The Wizards Newswire

Ted Leonsis explains why he is taking the Wizards to Virginia

Ali Zaaza — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:06:35 +0000

Ted Leonsis explains why he is is taking the Wizards to Virginia

_{^{The owner of Monumental Sports Ted Leonsis has finally broken silence provided more details on his decision to move his Washington D.C. based sport teams out of Capitol One Arena in DC over the river to Virginia.}}

_{^{In a sit down interview with Christian Flores from ABC 7, Leonsis explained the economics behind his final decision:}}

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

_{^{“The mayor has been a great, great partner. In sharing empathy, Virginia is a state. It's got 9 million people. It has a huge budget. Maryland is a state, and it has a huge budget, 7 million people. D.C. has 600,000 people and a much smaller budget. I think the mayor accorded herself really, really well. I'd like to remind you we're the only organization that isn't beholden to a city, to a state. We've never received any money. I've never gotten money from the city for Capital One Arena. I own it. I pay the mortgage. I pay the taxes. In fact, when Nationals Park was stood up and built, the city did a tax on every business in the city, including mine. I pay a tax every year to the city just for the stadium fund. Then they said to the Nationals, 'You have to pay us 10 % in ticket tax.' We were paying 5.5 %. The city came to us and said, 'You now have to pay a 10 % tax.' They raised the tax to us to 10 %. I couldn't pass that on to our customers. We, in a way, have been paying a piece of what the city has to do to support Nationals Park. That's what you do when you're in business here. I don't think the mayor has done anything wrong. The $500 million offer, the city should go and pass it. That would be a great thing for the city to do. I don't have any details on what the bill is, how they are paying it back. Are they raising taxes? Are they taxing anybody? You have to wait to see the final bill. I know what the bill will be in Virginia. I'm paying it. All we're doing is using the stadium authority we created, and they're going to create a bond. We will pay what the interest on the bond is. Because they're a huge, very successful state, their interest rate is much lower. That's how this deal becomes economically viable for everyone. If you're a commercial real estate developer and someone like me is in business, and you go to the bank today, you have to put down a big down payment, and maybe you'll pay 7 %, 8 %, could be if they don't like your balance sheet and income statement it could be 10 %. Let's just say it's 8 %. If you use someone else's balance sheet and are paying them back, they might get it at 3 %. The difference between 3 % and 8 %, that 5 % spread, on $2 billion or $1 billion is significant dollars. You wouldn't be able to do it if you were paying the 8 %. That's how companies get in trouble. We have the cleanest balance sheet of any of the sports organizations. We have the least amount of debt and the most revenue - the Commanders, Nationals, Orioles, Ravens. We run a really, really good business that's very under-leveraged. This is a deal that's very, very affordable with very little risk.”}}

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

BREAKING NEWS: WES UNSELD JR. OUT AS WIZARDS HEAD COACH

Ali Zaaza — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:30:43 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: WES UNSELD JR. OUT AS WIZARDS HEAD COACH

The Washington Wizards are moving on from coach Wes Unseld Jr. after roughly three years with him on the job. Per the team, Unseld will move into a front-office advisory role as the team seeks to replace him. An interim coach is expected to be named soon and the team says it will “undertake a comprehensive search in the offseason.”

Twitter tweet

Unseld Jr. was named coach of the team on July 17, 2021 and went 77-130 in his 2 1/2 seasons with the team. In what was his final game as coach, the Wizards lost 118-107 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, marking the team’s fifth straight loss and 10th loss in 11 games.

This season, the Wizards are 7-36, which is the second-worst mark in the Eastern Conference, as they are rebuilding around a young core led by Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, Marvin Bagley III, Deni Avdija, Daniel Gafford and others.

What’s next for Wizards: Washington has been somewhat stable over the past 10 years in terms of coaching as only three people — Randy Wittman, Scott Brooks and Unseld — have held the position in that time. The Wizards have made the playoffs three times in the last 10 seasons, but haven’t been in the postseason since 2020-21 when they lost in the first round. Washington has not finished about .500 since the 2017-18 season.

The Wizards are essentially out of the playoff and Play-In Tournament chase this season, so this season’s focus is on developing the team’s young players and assessing the roster for the future. Washington essentially began its rebuild last summer when it traded All-Star guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns.

