Washington Wizards

You'll recall CSN Washington's report earlier this week that Bradley Beal had yet to be cleared to return to baskeball-related activities despite being seven weeks removed from being shut down with a stress injury in his left fibula. J Michael asked Beal himself about his status at the draft lottery yesterday, and this was Beal's answer. "I still haven't been cleared," Beal told CSN after he represented the Wizards at the draft lottery and secured the No. 3 overall pick for the June 27 draft. "It's been six weeks since I've done any basketball-related activities. In the next couple weeks or so I'm going to get another X-Ray and see if the fracture actually started closing and see if can get back out there. Until then I'm still rehabbing, lifting weights and refraining from any basketball activity." The word "fracture" freaked me out upon reading the article. However, a Wizards spokesman told Bullets Forever that, much like John Wall did last December, Beal misspoke and did not mean to indicate that the bone was actually broken. Michael Lee asked Beal a similar question and put in "[stress reaction]" in the quote used in today's story. Semantics aside, the injury itself will likely take over two months to heal, so it's serious enough. Wall's "stress injury" in his knee ended up sidelining him for over three months. Standard aches and bruises don't take this long to heel, so whatever one wants to call it, the effect is the same. While it is the offseason, I'd feel much more comfortable if Beal was healed enough to be cleared soon.

I know I am going to get skewered for this and I understand why to some degree, but in a weak draft like this the three pick is really more like a 5-7 in an average year. Ernie is not a great drafter, and we could really get some talent for this pick so i say we should trade it. utah is a team looking to move up and they definitely have some great pieces. If the Jazz offered a package like Favors, Burks/ Hayward/14 pick I would do it. If the Kings offered Cousins and Patterson for the 3 pick and Singleton/Vesely/Booker I would absolutely do it. I am not Mike Wise. I understand that the Wizards have much more than this year, and that yeah we want to make the playoffs now, but 2015-2020 is the most important block. I don't want to trade the pick for veterans. I am a huge fan, however, of trading draft pick for established YOUNG players with high ceilings. I find them to be more of a sure thing than draft picks. Just imagine if last year, we took Orlando up on their offer of Harden for Beal. Beal is good, but Harden- he is a legit superstar. Nobody in their right mind takes Beal over Harden and thats not a knock on Beal. I would also trade the pick to a bad team like Charlotte or Orlando for a 2014 first rounder. That is a much better, deeper draft and who knows maybe we get Wiggins. If Orlando offered a 2014 1st rounder and Tobias Harris for our 2014 and 2013 1st rounders I would do it. If Charlotte offered the same deal with MKG instead of Harris I would have to say yes. Ultimately we are not going to trade the pick and I agree with that. I think that the only way we trade the pick is if someone overpays for it and all the above scenarios are indeed overpaying for a three pick in a weak draft class. But, if someone decides to overwhelm us and give up young players for the pick? Then do it. The point of the fan post was not to say trade the pick but to say do not out rule trading the pick, keep all options open. I am sure Porter, Oladipo, Muhammed or even Noel would be great for us. A top 3 pick usually works out and I expect it to with us. I am edited about the future of our Wall/ Beal/ 3 pick core trio, but I' be more excited about Wall/ Beal/ Cousins trio with Patterson I know I am going to get skewered for this and I understand why to some degree, but in a weak draft like this the three pick is really more like a 5-7 in an average year. Ernie is not a great drafter, and we could really get some talent for this pick so i say we should trade it. utah is a team looking to move up and they definitely have some great pieces. If the Jazz offered a package like Favors, Burks/ Hayward/14 pick I would do it. If the Kings offered Cousins and Patterson for the 3 pick and Singleton/Vesely/Booker I would absolutely do it. I am not Mike Wise. I understand that the Wizards have much more than this year, and that yeah we want to make the playoffs now, but 2015-2020 is the most important block. I don't want to trade the pick for veterans. I am a huge fan, however, of trading draft pick for established YOUNG players with high ceilings. I find them to be more of a sure thing than draft picks. Just imagine if last year, we took Orlando up on their offer of Harden for Beal. Beal is good, but Harden- he is a legit superstar. Nobody in their right mind takes Beal over Harden and thats not a knock on Beal. I would also trade the pick to a bad team like Charlotte or Orlando for a 2014 first rounder. That is a much better, deeper draft and who knows maybe we get Wiggins. If Orlando offered a 2014 1st rounder and Tobias Harris for our 2014 and 2013 1st rounders I would do it. If Charlotte offered the same deal with MKG instead of Harris I would have to say yes. Ultimately we are not going to trade the pick and I agree with that. I think that the only way we trade the pick is if someone overpays for it and all the above scenarios are indeed overpaying for a three pick in a weak draft class. But, if someone decides to overwhelm us and giv

