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Ten Questions About the Wizards With Kissing Suzy Kolber’s Unsilent Majority
By Jamie Mottram | December 5, 2009
As an out-of-towner without League Pass, I’m wondering how the Wizards, expected to be contenders, have started 7-11. Here to figure that out is KSK cofounder and Mr. Irrelevant Wiz correspondent Jack Kogod (@Unsilent).
1. How has Flip affected this team? Is he better than Eddie?
Obviously the transition hasn’t been quite as smooth as some of us had hoped. The difference between Flip Saunders and Eddie Jordan is vast, and that’s not a comment on either coach’s abilities. Flip has a different approach to game, and they expect different things from their players. What we’ve learned is that it’s going to take a fair amount of time and patience (this season’s de facto motto) for players and coaches to get comfortable with one another.
As for the second question, I’m much more confident with Flip on the bench. It’s going to take time to work out the wrinkles, but the team will be better for it in the long run. Eddie was far too deferential to Gilbert, and that’s one of the (many) reasons why the team’s biggest star has struggled in the new system.
2. How far back is Gil right now? Do you see him becoming what he once was?
This all relates back to the previous question. Gil still seems to be missing a bit of the explosiveness he once possessed, and it’s wreaking havoc on his mental game. I believe that he can reclaim the confidence he once had, but first he has to come to terms with his role on this team. Is he going to be a pure point guard? Is he going to be a gunner? In the end he has to be a bit of each, and right now he’s at a loss for how to balance the two roles.
I absolutely believe that Gil can become the 28-6-6 player he was prior to the injury. More importantly he has to get a better feel for when to dominate with the ball in his hands and when to defer to his teammates. Right now he has a pretty good thing going with Earl Boykins in the fourth quarter because Gil does seem more comfortable with a true ball handler sharing the backcourt. That’s fine for now, but moving forward he’s going to have to develop a similar level of comfort with the team’s other backcourt options in the lineup.
3. What’s up with Caron?
Either he’s struggling to find his place in the team’s more structured offense (they run plays and everything!) or it’s the Dew withdrawl. I’m going with the Dew.
4. Why is Haywood rebounding all of the sudden?
It’s not like he was a bad rebounder in previous years, but yeah, it certainly seems as if he’s turned a corner. The way Gil and Caron are shooting the ball it’s not surprising to see Haywood’s offensive rebounding numbers on the rise. That being said, he’s also become a more efficient rebounder since returning from last year’s wrist injury. Truth be told, I think the injury might have something to do with it. Haywood was forced to sit and watch last year’s collapse, and since his return he strikes me as a more cerebral player. Sure, he still thinks he can pull off a running hook shot, but his footwork looks a lot smoother than it did two seasons ago, and he’s putting himself in better rebounding position.
5. They’ve been winning with Nick Young in the lineup. What does that say about Young Sushi?
I’m a huge fan of Nick Young, and I’m as frustrated as anyone when he languishes on the bench. That being said, I wouldn’t read too much into the correlation between his playing time and the team’s recent wins. Nick’s scoring does take considerable pressure off of GIl and Caron, however he’s still far from being a complete player capable of that kind of an impact.
6. Have the other young guys improved?
JaVale’s minutes have been sporadic, however he has begun to show signs of real progress. He can make spectacular plays at both ends of the court, that much is a given. What remains to be seen is how committed he is to developing the more subtle skills that would make him a more regular fixture in Flip’s rotation. He still tries to block too many shots–especially when he’s late rotating into position–and his conditioning is still a work in progress. I guess Seven Day Dray still counts as one of the young guys, and he’s clearly improved. I guess all it took was a good talking to from his mom. Maybe Eddie Jordan should have thought of that.
7. Does Boykins matter, or is he just a pretty little pet?
He matters as long as he’s helping the team win. He’s clearly not a long-term solution, and eventually he will have to take a back seat to Randy Foye. Still, I expect him to be a fixture in the fourth quarter of close games because of his ball handling, free throw shooting, and play-making ability.
8. What do you make of Miller and Foye? Wish they took Jennings instead? (Note: You had them taking Jordan Hill.)
I can’t believe it took you eight questions to bring up Jordan Hill. At the time he struck me as a good fit because the team needed another rebounder. Fortunately Ernie Grunfeld was smart enough to target a veteran like Fab Oberto to fill that role, and he was able to bolster the team’s versatility by adding Foye and Mike Miller.
As for the trade, I can’t stress how much I love what Miller brings to the team. Before the calf injury he was definitely brought some cohesiveness to a disjointed group. His ball movement and rebounding eases the burden on his teammates and keeps the offense flowing. I want to see more from Foye. He’s been ineffective since returning from the sprained ankle, and I’m anxious to see him back on the court playing 25 minutes per game. If the team is going to make a playoff push they’ll need him out there.
And yes, I do love Jennings. As I recall I said he was my favorite player in the draft. In hindsight a backcourt of Jennings-Arenas would have been pretty amazing.
9. Where do you see the season going from here?
Forward, with a distinct diagonal trajectory.
10. Anything else you wanted me to ask about?
Well, there is this rash…
Topics: Interviews, The Maj, Wizards | No Comments »