Washington Wizards

Here's a report that could concern some people. Bradley Beal, who was shut down for the season due to a stress injury in his right fibula about seven weeks ago, has yet to be cleared to resume basketball-related activities, according to CSN Washington's J Michael. He is supposed to abstain from activities for six weeks (42 days). Monday marks the 48th. The Wizards' athletic trainers must clear him first but they have not, a team official told CSN Washington. You'll recall that Beal was dealing with injuries on both ankles prior to being shut down, both of which reportedly contributed to the fibula injury. It's not the end of the world that Beal is past his timetable, of course. He has a whole offseason left, every player's body heals differently and it behooves the Wizards to make absolute sure his fibula is sound before letting him put pressure on it again. But it's still always a concern that an athlete is still injured past his initial timetable. The longer this lingers, the more it could potentially cut into Beal's offseason program. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.

ALERT: A Wizards NBA Draft Lottery Viewing Party in D.C. on Tuesday, May 21? Isn’t that #SoWizards?  Why, yes… Click here for more info. [Wizards 2012-13 Player Reviews from the TAI crew are going down; let's reflect--- index so far: Jannero Pargo, Jason Collins, Shaun Livingston, Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Earl Barron, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Garrett Temple, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster, A.J. Price, Jordan Crawford, Kevin Seraphin.] Kevin Seraphin 6-9 : Height 275 lbs. : Weight 23 : Age 3 : Years NBA Experience 1 : NBA Team Drafted 17th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2010 and traded to the Wizards along with Kirk Hinrich and cash for Vladimir Veremeenko on draft night. Time as a Wizard in 2012-13 79 : Games 8 : Starts 1,721 : Minutes 1.56 out of 3 stars Average Truth About It.net DC Council Game Rating {Seraphin evaluated over 26 games}  10.3 PER NBA historical PER contribution equivalent: maybe Joel Anthony for the 2011-12 Miami Heat (10.3) maybe Francisco Elson for the 2008-09 Milwaukee Bucks (10.3), maybe Johan Petro for the 2011-12 New Jersey Nets (10.3) .004 Win Shares/48 Minutes NBA historical WS/48 contribution equivalent: maybe Isaac Austin for the 2001-02 Memphis Grizzlies (.003), maybe Stacey King for the 1994-95 Minnesota Timberwolves (.003), maybe Othella Harrington for the 2006-07 Charlotte Bobcats (.003) With Kevin Seraphin on the Court… The Wizards offense scored 5.0 points less per 100 possessions (OffRtg) The Wizards defense allowed 1.0 point more per 100 possessions (DefRtg) Plus/Minus per 48 minutes: minus-7.4 Numbers : Per 36 Minutes 15.1 : Points 7.2 : Rebounds 1.2 : Blocks 0.5 : Steals 1.2 : Assists 2.7 : Turnovers 4.4 : Fouls 0.80 PPP Seraphin had 888 offensive possessions with the Wizards that ended with a FGA, TO or FTs, and he scored 0.80 Points Per Possession (PPP) on those, ranked 371st in the NBA (via Synergy Sports Technology). Defensively, he allowed 0.86 PPP over 385 possessions, ranked 171st. Shooting 46.1% Field Goals (330-716) 69.3% Free Throws (61-88) [stats via NBA.com/stats and Basketball-Reference.com] #13 Kevin Seraphin in 2012-13 with the Wizards: #KevinSeraphinLife Heads Off Track by Adam McGinnis (@AdamMcGinnis) Of the four young Wizards who seemed to regress during 2012-13 season, Kevin Seraphin stands out as the most disappointing. Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton saw limited playing time, and Trevor Booker suffered injury set-backs once again. Seraphin, on the other hand, was completely healthy and got consistent minutes, but delivered an inconsistent dud. There were high hopes for the big man from French Guiana after he blossomed at end of the 2011-12 season. He was inserted into the starting lineup in March and averaged 14.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 21 starts. Seraphin then spent last summer practicing and playing with Team France, and he gained valuable experience as a rotation player during the London Olympic games. Kwame Brown, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee never lived up to their true potential in Washington. Followers of the Wizards have been excited because Seraphin, at times, has shown legitimate promise that he could break the franchise’s bad streak of developing young bigs and become a building block for the future. His personality was also refreshing via active social media accounts and high accessibility to fans. The story of naming his snake “Snakey” and pictures of Sponge Bob buckled up in his car were hilarious. The “#SeraPhans” Twitter hashtag was created by his admirers, and his desire to be an apprentice of Nene was endearing. Unfortunately, the optimism surrounding Seraphin began dissipate as he morphed into a one-dimensional shot-jacker on the court, while his self-created “#KevinSeraphinLife” hashtag plummeted into deserved mockery. The acquisition of Emeka Okafor last summer meant that Seraphin would become a top reserve. He started out the

