The Wizards Have Flipped the Script

[Xist2Inspire]

Y'know, it's a good thing that I was too depressed/lazy to do a presser last season, as the title would likely have been "The Wizards Are Now Millsap's Team." And that would've been...awkward...

Let's get through last season right quick. I made a boo-boo by going after and signing THT. I got a bit starstruck and went after a conventional pick, not really thinking about how well he'd fit on the team like I usually do. Obviously, he didn't really fit, and struggled to produce on the level he was used to without stepping on the toes of Hodges, Millsap, or Bojo. I also realized that I didn't have any young talent on the roster if things went south. Given that we really weren't great at the moment, things were far more likely to get ugly than go well. So off went Hassan Hodges for Gregory Jackson, and in came Alan Evers, Jeffrey Caballero, and Ruben Rager. We made the playoffs, and got washed. The end.

Going back to Vaughn Millsap though, he had a great season, averaging almost 23 ppg with an ASG and All-Defensive 1st Team selection to add to his reputation. After careful contract and cap manipulation, we were ready to hit UFA hard and give Millsap a squad he could hopefully lead to at least the Omega Conference Finals...

...and then we traded him in a sign-and-trade for Remy Martin. Also, Noodles was later shipped off for Justin Griffith and a 1st. So, uh...what happened? Well, for one, we really liked Remy Martin, to the point where we probably would've preferred acquiring him to be our future over Gregory Jackson. Also, there was some doubt over the long-term viability of what we wanted to put around Millsap. We fully intended to sign players to deals that would last through the entirety of Millsap's prime, which could get real expensive really quick. And so we ultimately decided to take a chance with a younger star locked up for the next 4 seasons.

Now as most long-time GMs know, I'm allergic to tanking. The only time I've ever been able to successfully tank was when I, in a brief period of not giving a single crap, deliberately put together one of the most putrid teams ever seen at that point (and since). And even then, it took an untimely TC death to seal the deal. And even then, I didn't get the #1 pick. So yeah, taking a year off to tank and plot out how I was going to use my cap space wasn't in the cards. So I thought...why not just do what I was gonna do with Millsap, just on a different level? With that in mind, Frank Daily (in his fourth stint in DC), Daishen Nix, and Greg Hamilton were brought in, with Bojo returning once again to bridge the gap between old and new.

This is going to be an interesting season, to say the least. Hopefully this can be the start of something fresh and fun in DC. Questions?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Bojo didn't sign with you until UFA day 2. If another team had scooped him up, how would that affect your goals and projections for the season?

[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: What is it about Remy’s game that attracted you so much?


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[Xist2Inspire]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Bojo didn't sign with you until UFA day 2. If another team had scooped him up, how would that affect your goals and projections for the season?

It wouldn't have. I was ready to move on from Bojo if necessary, you can probably see that from how oddly he fits on the roster. The plan was always to prioritize filling up our available cap space with new additions. In the past we've prioritized locking up our own talent at all costs first, and that's probably cost us some value signings here and there. Bojo has never been a particularly in-demand player, so coupled with the number of higher-profile FAs and the lack of teams with both cap space and the desire to use it, we felt no need to waste a Day 1 bid on Bojo and potentially miss out on adding one of Nix, Daily, or Hamilton if he signed first.

[Xist2Inspire]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: What is it about Remy’s game that attracted you so much?

He just looks so damn good for his age. At age 21-22, he was already putting up 22 ppg on league-average efficiency. Regardless of whether or not he was being force-fed the ball, those are excellent numbers for a 3rd-year player. He's also a very multifaceted and unique player who has ample room to grow. He's pretty much an ideal starting point for designing a new teambuild.

[K-100]

Bojo drew the start at PG during the preseason. Does that continue for Sim 1 and beyond?

[Xist2Inspire]

Bojo drew the start at PG during the preseason. Does that continue for Sim 1 and beyond?

No. As we know, the preseason "coaching staff" are made up of volunteers from the local zoo. All Bojo's preseason success at PG has done is remind me that my stupid ass really should've gone with my original plan of training his PAS way back when I first acquired him. That's the second 6'10" PG I've whiffed on in my career, and I can't even blame TC for this one.

[greepleairport]

Daily, Bojo, the two Gregs, Daishen and Remy. Maybe the two Rubens, too? Are you going to flip any of these wing players for talent at another position? Remember the champ days when no one was shorter than what, 7’2” in DC? Ahh sim memories…

[Xist2Inspire]

Daily, Bojo, the two Gregs, Daishen and Remy. Maybe the two Rubens, too? Are you going to flip any of these wing players for talent at another position? Remember the champ days when no one was shorter than what, 7’2” in DC? Ahh sim memories…

Oh there's definitely going to be a trade or two coming soon...

And I remember those days well, but I also remember how much of a pain it was to take flyers on 6'9"+ PGs, SGs, and SFs, hoping that they would develop into positive, not just playable, talent. Even though there's a lot of sizeable talent in the league, it might be a good idea to leave those builds in the past...for now.