Washington Wizards (nee Bullets) Team Thread

[FreoRicci]

Washington- Cleveland game will be live on ESPN tomorrow 11am EST.. Extremely rare to see Wizards on ESPN, giggled like a little girl when I found out it's on. Just hope it's a decent game, live in HD.

 

[SirRoyTucker]

So good to see Nene back out there. Already got a nice dunk and has got away with smacking LBJ in the face!

 

[FreoRicci]

Le Bron and Kyrie just too good. 66 pts between them. Wall did a honourable job, 20pts/12 assists- considering what Kyrie is surrounded with. Just wish Beal would hurry up sooner rather then later. Right now, Washington would be lucky to make the 8th seed, 15-18. Something lke 40 - 45 wins should be the aim.

 

[FreoRicci]

Ok enough is enough. The team is underachieving this season and it doesn't help changing the game plan to small ball which clearly is erratic as. Another second/third quarter where the team just shoot poorly- 14 pts in the third cost the momentum.
15-19 is not ideal right now, understandable with Beal out. But not having a suitable replacement is poor management. Alot of the top teams in the East have decent depth on the bench. Temple has done well as a starter but Sessions, Oubre and Nene aren't going to push the depth other teams possess. This has been said nearly every single day for a season or two, but need a fresh shake up for coach. Randy Wittman is ok, but not the quality Wall and co require.

 

[SirRoyTucker]

Wall really needs to work on his attitude as well. When things aren't going his way i.e. through a few no-calls or team-mates not handling his passes, he gets frustrated very quickly. The Toronto commentators pointed this out as well, and this has been happening the past few games too. We've all had enough, but he's supposed to be the leader, and sulking or being lazy about it helps no one.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Poor few days as I predicted

Heavy minutes and high usage rate seems to be taking its toll on Wall.

Good news is that Beal is apparently just around the corner from returning.

Pretty important game today.

Next two weeks very important if we want to play playoffs.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Shouldn't of doubted today's result I suppose, we just don't lose to Orlando.

Great even performance, but Wall, despite his TOs (sort this out plz) was MOTM.

Not going to shoot 55% from the field and 56% from 3 every day but gee it's nice when we do.

Dudley absolute money when he got an open look today. And oh my John Walls 30-footer to put us back up 13 was huge.

Hopefully Beal back this week and we can start winning more games. Still hanging around just under 500

 

[FreoRicci]

Shouldn't of doubted today's result I suppose, we just don't lose to Orlando.

Great even performance, but Wall, despite his TOs (sort this out plz) was MOTM.

Not going to shoot 55% from the field and 56% from 3 every day but gee it's nice when we do.

Dudley absolute money when he got an open look today. And oh my John Walls 30-footer to put us back up 13 was huge.

Hopefully Beal back this week and we can start winning more games. Still hanging around just under 500

That's the stretch 4 game plan in effect. Porter and Dudley can shoot decent when open and it's great. Beal will be big if he can come back this week, need some sort of run before and after the All Star game.

Wall really needs to work on his attitude as well. When things aren't going his way i.e. through a few no-calls or team-mates not handling his passes, he gets frustrated very quickly. The Toronto commentators pointed this out as well, and this has been happening the past few games too. We've all had enough, but he's supposed to be the leader, and sulking or being lazy about it helps no one.

It must be frustrating though, seeing other teams with two or three decent wing players dominating when Wall doesn't have that himself. The team plays through Wall in such a big way, and when it doesn't work such as against Toronto and Cleveland, he get found out. He misses Beal a fair bit, needs that other A Grader alongside him. The reason Kyrie is so highly regarded has to be the fact Le Bron makes him a better player.
Man oh man imagine KD alongside Wall..

 

[SirRoyTucker]

I don't think KD would leave Westbrook to join Washington when he sees how we are playing. That being said, we just dominated another contender in the East despite having no Gortat, Beal or Humphries. To put that in perspective, 3/5 of our starting line-up at the beginning of the year are injured. That alone leads me to believe that if we can just get and stay healthy, we should be golden. God, did we miss Nene. Also Gooden with the casual double including 7 offensive rebounds.

 

[FreoRicci]

I don't think KD would leave Westbrook to join Washington when he sees how we are playing. That being said, we just dominated another contender in the East despite having no Gortat, Beal or Humphries. To put that in perspective, 3/5 of our starting line-up at the beginning of the year are injured. That alone leads me to believe that if we can just get and stay healthy, we should be golden. God, did we miss Nene. Also Gooden with the casual double including 7 offensive rebounds.

How refreshing is it to see 7 players to score double figures.. Not bad against a team like Chicago. A rotation of Wall Oubre Porter Dudley Gooden/Nene somehow worked . Gooden and Nene dominated the paint, and against Noah and Gasol. But you're exactly right. Once we get a healthy squad going- Anderson and Beal would be huge around the All Star break. Cavaliers right now have one or two injuries to their roster. Wouldn't mind that, and soon.

 

[FreoRicci]

Bradley Beal is back! Was a game time decision, and played 22 minutes. Ended with 11 pts and 3 assists. BB3 did say he will be on a minute cap for the rest of the season. So he's handy to have 20-25 minutes off the bench, if not as a starter. It's something anyway. Apart from Gortat, Anderson and Humps the team/roster is slowly getting back.
Solid effort all game, the third quarter was the letdown but other than that another W. Nene is making an impact the last few games, he's been great along with Dudley with some absolute money 3s in the last quarter.

