The Wizards Are Starting to Get Serious Again

Xist2Inspire · Post by **Xist2Inspire** » Mon May 31, 2021 9:14 am

Last season was fairly uneventful. We had a great start...that gradually tapered off as the season ran on. We brought in Arden Silva, but he didn't do much to stop the slide. We kept the playoff streak going, but Kelly's concussion pretty much sealed our fate as we were swept by the... Thunder! That's right, we were swept by the Thunder. I'd already checked out by that point.

We came into the offseason with the intent on using out temporary cap space to add more talent. Note that we said nothing about adding talent via the draft, because we didn't. I don't even know who we drafted. Getting past that, we were very excited to bring in Brendon Silva. He's still developing, but he has a lot of potential, and fits perfectly into our culture of ball movement, efficient scoring, and defense. We also welcome back Prince Ali after a year away. He's worked hard to prove himself as a legitimate rotation player, and we hope that his work bears fruit this season. But of course the big thing is the return of Tasmin Mitchell. This isn't just a case of a team re-signing their star player, this is a commitment to competing. This is a sign that the lazy interim period is over, and I actually have to start caring again. We've been fortunate enough to not be a total disaster as of late, so now it's time to take the talent that enabled such good fortune and focus it towards getting back to being a threat.

Any questions?

garbageman · Post by **garbageman** » Mon May 31, 2021 9:45 am

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: You threw a heavy contract at Tasmin Mitchell and grabbed Brandon Silva at a price that the Pelicans weren't willing to pay. Including those two, who are the leaders of this team and how do you think they compare to the core players from your championship contending years in recent history?

AngryBanana · Post by **AngryBanana** » Mon May 31, 2021 10:28 am

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: What are your expectations of Kendall Liberty this season? Do you see her* coming back next season, or does she* still need to earn her* next contract in your eyes?

Xist2Inspire · Post by **Xist2Inspire** » Mon May 31, 2021 10:29 am

garbageman wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 9:45 am Sham Smith, Bulls.com: You threw a heavy contract at Tasmin Mitchell and grabbed Brandon Silva at a price that the Pelicans weren't willing to pay. Including those two, who are the leaders of this team and how do you think they compare to the core players from your championship contending years in recent history?

Well believe it or not, as one of the two remaining links to our title squad, Kendall's the de facto leader of this team, in spirit rather than stats. Overall this team has little in common with the Kidd era, having more in common with tight-knit ensemble casts like the '96-'97 and '28-'29 Finals squads. Mitchell himself is a throwback to someone like Wayman Tisdale, an incredible offensive interior presence. This team's a combination of underrated/borderline stars and vital role players, there's no all-league talents like Phillip Cuomo and Robert Kelly's defense or all-time talent like Quintin Kidd here. We've come close, but have never been able to win one with rosters like this. Maybe this time we can.

Xist2Inspire · Post by **Xist2Inspire** » Mon May 31, 2021 10:55 am

AngryBanana wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 10:28 am Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: What are your expectations of Kendall Liberty this season? Do you see him coming back next season, or does he still need to earn his next contract in your eyes?

Kendall's grossly overpaid, and I'll have to overpay her again when her contract comes up. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Apparently the much-ballyhooed "PG problem" means that GMs would much rather overpay a solid (but not spectacular) player as opposed to trading for a proven winner. It is what it is however. We just need her to excel in her role, which is keeping the offense running efficiently and making life miserable for opposing guards on the other end. As for whether or not we pick up her option...well that depends on whether or not we feel like we're a few tweaks away from serious contention...or a few pieces away.

greepleairport · Post by **greepleairport** » Mon May 31, 2021 11:47 am

Your core is in their mid-twenties and theoretically still getting better. Thinking that this isn't a roster that wins it all for you (fingers crossed that it does though), is this a roster that can do it in the next 2 or 3 years?

Xist2Inspire · Post by **Xist2Inspire** » Mon May 31, 2021 12:00 pm

greepleairport wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 11:47 am Your core is in their mid-twenties and theoretically still getting better. Thinking that this isn't a roster that wins it all for you (fingers crossed that it does though), is this a roster that can do it in the next 2 or 3 years?

There's two major flaws that I don't know how they will play out, but yes, I think this team has an outside shot at winning a title as-is. That's if I can keep them all together and no declines happen of course.

Post by **IamQuailman** » Mon May 31, 2021 12:26 pm

Is this a good depiction of the Wizards getting serious:

K-100 · Post by **K-100** » Mon May 31, 2021 12:41 pm

Is this season's division race the Wizards to lose?

Xist2Inspire · Post by **Xist2Inspire** » Mon May 31, 2021 1:07 pm

IamQuailman wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 12:26 pm Is this a good depiction of the Wizards getting serious:

#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League