The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Coach Mac Pre-Draft press conference:
No panic

With the worst record at the end of the 2021 season, the Wizard won the 5th pick in the 3ND lottery draft.
After a trade with Thunders the Wizards own as well two picks in the 2nd round. The (round 2) 6th selection from Thunder and 22nd from Warriors
Opportunity to seat with Coach Mac surprisingly still there after a quite humiliating winless campaign.

On the feeling at the end of a terrible season

A lot of frustration. However, sorry to say that, it has not been a painful journey. It is a good competitive league. We learned quite a lot on our roster, on our players.
In the end I think we had a gameplan and playbook which kind of made sense with our strengths and weaknesses.

We progressed in our vision of what is required to win. We started thinking we were missing a strong old school center. In reality we need better shooting because with Bryant and Wagner we have two players who can spread the defense. It is not visible in the standings but we are better than a couple of months ago.


On what needs to improve collectivelly

I think there are two things that winning teams do consistenly well and that loosing teams struggle with.

• (winning teams) hit their 3 points close to 45% pof time.
• andm they defend well against opposing shooters.

In fact they just play 3nD baby...
It is obvious when you watch a team like Sacramento, they green, green green green again and again. These shoots are from 3 not 2.
Then while they play on defense, they are so quick to close the gap and position their body to decrease the opposing shooter chances.
In these two technics you have all the difference to become a better team.


On how Wizards approach the offseason

First thing first, we do not panic. We know our cap situation and we embrace it.
Dont get confused by our record this season, we have enough talent to win and compete in this roster. So do not talk to me about reset and all that non sense.

We have a lot of good players returning.
Our main priority is to keep developing our core young talents: Cole Antony, Brown Jr, Bryant, Wagner, Hachimura.
And to help us, we really like our veterans. John Wall and Bradley Beal form a strong guard duo, MacRae and Gasol have precious experience to help develop our young core.

Second, as we said we embrace our situation, basiclaly FA does nto exists for us. So foor us, it all about draft. That is why we traded to get extra picks. because we felt that class was deep enough to give us a good prsopect in the 2nd round.
Let's see if we can find it in the limited time we have.


On mock draft sending Kuminga to DC

Mock draft are a fantasy. I think nobody has a clue of what happens between 2nd and 4th.

We do not control much. I got a few other GMs calling me asking ''Who do you pick ?" or "what position do you take ?''... but I have no clue. It all depends on what happens between 2nd and 4th.... ask them.

But one thing is sure. We will get a very talented guy at 5th.
So we did cut very early any trade down conversation. We do not need quantity or depth. This roster is good enough we just miss one or two more guys to give more headache to the defense and force them to abandon Beal for a bit.

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

2021 3ND Draft Recap

The Wizards entered the 3ND draft with a total of 3 draft picks: 5th, 36th and 52th overall picks.

A lot of pressures in the top 5. Changes happened until the last minute in the top 5 with Nuggets trading up with Knicks from 6th to 2nd, and the Suns 3rd overall swap with 4th overall Peclians.

"We got contacted by a few teams interested in trading up but from the beggining we never had intention to do so. We knew this pick would give us a lot of value.." Coach Mac at the end of the 3ND draft.

3ND Draft - Round 1 Recap
Pick	Team	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt
1	Chicago Bulls	Cade Cunningham	PG	6.8	220
2	Denver Nuggets (from Knicks)	Jalen Johnson	SF/PG	6.8	220
3	New Orleans Pelicans (from Suns)	Jalen Green	SG	6.6	195
4	Phoenix Suns (from Pelicans)	Evan Mobley	C	7.0	220
5	Wahshington Wizards	Jonathan Kuminga	SF	6.9	220
6	New York Knicks (from Nuggest)	Terrence Clarke	SG	6.8	195
7	Oklahoma City Thunders	Greg Brown III	PF	6.9	211
8	Oklahoma City Thunders	Ibou Dianko Badji	C	7.1	240
9	Boston Celtics	Isaiah Todd	PF	6.10	210
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Brandon Boston Jr	SG	6.7	190
11	Chicago Bulls	Scottie Barnes	SF	6.8	225
12	Orlando Magics	Ziaire Williams	SF	6.9	210
13	Atlanta Hawks	Josh Christopher	SG	6.5	215
14	Golden State Warriors	Usman Garuba	C	6.9	230
15	Atlanta Hawks	Makur Maker	C	7.0	236
16	Brooklyn Nets	Patrick Williams	SF	6.8	225
17	Boston Celtics	Scottie Lewis	SG	6.5	191
18	Utah Jazz	Landers Nolley	SF	6.7	230
19	Toronto Raptors	Terrence Shannon Jr	SG	6.6	215
20	Portland Trail Blazzers	Jeremiah Robinson Earl	PF	6.9	232
21	San Antonio Spurs	OscarTshiebwe	C	6.9	250
22	Golden State Warriors	Aleksej Pokusevski	C	7.0	201
23	Boston Celtics	DevinAskew	PG	6.4	210
24	Portland Trail Blazzers	Jaden Springer	SG	6.6	200
25	Utah Jazz	Jalen Suggs	PG	6.5	208
26	Detroit Pistons	Jeremy Roach	PG	6.3	195
27	Philadelphia 76ers	Isaiah Mobley	PF	6.10	235
28	New York Knicks	F. Petrusev	C/PF	6.11	235
29	Sacramento Kings	Isaiah jackson	PF	6.10	209
30	Philadelphia 76ers	Tyrell Terry	PG	6.1	175

