Wizards draft lottery

[Arkangiest]

Here's hoping and wishing the Wizards get lucky and aquire a top 2 pick. Derrick Williams is the no-brainer, and would be a great piece next to Wall. If we end up with picks 4-7 I vouch for any international player between Enes Kanter, Jan Vesley, and Bismack Biyomo.

[wide_awake]

Well pick six for the Wizards, that sucks.

[Arkangiest]

Yeah FAIL.... I think I'm on the Bismack Biyomo bandwagon.

[wide_awake]

Yeah FAIL.... I think I'm on the Bismack Biyomo bandwagon.

I don't know who he is but based on that name I say yes.

[SkinsKY]

I don't know who he is but based on that name I say yes.

He's really raw. But he might be as athletic as Wall, minus the speed. Has a huge wingspan. Don't know if he's the best choice for the Wiz though.

[Farmer Ted]

They should just trade the pick to the Celtics for Shaquille Oneill. That would fix their front court for the next decade.

[Sean T RIP]

as long as grunfield is there they will screw it up

[Lavar703]

He's really raw. But he might be as athletic as Wall, minus the speed. Has a huge wingspan. Don't know if he's the best choice for the Wiz though.

And he's terrible on offense. Just trade up to get Derrick Williams. They should have the ammo to do it.

[SkinsKY]

And he's terrible on offense. Just trade up to get Derrick Williams. They should have the ammo to do it.

Or Kanter. He's legit too. I think he's got the most upside of anyone in the draft. And that's without my UK glasses on. Wall would kill on the pick and roll/pop with Enes.

[Arkangiest]

Bismack Biyomo is raw as a prospect could be, but his upside, his defensive capabilities, and work ethic is tremendous. He had a triple double in the Nike Hoops Summit with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks!! Kanter would be awesome too, but I doubt he will be available at 6. Looks at players who average the best average blocks in the playoffs per game, Mutombo, Olaijuwon, Ibaka... Add Biyomo to that list, we need a fearsome defender next to Seraphin.

[Lavar703]

Bismack Biyomo is raw as a prospect could be, but his upside, his defensive capabilities, and work ethic is tremendous. He had a triple double in the Nike Hoops Summit with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks!! Kanter would be awesome too, but I doubt he will be available at 6. Looks at players who average the best average blocks in the playoffs per game, Mutombo, Olaijuwon, Ibaka... Add Biyomo to that list, we need a fearsome defender next to Seraphin.

Ernie's history here with International players has been atrocious. Just give up what you have to for Derrick Williams or stay where you are and take Kawhi Lenoard.

[wide_awake]

Ernie's history here with International players has been atrocious. Just give up what you have to for Derrick Williams or stay where you are and take Kawhi Lenoard.

What could we offer to move up that far??

[Arkangiest]

We could offer our other first rounder from the Hawks and possibly throw in Blatche or Howard. The Wolves would be really really stupid to do that though.

[Lavar703]

What could we offer to move up that far??

The two-first round picks plus a sign and trade for Nick Young should get the deal done. While I would hate to see Young go I was very impressed with Jordan Crawford. Wall, Crawford and Williams would be quite the trio.

[Sean T RIP]

Crawford Wall and Williams? Not exactlly James Wasde and Bosh...

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

via DX twitter
"Sources say Washington & Phoenix have been the most active teams trying to trade up for Derrick Williams. T'Wolves want a "veteran big man."

[wide_awake]

I can't find the link but I saw that there is a strong source saying the TWolves offered to switch picks w/ the wiz for McGee but the Wiz want more, and twolves are reluctant.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Wizards aren’t considering dealing JaVale McGee

The Minnesota Timberwolves may want JaVale McGee in any swap for the No. 2 overall pick, but the Wizards have no interest in moving the incredibly athletic, 7-foot-1 center, according to two sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking.

In recent weeks, both Jonathan Givony of Draft Express and ESPN.com’s Chad Ford have mentioned McGee as a player Minnesota covets. But while the Timberwolves have asked for him, dealing McGee isn’t considered an option for the Wizards in order to move into the top three in the June 23 NBA draft, the sources said. Trading McGee hasn’t even been discussed internally, according to the sources -- especially since many within the organization believe that the 23-year-old McGee would be deemed a top three-to-five pick if he were in the draft this year.

