Washington Wizards Season Thread - Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

[madj55]

Wizards alleged leaked unis for next year. Kinda hyped for the throwbacks not gonna lie

Cherry Blossom uni should sell well, I’m sure Ted is happy.

 

[Methodical Management]

To think, we lived long enough to see the day when people would actually be excited to have those ‘00 era Washington Wizards uniforms back.

I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

 

[Public Enemy]

Rui Cherry Blossom jersey shall be mine, it's only right given the history

 

[frshstunna]

What they gon do with Deni? …So far they just got him playing like 20 mins a game giving you 7 and 4 like clockwork

 

[VARNELL HILL]

What they gon do with Deni? …So far they just got him playing like 20 mins a game giving you 7 and 4 like clockwork

Crowded frontcourt and he can't shoot. He's had some moments this year as a utility, energy guy who makes hustle plays on both sides of the ball, but the scouting reports were spot on with him.

I mentioned it before the season and without knowing Rui would have a setback...but on paper he always stuck out as the odd man out in the frontcourt long term.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

I think Deni plays pretty solid defense. His minutes are pretty dependent on matchups though.

Rui is baffling to me. His effort level seems inconsistent. When he’s aggressive he can get in the paint easily and rebounds well but half the time it seems like he’s just hanging out and playing for cardio.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Shocked the Unicorn wasn’t shut down for the season. He looked pretty good last night in 20 mins

 

[Public Enemy]

Sooooo....what do yall think about Aldridge's piece about Wall?

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

32 years old and only played 72 games over the last 4 seasons? What could possibly go wrong

 

[madj55]

Love John Wall, but hard pass for me and I don’t want him to have to deal with Ted again

 

[uncalled4boy]

Sooooo....what do yall think about Aldridge's piece about Wall?

I Think He'll Play Anywhere That Will Take Him At This Point.

It Sounds Good But Nah I Dont Think There's A Fit At This Point. Im Sure Ego Would Be In The Way Playing Backup To Beal/KP

 

[Methodical Management]

32 years old and only played 72 games over the last 4 seasons? What could possibly go wrong

We’re starting Raul Neto. If Wall’s willing to come back for the veteran’s minimum after a buyout next season, what do we have to lose at this point?

 

[frshstunna]

Kuzma gotta have at least 35 tomorrow

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Makes a lot of sense for both sides honestly.

Not too many other starting jobs available for whenever Wall is bought out.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

We’re starting Raul Neto. If Wall’s willing to come back for the veteran’s minimum after a buyout next season, what do we have to lose at this point?

I mean, that’s true how much would they pay Wall to play 40-50 games though? You already have one guy with a huge contract who’s only gonna play 50 games.

I honestly wish they’d just blow it up at this point. They’ve been wallowing in mediocrity for long enough.

 

[Methodical Management]

I mean, that’s true how much would they pay Wall to play 40-50 games though? You already have one guy with a huge contract who’s only gonna play 50 games.

I honestly wish they’d just blow it up at this point. They’ve been wallowing in mediocrity for long enough.

Wall has a $47 million player option for next season.

Realistically, the only way he gets here is off a buyout, in which case salary isn't an issue. It's possible that his contract could be traded as part of a salary dump, but Houston would want draft compensation as sweetener and I doubt Sheppard will be that desperate to get out from under DNPorzingis' deal, given Ted's eagerness to feature him in marketing.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Anyone notice the hard shift in team demographics from the previous regime?

We had 5 European dudes on the floor at one point last game.

 

[Methodical Management]

Anyone notice the hard shift in team demographics from the previous regime?

We had 5 European dudes on the floor at one point last game.

It's not 1985 anymore and the game is truly global, so the best organizations are going to try and do what Masai Ujiri and other top tier front office leaders have done with respect to international scouting and player development.
Maybe that's the team's intention - but this is the Washington Wizards, and they don't merit the benefit of the doubt. Cynically, you might reasonably ask if they're just bringing guys in to get a foothold in international markets, sell jerseys, and create brand recognition without a cohesive vision for the team itself.

The roster we have now doesn't make a lot of sense as a basketball team, to be honest. We're just sort of a repository for second and third-tier frontcourt players without defined roles.
So I understand the tendency to try and discern some sort of logic or meaning behind the roster construction that doesn't involve competing for a championship.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

That’s the part that doesn’t make sense to me about this roster.

1. They’re not competing for a championship
2. They’re not tanking for draft picks
3. They don’t have a bunch of young talent they’re trying to develop.
4. They’re not freeing up cap room to sign FAs

It makes zero sense.

 

[Methodical Management]

That’s the part that doesn’t make sense to me about this roster.

1. They’re not competing for a championship
2. They’re not tanking for draft picks
3. They don’t have a bunch of young talent they’re trying to develop.
4. They’re not freeing up cap room to sign FAs

It makes zero sense.

The "plan" was to keep Beal - whether or not that makes sense is another matter.

So, if that's your plan, you need to get actual All-NBA talent on board before you can even claim you're competing for a title. Bradley Beal is not the best player on a championship team. He just isn't. He would have to be this team's Kris Middleton, which means you're in search of a Giannis - and not a young Giannis, because we don't have the time, the draft capital, or the scouting - but a fully formed superstar player.

The bounty for an outbound superstar determined to move tends to involve young players with upside and draft picks. When AD was traded, it took a package that included Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Lonzo Ball. In his mind, and perhaps no one else's, Sheppard likely thinks we have that. What we don't have is a heap of valuable draft picks thanks to a series of delusional "win now" moves that weren't going to get the team over the hump.

There's no trade offer we can prepare for a star player that could compete with what, say, OKC could assemble, which means you can't target a superstar with 2+ years left and no say in their next destination. You have to sell someone on DC specifically and have them force a sign & trade or Harden for Simmons shotgun wedding. That's quite a leap - especially given the franchise's history.

Russ and now KP are like "get a dog to save the marriage" types of moves. If we're honest with ourselves, it's been over for a long time, but now we're just dragging more people into it.

If this regime is anything like the previous one - and it is - my guess is that they try to package everything they have to bring in another 2nd or third-tier "star" for a wannabe "big three" of Beal, KP, and Julius Randle or somebody. Try to act surprised.

 

[Public Enemy]

Russ and now KP are like "get a dog to save the marriage" types of moves. If we're honest with ourselves, it's been over for a long time, but now we're just dragging more people into it. If this regime is anything like the previous one - and it is - my guess is that they try to package everything they have to bring in another 2nd or third-tier "star" for a wannabe "big three" of Beal, KP, and Julius Randle or somebody. Try to act surprised.

Can somebody put this on a banner and fly it outside capital one before the Nuggets game?

The first sentence is still cracking me up

 

[Public Enemy]

 

[AgentZero]

Tommy with some absolutely insane takes to appease Beal

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Beal at point is cool if you actually have another guard who can shoot and defend. But uhh, we ain’t got that

 

[AgentZero]

That, but also his subpar handles (for a SG, let alone a PG) and the ball tending to stick with him especially in crunch time