Wizards picks




5th Overall selection SF/PF Jonathan Kuminga

Most mock drafts announced Kuminga at 5th for Washingthon looking like a natural pick for a team looking to improve talent at the wings.

Some rumors around the league announced Badji to become the 5th overall selection but according to sources close to the orgamnisation this was just ''non sense'' and hesitation were more with Terrence Clarke.
Kuminga brings a lot of balance to DC with his ability to dunk, shoot and defend. It remains to be clarified which role Kuminga will play especially as a rookie.

36th Overall selection PF/SF Paul Eboua

The native from Cameroun is coming off a couple of season in LBA the Italian top basket league. Good finisher at the rim with a decent defense and a strong physical presence may grant him a role in the 3ND. Now he will need to develop a bit to earn playing time.

52th Overall selection PG Andrew Nembhard

An Ontario native, Nembhard has spent the last three years in the SEC with the Florida Gators. He look long shot even His ball handling and defense were enough to forget his lack of scoring skills. Washington will assess during camps whether Nembhard can provdie depth at PG.

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

3ND Wizards 2022 Camps Opening

It is training camps time in the 3ND preparing the opening of 2022 season of the NBA2K20 campaign. For the very first time (for those who may follow this Padawan story from the begining) I will be starting a new season witha roster I actually designed.

Free Agency update

The bulk of free agency is done even if we still have the opportunity to get an extra player or two through remaing ''3ND blind bids'' where each team may still bid on remaining FA.

As expected, given the salary cap situation, the wizards have been pretty quiet in the Free Agency. The team was basically restricted to Mid Level Exception ($9.25M for this off season) and veteran minimum contracts.

Early on, talks were well advanced with former Grizzlies and Heats Winger Jae Crowder who committed to join DC.

Surprinsgly. Washington changed direction just before the end of the Moratorium period signing Doug McDermott for a 2 years contract with an additional player season.

McDermott, a former 11th selection from the Bulls, was not resoigned by the Pacers and has been seen as the ideal candidate to fill the gap left by Davis Bertans departure during last off season. Wizards have been lacking a guy at #4 spot who could strecht the defense and represent a valid threat at the perimeter.

In addition to McDermott, Wizards signed undrafted rookie Keyontae Johnson from Florida. Johnson a robust 6'5'' and 234 pounds athlete has promising defensive skills and can play either as Small Forward or Shooting Guard.


Should we still expect roster moves ?

With worst record from the previous season the Wizards can take advantage to select first any FA they may like.

They could look to add a veteran. Former Mavs elite perimeter defender Andre Roberson, or former Bulls sharpshooter G Arcidiacono names have been rumoured.

They could look for an additional UDFA sith few interesting prospects remaining unsigned.

Projected lineup

The lineup is a bit of a question mark and may be adjusted on a game by game.

Point Guard hierarchy is obvious and undisputed.
Wall is the starter with Anthony behind him. It remains to be seen how much time will Anthony claim but Wall has been seen in his best shape in camps so far so we do not expect his playing time to drop much.


Shooting Guard hierarchy is even more obvious.

Bradley Beal is the best player in the roster and will play 35/36 minutes per game. When Beal rests on the bench, Cole Anthony, McRae, Brown jr or even rookie Keyontae Johnson will take playing time depending on whether a slasher, a shooter or a perimeter defender is needed on the pitch.


Forward starting job is wide open

Not less than 3 players may claim the starting job at #3 spot.
Brown Jr looks like the favourite because he looks really sharps in camps and provide a well needed perimter defense. But Hachimura or Kuminga may as well get significant playing time at the wing.


No real starter at Power forward ?