The NBA Draft lottery is done, which means it's time for mock draft season! Everyone knows and nobody knows! Speculation! Rumors! (These exclamation marks are genuine. I really am excited on some level to figure this all out). Thanks to SBNation.com's handy table, we know that five of the seven prominent Internet mocks have the Wizards taking Georgetown forward Otto Porter. The other two feature UNLV's Anthony Bennett. Here are the explanations: SBNation.com (Otto Porter): Porter is a safe pick -- a local kid who fills an instant need on your roster. At the same time, that leaves you with a frontcourt of the future of Nene (30) and Emeka Okafor (30). If you have three top-three picks on your roster, it seems reasonable to make at least one of them a big man. Draft Express (Anthony Bennett): The Wizards ranked last in offensive efficiency last season and depth at the guard positions is another area the team might look to address. Anthony Bennett might be the most talented prospect on the board regardless of position, and also fills a major need as a shooting four that can play alongside both Emeka Okafor and Nene. He looks like a good fit here considering Washington's struggles offensively. NBA.com (Otto Porter): The Wizards get a very good outcome. Porter is a position need and coming off a season as the Big East Player of the Year that moved the versatile small forward into the top five. ESPN/Chad Ford (Otto Porter): The Wizards need help at the small forward position and Porter, who played his college ball in Washington, appears to be the perfect fit. With two super backcourt scorers such as John Wall and Bradley Beal, having a forward who's a facilitator like Porter feels just right. The other player to watch carefully for the Wizards is Anthony Bennett. Sources say the Wizards also are very high on Bennett and could opt for his potent offensive game to expand their options at power forward. Sports illustrated (Otto Porter): Here's where things get fun. The Wizards need a small forward, and GM Ernie Grunfeld got a good look at the Hoyas' Porter all season long. Porter is a versatile forward with an excellent mid-range game. But UNLV's Anthony Bennett -- who is unable to work out for teams because of a shoulder surgery -- has monstrous potential at either forward spot. Pencil in Porter, a more traditional small forward, for now, but don't expect it to be an easy call. CBS Sports (Anthony Bennett): He's injured with a shoulder injury, but he's got far higher upside than Otto Porter. Bennett is a combo forward from Canada who can score both inside and out and can form with John Wall and Bradley Beal. NBADraft.net: The Jan Vesely experiement has not worked out leaving the door open to add local guy Otto Porter. Another local product Alex Len is a possibility. Porter made a very impressive jump from his freshman to sophomore seasons, showing no difficulty in becoming the leader of the team and winning Big East Player of the Year. Otto is about as low risk as it gets in this draft, however his ceiling isn't as great as some of the other top prospects. He's a relentless defender and a pro athlete, but it's unlikely that he will ever be an elite level scorer. He's very thin, but weight/strength shouldn't be an issue at the 3 position. He showed the ability to knock down key shots throughout his short college career. Despite a less than picture perfect jumpshot, he gets results. Porter's consistency and potential makes him a likely top 5 pick in this year's draft. And now, it's time for you guys to speak. Let's assume Nerlens Noel won't be available with the No. 3 pick. Who is your ideal draftee? Poll Who is your top choice for the Washington Wizards with the No. 3 pick (outside of Nerlens Noel)? Otto Porter Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Alex Len Shabazz Muhammad