(From NBA.COM-FULL STORY)

3 reasons to be excited about the Bagley trade

Ali Zaaza — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 01:27:23 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 7/32

This week…

Happy MLK Day!
Wizards go 1-3 this week including our 7th season win over the Hawks
Weekly Headlines: Ryan Rollins has been shoplifting 🧐
Why the Marvin Bagley trade has a lot of upside
Upcoming schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Cavs OKC beat Wizards at home 136-128}

This was one Zaz and I had to see in person. For a little background, Zaz grew up in Oklahoma so he’s been waiting 8 years since 2016 for the Thunder to finally be back at Capitol One as a real contender. To refresh your memory, 2016 was the year of KD’s heartbreaking departure to the Warriors.

The Wizards kept this game competitive for the most part to the surprise of many of Thunder fans at Capitol One. They shot over 49% from the field and over 46% from three. Unfortunately, OKC was even more efficient shooting a whopping 59% from the field and over 50% from beyond the arc.

Jordan Poole had a solid game, leading the Wizards with 24 points, 5 assists and only 1 turnover. We need more games like this from Poole if he is going to have any trade value. Kuzma contributed 22 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists but went 0-5 from the 3-point line. Tyus Jones continues to impress after delivering 18 points, 9 assists and 3 steals.

The Thunder’s big 3, however, were too much for the Wizards to handle. Shai, Chet and J. Williams combined for 84 points on 70% shooting 🤯. The highlight for me was seeing Chet Holmgren in person who had a crazy stat line:

That guy is super impressive at such a young age and definitely my vote for Rookie of the Year. Here is what Kuzma had to say about Chet…

^{Pacers outshoot the Wizards to win 112-104}

This was a great chance for sneaky win for the Wiz given the fact that Tyrese Halliburton was out with a grade 1 hamstring strain. The Wizards started off decently in the first half, shooting 41% from the field, out-rebounding the Pacers 30-24 and getting it done on the defensive end with 5 steals and 4 blocks. The Wizards let by 2 at the half.

The second half was a different story entirely. The Pacers made run at the beginning of the 3rd quarter and never looked back, out-rebounding the Wizards and making 90% of their free-throws. Jordan Nwora had an emphatic dunk that felt like a door slamming on the game at the end of the 3rd…

@lethalhoops
Jordan Nwora BODIED Daniel Gafford For The Poster Dunk😱😱😱😱 #nba #basketball #highlight #trending #jordannwora #indiana #pacers #indianapac... See more

Bilal Coulibaly did not have a great game, only contributing 5 points on 1/5 shooting, but his one bucket was probably the highlight of his year thus far. Check it out below.

@djak_devinette_joueur
Bilal Coulibaly il envoie fort. #bilalcoulibaly #posterdunk #dunk #washingtonwizards #joueurnba #nba #basketball #basketteur #basketballfr... See more

^{Wizards dominate Hawks for 7th season win 127-99}

The Wizards caught the Hawks on their second night of a back-to-back and took advantage. Kuzma got hot in the first quarter and set the tone for the rest of game. He had 22 points by halftime with the Wizards up by 11.

However, the third quarter is when the Wizards really did their damage, outscoring the Hawks 41-24, essentially forcing the Hawks to waive the white flag.

The Wizards held the Hawks to 34% for the night and Trae Young, who was mainly guarded by Deni Avdija, to 21 points overall. Kuzma led the way with 29 points in 27 minutes, Poole had 20 points in 26 minutes, and Avdija had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assist in 37 minutes.

The Wizards had six players score in double figures including Corey Kispert, Daniel Gafford, and Bilal Coulibaly.

^{Wizards lose the battle of the bottom on MLK Day 119-127}

This was the battle of the NBA’s worst two teams on a snowy MLK day in DC. You would think the Wizards would get the win at home for pride and Kuzma’s recent trash talking of the Pistons, but that wasn’t the case.

Instead, Kuzma shot a disappointing 7 of 21 (33%) from the field and was ejected in the fourth quarter after getting his second technical foul. The Pistons, on the other hand, shot an impressive 56% from the field and an astounding 19-41 (46%) from three.

