Washington Wizards 2016-2017 Season Thread - Thanks for a great season!

[Sonny Corinthos]

Nobody beats the Wiz.

BTW : Jennings is a clown

 

[broncos19dm]

GOOD W

 

[extraordinary swag]

I hate Brandon Jennings because he's a chucker who can't shoot but he can at the very least get by somebody which Burke and Sato cannot do at all so I'll manage

Good win tonight, we really gotta take care of the ball much better and not let horrible officiating get to our head

 

[joe cool23]

Impressive win.

Started off super hot, and then they fell off damn cliff and almost *Wiz'd* it. But they recovered, and managed to hold on.

Oh yeah @JJs07...that Ernie twitter account has been suspended. You were right. 

 

[jking0821]

Not sure how i feel about BJ on the team. I kind of think it is a good pick up. Dude can't run an offense that well but i think for what we need he can be a fit. We aren't going to ask him to facilitate like Wall but might ask him to actually score some points which he can do. So i think given the freedom and a bit of a green light to shoot he can provide a spark off the bench for us.

Def better then trey burke

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

Nice W last night on the road coming off of Tuesday's game. Wizards own Toronto.

Soft/Winnable portion of the Schedule coming up and it would be nice to see the team stay healthy, work in the new guys and reel off a few Ws.

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

Nobody beats the Wiz

 

[jking0821]

great win last night. Showed a lot of character. I feel like that is a game we lose 9 times out of 10 in the past. Especially to orlando

 

[jjs07]

Are the Wizards going to be able to afford Bojan Bogdanovic at the end of the season? Dude has hit something like 20/34 3's since joining the Wizards

 

[extraordinary swag]

Are the Wizards going to be able to afford Bojan Bogdanovic at the end of the season? Dude has hit something like 20/34 3's since joining the Wizards

highly doubt it unless we move someone, that was the risk of the trade. He singlehandedly won us that game last night with all those threes

 

[s0lefunk]

Bojan is going off :x. He gives us exactly what we need off the bench and then some. Hope we can somehow keep him.

Also, is it just me or does it seem like Wall is getting a little too infatuated with this whole late-shotclock-iso-dribble-behind-the-back-crossover-for-contested-jumper thing?

I get it. He's trying to maintain All Star status. And if he gets the ball late in the shotclock then he has to make a play. But that play doesn't always need to be a SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.

 

[jjs07]

Are the Wizards going to be able to afford Bojan Bogdanovic at the end of the season? Dude has hit something like 20/34 3's since joining the Wizards

highly doubt it unless we move someone, that was the risk of the trade. He singlehandedly won us that game last night with all those threes

Have to figure Otto will be maxed out...they'll also want to find a way to retain Bojan. All this leads me to believe (to free up space,) Gortat will be on the outs. He has to be, right?

Bojan is going off :x. He gives us exactly what we need off the bench and then some. Hope we can somehow keep him.

Also, is it just me or does it seem like Wall is getting a little too infatuated with this whole late-shotclock-iso-dribble-behind-the-back-crossover-for-contested-jumper thing?

I get it. He's trying to maintain All Star status. And if he gets the ball late in the shotclock then he has to make a play. But that play doesn't always need to be a SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.

Bro...it's MADDENING to see Wall with the rock on an ISO in the final minutes. Rather than either trying to take the ball to the rack or draw the defense in so he can find the open man, dude stays in the same place, dribbles between his legs, and shoots a fadeaway. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

There are too many shooters on this team for Wall to put up the last shot in a tied or close game in the waning seconds. I'd MUCH rather see someone like Beal, Otto, or Bobo get that opportunity.

For all the things Wall is great at, his shooting leaves a lot left to be desired. Still inconsistent w/ the J.

 

[extraordinary swag]

Have to figure Otto will be maxed out...they'll also want to find a way to retain Bojan. All this leads me to believe (to free up space,) Gortat will be on the outs. He has to be, right? .

Yep Gortat seems the logical one, defensively he has been a mess this year. Dude offers ZERO resistance at the rim, i've really noticed it a lot this season

Bojan is going off :x. He gives us exactly what we need off the bench and then some. Hope we can somehow keep him.

Also, is it just me or does it seem like Wall is getting a little too infatuated with this whole late-shotclock-iso-dribble-behind-the-back-crossover-for-contested-jumper thing?

I get it. He's trying to maintain All Star status. And if he gets the ball late in the shotclock then he has to make a play. But that play doesn't always need to be a SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.

Wall got away with a wild travel on that last ridiculous brick last night and he's lucky Orlando missed that potential winner. He tries those hero jumpers way too much, just go to the damn rim already. He's way too streaky from mid range to keep forcing up that shot game after game

 

[broncos19dm]

Bojan 

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

Great win yesterday

Used to seeing the Wizards on the other end of games like that.

50 wins...

