]2/3/18[/TD][TD]@ Orlando[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 115-98[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]2/5/18[/TD][TD]@ Indiana[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 111-102[/TD1][/TR][TD1][TR1][TD]2/6/18[/TD][TD]@ Philadelphia[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 102-115[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]2/8/18[/TD][TD]Boston[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 104-110[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]2/10/18[/TD][TD]@ Chicago[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 101-90[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]2/14/18[/TD][TD]@ New York[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]W 118-113[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]2/22/18[/TD][TD]@ Cleveland[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 110-103[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]2/23/18[/TD][TD]Charlotte[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 105-122[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]2/25/18[/TD][TD]Philadelphia[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 109-94[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]2/27/18[/TD][TD]@ Milwaukee[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 107-104[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]2/28/18[/TD][TD]Golden State[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 101-109[/TD1][/TR1][/td1][/TABLE][TD1]

March 6-8
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]3/2/18[/TD][TD]Toronto[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 95-102[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/4/18[/TD][TD]Indiana[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 95-98[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/6/18[/TD][TD]Miami[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 117-113[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/9/18[/TD][TD]@ New Orleans[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 116-97[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/10/18[/TD][TD]@ Miami[/TD][TD]7:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 102-129[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/13/18[/TD][TD]Minnesota[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 111-116[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/14/18[/TD][TD]@ Boston[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 125-124[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/17/18[/TD][TD]Indiana[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 109-102[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/21/18[/TD][TD]@ San Antonio[/TD][TD]9:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 90-98[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/23/18[/TD][TD]Denver[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 100-108[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/25/18[/TD][TD]New York[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 97-101[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/27/18[/TD][TD]San Antonio[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 116-106[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]3/29/18[/TD][TD]@ Detroit[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 92-103[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]3/31/18[/TD][TD]Charlotte[/TD][TD]3:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 107-93[/TD1][/TR1][/TABLE]

April 1-5
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]4/1/18[/TD][TD]@ Chicago[/TD][TD]3:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 94-113[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/3/18[/TD][TD]@ Houston[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 104-120[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]4/5/18[/TD][TD]@ Cleveland[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 115-119[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/6/18[/TD][TD]Atlanta[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 97-103[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]4/10/18[/TD][TD]Boston[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 113-101[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/11/18[/TD][TD]@ Orlando[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 92-101[/TD1][/TR1][/TABLE]

Playoffs
[TABLE][TR][TH]Date[/TH][TH]Opponent[/TH][TH]Time[/TH][TH]Result[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]4/14/18[/TD][TD]@ Toronto[/TD][TD]5:30 PM[/TD][TD1]L 106-114[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/17/18[/TD][TD]@ Toronto[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 119-130[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]4/20/18[/TD][TD]Toronto[/TD][TD]8:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 103-122[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/22/18[/TD][TD]Toronto[/TD][TD]6:00 PM[/TD][TD1]W 98-106[/TD1][/TR1][TR][TD]4/25/18[/TD][TD]@ Toronto[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 98-102[/TD1][/TR][TR1][TD]4/27/18[/TD][TD]Toronto[/TD][TD]7:00 PM[/TD][TD1]L 102-92[/TD1][/TR1][/TABLE]

[h2]Laissez Faire[/h2]
In a time of extreme polarization, characterized by the burgeoning gulf between rich and poor, the Washington Wizards cling to their working class identity. Their team, which fell just one game shy of reaching last year's Eastern Conference Finals, was built by traditional means, through the draft. After qualifying for the playoffs in 2008-2009, Wizards fans endured five years of abject misery, as the team compiled a record of 117-277 (For comparison, in the five seasons since the 76ers last made the playoffs, they went 109-301.) In return, the Wizards converted four top-five overall draft selections into John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, and future hard trivia answer Jan Vesely*. To some, they are thus the last bastion of purity in the "super team" era.