Kuminga has been mostly drafted ahead of Clarke partially for his ability to play at #4 spot. So his talent and defence makes him a starter likely at Power Forward. Now it remains to be seen...
Could McDermott proves good enough as 3P shooter to be on the field to relieve pressure from Beal ?
Or, could Hachimura intensive work during the summer to improve his shooting mechanic and post moves pays off ?
One thing is sure Wagner or Bryant are no longer considered for Power Forward spot and rookie second round Eboua has been one of the good surprise of these camps so far. So it is quite unclear who will get the most playing time at #4.

Two starters at Center

Bryant is seen as the starter but Mo Wagner is right behind him and both will have very similar playing time basically sharing the job. Marc Gasol still proved his quick release might be helpful but no one sees him getting much playing time at this stage of his carreer where his role is more to mentor the team and provide an insurance if one of the two other C get hurt.

Camp focus

Coming off a disastrous campaign the Wizards, collectively the focus has been on fundamentals mostly shooting and dribbling as well as getting a better chemistry with Scott Brooks playbook.

According to league rules and players agreement, the following individual focus have been submitted:

• Conditioning and Athleticism - D.McDermott
• Catch and Shoot - J.Kuminga
• Shot Creating - R.Hachimura
• Post Game - R.Hachimura
• Finishing - B.Beal
• Interior Defense - M.Wagner
• Perimeter Defense - T.Brown Jr
• Rebounding - T.Bryant
• Playmaking - C.Antony

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

3ND Wizards: Five keys to improve

The 3ND season is about to kickoff and Wizards broke camps. Winless under CoachMac in 2021 the team is looking to bounce back in the new season. If improvement is expected it is not guaranteed. We give 5 keys which should decide whether Wizards will become a better team in 2021... or not.

Improve 3P shooting

Washington ranked 29th in boith 3P% and 3P attempt in 2021. In the blueprint to any improvement in nowaday 3ND there must be a better handling of perimeter shooting.

There are multiple aspects including a better technique and decision making but, for the most part, when it comes to Wizards, it starts by understanding that you dont need a 3P system called to score 3 points. It is more to read the situation and make a better use of opportunities. Roster is full of talents and no team has 5 good perimeter defenders.


Make a better use of John Wall

John Wall has been underused in 2021 and it musty change.
Wall played less than 30mn per game in 2020. He showed very good shape in camps and is still in his prime. So first he must be on the pitch longer.

But then, while on the pitch, Washington must make a better use of his talent. Wall is one of the very few which can create space in 1 or two steps with ankle breaker moves. He must diversify his game better to shoot more becoming less predictable at the point.


Distribute the ball better

Wizards in 2021 only had 3 players with 10+ points per games and all were Guards. The roster has talent and talent improved especially at the wings.

So for the Wizards it will be fundamental to make a better use of their young talents and distribute the ball better to put these players in situation.
Players like Brown Jr, Hachmimura or Bryant all have capacity to contribute more when it comes to scoring.


Improve the playcall on offense

Play selection has been a distraction for most of 2021 season.
In DC improvement starts by naking a better use of players tendencies.
It comes to developping a less predictable offense.

• Beal can do much more than taking 3 points shoots.
• Wall is more than a slasher
• Wingers and Bigs can contribute much better with a more creative rotation coupled with a better customisation of play selection.

Develop a more consistent defense

Wizards refused to add solid perimeter defenders like Jae Crowder and Andre Roberson. It means the Wizards trust the current roster.

• Brown Jr is expected to become the mr Perimeter defense in DC.
• Kuminga has very good out of the box defense for a rookie
• Undrafted rookie keyontae Johnson proved in camps to be a very strong and disruptive presence.
• Bryant and Wagner are now considered only for 5th spot and both worked hard during camps to improve their post and rebound defense.

But will it be enough ? ultimately it will come down to developping a more consitent tactical approach on defense.

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Opening day roster for 21-22 season

The Wizards confirmed signing of former Bulls Point Guard Ryan Arcidiacono. So the roster is now full with 15 players ready to start the season.

Washignthon Wizards
#	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
2	John Wall	PG/SG	31	6'4	210	44.31M
4	Cole Anthony	PG/SG	21	6'3	190	2.83M
51	Ryan Arcidiacono	PG	27	6'3	195	1.73M
12	Andrew Nembhard (r)	PG/SG	21	6'5	195	0.96M
3	Bradley Beal	SG/SF	28	6'3	207	34.5M
52	Jordan McRae	SG/SF	30	6'5	179	8.34M
6	Troy Brown Jr	SF/SG	22	6'6	215	5.17M
15	Keyontae Johnson (r)	SF/SG	22	6'5	234	0.96M
0	Jonathan Kuminga (r)	SF/PF	19	6'9	220	4.3M
20	Doug McDermott	PF/SF	29	6'7	225	7.85M
8	Rui hachimura	PF/SF	23	6'8	230	4.92M
14	Paul Eboua (r)	PF/SF	21	6'8	210	0.97M
13	Thomas Bryant	C/PF	24	6'10	248	8.67M
21	Moritz Wagner	C/PF	24	6'11	245	3.89M
33	Marc Gasol	C	36	6'11	255	7.17M

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

New season, same old Wizards...