 

[Methodical Management]

 

 

Are the Wizards going to be able to afford Bojan Bogdanovic at the end of the season? Dude has hit something like 20/34 3's since joining the Wizards

highly doubt it unless we move someone, that was the risk of the trade. He singlehandedly won us that game last night with all those threes

Have to figure Otto will be maxed out...they'll also want to find a way to retain Bojan. All this leads me to believe (to free up space,) Gortat will be on the outs. He has to be, right?
 

Bojan is going off

. He gives us exactly what we need off the bench and then some. Hope we can somehow keep him.

Also, is it just me or does it seem like Wall is getting a little too infatuated with this whole late-shotclock-iso-dribble-behind-the-back-crossover-for-contested-jumper thing?

I get it. He's trying to maintain All Star status. And if he gets the ball late in the shotclock then he has to make a play. But that play doesn't always need to be a SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.

Bro...it's MADDENING to see Wall with the rock on an ISO in the final minutes. Rather than either trying to take the ball to the rack or draw the defense in so he can find the open man, dude stays in the same place, dribbles between his legs, and shoots a fadeaway. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

There are too many shooters on this team for Wall to put up the last shot in a tied or close game in the waning seconds. I'd MUCH rather see someone like Beal, Otto, or Bobo get that opportunity.

For all the things Wall is great at, his shooting leaves a lot left to be desired. Still inconsistent w/ the J.

On the first point, I worry that Otto will be the one to go.  His minutes and touches are down since that trade, and while I'd like to think that's more a matter of working Bojan into the system and perhaps better managing starter minutes, we know that Ernie almost brought in Luol Deng to replace Porter this summer.  And then, obviously, he didn't come to terms on an extension.  

For whatever reason, Ernie's not sold on Otto.  

Gortat would be the better option, but, for all his flaws, you have to be concerned about the possibility of Mahinmi as this team's only legitimate center.  Gortat, at least, is someone with offensive skills that mesh will with this offense.  He's developed good chemistry with Wall and while he's totally dependent on Wall offensively, those rolls and dive cuts help provide easy points and do a MUCH better job of keeping opposing defenses honest than would the idle threat of posting up Mahinmi.  

The consensus on Golden State is that they're more productive as a slashing team than as a three point shooting team, but the latter sets the table for the former.  The Wizards' offense is at its best when it creates opportunities headed towards the basket, not away from it.  One of the big differences in Beal's production and in Morris' scoring opportunities compared to last year is the number of drives Beal gets and the number of lobs Morris has been receiving of late.  

On the second point, I couldn't agree more.  These late game step backs have been an issue for years now.  Now that we have a competent coach, it's a bad habit that must be corrected.  Brooks is especially credible on the subject because he knows all too well what can happen when late game possessions devolve into iso ball.  It's bad enough to catch Chris Paul disease, trust your teammates for 47 minutes, and then try to play hero ball for the last sixty seconds.  In Wall's case, it causes him to go against his strengths.  Using the threat of the drive to set up a bad step back is a low percentage opportunity.  If you're afraid to force the issue with the officials - as is understandable given that the league seems to be of the belief that rewarding Wall on a consistent basis would essentially break the game, like consistently calling holding in football, you can still cause the defense to collapse.  The ball swings once or twice, and you wind up with a much better look.  This team has multiple shooters - for now.  Put three of them on the floor with Wall and that's a tough cover.  

Incidentally, I approve of the Brandon Jennings signing - and not just because he was a NT member in his youth.  Jennings didn't cost us anything long term, he's not afraid of the moment, he has better range than Burke, and we needed a veteran we could trust at the position in the playoffs. 

50 wins may be a bit of a stretch given the schedule, but I'd gladly settle for a division title at this point. 

 

[jesusshuttlesworth34]

Talk about a game of runs...sheeeeeesh.

 

[broncos19dm]

Close one 

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

Close one 

Otto had no business riding Booker like that on the lay up try in the final minute (for the 3 point play)

 

[jjs07]

 

 

Are the Wizards going to be able to afford Bojan Bogdanovic at the end of the season? Dude has hit something like 20/34 3's since joining the Wizards

highly doubt it unless we move someone, that was the risk of the trade. He singlehandedly won us that game last night with all those threes

Have to figure Otto will be maxed out...they'll also want to find a way to retain Bojan. All this leads me to believe (to free up space,) Gortat will be on the outs. He has to be, right?

 

Bojan is going off :x . He gives us exactly what we need off the bench and then some. Hope we can somehow keep him.


Also, is it just me or does it seem like Wall is getting a little too infatuated with this whole late-shotclock-iso-dribble-behind-the-back-crossover-for-contested-jumper thing?


I get it. He's trying to maintain All Star status. And if he gets the ball late in the shotclock then he has to make a play. But that play doesn't always need to be a SportsCenter Top 10 candidate.

Bro...it's MADDENING to see Wall with the rock on an ISO in the final minutes. Rather than either trying to take the ball to the rack or draw the defense in so he can find the open man, dude stays in the same place, dribbles between his legs, and shoots a fadeaway. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.


There are too many shooters on this team for Wall to put up the last shot in a tied or close game in the waning seconds. I'd MUCH rather see someone like Beal, Otto, or Bobo get that opportunity.


