WizBlog RSS FeedSUMMER CAMP KICKS OFF
The Wizards held their first of four workouts as they prepare for NBA Summer League 2007, where they will play five games beginning next Tuesday in Las Vegas.
MORE VIDEO: Additional footage from Saturday’s practice
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“(This play) is just the tip of the iceberg. If you play well enough, you may get to learn the rest of (the offense)”. - said Coach Eddie Jordan to the 15 players who were learning the details of “Chin 15″, one of the dozens of options in the team’s Princeton Offense
MORE QUOTES:
WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN
On what he wants to see from the Summer League team:
“We want to see how they behave professionally. We want to put them to the test, push them and motivate them, and get on them a little bit to see how they react and respond. We want to see how they work and interact with their teammates.”
On Oleksiy Pecherov:
“We love his work ethic. He has the skills to put the ball in the basket, and we are pleased to see that he is rebounding well – something we thought he could do on a regular basis. He is a good rebounder and gives maximum effort. He might not always come up with the ball, but he finds a lane, he has good timing and he bangs to get rebounds, especially on the offensive end.”
On Nick Young:
“We knew that Nick has a flair to score. He has a smooth game offensively, and he has a good body to be good defensively. He has long arms. He’s athletic. He has a good vertical, and he has a great disposition about himself. He’s always smiling and he wants to learn.”
On Dominic McGuire:
“He’s made an impact already in the first day of practice. He’s made himself seen. He likes to get to the basket. He gets offensive rebounds, and he pushes the ball on the break, so he’s made the biggest impact so far to me. I’m wondering how he was just a second round pick. He’s got a long reach, a good defensive stance, and the aggressive nature to stay active. On the ball, off the ball, on offense, on defense…he’s everywhere, and he’s involved in every play. He really stood out.”
WIZARDS GUARD/FORWARD NICK YOUNG
On his first practice:
“I was a little nervous because it was my first NBA practice. It was a good practice today. I am enjoying it. I have some good teammates, and we had fun today.”
On the Wizards:
“I am just excited now that I am a part of the team. I love the Washington area. It’s my second home after L.A. I am just happy to be a Washington Wizard.”
WIZARDS FORWARD/CENTER OLEKSIY PECHEROV
On playing an additional year of international basketball:
“I think it was a good experience. It was a good decision. I feel more comfortable and it will help me as I get ready for this season, so I can help the team.”
On if he is ready to play in the NBA:
“I feel that I am ready to play. I just have to prove it to the coaches. I am going to go out there and do my best and do what I can to help the team.”
On what he wants to improve on:
“I want to improve on everything – my rebounding, blocking shots and playing good defense. I try to work on a lot of different things so I can be prepared.”
WIZARDS FORWARD DOMINIC MCGUIRE
On the Wizards:
“I’m happy to be here. I think I definitely fit in here. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m glad I’m here.”
On his strengths:
“Defense, versatility, rebounding, and athleticism…whatever they need me to do. I’m more of a playmaker than a scorer offensively. Defensively, I like to block shots. I think I can probably guard the one through the four positions in the NBA. They have enough scorers, so they don’t need me to come in and do that. ”
On Coach Jordan’s kind words:
“That’s big. That’s the Head Coach…the person that I’m going to be playing for and taking direction from, so it’s a big compliment. I just can’t wait until summer league starts.”
July 7th, 2007 at 2:52 PM
What’s Dominic McGuire’s #?
Visser looks big, but Alleyne just *blots out the sun.*
July 7th, 2007 at 2:54 PM
yes where’s dmac?
July 7th, 2007 at 3:14 PM
im glad we get to watch the summer games that way we know whos who and what they are able to do and why or why they are not geting min.
July 7th, 2007 at 3:15 PM
i think D-Mac is #5 but im not sure
July 7th, 2007 at 3:48 PM
it sucked i couldnt watch some of the other summer league games. also sucks it takes so long before we watch our team. I did find the sixers game. seattle lost too funny aparently durant did good but i dont consider 18 points damage (but I heard he had a slow start.
July 7th, 2007 at 4:18 PM
I wonder what made Tom Thibodeau quit?!
Sheesh… I had high hopes he would help this team’s defense.
July 7th, 2007 at 4:26 PM
quit? i thought we just hired him?
July 7th, 2007 at 4:35 PM
Well he changed his mind this morning and left …. This is a total suprise and I hope we’ll get some explanations…. Someone who leaves like that, is DC’s defensive situation totally desperate??
July 7th, 2007 at 4:39 PM
man thats a trip! i dont want to sound like im talking down on the team but if a coach that was with the knicks left because its too hard we are in some major trouble
July 7th, 2007 at 4:45 PM
There must have been a conflict of interest between Ernie’s guy (Tom Thibodeau) and the rest of the coaching staff…. I hope it doesn’t cause too much tension between EJ and EG.
