All Wizards Talk
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All Wizards Talk
Can You Teach Me how to Dougie?
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Welcome back to another episode of All Wizards Talk Podcast on the All Sports Talk Network. I'm Bryce Nakus joined alongside as always by Henry Brown and ladies and gentlemen. Baby Linux move! Can you teach me? It was John Wall Appreciation Night. Henry Brown was in the building for that. Oh my goodness. The vibes gotta be high, right? They were. And also I saw you scare the crap out of your cat.
SPEAKER_05Whatever that was you just did.
SPEAKER_04They're going crazy now.
SPEAKER_05The vibes were good though. The vibes were good though. It was great to have John there. I stood near him. I hadn't actually stood near him before. That's a real 6'4. Like maybe, maybe taller. I just I forgot how tall he is. That's part of what made us. 6'3, 6'4. He's a big dude. Um, but yeah, the people the people love their John Wall. There was a bobblehead. I didn't get one. Um there were there was a half court, there was a uh during like a timeout or whatever. I saw that where they recreated the show. They're creating his game six shot, just trying to do it over and over again. But yeah, it was good to have him. They had a tribute video ready. Not quite a jersey retirement, but that's probably in the cards sometime soon.
SPEAKER_04It's definitely got to be soon. Maybe next season. On like I could see it next season. I could. Yeah, so that's my guess. And so because I remember what Ted Leonz just talked about how he was like, well, if he's gonna have a Jersey retirement, we're not gonna have like it up beyond a bobblehead night of all things.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it seemed like they were sort of um secretive with when they're gonna do it, but they're probably I would assume they're gonna do it.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, I feel like it's definitely gonna happen sooner rather than later.
SPEAKER_05I don't think it's gonna be one of those things where it's like you know, five years down the line, but then it's like, oh no, they're building towards it now, especially as the team's getting good. And it showed because they won for John. That's back to back for John.
SPEAKER_04And ladies and gentlemen, this is the second series sweep, or not sweep, second series win this season. Yeah. And so it's crazy to say it. 25% of the team's wins have come against the Milwaukee Bucks.
SPEAKER_05And all three were way closer than they had to be, especially this one. This one was probably the most definitive win because they didn't have Giannis. That helps, that goes a long way. And the Wizards weren't exactly, you know, shooting the laces off the ball themselves. Uh, fourth quarter got a little weird, but they closed it out. That's three wins against the Bucs, two at home.
SPEAKER_04Two at home. This was also the first one that they had against the Bucs post-tray young trade. And so that's like another thing to look at. It's like they were winning when they still had CJ and Corey in the lineup, and when they weren't relatively injured. I mean, you look at it, Alex Sarr was the only big man tonight. He was the only you know, center out there on the court. It showed he got 17 boards out there. But I mean, you look at the last win, the Bucs had Giannis, he was playing their relatively healthy team, and the Wizards were relatively healthy, but they still had CJ and Corey. Of course, CJ hit that game winner against them um in Milwaukee. Then like just this game, uh, realistically, you look at it, was not really a game they should have won, if I'm being honest.
SPEAKER_05No, neither team shot very well. Um, I believe the Wizards only made eight threes on a lot of attempts. The Bucs made 10. And they are weird because the Bucs, I mean, we were just marveling watching this game. They just have the this Bucks team without Giannis is just is really, really bad. And you all these guys have the profile of shooters, but no shots went in. Not even Thanassus could save this one. It was it was ugly. Like Portis had a good game. Um, Kuzma hit some shots, but you just there's there's nothing. Well, this is the thing.
SPEAKER_04Like, the only player that was like really injured for the Bucs, and you look at it was Giannis. Yeah, this is just the rest of their team. Yeah, this is just the rest of their team. It it's it reminds me of when you know I was up there with uh you, Josh, everyone else. It was a game against the you know Grizzlies, and Josh just turns to us and goes, they're they're just bad. Yeah, we're saying that's what I was getting with the Milwaukee Bucks as well. This game is like they're just they're just a bad team.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and the Wizards, we someone had to win this, and they did, and it made sense they controlled most of the game.
SPEAKER_04They did.
SPEAKER_05Um, again, the last few minutes sort of got away from them, lost a bit of composure, it seemed. Um, but as we've seen the last few wins, um, the defense was there, especially on the wing. And this rotation is not big. There was no bag we tonight. Um and I asked Brian Keith about it after the game, but they just had enough guys switching the pick and roll, rotating and just playing big. Like Champagny and and Watkins are two stur, they're two of the sturdier wings in the team. There's not there's a whole lot of guys in the team who are extremely slight. Um, but you just had enough guys playing the part and just using whatever size they had to get it done under the rim.
SPEAKER_04You mentioned the size, and like the second biggest guy playing tonight was Will Riley, and he plays like a guard. He's the skinniest guy of the bunch. Yeah, he's the skinniest guy, but he's the second tallest that played tonight. And you know, when it it was clear as soon as Alex Sark came off, they went to a five-out style offense. I'm gonna be honest, that is not the style of offense.
SPEAKER_05That lineup wasn't great because the because also no Keyshawn for a lot of that lineup and the offense had opened somewhere. As fun as the defense was.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, as far as as far as defense, they definitely struggled there, but there's really like two things that stood out to me when I'm looking at like the box scores uh specifically from this win. Okay. First, the Wizards had 61 boards. Saar had 17 on his own. Saar had 17, Bilal had 10, K-Mid had six, George with five, Jameer with nine off the bench, which I didn't think he got that many.
SPEAKER_05I gotta talk about him for a minute because he has had two. I really think he's the best defensive wing on the team. Like he's had two awesome back-to-back outings. He did a great job on Denny Avdia on Tuesday. Um, got two steals off him. One, he just like did that that thing where like he he like guarded both the ball, practically stripped him straight up, got the ball. One time he just picked an entry pass out of the air, just tapped it. Oh, it was it was beautiful. In this time, he's just he's strong. He's 6'6, and some of the guys in the team you can sort of bump out of the way, and not him. He can stick with assignment, he has the hands, disruptive hands that are quick, and he's just everywhere. Like he's you can't get rid of that guy if he's on you. And I saw it with some of the smaller bucks shooters tonight, too.