Coach Eye0 Pistons coming off a good campaign in 2021 were they reached the playoff. Wizards still winless under Coach Mac.

Game started as a defensive battle both teams playing decent defense early. Pistons started to get in rythm at the end of the first and got really dominant in 2nd and 3rd quarters.

By the half, game looks out of range for Washington but the team keep playing ending with more than 100 points on offense against a team known for his defense.


What went well

• Offense looked more comfortable with the system. The feeling that players were discovering plays while running them was less visible. There were still moments were it was tough to find space in a solid defense but ovreall i believe you can.
• Overall execution has improved. Fast break, transition, post plays even shooting. It is obviously still a work in progress but there was a better control and less errors.
• For his first game as a pro Jonathan Kuminga showed up scoring 22 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. It is clear that Kuminga add the threath at the wings which was missing last season.

What did not go well

• Free throw. Wizards finished 17/29 on free throws. That is a shame and it needs to be a focus.
• Perimeter defense. It has been a recurring issue for Washington in 21. With 139 points allowed Wizards never allowed so many points under Mac. Coach Brooks acknowledged after the game that his gameplan was not really adapted againts Detroit and that the staff failed to correct in game... Can this staff find a solution to get better defense.

@

Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons
May 6, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Washington (0-0)	23	21	26	36	106
Detroit (1-1)	32	34	39	34	139

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	29	2-13	1-4	0-0	3	3	2	0	3	5
B.Beal	38	9-16	2-5	2-2	5	6	0	0	2	22
J.kuminga	28	6-12	2-5	8-11	3	4	0	0	0	22
R.Hachimura	29	6-13	0-1	4-6	8	2	0	0	2	16
T.Bryant	20	3-6	1-2	1-2	4	1	0	3	1	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	28	1-6	0-3	1-4	6	7	1	0	1	3
M.Wagner	28	6-10	1-2	1-2	6	1	3	0	1	14
C.Anthony	23	4-8	0-1	0-2	2	5	3	0	2	8
D.McDermott	17	3-5	2-3	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	8
R.Arcidiacono	DNP
J.McRae	DNP
K.Johnson	DNP
M.Gasol	DNP
TEAM TOTALS		40/89	9/26	17/29	45	29	9	3	13	106

Detroit Pistons
TEAM TOTALS		58/98	10/19	13/14	57	38	10	3	15	139

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Wizards fall in Houston

Coach Chris Rockets looking to make the best of the Westrook-harden duo while they still are in their prime. Wizards came with a plan to contain James Harden whose averaging 35 points per game.

It was for once a close game. Wizards showed more concentration in their assignements even if at times the paint was left a bit uncovered. But at least the game plan did not look totaly off as it was in the opener at Detroit.

Game was within 2 points with 5:26 left in the game when McRae got it and coinnected from mid range on a sideline play.
But Rockets did not panic and managed much better the money time, when it looked like the Wizkids were afraid to stay in the game. In the end Rockets posted a double digit win.

What went well

• Free throw shooting got fixed. Obvious problem in the opener Wizards improved ending 19/21 in free throws.
• Defense finally showed some sign of improvements. Harden still finished with 33 points but overall defense looked better especially on ball defense. Players like John Wall, Cole Anthony, Mo Wagner or even Kuminga, who was assigned on harden when both were on the field, made plays and showed a real focus on their assignement.
• Offense confirmed its improvement. Despite getting often down by 6 or 8 points Washington stayed in the game back to tie until the final five minutes. Wallstar showed up, arguably the best Wizard, and the addition of Jonathan Kuminga at the wing looks definitely like a differene making.

What did not go well

• Money time management. Wizards looked better prepared defensively, however, the plan did not seem to include to still be in the game in the final 5. At that time the call to call McRae in looked positive but the team lost a bit of rythm and wasted key possessions while Rockets played solid.
• Perimeter shooting still need to get better. It is better. Wizards take more opportunities from the perimeter and their percentage has improved. But they missed too many good balls from 3 and still attenpted too many shoots which wasted possessions. It has to remain a focus point.
• Turnovers. This might be the next focus to keep a better care of the ball.

