Did I Even Do One of These Last Season?

[Xist2Inspire]

I... can't remember. I don't think so, guess I'd better do a recap. My offseason goal last season was to beef up my bench. It cost me a few guys, like Albert Hunter two seasons ago and the Line, Mason Dixon, but coming out of the offseason with Augustus Davenport, Dario Beaton, Don Jacobsen, Larry Canfield, Frankie Bryce, Hassan Hodges, and Gary Jackson complimenting the Cassel/Kelly/Mitchell/Silva/Liberty core was an definite positive.

Still, there was one thought in my mind that wouldn't leave..."Maybe it's time to trade Tasmin." Though I'd done a decent job of avoiding heavy taxes in spite of having multiple large contracts and aiming to remain competitive, I couldn't help but think that in order to extend our window and get the most out of Silva and Cassel's primes, I needed to move on from Mitchell. So with that in mind, I started looking for potential deals...and drew blanks. It didn't seem like I could find the right collection of interesting talent and salary. So I thought...what if I looked to offload salary instead? Maybe with a third team? After coming up with something I thought could work and with the help and agreement of ajburman and good 'ol digiskunk, a deal was made that brought in two prospects that I'd really been looking at before, Immanuel Quickley and Charles Bojorquez, along with enough free cap to get out of the tax entirely and Ethan Bledsoe. I also picked up Jordan Omos in another deal for reasons, and thus Nick left the league the same way he came in - watching me trape myself.

My plans for this offseason were simple - retain everyone and pick up someone extra with the MLE. I'm proud to say mission accomplished (for once). Jacobsen, Quickley, and Bryce were all brought back, and for our MLE signing, Deni Avdija was brought in. We're super excited to have him. I've had my eye on him for most of his career, but never could bring myself to trade for him. I have a feeling I'm going to be kicking myself for that all season long.

TC went about as well as could be expected, with Omos' demise being the only thing keeping it from being amazing. Getting an immediate return on investment from the Mitchell trade with Bojo and IQ is huge. Despite some promising individual performances, our preseason coaches are still on loan from the local zoo. I don't care about those results.

This is the most excited I've been for a season in a long time. We have an extremely deep roster with a lot of options for matchups and rotations. I still have no idea what our rotation on opening night will be, and I usually have that completely locked down by now. And as bright as our present looks, the future looks promising as well.

Any questions?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: For the last several seasons, the Wizards have had a solid team with solid depth, but they haven't had an overpowering lineup since the Quintin Kidd heyday. Since the Wizards are always competitive, what kind of path do you have plotted out to get to a position where your team is that dominant again?

[Xist2Inspire]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: For the last several seasons, the Wizards have had a solid team with solid depth, but they haven't had an overpowering lineup since the Quintin Kidd heyday. Since the Wizards are always competitive, what kind of path do you have plotted out to get to a position where your team is that dominant again?

You just said it, the plan is to always stay competitive. Guys like Kidd don't come along often...and neither do the trades, draft picks, or FA signings that bring them in. My goal has always been to put myself in a position to where I'm always one punch away from landing that knockout. Sometimes the punch is a clever UFA signing. Sometimes it's a sneaky RFA offer. Maybe it's a trade. It might be an unexpected TC boost. Perhaps I trained the right attribute at the right time. I could randomly concoct the perfect gameplan, or a key player for the opposition could go down.

To capitalize on opportunities, you have to be in position to do so. While I'm usually not in the perfect place to capitalize on a particular one, I'm always in a place to where I could go for any one of them if I so choose. And since I'm usually in the mix regardless...I never really have to make a move. That's the power and freedom of always aiming to compete.

[greepleairport]

I expected to come out of preseason 5-1 with my 1 loss being to the Thunder, but my unexpected loss was to you. Didn't see it coming. Quickly glancing at your roster, it would not seem your team is peaking, but coupled with your enthusiasm, I think the division is in for a rude awakening out of DC. What do you expect from your team this year, and do you see any potential to pivot midseason based on positive or lackluster results?

[Xist2Inspire]

I expected to come out of preseason 5-1 with my 1 loss being to the Thunder, but my unexpected loss was to you. Didn't see it coming. Quickly glancing at your roster, it would not seem your team is peaking, but coupled with your enthusiasm, I think the division is in for a rude awakening out of DC. What do you expect from your team this year, and do you see any potential to pivot midseason based on positive or lackluster results?

I expect to be 2nd/3rd in the division, a distant 3rd-5th in the conference. If we're on that level or better, I don't see myself making a big move as I'm quite content with what I have outside of a few things. I also plan on giving my younger talent a chance to shine, so if we're good, then they'll likely be part of the reason. If we're struggling, I may tear it down a little depending on who's performing well and who isn't. I'm fairly sure that Liberty, Cassel, or Silva can draw some interest if put on the block.