First post here guys so bear with me...... If McLemore is available at #2, I'd trade #3 and Beal for Orlando's #2 and their 2014 #1. I do this for two reasons: 1. In this draft I think that only two of the top five prospects has the proper size/skill match for an NBA position from day 1. And those two are McLemore (6'5 SG) and Porter (6'8 SF). 2. Out of those two, only one of them has elite NBA athleticism, and that's McLemore. When drafting in the top 5 you have to grab a player with elite athleticism. Beal, for as good as he played this year, is a very small NBA SG at 6'3. That hurts the Wiz on defense. If we add McLemore, that gives the Wiz a nightmare backcourt matchup on both ends of the floor. Arguably the most athletic backcourt in the league, and by all accounts McLemore jumpshot is as good as Beal's. Beal played well enough during his rookie campaing to make this deal realistic. The 2014 draft is supposed to be much stronger than this one and would give the Wiz the opportunity to add a big man with Orlando's sure to be lottery pick next year. Orlando does it because they can draft Trey Burke at #3 and add Beal. Overnight they've solidified their backcourt for years to come. First post here guys so bear with me...... If McLemore is available at #2, I'd trade #3 and Beal for Orlando's #2 and their 2014 #1. I do this for two reasons: 1. In this draft I think that only two of the top five prospects has the proper size/skill match for an NBA position from day 1. And those two are McLemore (6'5 SG) and Porter (6'8 SF). 2. Out of those two, only one of them has elite NBA athleticism, and that's McLemore. When drafting in the top 5 you have to grab a player with elite athleticism. Beal, for as good as he played this year, is a very small NBA SG at 6'3. That hurts the Wiz on defense. If we add McLemore, that gives the Wiz a nightmare backcourt matchup on both ends of the floor. Arguably the most athletic backcourt in the league, and by all accounts McLemore jumpshot is as good as Beal's. Beal played well enough during his rookie campaing to make this deal realistic. The 2014 draft is supposed to be much stronger than this one and would give the Wiz the opportunity to add a big man with Orlando's sure to be lottery pick next year. Orlando does it because they can draft Trey Burke at #3 and add Beal. Overnight they've solidified their backcourt for years to come.

In his latest column, the Washington Post's Mike Wise tries to make the case that the Wizards should trade the number 3 pick in the 2013 draft. Sure, the Wiz could land Otto Porter or Victor Oladipo, Wise reasons, but neither player is a sure bet to contribute significantly to a playoff run for Washington next season. For this reason, Wise suggests the Wiz should trade the pick for an "established veteran." I'm not opposed to trading the pick if we can get a player who can help the Wizards become a title contender, but I don't know who they could legitimately trade the pick for that could actually do that. My bigger problem with Wise's column is that he argues against acquiring an asset that can make the team better in the future in order to get a veteran who can help them make the playoffs now. "Postseason or bust," Wise writes, clarifying that this veteran should help the team reach the second round for the first time since 2005. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reaching the second round, but only because it's necessary to stop on the way to the Conference Finals then the NBA Finals. Having the second round as a goal is idiotic. Sure, I'd much rather see the Wiz make the playoffs than land in the lottery year after year, but the ultimate goal is to take a crack at a championship, and any move that doesn't aim for that as a goal is a bad move in my book. In his latest column, the Washington Post's Mike Wise tries to make the case that the Wizards should trade the number 3 pick in the 2013 draft. Sure, the Wiz could land Otto Porter or Victor Oladipo, Wise reasons, but neither player is a sure bet to contribute significantly to a playoff run for Washington next season. For this reason, Wise suggests the Wiz should trade the pick for an "established veteran." I'm not opposed to trading the pick if we can get a player who can help the Wizards become a title contender, but I don't know who they could legitimately trade the pick for that could actually do that. My bigger problem with Wise's column is that he argues against acquiring an asset that can make the team better in the future in order to get a veteran who can help them make the playoffs now. "Postseason or bust," Wise writes, clarifying that this veteran should help the team reach the second round for the first time since 2005. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reaching the second round, but only because it's necessary to stop on the way to the Conference Finals then the NBA Finals. Having the second round as a goal is idiotic. Sure, I'd much rather see the Wiz make the playoffs than land in the lottery year after year, but the ultimate goal is to take a crack at a championship, and any move that doesn't aim for that as a goal is a bad move in my book.