@

Washington Wizards at Houston Rockets
May 7, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Washington (0-1)	31	27	29	29	116
Houston (1-2)	29	31	34	33	127

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	28	10-13	3-4	3-3	2	9	4	1	3	26
B.Beal	31	8-19	1-6	3-4	5	7	0	0	2	20
J.Kuminga	30	10-16	1-5	5-5	5	3	0	0	0	26
R.Hachimura	27	2-8	0-0	2-2	3	8	0	0	1	6
T.Bryant	24	1-5	0-0	0-0	7	0	2	1	0	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	30	4-7	1-2	0-0	8	3	3	0	4	9
C.Anthony	26	5-9	0-0	2-2	4	5	0	0	3	12
M.Wagner	24	2-8	0-2	4-5	9	3	1	3	1	8
D.McDermott	16	1-3	1-3	0-0	2	0	1	1	0	3
J.McRae	4	2-4	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	2	4
TEAM TOTALS		45/92	7/22	19/21	46	38	11	6	17	116

Houston Rockets
TEAM TOTALS		53/101	9/24	12/18	57	28	13	2	14	127

[chris11sg]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: Washington Wizards

Great game Coach!!!! You had me sweating it out to the very end. Looking for your Wiz to make some noise in the East this year! [emoji817]


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Wizards struggle in Atlanta

Coach Wheelingman Hawks were hosting Washington tonight. An impresive Hawks lineup after audacious moves in the off seasont including the transfer of Jokic from Denver.

"It is an impressive five, we knew we could not defend them all. We tried to take out a couple of players off but overall it did not slow down their offense. We tried to keep the rythm but our offense could not be as consistent and we really were unable to defend the perimeter" commented a resignated Scott Brooks after the game.

First quarter was pretty defcent for DC until Atlanta passed to the next gear up and the game indeed looked done after the second quarter. The 2nd half was better but Atlanta gave more playing time to its bench. Atlanta was too string on the pitch and on the bench for Washington tonight.

Hopefully the Wizkids will grow playing better teams.


What went well

• Bradley Beal. He looked more comnfortable and confident finishing 5-10 at 3P and scoring 27 points. Wizards may need to rest him a bit in their next game but he was the expected leader on the pitch in a difficult game.
• Mo Wagner defense. The former Laker had an impresive game and was looking more comfortable than Bryant in matching up with the dominating Jokic/Noel pair. Look for Momo to get eventually more time under the rim.
• Rui Hachimura form. Not even projected as a starter at the begining of the camps, Hachimura has improved during the off season. He posted a solid game with a few valuable baskets. He still need to improve on defense since he tends to give too often too much space to his man.

What did not go well

• Perimeter defense... once more. Atlanta got 63 points from 3P shooting. Wizards could not control the corners. It was painful to see the lack of capacity to found a solution.
• Bench points. The bench scored only 19 points. You cannot say it was beneficial to the defense. So it was clearly not enough. In today 3ND bench much perform much better.

@

Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks
May 9, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Washington (0-2)	31	22	24	22	99
Atlanta (2-1)	36	43	22	24	125

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	30	6-14	1-3	4-4	1	6	0	0	2	17
B.Beal	39	11-21	5-10	0-0	2	4	2	0	0	27
J.Kuminga	31	5-13	0-1	2-2	5	4	0	0	0	12
R.Hachimura	30	9-12	0-0	2-2	6	4	1	0	1	20
T.Bryant	25	2-8	0-1	0-0	8	5	0	0	1	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	21	1-8	1-5	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	3
M.Wagner	23	1-3	1-3	0-0	12	2	0	0	1	3
C.Anthony	18	4-5	0-1	0-0	2	3	1	0	2	8
D.McDermott	15	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	0
J.McRae	4	2-3	1-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	5
R.Arcidiacono	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		41/89	9/28	8/8	43	31	5	0	7	99

Atlanta Hawks
TEAM TOTALS		48/88	21/40	8/10	47	36	5	4	5	125

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Wizards still winless after home opener

Coach Brensdom Hornets traveled to the capital tonight. Season opener for Charlotte while it is home opener for Washington.

In the first half we clearly saw a decent show from Washington. Both team answering each other but both defense played pretty well especially in the first half. The Wizkids manage to get to the half with just a point deficit.

We had to wait the middle of the 3rd quarter to see Hornets taking an obvious advantage. Wizards then had a few bad drives and wasted key possessions while defensive positioning became questionable with a Charlotte team probably over looked at perimeter while they were in fact attacking the paint.

Game ends with a 15 points deficit for DC. Wizards are still winless this season.