Our prospect profiles on the top players in the 2013 NBA Draft continue with UNLV's Anthony Bennett. Team: UNLV Class: Freshman Position: Power forward FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG 2012 - Anthony Bennett 35 27.1 5.8 10.8 53.3 1.0 2.7 37.5 3.5 5.1 70.1 2.5 5.7 8.1 1.0 1.9 0.7 1.2 2.3 16.1 College career: Bennett arrived at UNLV with incredible fanfare. The latest in a line of well-known basketball recruits at prestigious Las Vegas school Findlay Prep, Bennett ultimately decided to stay in the area. He warded off offers from Florida and Kentucky and finally settled on UNLV over Oregon after getting a push from former AAU teammate Khem Birch, who was about to transfer into the program. UNLV had signed kids from Findlay Prep before -- the school's founder was a former UNLV player and is a longtime booster -- but Bennett was the symbol of their return to national prominence. UNLV had been in the NCAA Tournament for the previous three years under Lon Kruger and Dave Rice, but Bennett was their top recruit since ... Stacey Augmon? Larry Johnson? It had been a long time since UNLV had reeled in a top-10 guy. With Mike Moser returning to school, UNLV was poised to ride their two forwards to glorious places. Things started off well. Bennett dropped 22 and 10 in a 83-79 loss to the Ducks in November, showing them a glimpse of what they missed. A couple weeks later, he had his true national breakdown, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a tight win over California on the road. Bennett became a fixture on the national highlights when he slammed down this thunderous right-handed dunk with the game in the balance. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Moser suffered a gruesome elbow injury in this game. He rushed back a few weeks later, but was not the same player. Dreams of pairing Moser and Bennett never materialized, with the two often playing separately rather than together. Bennett-mania faded a bit after that December game, as the freshman was more inconsistent in Mountain West play. He had some fantastic games, dropping 17 and 12 in a home upset win over New Mexico and 21 and 12 in a victory over fellow draft prospect Jamaal Franklin and San Diego State. But he also struggled at times, particularly in road losses to Colorado State and Fresno State. A shoulder injury suffered in late February against Wyoming -- the same one he had surgery to repair -- inhibited him late in the year, and his season ended meekly in the NCAA Tournament at the hands of the same California zone defense he dominated in December. Other reports: Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Alex LenOtto PorterShabazz Muhammad Offense: Bennett is an explosive two-foot jumper with an array of perimeter and post skills that should make scouts drool. His broad, wide shoulders allow him to power through contact, and his soft hands allow him to catch and finish almost any pass around the rim. Watching him, it's immediately clear why he evoked comparisons to LJ from UNLV faithful. Bennett is most devastating when turning and facing on a slower big man. His perimeter game and footwork are extremely advanced for someone his age. When he's isolated on a player 17 feet from the hoop with a live dribble, he's incredibly tough to stop. He has an excellent turnaround and pull-up jumper that keeps defenses honest and is really good at using his jab steps to get separation. His long strides lunging to the rim ensure that he'll get past his defender if they are off-balanced, and he can elevate over defenders or power through them. His signature move against Cal was a wing isolation in this manner. He used a shot fake to get the defender off-balanced, then took a long stride with his right foot out of the triple threat position to get to the rim for the one-handed finish. Bennett is also a really good finisher around the basket. When used in th

This time last year, Shabazz Muhammad probably thought one year at UCLA would give him the chance to showcase his scoring ability and mature game, building upon his hype as the prohibitive favorite to go No. 1 overall in the … Continue reading →

