2022 Wiz Presser: Pics & Gifs

[Xist2Inspire]

So, you wanna talk about last season?


Let's not talk about last season.

Basically, we thought we were ready, but we weren't ready. Couple of guys had decent seasons, but that didn't translate to wins. Looks like we really needed veteran leadership after all. So when our offseason started off with a call from our friends in Chicago about a trade, we were immediately interested. So out went Jarvis, Jerrell, and Leroy, and in came a guy who should be familiar to many of you all here.


This guy.


We're really glad to have Otto here, but with the shift in talent came a shift in focus, and whereas before we were merely looking to improve (and not doing a very good job of it), now we were looking to contend. More on that later. But first, RFA!


They offered them WHAT???

Jeezum, did I piss someone off? Anyway, Whittaker was a no-go. I had hopes for him, but he really didn't show much more here than he did in Philly. I pay for results, not wishes. Wishing you all the best in Brooklyn, hope you live up to that deal. Wenninger was almost another cap space casualty, but two things kept me from cutting the cord:
1) We have Otto now. Bonifaz is efficient and an X factor on both sides of the ball. If we want to win, we can't lose him.
2) Bonifaz was 2nd Team All-Defense last season while only starting 62 games. If you pay for results, that's a hell of a result.


Me: But dat tax bill... Also Me: Stop bitching and hit accept already.

After that nightmare was over, it was time for free agency, which...wasn't any less of a nightmare to be honest.


I'm pretty sure this is what happened to most of my offers.

But we did make a trade! Basically, we shipped off Aubrey Broomfield and some picks for bench help galore. And though not all of those players look like they'll have a future in DC (looking at you two, Jose and David), at the very least, we deepened our bench while keeping the tax man waiting for a big payday another season.


Plus, you can't make bad draft picks when you have no picks.

So here we are. Here's our starting lineup:

C: Charles Simmons
PF: Bonifaz Wenninger
SF: Otto Porter
SG: D'Angelo Russell
PG: Paul Webb
6th: Daniel West

Earlier on, I thought we had a had a shot at being a serious contender, but after TC, I think we might have to settle for just being pretty good. Even the best-laid plans go awry, I suppose. But the team (and the fans) know the deal: Do what I brought you here to do, and things will be fine. Do otherwise, and:


Any questions?

[NickMalone77]

Is it a fair representation to say you feel on the current state of Wizards basketball is just like the dog in the burning house, smiling, thinking, “This is fine.”?

[kucoach7]

Otto Porter Jr. is a great player but he has never been a volume scorer. Do you think he can break out as the go-to guy this year?

[Xist2Inspire]

Is it a fair representation to say you feel on the current state of Wizards basketball is just like the dog in the burning house, smiling, thinking, “This is fine.”?

Actually? No. We've never consistently veered on the edge of complete disaster, I've usually been able to put together a group of players that can at least crack 30 wins when at least 6 other teams struggle for 25. Even when we're down, I usually have a plan to get back up, and a few pieces already in place to do it. Really, I'd liken Wizards basketball to an eternally looping .gif that gets less funny the more you look at it, than a meme talking about blissfully standing pat in the face of your franchise crumbling.

Otto Porter Jr. is a great player but he has never been a volume scorer. Do you think he can break out as the go-to guy this year?

We certainly hope so, but we don't feel that it's 100% necessary. We made the playoffs two seasons ago with Damian Lilliard on the bench, after all. With D'Angelo, Bonifaz, Charles, and Paul, we believe we have just enough scoring to cover our butts if Otto turns out to be 15 + a lot of everything else guy rather than a 20 ppg stud.

[ballsohard]

You seemed to pick a tough time to contend. There’s an unprecedented level of talent in the East and your team, at least on paper doesn’t seem to stack up. What made you pick this time to contend versus say in 4 seasons?


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[Xist2Inspire]

You seemed to pick a tough time to contend. There’s an unprecedented level of talent in the East and your team, at least on paper doesn’t seem to stack up. What made you pick this time to contend versus say in 4 seasons?

It was primarily due to the cap. Thanks to Wenninger and Whittaker, I was set to go over the cap and start paying tax this season, and with Broomfield & West coming up for new deals next season, there was no escape from it if I wanted these guys to continue to develop together. And since last season proved that we weren't even a playoff team, paying taxes for an 8th seed hopeful just wasn't an option in my mind. So it was either make a move to win now and pay the tax in style (while also acquiring a desirable talent who could be dealt later to get back under the tax if necessary), or attempt to trade my middling still-young talent for cheaper, very young talent, which isn't easy and usually ends up as a bad fire sale. I chose the former.

[NOLa.]

I love, love, love the pairing of Otto Porter Jr. with D'Angelo Russell (btw his name in the index is DAngelo). They are almost an exact replica with one being 6'8 and the other being 6'4. Scoring, rebounding and no nonsense defense. Is this pairing ready to take on the Hawks?

[Eazy P]

I think Bonifaz Wenninger and Russel are going to have a breakout season do you think it will be enough to get this team deep into the post season?

[Xist2Inspire]

I love, love, love the pairing of Otto Porter Jr. with D'Angelo Russell (btw his name in the index is DAngelo). They are almost an exact replica with one being 6'8 and the other being 6'4. Scoring, rebounding and no nonsense defense. Is this pairing ready to take on the Hawks?

Who names their kid Dangelo?

Prior to TC, I would've said yes. Russell took a fairly substantial step back during camp though, so I think we're still a bit behind Atlanta overall. We definitely believe we have a better shot at the division than last year though. I'm hoping that Chancellor, who seems to also be cut from the same cloth, can help pick up any slack.

I think Bonifaz Wenninger and Russel are going to have a breakout season do you think it will be enough to get this team deep into the post season?

We're really glad to see Wenninger's steady improvement, and we're optimistic that he'll have a career year. Russell less so. We believe we're postseason-bound, but we're going to need more than Wenninger and Russell to make a deep run. Anything can happen, but the East is tough.

[WigNosy]

Is this the year Paul Webb finally improves his shot selection and becomes a candidate for MIP?

[Xist2Inspire]

Is this the year Paul Webb finally improves his shot selection and becomes a candidate for MIP?

We certainly hope so, though I believe he's been a solid enough player to where he'd have to average 18 ppg/9 apg to realistically win MIP. We'd be overjoyed to see those numbers of course. We're changing our offensive scheme a bit, so hopefully Paul feels more comfortable with his shooting this season.

[garbageman]

With Simmons, Wenniger, and OPJ in your frontcourt, you have a lot of long range firepower in your starting lineup. Any chance we see some outside-focused offensive looks from the Wiz?

[Xist2Inspire]

With Simmons, Wenniger, and OPJ in your frontcourt, you have a lot of long range firepower in your starting lineup. Any chance we see some outside-focused offensive looks from the Wiz?

100% chance, and don't be surprised if you see a move for a bench shooter later.

[digiskunk]

You guys went out and acquired Jose Jumper, who has proven himself to be a reliable backup big. How many minutes should we expect him to play this upcoming season?

[Xist2Inspire]

You guys went out and acquired Jose Jumper, who has proven himself to be a reliable backup big. How many minutes should we expect him to play this upcoming season?

If everything works out, none. That's not how we wanted it, but rather how it turned out. Simmons didn't fall off, West, Wenninger, and Kingston improved, and Williams has seniority on this roster as well as a more varied skillset. There's simply no room for Jumper as of now, especially since he seems to have peaked. He's nice to have in a pinch though.