The Wizards managed to keep it close for most of the game but Detroit pulled away in the final quarter. No Cade Cunningham, no problem. Alec Burks led all scorers for the Pistons with 34 points going 8-12 from three. Detroit’s youth also showed up with Jaden Ivey scoring 24 points and Jalen Duren scoring 20 points.

Tyus Jones led all Wizards with 22 points and added seven rebounds and six assists helping his trade value. Jordan Pool had 16 points on 6-14 shooting (43%), hurting his trade value.

Wizards Headlines

Pistons, Wizards agree to trade Marvin Bagley III for Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala

Former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III is headed to the Washington Wizards in a reported deal with the Detroit Pistons. The deal helps Detroit clear cap space for 2024-25 as Gallinari and Muscala both are on contracts that expire this offseason. The veteran forwards have played limited minutes with Washington so far in 2023-24. Gallinari averaged 7.0 points and Muscala averaged 4.0 points for the Wizards this season.

www.nba.com/news/wizards-pistons-trade-bagley-gallinari-muscala

NBA Rumors: Wizards' Kyle Kuzma Trade Value Set at Multiple 1st-Round Draft Picks

The Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, going just 7-31, and should fully be in rebuild mode going forward. That means…

bleacherreport.com/articles/10105138-nba-rumors-wizards-kyle-kuzma-trade-value-set-at-multiple-1st-round-draft-picks

Former Washington Wizards player, Ryan Rollins accused of stealing groceries, body wash, candles from Target

Former Washington Wizards player Ryan Rollins, has been charged with seven counts of petit larceny after a string of thefts from a Target in Potomac Yards.

www.fox5dc.com/news/former-washington-wizards-player-accused-of-stealing-groceries-body-wash-and-candles-from-target-virginia

Why the Bagley-Livers trade is good news for the Wizards

This has been the most well received trade in the Michael Winger era to date, from sports journalists and fans alike. To recap here is an overview of how the trade played out.

Twitter tweet

I like how Chase Hughes broke down the trade here…

Twitter tweet

After scouring all our favorite Wizards Fan Group chat boards on Facebook and reading the most prominent Washington Wizards beat reporters from Bullets Forever, Wizard of Awes and others, the consensus is the following:

Great to have a back up center to support Daniel Gafford coming off the bench.
More rebounding is needed. The Wizards currently rank last in rebounding in the league so we need all the help we can get.
Two young guys for two old guys is a great deal. Gallinari and Muscala were both expiring contracts at the end of the season so the mere fact of getting anything in return for those guys in a nice surprise.

Overall, I agree with all the points above. At his peak in in the 2021-22 season, Bagley was averaging over 14 points per game shooting over 55% and pulling in an average of 6.8 rebounds. If the Wizards development team can build on those stats we may have something to build on.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 18th @7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Knicks (Away)
Saturday, Jan. 20th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Spurs (Home)
Sunday, Jan. 21 @6:00pm EST: Wizards vs Nuggets (Home)

Have a great week!

Kuzma & Tyus Jones trade rumors

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 01:02:41 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 6/29

This week…

Wizards start the year 0-3
Weekly Headlines: Kuzma & Jones trade rumors
The Road Team’s Home Court Advantage
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Cavs blow out Wizards in Cleveland 140-101}

The Wizards started off pretty good in this one shooting over 50% from the field in the 1st quarter. They kept it up throughout most of the second quarter but Donavan Mitchell hit 2 big threes at the end of the half to put the Cavs up by 12. It was all downhill after that….

Kuzma led the way with 16 points on over 58% shooting and 3 assists. Mike Muscala brought in 12 points in his best game of the season. Kispert had 12 points as well but went 0-6 from beyond the arc. Poole had another terrible game contributing only 3 points and 1 turnover.

Twitter tweet

Bilal Coulibaly only scored 5 points but made up for it on the defensive end with 3 steals, 2 blocks and 5 rebounds.

Twitter tweet

^{Cavs secure 2nd win against Wizards 114-90}

The main difference in this one were the Wizards uniforms and the fact that Tyus Jones and Bilal Coulibaly led Washington in scoring. Besides that, the outcome was pretty much that same.

Tyus Jones is having the best season of his career. He’s improved in every statistical category and it showed in this game. Jones finished with 16 points on 60% shooting, 4/6 from three and 5 assists. He is definitely one of the Wizard’s top trade assets this season.