SPEAKER_04Well, you you mentioned, I mean, he's strong, he's also big, 6'6, he's 210 pounds, and he's definitely one of the more sturdier and built guys on the team. And part of that is because he was at Florida State for forever. I mean, he I think it was a four-year player for sure, maybe five. Uh well, he was at he was at two different colleges, yes.
SPEAKER_05But like I'm saying, like college-wise, you know. Yeah, he was actually in college for five years, but he redshirted his sophomore, I think, from an injury.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and so and that's gonna help you out gaining size. I mean, you look at a lot of the players, yeah. You look at a lot of players on the Wizards. I mean, they came in and they were if they went the college route, they were one and done. Or if they came over, you know, from the pro route, uh, you know, from teams over in France, Spain, Germany, Australia, all over the place. I mean, you know, it's not like they were in a big kind of like weight system, you know, like that. That's not really like that. They're getting used to the pro style of play, they're not used to getting stronger. And I think we've seen SAR slowly get stronger along with some of these other guys that played internationally before coming over to the NBA. And you notice a little bit with some changes here, like I said, with SAR. Uh Bilal, I think has definitely gotten stronger. Yes. You know, you I think it's clear, evident there, like, okay, he's definitely gotten stronger as a player. Um, and then, like I said, the one and done guys, I mean, Trey Johnson, you can tell he's just it's gonna take time for him to get a little bit stronger. You know, one and done kind of guy right there. Uh, some others, Bub Carrington, I mean Will Riley as well. He's tall, he has potential. If he can just get a little bit stronger and he has shown signs of being able to use his height a little bit, if he can just get stronger, I think you know, a lot of these guys are gonna be great players for the Wizards.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and um, I mean, Will definitely needs it just for creating space on his on his drives. He's kind of lanky, extremely lanky. He's six foot ten. And I think he's actually he's had some really good signs because his his shooting numbers up until mid-January throughout season were just really, really bad. Um and I think he just had to take more normal shots. I feel like the last few weeks, he's or honestly, the last week, he's just taken more just spot up threes, and those have gone in at a pretty regular clip. So I think he just needed to simplify things for him. But once he gets stronger again, I think that he he's seen he's seen what he can get away with right now at his current frame, and it's not as much as he was in college, of course. Smaller competition. Um I think now that he's just getting his shot right, everything within the arc will now be unlocked, you know. I assume during the offseason when he when he pads a bit more muscle on there.
SPEAKER_04100%. And then just on Jameer Watkins, real quick again. Sure, we've we've already mentioned like he's built the biggest thing he's gotta improve on is like he's gotta be a shooter. He's I can't remember if it was you or if someone else mentioned it, but like, you know, if Jameer gets a shot, like if he if he develops a shot, he can be you know a really good role player for this team because he was it was you, right?
SPEAKER_05I'm sure I I mean that sounds a thing I I thought, yeah. Like I'm all in on him just as a he's already a good role player now.
SPEAKER_04So like he already is, like you said, one you know, probably the best perimeter defender on this team.
SPEAKER_05It's him or bullall, and I I I give a slight edge to Jameer because just he can't get moved out of the way. Um, you're right about his shot because it actually for I mean, and it doesn't go in, um, not on a whole lot of attempts. And there's times where they're just not really sure what to do with him if he's not in the corner. Like he was trying to set screens and just slip out, pop out, go back to the near the top of the key to wing. Um, but no one is switching onto him because there's no threat that he's gonna hit a jumper, especially from like above the break. And you're just getting like Bub and Keyshawn, these ball handlers are just getting too stuck on him. And you know, if he does get the ball, then it just I mean, they they got they have to figure that out. Uh his shot still has some way to go. He's an older fella, so I'm sure this has been a topic they've already talked about, and he's been pretty mature so far with the Wizards.
SPEAKER_04So I'm sure and that's that's the unfortunate thing is he is an older player as a rookie, 24 years old, compared to Trey and Will, who are 19. I mean, there's gonna be a lot of pressure on him to develop what he needs to develop in a year span compared to where these other guys they get more leeway of like, okay, by year three, we expect to see some good progress. Whereas with Jameer, it's gonna be more like it look, you're 25, your second year here. If you haven't developed and gotten better, clearly, then odds are you're gonna fall out the rotation because we can have younger guys put up the same production.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and he's just he's so good on defense that I think he's these last two games have shown that he is like a rotational mainstay for the rest of the season. Oh, yeah. There's not a whole lot of guys who can provide what he has. And I know everyone says they're a shot away all the time, and it often doesn't come through because jump shots are really hard to develop. That's why there's such a big swing skill in the draft.
SPEAKER_04But a lot a lot of it is just habits that need to be broken. Like you know, we've talked about before with Bilal, a trainer that I talk with a lot about you know certain players' shots, especially Bilal's. I mean, you know, he has trained a lot of D1 athletes here in Oklahoma. He's he's Dayton Forsyth's personal trainer over at OU right now. Like I talked to him about it and I was like, what do you see wrong as a shot? It's like it's just a bunch of habits that need to be broken. Like he likes to bring it really low and then swing it all the way back up. It just takes a lot of time for him to actually get up to the top and shoot a shot, and it gives defenses a chance to actually contest that shot now. Like that's that's his biggest problem, is it just takes forever for him to actually put it up.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, these all these experts you're talking about, they all just say get rid of that necessary movement. And he it's a long crank, uh, he brings it pretty low. Um, long arms, he's six foot eight or whatever it may be. And there's there's a whole lot going on when he shoots.
