Washington Wizards 2010-2011 Ongoing Thread

[CooleyAsCanBe]

Originally Posted by johno

I am stealing that. nice.

I saw another good one on Bulletsforever.com:

The Great Wall of Chinatown.

[itvnetop]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I wouldn't be upset to have a player with Turner's potential, but I don't see any way we can pass up on a prospect of Wall's caliber. Seperate of John Wall, I think Evan Turner will pan out to be a very good player. But I'm not even blinking if I have choice between the two. And the Wizards have that choice.

Agreed... Magic Johnson said it best- you don't pass on a franchise PG like this. There have only been a few absolute top pick PGs- Magic, AI, Derrick Rose (even though many thought Beasley was the pick)... successful careers (and Rose is well on his way). The only former Sun who saw similar success without Nash was Joe Johnson (you think Dirk wouldn't like Steve back in Dallas?).

The league's changed over the past few years from teams with dominating big men to those with dominating point guards. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook and obviously Rajon Rondo are proving that special PGs can upgrade the entire squad faster than comparable big men (the Lakers are the exception... they've just got too much size down low, plus Kobe).

Evan Turner is a fine player- I'd say he's similar to Brandon Roy, but I'm still not sold on his defense yet (Buckeyes played a lot of zone). But I'm not bypassing Wall b/c we already have Gil... the Blazers passed on the better talent to grab Sam Bowie (even Hakeem was available as a center). If Gil can't work alongside Wall, the decision is obvious- move Agent 0.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by itvnetop

Agreed... Magic Johnson said it best- you don't pass on a franchise PG like this. There have only been a few absolute top pick PGs- Magic, AI, Derrick Rose (even though many thought Beasley was the pick)... successful careers (and Rose is well on his way). The only former Sun who saw similar success without Nash was Joe Johnson (you think Dirk wouldn't like Steve back in Dallas?).

The league's changed over the past few years from teams with dominating big men to those with dominating point guards. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook and obviously Rajon Rondo are proving that special PGs can upgrade the entire squad faster than comparable big men (the Lakers are the exception... they've just got too much size down low, plus Kobe).

Evan Turner is a fine player- I'd say he's similar to Brandon Roy, but I'm still not sold on his defense yet (Buckeyes played a lot of zone). But I'm not bypassing Wall b/c we already have Gil... the Blazers passed on the better talent to grab Sam Bowie (even Hakeem was available as a center). If Gil can't work alongside Wall, the decision is obvious- move Agent 0.

It's no guarantee that an elite point guard will turn you into a championship contender. You could easily be stuck in the second round forever like the Jazz and Deron Williams. However it sure as hell gives you a great chance to build a winner and it's very effective when it comes to making a bad team look good and a good team look great.

Also keep in mind the last team I remember passing up on an elite PG was when the Hawks insisted on taking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul. Even though the Hawks recovered the fact of the matter is they would likely be much better today had they drafted Paul.

However, freaking Ted Leonis. Have to admit, guy has pretty damn good luck when it comes to draft lottery's.

[Dirtbag59]

John Wall
Positives:
Freakish athletic point guard
Great size for his position
Explosive leaping ability
Very quick first step
Flies up and down the court
Big-time penetrator and finisher at the rim
Solid passer, can be creative
Decent midrange jumper
Great rebounder for a guard

Negatives:
Needs to improve his 3-point jump shot
Still needs to improve his decision-making skills with the ball
Needs more intensity on the defensive end

Evan Turner
Positives:
Great size for a 2 guard
Can play three positions on the floor
Excellent ball handler
Good athlete
Very good at getting to the basket
Excellent rebounder for a guard
Improving shooter
Aggressive defender
Excellent free-throw shooter

Negatives:
Needs to continue to add strength
Needs a more consistent long-range jump shot
Turnover prone

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I wouldn't be upset to have a player with Turner's potential, but I don't see any way we can pass up on a prospect of Wall's caliber. Seperate of John Wall, I think Evan Turner will pan out to be a very good player. But I'm not even blinking if I have choice between the two. And the Wizards have that choice.

Agreed, Wall is the top prospect and probably also has more room to grow. I've just heard it mentioned a time or two and wondered if there was anything to the idea of picking Turner. I didn't follow either of them much but obviously heard quite a bit about them during the past season.

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

Would anybody be upset if we picked Evan Turner?

I'd be a little bit upset, I don't have a whole lot of faith in Evan Turner becoming a special player. I think he'll be very good, but I don't think he's going to be fantastic. He's never seemed overly efficient to me, he always seems to need the ball to fill it up. I feel like he bogs down an offense and turns everything into a half court, "see how long I can dribble before getting a shot off," Evan Turner show.

Pay no attention to the fact that I'm a Michigan fan.

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

Would anybody be upset if we picked Evan Turner?

Gotta say yes, he is a very nice player who really just "bloomed" this year...getting a great PG is kinda like getting a great Center, they just dont come around very often. Wall IMO is a better prospect than the recent Derrick Rose...I think we have to take him.

[SmootSmack]

Evan Turner is a really intriguing prospect. Like itvnetop said, he's another Brandon Roy (who in my opinion is the most underrated star in the NBA). I wouldn't be unhappy with him at all.

Still, there's something special about Wall.