For all the things Wall is great at, his shooting leaves a lot left to be desired. Still inconsistent w/ the J.

On the first point, I worry that Otto will be the one to go.  His minutes and touches are down since that trade, and while I'd like to think that's more a matter of working Bojan into the system and perhaps better managing starter minutes, we know that Ernie almost brought in Luol Deng to replace Porter this summer.  And then, obviously, he didn't come to terms on an extension.  

For whatever reason, Ernie's not sold on Otto.  

Gortat would be the better option, but, for all his flaws, you have to be concerned about the possibility of Mahinmi as this team's only legitimate center.  Gortat, at least, is someone with offensive skills that mesh will with this offense.  He's developed good chemistry with Wall and while he's totally dependent on Wall offensively, those rolls and dive cuts help provide easy points and do a MUCH better job of keeping opposing defenses honest than would the idle threat of posting up Mahinmi.  

The consensus on Golden State is that they're more productive as a slashing team than as a three point shooting team, but the latter sets the table for the former.  The Wizards' offense is at its best when it creates opportunities headed towards the basket, not away from it.  One of the big differences in Beal's production and in Morris' scoring opportunities compared to last year is the number of drives Beal gets and the number of lobs Morris has been receiving of late.  


On the second point, I couldn't agree more.  These late game step backs have been an issue for years now.  Now that we have a competent coach, it's a bad habit that must be corrected.  Brooks is especially credible on the subject because he knows all too well what can happen when late game possessions devolve into iso ball.  It's bad enough to catch Chris Paul disease, trust your teammates for 47 minutes, and then try to play hero ball for the last sixty seconds.  In Wall's case, it causes him to go against his strengths.  Using the threat of the drive to set up a bad step back is a low percentage opportunity.  If you're afraid to force the issue with the officials - as is understandable given that the league seems to be of the belief that rewarding Wall on a consistent basis would essentially break the game, like consistently calling holding in football, you can still cause the defense to collapse.  The ball swings once or twice, and you wind up with a much better look.  This team has multiple shooters - for now.  Put three of them on the floor with Wall and that's a tough cover.  


Incidentally, I approve of the Brandon Jennings signing - and not just because he was a NT member in his youth.  Jennings didn't cost us anything long term, he's not afraid of the moment, he has better range than Burke, and we needed a veteran we could trust at the position in the playoffs. 

50 wins may be a bit of a stretch given the schedule, but I'd gladly settle for a division title at this point. 

I'm a HUGE Otto supporter, but this Bobo trade has opened my eyes as well. I think that you might be on to something that he may indeed be the odd man out going forward. For as many strengths that Otto has, there's an added element of instant offense that Bobo brings when he's on the floor. Right now, he's flourishing off the bench. He's scoring at a high clip and has a knack for getting to the line. The aggressive nature he has on offense is something that Otto doesn't bring on a nightly basis. If Otto is jettisoned and Bobo is put in as a starter, I think the offense would take things up a notch. This is no slight on Porter becase there are many things he brings to the table the Bobo doesn't. However, the point you made about EG trying to bring in Deng, despite Porter waiting in the wings, really shows that he's not completely sold on the guy.

On to Gortat. His defense has been abysmal all year. I know he's fantastic in the PnR and setting screens...but for all the good he does on offense, his contributions are almost moot due to how terrible he is in the paint on defense. It's not to the same level, but look at Isaiah Thomas in Boston. Arguably the best scorer in the NBA, but also the worst defender in the league as well. The C's defensive rating is so poor when he's out there. It's almost like playing 4 on 5. While I don't think Gortat is having that type of effect on the Wizards, I just can't help to wonder if the "master" plan was for Mahinmi to start and have Smith eventually back up. The injury to Mahinmi may have forced management to hold on to Gortat for the entire season when they could have wanted to trade him before the deadline. Even with his age, he's in fantastic shape, and most importantly, his contract is a bargain. I don't think he'll be a hard person to move this offseason, if that's the plan.

With the playoffs right around the corner, defense will be at a premium. THings will start to tighten up and points will be harder to come by. Getting exploited in the paint has to be worrisome for the coaching staff, so I'm thinking we'll be seeing more and more of Mahinmi (and hopefully Smith) as the season winds down.

Last, 20 games left...gotta go 12-8 to finish w/ 50. Who would have thought?

 

[extraordinary swag]

Otto has definitely slowed down quite a bit since the Bojan trade, he's barely noticeable out there at times. That scares me with the playoffs approaching and with the possibility of asking for a max deal. Does he truly make THAT big of an impact to warrant that much attention on the floor to risking cap hell for the immediate future? I'm not so sure

On the same token would Bojan be this effective as a starter? Idk, it's quite the conundrum but we can deal with it when the season is over. The bench keeps contributing like this you won't hear a peep out of me

 

[INTLplayers]

let's keep these road wins going!

 

[broncos19dm]

let's keep these road wins going!

 

[extraordinary swag]

Finally in 2nd place , hope we can make some distance between Boston but these close games have to be taking some energy out of us

 

[broncos19dm]

#2