SPEAKER_04That that's and that's the biggest thing with, and you notice with all like the key defensive players on this team, Kulbali, Jameer, Drosar in that mix as well. I mean, it's just it's the you know, distance shooting is the struggle with them. That's the clear struggle. If they can just improve upon those easily, great players on this team have long careers in Washington. It's just a matter of that. But the second stat that I want to bring up really quick, please free throws. Do you have did have you gotten a chance to check out the free throw differential? No, no, tell me. The Bucks shot nine free throws. Okay. The Wizards shot 28. Whoa, I didn't know it was that much. I figured it was that much.
SPEAKER_05I think this is a different game. If the Bucs just couldn't hit, they had a lot of good open threes. They didn't hit any of them. And I think it's just a different game if you have Giannis there. Their team's built around that guy just drawing a million free throws a game. And uh, but good on the Wizards. I feel like they've been good at drawing free throws recently. Um, Saar is going up straight and just drawing contact, going up straight strong. Keyshawn, I don't think he had a ton today, but he just heard it.
SPEAKER_04Well, that's that's the crazy thing about it is like no one shot more than four free throws on the team. It's an all-around effort. Like it's just all around, like everyone getting in the line. I mean, Trey had four before he got injured, Cayman had four, Saar had four, Keyshawn only had one on an and one. Um, Will Riley had four, Bub had three. Like, it's just all across the board. Everyone had like three to four free throws.
SPEAKER_05I think they drew three different four-point plays today. They did. They only like I don't think they didn't hit all of them. Um, I think Riley hit on one.
SPEAKER_04Riley, but they're playing Keyshawn hit and Keyshawn hit his, obviously.
SPEAKER_05Yes, he did. Yes, he did. But they're playing smart and composed, and it also shows in the foul, and Keyshawn only had one foul. Like, he's just he's he knows what he's doing out there.
SPEAKER_04That that was also impressive to see Keyshawn with only one foul because I feel like in a lot of games that are like this where it's close, you see Keyshawn has like four fouls with 10 minutes left to go in the game, and then he has to play a little bit more conservative, play you know, a little bit, okay. I'm gonna play safer now, you know, not as much pressure, I'm not gonna attack as much on offense. But when he doesn't get in foul trouble like this, when he has like three fouls with 10 minutes left, you see him just go insane, and that's when he has a game like this when he had 23 points.
SPEAKER_05I mean, he took 20, he took like 24 shots. Like hearing high passion has definitely gone up as the season goes on, especially now. Career high in shot attempts. Yeah, and we gotta talk about this. Like, he's so he's averaging about 20 points per game almost on the dot over his last eight games. Oh it's funny. How many do you have his numbers ahead of you? Like, how many what was his success on threes today? Uh he was two of eight from three. Okay, so 25%. That's actually below. So he's without that sample, it's gonna go down. He's hitting only 33% of his threes. They haven't actually really been going in. That's been a lot of back heel. Um, but again, he's got the bump midi that he can always turn to. And today he just hit a really big shot where he just pumped. No one, I think Portis didn't move and just shot it anyway. Yeah, he's he's just got that.
SPEAKER_04Well, like his three-point shot has fallen down every month, which isn't I don't like to see that. I mean, he started so hot. Yeah, when he's on, it's it's on because like the game against recent loss against Denver, or no, the loss against Denver and Denver, he went five of eight from three. He went four of ten in the win against Portland. Yeah, it's like stuff like that. That that's amazing to see. Three is six in the loss against New Orleans at the beginning of the month.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, like and the Portland ones were like almost all late. He's he was like one for seven or whatever. It probably wasn't that, but he he he made him eventually.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's just like it's stuff like that, like three seven in a loss against Atlanta. Like it's just random stuff like this. But like at the beginning of the season, in October, first month of the season, he was shooting 54% from three. Oh, absurd. It was you're not gonna keep up that kind of numbers, like let's be honest. Yeah, but then he dropped down to 37 in November, and it's like, okay, if we can stay there, that's those are great numbers. You're gonna get that out of yours, you know. Realistically, who's gonna be playing the three for the Wizards? I feel like, depending on how the draft goes. Yeah, and so but if you're three and potentially maybe even four shooting 45, 37 splits, you take that. You you you take that, and then it jumped, then it went down to 36 in December. It's like, okay, that's not it's not a great, you know, like it's not great to see it decrease, but it's not like it was by a ton. And now he's only shooting 33 this month. It's just the threes progressively fallen down where it's kind of turned into a streaky thing.
SPEAKER_05But like you mentioned, when when he's on, it's it's a thing of beauty, and that's one of the things that really stuck with me. There was a whole there were so many storylines that came out of that Portland game. Um but the fact that Keyshawn saw the confidence to take some really big threes in the last five or six years. Deep threes. He he shoot from 30 feet out sometimes. Like I don't always see it coming. Um, but I mean that was Denny, Denny's home for a while. Um, some of the fans are really happy to see him there. Um, and everyone knew that he was gonna try to do some stuff on the fourth, and while he was getting defended really well by a few old friends, mostly uh Balal, um Keyshawn was just really valuable down the stretch. And that was the first uh win that Trayong's gotten to see since the trade. And now they've gotten to the round.
SPEAKER_04That was it was a it was a rough stretch for a bit. It was not pretty.
SPEAKER_05No.
SPEAKER_04And it's like I'm looking at how long was that losing streak? It wasn't longer than eight games, I'm gonna guess. I think it was nine. Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, wow. It was a nine-game losing streak. The Orlando win, that was CJ's last dance, and then Philly, New Orleans, Phoenix, Clippers, Kings, Nuggets, Clippers again, Clippers again, uh, Nuggets.