 

[SirRoyTucker]

Third quarter we just couldn't score, no matter how open. Dudley missing wide open 3's which he just doesn't do often But a fantastic start to the 4th set up the win, and even then we kept it as close as my heart can take. Gortat being checked for staph infection in his knee. Hopefully it's all clear!

 

[SirRoyTucker]

Will this rotating injury list never end? now Porter is out!!! Great first half though.

 

[FreoRicci]

Washington finally back to .500. 19/19 and with a 4 game winning streak. Definitely happy with that. Crushed Indiana today with a massive 2nd quarter. The team shot great and look very settled with Beal back. Ended up with 52% FG including 11/25 from 3s. Wall and Beal with 50 pts combined- Wall with 28 pts/8 assists and Beal only played 22 mins, but 22 pts with 4 3 pointers. Yes please!
The bench combined for a crazy 67 pts with Pacers' bench only managing 37. Great having some depth, particularly Gooden, Neal and Sessions, handy to have with Wall much needed rest.

Only half a game behind 8th seed Orlando. Now onward to 5 straight home games- Boston x2, Portland, Miami and Utah. Definitely all winnable and should at least win 3 or 4. Hopefully Porter's injury isn't too major and Gortat comes back soon. How good would that be (touchwood ).

Here's something neat:

 

[FreoRicci]

Lost two games in a row at home. Against ordinary teams in Boston and Portland. This season is bizarre that's for sure. Managed to win on the road against Cavs, Pacers, Detroit and Chicago but yet can't do much on home court.
Horrid first quarter but then with a 40 point 2nd quarter, lead only two points at the half. Then imploded in the third quarter. Really need a consistent four quarter game, have had too many single quarter blow outs.
Wall was very poor with 4/17 shooting only ended up with 9 points, 10 assists. The team lives and die on Wall, not enough support when he has bad games. Next up against Miami, maybe playing against an Eastern conference contender will lift the team this time? Who knows.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Bradley Beal is a magnificent campaigner

 

[Rough_Edges]

Lost two games in a row at home. Against ordinary teams in Boston and Portland. This season is bizarre that's for sure. Managed to win on the road against Cavs, Pacers, Detroit and Chicago but yet can't do much on home court.
Horrid first quarter but then with a 40 point 2nd quarter, lead only two points at the half. Then imploded in the third quarter. Really need a consistent four quarter game, have had too many single quarter blow outs.
Wall was very poor with 4/17 shooting only ended up with 9 points, 10 assists. The team lives and die on Wall, not enough support when he has bad games. Next up against Miami, maybe playing against an Eastern conference contender will lift the team this time? Who knows.

you asked and they answered.

we were great today

 

[FreoRicci]

you asked and they answered.

we were great today

Used the talls well against Bosh. Beal was great with the limited minutes he played, 18 pts - 7/13 FG. Allowed Wall a bit of a break, BB3 handles the ball well.
Also John Wall completely snubbed for All Star voting, ended up 6th in voting for Eastern Conference PGs. Ridiculous. Butler, Lowry, Irving and DeRozan ahead of him.
Wade/Carmelo/Lowry/PG13/Le Bron for starters for East. Carmelo AND Wade?! Come on.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Just madness dude. I reckon Wall still makes it, surely

 

[FreoRicci]

Just a gentle reminder why John Wall should be All Star starter:

 

[FreoRicci]

Ok, this season is now officially unacceptable. 20-23, two games behind 8th. Sweeping Toronto in the playoffs last season probably had many of us predicting 40-50 wins as the minimum, with Wall/Beal taking it to the next level. Now just lost to the Raptors with Lowry and DeRozan dominating so far this season. Wall with 18 pts/14 assists but Nene and Gortat struggled. Beal injured again is noting but frustrating.
What now for Randy Wittman? Been said time and time again last couple of season but surely something has to be done. He led us to the last 4 in the Conference playoffs last season but think a better offensive coach is required. Need a fresh start to push the players, as Cavs have done.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Wittman is a flog.

He must be give amazing wristies to Grunfeld. No other explanation.

He simply can't coach

 

[FreoRicci]

I know that we all don't like Wittman, which is pretty much all the time. But definitely condolences and respect for him coaching the win against the Rockets having found out the news hours before that his older brother had passed away. Will understandably miss the next couple of games. Incredible effort to even get the team together but to win in the way the team did, was amazing.

 

[FreoRicci]

Playing Golden State at home, is like watching a team we've haven't seen the likes of since the 96 Bulls. Curry with 36 pts, 13/14 FG % (!!!). Give him not even a few inches and he'll make the shot.
Washington aren't playing all that bad, even Wall himself has 20 pts. But gee Warriors have an incredible team. Barnes/Green/Curry/Klay with Iguodala on the bench.
I'd be interested in going after Barnes, as KD isn't going to be coming to DC.

 

[FreoRicci]

This season is just bumbling along for Washington. Can't really get on a streak, and play 4 quarters. Up by 19 pts in the second quarter and from then on just turned south. Great game by Wall and Beal but the bench just lacks the class. 10th in the east at this point, and 3-4 games behind 8th. Feel like if we make 7th seed at least, we can trouble some teams. After the All Star break is key.