Grunfail & Wittless Messing Up ANOTHER Summer: The Official Washington Wizards 2015 Offseason Thread
- Thread starter FAH1223
- Start date
dennis roadman
nuclear war in my bag
i got visions of nobody wanting to play here in 2016 brehs 
help
help
Wall is holding a minicamp this week
And is telling everyone to get to Training Camp two weeks early next month
And is telling everyone to get to Training Camp two weeks early next month
That's what I like to hear.Wall is holding a minicamp this week
And is telling everyone to get to Training Camp two weeks early next month
954UAlreadyknow
All Star
Still don't know why y'all ain't draft a PF
smh
smh
can't wait until he's gone.
954UAlreadyknow
All Star
If y'all wouldve drafted Bobby Portis y'all wouldve been a legit problem
The Wizards have their eyes on next summer. The #KD2DC movement is going to be the big storyline for most of the year as Washington hopes to wrangle their way into a more appealing destination for Kevin Durant. In the meantime, they have to overcome the loss of one of their biggest contributors and a guy who fundamentally changed their chemistry, while trying to take a significant step forward in a top-heavy Eastern Conference in which they are in the toughest division.
The Wizards are good. They're young, they're talented and they have playoff experience. They're not championship contenders, but they're far from mediocre. Where they land in between those extremes will be the story of the year before the biggest offseason in franchise history.
Key Additions: Kelly Oubre Jr. (draft), Alan Anderson (free agency), Jared Dudley (trade -- out indefinitely with injury) Drew Gooden (re-signed, free agency), Gary Neal (free agency, Hornets)
Key Losses: Paul Pierce (free agency, Clippers), Kevin Seraphin (free agency, Knicks)
***
How much does losing Paul Pierce hurt? The Truth hurts. I mean, not having the Truth hurts. Something like that. Anyway, Paul Pierce taking his talents to California is not good for the Wizards. Pierce took an upstart squad that was searching for a contender's identity last year and gave them the veteran confidence they needed. It was Pierce that gave the Wizards the edge that pushed them to sweep the Raptors without mercy, and he was the one hitting key late-game shots for Washington.
That said, Pierce's contributions were more about perception than reality. Pierce played in 73 games last season, but only for about 26 minutes per game, averaging 12 points on nine shots per contest. That didn't jump all that much in the playoffs. Pierce played 29 minutes per game vs. the Raptors, averaging 15.5 points per game, and playing 31 minutes per game vs. the Hawks at 14 points per game. He was great, but it wasn't like he was carrying the team. He was just pushing a team that was already there over the top.
In the end, the Wizards wound up in the exact same position they were in the year before when they upset a higher seed (Bulls in 2014, Raptors in 2015) before losing to the No. 1 overall seed (the Pacers in 2014, Hawks in 2015), an Atlanta team they legitimately felt they were better than. The Wizards didn't actually make any progress last season; they just felt more dangerous with Pierce.
However, Otto Porter stepped up in a big way last season. The team added better depth with Alan Anderson and Gary Neal. The biggest question is whether the lessons that Pierce imparted and helped them learn during their playoff run stuck. Pierce gave them that veteran experience. Did they pick up enough of that to carry forward? There are other vets on the team; Nene and Marcin Gortat have been there. But Pierce took it upon himself to mentor John Wall, Bradley Beal and Porter. Can the wings swim on their own? Given that they made it as far the previous season without Pierce as they did this year with him, you have to believe so.
The Wizards seem less dangerous with Pierce, but Wall is coming into his own as a leader and All-Star player. If he can instill that confidence, the Wizards will have as good a chance as the last two seasons at making a run in the East.
Which Wizards are the real Wizards? For two years in a row, the Wizards have been the most frustrating good regular-season team, only to magically turn into the team you would want them to be in the postseason. In the regular season they shot mid-range jumpers, played slow and constantly sought out ways to be less efficient, so it seemed. In the playoffs, they shot 3-pointers at volume, drove inside-out, played at pace (the fourth-highest in the playoffs) and made the most of their roster, including putting Paul Pierce at the 4 for the dreaded small-ball lineup (which the Wizards need to chill out on, but that's a question for another post).
It's infuriating that a team with long, athletic guys who can spread the floor and strong inside players constantly gets in its own way. If they were to play in the regular season as they played in the postseason, who knows how high their seed could have been and how home-court advantage could have changed their fortunes.
This is much more important than Pierce going forward. Coach Randy Wittman spends six months getting in his own way, then steps out of it and watches the team bolt through the competition. You can buy into the idea of saving your best stuff for the postseason, but to make the team as good as it can be, they need to maximize every opportunity.
Are the Wizards going to play like they did last regular season, when they went into a deep funk over the second half of the season, only this time without Pierce, or learn from their postseason success what they do well? That's the big question for Washington going forward, much bigger than any personnel decision they made.
Did the Wizards slip in the Eastern Conference? This ... is a little complicated. To try and simplify it, the Wizards didn't get substantially worse, and may have improved given the veteran additions and Oubre's upside (though don't be surprised if he doesn't play much this season). Meanwhile, the Bulls return everyone, but there's no telling if they'll improve or regress with Fred Hoiberg. The Raptors probably got better defensively, but were so bad in the postseason (and for much of the year honestly) that it's hard to see them being better than Washington. The Hawks almost have to regress from their lofty heights.
However, the gap between the Wizards and Cavs has grown substantially with the maturity the Cavs earned in the postseason and the way their roster should improve with another year together. It's the Cavs' conference to lose. So in that respect, the Wizards lost ground. However, if they can get their best players to make a leap, if Otto Porter is ready to take over the 3/4 combo forward spot, if Randy Wittman will just accept the team is better when it shops for 3-pointers instead of long 2-pointers, and if they can stay healthy, there's every reason to believe the Wizards can still be a force in the East.