The Wizards may have interest in moving up to get a desired player, but this draft -- with so many question marks from top to bottom -- isn’t the one that would convince the team to sacrifice McGee, a player that it has spent the past three years developing into a serviceable center in a league that is experiencing a dearth in talent at that position. With so much uncertainty atop the draft, the Wizards believe they can find a player that can help the team with the sixth pick.

The Timberwolves have made it no secret that they are willing to move the pick, with versatile 6-foot-9 forward Derrick Williams the mostly likely choice and forwards Kevin Love and Michael Beasley the two best players on their roster.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/wizards-arent-considering-dealing-javale-mcgee/2011/06/17/AGxB5hYH_blog.html#pagebreak

[RedskinsDave]

Moving Mcgee would be a mistake. I am glad they aren't doing it.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Probballdraft Probasketballdraft
As it stands expect the @WashWizards to trade up w/ the @Utah_Jazz or @Cavs to take Enes Kanter. Per a source Wiz have him #2 on their board

http://twitter.com/#!/probballdraft

[wide_awake]

http://twitter.com/#!/probballdraft

Anyone know if this is a good thing??

[akhhorus]

Anyone know if this is a good thing??

No one really knows. Kanter has barely played but has blown scouts away in the gym. John Wall practiced with him at UK(Kanter signed with UK, but was declared ineligible) and has apparently been begging the Wiz to trade up for him.

[wide_awake]

No one really knows. Kanter has barely played but has blown scouts away in the gym. John Wall practiced with him at UK(Kanter signed with UK, but was declared ineligible) and has apparently been begging the Wiz to trade up for him.

I don't know much about basketball but that sounds awesome, I want him. Would it make more sense to play McGee at forward if Kanter can be a center/dominant inside presence?

[akhhorus]

I don't know much about basketball but that sounds awesome, I want him.

He's a risk, thats for sure, but he's a real center in a league that doesn't have many of them anymore. If the price is just 6+18, I'd probably take that risk if I was making the decisions.

Would it make more sense to play McGee at forward if Kanter can be a center/dominant inside presence?

Yeah, that sounds about right.

[SkinsKY]

He's a risk, thats for sure, but he's a real center in a league that doesn't have many of them anymore. If the price is just 6+18, I'd probably take that risk if I was making the decisions.



Yeah, that sounds about right.

He's a real center and can shoot and put the ball on the deck when he needs to. I played a pick up game in the Bball team's private gym one time when he was working out. Real smooth in his movement. Great looking jumper and touch.

He also mauled Sullinger when they played the Nike Hoops Summit a year ago. Admittedly, I am biased toward any UK player who showed up to midnight madness dressed as the Undertaker, but he's a very skilled big man. I would love the Wizards to nab him. There's not a whole lot of talent in the draft as it is to make it to #6.

[akhhorus]

He's a real center and can shoot and put the ball on the deck when he needs to. I played a pick up game in the Bball team's private gym one time when he was working out. Real smooth in his movement. Great looking jumper and touch.


He probably, at worse, will be a low rent Bogut--but there's so many foreign players who were unknowns and busted out because they just didn't have the skills. Chairman Yi was a legend in workouts and he just can't play lol.

[Keino]

I don't want to see us move up to draft Kanter. I hope he is there for us, but I'd like to see us use both #6 and #18 to bring some players to DC to go with Wall. I would not be unhappy if they took Jonas Valanciunas or Jan Vesely with #6.

[akhhorus]

I don't want to see us move up to draft Kanter. I hope he is there for us, but I'd like to see us use both #6 and #18 to bring some players to DC to go with Wall. I would not be unhappy if they took Jonas Valanciunas or Jan Vesely with #6.

Supposedly Valanciunas is going 4 to Cleveland, and he won't come to the NBA until 12/13.

[Keino]

Supposedly Valanciunas is going 4 to Cleveland, and he won't come to the NBA until 12/13.

I am satisfied with the Vesely pick, but I would have preferred the other two...

[Lavar703]

I am satisfied with the Vesely pick, but I would have preferred the other two...

I'm not. I would have much rather of had Kawhi Leonard than another Oleksiy Petcherov. Ernie Grunfeld has to be fired at some point considering he should've been fired after the T-Wolves fleeced him for the 5th pick in the draft two years ago.

[wide_awake]

Singleton at 18 is AWESOME. He's a lock-down defensive specialist.

[dj_stouty]

Does Jan do anything other than the alley oop dunk?

[Keino]

Singleton at 18 is AWESOME. He's a lock-down defensive specialist.

