Ivan, I'd be interested to know what YOU think we should be looking for. Most speculation on this blog centers around centers and point guards. Do you have a feel for what Ernie and Eddie are looking for to improve this team?

Can Darrell Arthur be had at the 18th pick?

Lester Hudson is like a guard version of McGuire, except a better scorer. He played at a lower level but dominated including the first quadruple double in D1 history IIRC. He is 6'1 with a 6'9 wingspan. His speed, quickness and vertical from the Draft camp are also excellent. He's by no means a pure PG but nowadays, who is? I just wish they could grab him in the second round. I think he will be gone by thte time the Wizards pick.

Any truth to Chad Ford's Mock Draft having us draft Javelle McGee? Personally I don't think we need another "project". I think there could be some solid guys that are NBA ready to contribute off the bench. Mainly Brandon Rush and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Is Hibbert doing workouts? I certainly hope we see him. No PGs on the list yet, I bet Gilby likes that.

Is Hibbert doing workouts? I certainly hope we see him. No PGs on the list yet, I bet Gilby likes that.

Posted by: Wizzy | June 3, 2008 5:01 PM

Is there a reason for turning this into a bash Arenas topic? I thought Ivan's post was about the workouts.

BTW Draftexpress lists Hudson as a PG.

Hudson and Pargo are PG's.

Didnt Ty Lawson schedule a workout with the wiz. When is that?

Why even bother bringing CJ Giles in? He has bounced around all over the place and was kicked off of the worst team in D-1.

I dont think Gil is worried about any guard that we draft at the 18 spot. Maybe AD should be concerned... but not Gil.

Titty monster

I think that the Wizards are hoping for the shot to take Speight with the 1st and Hudson with the 2nd. Hudsons short measurements at Orlando probably really hurt his stock, particularly since he's not a real point guard. Also, his stock also probably dropped since Lawson schooled him. In spite of that I think he'll be a develop into a high energy pg off the bench.

What does everyone think of JJ Hickson from NC State? The guy doesn't jump out of the gym, but he definitely would add frontcourt toughness and rebounding. The guy was a monster in college.

From RealGM.com, who has him projected to Orlando in their mock draft.

"The Magic are in need of another low-post scoring threat and Hickson is a high-ceiling power forward and would likely be a top-10 pick in 2009.

Hickson is a very fundamentally sound power forward prospect with a throwback style of play. His athleticism is average, but he makes up for it with his footwork, work ethic and length."

This makes me happy.

The IDEAL Wiz draft for me would be Speights in the 1st and Lester Hudson in the 2nd.

LOL!!! Kupchak is a genius!!!

---------------------------------------------

When much of the league was determined to make a serious bid for the 7-footer, how could Memphis settle so long before the February trade deadline for such a paltry offer out of the Lakers? For the first time, even Heisley wondered whether his general manager, Chris Wallace, blew it by caving so soon to the Lakers. "I don't know if I got the most value," Heisley confessed. "Maybe our people should've shopped (Gasol) more and maybe we would've gotten more, done a better deal. Maybe Chris did call every team in the league. I don't think he did, but maybe he should've..." Yahoo! Sports

Several sources close to the process insist West played no part, and Heisley swears, "Jerry didn't know about the trade until after it was done." Still, it hasn't stopped a rampant anger around the league that this wasn't so much of a trade, as much as it was the word that Bryant himself used: a "donation." Privately, the Lakers were thrilled that they were able to keep negotiations with the Grizzlies quiet because Los Angeles officials were blown away that they could get Gasol for so little. Yahoo! Sports

One source with knowledge of the process said the Bulls had made the most credible offer. For Gasol and Memphis' Hakim Warrick, the Bulls were willing to part with Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, possibly Adrian Griffin and draft picks. Heisley didn't offer up those names, but insisted, "Chicago wouldn't offer us any of their good, core players," he said. "Our people told me that we weren't able to get equal trade value for Gasol and that we needed to do a deal that would give us cap space and draft picks. It was no secret in the league that we were considering offers for him, but the Lakers were the one team that stepped up." Yahoo! Sports

The Ideal Draft for me:

Trade down for Minnesotas 1st and 4th Picks in the second round...Hopefully we get Mario Chalmers (an outstanding defender..) and Hopefully Robin Lopez falls to us also..but if not get Joey Dorsey..

Mario Chalmers
Joey Dorsey

Joey Dorsey is undersized for a PF, listed by his college as 6'9" but measured at the pre-draft camp as 6'6" and a bit.

The Ideal Draft for me:

Trade down for Minnesotas 1st and 4th Picks in the second round...Hopefully we get Mario Chalmers (an outstanding defender..) and Hopefully Robin Lopez falls to us also..but if not get Joey Dorsey..