What went well

• Offense is still above 100 points. The offense confirms its potential by scoring consistently above 100 points.
• Defense improved. We could see some consistency especially in the first half. Maybe DC was focusing a bit too much on the perimeter shooting and may have adjusted but compared to the earlier game of the season the defense is looking more consistent.

What did not go well

• The Bigs must get more involved on offense. Bryant showed that he could be precisous in pick and fades. hachimura was really limited tonight it looked like there was no trust to give him the ball. The next step for this offense is likely to keep #4 and #5 well involved.
• 3P shooting. It was not a shame but the team got under the .300 mark of completion for first time this season. Overall the decision making was sometimes really poor. Not to mention McDermott game who was awful from 3s and who need to work on his chemistry with his new teamates. so the staff need to perhaps get more work done in thatr regard.
• Defense improved... but not enough. Opposing team at 60% FG success is never good. Overall teh defense looks better and there are some good plays made here and there, but too often we saw individual mistakes in 1/1.

@

Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards
May 14, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Charlotte (0-0)	26	26	39	25	116
Washington (0-3)	26	25	25	25	101

Charlotte Hornets
TEAM TOTALS		49/82	4/17	14/16	46	27	8	2	13	116

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	34	10/20	1-4	5-7	4	4	1	0	5	26
B.Beal	37	5-11	3-6	2-2	3	4	1	0	1	15
J.Kuminga	29	6-9	0-0	5-6	3	2	0	1	1	17
R.Hachimura	23	1-7	1-4	0-0	3	1	1	0	1	3
T.Bryant	22	4-4	0-0	0-0	9	3	1	1	0	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	27	5-12	1-4	0-0	3	4	1	0	0	11
M.Wagner	26	1-3	0-0	3-4	7	3	1	1	0	5
D.McDermott	21	3-10	0-5	0-0	2	4	0	0	0	6
C.Anthony	18	4-10	1-2	1-4	5	4	1	0	1	10
J.McRae	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS		39/86	7/25	16/23	43	29	7	3	11	101

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Awful

At a press conference of President Eisenhower, the topic of Vice President Nixon’s came up. Asked, "Mr. President. if you could give us an example of a major idea of his (Nixon) that you had adopted in that role, as the decider."
Eisenhower answered, "If you give me a week, I might think of one. I don’t remember..." That is hthe feeling wondering about positives in that game against Dallas Mavericks of coach Dflower. Maybe in a week time...

An awful game for any Wizards fan. Game looked finished by the middle of 1st Quarter. Everything went wrong. DC under 40% in FG completion, at 20% for 3P abd 65% in free throws. Offense unable to create space or get open, defense unable to control anything for the most part. A massive step back.

After the game, coach Brooks was caught telling his assistant that the best wizards of the night was... G-Wiz...
Opposition was obviously too strong, a game to forget. Just to forget.


What went well

• Keyontae Johnson. Johnson took part in his first action in the 3ND. Signed by the Wizards as an undrafted FA he saw signifiant game action tonight and ended being a pleasant surprise. Defensively we could not say he was flasghing but he went well above expectations when it comes to offense production. Only Wizards who looked at his advantage he scored 3-4 from 3 points and often looke dlike the only player with a bit of space.

What did not go well

• Pretty much everything. No much comments. Just a special mention for turnovers and steals. Wizards need to bounce back and show a better outcome

@

Dallas Mavericks at Washington Wizards
May 14, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Dallas (1-0)	36	25	39	43	143
Washington (0-4)	15	19	26	23	83

Dallas Mavericks
TEAM TOTALS		58-93	19-41	8-11	54	27	14	2	9	143

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	34	3-13	0-4	1-2	7	7	3	0	2	7
B.Beal	32	6-20	0-5	0-0	2	5	1	0	3	12
K.Johnson	27	5-6	3-4	1-2	7	3	0	0	1	14
J.Kuminga	34	7-17	1-6	5-7	4	3	0	0	2	20
T.Bryant	27	3-10	0-4	2-2	6	3	0	1	4	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D.McDermott	26	1-5	0-1	0-0	5	1	1	0	1	2
M.Wagner	20	17	0-0	0-0	4	1	0	0	2	2
T.Brown Jr	17	1-4	1-2	1-2	5	3	0	0	1	4
C.Anthony	13	5-7	1-2	3-5	3	0	0	0	1	14
J.McRae	7	0-3	0-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	7
R.Hachimura	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
P.Eboua	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
A.Nembhard	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		32-92	6-30	13-20	52	26	5	1	18	83

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

CoachMac's Wizards no more winless!

The Wizards hosted coach Rdub's Clippers tonight. Two winless teams facing each other.