SPEAKER_04But it's like we talked, it's not like those are like let's say necessarily like bad losses. Those are good teams. No, some of them are good teams, like Denver, good team. Phoenix, good team. Charlotte have turned it up now. Good team. Yeah. It's stuff like that. But then again, you also had some losses where it's like, even though like they lost to the Pelicans, for example, the Kings, for example, it's not like that's gonna hurt you in the long run, and actually put like them in a spot where they lost to the Kings, and all of a sudden they jumped from fourth best odds in the draft to third because of it. And it was like, oh well, here we go, lose a little bit more. And there was a time, I don't think so anymore after tonight with the win, but where the Wizards had the best odds at first overall.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, we were tied with the Pacers with wins, and I think we're gonna- Oh no!
SPEAKER_04What? They're at fifth best odds now, which means there's a chance. There is one thing called the ninth.
SPEAKER_05We've been talking about good tank losses uh a lot. And uh, if they lost this one, it would not have been a good tank loss. Which is weird to me. No, what's up?
SPEAKER_04I just did the spin on there too with them with like the fifth best odds, they jumped to first. I don't get it. Yeah, I I just I really don't get how like the lottery is like this because when every single day I would do like 10 spins to see what would happen with the Wizards. I when they had the best odds, they never got first overall. It's ethical tanking because it's not tanking when they're winning games, it's not tanking when they're winning games, and like it's crazy, and all of a sudden now fifth best odds at first overall, and they jump all the way to first and Brooklyn at two, Dallas at three. It's like I I don't get it.
SPEAKER_05I I don't get the league, man. But one thing that I was saying was like Milwaukee's gotta be gaining on the Wizards at this point, and it's the Wizards actually would have had something to gain by just putting a little difference between them and the rest of the field um by by losing that one, but they're just so defanged without Giannis, and it's like it's national TV, John Wall's here.
SPEAKER_04Um Milwaukee is right now they have the seven best odds at first.
SPEAKER_05And it's they're they're only gonna get better those odds there. And they don't have their pick.
SPEAKER_04Atlanta owns it. Atlanta gets like the better between New Orleans or Milwaukee. Yeah. And so like it's one of those things where like Milwaukee can't necessarily like really tank, or else if they end up above New Orleans, they can't get their pick.
SPEAKER_05It's a pretty gnarly situation over there. It's like nine days until the trade deadline. That thing's holding up everything, maybe he'll get traded, maybe he won't. CBA makes it hard. I have no idea what what they're supposed to do right now.
SPEAKER_04It's it's just insane, like looking at it. And now there's some other teams that are kind of catching up with the Wizards, where you know, Utah's only two games back from the Wizards now to jump over them. What what? I feel like Utah's been like pretty competent all season long.
SPEAKER_05That's pretty good.
SPEAKER_04They've been pretty competent, but now because uh and some of it is because they've played more games than the Wizards, and that's a weird thing where like the Wizards have played Oh, I'm doing math in my head real quick.
SPEAKER_05They're all they're at.
SPEAKER_04They played 46 games, whereas Sacramento's played almost 50.
SPEAKER_05And the Pacers, that's the thing. The Pacers put 11 wins just like the Wizards did, but then they also had like three more losses. Like the Wizards actually played like the fewest games, probably of anyone.
SPEAKER_04They I think they have. Like, I'm gonna be honest, tomorrow has the odds of being a win. You think so? Because right now Luca and Reeves are questionable.
SPEAKER_05I I mean Reeves isn't gonna play.
SPEAKER_04Reeves hasn't waited Reeves only questionable? I thought Reeves was like out. Reeves is questionable, Luca is questionable because of that incident in Cleveland where that was I was watching that game with the race before. I think he'd be fine, but it wouldn't surprise me at the Lakers like. Look at it as oh, it's the Washington Wizards. Why we're why are we gonna play him against them?
SPEAKER_05Hope that isn't I hope they don't say that because um the Wizards are in like every game, they don't win many of them, um, but they're always around, they always hang around. And the team like the Lakers can't really shake free of these young athletic teams, so look out.
SPEAKER_04It's just it's just weird because there's because it's not like this stretch contains a ton of like dominant teams. Like it contains the Pistons, which the Pistons, let's be honest, are gonna win by like 30. Yes, and then it doesn't add to that. They they also played the Knicks, which the Knicks right now are in a little bit of a rut. It seems like they're picking it up again. The Knicks have won fourth straight. Have they now? Okay, yeah. I I figure they were picking it up again, but the defense has been good. I mean, like they have Sacramento at home, which honestly can be a win for the Wizards. It could be. It could that that the Kings are not very good. They go to Brooklyn. That can also be a win, knowing you know, like the last game we saw them play against Brooklyn where they sat half the roster. That's the thing. They're gonna do something like that. That like that's the thing. It's like I already know Brooklyn's gonna do something like that. I already know it. I did last time. We also have Miami, and like Miami's in a weird situation, I feel like. Why do you say that? Because like I don't think they're necessarily like good, but I don't think they're bad. I just think like they're a team that's like just mediocre, they can lose to anyone.
SPEAKER_05It doesn't matter, like that's true, but they love the play-in. I think they're gonna scratch and claw the play in to get that seven seed.
SPEAKER_04They do love the play-in, and then after the all-star break, it's it's a pretty favorable schedule, the first five games. Really? Indiana, Indiana, Charlotte, Atlanta, Atlanta.
SPEAKER_05I'm gonna break, I'm gonna predict that they only win one of those. Like that's my take. That's my take. I think I think they're gonna they're gonna pull some strings the next few games.
SPEAKER_04It's just, but then again, you've got like like I said, Indiana out of the all-star break, they could pull some tricks.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, Indiana's no chump, so I I don't I don't want I don't wanna I don't wanna pretend they're they're worse than they are. But yeah, it could happen. It could happen. The Wizards are playing competent right now.
