Oof… John Wall suffered a ruptured Achilles after slipping and falling in his home and underwent surgery to repair it today. He will return to basketball activities in 12 months. This is extremely unfortunate considering that Wall underwent season ending surgery a month ago to minimize the risk of an Achilles tear.

First and foremost, it is just heartbreaking as a fan to see a guy that has played so hard for your city have such an awful injury stretch like this. In the past, whenever Wall would make a huge play in the playoffs, he would always grab his shirt around where it says Washington and say to the crowd, “this is my city”. It was electric. He has heart, he has passion, he loves D.C., and he, unfortunately, is having a tough stretch with lower leg injuries. Last year he missed half of the season, he will miss the remainder of this season, and he will miss most of, if not all of, next season. The number one most important thing is that he has a safe, healthy, and speedy recovery for himself. Everything else is secondary in importance to that. Now that that is understood, let’s talk about what this means for the team and what they should do moving forward.

Sell?

Here is Wall’s contract for the next few years:

Achilles tears do not have the best track record of recovery, so let’s hope Wall comes back the way Demarcus Cousins seems to have because a lot of our salary cap will be allocated to him. In my past blog, I stated that the Wizards front office should and would “turn off their lights, unplug their phones, and leave the office for the day[s]” leading up to the trade deadline. This injury CHANGES my opinion. Time to plug those phones back in. I wanted the Wizards to push for the playoffs, so that they could have some momentum going in to next year with Wall coming back. However, Wall is not coming back to start next year, so it is not like squeaking into the 8th seed and losing to the Bucks would be much to build off of. Also, I am not nearly as confident in this team making the playoffs as I was a few days ago because they have lost to the Cavs and the Hawks in the past week, which will just not get it done. On top of this, Wall is now completely immovable probably until his contract is up, so he and his contract are will be here through thick and thin, better or for worse, and till death do us part.

First off, I do not believe in tanking, so the Wizards should not try to lose and should not trade Bradley Beal. I do, however, think Otto Porter should be shopped at this time now. I have praised his versatility and efficiency over and over again, he is on a max contract, and multiple teams are interested in him. I really do not want to say goodbye to Otto Porter. Unfortunately, the Wizards do not look poised to make the playoffs, and Wall will be out for 12 months while eating up $37.8 million in cap space. Players have inflated values at the trade deadline, so this may be the perfect time for the Wizards to get a good return for Porter in the wake of next year being a poor to average year depending on the draft and free agency. The Wizards should tend to phone calls about Porter, and if they do not like the offers, they can ride the wave and finish out the season. However, I think the Wizards could ask for a couple expiring contracts and a first-round pick for him. This would clear cap space for the Wizards to work with, and it would add an extra first-round pick. I would not take anything less than this, and there is a chance they could do slightly better. The Wizards do not have to do a lot of work here; just pick up the phone and listen. The Blazers and Jazz have reportedly been showing increased interest lately even though they have been interested throughout the whole season, so there should be opportunities there. The possibility of financial flexibility and 2 first-round picks this upcoming draft should definitely get the Wizards answering the phones in the next couple days; I hope it does…

Greetings from the University of Minnesota where it is currently a balmy -19 degrees!  Too cold to go to class, so let’s talk some Wizards hoops! As a fan of the Wizards, I have really enjoyed watching my team play these past few weeks going . Also, during the team’s trip to London, Washington Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis, stated emphatically that this team “will never, ever tank”. I have to be honest, it kind of got me fired me up for the remainder of the season. In this post, I will tell you what his words most likely mean leading up to the trade deadline, I will examine possible moves, and I will give you my opinions on it all. But first, let’s quickly look at what has happened the past 10 games, and what it means for the outlook on this season.

The Stretch

The Wizards, although ending with 2 tough ones to finish at 5-5, have looked like a completely different team over the past 10 games. While at the game on January 9^th against the 76ers, I saw a team that played together, played hard, and fought until the end beating a top Eastern conference team by 17 points. Throughout the last few weeks, there have been many inspiring performances, including taking the Toronto Raptors into double OT on the back of a Bradley Beal 40-point triple Double, beating the Bucks at home with Sato recording his first career triple-double, and Thomas Bryant scoring a game-winning goaltended layup in London to beat the Knicks.

The team finally looks like they enjoy playing with each other, and as a result, it seems they are communicating better on the court. Although defense has still been suspect at times, I have seen numerous shot clock violations forced, multiple charges taken, and help side defense come more regularly. In 5 of these past 10 games, the Wizards held their opposition below their season average for points…. Take a second to re-read that just to prove to yourself you read that correctly. The Wizards, previously at the bottom of the NBA in defense, have been playing respectable, good defense as of late. A lot of this has to do with the team’s length with players like Tomas Satoransky, Otto Porter, and Trevor Ariza. Unfortunately, the Wizards ended this stretch in horrible fashion tonight against the Cavs on the road, but after watching this last stretch, it is clear that this team is not the same rollover and die team they were a month ago.

Key Performers

Recently, multiple players on the roster have stepped up, but what remains the same is that Bradley Beal is an absolute stud. He will 100% be an all-star this year. He has averaged 27.6 ppg, 6.1 apg, and 5.7 rpg  in January carrying this team while also not over dominating the ball. Prior to this year, a lot of people have criticized him for a lack of ability to hit shots in the 4th quarter which he has silenced this year. Only he and Giannis Antetokounmpo are averaging over 6 points per game in the 4th while shooting over 55% from the floor in the quarter.