Emperor Ernie Grunfeld, more formally known as Washington’s Team President of Basketball Operations, discusses the ever-evolving process, which is more NeverEnding Story (the movie) and less Law & Order (an episode). Grunfeld also reveals that the Cleveland Cavaliers actually won twice. After winning the first pick, Cleveland also won the third pick, so they had to re-draw and Washington’s combination came up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcvktpKoJu8 Here is a secret of the NBA Draft Lottery, which, by revealing, will result in me being sequestered, along with the ping pong ball machine, for the next calendar year with only a representative from Ernst & Young for company. My general assumption was that the NBA took a commercial break before announcing the top three picks to build drama for the audience watching at home. This is true and effective to a large degree, but the real reason they take that commercial break is so that the assembled media hoard can descend three flights of stairs, run across the street under the escort of New York’s finest, and get cordoned off in the basement of the studio in which the show is taking place. It was there, surrounded by machinery lifts, cameras that have been put out to pasture, and around 100 sweating reporters, that I learned that the Wizards had won the third pick in the lottery. You are then escorted into a freight elevator and unleashed upon the stage where you push your way to your interviewee of choice. You see the weirdest sights on the draft floor, such as Flip Saunders having an extremely candid and friendly talk with Ernie Grunfeld, Damian Lillard looking for every possible escape route, and the spawn of Dan Gilbert lapping up the attention. (Other members of the Gilbert brood looked visibly annoyed that their youngest sibling has become the human horseshoe and the only thing worth talking about on draft night.) [image via Sean Fagan]I’m not sure sure if of this means anything, other than the way in which I saw the future of the Washington Wizards swing in the most surreal way possible: stuck in a basement with other men sweating through their suits. I thought about the Truth About It.net Viewing Party that was going on at the same time in D.C. and wished for a second that I was there drinking with my colleagues, rather than working through a scuffle only to have Ernie Grunfeld duck and dodge my questions. Reading through the day-after assessments, it seems that many scribes are high on the prospect of drafting Otto Porter and keeping the young Georgetown product in D.C. for the next several years. However, I couldn’t help but think back to my discussion with Bradley Beal earlier in the night about Martell Webster and Beal’s opinion that the Wizards had to resign him, not only for his basketball prowess, but also for Webster’s leadership. The takeaway from the draft is that this particular selection has put the Wizards in a situation that is going to make someone unhappy at the end of the day. If they draft Porter, they make the Georgetown faithful happy, but alienate those fans (and possibly players) who have come to love the contributions of Webster. Reach for another player, perhaps a must-needed, next generation big man, and you risk incurring the wrath of another Jan Vesely and getting the #SoWizards tag added to another acquisition in the legacy. Trade the pick and everyone over the age of 20 gets flashbacks to the ill-fated trade for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. The more I think about it, the more this particular draft position is a lose-lose for the Wizards, because someone at the end of the day is going to have the Randy Wittman Face, i.e., #WittmanFace. Or maybe that’s just the basement dust talking. ————->> Real Deal Beal? [What the world wants to know: will Bradley Beal ever wear that neck-tie again?] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvvBfAvsDPM {videos via Sean Fagan}

[A No. 3 Buoy - image via flickr/mikebaird]It’s commonplace for the fan to get entrenched in ‘what ifs’—it simply has to be ingrained into DNA by now. What if the Wizards didn’t win the pre-lottery coin flip tie-breaker against the Los Angeles Clippers after the 2008-09 season? Both teams finished with identical 19-63 records, and even though the Wizards got a single extra combination in the ’09 lottery after winning that coin flip (so, a 17.8 percent chance of getting the top pick instead of LA’s 17.7 percent), the Clippers won the prize, i.e., Blake Griffin. Not only that, but two other teams, Memphis and Oklahoma City, jumped into the top three, bumping Washington to five. But what if the Wizards, who sent Flip Saunders as their lottery representative in 2009, had been part of the winning combination? They likely would have elected to not trade the fifth overall pick (for Mike Miller, Randy Foye and a money-save) and would have instead drafted (and kept) Griffin. [To note: Saunders was Minnesota’s rep at the 1995 lottery and also returned to his team with the fifth overall pick, but that turned out to be Kevin Garnett—the Timberwolves finished tied with the Wizards for the second-worst NBA record that season, 21-61. Washington, holding the tie-breaker in odds to win No. 1 (18.3 percent to 18.2), landed the fourth pick and took Rasheed