jazzy1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Nov18.html

Now this is getting exciting.

MJG

Definitely some excitement there. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like we're going to be a different team when he gets back. Not that we're going to switch playing styles or anything, just that we're going to be ... different. In a good way. Can't wait.

__________________
Washington Wizards Fans (Click here to join!)
MJG | popeyejones54 | NBA4life | TheRifleman | THE NBA GAZETTE | NorthEast Wiz | local_sportsfan | Tom | sagebrush | C-MO 22 LD | adarsh1 | Ice | rukahS capuT | dazed-and-confused | DaUnbreakableKinG | erickboy22 | DaBullz | Epadfield | twinz2gether | AL9045 | shonin | BrandinKnightFan3 | << SkipToMyLou >> | Dualie | Carter182 | QuiksilverMaggette | BrYaNBaIlEy06 | StraylightRunner | bullet for life | pG_prIDe | IggytoWiz_at5 | teddyguy | SilentOneX | FanOfAll8472 | HoopsAvenue05 | viviki | eYeKey | DwyaneWade4MVP | KidCanada101 | PejaWebber | B Dizzle | byrondarnell66 | LakerLunatic | wiz kid

jazzy1

I think what this does is gives us versatility. We can play power bball with teams as well as a finese style. Our interior D will be solid and it'll take some pressure off of our perimeter D.

Our Identity at this point is that of an all offense high scoring team. How Kwame affects that is the big question.

It makes us more dangerous and harder to defend for sure.

eYeKey

Not to sound like the pessimistic new guy here...but how will the team react to shots going to Kwame? Right now, the PF spot on the team is not a scoring position with the grand exception of when Antawn plays it with Jarvis at the 3-spot (Ruffin, Jared aren't that involved offesively). If the team loses a couple games, will we start to see bickering in regards to shots and shot selection?

Shanghai Kid

Very encouraging. I think he might start out slow as he rounds back into shape, but he does add a new dimension to the team with the legit low post game and added size in the frontcourt. I imagine Kwame fitting in with Jamison perfectly. Kwame getting it in the post and passing it to a cutting Jamison, it seems like a perfect match. When he's completely healthy, he improves the team in a number of ways. He improves our defense, our rebounding, and our bench as we than have both Jeffries and Hayes not playing starter minutes.

I've said in another thread, I think we're a playoff team even without Kwame, but he can take us to that higher level. We don't have to be an all offense team when Kwame gets back, we can slow the game down and go to Kwame in the halfcourt and we can defend better in the halfcourt with Hughes/Kwame/Haywood.

This team is very exciting right now, we have an easy next 10 games and with Kwame and Blake coming back soon things are really looking up as far as this season and the future goes.

__________________


SCREWED like Bret Hart!

jazzy1

I agree with all of this except that part about us being a playoff team without kwame. I don't think we play consistently enough from a shooting efficiency perspective.

He gives us a high percentage shooting post scorer. Without him I think as the season wore on we'd wear down with too many borderline 40% shooters and with a suspect interior defense.

With Kwame I think we're a top 5 team in the East.

I think after Indiana, Detroit, Miami we're at the head of that next group, I think it could very well be us and orlando slotted next.

I think the Rapts, Bucks, Knicks, Boston and Philly are behind us and Orlando.

MJG

Well, some players are going to lose shots. Hayes is the first name that springs to mind. He's playing 33 minutes a night right now and getting 12.3 shots in that time.

I don't have actual numbers in front of me, but I'll do some estimating. Hayes plays 33 minutes a night, and I'll say 28 are at SF and 5 are elsewhere. Jamison gets 41 minutes a night, 18 at SF and 23 at PF. Kwame will play 36 minutes, 28 at PF and 8 at C. Remember, these are just estimations. The return will force Jamison into more SF minutes, which squeezes Hayes out. Something like ...

SF: Jamison (30), Other (18)
PF: Kwame (28), Jamison (10), Jeffries (10)

Just looking at that, at the very best Hayes could see 18 minutes a night as the backup SF. However, that's assuming JJ is almost cut out of the roation with nothing more than scraps backing up the PF spot. If JJ starts to get even remotely decent minutes at SF, then it is Hayes who is outside the rotation looking in.

Actually, having read all that I've just typed, I think JJ and Hayes are each going to wind up with their fair share of nights where they get very little playing time. There's not gonig to be much more than some 20-22 minutes available to them on most foul-free nights. I'm guessing we'll see a lot of box scores where whoever is playing well or is the better matchup winds up with 22 minutes, while the other gets 6.

But I've gotten off the topic. As for who loses shots, Hayes and Dixon are easy picks. Hayes can go from 12.3 to around 9.3, and Dixon can go from 8.3 to 6.3. That frees up five shots. I think Jamison gets a little more picky with his offense now that he has another big to play off of. I could see him losing 2-4 shots off his 20.5 average. 7-9 shots might not sound like enough for Kwame, but I'm sure the extra 2-3 he should be getting can be picked up in bits and pieces from the rest of the team. That's all kind of generalized, but the idea is that I don't think we're stretched so tight that we're going to be in any real bind over shots. Close, but not quite.

__________________
Washington Wizards Fans (Click here to join!)
MJG | popeyejones54 | NBA4life | TheRifleman | THE NBA GAZETTE | NorthEast Wiz | local_sportsfan | Tom | sagebrush | C-MO 22 LD | adarsh1 | Ice | rukahS capuT | dazed-and-confused | DaUnbreakableKinG | erickboy22 | DaBullz | Epadfield | twinz2gether | AL9045 | shonin | BrandinKnightFan3 | << SkipToMyLou >> | Dualie | Carter182 | QuiksilverMaggette | BrYaNBaIlEy06 | StraylightRunner | bullet for life | pG_prIDe | IggytoWiz_at5 | teddyguy | SilentOneX | FanOfAll8472 | HoopsAvenue05 | viviki | eYeKey | DwyaneWade4MVP | KidCanada101 | PejaWebber | B Dizzle | byrondarnell66 | LakerLunatic | wiz kid

jazzy1

Kwame's an unselfish player maybe even too unselfish.

He plays real well when the team plays uptempo and there are better players on the court. When Stack played Kwame played his best ball last season.

He's gonna get so much easy garbage baskets that he'll easily sacrifice some touches in the half court offense.

Wins and losses will determine any problems with shot distribution.

Jamison is a very unselfish player he'll give up shots easily to Kwame.

Shanghai Kid

I think the Cavs are a team to watch out for also.

The East is still wide open, the Wiz need to take advantage of the next 10 games and make some noise.

__________________


SCREWED like Bret Hart!

BCH

Kwame can take all of Ruffin's shots.

All kidding aside, there are plenty of opportuinites and shots for Kwame. I would expect us to do better on the offensive boards with Kwame, generating a possession or two there. All of our outside shooters can stand to lose at least 1 to 2 shots per game to our post game.

I want to see Kwame get about 12 shots per game at a minimum. I want to see him on the line 8 times per game. I want to see him average about 18 points per game. I think that is a fair expectation.

Our shooters should be able to get a much better FG% from kwame's presense meaning they will be better able to maintain averages, while giving shots up.

EVERYONE will benefit.

Now Etan is a whole different story.

__________________
Where's the cake?

twinz2gether

On a different note, did anyone else find that Kwame being Overweight, losing jumping ability (for the moment), and not having his endurance yet scared them a bit.

It did for me at least. But am i just overeacting? Will he get all these back soon?

__________________
Kwame, how can you not love him?

f22egl