ALERT: A Wizards NBA Draft Lottery Viewing Party in D.C. on Tuesday, May 21? Isn’t that #SoWizards?  Why, yes… Click here for more info. [Wizards 2012-13 Player Reviews from the TAI crew are going down; let's reflect--- index so far: Jannero Pargo, Jason Collins, Shaun Livingston, Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Earl Barron, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Garrett Temple, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster, A.J. Price, Jordan Crawford, Kevin Seraphin.] Jordan Crawford 6-4 : Height 195 lbs. : Weight 24 : Age 3 : Years NBA Experience 3 : NBA Teams Acquired by the Wizards along with Mike Bibby, Mo Evans and a 2011 first round pick (Chris Singleton) from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong on Feb. 23, 2011 Traded by the Wizards to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jason Collins and Leandro Barbosa on Feb. 21, 2013. Time as a Wizard in 2012-13 43 : Games 12 : Starts 1,127 : Minutes 1.5 out of 3 stars Average Truth About It.net DC Council Game Rating {Price evaluated over 33 games}  14.7 PER NBA historical PER contribution equivalent: maybe Ronald “Flip” Murray for the 2008-09 Atlanta Hawks (14.7) maybe Charlie Bell for the 2005-06 Milwaukee Bucks (14.7), maybe Latrell Sprewell for the 2003-04 Minnesota Timberwolves (14.7) .058 Win Shares/48 Minutes NBA historical WS/48 contribution equivalent: maybe Carlos Arroyo for the 2002-03 Utah Jazz (.058), maybe Haywoode Workman for the 1990-91 Washington Bullets (.058), maybe John Bagley for the 1986-87 Cleveland Cavaliers (.058) With Jordan Crawford on the Court… The Wizards offense scored 8.4 points less per 100 possessions (OffRtg) The Wizards defense allowed 0.2 points less per 100 possessions (DefRtg) Plus/Minus per 48 minutes: minus-7.4 Numbers : Per 36 Minutes 18.1 : Points 4.3 : Rebounds 0.2 : Blocks 0.9 : Steals 5.0 : Assists 3.1 : Turnovers 1.9 : Fouls 0.87 PPP Crawford had 640 offensive possessions with the Wizards that ended with a FGA, TO or FTs, and he scored 0.87 Points Per Possession (PPP) on those, ranked 279th in the NBA (via Synergy Sports Technology). Defensively, he allowed 0.87 PPP over 296 possessions, ranked 196th. Shooting 41.5% Field Goals (211-508) 34.5% 3-Pointers (59-171) 82.1% Free Throws (87-106) [stats via NBA.com/stats and Basketball-Reference.com] #15 Jordan Crawford in 2012-13 with the Wizards: Steez-less in DC by Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) At the beginning of the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, Jordan Crawford was named Washington’s starting two-guard. This was mainly because Nick Young didn’t accept the one-year qualifying offer until right before the second of only two preseason games. But by game three of the regular season, Young returned to the starting lineup, and Crawford did not start again until two months later when Randy Wittman decided that Young (and JaVale McGee) were not getting the job done. In mid-April, with Crawford starting and thriving after the departure of Young in late-February via trade, Washington Post writer Michael Lee asked Crawford about when he lost his starting job at the beginning of the season: “It wasn’t my job at all. I didn’t get a chance to lose it. You could all kind of see that I was just holding a position. It wasn’t that they really wanted me to start. That was more disappointing than anything, the fact that I came in wanting more and I was trying to show them that I can bring some winning here, too.” Three months later, before the start of the 2012-13 season, Crawford found himself in a similar situation. The Wizards drafted shooting guard Bradley Beal with the third pick in the 2012 draft with the hopes that he and Wall would share a backcourt for 10-12 years. Crawford, who had every right to be annoyed that his starting job was under siege again, handled the situation with class: “We had to get him. I think he was the best available. He’s the best player, got an NBA body and we needed a guard. We