That's the truth, even without the Truth.
Can the Wizards make the leap next season? (USATSI)
The Wizards are good. They're young, they're talented and they have playoff experience. They're not championship contenders, but they're far from mediocre. Where they land in between those extremes will be the story of the year before the biggest offseason in franchise history.
Key Additions: Kelly Oubre Jr. (draft), Alan Anderson (free agency), Jared Dudley (trade -- out indefinitely with injury) Drew Gooden (re-signed, free agency), Gary Neal (free agency, Hornets)
Key Losses: Paul Pierce (free agency, Clippers), Kevin Seraphin (free agency, Knicks)
***
How much does losing Paul Pierce hurt? The Truth hurts. I mean, not having the Truth hurts. Something like that. Anyway, Paul Pierce taking his talents to California is not good for the Wizards. Pierce took an upstart squad that was searching for a contender's identity last year and gave them the veteran confidence they needed. It was Pierce that gave the Wizards the edge that pushed them to sweep the Raptors without mercy, and he was the one hitting key late-game shots for Washington.
That said, Pierce's contributions were more about perception than reality. Pierce played in 73 games last season, but only for about 26 minutes per game, averaging 12 points on nine shots per contest. That didn't jump all that much in the playoffs. Pierce played 29 minutes per game vs. the Raptors, averaging 15.5 points per game, and playing 31 minutes per game vs. the Hawks at 14 points per game. He was great, but it wasn't like he was carrying the team. He was just pushing a team that was already there over the top.
In the end, the Wizards wound up in the exact same position they were in the year before when they upset a higher seed (Bulls in 2014, Raptors in 2015) before losing to the No. 1 overall seed (the Pacers in 2014, Hawks in 2015), an Atlanta team they legitimately felt they were better than. The Wizards didn't actually make any progress last season; they just felt more dangerous with Pierce.
However, Otto Porter stepped up in a big way last season. The team added better depth with Alan Anderson and Gary Neal. The biggest question is whether the lessons that Pierce imparted and helped them learn during their playoff run stuck. Pierce gave them that veteran experience. Did they pick up enough of that to carry forward? There are other vets on the team; Nene and Marcin Gortat have been there. But Pierce took it upon himself to mentor John Wall, Bradley Beal and Porter. Can the wings swim on their own? Given that they made it as far the previous season without Pierce as they did this year with him, you have to believe so.
The Wizards seem less dangerous with Pierce, but Wall is coming into his own as a leader and All-Star player. If he can instill that confidence, the Wizards will have as good a chance as the last two seasons at making a run in the East.
Which Wizards are the real Wizards? For two years in a row, the Wizards have been the most frustrating good regular-season team, only to magically turn into the team you would want them to be in the postseason. In the regular season they shot mid-range jumpers, played slow and constantly sought out ways to be less efficient, so it seemed. In the playoffs, they shot 3-pointers at volume, drove inside-out, played at pace (the fourth-highest in the playoffs) and made the most of their roster, including putting Paul Pierce at the 4 for the dreaded small-ball lineup (which the Wizards need to chill out on, but that's a question for another post).
It's infuriating that a team with long, athletic guys who can spread the floor and strong inside players constantly gets in its own way. If they were to play in the regular season as they played in the postseason, who knows how high their seed could have been and how home-court advantage could have changed their fortunes.
This is much more important than Pierce going forward. Coach Randy Wittman spends six months getting in his own way, then steps out of it and watches the team bolt through the competition. You can buy into the idea of saving your best stuff for the postseason, but to make the team as good as it can be, they need to maximize every opportunity.
Are the Wizards going to play like they did last regular season, when they went into a deep funk over the second half of the season, only this time without Pierce, or learn from their postseason success what they do well? That's the big question for Washington going forward, much bigger than any personnel decision they made.
Did the Wizards slip in the Eastern Conference? This ... is a little complicated. To try and simplify it, the Wizards didn't get substantially worse, and may have improved given the veteran additions and Oubre's upside (though don't be surprised if he doesn't play much this season). Meanwhile, the Bulls return everyone, but there's no telling if they'll improve or regress with Fred Hoiberg. The Raptors probably got better defensively, but were so bad in the postseason (and for much of the year honestly) that it's hard to see them being better than Washington. The Hawks almost have to regress from their lofty heights.
However, the gap between the Wizards and Cavs has grown substantially with the maturity the Cavs earned in the postseason and the way their roster should improve with another year together. It's the Cavs' conference to lose. So in that respect, the Wizards lost ground. However, if they can get their best players to make a leap, if Otto Porter is ready to take over the 3/4 combo forward spot, if Randy Wittman will just accept the team is better when it shops for 3-pointers instead of long 2-pointers, and if they can stay healthy, there's every reason to believe the Wizards can still be a force in the East.
That's the truth, even without the Truth.
Can the Wizards make the leap next season? (USATSI)
Buck out here not giving a damn
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@TrapHouse Rock
@mastermind
@FAH1223
@ThatsRite2
@horse. kills
@Black
@Eddie Jordan
@Mr swag
@Spree At Last
@Reggie
@mrken12
@Rob's al Ghul
@THE MACHINE
@KBadd
@Sambow
@Captain_Crunch
@seanjohn21276
@L. Deezy
@ZEupTWN
@Guv
@KillbertArenas
@G-Zeus
@Boesky
@scoop444
@horse. kills
@JACK!
@NutInsider
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