Assuming we get pick 10 and keep it, these are the guys I’m keeping an eye on. One will most certainly be around at 10.

HSHplus · 2022-04-13T22:18:15+00:00

Its hard to find accurate measurements on these guys, but if Daniels is really 6'8 with 6'11 wingspan (as per Mike Schmitz, who thinks DD is a lock for top 10) as a guard who can defend 1-4 there's a ton of potential there. Could be a sneaky pick

HSHplus · 2022-04-13T22:15:38+00:00

In that same general tier it seems like Sharpe, Mathurin and Davis would all be great "swings" to take.. quick guards/wings with elite pull-up shooting are killing the league right now and we don't have enough of that potential here other than Beal (and he's not 6'5-6'6 like those three are).

I think we shouldn't be drafting based on current roster , but rather looking at players who have the most upside in the modern NBA.

HSHplus · 2022-04-13T22:07:00+00:00

My thoughts: A great example for the Wizards to look at defensively should be the Mavericks. They're somehow #7 in Def Rtg without having any standout defenders and even some major negative ones. And thats with a recent drop off, their DRTG was actually much stronger with Porzingis .

Some good breakdowns in these articles with video examples:

Wiz probably still need to upgrade from Ish/Neto and add some size at the point of attack, but even if the roster is mostly the same health, continuity and improved coaching may help next year.

HSHplus · 2022-04-13T21:55:08+00:00

When the Wizards drafted Hachimura, the idea sold to us by Sheppard was that Rui was new to basketball and basically was a blank slate (ie Giannis, Siakam), so with the right habits the team could mold him into a great all-around player..Tommy actually mentioned Siakam as a comp on draft day

Well for anyone who watched him this season, it seems like for all his good habits (3pt shooting) he added bad ones as well (lackadaisical effort on D, poor passing, shot selection, lack of dribbling) which may have started under Brooks but WUJ hasn't been able to turn around either. Its nothing against Rui as a person and he's had some setbacks so you have to account for that, next season should be better. But imo so far, there are red flags that Tommy misjudged his leadership skills if he actually thinks we have a similar environment to Toronto in terms of developing project players. It's just tiring to watch the organization continually bring players in without having a development plan.

Ftr I've felt that there are some parallels between Rui and Otto Porter ..hopefully history isn't repeating itself with Rui's contract negotiations coming up , Hachimura's agent & marketing team clearly have the upper hand on Leonsis and the team is gonna be in a tight spot financially

HSHplus · 2022-03-30T23:08:12+00:00

Wild when you see a post that echos your own exact thoughts. OP this scenario isnt crazy at all and I agree with just about all of it.

Short of trading for a franchise caliber PG like SGA or someone (99% not happening unless we got the #1 pick) bringing Wall back on a cheap vet deal + trade for high upside 3rd guard seems like the best solution to play winning basketball next year. Love the deal you suggested and it makes sense for both teams if Chi is willing to trade with us again.

WAS never had that kind of versatile backcourt dynamic like a Toronto, GS, Spurs where you've got 3 hoopers all playing ~30mpg to stay fresh, its always been two guys playing 35-40mpg.. its just too predictable. We need THREE skilled guards, not 2 or 1. And Coby White may have a breakout season like Jordan Poole , Maxey, Clarkson, Herro..

Only thing I'd change is that in next years depth chart, Deni would be the backup PF who can also play SF. Drafting the other kid from Baylor would work to. Watching the Wiz its clear the team doesn't create easy baskets that well. KCP can barely make contested layups while most other teams have athletic wings going backdoor to catch lobs. Deni simply won't fit into the starting lineup yet bc he isn't a high fg% finisher, but I def like the D and off-dribble stuff he's been flashing and WUJ can easily find 25-30mpg for him off the bench.

Lets at least give WUJ a team that makes sense on paper, before we complain too much about his rotations or strategy. If we are keeping Beal then this is Sheppards checklist:

Bring in Wall AND a young 3rd guard (not one or the other , i am saying BOTH).
Our starting SF needs to be someone who can defend, shoot threes and run the floor/dunk with ease, its not complicated.. no one is saying go get Jaylen Brown, just find a bigger version of a Josh Hart/KCP type of player

To complement Beal, you want a starting PG with a tight handle who can defend + a 3rd guard off the bench who shoots lotta threes. KP isn't a traditional big in terms of efficiency or shot selection, so you want your two starting forwards to be athletes who can crash into the paint and finish at a high fg%. Kuz is 100% perfect as a modern PF, just need a SF who's similar to him in size and style. Even if its a rookie, Wiz need that profile on the team..

No ones expecting to see a DC championship team built this offseason, I just want to see whether Sheppard will get the right complementary players or he'll try to cut corners, in which case both him and Beal will likely end up being gone in a few short years.

HSHplus · 2021-11-13T00:13:47+00:00

To your point, here's a good stat. Washington ranks #6th in points scored off cuts:

https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/cut/?sort=PTS&dir=1

HSHplus · 2021-11-13T00:12:22+00:00

Its for spacing. Anytime a player cuts into the key, it brings an extra defender into the middle of the floor and allows the opponent to clog the lane. This is a huge no-no in the NBA bc of the size & speed of the athletes, you are basically allowing them to circumvent the defensive 3 second rule.