Apr. 15, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports James and Straton and Nithin Kuchibhotla weigh in on John Wall’s roller coaster but memorable 2012-13 campaign. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comment session. James Straton: 2013 was a tale of multiple seasons for John Wall. He came back from injury, looked stellar in comparison to the players he was taking minutes from, and reinvigorated the team; he tailed off, played miserably despite the incredible defensive effort from the entire team and continued (relative) success; he turned it on for what was one of the best stretches of play in recent memory, culminating in in his first Player of the Week award; and then he tailed off again, as the focal point of a six game losing streak that ended the season. What an interesting and unpredictable year. The positives of the season are many. He posted career highs in PER, true shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free throw percentage, turnover percentage, offensive rating, defensive rating, offensive win shares, defensive win shares, win shares, and win shares per 48. In short, he finally improved, as his first two seasons were almost identical. Out of nowhere, he started hitting jumpers. After shooting 29.2% on jumpers on over 1000 tries in his first two years, he drilled 37.8% and 37.2% from 16-23 feet. This was an incredible feat for Wall, and should be celebrated, BUT only because it shows he has the ability to develop. Taking mid-range jumpers at 37% is a surefire way to lose basketball games, and is still not a good percentage. Of players who took 150 or more shots from that distance, Wall was in the 26th percentile… yeesh. That’s Cody Zeller territory, for those wondering. But the improvement was clearly there, and that’s the most important part. I think less highly of this season from Wall because it is so obviously skewed by two great weeks, but what I find intriguing and most important is that he showed that he is capable of more than what he had been over the last two years. We don’t expect Wall to carry a crappy Wizards team to the Finals or even the playoffs. We expect him to show improvement, play hard, and be professional. He did all three of those things this year and that is what Wizard fans can hang their hat on. And still, the Wizards were not very good with him. They finished 24-25 with him in the lineup, which would have been good for a 7 or 8 seed if extrapolated, but still were the worst offense in the league. If everyone else gets the blame for his only-decent (what I mean to say is that people speak of Wall as if he is only good teammates away from averaging 100 assists a game), he should get the blame for being the reason for a bad offense, since he dominates the ball, right? It’s only fair. He still has a long ways to go. What is most difficult is determining who Mr. Wall is going forward. Is he the guy who was regularly outplayed in the beginning and end of the season or the guy who torched absolutely everyone in the middle? I can’t say I have much of a clue. Was it rust in the beginning of the year? Was it tanking at the end? Who knows? I’ve been harsh on Wall for the entirety of his up-and-down three year career, and it will take more than a phenomenal two week stretch to convince me he’ll definitively make it, but I’m more sure of him now than I was at this time last year, that’s certain. The next step for Wall will be consistency and study. He should not come back in 2014 and shoot over 10 jump shots a game. He should not come back and force 1 on 2, or 3, fast breaks. He should not cheat on defense or show a general disdain for pick-and-roll effort. That will all come with more time on the court and with his coaches (I hope). All in all, this season was a success

A 7' 2'' Frenchman with unmatched length, he was measured with a wingspan of 7' 8.75''. Whenever he steps onto the court his length allows him to alter shots when he isn't sending shots into the 5th row. Despite being so large, he is surprisingly athletic, can run the floor and uses good timing to catch lobs and block shots. This dude can become a defensive monster, he can nearly dunk flat footed. He can stand to get stronger as he may get pushed around and taken out of position for rebounds. Many Stronger big men will try to go into him neutralizing his length, which will lead to foul trouble. He looks a little awkward on offense, but has a soft touch for big man, shooting 70% from the free throw line at the French pro level. In a draft with so few sure things and possibly no star players, why not take a chance on a guy who has a chance to be a difference maker with length, athleticism and touch? Because the player I just described is not Rudy Gobert, but Alexis Ajinca. These two are nearly identical physically but Ajinca has a three point shot, shooting a career 33% from the NBA line and 42.9% in his best year. Ajinca is no longer in the league, so is Rudy Gobert really that much better than Ajinca? A 7' 2'' Frenchman with unmatched length, he was measured with