SPEAKER_04They're they're playing competent and confident basketball right now. There are teams that you know are dealing with injuries, and their teams are dealing in quotations, injuries. Yeah. And you know, like it's just it's gonna be really interesting to see what happens here. Where now we're about to get in the dog days of I bet March 2nd is the first game that we see where you're going to have a group of let me just look at the roster. Uh for some reason, Alex Starr, Keyshawn George, Trey Young, and let's say, screw it, Bub Carrington are all gonna be out for some reason. I can't see Bub miss a game. I can't I can't see him miss a game either, but it wouldn't surprise me if they pull that. And so, but we're about we're about to get in the dog days where you're gonna see all of March and April the team maybe win two games. But it's just all the way to the end of February, like there's a good chance at the end of February they could have 20 wins.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's the thing. So they had 18 last year, and they're definitely on paths to beat that now. They're looking at like around 20, I think maybe 21, if we're just estimating through the end of the season. Um now is now's the time they're gonna determine it. Whether or not they go into the trade deadline hot, the all-star break hot. But I I think we're all assuming they're gonna go into their bag of tricks uh and coasing into the end of the season.
SPEAKER_04It's it's just gonna be it's gonna be interesting looking at it. But this team is hot right now, win against Portland, and it's not like Portland's a bad team either. Portland's 500. They're they're they're uh above uh below 500 right now, but they were 500. Yeah, that's funny. They were entering DC. That's hilarious. And it's and like like I said, they they were a 500 team in the West, mind you. The West is tough. Like that's that's nothing to scoff at. Like 500 east is something where it's like, yeah, they're kind of mediocre, then maybe a little bit below average. 500 in the West is like, man, like it's a competent team. You're just in a tough conference, yeah. Like Golden State is you know a little bit above 500. Like, it's one of those things where it's like, man, it's kind of it's tough if you're in the west. Yeah, and it's a team that has good players, a team that has you know one of the top offensive talents in the league, and Denny.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's probably gonna be an all-star. I probably he's he's an all-star. I'm saying probably just because there's a weird thing right now with like the international players where they can only elect like a certain amount of them or whatever. Right.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, the five slots already filled up.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so he's probably gonna be an all-star, though. Um, a few other notes before we sign off. Um AJ Johnson was the only guy in the rotation who didn't play in Portland, didn't play today either. Make that five DNPs in a row. Just monitoring that.
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SPEAKER_05The last game you played, uh, it was the Lost Sacramento in Sacramento. Um he played 11 and a half minutes and was a minus 22.
SPEAKER_04Was he really the only one that didn't play?
SPEAKER_05In Portland? Yeah. He was even like Scal Lebessier. I mean I probably said his name wrong. He played thin rotation tonight in hosting um oh, it's actually there were five heading into tonight. That's six straight, including including this game. So yeah, again, again, mark that down. You're buddy.
SPEAKER_04That's kind of got me sad a little bit now.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, everyone else is like the time is over.
SPEAKER_04The time is over.
SPEAKER_05They're turning to they turn to Gill pretty early in that Charlotte loss. They did. Branham is on the second unit pretty consistently, still getting buckets every now and then when they need him to. So thin rotation, and he's still not getting much runs. So I'm gonna point that out.
SPEAKER_04But also uh Branham over AJ. What world are we in?
SPEAKER_05Good news, good news. I know you saw, but uh, that's gonna be Saar, Keyshawn George, and Trey Johnson representing the team of the rising stars. Five different rising stars from the Wizards in the last two years.
SPEAKER_04That's kind of that's insane. That's it's pretty wild. It is. You got Bub, Balal, Alex, Keyshawn, and Trey now. And with some injuries happening, I mean AJ Mitchell is still injured for the thunder. Trey Johnson, with he now has a sprain.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, he missed the whole second half. We should say he missed the whole second half of this game.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and so you know they wizard said that he has an ankle sprain, is what it is. I think it was on this this this closeout that he got fouled on. Yeah, it was. It was on the it was on the closeout for sure. But I mean, he might not play in the rising stars game now, which means they need alternates, which gives Bob a chance. Could happen. It could happen. It could happen. And so it could be one of those situations where really the Wizards had four rising stars this year, then.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, the only team I looked through the other rising stars, the only team that can hang with, I think, what the Wizards Rising Stars production has been. Um Memphis has a lot. I saw Wells is returning, um, but they're also having Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer. Last year there was Edie. They've had four in two years. Uh but the Wizard five, I believe, is the record of last two years.
SPEAKER_04I'm looking it up right now to see exactly like this year, like the team list of like okay, the yeah, they've been sorted onto uh different teams.
SPEAKER_05I think Trey and Sarr are supposed to be on the same team.
SPEAKER_04No, no, not that. Like, you know, like NBA teams, like how many players that they sent. Oh, yes. So the case. They had a list of that where like specifically they laid out like, okay, this is how many for this team, this is how many for that team. But I can't find it. I just don't know where I just I just counted myself off of the original manifest. Yeah, and so but I do know the Wizards are the only team in the East that has multiple rising stars. I don't know, it was okay.
SPEAKER_05That that's pretty good.
SPEAKER_04I I do know that they are the only team in the east that has multiple rising stars. So that's yeah, that's something nice to look at when I'm uh I'm looking at, and then you have a few West teams like you have New Orleans with Derek Queen and Jeremiah Fierce, who just got fined. Congrats on your first fight in the NBA. Congrats, yeah. Dort really roughed him up. He did. Apparently, they had been talking the whole game, from what I've been seeing. That doesn't surprise me. Fierce talks from what I've heard. Fierce does talk. He he's got a lot of confidence from what I've heard from buddies at OU. He uh he's had this confidence. It might it must be a Norman thing because Trey Young also has that kind of confidence. There we go. OU, your favorite. Oh god, don't get me started. But yeah, that that's all I got. Anything else to add? Um, I mean, like, not really. Like, I think I think we kind of hit it all. I mean, if you want to go over some trade stuff real quick, because I did my big board uh yesterday. Okay, give me give me a pitch or two. So right now I can pull up my big board and I can just run through them all just real quick. Okay, it's not a ton. Let me go on the website. The website had do you think the website's been set up a little bit weird? Yes.