In no way has Beal gotten the Wizards back in to playoff contention alone. Thomas Bryant gets more and more comfortable every single game, and he has quickly become one of my favorite players on the roster. The kid plays hard, runs the floor, and can hit outside shots; he has a bright future. Ian Mahinmi sees an extended role when the Wizards go up against larger centers since Bryant still needs to put on a little weight, and even he has seemed to get his confidence back. Ian has come in and given some solid production lately doing his best to foul less than usual, a historical, catastrophic issue for him, and he has shown a decent touch around the rim. Porter is getting healthier every week and has been showing why so many teams are interested in trading for him scoring an efficient 15.8 ppg off the bench. On top of this, Sato continues to run the point beautifully, and I got my wish from the last post that Troy Brown start getting some more consistent minutes off the bench! He has been smooth, smart, and shown a great ability to draw contact and get to the line; I have been extremely impressed.

The addition of Trevor Ariza continues to be great as he has finally found his shot from outside shooting 36% from 3 the last 5 games while scoring 17.2 ppg. Jeff Green, who has had the 5th best 3 point percentage in the East since the new year, Trevor Ariza, and Otto Porter, continue to be a fantastic wing trio. Quite frankly, this current roster seems to be full of gym rats, guys who just want to play ball, and I love that they are playing together and playing hard night in and night out.

Outlook

I think this team will make the playoffs this year. They have won games in this past stretch that a few weeks ago I would’ve guessed they’d be blown out in. However, tonight’s loss to Cleveland was bad. That was the type of game they cannot afford to lose, but it was an anomaly when compared with the rest of the games the last few weeks. Losses to teams like the Cavs have gone from regular to anomaly and now need to go from anomaly to nonexistent.

Currently, Basketball Reference gives the Wizards only a 17.9% chance to make the playoffs as they are currently 3.5 games out of the 8th seed. With a 15-9 record at home and a recently shown ability to win road games, there is no reason the Wizards cannot come back in the standings to take the 8th seed from the Hornets or the Heat. Unfortunately, John Wall will not be able to make a late season return from injury like last year to help out the effort, but they have been playing better since he has gone down. That is because they were playing with only a fraction of him while he was on the court this season.

Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris presumably are semi-nearing returns for this season, and if nothing else, that will just add more depth to this currently confident roster. Howard as of tomorrow will have been recovering for 2 months of a 2-3-month recovery process after his back surgery and getting him back into the lineup would help the Wizards depth greatly.

I hope that the Wizards reinsert the now healthy Otto Porter into the starting lineup for Jeff Green soon even though he has been playing great off of the bench because the starters have opened up both the first and second halves of games very poorly a few too many times in this recent stretch. This happened tonight against the Cavs when the Wizards dug themselves a 15 point hole in the 3rd quarter before they put Porter into the game.  Porter and Ariza together in the starting lineup will open up games and 3rd quarters with great length on defense along with Sato at the point, and Green will be able to produce in his bench role. Once Morris comes back in the next 2-4 weeks, I would like him and Green to serve as the go to scorers in the second unit with Porter back in his natural role as a starter, and putting Porter back in the lineup now would make the adjustment process go more smoothly when that time comes. If all goes well, I truly believe the Wizards will sneak in to the playoffs at the end of the year.

Possible Trade Deadline (Feb. 7) Attempts And my Opinions

Trade Trevor Ariza (No)

Ariza just got traded back to the Wizards this season and has been producing really well. I have loved having him because of his length, his shooting, and his veteran presence around a team that desperately needed direction before he arrived. The Wizards could quite possibly make the playoffs this year and AT BEST pull off a first-round upset if getting Howard and Morris back healthy helps them out that much down the stretch. However, winning a series in the playoffs is a long shot. The Wizards would greatly reduce their chances of making the playoffs by going through with a trade involving Ariza but could get a draft pick in return. Due to the NBA collective bargaining agreement, the Wizards can only do a player for player swap with Ariza and ask for picks added in but no more players. Here is 1 idea:

Wizards get: Brandon Knight (2 years left $30 mil total) 2019 first-round pick
Rockets get: Trevor Ariza

The Wizards would basically be taking a salary dump in Brandon Knight because he is grossly overpaid and does not produce for the Rockets at all, but they could squeeze a first-rounder out of the trade most likely. The Wizards could also consider the same type of deal with the Trail Blazers instead for Moe Harkless (2 years left $21.3 mil total) and a second-round pick from them, but I personally would not do either because the Wizards already have Wall, Beal, Porter, and Mahinmi with large contracts going through next year. Therefore, they cannot afford to take on salary dumps that last through next year just to get some mediocre picks from teams involved in the current arms race of the Western Conference. I would rather keep Ariza, push for the playoffs, and have some excitement this year.

Trade Otto Porter (No)

Otto Porter has proved time and time again that he is a very efficient, versatile player. He tends to get to show this more when Wall goes down with injury unfortunately, but when he is utilized as a legitimate part of the offense, he shows why the front office believed in him enough to give him a max contract. Multiple teams including, the Pelicans, the Mavericks, the Jazz, and the Kings have been interested in trading for him. So, the Wizards can explore these options.

In my opinion, Moving Porter would move a large contract off the books so the cap is more spread out, but that’s about it. He is not done growing as a player, he defends well with his great length, rebounds very well for his position, and is a very efficient scorer. I do not think the Wizards would get the right value for him right now. They could not get a first-round pick that would end up being top-16 unless they trade with the Mavericks, and I think holding on to a glue guy like Porter is important. The only trade I would accept would be if the Pelicans were to trade Anthony Davis and Solomon Hill to Washington for Porter, John Wall, and the Wizards 2019 first-round pick. However, the Pelicans would not move Davis to the Wizards without getting Beal and would not want Wall who will be on a super max contract and be coming off another lower body surgery; they can get more for AD. Right now, the Wizards should not make a move with Porter, but that does not mean a time to move him will never come before his contract is up.