The early part of the game was very balanced and during the second quarter, as usual, Wizards started to slow down and Clippers, more consistent, led by all stars Kemba Walker and Kawhi Leonard managed a 8 points lead at the end of the first half.

Washington bounced back in the third quarter but in the money time it looked too little too late.

The deficit remains of 8 points with 3:30 left in the game.

Pushed by the crowd, the defense starts to make plays. Wall, served by Beal, adjusts a perfect shot for 3 from the corner.

Hachimura intercepts a Kemba Walker pass at the elbow, fastbreak, Wall pass for Kuminga for a Layup in front of Leonard.

Kuminga and Hachinura force a key shot clock violation on Leonard while he attempts an euro step layup. With 51s left and Wizards still down by 3...

Ball at the sideline, Beal sees Walker advanced ignoring on his back Wall moving to the corner, long pass... new 3P basket for Wall from the corner... We are tied at 103 with 46s left in the game.

Clippers back in possession. Kemba Walker takes his time, eating some precious seconds. Finaly ball in the hands of Kawhi scores a layup in front of Kuminga... Clippers up by 2 with 25s left in the game.

But the Wizards do not surrender. Kuminga charges, ball ends up within Hachimura hands in the high post. Hachimura perfect Post Hook in front of Zubac to tie the game with 9s left...

Timeout from LA. Ball move to Washington side (smart), but Kuminga intercepts the sideline intended for Leonard... Fastbreak, Hachimura for Beal who dunks Wizards up by 2 with 3s left..

Timeout LA, ball back in Washington territory (smart). Kemba layup but it is after the clock rings... Game over. First win for Mac Wizards in the 3ND.

"It was a very close game. We really had ups and downs in this game. We were behind at the scoreboard for pretty much the whole game. We had up to 11 points deficit but we kept playing. Tonight we saw some great defensive plays and key 3P shots converted within the money time. League is called 3ND for a reason." commented a pretty happy coach Brooks after the game.

@

Los Angeles Clippers at Washington Wizards
May 15, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Los Angeles (0-6)	26	25	28	26	105
Washington (0-5)	25	18	29	35	107

Los Angeles Clippers
TEAM TOTALS		44-82	6-23	11-16	49	23	5	3	13	105

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	30	9-15	3-3	0-0	5	2	3	0	3	21
B.Beal	36	13-23	1-5	3-3	4	5	2	0	1	30
J.kuminga	33	6-13	1-2	1-1	6	1	3	0	1	14
R.Hachimura	33	3-8	1-1	1-1	4	7	2	1	0	8
T.Bryant	31	3-5	0-1	1-1	3	0	1	2	1	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	25	3-9	3-7	0-0	2	0	0	0	1	9
C.Anthony	23	5-7	1-2	2-5	4	3	0	0	1	13
M.Wagner	17	0-2	0-1	2-2	7	2	0	0	3	2
D.McDermott	12	1-3	1-1	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	3
TEAM TOTALS		43-85	11-23	10-13	39	21	11	3	11	107

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

No more winless... so what ?

After 29 losses in a row the 3ND Wizards have finally been able to end a game with more points than the opposing team. But there is still a lot which can be done to make the Wizards a clearly improved product compared to the previous season. Here are few factors which should help getting a second win before 29 more games.


Make a better use of Wall playmaking skills

John Wall as well seems better this season. His game has been noticeably diversified but his assists per game is nto in the range you would expect from a All Star PG. Something the staff need to figure out.


Get better production from the bench

So far the Wizards get 29.8 points per game from the bench which ranks 25th in the 3ND. You may argue that reining champ 76ers ranks 24th or that bookmarkers favourite Miami Heats ranks 27th but that doe snot look like the correct blueprint for Washington.

So far Wizards have struggled to get production from their "role" shooters. If the pattern is confirmed, it may lead to some changes. Rookies Paul Eboua and Keyontae Johnson should then benefit from it. Johnson had surprising pro debut against Dallas.

Another intriguing option is Jahlil Okafor signed by Washington this week. A former 3rd overall selection who will try to resurect his carreer playing for a 5th team in 6 seasons. But Wizards staff liked him enough to offer a contract. Question is can he get into the rotation.


Get "the bigs" more involved on offense

At the moment Thomas Bryant and Mo Wagner have shared the minutes at Center. Bryant is one of the very few players whose offensive production has decreased from last season. And the same could be said for Wagner. This might be related to the improvement of John Wall playmaking but the offense must find a way to make a better use of the bigs and strecht the defense to open sapce for the stars.


In Beal we trust

Bradley Beal is the uncontested star and leader of this team. He looks much better shape than last season where he was too easy to predict. He seems to favour from the new offense system seems. His FG% (.473) and 3P% (.324) have significantly improved from last season. However, there is still room to improve in term of consistency and decision making.