Bilal Coulibaly had another solid performance with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 steal. Here is a sequence we are getting used to and would like to see more of…

Twitter tweet

^{Knicks hang on to beat Wizards 121-105}

The Knicks came out firing from the get-go and jumped to a 15-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The deficit got as high as 26 points in the second quarter before the Wizards trimmed it down to 20 points by halftime.

The third quarter was different and the Wizards made it interesting. They were making defensive stops, getting points in transition, and Kuzma got hot from three.

The Wizard’s managed to cut the lead to as low as five points but that was the closest they’d get the rest of the game.

Julius Randle always seems to dominate against the Wizards and this game was no different. He had 39 points, Jalen Bruson added 33 points and the Knicks shot 39% from three. The Wizards were led by Kuzma’s 27 points and Deni Avdija had a season-high 23 points.

Not gonna lie, this was the highlight of the game…

@donteyt1
Miles McBride Rises over the defense for the emphatic putback 😱

Wizards Headlines

Kyle Kuzma Trade Rumors: Wizards Seek Multiple 1st-Round Draft Picks for SF

Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma has emerged as a potential trade candidate this winter, but the team's asking price appears to be quite high. The Wizards "hope to receive multiple first-round picks for Kuzma, with the goal of receiving maximum draft capital for other players down their roster as well," according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

bleacherreport.com/articles/10103712-kyle-kuzma-trade-rumors-wizards-seek-multiple-1st-round-draft-picks-for-sf

Washington Wizards' Jordan Poole problem isn't going anywhere

Jordan Poole has been one of the most disappointing players in the NBA this season. Brought in as a leader and a potential star candidate, Poole has failed to live up to expectations for the Washington Wizards. It's hard to believe but the problem has actually gotten worse over the past few games.

wizofawes.com/posts/washington-wizards-jordan-poole-problem-isn-t-going-anywhere

The perfect Phoenix Suns trade target can be acquired from the Washington Wizards

The Phoenix Suns will need to make some changes to challenge for an NBA Championship, and this point guard on the Washington Wizards is the answer.

valleyofthesuns.com/posts/the-perfect-phoenix-suns-trade-target-can-be-acquired-from-the-washington-wizards-01hkg06amwnv

The Road Team’s Home Court Advantage

We’ve all noticed this throughout the years at Wizard’s games. In fact, it’s a well-known issue around Washington sports fans; the visiting team often has more fans than the home team. It’s even gotten Washington’s players expressing their frustration. Back in November, Deni Avdija commented “Gets me angry sometimes, honestly. Playing in your city and having the whole stadium cheering Lets Go Knicks”.

Well last night’s game was also against the Knicks. I’ve never been to a game at Madison Square Garden, but it felt like a home game for the Knicks. The Knick fans were loud, they were obnoxious, and they brought the energy. It’s the not first time we’ve seen the Knicks at home. I was expecting it. It also doesn’t help that we sit behind the visiting team’s bench.

@user72393705930077

But each time, it seems like the Knick fans at Capital One cult grows. Resenting these Knick fans, and wearing my recently gifted Kuzma Wizard’s jersey, I couldn’t hold my discomfort. After the Wizard’s cut what was once a 25-point Knicks lead down to single digits forcing a Knicks timeout, I got out of my seat and started a “Let’s go Wizards” chant. Wearing a bright red jersey in a sea blue, the chant got some traction. About 3-4 fans joined me, totaling about half of the dirty looks I received. To the Knicks’ fans credit, I didn’t get any boos or thumbs down, and the only retaliation was after the game when one of them walked up to me and said “Kuzma sucks”.

Washington, DC is such a transient city that Ted Leonsis doesn’t need the Wizards to be successful to sell tickets. The fans from the road team’s city will just by the tickets. It wasn’t always like this. I remember the playoff years when Wall and Beal were coming up. Those home game crowds brought the energy. If the team gets back to that level, we should regain the home court advantage.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Jan. 8th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Thunder (Home)
Wednesday, Jan. 10th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pacers (Away)
Saturday, Jan. 13th @7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Away)

Have a great week!

How do you feel about the Wizards move to Virginia?

