Washington Wizards Blog

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 12, 2009 at 3:39 PM

Welcome, Fabricio — and I guess this won’t happen again?

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 12, 2009 at 3:46 PM

While you’re at it, check out the incredible Jared Jeffries and Fabricio Oberto highlights on this ‘09-10 Wizards season preview.

(…actually, maybe I have that wrong — that might be gil ‘n juice ‘n twan ‘n slick)

Comment from SportzWiz
Time August 12, 2009 at 4:14 PM

first impressions: oberto is a very very nice guy and is extremely happy to be here in dc. loved the comment that he doesnt mind going 10 games without scoring if thats what it takes for the team to win.

He is a guy that has played and started games at the highest level of competition (both internationally and in the NBA) winning a gold medal with Argentina and a title with the Spurs.

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 12, 2009 at 6:11 PM

Ernie basically declared Randy Foye the new backup point guard during the presser by saying our off-season moves definitely upraded the position.

We have *talent* to be a very strong team. We’ve always had a strong starting five, and we still will. The key, despite the return of Gil and Brendan, is the guys off the bench.

Comment from ta1ent
Time August 12, 2009 at 6:30 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Wtqur5xMU&feature=related

Comment from aznzero
Time August 12, 2009 at 7:09 PM

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/08/12/wizards.arenas.ap/index.html

this just makes me more excited about this season ;!;

Comment from aznzero
Time August 12, 2009 at 7:09 PM

i totally forgot how to do the bump thing

Comment from dcbutler357
Time August 12, 2009 at 8:30 PM

He will bring that annoying mental toughness that some of our “bigs” need to obtain…Yeaaah boy!!!!

Are we there yet…get ready for some basketball!!!

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 12, 2009 at 11:01 PM

Close aznzero… colon, exclamation point, colon.

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 12, 2009 at 11:15 PM

Great way to welcome the poor guy Tom LOL. He will probably tie Nick’s shoelaces together at some point during training camp

Thank you Ta1ent. If Pop likes him that much maybe I’d better take a better look. Could this guy be the guy that completes the puzzle? He does make us more versatile and we were already very versatile to begin with. Hmmmm.

I’d be VERY surprised if Ernie/Flip didn’t have plans for Mr. Foye at the one. Every thing I’ve read suggests that Ernie thinks Randy plays the same “style” of game that Gilbert plays plus a little more defense.

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 12, 2009 at 11:28 PM

Wouldn’t it be fun to be sitting as a fly on the wall the first day of training camp? I’d love to hear the conversation between Gilbert and Randy. You “know” each has read the same things I have. What challenges do you suppose Gilbert will suggest? You know the good ole 3 pointer will be involved How will Randy respond? Truth: Gilbert has never been challenged as a Wizard. And he really isn’t now, but, we know that…. those two don’t. Could you imagine, from the competition, springs an improved Gilbert AND Randy? WOW. That competition can’t be a bad thing for us

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 12, 2009 at 11:38 PM

SportzWiz…. if you are privy to any of those type conversations during training camp PLEASE keep us informed. Ok…. I’ll admit it. I’m getting a little excited. Could the season start just a little sooner?

Comment from datonypony
Time August 13, 2009 at 1:08 AM

Woot Washington Wizards Bandwagon what!!!!!!!!

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 13, 2009 at 8:08 AM

Take it easy, guys… we don’t want to have to talk you down from the edge!

Comment from neal
Time August 13, 2009 at 9:17 AM

I like what I read. Yes, datonypony, he seems to be a team guy. And his stats say that unless he has a high % shot, he’s looking to assist his teammates. Should be good for the locker room – chemistry.

Where does datonypony come from? Does your mother know you’re using that name?

Fabricio is also the best looking Wizard since Jarvis.

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM

I think Mr. Oberto and Mr. Miller use the same barber?

Comment from neal
Time August 13, 2009 at 2:45 PM

Certainly a step up from Pecherov. I think he’s beyond a barber’s help.

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 13, 2009 at 9:30 PM

Andre Iguodala has been playing w/ Gilbert in Chicago and says he is all the way back!

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 13, 2009 at 11:15 PM

That is the first time I’ve heard a “non” Wizard say that. Great news. Thanks Tom.

Comment from GlingGling
Time August 13, 2009 at 11:22 PM

I’m wondering how many people here actually had doubt that Gilbert would get back into playing shape. I don’t have doubt. Though it remains to be seen how he will perform in “real” games, I have faith that he is going to bounce back past his previous sensational form.