Trade Beal (No)

Instead of talking about this in detail, I’ll just pose some questions- why would we trade the brightest part about the team? Why trade a young rising star who is on an extremely reasonable contract? Even if we get picks and young players for Beal, what does that solve if John Wall’s surgery does not fix his effort, defense and ball dominance? As you can tell, I firmly believe trading Beal at the moment is a ridiculous notion.

What the Wizards Will do

I expect the Wizards to do absolutely nothing at the trade deadline. On February 6th, the day before the deadline, the front office will turn off their lights, unplug their phones, and leave the office for the day. I honestly agree with this move. It has been reported that the Wizards want to hold on to Ariza for the remainder of the year, and they “have shown little appetite for dealing Otto Porter Jr.”- Bleacher Report

Not every team can be a title contender, but a lot of teams can be competitive, and some competitive teams surprise and contend. The Wizards should not blow up the house right now and give up on years of playoffs and competing. No matter what action is taken now, they are years away from even maybe contending for a championship anyways. Now is time to enjoy the young guns on the team, watch the healthy veterans shine, and hope they can make the playoffs without Wall. Then, we can hope when Wall comes back after his surgery, he is back to the player he was before he got this injury bug. Also, after this year, there are only 5 contracts on the books, and after next season Ian Mahinmi’s horrible contract will be gone. This team will soon have a little more breathing room to make moves. If things do not seem to be getting better a year-year and a half down the line, then it will be time to seriously consider making blockbuster moves, but now is not the time.

I hope this stretch was just as fun for you as it was for me! If anything happens around the trade deadline with the Wizards, I will be on top of it here for you all!! stay tuned!

Follow this blog’s twitter page to get better updates @BoosBulletsBlog!!

If nothing noteworthy happens, next post will be February 23!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone, happy 2019! I hope you all had a great holiday season and start to the new year! It is a new year, and we have new stuff to talk about. I said in my last post that this 10-game stretch would tell a lot about which direction the season is headed, and I believe we got our answer. The Wizards went 4-6 in the last 10 games. In this past stretch, the Wizards lost to the Hawks, Bulls, and the Heat. Those are 3 losses that cannot happen while on the outside looking in to the playoff picture midway through the season. Through following this team and this blog, all of you and I know that the Wizards struggle with 3-point shooting, defense, and rebounding. Along with those known issues and the injuries piling on, the Wizards simply are not looking like they can make a push for the playoffs. The injuries that have happened in the last couple weeks will hurt their record, will affect the rotation, and will most likely impact who is on this roster at the end of the season.

Injuries (Wall & Kieff)

Howard is still out recovering from surgery, and the effect of that on this team’s defense and rebounding has been discussed to exhaustion by me in previous posts. On top of that injury, Wall will now be out the rest of the year, and Markieff Morris will be out the next 4-6 weeks.

Kieff recently sustained a neck injury and will be held to non-contact basketball until his 4-6 week recovery period is up. That will thin out the Wizard’s already lacking front court rotation and take away scoring from their bench. However, Kieff has been playing very poorly on defense because of his non-existent lateral quickness, so hopefully time to get healthy will allow his legs to come back underneath him.

John Wall’s injury is a little more serious. He has been having bone spurs in his heal throughout the season, and it has been clearly affecting his play. Wall’s bone spurs were causing him so much pain that he decided to go see a foot specialist for a second opinion. The specialist determined he had a condition in his foot that was impacting his Achilles, and he was at an increased risk for tearing his Achilles as a result. He and the specialist agreed that surgery was the next step. The procedure will keep him out the rest of the season, but it should get rid of his heel pain and greatly reduce the risk of an Achilles rupture. Wall had not been himself this year, and apparently, he could not even walk some days due to his pain being so severe. I have been a huge critic of his inconsistent effort and have said that he needs to give it his all or be injured and out. This clip of him against the Rockets perfectly encompasses his issues this year:

The Wizards do not need these kinds of plays from him. They need his full effort or for him to be out, and now he will be out the rest of the season. I do not think that it is valid to argue that this team is better without John Wall when he is on top of his game, but this team is 100% better without him than they are with only a fraction of him. This was the right time for him to get this procedure done, and I really really hope that this surgery will get him back to being the John Wall we have come to know and love over the years.

Rotation

A lot of the individual performances have stayed the same, but the rotation has not. Jeff Green continues to be great, Thomas Bryant is getting more and more comfortable out there, and Trevor Ariza has been very good since coming here. Bryant had his best stretch these last 4 games averaging 14.6 points and 9 rebounds a game. On the wing, Ariza has been hitting 3s, rebounding, and getting steals as to be expected. Since becoming a part of the team, he has averaged 15.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.1 steals a game, but unfortunately, none of this has equated to more wins.

John Wall being out has changed the rotation a lot. Thomas Satoransky is now starting at point and has been playing very well. In the last 10 games, Sato is putting up 10.3 ppg, 4 rpg, and 3 apg while shooting 50% from the floor. He is a very smart player, and his length allows him to defend opposing guards very well. I really hope the Wizards can retain him past this season. Also, Otto Porter has come back from injury recently. After missing 10 games with a quad injury, he has played the last 3 games on MINUTE RESTRICTION while he gets his legs back. He has been flying all over the court getting rebounds, steals, blocks, and hitting shots. He scored 20 points, ripped down 6 boards, dished out 5 assists, and added 3 blocks in just 24 minutes tonight against the Thunder.  He has been the aggressive version of himself that the Wizards need him to be. Unfortunately, a lot of this probably has to do with Wall being out.