July 7th, 2007 at 5:26 PM
Nice clip Eric.
July 7th, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Thanks W4L. JDavis is working on a feature with more footage and some interviews.
July 7th, 2007 at 6:13 PM
McGuire is #5. I just hope hes not like the last #5 we had.(Kwame)
July 7th, 2007 at 6:16 PM
Yeah pretty good clip, I can’t wait to see the first game on tuesday, we already got a lil something to wait with that clip. Will we have some footage from Vegas on the blog (I’ll certainly miss some games…)??
July 7th, 2007 at 6:34 PM
Just uploaded a full feature courtesy of JDavis. A link to the previous clip has also been posted.
LG - NBA.com will provide highlights from each contest.
July 7th, 2007 at 6:41 PM
you guys seen how much damage bellinelli just did. He put in 37 points I think is he playing this year or going to europe for a bit? (hope nick young pours it in) Wang Zhi Zhi also killed. He has really good numbers when representing china I wonder how come he’s under-utilized unless he really sucks in the NBA. Maybe we can get him on the cheap. Jason smith didnt do any damage in the philly game (glad we didnt pick him)
July 7th, 2007 at 6:42 PM
McGuire looks like a great pick. Nick too. As to Belinelli, i *knew* he was going to kill!
Don’t know what to make of the Thibodeau situation — quite strange.
July 7th, 2007 at 7:24 PM
yeah all the guys seem to be doing a good job but its only the first practice got to get a few more under there belt and see if they still have that smile on there face! and Nick Young has a little Gil in him i see with that K.Brown crack on McGuire lol
July 7th, 2007 at 8:53 PM
hey hows leon rodgers, visser and shaggy (alleyne) doing. I heard alleyne was underutilized hence the numbers, he was in tubby smiths doghouse, rumour its either due to academics, shaggys laziness, or tubby’s inability to coach, I’m curious can he play or do we have another peter james ramons project on our hands, visser blew up last year but numbers before that were mediocre, rodgers was mvp of some euro league he can score and didnt struggle defending but seems a little slow and not well toned.
I also wonder what we’re going to do with donnell, roger mason and mike hall, mikes the only one playing summer league, he’s gotten bigger but I dont know its crowded at the Sf with caron, Dmac, blatche and possibly young. Mason and donnell I don’t know we have salary issues and cutting the projects out might be vital. Mason I thought was poised during playoffs though and has potential.
July 7th, 2007 at 11:55 PM
I THINK THAT IS A STROKE OF GENIOUS!
Trade Navarro for Conley!
Conley has not yet signed, so you are trading the rights of 1 player for the rights to another. It works because no salaries are involved. We can then sign Conley to his slotted rookie contract!
He gives us a backup pg immediately, and an insurance policy in case Gil bolts next summer!!
July 8th, 2007 at 1:10 AM
I personally think we don’t need conley. PG is the least of our worries I’d rather have some deal worked out for rudy gay or mike miller both of whom I believe can do damage
July 8th, 2007 at 6:28 AM
Another one-sided trade suggestion — would *you* trade Conley for Navarro?
July 8th, 2007 at 6:57 PM
yep conley would be cheaper and we may get a 2nd or 1st rounder out of them just because Pau Gasol REALLY wants him there
July 8th, 2007 at 7:52 PM
Just looking at our salaries at http://hoopshype.com/salaries/washington.htm. We’re at $60+m for nine players right now.
When you add McGuire, DeShawn, and Booth, you are near $67m and still have to pay 3 more guys. One of them could be Navarro, I suppose, however it’d be done — but it seems unlikely unless there’s a trade in view.
I think it’s likely that his rights will wind up as part of a trade.
July 8th, 2007 at 7:55 PM
Memphis is *not* going to give us Mike Conley for jcn (let alone throw in a pick); and you don’t actually know what Pau Gasol wants or doesn’t want. You don’t know the guy.
My question was if you had conley would you trade him for Navarro — answer is no you wouldn’t. The memphis gm doesn’t work for Pau Gasol, even if he would like to play w/ his friend. You think he isn’t looking forward to playing w/ Conley?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:41 AM
WizardsDotCom,
What do you think the chances are that the Wiz would be willing to pay luxury tax this season if that was the only way to keep Blatche, Stevenson and Navarro? It looks like we’ll be flirting with it even if we trade Navarro.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:30 AM
Great question!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:43 AM
Lets think about the roster if we make *no trades* and do find a way to handle JCN’s salary.
We lost Mason, Taylor, Ruffin & Hayes. We add Pecherov, Young, McGuire and Navarro. I see a younger, bigger, more athletic and more versatile team.