The Boston team Washington faced in last year's playoffs will return just four players, adding Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, #3 overall pick Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, and Aaron Baynes. The reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers lost Irving, but added Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Isiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Jeff Green.

The Wizards, by comparison, added Jodie Meeks, Mike Scott, Tim Frazier, and Carrick Felix. Last year's annual Grunfeld-preservation trade acquisition, Bojan Bogdanavic, signed with Indiana. In other words, they stood pat.

For many, the capital consolidation of the NBA signifies a competitive failure. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and, when players like Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade or Derrick Rose can make more money off the court ring chasing than they could by signing larger contracts for less successful teams, cynics fear that the league's lesser organizations will serve as little more than farm teams and schedule fodder, Washington Generals-style opponents for the NBA's aristocracy. Hometown loyalists worry they'll never see a championship parade trundle through the streets of their once proud cities. Why bother, Utah, when your franchise player leaves for Boston? What's the point, Portland, when you play in a Western Conference so imbalanced that it's prompted the dissolution of the Eastern Conference All Star Team? What's the fun in being an "also ran?"

The system is broken.

Is it, though?

The Wizards tried and failed to recruit their own "super team" in free agency, and will undoubtedly try again. Years of terrible trades left their cupboard empty when Oklahoma City, last year's poster child for the plight of small markets, acquired All Stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony for Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Enes Kanter, and Doug McDermott. Minnesota, another small market, landed Jimmy Butler in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kriss Dunn, and the #7 overall pick.

The Wizards' "organic" losing seasons already rival those of the Sixers shameless tanking strategy in terms of standings and winning percentage. Is it a sign of integrity that the team refrained from "red shirting" their top picks to lose even more, or could a team with a history of marginal attendance and nervous ownership truly afford to field an intentionally terrible product?

As a whole, the NBA's thirty teams raked in $5.9 billion in revenue last season. This summer, the Houston Rockets sold for a record $2.2 billion. Yet somehow, despite revenue sharing, nine teams still claimed to take losses last year. The Wizards, of course, were one of them.

The competition between the lines is surrounded by a competition outside of them. For the sake of fairness, the NBA helps losing teams compete in future seasons through its draft system and salary cap. Through revenue sharing and monopolistic regional exclusivity, the league also helps bad organizations compete in spite of themselves.

If a player can't hack it on the court, they're left to ply their trade overseas. If an organization can't compete, they're propped up by the league itself. As hometown fans, we're stuck with them, as we are regional cable companies.

Can it really be considered a competitive failure for bad organizations to consistently fail - or is the league's true failing that all thirty franchises are insulated from their own failures?

Would making the business of basketball "idiot proof" truly result in better competitive balance?

What is a greater anathema to competition: for the best teams to receive the best talent via free agency, often at reduced cost, and thus perpetuate dynastic success, or for the worst organizations to be indemnified from their ineptitude, like AIG, Equifax, or Bank of America? Competition is a sham in a society where the likes of Eric Trump inherit, rather than earn, wealth and power.

The NBA has attempted to create a bubble of fairness in an unfair world, a gyroscopically stabilized level playing field. While the league can limit the salaries of its brightest stars, it cannot govern their earnings outside of basketball. Similarly, while the league can ensure that no other viable professional franchise can compete with the Wizards regional monopoly, fans in 193 countries have no geographic rooting interest. Why should fans in Cleveland cheer for the Washington Generals when they face the Harlem Globetrotters? Why should fans in Shanghai cheer for the Washington Wizards when they play the Golden State Warriors?

The concentration of capital has become a perverse form of fiscal entropy. The league has found no meaningful way to counteract the cumulative competitive advantages conferred by wealth, and attempts to ensure the success of organizations despite the incompetence of their respective owners run contrary to the principles of competition.

The Wizards are, in essence, being priced out of a city helped gentrify. When Leonsis first invested in the team, he did so as a tech darling of the time. Now one of the league's poorest billionaires, Ted's "Monumental Sports" empire and its streaming media efforts seem as quaint by contemporary standards as his predecessor, Abe Pollin's, "family business" model for the team was in the 80's and 90's.

