What Should the Wizards Should Do with the 5th Pick?

[pancakes3]

HAHA! daSwami with a zinger. cue the highhat. i'd love to sit in on the convo between EG and Memphis where he brings up the "future considerations".

[eltacoman]

i would throw in the 2010 1st too wow hope this is true just noting involving Mcgee and im good with it \

so just in case this team is a bust we have Rubio and Mcgee to fall back on too they will be a unstopable force for our future

[steve_steamer]

I'll re-post what I wrote in the Lady Luck thread since it was locked:

DeJuan Blair is the next Michael Sweetney. Struggles with his weight and ballooned to 300+ at one point while at Pitt. He'll measure out at 6'6" and he dominated college by big-boying people. At 6'6" that's not gonna work in the NBA. Seen the kid play dozens of times. He was great in the Big East, but so was Luke Harangody. I just can't see Blair, all 6'6" of him, succeeding at power forward in the NBA. His game is predicated on strength, power, and size (width, not height). All that will be negated in the League.

wait for the pre-draft combine measurements i think he is closer to 6ft7 and as a prime example, Glen (Big Baby) Davis, has been a successful power forward using all the intangibles you just used to show that Blair will not be effective in NBA. Davis is lucky to be listed at whatever he is, he's probably just under 6"5 but his post play, strength, knack of being able to do what he does have made him a good post player and he should get a huge raise this off-season.

so dejuan blair can be a very effective nba player, especially since he does what big baby does except better. ..

trade pick to raptors would be awesome! unfortunately there is enough bad contracts on the raptors cant take any more and giving up chris bosh for an aging star won't be enough.

[daSwami]

HAHA! daSwami with a zinger. cue the highhat. i'd love to sit in on the convo between EG and Memphis where he brings up the "future considerations".

yeah, it'd prolly go something like this:

brring brring (that's the phone ringing)

Memphis GM: hello?

Ernie: Hey Chris, it's me, Grunny!

Memphis GM: Yo, Easy- E! What's the haps? Got any more disgruntled Spaniards to give away?

Ernie: Um, no, actually I was calling about something else ...

Memphis GM: I'm all ears.

EG: I read something interesting today on a VERY credible website. Anyhoo, the reporter, a guy named Ji--heard of him?

Memphis GM: Of course I know Ji! The guy with the curse, right? Love that guy!

Ernie: Good for you. (Then, under his breath) Homo.

Memphis GM: Hey I heard that!

Ernie: Anyway, the article said that you might be looking to part with the #2.

Memphis GM: (giggles)

Ernie: what? what's so funny?

Memphis GM: You said "number two." That means poop.

Ernie: Yeah, as in the second overall pick in the draft. We want it.

Memphis GM: ok, what are you offering?

Ernie: Well - here's the thing - we'll give you Etan Thomas, AND ... here's the part I need your help with...

Memphis GM: uh-huh, listening ...

EG: remember those "future considerations" you owe us?

Memphis GM: uh, yeah, and....?

EG: I'm sure those have been weighing heavily on you. Now would be the perfect time to cash those in don't you think?...

Memphis GM: You're right. How about I give those considerations to you right now,ok?

EG: Sure!

Memphis GM: are you ready?

EG: Yup. Fire when ready.

Memphis GM: Ok, I consider your mother a whore. *hangs up laughing, high fives with office mates*

[miller31time]

[hands11]

Thanks. I needed that.

Send it to the HOF.

That's two posts in one day. The other was the EFJ and the after time out clutch play calling.

It's a rap.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

I have a strong feeling that Rubio is going to suck donkey nuts. Adam Morrison style.

[Kanyewest]

I still doubt why Memphis would pass on Rubio instead of picking him and trading him themselves. Would they go for the same package, maybe if we took back Jaric?

Blatche+James+#5

for

Jaric+Rubio

We're already assuming that Abe will pay the tax, so let's go for it!

(Disclaimer - I do have to admit to not being sold on Rubio myself. I"m actually more excited about trading Blatche. From what I saw in the Olympics, I doubt if Rubio has an immediate impact like Chris Paul did. But I absolutely think he can play some NBA minutes right away and I also think he has the potential to play with Arenas. Considering the talent drop off after him, I'm willing to take the chance.)

Perhaps Memphis is really sold on Thabeet being their franchise center. Their biggest need is probably a big man. On their draft board, they have Thabeet significantly rated higher than any other prospect and getting Blatche would probably not be enough to drop the #5. Memphis probably thinks its set in their perimeter players anyways (Conley, Mayo, Gay)

The Thunder may only be willing to trade their pick with Thabeet off the board. The Thunder may see Westbrook as the future of the team and they may not think a Rubio/Westbrook backcourt can coexist.

[Rafael122]

DX has Rubio falling to #4. Interesting...

[pancakes3]

i don't see that happening unless wade and lebron simultaneously retire and redeclare for the draft.

[#1 pick]

I believe that you guy will trade the pick. No one could really fit into what you want to do. You need a proven player like Griffin, Rubio, or Thabeet. The others would need to be 3rd or a lot of PT which isn't the case. I say that the pick will be Gerald Henderson and the teams instrested is:
Milwaukee, San Antonio, and New York. For whom....
Milwaukee: Michael Redd or Charlie V plus the #10 pick.
San Antonio: Manu Ginobili
New York: Nate Robinson plus pick swap.