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 14, 2009 at 12:15 AM

GlingGling count me among those that “wondered”. After 3 surgeries in less than 2 years I don’t know that any of us could really feel that comfortable about it. Gilbert is such a big part of the franchise. Not only his basketball abilities, but, his antics, his charisma, his controversial side, his nutty side all rolled into our beloved Gilbert. Let’s face it Gilbert put us on the map in the NBA. For 30 years we were nadda… then in came Gilbert.

Imo Ernie only made two mistakes since he has been here. Letting Hughes go in his prime when he and Gilbert worked so well together, and , overpaying and allowing that no buy out clause to be included in Etan’s deal. Past that I think Ernie has continued to weed out the bad and bring in the good to the point where I think with Gilbert back we could really do damage this year.

Comment from GlingGling
Time August 14, 2009 at 3:20 AM

Has the server been having problems? The blog has been randomly redirecting to a rather gaudy server message.

Comment from wizards_fusion
Time August 14, 2009 at 7:44 AM

@ GR:

I’m going to add 2 more things Ernie did/doing “wrong” during his tenure in DC

a) Not re-signing Roger Mason.

For those that followed Mason from a high school super scorer to his days as a Cavalier (not THAT Cavalier) and then being drafted as an afterthought to the Bulls in the second round and then refining his game in Europe and then finally shining in the league with his specialty (3pt shooting) and ball-handing abilities shouldn’t be surprised at what he brings to the table. Besides, Roger proved, at least to my weary eyes, that he was good for the Wizards. He covered 2 holes the team *still has* (unless proven otherwise) – 3pt shooting and the health of PG extraordinaire. Lastly, he’s in his prime and his best basketball is yet to come.

b) Not getting guys that are defensively-minded through the draft or free agency and/or retaining guys with this characteristic that were on the team (i.e., Larry Hughes, Jared Jefferies)

This could come back and bite the Wizards in the long run. As much as people criticize Mike Brown’s “LeBron-centric” offense where #23 holds the ball for like 10 seconds on every possession before doing anything, the Cavs compensate for inconsistent offense (i.e., no flow) with excellent defense. The year Boston won the trophy was the year they had a great balance of offense (from their Big 3) and defense (Garnett’s ferocity got everyone juiced) and if those guys are healthy, I think their starters are Top 3 in the league – no question. Realistically, if the Wizards can move toward a better defensive output (indirectly *spoken* by Flip Saunders on how his past teams have consistently been in the top 12 in defense) during close games, the team may have a chance for 48 wins.

Alright – enough Ernie bashing; it is Friday. So, let me talk about LeBron instead.

I think LeBron, for the first time ever, looks much better than the supermodel he’s standing next to

http://mikeresponts.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/lebronvogue.jpg

Comment from neal
Time August 14, 2009 at 8:57 AM

I disagree that EG should have kept Hughes. The price just got too high. Grunfeld was willing to pay him even more than Arenas was making. Every player has a maximum value, even very good ones. He would have handcuffed our future even more than it is now.

I also think the price got too high for Jeffries, though I liked him a lot. He had a serious drawback, in that he couldn’t score.

I think we all agree that Mason should have been kept, instead of signing Dixon. And that Thomas was overpaid, given his propensity for getting hurt.

Grunfeld’s biggest gambles are the new Jamison and Arenas contracts. He is betting our future on his belief that with all our present guys healthy we are better than a “one and done” playoff team. I sure hope he’s right. I wouldn’t have done it, but I wasn’t asked.

I was/am certainly worried about whether Arenas would come back 100%, in spite of what everyone said. I imagine that with his history the odds of coming back 100% couldn’t be more than 50%.

Comment from neal
Time August 14, 2009 at 9:07 AM

Also, I’m sure EG is not happy about his drafting of Pecherov, and probably Veremeenko as well.

Comment from Rick
Time August 14, 2009 at 10:21 AM

Veremeenko, hah, I forgot about him. Anyone know if he is still on the radar? Any chance he will be in training camp this year?

Comment from wizards_fusion
Time August 14, 2009 at 10:36 AM

@ neal:

Judging by Ernie’s “non-chalant” approach to the draft, I don’t think it pains him deeply he got very little out of Pech and is still stashing the other Russian until he ferments into drinkable vokda or very salty fish eggs.