SPEAKER_05But I think most websites are set up weird because I'm a caveman. Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_04I'm glad it's not just me. Um at seven, I had Zion.
SPEAKER_05Complicated.
SPEAKER_04That's why it's at seven is complicated, it's so like hard to justify it right now. Yeah, that's all we can say right now. We've said enough about this. At six, Jonathan Kaminga, because like I think it's very similar in the same vein of like the idea of having Kaminga doesn't sound bad in theory. It actually playing out probably doesn't work, and it's also really hard financially to get the trade done.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I I thought of financials first action. Usually the first thing I think of is I hate this trade, but the financials is a good point. I forgot about that.
SPEAKER_04Um that's why I said he wanted a three. And so uh at number five, Gershon Yabuseley.
SPEAKER_05Won't take much to get him, probably. It sounds like the if the Knicks want anything of value, they're gonna have to attach a pick to him.
SPEAKER_04Um that's and realistically, the only player that the Wizards would be you know, you know, be willing to offer next would probably be Marvin Bagley. Yeah. Salaries are close, not equivalent. Salaries are close to where you know it works out anyways. And the Wizards are a team that can take on a surplus amount of money.
SPEAKER_05Here's why this works, actually. Uh, I think Yabu can only go somewhere where he'll get minutes and he needs a defined role. And I think there's a chance, if there's no bag, um, that there could be some extremely available front court big-ish minutes. And he would also be a piece of an XSR. He's not a very, very great defender, um, but he can shoot sometimes. So he can.
SPEAKER_04I think it's because next year it would be his last year of this current deal for four million. Yes, that's right. And like it's not it's not taking a lot on your cap space.
SPEAKER_05It's also tradable contract, like it's a nice little um, I don't know, buy low. Maybe you can trade him for because people people like him, so maybe you can just kind of it's kind of like a rehab thing, is how I look at it.
SPEAKER_04That's what it is. Just treat him the same way Philly did. At number four, and this might you know turn some heads, and I'm I'm you know, I'm willing for people to say it turns heads. Giannis at four.
SPEAKER_05So I've thought higher. I've thought about this. Um, it's definitely not believable because there's just so many teams who have a lot to give. But if you're comparing all the teams who have good trade packages, the Wizards are higher on the list than you might think. You're because they own their first round picks, except for the weird uh Knicks one. Um, a few contracts that that can go. It's if Giannis wanted to happen, it could happen. And the Bucks have reason to like it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, like my thing with like why you know it's like right in the middle of the road is because trading him, trading for him is gonna cost you for sure Balal Kulabali. And it to actually get it done, it might also cost you Keyshawn George.
SPEAKER_05Yes, you're right. That's a thing, and it's also gonna cost you four first rounds for sure. Basically, every tradable first round the Wizards can do every the every other rule.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and so that's that's what it's gonna cost. But the all another reason why I had it in the middle of the road is because imagine a Rust, a starting five of Trey Young, Trey Johnson, let's say first overall pick AJ Dubansa, Giannis, and Alex Sarr. It's extremely sexy. Like it's it's really sexy, and you still have Bub off the bench, you still got Justin Champagne off the bench, you still got if Will Riley keeps developing Will Riley. Like you still you still are gonna have a solid bench as well. That's why it sounds so good, but the cost itself is why I can't put it any higher.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, a lot of Wizards fans are gonna have to just be really bold doing that sort of thing because again, parting with guys like Keyshawn and Bilal won't be easy, even if you're going big game hunting. Yes. All right, at number three, DeMontis Sabonis. I don't like this one. I think we've talked about this before. I just I just don't love him on the team. I think offensively.
SPEAKER_04I think I think offensively he would fit in very well. Defensively, he would stick out like a sore thumb. But it's one of those contracts, you know, one of those players where it's like a very like kind of buy-low situation.
SPEAKER_05It's definitely I respect the buy low if you want to flip into an asset, but I don't I think even best case Sabonis, I just don't know who who really where the market is.
SPEAKER_04Well, the thing, like I look at it kind of with this, is you trade for him, both him and Young are gonna be on the last year of their deals next season. If Young picks up the player option, turn pretty much turns into you know a kind of trial of like, okay, who would we rather have? Would we rather have Sabonis? Would we have rather have Young who fits in better, who we think is better for the long-term plans? And then, you know, it's just one of those things where it could work out. But there is reports by Hoop Hype's Michael Scotto where he said, in addition, the Wizards view Alex Sar is our center of the future, obviously. All right, league sources told Hoops Hype, and despite brief exploratory conversations surrounding Sabonis before acquiring Trey Young, Washington is not inclined to trade for Sabonis at this time. Scotto wrote, if Washington had been incentivized to take on Sabonis' contract, the Wizards would have considered such an acquisition already. Hoop Sypes has learned. So it's kind of like it's off the table, but I'm saying if the deal rises again at a low price, you definitely got to consider it.
SPEAKER_05It's worth considering, um, especially if you're on the business side. I I just I think if you're choosing between Trey Young or Sabonis, I'd rather have Trey Young. I think that's how I feel as well. Revival passer. Also, uh a bad defensive guard, I'd rather have than a bad defensive center.
SPEAKER_04Sorry, Sabonis. I get that. No, 100%. But I'm just, you know, like the reason I had it at three above Giannis is because you know, you can probably get Sabonis without giving up any of your core.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and also Giannis is choosing his destiny more than Sabino.
SPEAKER_04Pretty much. Sabonis really isn't. Like he is, it's kind of clear, you know, he's he wants to be out of Sacramento at this point. Sorry, it's a bonus, yes. At number two, this one had it. There are there's no connection to the team whatsoever. You just made it up. Okay. I I made it up due to recent circumstances with a particular team in Texas. They're now out of center in Steven Adams. They need a center.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04I don't think the Wizards would be willing to take on Steven Adams. I don't hate him in the locker room, but I wouldn't hate him in the locker room, but we've like I reported on it the other day. They are planning to offer Walker Kessler a bag this offseason and try to pry him away from Utah and either force Utah to overpay for him or he comes over to Washington.