Porter does not get the ball a lot with Wall on the court, so his numbers going up without Wall on the court makes perfect sense.  Porter is 100% worth his contract when he is utilized, and I would expect him to continue to put up very good numbers the rest of the year with his touches increasing.

With Sato being put in to the starting lineup, Chasson Randle has become the backup PG for the Wizards. He was previously a part of the team’s G-League affiliate Capital City Go-Go. Since becoming a rotation player, he has been solid. I like his aggressiveness, his confidence, and his effort. He has shown the ability to shoot the ball and be a capable guard off the bench. Over the last 4 games, he has been averaging just over 7 points and 2 assists while shooting 38.5% from 3 and 50% from the field overall. This has been a very nice surprise to me especially after his first couple shaky games earlier in this 10-game stretch.

The thing that I am most puzzled by is the lack of minutes for Troy Brown Jr. Earlier in this stretch, Ron Baker, recently waived by the Knicks, was signed by the Wizards and did not produce at all in his opportunities. He only got up 4 shots in 3 games with playing time and missed all 4 of those attempts. I do not understand at all why the Wizards did not use this time as an opportunity to let Troy Brown get valuable minutes. After Ron Baker proved to be ineffective, Troy Brown finally received a couple opportunities. 3 games ago in a 4-point win against the Hornets, Brown got 18 minutes off the bench going 3/4 from the floor with 9 points. Surprisingly, his jump shot was smooth which has been the biggest concern for him, and he made all of the right plays. I was very impressed. However, outside of that game, Brown really has not been given minutes, and I would like to see that change moving forward.

Outlook and Possible Future Moves

The Wizards are a good team when Porter is healthy and when an injured John Wall is not in the lineup. Trevor Ariza, Jeff Green, and Otto Porter are all very good wings, Bryant is improving, Beal is undeniably a star, and Sato is very solid. All of this was showcased tonight in Oklahoma City where the Wizards won 116-98. This was just the Wizards 5th road win of the year and first ever win in Oklahoma City. Although this was a great night, I do not believe they will win enough games without Kieff, Wall, and Howard to push up the standings before the season ends. Even if they did, I do not think they could position any better than being the 7th or 8th seed playing the Bucks or Raptors. If the Wizards do not make the playoffs, they will have a lottery pick next year, and I think that would be much more beneficial long-term.

A lottery-pick would be great especially since Wall is getting another surgery meaning he is 100% un-tradable anytime soon. The Wizards are stuck with him and his crazy super-max deal for better or for worse. All we as fans can do is pray that his surgery fixes his injury/effort issues, and he can get back to being the John Wall he was back when the Wizards took the Celtics to 7 games in 2017.

A player that may be moved is Trevor Ariza. He has produced as stated before, but I do not expect him to be in a Wizard’s uniform in about a month. He is a fantastic trade asset for a team that will not accomplish anything more than a first-round exit this year. The NBA trade deadline is on February 7th, and someone looking to make a push will want Trevor Ariza just as many teams wanted him before the Wizards nabbed him from the Suns. Do not expect a blockbuster deal because the only type of trade the Wizards can make with him is a one for one swap as a result of the collective bargaining agreement. The Wizard’s front office should sit back, let the next month play out, and see who comes calling for Ariza if the Wizards look to be towards the bottom of the east.

Lastly, I do not know if Otto Porter will be on this team the rest of the season either. Personally, I do not want to see him get traded. I am a huge believer in Otto Porter, I do not mind his max deal, and I love that he does all of the little things. Porter is a great shooter, rebounder, and defender. I am not surprised that a lot of teams have expressed interest in trading for him, but I am surprised at how under appreciated he is by his own fan base. With Wall out, meaning increased touches, Porter might very well play himself into a trade. Wall is immovable, and I do not think the Wizards want to trade a shining star in Bradley Beal. So, Porter is the most likely of the Wizards 3 max contracts to be moved. Porter will likely put up very good numbers over the next few weeks in his bigger role, and teams will probably start giving the Wizards better offers for him around the trade deadline. I hope the Wizards are patient and do not take a poor offer just to create cap space, but I can definitely see Porter getting traded soon. The Mavericks and the Pelicans have reportedly shown interest in him, so this is a situation to definitely keep your eye on.

The Wizards have a very tough schedule coming up and as always, I will be here to cover any trades and injuries that occur in the next 10 games. Barring anything noteworthy happening soon, I will be back with post #5 on the 29th!

Please leave comments if you have any thoughts on the Wizards, thoughts on the blog, or if you would like me to discuss a certain aspect/topic of the Wizards next time!

 

The 3rd ten-game stretch is in the books, and we have a lot to talk about. The Wizards finished this stretch 4-6. A minute ago, their record was 11-14, but the Wizards have followed up a 3-game win streak with a 1-4 stretch. However, they finished it with an inspiring win against the Lakers. The Wizards are currently 11th in the East and 3 games behind the 8th place Orland Magic. The few things that stand out to me about this team are the usual suspects like rebounding and effort, but more importantly, the Wizards have had more of an injury bug lately and have made two trades in one week. There have been some positives, a lot of negatives, and a few trades to go along with it all. I will start with the negatives so that we can all feel good leaving this blog post today with some positives because recent events have caused for acknowledgment of good things about this team.