Wallace. Both teams were jumped by Golden State (Joe Smith, No. 1), and Philadelphia (Jerry Stackhouse, No. 3).] Surely, with Blake Griffin missing his entire first season with the Clippers due to a broken kneecap sustained during the preseason, the Wizards, being themselves, likely would have been bad enough to land a high pick again, i.e., John Wall in 2010. The what ifs… Wall, Lob City-ing, or whatever, to Griffin in the Verizon Center—the return of “Fun Street.” Speaking of… What if Washington had won the coin flip against the Golden State Warriors in 2010? The Wizards found themselves tied with the Warriors for the fourth-worst record in the NBA after the 2009-10 season, but with one less combination (10.3 percent instead of 10.4 percent) after losing the coin flip. Washington ended up with the first overall selection, and Wall, and Golden State slipped to sixth with Ekpe Udoh as the reward. What if? Would the Wizards be struggling through an Evan Turner rebuild instead? (Or would they have drafted Greg Monroe, who went seventh to the Pistons?) What ifs aplenty… “The Wizards lost to the Detroit Pistons once again. As if suffering a four-game regular-season sweep to the equally lowly Pistons wasn’t enough…” began a Washington Post article after the local franchise lost another tie-breaker on April 19, this time between two teams of a 29-53 ilk, tied for the seventh-worst NBA record in 2012-13. (Good thing the Wizards didn’t reach that 30-win goal, we ‘spose.) Here we go again. The Wizards came up short on another coin toss. But when it’s between seventh and eighth place, no one cares so much. Except for… the most exciting, unexpected, inconsequential, irreverent, and #SoWizards lottery win ever. Yes, in winning the 2013 third overall pick, the Washington Wizards franchise, for just the third time in team history (since it all began with the 1985 Patrick Ewing “envelope” lottery), has jumped UP in draft position (the Wiz have been lottery players 20 out of 28 times). Nope, the Wizards didn’t move up when they selected Bradley Beal with the third overall pick in 2012. Cleveland and Washington were each bumped back by New Orleans’ jump forward to Anthony Davis. In 2010, the Wizards had a 10.3 percent chance to land the first pick. They did, jumping over the Nets, Timberwolves, Kings, and the coin flip victor Warriors. Roll out the red carpet for Wall. In 2001, solely holding onto the NBA’s third-worst record at 19-63, the Wizards had a 15.7 percent chance to win the top pick. They did, jumpi

And you thought Bradley Beal couldn't get any more awesome. For shame. The No. 3 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, who wears the No. 3 on his jersey, rendered the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Here's what the Internet thought about the Washington Wizards' good fortune: First, here a batch of news stories and initial reaction. [Us | SB Nation | Washington Post | Washington Examiner | CSN Washington | Wiz of Awes | NBC Washington | DC Pro Sports Report | Team blog | Press release And of course, it didn't take long for the updated mock drafts to come pouring in. [ESPN's Chad Ford | DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony | NBADraft.net | CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman & Matt Moore | Sporting News' Sean Deveney] Beal was definitely excited after lucky-charming his way to the No. 3 pick, but he kept it cool and monotone for the camera. As you'll find in the tweets below, Mike Wise thinks the Wizards should look to trade the No. 3 pick for an established veteran. FWIW, Gary Williams has the Wizards using the No. 3 pick on Alex Len, whom Williams recruited to Maryland. [CSN Washington] It's playoffs or bust next season for Beal. [CSN Washington] Randy Wittman kept it short in his pep talk to Beal prior to the lottery. [DC Sports Bog] For kicks, here's some thoughts Mike posted prior to the lottery on the Wizards' draft pick and whether they should trade it. So guys, WHO SHOULD THE WIZARDS TAKE?!?! What did Twitter have to say? Flip Saunders: "Can I get a do over?" — Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) May 22, 2013 So this is something else Beal has done better than Wall? — Craig Stouffer (@CraigStouffer) May 22, 2013 Bradley Beal could destroy both of these dudes. — Kelly Dwyer (@KDonhoops) May 22, 2013 Good. I didn't want Noel or that Thrift Shop guy. — Jack Kogod (@Unsilent) May 22, 2013 Let's get it on, Wizards-Cavs rivalry. — Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) May 22, 2013 #Otto4Lotto — Gheorghe The Blog (@gheorghetheblog) May 22, 2013 @realdealbeal23! Way luckier than me! Huge! #wizards — Zachary Leonsis (@ZacharyLeonsis) May 22, 2013 Otto Porter is now a Wizard? — Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) May 22, 2013 Wizards should trade Jan Vesely straight up for Nick Gilbert... — The Ball Hogs (@BallHogsRadio) May 22, 2013 Noel/Bennett/Porter Any of those 3 can help the Wizards. Now it's possible. My fav player in this draft is Bennett. — danny rouhier (@funnydanny) May 22, 2013 getting into top #3 is huge for Wizards... Chance to get Otto , Oladipo, Len, orBennett the PF from UNLV — Dan Hellie (@DanHellie) May 22, 2013 STOP SAYING ALEX LEN, MIKE WILBON — Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) May 