OT: Nats, Wiz, O's, Ravens, Terps, DC United, Navy, Gtown, etc., 2016-18

[Ajax1995]

John Wall wants management to weed out unhappy teammates — ESPN

Not sure I understand this quote:

“I just told you that some people don't understand their roles, so if you don't understand your role and think you deserve a bigger role, that is not about to happen,"

 

[g00n]

Not sure I understand this quote:

“I just told you that some people don't understand their roles, so if you don't understand your role and think you deserve a bigger role, that is not about to happen,"

Who could he be talking about? Porter seems to know his role. Gortat and Mahinmi don't really have anywhere else to go in the system.


Morris maybe? Beal? Oubre? Some of the other bench guys?

Seems like he's telling some of the 2nd squad to do their jobs and stop trying to crack the lineup or play outside their position.

 

[Ajax1995]

I guess I don’t see this team as having no room for players to step up and try to play bigger roles. There’s tons of room. It is on Walls apparently anointed starters to show they can play a heck of a lot more consistently IMO than on the reserves to just quietly sit back and accept their roles. This team seems to take every 5th or 6th game completely off and that is on the starters not the reserves. Stop doing that to begin with and then maybe you can tell the rest of the team to shut up and sit down. Every single starters’ minutes should be at risk IMO if only a fairly small portion of their time.

 

[g00n]

It probably goes back to all the crap that was said when he was hurt.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I’m just curious but why were so many expecting the 43 win 8th seed to beat the 59 win 1 seed again?

No one was expecting anything, save maybe the Wallzards themselves. What we did want to see was closing out a game where they lead throughout, only to stagnate and fall apart at the end. Pretty much a microcosm of their entire season.

Team needs change. The ingredients, while good (some places, really good to great) by themselves, make a terrible meal. The chef needs to go, as he won’t be able to separate past mistakes from future needs.

Ted needs to move on the leadership. If that means Brooks also gets let go, then so be it. He’s not a strong enough leader to control this group....so while he may not be part of the problem persay, he’s definitely not part of the solution, IMO. I don’t see him as a championship winning coach.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The Wizards look like a bunch of individuals, not a team.

 

[Ajax1995]

It probably goes back to all the crap that was said when he was hurt.

Well that is on him IMO. Without a doubt the team played better without him for a decent stretch. If he can’t handle that I’m not sure what to say...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The Wizards look like a bunch of individuals, not a team.

Maybe Gortat was onto something?

BLOW
IT
UP

 

[Ajax1995]

BLOW
IT
UP

That would entail moving 1 of their 3 big salary guys IMO. So who goes?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

That would entail moving 1 of their 3 big salary guys IMO. So who goes?

One more year before Wall’s extension kicks in. He’ll never be easier to move for a big return.

 

[Ridley Simon]

That would entail moving 1 of their 3 big salary guys IMO. So who goes?

Does not have too. Their 2 C’s make 30mil together. Let that sink in.

 

[Ajax1995]

Does not have too. Their 2 C’s make 30mil together. Let that sink in.

Realistically they have to. There is a reason why no team has 4 more or less max contract guys, even though it is technically possible. Plus unless they are signing a big money free agent who is interested standing around and watching Wall dominate the ball for half the game they are going to need to trade someone to bring the guy in. I don’t see the quantity over quality trade I’m sure is again technically possible and many are imagining actually happening.

Trade one big player and other parts for something similar.

 

[Chimaera]

I mean he's not wrong that Gortat is past it. Gortat himself has said he'd like to finish his career in Orlando.

The trouble is, all that sounded like was "me me me me" and not anything about how he needs to improve, and how he basically came to camp out of shape with intention to play into it, protect his knee, didn't play well, got hurt, and hasn't been in shape basically all season.

I don't question that John Wall is a good player, he is, but he also doesn't work as hard as he needs to in order to win. His jump shot is still pretty awful after the years he's in the league, it should have gotten a little better. He's a speed and physicality guy who has to rely on blowing by guys to get points, and if his knees go, he's not going to be worth half what they're going to pay him.

I know Otto was fighting some injury issues, but where was his game most of the year? That contract is looking pretty awful right now.


If there's any justice, Ernie will be gone. But that's never happening.

 

[Chimaera]

That would entail moving 1 of their 3 big salary guys IMO. So who goes?

I mean, Porter probably is easiest to move for the club to stomach moving and would have plenty of potential suitors. There's enough teams who would take his contract and hope his obvious upside will increase with more looks and playing time. Beal has the most value, but the Wizards would be silly to look to trade him first. The problem with moving Beal is, you're probably not getting value back for him. I always feel the team who deals the best player sometimes typically loses the trade, and that's even more so in a sport where one or two stars make a critical difference.

Wall has a lot of value, but I think you might as well completely blow it up if you're getting him out of here.