But there is still hope for the least of us. A decade ago, the Warriors were roughly the Left Coast counterpart of the Wizards. Small market teams are increasingly able to amass a global following through sustained excellence. Lesser owners have been undoubtedly tempted by Donald Sterling's golden parachute, and Ted Leonsis, now crying poverty, could easily alleviate his alleged financial woes by flipping a franchise valued at $550 upon its purchase in 2010 for upwards of $1 billion today. To that end, Laurene Jobs purchased 20% of the team this summer. At this rate, all of the league's teams will soon be owned by one of four mega-corporations in a decade or so anyway. Is that a future worth rooting for?

In today's NBA, the rich get richer - and if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

*The Wizards 2009 draft pick, #5 overall, was, of course, traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Mike Miller and Randy Foye and was not used to select, say, Steph Curry.[/td1]

 

[Methodical Management]

As always, in honor of the dying tradition of hometown fans:


Here's to a fun and successful season! We may not win the championship, but sometimes the greatness in competition is people driving each other to achieve more together than they ever thought possible.

Personally, I was sad to see Phil Chenier, who, in my biased opinion, was one of the most enjoyable analysts in the game, discarded so unceremoniously by CSN. I guess fluid, conversational, insightful broadcasts are less valued in the clips and quips era of social media. They'll soon retire his jersey, undeniably timed while setting him out to pasture, one of our last links to the team's lone championship.

I'm curious to see if the team also raises a Southeast Division Champions banner to the rafters, the NBA equivalent of taping a B+ paper to the refrigerator.

 

[broncos19dm]

LETS GOOOO!
Hope we eat this season.
Look forward to celebrating with y'all

 

[AgentZero]

Feels sort of weird starting the season this early and I'm honestly not as excited as I was last year for the season opener. It's probably because going into last year making the playoffs was the goal and a realistic one. By midseason after the team had been playing so well, it was to make the ECF. This year, with no free agent splashes and virtually the same team, the goal will remain the same. Unfortunately they'll likely fall short barring some blockbuster trade or serious injury to the Celtics or Cavs (as I'm typing this Gordon Hayward broke his leg ).

The playoff series versus the Celtics revealed how glaring the Wizards' weaknesses of perimeter defense and depth are and barely anything was done to address them. The season opener against Embiid and the Sixers is an interesting one because their athletic and versatile lineup will challenge the defense. Hopefully it will remind the team how important it is to have a mobile big in the modern NBA and they do something to address it.

I don't want to sound too doom and gloom though, the Wizards still have a high-caliber starting lineup and should be one of the best teams in the East. Last season's success means a multitude of nationally televised games and it's cool that their season opener will be a home game on ESPN. It should be a fun year.

 

[Methodical Management]

Feels sort of weird starting the season this early and I'm honestly not as excited as I was last year for the season opener. It's probably because going into last year making the playoffs was the goal and a realistic one. By midseason after the team had been playing so well, it was to make the ECF. This year, with no free agent splashes and virtually the same team, the goal will remain the same. Unfortunately they'll likely fall short barring some blockbuster trade or serious injury to the Celtics or Cavs (as I'm typing this Gordon Hayward broke his leg ).

The playoff series versus the Celtics revealed how glaring the Wizards' weaknesses of perimeter defense and depth are and barely anything was done to address them. The season opener against Embiid and the Sixers is an interesting one because their athletic and versatile lineup will challenge the defense. Hopefully it will remind the team how important it is to have a mobile big in the modern NBA and they do something to address it.

I don't want to sound too doom and gloom though, the Wizards still have a high-caliber starting lineup and should be one of the best teams in the East. Last season's success means a multitude of nationally televised games and it's cool that their season opener will be a home game on ESPN. It should be a fun year.

That's how I feel as well, hence the tone of the season preview in the topic post.