22, 2013 Watch Otto Porter JR be on the board at #3 and Ernie drafts Johanavad Sackavefhes SF from Lithuania — HTTR24-7.com (@HTTR24_7) May 22, 2013 oh.my. wilbon just said for the #wizards "maybe alex len. or otto porter". note to team: you do NOT have to draft within a 10 mile radius. — Dave Ross (@FOX5Ross) May 22, 2013 Find and replace "Otto Porter" draftexpress.com/profile/jeff-g… #nbadraft #wizards — Thomas Pruitt (@TheRealTPruitt) May 22, 2013 Hey there #Wizards ! Little luck getting into the top 3. Now have the sense to draft Otto Porter. #NBA — Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) May 22, 2013 B3AL!!! #Wizards — Kevin Broom (@Broom_Kevin) May 22, 2013 True story, I had a post scheduled on BF essentially downplaying the idea of the Wiz selecting in the top 3. Jokes on me — Umair Khan (@UKhanNBA) May 22, 2013 Grunfeld: "We want to be a playoff team next year and moving up 5 spots will certainly help that process" — Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 22, 2013 Wizards won't listen to pressure to draft Georgetown's Otto Porter if h

The Wizards came into last night's NBA Draft lottery with a 70.2 percent chance of staying put at No. 8. We all hoped for the best, but expected to be picking at No. 8 in June. We all read mock drafts and researched prospects that we thought would be around at No. 8. We all had it in the back of our minds that Ernie Grunfeld could trade our pick if he didn't like any of the prospects left on the board. So much for all of that. The Wiz defied every semblance of pessimism surrounding the team the past month, and with the help of Bradley Beal, vaulted into the top three of the draft. Now, things are looking brighter, the franchise has a real chance of securing our three building blocks for the future and the doors have opened up on some very intriguing potential roster moves. Take that, ESPN mock lottery machine. Now the rumors and smokescreens will begin to surface -- if they haven't already -- and we will all begin to agonize over what the Cavaliers will do with the No. 1 pick. Cavaliers GM Chris Grant plays things incredibly close to the chest and will continue to send mixed signals regarding who he's leaning toward, which only he would uncommonly do with the first overall pick in the draft. Ernie Grunfeld's reaction to the No. 3 pick. The obvious factor here is the health of Nerlens Noel, and whether the Cavs are willing to wait on him and risk suffering through another losing season with Kyrie Irving. That's probably a bit of an overstatement given the cap room and flexibility of the roster, but it's safe to assume Dan Gilbert and co have their eyes set on the 2014 free agency class, and most notably, LeBron James. Anderson Varejao, in the midst of all the injury concerns, is entering the final year of his deal (has a team option in 2014), and the team has to look long-term to solidify their frontcourt and snag a defensive anchor for the foreseeable future. Yet, rumors have already began to surface that the Cavs have deep interest in Otto Porter, and could also look into packaging the first round pick in order to yield a top level talent to make their playoff push this coming season. Should we call Chris Grant's bluff or could there be some truth to it? On the surface, picturing Porter going No. 1 is a bit of a stretch, but Cleveland's not averse to sticking with their draft board in spite of public perception, and Porter would fit in with Irving and Waiters like a glove. So where does that leave Washington? They're relegated to the waiting game, for better or worse. As noted before, Porter is the best-case scenario for the Wizards. His understanding of the game, maturity and defensive instincts encapsulates what the front office is building toward, and he has the skill-set and freakish athleticism to mesh well with John Wall and Beal. From there, the team has an interesting decision to make. Should they keep Trevor Ariza, knowing that Porter isn't equipped to handle the assignment of guarding the opponents best perimeter threat on a nightly basis? Or is the three point proficiency of Martell Webster, along with his strong locker-room leadership, worth bringing back on a possibly full mid-level exception? This opens up a world of opportunities. But this is the Wizards we're talking about here. Nothing comes easy for us. Even Bradley Beal, who seemingly fell into our laps a year ago, didn't come without fans sweating and anxiously praying that his name wasn't called before the third pick. In the event that Porter's destiny doesn't draw parallels to Beal's, it's vital for the front office to stay true to their draft board and selects the best player available. A common misconception is that this is a two- or three-player draft; but I'd probably stretch it to four with a possible five lurking in Trey Burke. Victor Oladipo is the wildcard here. It may seem a bit overhasty taking him in the top 3, but if he absolutely wows the team in predraft workouts like I expect, they could look to trade down -- especiall

When Bradley Beal gleefully walked down from his seat in the back row of the stage at the Disney/ABC Times Square studios to stand next to Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s son, Nick, and Orlando Magic senior vice president Pat … Continue reading →