The Struggles

The Wizards have been having many struggles on the court, and this has not been helped at all by the amount of injuries they have dealt with over these past few weeks.  Dwight Howard is still out recovering from his surgery, and this team is currently last in rebound differential per game. The Wizards are getting out-rebounded by a margin of 8.5 rebounds a game. Granted, they play Thomas Bryant at the 5, who is only 21, and Kieff is coming off the bench to play small ball 5. Either way, it is visible how much the Wizards inability to rebound has hurt them. For this team, defense equates to offense. I think that they are much better when they can get out and run in transition with one of the fastest guards in the game (John Wall). However, it is very difficult to push the ball out in transition when they cannot finish defensive possessions. The Wizards are already a poor defensive team, so giving up 12.1 offensive rebounds a game is definitely a key contributor to them being second to last in opponent’s points per game (117.2 ppg). There is absolutely no communication on defense, and when the ball is on one side of the court, it is astonishing to look at the opposite side to see how many Wizards defenders are standing straight up.

I would think that being on the verge of losing grip on playoff contention would light a fire under these guys, but that just has not happened except against the Lakers. Beal and Wall are both standing straight up here once the ball moves to the right side of the court, and Wall completely loses Emmanuel Mudiay to give up an open 3. Surprisingly enough, the Wizards are a solid defensive team when they give consistent effort and hustle back in transition. Unfortunately, their effort is inconsistent at best, and they do not get back in transition very well.

On top of all these glaring issues, John Wall and Otto Porter have been dealing with injuries. Wall played visibly hurt in a road loss against the Cavaliers, which resulted in one of the worst games of his career. He finished with 1 point and 6 assists on 0/5 from the floor while his matchup, Collin Sexton, dropped 29 on 13/23 shooting in route to a 116-101 win for the Cavs. John Wall sat the next game in the Wizards loss to the Pacers, and Otto Porter sustained a knee injury in the first quarter of that game. He has since been out 3 straight games. This came at tough time for the wing player because in his previous two games before he got hurt, he had scored an average of 17.5 points on 47% FG and 38.5% 3FG. Porter had been the most aggressive version of himself that we had seen all season in those two games. Hopefully he can continue that when he returns. The Wizards were 1-3 without Porter, including the Pacers game, because they missed his length on defense, his rebounding, and his threat as an outside shooter. This stretch was rough, but the large amount of injuries that have been sustained have definitely made it even harder for the Wizards to improve on their rocky start to the season.

The Trades

The Wizards traded for Sam Dekker which I already discussed in my last post. He adds youth, potential, a high motor, and decent 3-point shooting. Now, I am more interested in this trade for Trevor Ariza.

It is unfortunate that a 3-team deal with the Grizzlies and Suns fell apart.That deal would’ve sent the Wizards Ariza along with 2 second-round picks from the Grizzlies while sending out Oubre and Rivers. Once that fell apart due to miscommunications about which Brooks the trade would involve, the Wizards sent out Rivers and Oubre to the Suns to receive Trevor Ariza.

I really like this move because Kelly Oubre is a very inconsistent, young player that the Wizards would not have been able to afford to re-sign after this season. His market value will be higher than his basketball value this upcoming summer due to his potential. Austin Rivers was this team’s best on-ball defender, but he just did not fit well with the second unit. Furthermore, Trevor Ariza is on an expiring contract, and he is a much better shooter than both Kelly Oubre and Austin Rivers. Offensively, there have been players putting up numbers for this team, but the Wizards still rank just 27th in the league in 3pt%. They are only shooting 32.8% from 3, which makes it hard for them to stretch the floor to create space for driving lanes. Trevor Ariza has been shooting 36% from 3 so far this season.  The trade gives this team a good player (veteran) that has already played with Beal and wall before. This will help him manage their ego’s, he will demand effort from this team, and he will help lead the team. In less PC terms, Ariza will know how to handle their bull shit. Ariza, apparently, was a great influence on Wall back when he played with the Wizards from 2012 to 2014. Ariza is also a very good defender that has great length, and he will fit in well with Porter’s length and shooting when they are both in the game together. I would love to see the starting 5 be: Wall, Beal, Ariza, Porter, and Bryant. On top of this, Troy Brown Jr., the rookie out of Oregon, should be able to break into the rotation for the Wizards finally.

This trade is a last ditch effort to salvage this season. It would definitely be fun to make the playoffs, maybe surprise some people, and win a series. However, that would just be the same old thing. Ernie Grunfeld loves to make these “win now” changes, but the Wizards over the past simply do not do it. They have not been past the second round with this core, and they need a plan for the future. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, they have no future; they need to create a future.

The Lakers wanted to get Ariza very badly, so when the trade deadline is coming around, the Wizards should evaluate their situation and record. If they are not turning it around as they hoped, they should trade Ariza to the Lakers who may be in “win now mode” at that point. The Wizards could then get some value out of him if the on-court results are not there. Overall, I love the flexibility this trade gives the team, but I just hope the front office has some type of plan in place for what to do to create a future with this roster.

The Positives

Now it is time to feel good about this team!  There are some things I really like about the Wizards currently. First off, as much as I point out the shortcomings of John Wall’s game, I feel the need to go on record and say that I still love John Wall. He, in big games, plays with a ton of passion, and he is unquestionably a superstar when he is healthy. Since getting past his injured stretch, John Wall has averaged 27 points and 13.3 assists in the last 3 games. If Wall can continue to hit shots and GET OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED the way he did against the Lakers tonight, he can run this team perfectly. It was his best showing of good shot selection and avoidance of over dribbling thus far this year.  I hope this great play continues with the changes of the roster.