If you look at the 2 guys with high expectations from bloggers here (Nick Young and Andray Blatche), both were not scheduled to be in the Wizards’ drafting plans at all. Remember, Nick fell from being projected at around Lottery Pick 12 and fell to Washington’s Pick 16 (and Grunfeld took him because he was best available) and Blatche was a late-middle second rounder (in other words – not a whole lot of expectation; especially from a high school kid without a lot of national media attention) that was really cheap (financially speaking) to the team at the time.

In hindsight, wanting Caron Butler over Larry Hughes now is a no-brainer. But GR does have a point that Larry played his best basketball as a pro in Washington; thus, he was worth more to the Wizards than many other teams. If Larry stayed in Washington, I’m not sure he’ll be able to sustain his high level of play for the full 5 years of his contract. Maybe the biggest deterrent for Ernie to NOT match Cleveland for Hughes was the health issue (although this idea conflicts with Ernie throwing c-notes at Gil).

It is my guess Eddie Jordan liked Hughes a lot because Larry played similarly to how Eddie played basketball at Rutgers. Both guys have a panache for steals. The problem with this relationship was that Eddie allowed Larry to go 3 for 17 shooting multiple times without any reprecussion – and being a “players’ coach” in this sense hurts the team.

Comment from neal
Time August 14, 2009 at 2:44 PM

I hope Veremeenko does show for training camp. Did he come last year or was that summer league?

In any event, he’s scarcely on the radar. Still under a contract with a substantial buy-out clause. We haven’t heard anything about his play in Europe, and I presume we would have if he were doing anything great.

Comment from datonypony
Time August 14, 2009 at 6:40 PM

Responding to Neal I will not be located anywhere in USA. But yeah, I got overexcited. Probably too bored… I can’t wait for the season to start. Im feeling happy about this season. In terms of Field Goal percentage who shoots better out of James, Stevenson, Nick, Miller and Randy?

Comment from GrifonRacing
Time August 14, 2009 at 10:56 PM

Wiz Fusion… I forgot about Roger Mason. The Spurs offered him “just” enough so that any counter offer from us would have put us over (I think luxury… might have been salary cap I don’t remember). It was such a small amount over which ever that Ernie should have pulled the trigger.

Neal I think Ernie may regret drafting Pecherov and V Dub only because, as Tom will point out, better players were drafted after them. Pecherov certainly didn’t cost much and V Dub has cost us nothing.

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 15, 2009 at 9:02 AM

A few notes on the above comments, esp. about Ernie

“Defensive-minded players” — uh… anybody remember Dominic McGuire? Probably the biggest draft steal in the last 5 years outside of Paul Millsap.

Roger Mason — We should have re-signed him *before* inking Gilbert, who might have agreed to take a tiny bit less and keep us under the luxury tax. At the same time, don’t overestimate Roger. He’s an average NBA player at best.

Nick Young — I don’t think anyone had him slotted at 12 in ‘07. If he went down, who do you think went up?

Comment from datonypony
Time August 15, 2009 at 8:43 PM

Well I wouldn’t call drafting Nick a mistake and I won’t say it is a steal. He has shown what he can do and he now just needs to improve on the things he can’t do.

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 16, 2009 at 12:58 PM

Nick was taken 16th in the draft. You rarely get a great player at that spot in the draft. I doubt you get a starter 50% of the time. In fact, here are the last 10 picks at #16:

2000 — Hedo Turkoglu
2001 — Kirk Haston
2002 — Jiri Welisch
2003 — Troy Bell
2004 — Kirk Snyder
2005 — Joey Graham
2006 — Rodney Carney
2007 — Nick Young
2008 — Brandon Rush
2009 — James Johnson

Other than Turkoglu — who is a good not a great player — everybody before Nick is either gone or just hanging on to a spot in the league. Brandon Rush may turn out ok. The Bulls are already worrying about James Johnson’s work ethic.

Not hard to understand why Ernie isn’t all that focused on the draft, huh?

Comment from datonypony
Time August 17, 2009 at 12:22 AM

Oh well Nick was an ok pick so, I don’t think there was anyone after him who turned out to be a starter capable player anyway.

Comment from Tom Mandel
Time August 17, 2009 at 7:57 AM

Taken after Nick in the first round ‘07: Wilson Chandler and Rudy Fernandez. Chandler is still potential; Fernandez has turned out to be a pretty good player.

The 2d round was better: Carl Landry has become a very solid NBA player. Marc Gasol is a starting Center, Ramon Sessions is undersized but has skills. And then there’s Dominic McGuire, one of the best young players in the league.

Some others may still develop into players: Josh McRoberts, Kyrylo Fesenko, and Aaron Gray, for example.