Gerald Henderson is a superstar potential as a prospect... I see him going in the top 5. He of no use to the Wizards, to be honest, outside of the top 3, this draft is unless for you guys.

OKC wants McGee and nothing less...
Memphis isn't trading out of the spot even with McGee included
Same for LAC...
This is probably your best option.

[AgentOvechkin08]

#1 Pick, Thabeet is not a proven player. Rubio is probably going to be and Griffin is absolutely one. Thabeet is so raw offensively its not even funny, he is a great shot blocker but that is about it. He did get his lunch taken from him by 6 foot 7 Dejuan Blair.

Gerald Henderson....im sorry, he does not have superstar potential as a prospect. I will tell you who does though, Demar Derozan, but he is probably the biggest BOOM or BUST out there.

[#1 pick]

#1 Pick, Thabeet is not a proven player. Rubio is probably going to be and Griffin is absolutely one. Thabeet is so raw offensively its not even funny, he is a great shot blocker but that is about it. He did get his lunch taken from him by 6 foot 7 Dejuan Blair.

Gerald Henderson....im sorry, he does not have superstar potential as a prospect. I will tell you who does though, Demar Derozan, but he is probably the biggest BOOM or BUST out there.

I totally disagree, go to the NBA Draft section and read my top 11.

As for Henderson, I've been scouting personally since 1998. In the last 6 years I have been very accurate in my descriptions. Henderson reminds me of Vince Carter as a prospect. He is more motivated than Vince and I think he could be what Vince wasn't which is a true superstar. I am not so high on Derozan. He is not a boom or bust but he isn't going to be a superstar. I see his route ending up like Joe Johnson. Somewhere between All Star and Star but not close to Superstardom. None of this helps the Wizards. I feel they need a vet who can come in and score 18+ and who has a complete game. I think the San Antonio trade would help the Wizards the most.

[DCZards]

Perhaps Memphis is really sold on Thabeet being their franchise center. Their biggest need is probably a big man. On their draft board, they have Thabeet significantly rated higher than any other prospect and getting Blatche would probably not be enough to drop the #5. Memphis probably thinks its set in their perimeter players anyways (Conley, Mayo, Gay)

On the money. Memphis has its perimeter players, two of whom will be as good or better than Rubio. They'd be crazy to not take Thabeet as the their defensive/rebounding rock in the middle.

[badinage]

Seeing Courtney Lee excels in this series -- excel beyond what I thought previously he was capable of -- reminds me what I wrote about him last year, shortly before the draft, when I began to get excited about him coming here.

McGee is intriguing, no doubt. But at this point, you'd have to say Lee is the more polished player -- a rotation guy, a big contributor, on an ECF team.

Here's what I wrote:

I have a sneaking suspicion that Grunfeld -- assuming he keeps the pick -- is going to take Courtney Lee.

Skilled, can shoot, has a midrange game, can slash, can play perimeter D, has some size. There's your backup for C-But.

Oh, and he's also got -- our favorite cliche -- upside.

Don't ask me why I think this; I just do. A hunch. Eddie came in for one day, and it just so happened to be for the day Courtney Lee was in. And you've heard NOTHING about the Wizards and Courtney Lee -- which seems to be the way with Grunfeld, to sneak up on us like that.

[bulletproof_32]

I was at Tyson's Corner today and saw Stephen Curry strolling through Nordstom's with a lady friend. Didn't want to bother him (no one else even "noticed" him) but did stalk him enough to try to get a good eye measurement. Assuming he'll wear shoes in the NBA, I'd say he's in the 6'3-6'4 range, as I'm 6'1 (with shoes) and he easily had 2-3 inches on me (although, I've been working on my bowleggedness recently to increase my defensive ability so my actual height could be hovering around 5'11 these days). He did look kinda long though but also super skinny.

[closg00]

I was at Tyson's Corner today and saw Stephen Curry strolling through Nordstom's with a lady friend. Didn't want to bother him (no one else even "noticed" him) but did stalk him enough to try to get a good eye measurement. Assuming he'll wear shoes in the NBA, I'd say he's in the 6'3-6'4 range, as I'm 6'1 (with shoes) and he easily had 2-3 inches on me (although, I've been working on my bowleggedness recently to increase my defensive ability so my actual height could be hovering around 5'11 these days). He did look kinda long though but also super skinny.

Curry is doing his pre-draft work-outs here, anybody know where he's been working out?

[bulletproof_32]

Ha, I was wondering that myself when I saw him. There's no place in that area that jumped out at me but I thought he was too far out of the city to be working out downtown so maybe he's doing his work in the NoVa area. Maybe he's working out at Gil's house down the street from Tyson's cuz he has a guarantee from the Wiz.

Edit to add: I saw Kevin Grevey last night. Now if I see a current Wiz player tomorrow I'll be convinced that Curry is coming to DC.

[AgentOvechkin08]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgWAWiyziFg

Found this on the washingtonwizardsblog

Has NY and Jmac along with James Harden

[doclinkin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgWAWiyziFg

Found this on the washingtonwizardsblog

Has NY and Jmac along with James Harden

You're late. It was on the Wiz blog because I posted it there. AFTER I posted it in the 'Tracking the Wiz Offseason' thread.

Mike Jones of the Times tells me he's gonna follow up on this. Hopefully we'll find out more, maybe get an eyes-on account from locals.