The addition of Sam Dekker has been very good so far. He plays with a ton of energy, cuts to the basket very well, and is a smart player with the ball. His best game with the team thus far was against the Lakers tonight when he put up 20 points on 10/15 shooting. Bradley Beal continues to be a superstar averaging an efficient 26.2 points and 5.3 assists in the last 10 games. I think Satoransky has been great since being inserted into the starting line-up. I expect his high-level play to continue when he, presumably, changes roles back to being this team’s backup PG. I also cannot say enough about the energy Thomas Bryant has been playing with. He runs the floor very hard, does not take ill-advised shots, and he always works hard on the glass no matter how physical the center he is playing against is. He needs to put on some weight, but he is young and has a great foundation to build on as a player. I cannot mention all of these players without mentioning Jeff Green who has played great so far this season. He has been a great surprise and a key piece to Washington’s bench.

All of the positives were on display against the Lakers tonight in a 128-110 win.  Wall really set the tone early with his effort, and this team playing players like Troy Brown, Thomas Bryant, Sam Dekker, and Thomas Satoransky- who are all trying to prove themselves in this league- more than likely influenced the Wizards to play very hard. John Wall played absolutely out of his mind putting up 40 points and 14 assists on 16/27 shooting. On top of this,  Jeff Green and Thomas Satoransky continued their great play. Most importantly, the ball moved a ton, and the Wizards gave GREAT effort defensively the whole game. Thomas Bryant had his best game so far having 8 points and 11 rebounds. He was all over the court, and his effort was hard to miss. Troy brown got minutes off the bench and really held his own out there; I saw a ton of positives. He had a rough time scoring, but he made some great plays defensively and made good decisions on offense. Not having Oubre to make bonehead plays, and not having Austin Rivers to take ill-advised shots helped the ball move more. This created energy within the team, and the Wizards played great.

As my dad put it perfectly, it was “addition by subtraction”.  Dekker and Brown are better for the team than Oubre and Rivers; it is that simple. The game tonight was by far their best game of the season, and I think getting Porter back from injury and adding Trevor Ariza will help them trend upwards.

 

Final Thoughts….

Trevor Ariza coming in and Porter getting healthy soon will hopefully help this team salvage the season. I think I will really like this roster with a Porter-Ariza combo. I am cautiously optimistic about this team’s prospects for the rest of the season. Hopefully, the effort can consistently be like it was against the Los Angeles Lakers. I also want to add that I do not see Wall and Beal getting traded during the season. Those moves, if they happen, I presume will come in the summer when teams looking to add a superstar in free agency whiff on their attempts. I am very intrigued to see where the direction of this team is headed. I hope they salvage this season, but I also hope that if they turn it around, it does not skew the front office’s thoughts into believing running it back again is the best way for this team to win. However, If Wall and the rest of the team continue the effort from the Laker’s game, and continue to play together, a blow up would not be necessary. We will see how they respond, and this next 10 game stretch I think will say a lot about the Wizards possibility of turning the season round. Should be fun!!

My next blog post, barring injury or trade, will come January 6!! Happy holidays!!

And here is a nice photo of my dad, John Ayanian aka the GOAT, at the game tonight cheering on the Wizard’s great effort!

Last night, the Wizards made their first of hopefully many trades this season. Unfortunately, this trade  was not a blockbuster involving John Wall or Bradley Beal, but this is the deal:

Bucks get: George Hill, Jason Smith, Cavs 2021 second-round pick, and Cash considerations from the Wizards

Cavs get: Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson, Milwaukee’s 2021 first-round pick,  Milwaukee’s 2021 second round picks, and Wizards 2022 second-round pick

Wizards get: Sam Dekker

Break down: The Wizards sent away a 2022 second round pick, cash considerations, and Jason Smith to get Sam Dekker.

Pros of the Deal

This deal does give the Wizards some cap flexibility. As a result of trading away Jason Smith’s $5.45 million contract to receive a player they only need to pay $2.8 million, the Wizards will pay $6 million less in luxury tax. Sam Dekker has been injured for a lot of the early portion of the season, but he has shown promise especially behind the 3 point line shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc. I do like the idea of adding a young player with potential that can hit the 3. Also, Dekker will be a restricted free agent next summer, so the Wizards can decide after the season whether or not they want to make a $3.9 million qualifying offer in hopes of retaining him. They have this whole season to figure out what they want to do with Dekker.

Cons of the Deal

Sam Dekker was a first round pick but has not lived up to that status yet. Since being drafted in 2015, he has now played for 4 teams already. Over his career, he has only averaged 5.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and only shot 28% from 3. Losing Jason Smith could be a blow to an already unsteady locker room. He was one of the most well-liked players on the team, and in my opinion, one of the best teammates in the league. He was always ready if his number was called, and he was always the first guy off the bench running out to give high fives to his teammates during timeouts. Hopefully losing a levelheaded, good teammate won’t let things in the locker room spiral out of control again. Lastly, the Wizards have now traded all of their second-round picks up until 2022. For a team with very few contracts in the books past this season, having those picks to take chances on an unpolished players with upside could have been an advantage. Although the second round is not loaded with talent normally, a study by NBC Sports has shown that 91/132 second-round draft picks over the past 6 years has received some form of a guaranteed contract; That’s 69%.

Final thoughts…

I do not particularly have strong feelings about this trade. I will miss the positive attitude and sideline cheerfulness of Jason Smith, but this trade does give financial flexibility and make the Wizards a little bit younger. Sam Dekker has potential, however, I do not see him having a very larger, if any, role in the rotation with players like Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre, Markieff Morris, and Jeff Green in front of him. If the Wizards plan on making more trades, then maybe Sam Dekker will have more of a chance to contribute. Overall, this trade has pros and cons, and does not move the needle much either way.