Mario Chalmers
Joey Dorsey

Posted by: Fulvio aka wiz-skins07 | June 4, 2008 11:42 AM

THAT is exactly what i was thinking...except i want Lawson.

Both Robin Lopez and Mario Chalmers are projected as available at 18th. Chalmers makes sense especially if the Wiz plan on playing hardball during negotiations with Arenas....no way we can go through another season with AD, who is 33 and on the downside of his career. Not to mention that Chalmers is a great on-ball defender which we've never had at PG. Lopez has more upside than Hibbard, although I think the fans would want EG to take the hometown guy.

Hibbert is a good fit for us. We can take better advantage of his passing skills than most other teams. We've never had a center with passing skills. (Unless you count the minutes where EJ uses Songaila at the 5. Shudder.)

Playing in the second unit alongside guys like Blatche and Dominic would help compensate for Hibbert's lack of mobility and rebounding.

Upside is an overvalued commodity in my book, frequently over-hyped and over-rated. All it really means is that a guy is raw and has plenty of room for improvement. Of course, that doesn't guarantee that he will improve. In a lot of cases one of the reasons a player has so much room to improve is because he'd failed previously to put much work into improving. It's easy enough to look at a vacant parcel of land and see a mansion. Actually building the mansion is another thing entirely.

Quiet around here today.

Anybody have any idea what Hibbert has been up to lately?

I think 7'2".

Hibbert is working out for Utah today. Robin Lopez for Toronto today and New Jersey tomorrow. Javale McGee works out for NJ also tomorrow.

If we get Hibbert then Ethan will be useless for the team. Do you anybody know if a buyout is possible?

I wonder if Nicolas Batum is working out for the Wizards, and how about Anton Ponkrashov? If those guys are good, taking both of them and stashing one in Europe for next year might fit the Wizards plans. Ponkrashov is supposed to be a 6'7" PG/SG/SF with good ballhandling skils and adequate defense of smaller PGs.

Ray, having too many usable players is a problem Eddie Jordan would like to have next year.

I am not sure that a buyout will do the Wiz any good, as I think his salary will still count against the salary cap.

What happened with the Sam Cassell buy out, maybe we can learn something from that precedent?

Regardless of who they draft or sign, Etan's future with the team ends when his contract does, at the end of the 2009-10 season. Buying him out makes no sense, because it would rob them of the chance to get the most value out of him that they ever will ... when they trade his expiring $7 mill contract in the last year of his deal.

rgz,

Cassell was in the last year of his deal and the trade deadline had already passed when the buyout happened, so his situation was different.

We can live with Etan on the bench for another season or two, assuming he can come back. It would be ideal of course if he retired, but I don't see that.

Thanks rgz and kalorama!

I guess it was just a bad move from EG to sign Ethan for a long term and that much salary! With Brendan Haywood having his best year and being one of the top centers in the East that just make Etan expendable to the team.

Cassell wanted to leave the Clippers so he could join the Celtics, and was willing to be paid off to leave for 1/2 of what he was owed under the Clippers contract > supposedly $850,000. He also said he had already saved enough money in the bank, that he could take a very low salary from Boston. Anyway, he's preparing to join the Celtics as an assistant coach. So leaving the Clippers to join the Celtics was a great carreer move.

There is no way Wiz would pay Thomas the full $19M to leave. Even if he were willing to leave, who would take Thomas and for how much? So there would be no logical reason for Thomas to take anything less than the full amount.

In the interests of accuracy, Thomas is owed a little over $14 mill over the next two seasons, not 19.

Cassell gave up almost a million dollars to sit on the bench and get a shot at a championship and it was worth it? Every time he comes in the game, the other teams make a run. I'd say he should have collected his money in LA and still gone into coaching. Then again, maybe 850k isn't a lot to a guy who's made over 57 milion in his career.

I want to see how Jason Thompson does tomorrow. I watched some tape on him and he definately has a PF frame and Princeton skill set but the competition level was low. I like Hudson in th 2nd round also. A good draft for me would land us with Jason Thompson and Lester Hudson. People keep talking bad about Hudson but he is what we if he can score on this level. Outside of Nick Young, who can score off our bench.

We need to see NY take a serious chunk of DSteve's minutes. We need a healthy GA. And AD can get back to his role, which he does very well. We need another young buck behind CB. (dont be surprised to see Ernie take a 3 with the 18th pick) We need to see AB mature and take more of AJ's time, so we can just play DSong in ideal match-up type situations. And we need ET to come back and play well behind BH. DMac still has a long long ways to go.
That's what we have next year.

rgz, I have no idea who Nicolas Batum or Anton Ponkrashov are, but I'm pretty certain that if the Wizards spend upwards of $25 mill this summer to keep Arenas and Jamison, waiting a couple of years for some Euro player to ripen overseas won't fit into their plans at all.