They punted this summer. It's not without logic, in a way. They've gotten into a lot of trouble in years past, including last year, by acting like they were "one piece away." Mahinmi has been a disaster, for example.

There's a good young core here with a legitimate MVP contender who could, potentially, attract free agents in the future. Why not stay flexible and wait for the right moment? This was not likely to be the Wizards' year anyway.

At the same time, it's intensely frustrating to see all these players going elsewhere at bargain rates, by trade or free agency, while the Wizards sat on their hands. Given the track record of the organization, it's hard not to hold this against them.

You sell basketball in two ways: good teams sell success, bad teams sell the hope of future success. The Wizards are stuck in the middle right now, and it's difficult, as a fan, to lower the expectations and treat this as another development season where we'll be satisfied to make a little noise in the playoffs and see signs of growth from the young guys.

John Wall is at his peak, but it's a team sport and arguably a third of this roster isn't NBA caliber. You sit there and say, "if all these players who signed for nothing went here, we'd be good," but the mantra for ring chasers and free agents, generally, is "if you build it, they will come." The Wizards are still very much a work in progress... and they didn't make progress this summer.

Therein lies the rub.

 

[tireless drive]

We need to make a big trade this year and get Boogie or another big man who can be an anchor in the paint for us.

I look for more improvement from Wall this year and I think he'll be a legitimate candidate for MVP
I look forward to the game tonight to see how we defend Embiid. Really wish we could swap out Gortat for Embiid Lol

 

[broncos19dm]

Hope we can score some big trade.
With the way the league is going we'll need it.

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

Nobody beats the Wiz

 

[mrtarheel]

Wall with a mean Dunk

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

This bench might make the little hair I have fall out

 

[broncos19dm]

Leggoooo

 

[broncos19dm]

WWWWWWWW!!!

 

[s0lefunk]

Good win. Sounded like the arena was full of Philly fans. 76ers are on their way.

Jameer Nelson was waived. Yall think he'd be good for the bench?

 

[extraordinary swag]

fun first game to watch, Wall looking freakish but that jumper was ugly tonight. Gotta maintain until Kieff comes back, liked what I saw from Oubre

 

[Methodical Management]

Some thoughts:

• Locked arms is the "all lives matter" of anthem protests.
• Tim Frazier was so awful he made me miss Trey Burke.
• We traded for Tim Frazier. That means we gave up a player who was not Tim Frazier for Tim Frazier. (The team also traded a second round pick for Trey Burke. Groundhog Day.)
• Otto Porter will make $24,773,250 this season. Excluding the playoffs, that's $302,112.80 per game. Last night, he played 33 minutes. That's $9,154 per minute. Maybe eight of them were good, then he disappeared. We don't need 20 a night from him, but we need a high level of activity, which he only showed at the start of last night's game.
• We expected the second unit to look disjointed, but the first unit's halfcourt offense was generally stagnant as well. It's a long season. Wall can't be asked to create everything.
• Wall's shot was off, yet he was still able to get his numbers, get his teammates involved (Gortat in particular is completely dependent on Wall for his offense), and impose his will on the game. With Chris Paul sure to dominate the ball in Houston and Westbrook now forced to share with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, Wall should undoubtedly be in the MVP discussion provided the team is able to reach the 50 win mark.
• We miss Kieff's physicality.

 

[joe cool23]

 

[Methodical Management]

Disgusting finish.

 

[joe cool23]

We’re 5-5.

We split the west coast trip, but we should’ve went 3-1.

Then TJ Warren has a career game.

Then LeBron.

And now tonight...

*Time to break out old faithful*

“We stink” - Michael Jordan, 2001

 

[extraordinary swag]

this team got caught up believing they're better than they actually are, defense has been atrocious every game. Feels like this is still the preseason the way they're playing

 

[AgentZero]

Not sure why the team didn't try to bring in a defensive stopper after what happened in the playoffs versus Boston last year. A lot of it is lack of effort though. They need Keef to get back in rhythm soon.