Stay tuned for my next 10 game update on December 16th!!

Dwight Howard has been nagged by a glute injury since training camp. Yesterday, he underwent a procedure that involved a L4-L5 lumbar microdiscectomy per The Washington Post. The goal is to relieve the nerve irritation and glute pain caused by a disc in his lower back. He is expected to miss 2-3 months, and the Wizards are going to feel this injury on the court.

This team has had severe trouble with rebounding and paint protection while Howard has been out, and I only see that continuing. A few nights ago against the Pelicans they were out rebounded by a whopping margin of 64-38 in a blowout loss on the road. Although the small ball has helped the Wizards pick up their offensive game, their rebounding has taken a major hit without Howard. He was averaging 12.8 points on 62.3% shooting along with 9.2 rebound a games; No one else is averaging more than 5.3 rebounds.

On defense, they just don’t have a guy that can protect the paint like Howard can. I love the energy Thomas Bryant has played with since being put in the starting lineup, but he is young still and weighs 17 lbs less than Howard. He is not nearly as good of a rebounder or paint protector as Howard is. Ian Mahinmi should be a good paint protector with his height and length, but he gets in foul trouble incredibly easy. Scott Brooks has completely eliminated his minutes because he cannot trust him to stay on the court and rebound.

I personally do not see the Wizards being able to consistently win games against quality opponents when they cannot rebound or protect the paint. I wish I had a magic recipe for them to win ball games with this current roster, but I just do not have it. They need to work together on offense and defense which simply is not happening. They do not sprint back consistently on defense, and that gives up easy transition buckets for the opposition. It is ridiculous that this team does not give consistent effort even though they are not currently in the East’s top 8. Speaking of working together….

This is what I’ve been talking about with their stagnant offense. Wall isolates the 3rd most in the NBA, and the Wizards are horrible at scoring when it ends in his shot or his pass to a shot. He needs to trust him teammates more. Especially without Howard, they need to stop these isolations and have more ball movement because Bryant does not draw as much attention down low as Howard does. Passing, Off-ball screens, and cuts coupled with pick and rolls would help this offense a lot. Watching the Boston Celtics under Brad Stevens it is easy to notice that there is rarely only one action happening on offense. There is never just a pick and roll, and there is never just a shooter coming off of a double screen; there are usually a combo of actions. Granted the Wizards have done a slightly better job moving the ball, but they are still too often standing and watching other players isolate. When there is a pick and roll, everyone else is just standing around. This Dwight Howard injury is going to hurt the Wizards a ton if they do not start giving more consistent effort and start playing together on both ends of the floor.

 

 

Wow… What a 10 game stretch it has been for the Wizards. Record Wise, the Wizards have improved upon their 2-8 start. They ended the stretch with a rivetting OT win against the Rockets tonight. However, along with this on-court progress has come behind the scenes drama. Surprisingly, none of these basketball related issues have involved Dwight Howard who has produced when on the court but cannot shake this glute injury. The team quickly turned around a rough start with a 3-game win streak punctuated by blowing out the Cleveland Cavaliers from start to finish. This temporary high ended with a demoralizing loss to a Caris Levert-less Brooklyn Nets team at home. That loss was followed by a beat down at home by the Portland Trailblazers which set a few things into motion:

1)Heated practice with verbal altercations

2)Adrian Wojnarowski report

3) Changes in the lineup resulting in progress

 

1)Heated practice with verbal altercations 

In the practice following the beat down the Wizards took by the Blazers in which they found themselves down by 20 during the first quarter, the Wizards had a very “Volatile practice” per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. The practice involved verbal altercations amongst players and Wall cursing out Coach Brooks. Wall was ultimately fined by the team for his actions in practice. Beal reportedly told management after this practice that he has “been dealing with this for 7 years”. It is never a good sign when you’re star point guard is cursing out your coach, or your all-star shooting guard is showing signs of exhaustion towards the climate of the team. Apparently, practices like this have not become abnormal over the years for the Wizards, but the fact that it was so much in the public eye this time will definitely put more stress on the situation. It will have everyone tuning in to watch what feels like an implosion waiting to happen.

Personally, I am not sold that there is an impending implosion. The Wizards may not have the same exact roster in a few weeks, but I do not see this team imploding on itself and ending in turmoil. These guys will continue to play hard with each other until a trade forces otherwise. This team is full of huge competitors: Wall, Beal, Rivers, and Morris most notably. They will butt heads sometimes, but they will work through it as a group. They are all professionals.

2) The Report + Trade ideas 

As the report about the practice was coming out, Adrian Wojnarowski also reported that the Wizards have signaled to other front offices that they are willing to trade everyone and anyone on this roster. Yes, that includes all-star guards Wall and Beal. I want to precede what I’m about to say by stating: I love this team so much. I go to most of, if not every, home playoff game each year. I was at all 3 home playoff games against the Celtics the year Wall hit the game winner to force a game 7. The passion that this team played with for the city when it came playoff time made me proud to be a fan, and a local resident. With that said, I do like that the Wizards are open to trading all 3 of their max contract players but especially Wall and Beal.