It appears that bullet proof is not radar proof

Cassell gave up almost a million dollars to sit on the bench and get a shot at a championship and it was worth it? Every time he comes in the game, the other teams make a run. I'd say he should have collected his money in LA and still gone into coaching. Then again, maybe 850k isn't a lot to a guy who's made over 57 milion in his career.

Posted by: mark | June 4, 2008 6:53 PM

Don't these NBA players get 25k per playoff game in additional salary? By the time you figure in that Cassell only gave up half of what if first appears... as he wasn't going to get playoff bonuses with the Clippers

Blatche is definitely not radar proof. The question now is, "Is he trade proof?"

"If we get Hibbert then Ethan will be useless for the team."

Hibbert would be a poor defensive combination with either AJ or Songaila. As long as those two are EJ's preferred players at the 4, we would still need some minutes from Etan. Hibbert would have to wait in the wings until Blatche is ready to take over big minutes at the 4.

"when they trade (Etan's) expiring $7 mill contract in the last year of his deal."

Hopefully, our rookies will have earned some of that money. Haywood may also be due for a raise.

Why did AB's license get suspended in the first place? How many times can you get caught driving on a suspended license before you go to jail? 16 MPH over the limit and you have to go before the magistrate...since when has VA become such a police state?

AB can't seem to stay out of trouble. Bteween that and his reported poor work ethic, the dude just doesn't seem to get it. I wonder if EG is regretting signing him to a long-term deal. I also wonder whether there is a good behavior clause in his contract. If yes, the guy may be out some serious dough...

Wasn't Kwame doing 100+ in Georgia with no license? That's the problem with these guys that go from high school to the NBA, in college they would have gotten somebody to go take that test for them...

I guess Blatche was too busy going to "John" school to take Driver's Rehabb and get his DL back.

I like Hibbert at 18 he's a very safe pick, if he came out last year he's have been a 8-12 pick. The guy didn't really regress, he just didn't really shine either.

He is what he is, a really hard working big with a soft set of hands. But like big Georghe when he was here, he'll tease you with those games when you'll dream of Chamberlain or Russell. And then he'll go back to being Roy Hibbert, the guy that couldn't walk and chew gum when he was at Georgetown Prep.

So he remains a project, and will be for a few more years. I'm not sure the Wiz need another project right now.

The league seems to be going back to the future a little. Yes, they're still calling hand checking outside. So a really quick point has so many advantages right now. But boy, in these playoffs the inside play has gone a little "old school".

I'm not saying I don't like it, but Grunfeld needs to keep it in mind with his picks. This team could use some bangers with skills, unskilled bangers are a dime a dozen.

There seems to be some player movement getting ready to happen. Denver and Detroit both seemed poised to back the truck up, clean house, or at least shake up their rosters a little.

Ernie's indicated he might be willing to deal and has some options. Things could get real interesting come July.

If I remember right in VA 20mph over the speed limit is reckless driving. Regardless of the speed limit (say 70), anything over 80mph is reckless driving also.

Reckless driving can mean jail time and fines of up to $2500. It's a class 6 felony.
If they catch you with a radar detector, that could be more fines.

I have a buddy who was radared at 90, pleaded his case (first speeding ticket in 10 yrs) and was let off with 6 months suspended license except to go to work and some fines I think $1000.

Blatche needs a good lawyer quick.

If I remember right in VA 20mph over the speed limit is reckless driving. Regardless of the speed limit (say 70), anything over 80mph is reckless driving also.

Reckless driving can mean jail time and fines of up to $2500. It's a class 6 felony to be ticketed for reckless driving on top of a suspended license.
If they catch you with a radar detector, that could be more fines.

I have a buddy who was radared at 90, pleaded his case (first speeding ticket in 10 yrs) and was let off with 6 months suspended license except to go to work and some fines I think $1000.

Blatche needs a good lawyer quick.

"Cassell gave up almost a million dollars to sit on the bench and get a shot at a championship and it was worth it? Every time he comes in the game, the other teams make a run. I'd say he should have collected his money in LA and still gone into coaching. Then again, maybe 850k isn't a lot to a guy who's made over 57 milion in his career.

Posted by: mark | June 4, 2008 6:53 PM "

That says a lot about Cassell, especially since he has two rings already from his days with the Rockets with Hakeem and Horry. And, Cassell made nice contributions to those championships.

§ 46.2-937. Traffic infractions treated as misdemeanors for arrest purposes.
For purposes of arrest, traffic infractions shall be treated as misdemeanors. Except as otherwise provided by this title, the authority and duties of arresting officers shall be the same for traffic infractions as for misdemeanors.