 

[Mark Antony]

Dudes talk too much without a lot to show for it. It's like the Wall standing on the scorers table moment over and over.

 

[Methodical Management]

this team got caught up believing they're better than they actually are, defense has been atrocious every game. Feels like this is still the preseason the way they're playing

I agree with this. A bad NBA team is still an NBA team. Aside from Oubre, the bench is so pathetic that they'll have a hard time holding any lead, so to ask them to try and overcome a deficit or stop the bleeding if the starting unit comes out with poor effort is just begging for a loss.

This is where they miss Paul Pierce. The Wizards don't yet have the focus required to be an elite team. They're playing too cool, too casual and developing bad habits on both ends of the floor. Brooks needs to hold them accountable.

They're giving up 109 ppg and allowing their opponents to shoot 47.5%. You're not winning anything if you're a bottom 5 defensive team.

If you have a worse record than the Knicks, you have an effort problem.

 

[flacobey]

Solid 3 game stretch for the Wizards. Really wish we had another solid player off the bench though. Wouldn’t be surprised if we go to an 8 man rotation in the playoffs. Ian Mahinmi is up there with the worse contracts in the league right now. Not sure what they were thinking paying him that much money. Really like the player Oubre is developing into.

 

[broncos19dm]

Good stuff

 

[Methodical Management]

Solid 3 game stretch for the Wizards. Really wish we had another solid player off the bench though. Wouldn’t be surprised if we go to an 8 man rotation in the playoffs. Ian Mahinmi is up there with the worse contracts in the league right now. Not sure what they were thinking paying him that much money. Really like the player Oubre is developing into.

My hope is that we'll have the opportunity to sign someone off of a buyout around midseason to help out the bench, without relying on another Ernie Grunfeld special. The Bogdanovic trade was a disaster. The Wizards could theoretically have selected Kyle Kuzma with the pick they gave up for a six month rental of a guy who gave them nothing in the playoffs.

All this talk about bench scoring being up lately is fool's gold. A lot of that came from garbage time against an injured Atlanta team that was already among the worst squads in the league. Brooks had to bring three starters back late last night to prevent the bench from blowing a 15 point lead against a terrible team, all while playing at home.

We're seeing why Mike Scott was largely restricted to corner threes in Atlanta. Left to his own devices, he's been turnover prone, soft around the basket, and fond of taking wild, off balance shots. He needs to stick to catch and shoot situations and avoid handling the ball. Their "prize" acquisition, Jodie Meeks, is a non-factor. Tim Frazier is a liability on defense, and he hasn't exactly been productive on offense. Last night, the team suffered a 4 minute scoring drought with the bench in place. Brooks will likely be forced to use a heavily staggered rotation to keep at least one starter on the floor at all times in competitive games, and it's unclear how that will affect the productivity of the starting unit.

I would like to see more from McCullough. Throw out the garbage time scoring and the fluke three, he is at least mobile. He could come out on a pick and roll without the tectonic plate shifting that is an Ian Mahinmi rotation. McCullough could conceivably help the second unit play with better pace. He can't be any more of a foul machine than Ian, who, at this point, is best reserved for the rare situation where stout post defense is required against a big, slow lineup.

There aren't many bad contracts that can really compete with Mahinmi's deal - and, of those, few are more damaging to the team's championship aspirations. It was all the more traumatic for Wizards fans as we'd finally been released from Nene's contract, only for Ernie to turn around and sign an even worse deal.

When the Wizards miss their window, the Mahinmi signing will be the move that doomed them. A better owner would start looking into a buyout, or just outright waive him as the Pistons did with Josh Smith.

Last year, we were all asked to be patient and wait for him to get healthy. This is as close as he'll ever get. We need him off the books next summer, and giving away Oubre for the privilege is far too high a price. Ted's undying loyalty to Ernie came at a cost. He can either pay for that financially or the team will continue to pay for it via missed opportunities.