It's a tough call for me quite honestly. On the one hand I love the idea of Wall at the point and move Gilbert off the ball (something that should have been done a long time ago). On the other hand, Shaun Livingston really impressed me this past season. He's a big point guard with great court vision. If they can move Arenas out of there, and draft Turner. I wouldn't hate a Livingston/Turner back-court.

It's nice to have options

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Evan Turner is a really intriguing prospect. Like itvnetop said, he's another Brandon Roy (who in my opinion is the most underrated star in the NBA). I wouldn't be unhappy with him at all.

Still, there's something special about Wall.

It's a tough call for me quite honestly. On the one hand I love the idea of Wall at the point and move Gilbert off the ball (something that should have been done a long time ago). On the other hand, Shaun Livingston really impressed me this past season. He's a big point guard with great court vision. If they can move Arenas out of there, and draft Turner. I wouldn't hate a Livingston/Turner back-court.

It's nice to have options

Livingston really showed...but seriously? I can't see a Livingston/Turner back-court as much of a long term step up. I'd rather it be a Wall/Arenas
back-court where Gil can play for a year and up his value then trade him for better assets. I don't know...Livingston/Turner strikes me as, at best, a 45 win type back-court. Minus a formidable front-court of course. Wilbon has a good article...the league ahs become a point guard league and Wall is awesome. Of course Livingston was something special before the knee.

[mredskins]

I am Celtics fan and I was even excited to hear that Washington got the first pick, since I live around here I watch plenty of Wizards ball to get my fix and it be nice to see a potential super star develop here.

[SmootSmack]

End of the day I'd have to go with Wall. Just saying I wouldn't hate on a Turner choice

[12thMan]

You just have to go with Wall. No other way around it. Not to sound cliche, but he really is a special player. It's not often you can build a team around a point guard, but this is that rare occasion. Truth is, guys with Turner's size and athletic ability will be out there long after the first few picks, and perhaps in the FA market. Evans will be good, but Wall has the potential to be great. And for the people comparing this pick to Kwame Brown, apples and oranges. Not even close.

The way the league is trending right now, it's becoming a point guard driven league. The Celtics are clearly surging right now because of Rondo. There are others that come to mind, but he's the most vivid example for obvious reasons. You need a guy pushing the rock, controlling the tempo, and helping guys finish in the paint.

In terms of who is out there right now, it might not be a bad idea for the Zards to "skip" this FA class, let the lock out play itself out and go for a Durant or Mello the following season. How sick would that be? Listening to Grunfeld today, it's something that they're definitely considering.

[Monkeydad]

Rebrand coming (hopefully)?

Return to Bullets? HOEPFULLY!

Looks like Ted is at least returning to the red/white/blue scheme with his mention of cross-marketing with the Caps at the Verizon Center. Since the Caps already tried and trashed the blue/gold/black color scheme and returned to their proper colors, I don't see the Caps going to the Wizards' color scheme again...rather, the other way around.


An Important Message from Ted Leonsis

Dear Caps Fan,


By now you have probably heard the news that my partners and I have completed our purchase of the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center and created a new company – Monumental Sports & Entertainment – that owns those entities as well as the Capitals and the Mystics.

You’re likely to see and hear more from me on this news in the coming days – in the media, on my blog (Teds Take), at the NBA Draft. It’s big news, and something my partners, my family and I are very excited about.

But I’m here to assure you that even if you hear me talking about the Wizards a lot, I haven’t – and never will – overlook the Capitals and our commitment to bring a Stanley Cup to Washington. I will continue to be focused on your well being and happiness.

A few people have asked how I expect to juggle these new responsibilities. I believe I’ve always been someone with great “bandwidth” to cover a variety of interests, including different companies, film projects and, foremost, my family. The Wizards will have a place in those interests, no bigger or smaller than the Caps – just as I don’t choose between my son and my daughter!

The creation of Monumental actually creates opportunities that I hope Capitals fans are excited about. We now program Verizon Center and we hope to be able to offer terrific new cross-marketing opportunities to our fans. We plan to continue to improve the fan experience at Verizon Center and will count on your feedback to do so. And we will over-index on scheduling and maintenance-oriented projects related to all of your teams.

Thanks as always for your support, and I will see you at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the Caps Convention and Verizon Center in the upcoming months. And I’m always available to you at washingtoncaps@aol.com.

Sincerely,

Ted Leonsis

[Monkeydad]

Washington Momuments maybe? (Monumental Sports & Entertainment)


Anything would be better than the name "Wizards".

[CooleyAsCanBe]

Buster,

You're right about the colors changing, and based on Leonsis's statements, it will likely happen for the 2011-12 season. In an ealier blog post talking about all his Wizards-related tasks for this summer he sad the following:

With all of that going on understanding that to effectuate a name change could take two to three years. This simply isn’t a priority for us right now. We can’t change the name of the team for next season. It is June and the new season starts in October. There will be no name change. We can’t change the name. It is pretty simple.

We can change the colors more easily than the name. We will look into that as part of an overall brand uplift and updating project. That could happen as soon as the following season, but NOTHING new can happen next season. It is too late in the off season to have any changes at all. I am sorry but schedules and production of materials etc. are set years ahead of time.

Some Clarity « Teds Take


Man, what a great owner. I've always admired his openness with Caps fans, but I'm not a big hockey fan, so I haven't followed him very closely. As a Wiz fan I couldn't be more pleased.