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 04:36:26 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 4/21

This week…

Wizards go 1-3 this week ending with tough loss to the Suns
Weekly Headlines: Some Wizards fans refuse to go to Virginia
Zaz’s thoughts on the potential move to Potomac Yards.
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{76ers annihilate the Wizards 146-101}

Not much to say about this one. The Wizards never led and at one point trailed by 48 points. The lead tracker below says it all.

Kuzma led the Wizards in scoring with 21 points followed by our boy Bilal Coulibaly who had 13 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive) 1 steal and 1 block.

^{Pelicans fly by the Wizards 142-122}

The Wizards started strong in this one shooting over 50% from the field and beyond the arc in the 1st quarter and finishing the period up by 2 points.

The tides turned in the 2nd quarter with the Pelicans outscoring the Wizards by 13 points shooting over 70% from the field and over 81% from the 3-point line.

The Wizards did what they could cutting the lead to 6 at one point in the 3rd quarter but that was the closest they ever got.

Kuzma had another solid night leading the Wizards with 27 points on over 50% shooting with 4 assists and 7 rebounds. Poole had another disappointing night with only 11 points and 4 turnovers.

The highlight of the night (again) in our opinion was Bilal Coulibaly who had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and a season high of four 3-pointers.

^{Wizards secure 4th season win against Pacer 137-123}

This was an impressive game from the Wizard’s core and we saw what success would like from Kuzma and Poole.

Kuzma scored 31 points on 11 of 23 shooting, hitting 4 of 9 from deep while Poole scored 31 points on an efficient 12 of 18 shooting while going 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. These are the performances that we had hoped to see from the Wizard’s two biggest names, and what would maximize their value.

The Wizards had a monster 2nd quarter outscoring the Pacers 39-18, giving them a 15-point lead at halftime, which they never gave up.

Other bright spots for the Wizards included a triple double from Tyus Jones, 23 points from Kispert, and 17 points from Coulibaly off the bench. Tyrease Haliburton played only 28 minutes after suffering a knee contusion

^{Suns defeat the Wizards 112-108}

The Wizards really fought hard in this one and it looked like they might squeeze out a second victory this week…up until the final 6 minutes.

Big props to Daniel Gafford, one of our favorites over here at the Wizards Newswire, who led the Wizards in scoring with 26 points and adding 17 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.

Tyus Jones had the second double double on the night for the Wizards, ending with 22 points, 11 assists and 6 steals. Lots of other contributions from others including 17 points from Kuzma and 14 points from Poole.

Unfortunately, KD was too much for the Wizards down the stretch, ending the game with 28 points and this drive to seal victory in the final minute of the game…

@nbagooooo
Kevin Durantttt 👀👀👀 #nba#durant#kevindurant#dunk#suns#wizards#nba

Wizards Headlines

Some Wizards Fans Say They’re ‘Simply Not Going To Go To Virginia’

Before Wednesday’s game, the night after Wizards owner Ted Leonsis announced a plan to move the team (along with his other team, the Washington Capitals) to the Virginia suburbs by 2028, James was next to a table of beanies, on his usual grind. “It’s not a good move,” he said of Leonsis’s suburban dream, in between shouts of “Bullet hats! Wizards hats!”

Nick Kyrgios slams Kyle Kuzma's $102M deal: "Not Top 50", yet making Roger Federer's fortune

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios took a swipe at Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, expressing disbelief that the latter managed to secure a lucrative contract despite being outside of the top 50.

Roadmap for a Rebuild: How the Washington Wizards are ‘leveling up’ off the court

The Wizards’ attempts at “leveling up” to compete with best-in-class NBA teams involve significant outlays of both people and material throughout the organization. The NBA is no different from other North American professional sports leagues: As franchises battle against one another on the court, those same franchises compete off the court in a continuous arms race of sorts to provide bigger and better facilities and optimized player services. To be sure, a goal is to give players and team employees everything they need to be at their best.

^{Zaz’s thoughts on the Wizards Move to Virginia…}

Wow I didn’t see this one coming. It happened so fast I’m still processing it! So many opinions have been circulated in this last week and I’m sure many more will follow. In fact, let’s make a promise to provide more fan-based data as this story develops but for now, all I can say are my initial impressions.