§ 46.2-862 Exceeding speed limit.
A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit or (ii) in excess of eighty miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit.
§ 46.2-868. Reckless driving; penalties.
A. Every person convicted of reckless driving under the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

§ 46.2-868.1.Aggressive driving; penalties.
A. A person is guilty of aggressive driving if (i) the person violates one or more of the following: § 46.2-802 (Drive on right side of highways), § 46.2-804 (Failure to observe lanes marked for traffic), § 46.2-816 (Following too closely), § 46.2-821 (Vehicles before entering certain highways shall stop or yield right-of-way), § 46.2-833.1 (Evasion of traffic control devices), § 46.2-838 (Passing when overtaking a vehicle), § 46.2-841 (When overtaking vehicle may pass on right), § 46.2-842 (Driver to give way to overtaking vehicle), § 46.2-842.1 (Driver to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highway), § 46.2-843 (Limitations on overtaking and passing), any provision of Article 8 (§ 46.2-870 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 46.2 (Speed), or § 46.2-888 (Stopping on highways); and (ii) that person is a hazard to another person or commits an offense in clause (i) with the intent to harass, intimidate, injure or obstruct another person.
B. Aggressive driving shall be punished as a Class 2 misdemeanor. However, aggressive driving with the intent to injure another person shall be punished as a Class 1 misdemeanor. In addition to the penalties described in this subsection, the court may require successful completion of an aggressive driving program

§ 46.2-869. Improper driving; penalty.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this article, upon the trial of any person charged with reckless driving where the degree of culpability is slight, the court in its discretion may find the accused not guilty of reckless driving but guilty of improper driving. However, an attorney for the Commonwealth may reduce a charge of reckless driving to improper driving at any time prior to the court's decision and shall notify the court of such change. Improper driving shall be punishable as a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $500.

Punishment for conviction of misdemeanor.
The authorized punishments for conviction of a misdemeanor are:
(a) For Class 1 misdemeanors, confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.
(b) For Class 2 misdemeanors, confinement in jail for not more than six months and a fine of not more than $1,000, either or both.
(c) For Class 3 misdemeanors, a fine of not more than $500.
(d) For Class 4 misdemeanors, a fine of not more than $250.

GM,

I don't think Hibbert can really be classified as a "project" at this point. That label is generally reserved for guys with lots of raw physical talent who need a lot of skill refinement. The knock on Hibbert (A) he's limited physically and (B) that he's already tapped out his improvement potential. Personally I think both are overstated by his detractors, because he's hardly G. Muresan when it comes to athleticism and a 21-year old with a good work ethic can always get better. But I don't think there's much question that his skill level has made a tremendous jump from the days when, as you say, he "couldn't walk and chew gum" at the same time.

The upside with Hibbert, is you can't teach that kind of length. Because he was such a diamond in the rough when at GT prep. He was really schooled to not leave his feet until the guy commits and to always keep his arms up.

Like I said at 18 he's a really safe pick and he will keep getting better, because most bigs except the really exceptional ones mature later then regular players.

In the right system, and the Princeton would appear to favor him, a good solid pro. When picking later sometimes a team can reach and find a diamond in the rough. Often those rough edges take awhile and it is sometimes painfully clear why a talent such as Blatch was available late.

Hibberts a good pick if you prize size and being a team player. If you want athleticism, upside, tenacity, and fire, look elsewhere.

How much more of a project can you be if you've spent 4 years in college? As they say, the best players come out early. Of course, many people say that big men take longer to develop, but I can't see how Hibbert can make an impact for the Wiz right now.

I've gotten a speeding ticket in Brunswick County and they watch you pretty close there. At least he cooperated. Sometimes the cops there will cut you a break if you are polite. I think they wrote me down as 79 in a 65 when I got stopped.

"Fire" is a rather overrated (indefinable) attribute. Duncan isn't a fiery player, but he's still one of the best to ever play (and no, that is in no way a comparison of Hibbert and Duncan as players, so let's not even go there). Kenyon Martin, on the other hand, exudes plenty of "fire." He's also, in my book, one of the most overrated players in the NBA. As for athleticism ... coordination, timing, and footwork are also relevant markers for athletic ability and Hibbert does nicely in both areas for a guy his size. When talking about a 7' 2" 285 lb player, vertical leap and sprint speed aren't really that relevant. Most guys that size aren't going to be great leapers or runners. That's just a fact of biology.

I can't belive I'm saying this but I agree with DCMan...Hibbert is too much of a stiff to help the Wiz, he needs to be on a half court team like the Jazz to make an impact IMO.

Anyone have a package we could put together for Portland to get the 13th pick if Joe Alexander is available? I'm thinking he would fill the need for a backup 3 behind CB quite nicely. He and Nick Young could make up half of the dunk contest. A possible offensive lineup of Arenas, Butler, Alexander, Jamison and Blatche/Haywood. I know it's wishful thinking but damn that squad would put up some points...