SPEAKER_05I I I feel like if I had to guess, I assume the Rockets, I I know nothing. I'm assuming the Rockets hold on to Steven Adams. I assume ready for next year, same with Fred Van Vliet when they're fully healthy. And that is why I did not put Steven Adams at two.
SPEAKER_04But for all our enemy fans out there, you know, full metal, full metal alchemists, first rule of alchemy's law is in order to gain something, you also have to give up something of equal value. If they need another backup center, we got Marvin Bagley for them. Give us Josh O'Kogee. Give us it. It sounds interesting, right?
SPEAKER_05It sounds I feel like I'd rather have Bagley, if I'm being honest.
SPEAKER_04I okay, I get that, but like I mean, it's just one of those things where it's like it's kind of like it's gonna help out both teams. Josh O'Kogee is also on the last year of his deal. Bagley's on the last year of his deal. It's one of those things where it's like, man, like look, Okogi, bring him over here. He's 27 years old as well. Wing, 6'4, he's a good three-point shooter. Wouldn't it be bad to bring him on? And you know, like we, like I said, both on minimum deals, where at the end of the year, if you're like, we'd rather have Bagley just be like Bagley, come back for like, you know, eight mil this year instead.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's the thing. I just I I'd rather get a pick, I think, than I don't mean to shoot on every day you have. I'd rather get a pick than uh then uh than an older fella. Because again, Kogi was out of the league until uh the Rockets has sort of picked him up. But he's he's out of resurgence, he's in better shooting than usual. I still don't fully trust the numbers, it's not on high volume. Um but bag lead to Texas to the Rockets does does make sense, and I think that's it makes that's who they're gonna try to look for for that sort of thing.
SPEAKER_04I 100% see that as well, and that's why I'm saying, like, you know, Alchemy's Law, equal value. Josh O'Koge is probably the player the Wizards would try to get back in return because you're not gonna get you know one of their younger guys. You're you're not gonna feel like Dockets isn't gonna go for someone that's playing like two minutes a game right now.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and there's a there's a that that that rotation of theirs is a quick fall-off after like the core eight or nine. Exactly. And so that's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_04Like, it's just that or a holiday brother. Yeah, and I I feel like the Rockets got to realize like, look, what do we really need? We do we need you know a center to come in when Sungoon comes off because we don't have one now, or do we need Josh Kogi when we already have a shooter in Reed Shepherd that we want to try to develop?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I'm gonna whisper. I'd rather have uh Watkins, who's just a Kogey with a little better defense, even if the shot isn't there. But if you want a nice little vet who defends, um, like Dylan Brooks Jr., like we talked about a while ago. Yeah. That's Dylan Brooks light uh minus you know the off-court festivities. Not a not not not a bad idea.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And uh, number one, it's not a player.
SPEAKER_04Get another 2026 first round pick. Just have a team in mind, you're trying to pry one away from it. Golden State in particular. I think that Golden State pick is gonna be juicy. How do you plan on getting it? Is this is this a comming thing? They they need it. Let's be honest, they need a center.
SPEAKER_05They've always needed a they they need a center. He'd be interesting there. They got Quentin Post and Old Man Al Horford, and older man Draymond. They have they have most of their draft picks, I will say.
SPEAKER_04They have a pretty open chest of assets. You try to you just be like, look, clearly, stuff is at the end of his ropes here for his career. You want to push him to the playoffs, you want to try to get him back to the promised land. Here is let's let me look at the roster real quick. Um, it's not great. I can probably tell that's pretty a lot of pods. A lot of pods. No, I'm not I'm not talking about the oh warriors roster. I am talking about the Wizards roster. Who would you give them? Um screw it, give him AJ Bags for like Horford or something.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_04Or AJ Bags for a pick, the cup players.
SPEAKER_05And if they wrote Horford in in DC, that'll be that'll be, you know, bigger fellow, nice guy. Nice guy, mature guy, well-traveled guy.
SPEAKER_04It's just one of those things where like I particularly think this Warriors pick is going to be juicy right now. Right now, it's at 17th. They're in the middle of like trying to fight in the play-in and fight out of it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, the only trick with that is if if you know that that pick is valuable, they probably do too. And you'd have to ask his baggy enough to get a impending first-round pick and not like a down-the-road first-round pick.
SPEAKER_04That's why I'm saying to sweeten it. And you mentioned AJ Johnson, he's not playing anymore. For some reason, he's dropped out of the rotation again, even though the team has some injuries and they had some games where they really could have used him because of injuries. Throw him in there. Another younger guy. All right. He AJ Johnson has shown glimpses. He's shown flashes of being a solid player in the NBA. Be like, look, bags, AJ, second round pick for your first rounder. It's worth seeing if they bite. I will say that.
SPEAKER_05They're they're a they're an extremely desperate team.
SPEAKER_04So you never know. If not, you look at, you know, like maybe a Miami, maybe a Chicago. You like always worth checking with those guys. They they they care a lot about uh trying to make the play playoffs. Yeah, especially Chicago, who it's been reported they want to be buyers. Got it. Funniest team in the league. I'd just like a center for you. Go ahead, take Marvin Bagley, just give us your first round pick. It's not like you're gonna draft anyone with it, anyways.
SPEAKER_05Bagley would actually be pretty good on the Bulls, I think. I think just uh just a just a fighting backup big who just gets boards and runs.
SPEAKER_04Like they're just there are just some teams that could really use a center now, specifically, and Bagley can get you a lot of stuff, and that's why I like a lot of these trades, you know, like trade targets I mentioned is like are all reliant on if the team wants Bagley or not. I think it's clear Bagley does have value of how he's had a resurgence this year, particularly just his resurgence during his time in Washington, as that's really turned his you know trajectory of his career around. Maybe well, like I'm just you know, looking at some of this stuff, like like I'm saying, Golden State, maybe Toronto, even though I don't know if they have a need for Bagley.