I am a resident of Virginia and have been for a while now. Would this make my commute to games easier? Yes, it would. Is Potomac Yard safer than downtown DC? Yes, it is, and crime has been a hot topic that many have brought up. Would parking be better in Virginia? Probably so. So, with all these conveniences, why am I still on the fence about this?

There’s something to be said about going into the city for a game. Walking into Chinatown, feeling the culture of the city, hearing the drums beat outside the Galleria Place metro and seeing excited fans making their way into the building for tipoff.

I agree with many who have said that the Wizard’s and Capitals were part of DC’s identity, particular the Chinatown area, which will likely suffer much more economically than it already has post pandemic.

I like being in the city and having the option to explore before and after the games. Would it stop me from being a season ticket holder? Not likely, that’s more a matter of the team direction itself.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Dec. 18th @10:00pm EST: Wizards vs Kings (Away)
Thursday, Dec. 21st @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Blazers (Away)
Friday, Dec. 22nd @10:00pm EST: Wizards vs Warriors (Away)

Have a great week!

Which teams are interested in Poole & Kuzma?

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 02:34:56 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 3/18

This week…

Wizards go 0-2 this week
What happened to Kendrick Nunn?
Weekly Headlines: Which teams are interested in Poole & Kuzma?
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Wizards fall to the 76ers 126-131}

The Wizards actually looked semi-decent in this match up after shooting 56% from the field, 40% from the three-point line and 100% (8/8) from the free-throw line. Unfortunately, it was Embid’s 50 point performance that willed the 76ers to victory.

For a change, Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 23 points on 10/16 shooting including three 3-pointers, 2 assists and 3 turnovers. Tyus Jones had an awesome night with 20 points, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 1 turnover.

Our young guys also showed for this one. Kispert went 4/5 from beyond the arc ending with 16 points while Bilal Coulibaly ended with 14 points on 6/10 shooting, 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Listen to Bilal breakdown this highlight…

@wash_wizards
Bilal Coulibaly breaks down his poster against the Sixers from his POV⚡️#sportstiktok #nba

^{Nets dominate 2nd half to beat Wizards 124-97}

This one felt a bit more like what we have been used too all season. The Nets dominated the Wizards in every statistical category. See chart below.

Kuzma led the way for the Wizards with 17 points on 8/17 shooting followed by Deni Avdija with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Poole had another disappointing performance with only 8 points after going 0/2 from beyond the arc and committing 3 turnovers.

As usual, our silver lining was Bilal Coulibaly who notched his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds (4 offensive).

Where are they now?

Well Rui fans, this one is gonna hurt. As you all remember, last year the Wizards traded Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers where he played a significant role in the Lakers deep run in the 2023 playoffs.

In the trade, the Wizards received 3 second round picks and Kendrick Nunn. Nunn had a decent stint with the Wizards where he averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 assists. I always appreciated Nunn’s ability to get a few quick points off the bench.So where is Kendrick now?

After last season, Nunn became a free agent but was not signed by any NBA Franchise. In October of this year Nunn signed with Panathinaikos, a team in Greece that is also part of the Euro League.

So far Nunn is still easing into his new role and different style of play which he lays out in this article. His numbers are improving and we wish him the best and hope he makes it back to the NBA soon.

Wizards Headlines

Washington Wizards sign intriguing scorer Jules Bernard to a two-way contract

After waiving center John Butler Jr, the Washington Wizards filled his two-way contract spot with Jules Bernard, a dynamic scoring guard from the Capital City Go-Go, the G-League affiliate of the Wizards.Bernard, who spent four years at UCLA and went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, has been with the Go-Go since December 2022.

wizofawes.com/posts/washington-wizards-sign-intriguing-scorer-jules-bernard

Could the Wizards move Poole before the trade deadline?

Last week, Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report wrote that the Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing teams with potential trade targets, including the Wizards at the trade deadline. In Beaston’s report, the Wizards are a potential target because of the potential for a fire sale.

www.bulletsforever.com/2023/12/10/23995482/washington-wizards-jordan-poole-trade-deadline-rumor

Hornets Trade For Wizards' Kyle Kuzma In Bold Proposal

The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards could benefit from engaging in a trade featuring Kyle Kuzma this NBA season. Washington Wizards Receive: F Gordon Hayward, 2025 First-Round Pick (Lottery Protected – CHA)…

nbaanalysis.net/2023/12/10/nba-trade-rumors-charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-kyle-kuzma-new-proposal

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Dec. 11th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs 76er (Away)
Wednesday, Dec. 13th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pelicans (Home)
Friday, Dec. 15th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pacers (Home)

Have a great week!

