Wizards Presser.

[Xist2Inspire]

My original plan for this presser
Was another burst of rhyme,
But alas, along with a lack of wit,
I have neither the words nor the time.

Ah, last season. Despite it going exactly as I expected it to, with a dominating regular-season run and a big trade to help boost our chances at a title, it ended as all Wizards seasons have thus far - without a title. Most unfortunate, as I'd already determined that bringing the team back as-is would not be an option for this season due to tax concerns. Last season was not only one of our best shots at winning it all, but it would be the last shot for at least a season or two. This offseason was step 1 in our post-contention rebuilding process, and though it went horribly, we still managed to get the basics done. Marsh and Brooks were traded, and though we're sorry to see them go, we're thankful to have had them. O'Neal and Cucone were re-signed as planned, as they are considered vital to our future plans at the moment. The draft was a bit of a mess, as our plans to add cheap talent to bolster our roster as we maneuver around the cap were foiled by an incredibly weak draft. Still, we did manage to select some interesting players.

…In all honesty, there's really not much more to say here. Maybe it's just mild depression after a disappointing post- and off- season, but there;s really not much I can say about this season or the last that isn't obvious. Yes, Marsh and Brooks were traded because of cap concerns. Yes, this season is more about seeing how Cuomo, O'Neal, Kidd, and Cucone fare on their own than it is about winning. Yes, Romeo and Payne will be on the block all season until they're gone and I'm in a better tax situation. No, I don't expect to make a run, though I probably will make the playoffs anyway because despite being bad at winning, I am shockingly good at not losing. Don't let this stop you from asking questions though, as the answers will most certainly be more interesting that reading this was.

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: The Wizards have had a long stretch of being in the title conversation. Now that you're taking a step back, what do you think the missing ingredient was that would've put your team over the top, and how do you plan on addressing that for the next build?

[TheSyndicate]

Similar question. Is Kidd a core piece of the next title contender? If so, is he the Jordan or the Pippen, and what does his perfect counterpart look like?

[Xist2Inspire]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: The Wizards have had a long stretch of being in the title conversation. Now that you're taking a step back, what do you think the missing ingredient was that would've put your team over the top, and how do you plan on addressing that for the next build?

That's a good question, and one that doesn't have a true answer, as I think I'm the problem, and not my players. For one, I still think my biggest weakness come playoff time is gameplanning. I can never seem to take advantage of key matchups and highlight my team's strengths. Originally I attributed that to poorly constructed rosters, but last season (as well as the Finals matchup against Denver) provided a pretty strong case for me being outright bad in that area. Another thing that has haunted me is poor cap management. Good GMs construct their teams so that they have prolonged shots at a title, whereas I create situations where I'm a true contender for two seasons at most, and then a paper tiger until the inevitable rebuild. Another GM also would've made better use of his assets and not scramble around, settling on lateral moves instead of actually making good ones. So yeah, I'm not sure how to address the possibility that the thing that might have put us over the top is another GM.

Similar question. Is Kidd a core piece of the next title contender? If so, is he the Jordan or the Pippen, and what does his perfect counterpart look like?

Yes. If he avoids regression, he will be a key part of this team for at least the next 4-5 years. Ideally he would be the Pippen, as he has the all-around skills to thrive in that role, but given that he and Brooks could never quite get on the same page, I think he might be better as the alpha dog. If that is the case, then his ideal counterpart would be a low-post threat. Or, he may turn out to be the kind of top player who only needs an ensemble cast. If that's the case, then we're pretty well set up for that.

[greepleairport]

Looking back, what would you do differently with your game planning in the playoffs?


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[Xist2Inspire]

Looking back, what would you do differently with your game planning in the playoffs?

Definitely switch to a Balanced offensive focus. I prefer to pound it inside to score as efficiently as possible, but in hindsight, that may be one reason why Brooks never became a game-changer...my gameplan, while great for maximizing the offensive potential of the supporting cast, limited the abilities of my best scorer.

[IamQuailman]

After trading away Chad Marsh AND Marshall Starr, you are now a Marsh-free zone... how does it feel to drain the swamp?

[Xist2Inspire]

After trading away Chad Marsh AND Marshall Starr, you are now a Marsh-free zone... how does it feel to drain the swamp?

[logpmess]

If a reset is in your future, Romeo Langford and Cameron Payne seem like pretty good assets. Are they your most moveable pieces and have you addressed the team to the possibility of players not ending their season in Washington?

[Xist2Inspire]

If a reset is in your future, Romeo Langford and Cameron Payne seem like pretty good assets. Are they your most moveable pieces and have you addressed the team to the possibility of players not ending their season in Washington?

Oh yeah, those two are as good as gone. I let them know that as soon as they walked through the door.