SPEAKER_05Toronto is. Feeling very stingy right now. You saw they they removed quickly and Scotty Barnes, or not quickly, uh Ingram and Scotty Barnes from any Giannis talks. Yeah. If you do that, they're probably not giving a first round pick if they're doing that sort of thing. Exactly.
SPEAKER_04But like I'm looking at particularly the teams I'm looking at are five in mind if I'm trying to trade for their pick. Chicago, Miami, Golden State, Lakers, Minnesota. Minnesota? I didn't think of that one. Which I think they could, I think they could benefit from having Bagley coming off the bench for them.
SPEAKER_05They definitely could. I can see that. I mean, I just don't think much of the uh the way the Lakers are run right now. And they just burn their first-round picks every week.
SPEAKER_04The Lakers need a center.
SPEAKER_05That'll be fun. Bagley to the Lakers. I doubt that.
SPEAKER_04Lakers need a center, DeAndre. They're getting it for him.
SPEAKER_05He'd be good with Lucas. That's some picks. I think he would.
SPEAKER_04I think you I think he'd really work with Luca. I think he'd work with the second unit there. Like I well with Jackson Hayes. I can see that working. Lakers is a good one. And then Minnesota, I think it works out very well. But like those are the five teams I think you try to trade for their first round pick because it's not like they're going to be, you know, like 26 in the draft, like Houston is right now, which goes to OKC or Denver at 27th right now, or San Antonio. Because you know, Washington's already getting the worst of OKC's pick, which let's be honest, it's probably going to be 30th.
SPEAKER_05Like hey, listen, I think you fooling around. They're actually the West is probably gaining on them right now. West is gaining on them. They're playing the Wolves tonight.
SPEAKER_04And they lost.
SPEAKER_05Oh, it's over already.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they lost pretty handedly. Hartenstein was his first game get back. He was on a minutes restriction. And then they they've been dealing with a ton of injuries. They're 38 and 11, these thunder. They they've been dealing with exactly injuries. They they might end up trading glue as well. They need people who can hit shots. They need somebody who just hit an open three. They've had streaky three-point shooters. Reliable is the right word. None of them are reliable. None of them are reliable. Like, and that's crazy to think. They were one of the worst three-point shooting teams last year and won the NBA championship.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and it's I mean that that's what made it crazy because they they guys like Caruso just hit just enough to raise the game.
SPEAKER_04Well, like the one year where they led the league in three-point percentage was a one-off because they also took the least amount of temps per game. Like, I'm I'm not counting that because they took the least amount of temps but shot like 39% from three.
SPEAKER_05But and you mentioned they did win the title, but it was over the playoffs where I realized I was like, without Shea, this offense is like not very good.
SPEAKER_04It's not very good. And people try to say that Shea has like this, you know, God-given you know, super team offense around him where it's like, really, without without Shea, this is one of the worst offenses in the league.
SPEAKER_05You're right. You're right. It's the defense that just that was just overpowered. But yeah, none of these guys, you'd rather they just sit in the corner and you know, maybe they get lucky if they make one good for them. Otherwise, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And and so, but like they're bound to make a trade at some point for a reliable three-point shooter. I I honestly do see him potentially moving on from Lou Dort.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, he seems like the odd man out.
SPEAKER_04He feels like the odd man out right now. It's clear the team would you know rather, you know, needs Hartenstein over Lou. They they got Kasten Wallace to replace Lou Dort. I mean, like it's it's it's right there. The the the writings on the wall. But like I said, you know, those five teams try to trade for one of their picks, and then you end up with, you know, hopefully top four pick for sure. Hopefully. Hopefully. Then you get 30th from the Thunder, and then let's say, let's say you trade for Minnesota's pick, they end up, you know, fourth in the West, which puts them at 24th overall in the NBA draft. Maybe you package 30 and 24 to move up a little bit to like 18 in the draft. Now, this is why I'm looking at like get another pick because either you have middle of the road pick or you have a pick that you can uh package with another one to then trade up and get a higher pick. Because then there is a chance, like looking at some teams where okay, with the right package, you can move up into the lottery again.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and you know, they're they're the wizards are not as desperate as some of the other teams, but the wizards uh do love trading up to uh or or just love trading around in the first round. Did it with Keyshawn, did it with the Will Riley pick. I wouldn't be surprised to see it again.
SPEAKER_04Yep. And so, but it's really interesting to look at it, but that's all I had. I just want to bring it up.
SPEAKER_05No, no, thanks for those.
SPEAKER_04Thanks for those ideas, those are fun. And and of course, you know, with season getting you know further down along the line, um, I'm sure in March we're gonna talk about draft stuff more heavily.
SPEAKER_05I will be all in on a draft season back then. I'm still not, I'm still watching uh more wizards than than college stuff, but there's gonna be a time where you're gonna just have to need to know.
SPEAKER_04I'm keeping up with college next week. I'm seeing potential wizards player AJ DeBonta play in person. Bang! That's gonna be fun.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I expect a full-length podcast report. Uh we we can do that after that game.
SPEAKER_04We're looking to Columbus State playing against the on the and then we can also do one after the game where Kansas comes into town, a little DP action if he plays. DP. And so that that's the thing. Like, thankfully, me being you know in Stillwater, I get to watch you know a ton of guys that the Wizards could end up drafting.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, this is this is this is I set research you're gonna be giving us. So I'm looking forward to that. Looking forward to the Lakers tomorrow, looking forward to your uh reports.
SPEAKER_04Lakers tomorrow. But that's all we got. Thank you guys, as always, for listening, tuning in, and uh we'll see you guys in the next one. Peace.
SPEAKER_00Spring just slid into your DMs. Grab that boho look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals that can keep up with you, and hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling. Ross, work your magic.