 

[Chimaera]

Note, while I think the bench got better this year, Oubre, the player with the most upside out of any of their players, took a major step back this year. If he can't figure out how to play a modicum of defense, he's not worth much.

It's also noticeable that Sato looked great for a stretch, but just isn't ready for a grind of much more than 10-15 game spurts playing real minutes. He has a lot of upside as well, and I would be interested in seeing him play more, but the Wizards really can't afford the minutes to let him develop. For his career, I would probably want to move elsewhere, where he can play more.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Realistically they have to. There is a reason why no team has 4 more or less max contract guys, even though it is technically possible. Plus unless they are signing a big money free agent who is interested standing around and watching Wall dominate the ball for half the game they are going to need to trade someone to bring the guy in. I don’t see the quantity over quality trade I’m sure is again technically possible and many are imagining actually happening.

Trade one big player and other parts for something similar.

I dont think they need another max salary player. I think they need to remove the 2 dead weight C's, and get a lot younger there...or at least cheaper. Then add 3-4 8-10m guys that are better role players. The team need more depth throughout, not more top heavy minutes.

 

[Chimaera]

Here's the trouble, when have they shown they can spend and get players like that? The only player they've got that worked out like that was Kieff and they got him through a trade (partially because he's a knucklehead and had some assault charges hanging around him).

Think of all the crappy players they've added in that range, and what gives you any faith that they can do that? They also can't really get out of the players contracts they do have (Mahimi has 2 more years at almost 16! Gortat has 13.6 next season!) Heck, Otto is their highest paid player next season. If they wanted to create space, they have to move one of Mahimi or Gortat (or Morris, though his salary is 8 and worth keeping), and they would have to package a pick or Oubre to actually move one. Honestly, to move Mahimi, they would have to add more than those two.

Ernie is awful. That's the long and the short of it.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

 

[Ridley Simon]

Here's the trouble, when have they shown they can spend and get players like that? The only player they've got that worked out like that was Kieff and they got him through a trade (partially because he's a knucklehead and had some assault charges hanging around him).

Think of all the crappy players they've added in that range, and what gives you any faith that they can do that? They also can't really get out of the players contracts they do have (Mahimi has 2 more years at almost 16! Gortat has 13.6 next season!) Heck, Otto is their highest paid player next season. If they wanted to create space, they have to move one of Mahimi or Gortat (or Morris, though his salary is 8 and worth keeping), and they would have to package a pick or Oubre to actually move one. Honestly, to move Mahimi, they would have to add more than those two.

Ernie is awful. That's the long and the short of it.

No one said let Ernie be the architect of the change. Least, I sure as heck didn’t.

 

[Ajax1995]

Another option would be to ask Wall to change his game a bit, you know maybe actually move the ball, and try to make the rest of the team better.

 

[Chimaera]

No one said let Ernie be the architect of the change. Least, I sure as heck didn’t.

The problem is, Ted, at his core, doesn't like change and conflict, and likes to make money, not spend it. Ernie can put together a team that will make some money, and save him the cash of having to get rid of people or scorch the earth with some of his roster.

I unfortunately, don't feel he's going to get rid of him, so any chance they're rebuilding or retooling will be done with him there.

 

[Chimaera]

Another option would be to ask Wall to change his game a bit, you know maybe actually move the ball, and try to make the rest of the team better.

that's actually not really the problem. He gets a decent number of assists for a point guard. His drive and kicking the ball out should be a decent option for them for a while. If they had an athletic big man, they could spread the floor a bit more and do a bit more to create space for him to be able to facilitate. He's not wrong in that an athletic big man would make a difference. Gortat used to be decent on the pick and roll, but he's clearly losing a few steps which means they're not able to run it.

I would agree that much of the central problem is still that in the clutch moments he tries to super man it instead of actually using his teammates. He tries to hero ball at times instead of playing with the guys around him. I do feel that needs to change, but I think the longer term change should have been developing his shot so that they don't basically just stand off him and let him jack up threes.

 

[Ridley Simon]

The problem is, Ted, at his core, doesn't like change and conflict, and likes to make money, not spend it. Ernie can put together a team that will make some money, and save him the cash of having to get rid of people or scorch the earth with some of his roster.

I unfortunately, don't feel he's going to get rid of him, so any chance they're rebuilding or retooling will be done with him there.

They regressed. Almost missed the playoffs. Didnt make it to 2nd round. Team has locker room issues (again, which almost crippled them a few years ago).

I think its enough for change. We will see.

 

[Chimaera]

It should've been enough for change three or four seasons ago. But it didn't happen. You know as well as I that Ted doesn't want to make a move if he doesn't have to.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Rumor was earlier in the season that Ernie was at risk....I could see it go either way. If I’m Ted, he presents me with a plan I can believe in or I’m looking for replacements.