We gain on offense w/ Young and Pecherov. We gain rebounding with Pecherov. We gain shot-blocking with McGuire and Pecherov. We gain defense from Young’s long arms and from McGuire. And I haven’t included in this run-down *anything* JCN would bring us!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:57 AM
Thats true Tom. i say we give it a shot as we are now and pay the Luxary tax…and Maybe not make Any Trades…except for maybe Etan or Haywood…it is said that Philly is interested in Etan maybe we can trade him to them for something of no value so that we can get so cap space and maybe go after free-agent centers altough i dont think there will be many if any
July 9th, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Whatever salary you trade, you have to take back @ the same salary. This is not the NFL.
I love that you are suggesting *we* pay the luxury tax — not me, no thanks!! And, I don’t think Mr. Pollin is listening to you either!
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’re over $60m now for 9 players — not including DS or JCN or McGuire (minor). But I don’t know what the luxury tax $$ figure will be.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:00 AM
I asked the question that you suggested, Tom, but I’ll take credit for it if you insist :).
I think our Center situation will still be terrible if we keep our current roster. It will probably prevent us from going far in the playoffs. But we have a lot of good depth and we finally have a few good prospects. Blatche, Pesh and Young.
We’re one trade away from being able to contend.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:02 AM
The link that Eric put up talking about the CBA predicts the luxury tax to be around 67M or so for this year. They won’t determine it for real until maybe next week. It promises to be a bit higher I think.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:34 AM
wizskins - luxury tax or not, you still have to be under the cap to sign free agents or use your midlevel on them. The luxury tax impacts you more when you’re talking about re-signing your own free agents.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:39 AM
odawg - speaking generally, I’d say about 95% of NBA owners don’t want to pay luxury taxes. The ones that do usually are billionaires and own multi-billion dollar corporations.
As far as the Stevenson, Blatche, Navarro situation goes, Blatche is a little more clear cut: we don’t need to use the midlevel to keep him. I believe however that the midlevel does apply to Navarro and it definitely applies to Stevenson. So how do you pay both of them since it looks like neither player has Bird rights (in other words, you can’t offer them any salary…)
Unless the Wizards find a way to free up cap space, the CBA dictates that the team only has ~$6.5M to play with this offseason. Any other players will have to come through other exceptions ($1M exception, vet exceptions, league mins, etc).
July 9th, 2007 at 12:07 PM
I thought that there was only a luxury tax not a salary cap in basketball so teams could conceivably have as high a payroll as they wanted as long as they didnt mind paying double of what hey are over the luxory tax kind of like baseball.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:25 PM
And even if we do find a way to sign both of them, then when we sign Blatche we’re just about in luxury tax territory. And our starting center will still be Etan Thomas.
It looks like the lawyers are going to earn their keep this year.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:02 PM
stevevu - the luxury cap is a deterrant for overspending, but there is also a salary cap that has guidelines as to how your payroll is structured.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:30 AM
Tom, you say we “lost” Mason, Taylor, Ruffin and Hayes. None have signed with anyone else, have they?
I hadn’t been thinking about the luxury tax problem. Is that ceiling only going to be $67M?
According to hoopshype.com, we’re at $57M for the 9 players we have under contract. Add $800,000 for McGuire and $3.7 for Stevenson and we’re at $61.6M for 11 players. Then approx. $3.5 to match whatever Blatche is offered by other teams, $800,000 for Taylor and $1M for Hayes. We’re right at the $67 million mark. This doesn’t include Navarro.
I don’t see us signing Navarro, even if we could fit him into the mid-level exception.
July 10th, 2007 at 7:48 AM
are u crazy i would rather have JCN than DeShawn after all that defensive hype we went through he wasnt all that great
July 10th, 2007 at 9:28 AM
We’re probably going to trade somebody even if we don’t trade Navarro. Hopefully, we can trade “talent” for some money. 2M would make a major difference for our cap situation and whether we pay the luxury tax.
July 11th, 2007 at 5:57 PM
i think they are tryin to dump jarvis and use that 3.4 to offer Deshawn a decent contract I think hes worth it concidering Etan Thomas makes 6.4 and Songila 4 mil dont forget about Haywoods 5 mil per . He can argue that he was more productive then those guys and I certainly would argee. He dosent deserve that 18 mil he’s asking for however
July 11th, 2007 at 7:12 PM
Maybee weve been a little to hard on jarvis he tries to do a little to much. He always has been a good defender maybee he can gain his respect back that way i think it is all in expectations we expected him to do so much and when he counl not we gave him the blues maybee if EJ gets him to focus more on D the offense will come back to him. OR WE COULD JUST CAN HIM!!!! Just a thought