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Too little too late

Coach thatguyFlowers Golden State Warriors visited Capital Arena tonight. Wizards looking to confirm their recent improvement with a win at home.

But the Wizzkids have a very slow start both offensively and defensively and they get badly outscored by 13 at the end of Q1.

The second quarter plays much better led by John Wall and with some interesting play on defense from Brown Jr while Bryant is having a good day.
At the half the gap is redcued to 7 points.

But again the begining of the 3rd is a disaster for DC and basically ruins any chance of win even if Wizards post a better performance in the 4th.


What went well

• Seven players with double digit scoring. Even if we had obvious issues early in Q1 and Q3, overall the gameplan to balance better and spread the field showed that there are lots of guys who can score points. A lesson to learn.
• Young class is doing pretty well. Thomas Bryant, Brown Jr or Hachimura all these young players getting close to their rookie contract end have starting claiber talent. They have all performed at a pretty good level so far.

What did not go well

• 3P% But in fact, as shoicking as it looks, we should say Bradley Beal 3P%. He took too many shots when covered and need to work out a more mature way to recycle the possession when the shot is not an option. Beal is real.
• Fastbreak finish There need to be a smarter approach while in transition to fastbreak. Defense created interesting turnovers but they did not consistenlty translated into points.

@

Golden State Warriors at Washington Wizards
May 18, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Golden State (3-0)	33	25	34	22	114
Washington (1-5)	20	31	22	27	100

Golden State Warriors
TEAM TOTALS		44-84	14-35	12-14	48	19	10	2	12	114

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	36	9-12	0-1	1-2	3	4	1	0	5	19
B.Beal	26	4-19	3-13	0-0	2	5	0	0	0	11
J.Kuminga	33	4-12	0-3	2-2	6	3	1	0	3	10
R.Hachimura	35	8-11	0-0	2-2	6	2	1	1	1	18
T.Bryant	28	4-8	1-3	2-2	11	2	1	0	1	11
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	29	4-7	3-5	3-4	1	3	3	0	1	14
M.Wagner	20	1-6	0-2	2-2	7	2	0	1	0	4
C.Anthony	19	4-6	0-1	3-4	1	5	0	0	0	11
P.Eboua	14	1-5	0-1	0-0	4	1	1	0	0	2
TEAM TOTALS		39-86	7-29	15-18	44	27	8	2	11	100

[coachmac75]

Re: The long journey of a Padawan: FLM Wizards

Regrets in DC

The Wizards were hosting Coach Ro's Nuggets tonight. For once Washington had a strong start with what looked like a good defensive plan. Wizards managed to get a 11 points lead with 4:44 left in the second quarter.

But game was shutdown for a little while, due to some lag in the Arena.

After the break Wizzkids looked like they were still in the locker room. It was a totally different game which became even worse in the third and the fourth. Suddenly lots of shots were missed in the second half and that disastrous moment did not leave any chance for a win. Washnigton down 62-35 in the second half.


What went well

• jonathan Kuminga defense on Jalen Johnsson. jalen Johnsson came with very good stats with few games above 30 points in the early season. Kuminga could control him pretty well but Wizards did mnot manage well when Kuminga was on the bench.

What did not go well

• 3P% Once more even if some good 3s were scored overall it was too many shots taken and with too many poor decision. A recurring factor.
• Momentum switch management The momentum clearly switched in the third quarter and DC did not adjust well. Probably something to figure because down time exists in games and needs to be managed better to keep some chances to win.

@

Denver Nuggets at Washington Wizards
May 20, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Denver (5-4)	30	25	31	31	117
Washington (1-6)	32	29	16	19	96

Denver Nuggets
TEAM TOTALS		48/80	11/22	10/14	46	30	13	2	18	117

Washington Wizards
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J.Wall	32	4-11	1-3	5-6	8	6	1	0	4	14
B.Beal	29	7-23	3-14	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	17
J.Kuminga	35	8-14	2-4	2-2	7	2	4	1	3	20
R.Hachimura	31	7-18	1-5	2-2	5	6	0	0	1	17
T.Bryant	26	2-9	0-4	0-0	11	5	0	1	3	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T.Brown Jr	26	3-6	1-4	0-0	1	1	0	0	2	7
C.Anthony	22	4-11	0-3	1-2	2	6	2	0	4	9
M.Wagner	22	0-0	0-0	2-2	6	2	2	0	0	2
P.Eboua	17	3-4	0-0	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	6
TEAM TOTALS		38/96	8/37	12/14	49	30	11	2	18	96