And he is a pretty good scorer and rebounder. I was very afraid that the Knicks were going to take him at 17. I am very happy with the Singleton pick. I like the Mack pick at 34 too.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

I'm not. I would have much rather of had Kawhi Leonard than another Oleksiy Petcherov. Ernie Grunfeld has to be fired at some point considering he should've been fired after the T-Wolves fleeced him for the 5th pick in the draft two years ago.
From what my Euro friends have told me, Jan is no Pecherov.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

When asked about being the "European Blake Griffin", he replied, "Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesley"



Opposition to the Vesely pick seems to come in two forms. The first is that the Wizards should have instead traded up to land Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter. I sympathize with this, but it seemed like it was much more difficult in practice to do. Ted Leonsis, in an interview on"Overtime" with Bill Rohland and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan, said the asking price of teams ahead of the Wizards was staggering.

We tried to trade up, but the price was really high," he said. "Some people wanted No. 6, No. 18 and our No. 1 pick next year. So we thought: let's use all three of those picks."

If true, that's way too high a price to pay even for Williams, who you all know I like. Even 6 + 18 seems a bit high for Kanter, who is much more of an unknown than Vesely (though he may fit into a supposed area of weakness better). It seems like that was just not a good option.

The second potential issue with Vesely is whether he can learn the skills he needs to be successful in the league. We all know about his shooting issues, his putrid free-throw shooting and his struggles with hanging onto the ball. Those are serious issues, and they have me concerned. Vesely himself acknowledged those problems as ones he needed to fix, and said his first goal is to work on his free throws. So at least he knows the problem is there.

"My shot, you know. I have to work on that, and of course to be more strong," he said, later joking that "I'm comfortable [shooting], but it goes out."

But there are some positives Vesely brings too. The Wizards love his athleticism, and it is legitimate at his size. They also, I believe, like his court sense and the way he cuts into open space and finishes on offensive rebounds. They are projecting him, I believe, to be someone who doesn't need the ball to score his points, and I think he can do that. I don't think they are as concerned about whether he can take a guy one-on-one and score on him. That's not going to be his role on this future team, so it really doesn't matter much.

The bottom line with Vesely, though, is this: he's not like most Europeans. Whereas Kanter hasn't played in a year and Valanciunas and Biyombo play limited minutes for their club teams, Vesely was a main player on one of the best teams in Europe in Partizan. He's tough, he wins and he plays big in big spots, which the Wizards witnessed when he scored 18 points in the Serbian League title game. He's not a star in Europe, but he's a key role player and a big part of their team. He's also kind of cocky, and he won't back down from anything or anyone. The Wizards, I believe, feel that they need that attitude more than they need his skills. Or, they think the skills will come around to match the attitude.


http://www.bulletsforever.com/2011/6...ards#storyjump

[Farmer Ted]

Does Jan do anything other than the alley oop dunk?

They said he had a real good chance of winning the slam dunk contest. It's too bad he doesn't have a cool nickname like Skeeta.

[Arkangiest]

I am very pleased with the Wizards draft. Absolutely shocked that Chris Singleton fell to us at 18, what a steal. He is exactly the beast defender we needed. Mack will be a very solid backup point guard who makes big shots in big moments. Playing at Butler anyone who has followed College basketball should know this guy has been in huge situations, probably bigger than most of the Wizards players have ever been in.

As sweet as Mack and Singleton are the entire draft will fall on the production of Jan Vesley and I think he will be a hit. If the Wizards are indeed building a team around John Wall, they are adding the right pieces. With Vesley the Wizards transition game is going to be ridiculous.

When asked about being the "European Blake Griffin", he replied, "Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesley".... This was all I needed to hear to become a big fan of this guy. Cocky, confident, and makes out with his girlfriend as soon as he gets picked, just a solid BRO. Obviously his shooting and ball handling need improvement, I'm hoping that Jan has the (borat voice) "testey satchel" to strengthen his weaknesses and provide and new vibe to elevate team energy and confidence. Good riddance Rashard Lewis (Then again he probably won't be gone until his atrocious contract is finished).

I also felt like Michael Jordan had a ridiculously good draft for his team in getting my hero Bismack Biyomo and Kemba Walker (whose mom looked pretty high last night, not judging, just sayin).

I also ROFLed at Brandon Knight's reaction going to Detroit, he looked perfectly underwhelmed.

All in all I give the Wizards draft a B+

[Patrick]

Solid draft for the Wiz's and from all the grade outs I've read it appears that most are giving them an A. IMO though - they still need a exceptional draft next year before they become playoff quality.