a wingspan of 7' 8.75''. Whenever he steps onto the court his length allows him to alter shots when he isn't sending shots into the 5th row. Despite being so large, he is surprisingly athletic, can run the floor and uses good timing to catch lobs and block shots. This dude can become a defensive monster, he can nearly dunk flat footed. He can stand to get stronger as he may get pushed around and taken out of position for rebounds. Many Stronger big men will try to go into him neutralizing his length, which will lead to foul trouble. He looks a little awkward on offense, but has a soft touch for big man, shooting 70% from the free throw line at the French pro level. In a draft with so few sure things and possibly no star players, why not take a chance on a guy who has a chance to be a difference maker with length, athleticism and touch? Because the player I just described is not Rudy Gobert, but Alexis Ajinca. These two are nearly identical physically but Ajinca has a three point shot, shooting a career 33% from the NBA line and 42.9% in his best year. Ajinca is no longer in the league, so is Rudy Gobert really that much better than Ajinca?

2013 NBA Lottery Preview

Hey guys, I wrote this back in March about the Wizards. What do you think about the analysis and how it holds up in retrospect? I write for Bluemanhoop, a warriors blog, but post my other nba thoughts at joemoore.net, if you're interested. On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama was reelected as President of the United States. Obama returned to Washington under the slogan, “Forward,” a direction the local Wizards certainly did not appear to be moving. Before the season, the Wizards, presumably adding veteran players in an attempt to reach the playoffs, dealt Rashard Lewis and a 2nd round draft pick for Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor. Despite this salary intensive attempt to make the playoffs, through January 11th, the Wizards were a depressing 5-28 and, just to make the experience even more enjoyable for their fans, scored at a league-worst 93.1 points per 100 possessions (per nba.com). Despite the record, the Wizard’s most disheartening situation was the state of their young backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Prior to the season, Wall developed a stress fracture in his knee, and was scheduled to miss much of the beginning of the season. Though Wall had flashed promise in his first two seasons in the league, popular opinion (expressed in this Yahoo! Ball Don’t Lie article http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/john-wall-returns-practice-impresses-011655092--nba.html) was that Wall needed to take a drastic step forward in the 2012-2013 season to establish himself as the franchise block the Wizards thought they had drafted. Instead of coming into the new season showing off an improved jumper, or better ball control, Wall was not even able to practice, let alone play. While will was stuck off the court, Beal was struggling on it. In 32 games played prior without John Wall, Beal shot 32.3 percent from 3, 38.9% on 2 point field goal attempts, and had a true shooting percentage of only 46.8% (per nbawowy.com). Though he was promoted in college as an aggressive guard with an incredible shooting stroke, Beal struggled to get to the rim, attempting only 17.95 of his shots from 0-3 feet and 25.0% from 10-15 feet, and converted on a less than impressive 32.3% on the three point attempts that accounted for 34.1% of his field goal attempts, and though the Wizards struggled regardless of whether Beal was playing or not, they were outscored by 1.1 more points per 100 possessions with Beal on the court compared to off. Beal, like Wall before him, had shown potential, but struggled to consistently convert the promise into production. In a January 12th contests against the Atlanta Hawks, John Wall, once the lord and savior of the eternally damned Wizards (in this case original sin is drafting Jan Vesely) began his 3rd season, ready to rise again. And while the Wizards have not yet ascended to the heavenly height of above average, they have managed a promising level of decency since Wall’s return. Spurred by an impressive defense and slightly improved but still bad offense, Washington has won 12 of its 20 games since Wall’s return, good for a .600 winning percentage that would place them 4th in the Eastern Conference if sustained for a full season. However, in this lost season it is the improved performance by Wall and Beal that bring hope for a better future in Washington. Though Wall, only shooting a 48.3% true shooting percentage, still has yet to approach his potential as scorer, he has developed an ability to create offensive opportunities for his teammates. Wall has assisted on a career high 44.3% of his teammates field goals while he is on the court, up 7.4 percent from last year, and his team scores 4.3 points per 100 possessions more while he is on the court than off. Though the Wizards 101.3 offensive rating with Wall on the court would place them at a mere 26th in the league per basketball-reference.com, many of the lineups Wall is most featured in are much better