I am not suggesting this because I want the Wizards to go back to the mediocre days, but because I think this core has hit its ceiling in a young conference that is only going to continue to improve. Wall’s max extension that kicks in next year is incredibly large and will only tie this organization’s hands behind their backs for the next 4 years. This team must look to trade him this year while he only makes $19 million. Beal possesses the most trade value on the team, so he must be involved in trade discussions. He is a great shooter, scorer, ball handler, and on ball defender with a reasonably priced max contract at $25 million a year. The team’s other max contract in Porter is one that many  would like to see moved. However, Porter is very skilled and versatile. Granted, he may be slightly overpaid, but the Wizards also do not give him the ball enough. This does not allow him to prove his worth.

There have been reports of the Pelicans being interested in Porter. Also, the Hornets and Lakers have been linked to Beal. The Pelicans desperately need wing depth and see exactly that in Porter who just recently scored 29 points against them on 12/15 shooting a few nights ago. However, as I stated previously, I am not quite ready to give up Porter. I believe the Wizards should be more focused on moving Wall (huge contract) and Beal (huge trade value). I do not see any Porter deal getting done unless at least 3 teams are involved. The Hornets could use a star SG to play alongside a shining PG in Kemba Walker, and Beal could also be a great fit alongside Lebron in LA. However, many teams along with the Hornets and Lakers will have interest in Beal.

For Wall on the other hand, I believe there are only two teams that would seriously consider a trade for him: The Suns and the Heat. The Heat are desperate for any injection of excitement, and the Suns have a front office that may strongly believe giving Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton an all-star point guard would push them in to the playoffs.

I aspire to be an NBA GM in the future, so I decided to work out possible trade proposals for both Wall and Beal…

Lakers get: Bradley Beal & 2019 second round pick

Wizards get: KCP, Ivac Zubac, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram

Although this deal works money and talent wise, the Lakers may not want to give up 4 players for 1. Either way, it would be a good place to start in negotiations.

Suns get: John Wall, Jeff Green (OR Kelly Oubre instead of Green)

Wizards get: TJ Warren, Dragan Bender, Elie Okobo, and 2019 first round pick

I believe this Suns trade is the more likely of the two to be completed at face value. Overall, these trades would move big contracts, give the Wizards talented, young players, draft picks, and quickly expiring contracts to free up cap space. It is hard for me to know exactly what other teams would take or want for sure because I cannot contact them myself. Still, from my position, I would encourage the Wizards to consider these proposals as well as listen openly to possible offers from teams like the Hornets and Heat.

3)Changes in line up and Rotation

After the Reports of the heated practice and openness to trades, Scott Brooks shook up the lineup. The starting 5 has recently been:

1. John Wall

2.Bradley Beal

3.Kelly Oubre

4.Otto Porter

5.Thomas Bryant

Thomas Satoransky receives way more minutes off the bench now averaging almost 5 more minutes per game. Thomas Bryant has been inserted in the starting lineup to replace the injured Dwight Howard, and Kelly Oubre has replaced Markieff Morris in the starting lineup. Otto Porter has been moved to the 4 spot while Kelly Oubre is playing the 3. Also, the minutes of Ian Mahinmi and Jason Smith have completely disappeared.

Along with these new lineup changes, Brooks has stated that “the more we pass the better we’re off”. This aligns directly with my last post where I repeatedly stated that this team needs to move the ball more. Wall had previously been overdribbling and forcing shots. With these new changes, Wall has been passing more, shooting and dribbling less, and being way more efficient when he does attack. Since these changes, the Wizards have gone 3-1. They did have a shaky start by falling behind 70-49 at half time to the Clippers. Kelly Oubre picked up his 5^th foul 15 seconds into the 3^rdquarter and only played 12 minutes overall. Surprisingly, they ended up completing a massive comeback to beat the Clippers in the second half. After that win, they followed up with a loss in Toronto, but an impressive team win against the Pelicans. Ending this 10 game stretch, they beat the Rockets in overtime.

In the 4 games with this new rotation, Kelly Oubre and Thomas Bryant have given the Wizards great energy in the starting lineup. However, they have been better when Kelly Oubre is off the floor for the most part. His shots aren’t falling, he gets caught napping on defense, and he does not create for others. Off the bench, Markieff Morris has gotten up way more shots and even played more minutes. Over the past four games he is averaging over 16 points a game while shooting very efficiently from the floor. This is a result of him being one of the best offensive players in the second unit, so he must carry more of a scoring load. A huge improvement has been the usage rate of Porter. Moving him to the 4 has gotten him the touches and shots he deserves. The last 4 games he has been averaging almost 18 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 57% from the floor. Incredibly efficient. I believe he is worth his contract because the market said he was the year he signed it. There is no denying he is a solid defender, solid rebounder, and very efficient scorer when given the ball.

Final thoughts and what’s coming…

Overall, the Wizards have played better this last 10 game stretch. Wall has done a great job not turning it over, dribbling less, and attacking more under control. His scoring and assist numbers have looked better as a result of this. The new rotation has been great, but they still have not been defending well in first halves. They seem to normally pick up their intensity and physicality in the second half, but digging a hole is never a good habit. Getting Dwight Howard back, hopefully in the near future, will help this team rebound and defend better. However, this small ball is working, and they cannot hold their breaths hoping he comes back fast.

Even though there are a lot of reasons for positivity, this team still needs to make trades. Wall and Beal are both great players, but their contracts are too big and this core has hit its ceiling. Getting picks, adding young players, and clearing cap space should be this team’s priority. This team can make the playoffs and compete, but they cannot compete for a championship. There is no future right now, and a future needs to be created. The next 10 games will tell a lot about what this team can do this year, AND if they will be together the entire year. I will cautiously say that the internal implosion of the team seems to be a thing of the past for the moment.

My next blog post will be December 16.. Stay tuned!!!