I apologize for thinking the Hornets deal wasn't "that bad". I was wrong.
In the back of my mind...I was thinking Ariza/Okafor are still serviceable vets. And even moreso I was just elated that the Blatche/McGee/Young era had come to an end (I don't care if all 3 become all stars...they had to go).
I take back whatever I said to people who were weary of the deal. They were right. That deal set us back.
- Ariza is TERRIBLE. Absolutely TERRIBLE. He can't dribble. He can't shoot. Outside of playing passing lanes...he's not even that good of a defender anymore
- Okafor played decent against the Nets...and if he can remain serviceable for at least 65 games this year he's not bad to have. But still...I'd have rather just paid Shard to leave.
- This team is going to be bad for for the next two years pending some sort of miraculous trade for a star or John Wall turns into a 24 and 10 player. So whatever money comes off the book for 2014...who's really going to want and come and play here?
- The draft isn't that great next year. 2014 is looking good tho
- All that said...I am TOTALLY against spending just to spend. I noticed alot of fans upset that we weren't players in Free Agency the past couple of years but for what? Why overspend for guys that aren't going to place you in the top 4 teams in the conference. I'm all about having flexibility. If we're not fielding a top playoff team...why throw big money at somebody like Kris Humphries just because you had it sitting around? Point blank...we need to find our cornerstones and then build your team through free agency. I believe we have our ONE cornerstone (Wall) and despite his faults...I respectfully disagree with anyone who believes he isn't.
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http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-agents/ = Who on that list puts us over the top that we would realistically have a shot at? If we could somehow find a way to get DMC...that would be perfect but that's a long shot. We should have been finding a way to get him after his rookie season when they were more likely to try and move him.
See, the problem I have is that, while we do get cap room in two years once Ariza and Okafor's AWFUL deals come off the books, there was NO advantage to taking them on for TWO years when we could've done what New Orleans did and simply waived Lewis NOW to gain cap relief IMMEDIATELY.
I agree that it makes no sense to overpay for second or third-tier talent, which is a weakness of all bottom-feeders like Washington, but there were bargains to be found this summer. Just look at the amnesty signings!
You cannot tell me that Brand, Scola, Kaman, Childress, or even Haywood wouldn't have helped this team as much or more than Ariza and Okafor - and at a SUBSTANTIALLY reduced rate. If there's nobody out there you're interested in signing at a bargain rate, FINE! You don't HAVE to spend the money. In fact, it's to your advantage to have a little extra space so you can absorb a deal as part of a mid-season trade when teams in the middle of the pack start getting desperate.
The worst case scenario for us was to lock ourselves in to mediocrity. The Wizards will not find a greater fool willing to eat Okafor and Ariza's contracts. Nothing short of including John Wall or Bradley Beal would make such a trade possible. We are stuck with this flawed core for two full seasons, and when their time is up, Wall's CONTRACT is up. Would any of us truly blame him if he opts to leave at that point?
Hey, not a Wizards fan here but I'll be keeping an eye on the team this season for Beal's rookie campaign. He's been looking good from what I've seen. Still don't understand why Crawford is starting ahead of him but
. Hope you guys get that 8th seed.
Thanks for the well wishes! We're all just as confused as you when it comes to Crawford starting over Beal, but that's what you get when you appoint your assistant coach as your head coach for no reason other than the fact that he's already under contract.
We can understand why the Thunder would prefer to bring Harden off the bench. We can understand why the Spurs bring Manu off their bench. I don't understand why the Wizards want to bring Beal off of their bench, aside from the fact that "he's a rookie." Our starting lineup doesn't have enough firepower to contend with the league's better teams. We're one dimensional and far to easy to defend. Pack the lane, give the selfish, lackluster shooters enough rope to hang themselves.
With Okafor AND Nene, there won't be many driving lanes for Wall and, frankly, I'd rather not see him become the next Derrick Rose in terms of injuries. We didn't draft him to play halfback. That means we need to have either cutters off of Okafor/Nene screens or we need to play inside out, which negates Wall's passing abilities. In either case, Beal is 1) a better shooter than Crawford (ESPECIALLY off screens and in pick & pop) and 2) he's also a better FINISHER than Crawford.
Leaving him to come off the bench simply because he's a rookie and that's "conventional thinking" is a waste of everyone's time. And besides: if we're not paying to watch a winner, at least let us watch the kid play. Jordan Crawford had his chance.
I think Singleton's a solid reserve. Every team needs a utility guy who can come in, play solid defense, and hit an open corner shot. He has the potential to fulfill that role for us, and his size only adds to his versatility. He's the only reason the 2011 draft wasn't an absolute wash for us.
Perhaps what I like best about Webster, from what I've seen thus far, is how he's managed to manufacture points from the line even when his shot isn't falling. We don't have nearly enough of that on this team. Guys *cough* Crawford *cough* just settle for jump shots.
Ariza was the presumed starter heading into training camp. Now, it seems that we have dilemmas/openings at multiple positions. This begs the question...
[h1]
With Wall and Nene out: who would you guys start to open the season? [/h1]
hat), Christian Laettener, Mitch Richmond, Popeye Jones 
...wow