Let me preface this by saying I haven't really decided where I stand on this one, just though it was an interesting swap based on the recent write-ups of the NY Knicks cap and roster situation going forward. It happened once already, back in 2009, where Tyson Chandler was traded from the Hornets to the Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. With the Knicks now on the hook for two more years of Chandler, and solidly in cap purgatory with three guys making more than $14M a season (and fans turning on almost every player on the roster), the 'Bockers may be looking to jettison some longer term salary and generally shake things up. There aren't likely to be takers for Amare's monstrous deal due to injury concerns and apparent decline, and Carmelo is solidly off the chopping block as the team's best player, that leaves Chandler. He'll be making $14M next season and $14.5M the year after. Okafor is an expiring next season, but on the hook this year for about $14.5M. The two players are exactly the same age (born less than a week apart) and both bring something to the table on both ends of the floor. Would you be willing to swap the two players? Positives: -Championship experience: Chandler has been to the mountain top with the Mavericks only three seasons ago. He's also played 70 playoffs games (starting 54) to Okafor's 6 (6). -Advanced stats: Chandler dominates the advanced stats debate, at least for the past few years. He's a defensive anchor, though turning 31 this next season may diminish his athleticism. He's accumulated an 18+ PER and 9+ WS for the last three seasons, and basically doubled Emeka on the WS/48 metric during that span. Much of the PER gap can be attributed it Chandler's incredible TS%, mainly off easy buckets--something John Wall could really assist in continuing. -Size: While Okafor has held his own as a rebounder at 6'10", Chandler is marginally better at the big man's bread and butter--particularly on the offensive end, something the Wizards could really use. His 7'1" frame and length give him an advantage over most interior players. -Salary structure: Sort of an odd one, but with Nene on the hook for 3 more years, and Wall and Beal likely to get major deals in the next couple seasons, an extra season of Chandler still gives us the "stairstep" structure that I value in giving us roster flexibility. Ariza would come off the books after next season (a trade chip or just for space), then Chandler, then Nene, giving us time to evaluate on a season by season basis. In a dream scenario, we could flip Nene and other assets (our 2014 first, another young asset) for Kevin Love or similar. Negatives -Durability: Chandler is usually a lock to miss 10+ games a season while Oak has only done that once in the last six years -Locker Room: While Chandler is fiery and a competitor, we've all heard the stories about Okafor's intelligence and willingness to stand up to a guy like John Wall when he isn't acting right. -Financial: Would need to commit 14 million to Chandler in 2014-15, while Okafor may be available for a 2-4 year deal for under eight figures a season...at least hypothetically. What do you all think? I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks in the comments below. Let me preface this by saying I haven't really decided where I stand on this one, just though it was an interesting swap based on the recent write-ups of the NY Knicks cap and roster situation going forward. It happened once already, back in 2009, where Tyson Chandler was traded from the Hornets to the Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. With the Knicks now on the hook for two more years of Chandler, and solidly in cap purgatory with three guys making more than $14M a season (and fans turning on almost every player on the roster), the 'Bockers may be looking to jettison some longer term salary and generally shake things up. There aren't likely to be takers for Amare's monstrous deal due to injury concerns and apparent decline, and Carmelo is solidly off the