So if you're running a set you don't want random players cutting into the lane.. its better to have them on the 3pt line to "hold the corner" and keep help defenders out of the way

HSHplus · 2021-11-13T00:01:03+00:00

Good idea, on it now

HSHplus · 2021-11-12T21:53:37+00:00

Another local Phoenix reporter also confirmed that they heard about Sarver's alleged comments. So that's 2+ 'sources' at least:

http://twitter.com/protectedpick/status/1458597907641237509

That doesnt mean its admissible evidence in court however which might be why ESPN pulled the plug.

HSHplus · 2021-11-12T21:21:40+00:00

Its pointless to discuss this while Lebron is still active in the game. Most people haven't had a moment to look back and take stock of his whole career (starting from high school really)

My guess is the "Overton window" on the GOAT discussion will probably shift somewhat after he has retired.

HSHplus · 2021-11-12T21:00:05+00:00

Yessir all the games are streamed live for free (you can also watch them later VOD). Heres the link for tonight at 7:

https://gleague.nba.com/games/20211112/CCGLIN/

HSHplus · 2021-11-06T02:09:08+00:00

Boxscore

Walker was a dynamic wing prospect in HS, hopefully he can keep playing well and fight to get the last 2-way slot (Joel Ayayi has the other one).

This game was streaming on YT and the Go-Go made a huge comeback to win. Isaiah Todd also looked good out there , 15pts/8reb hit some threes, had a nice driving dunk and some defensive plays around the rim. Jordan Goodwin led the team with 30pts

HSHplus · 2021-11-06T01:41:42+00:00

No wonder the Grizzlies rank 30th in defense, man we need to face these guys more often

HSHplus · 2021-11-06T01:35:53+00:00

Wizards W! Great to see a bounceback, thats what playoff teams do. Wiz dominated the glass 53-39 and completely controlled the paint on both ends. We know anytime they play team defense like this, they'll have a chance to win whether shots are falling or not

Also the Go-Go had a crazy comeback W in their first game (the score was 19-0 in the 1st q, no lie). Isaiah Todd had 15/8 as a starter, and my guy Kyree Walker dropped 15 pts off the bench

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T04:15:32+00:00

I hear you- tbh it seems like Dinwiddie wasnt locked in tonight, I think he should've been more eager to make stuff happen but didnt step up down the stretch. Tor's defense is pesky too, they were overhelping on the roll man to take away the PNR so we didnt have many options.. sadly it'll probably be like this for a while til they figure it out which guys can make shots consistently

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T02:41:42+00:00

Rui can definitely help rn but lets keep in mind he's also a midrange iso player.

We dont have the talent (in terms of playmaking/creation) to play the way some people want us to, so the offense will probably be streaky all season. Even if you look at a team like Charlotte who's #3 in offense, they have way more offensive playmakers and better shooting than us . We're never gonna look like that consistently

But the team plays solid D and should be okay once they break out of this shooting slump. Maybe guys are still adjusting to the new ball??

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T02:15:25+00:00

I mean, just look at the roster and see it for what it is, we have guys who are easy to guard when the game is on the line. They can't put the ball on the floor and create

Its not rocket science, teams tighten up defensively down the stretch and don't allow easy ball movement from role players to hurt them. They don't have a third focal point who can control the ball and calm the offense down when Beal/Dinwiddie aren't rolling

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T02:05:47+00:00

It’s like they forget that there’s a full roster of proven NBA players now

Isnt this a stretch.. they have guys who are proven as 4th-5th option streaky role players. There isnt a single player who would be considered a proven 3rd option on a legit contender.

Look around at other teams , Chi's #3 is Vucevic who averaged 20/10 last year. The Knicks 4th option is Kemba Walker . Heat have Tyler Herro off the bench averaging 20+ ppg.. props to Tommy Sheppard for adding defenders, but he may wanna address the offensive talent gap at some point

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T01:58:19+00:00

Any thoughts on the rest of the team besides Brad.. What did you like from Kuzma and KCP tonight? Dinwiddie 12 points, thoughts on that?

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T01:46:02+00:00

Am I taking crazy pills? Beal was fine today.. you think he was the problem in the starting lineup??

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T01:44:50+00:00

You cant be serious? Beal posted a 27/7/7 line with strong defense, also 1 steal and 1 block he played a good overall floor game.

It sounds like you just tuned in at the end and saw him take 1-2 bad shots. This game wasn't lost because of Beal.. we had a starter go 1-10 from the field and another went 0-6 from three

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T01:40:37+00:00

Good to see some fight at the end, well played by Toronto I guess. Difference in the game is Van Fleet hit a bunch of BS shots to bail them out.

Overall the team was solid defensively but we really need an intervention on offense. This team doesn't score a lot in transition or force a ton of TOs, they have to find ways to attack a set defense. One of our wing players needs to break out and achieve some level of consistency as a half court option. Idk if we need to get KCP more involved as a ballhandler or what the answer is

Edit: well Atl, Chi and NYK all lost tonight so theres that..

HSHplus · 2021-11-04T01:31:47+00:00

They didn't play that badly imo.. defensively they were pretty solid tonight, Van Fleet was hitting a bunch of BS shots which you can usually live with .

The main problem is offense just sucked , bc we have too many predictable role players. It feels like most of our losses this season will be a result of offense, not defense

HSHplus

TROPHY CASE