Who has ACTUALLY improved compared to last season?

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 02:15:50 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 3 / 16

This week…

Wizards go 1-2 this week getting their 3rd win of the season
Core Squad: Who’s has ACTUALLY improved?
Zaz’s First Quarter Management Grade
Wizards Weekly Headlines: Lakers are monitoring Washington
Upcoming Schedule: Only 2 games

Weekly Recap

^{Wizards get 3rd win of the season after beating Pistons 126-107}

Well, the Wizards notched their 3rd win of the season against the worst team in the league….we’ll take it!

Kuzma led the way in-front of his home state crowd with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Deni and Gallinari both had 16 points followed by Tyus Jones and Landry Shamet who each had 12 pts.

Coulibaly has cooled a bit on the offensive end of the floor but continues to put up decent defensive stats including two steals in this game.

Jordan Poole continued to disappoint in this game adding only 10 points on 3 of 9 shooting, committing 4 turnovers and getting swatted by Ausar Thompson on this play….

@espn
Ausar swatted Poole’s shot 😳 #nba #basketball #pistons #wizards #ausarthompson #jordanpoole

^{The Magic dominate Wizards to win 139-120}

Orlando has now beaten the Wizards 4 out of 5 times in 2023. Remember when we used to see the Magic on the schedule and assume it would be a win…well not anymore.

Kuzma led the way again with 23 pts followed by Avdija who had 22 pts on 9/12 shooting. Poole had a better game, contributing 19 points and only committing 2 turnovers.

The Wizards led by 7 points at one point in the 1st quarter but after they lost that lead they could never recover. Franz Wagner led the way for the Magic with a season high 31 points.

^{Wizards lose again to the Magic 125-130}

This game was a little more balanced but ended with the same outcome. Kuzma again led the way with 27 points followed by Gafford with 18 points and 3 blocks. Poole went cold again, going 3 for 12 ending with only 5 points.

Our ray of hope is that Bilal Coulibaly bounced back with a great game going 6/7 from the field ending with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

How do they compare to last season?

Every week it seems harder and harder to find a silver lining around this Wizards season. That’s why this week we are gonna try and find some stats that show the arrow pointing up for some of our core guys…but you got to take the good with the bad.

^{Kyle Kuzma: Better but not by much}

Kuzma has consistently led the Wizards in scoring game after game this season but when you look at his stats compared to last season his improvement has not been as drastic as you would think.

His minutes are down compared to last season which should be factored in. Overall he PPG is only up by 2.4 points. His FG% is up by 2.6% but his 3p% had dropped by a few percentage points.

Bigger picture, Kuzma’s assists per game are up from 3.7 to 4.6 and TO game are down from 2.5 to 3.0.

What is not showing up in the stats is that he has take more or a leadership role on this team and brings it every night.

^{Deni Avdija : Signs of life}

Deni’s numbers are showing signs of life especially given the fact that his minutes have stayed consistent since last season.

He is averaging 3.1 more points per game, his FG% is up by 8.9% and his 3p% is up by 8.8%. He is also dishing out the ball better averaging 3.7 assists compared to 2.8 last season. Say what you want about Deni, but he has improved in overall efficiency so far this season.

^{Corey Kispert : Struggling}

Unfortunately Kispert’s numbers are down across the board. His FG% is down by over 5% and his 3p% is down by 5.2%. His minutes are up which may be a factor but we are hoping to see him improve over the rest of the season.

^{Daniel Gafford : Slightly Down}

Daniel Gafford, despite getting more minutes is not seeing the offensive improvement we would have hoped for. His average points per game are slightly down by 0.8 while his FG% is down by 3%.

On the defensive end, his numbers a solid. The Landlord is averaging 2.1 blocks per game compared to 1.3 last season and his steals are up as well. He is also averaging an additional 2 rebounds per game which is not too shabby.

First Quarter Grades: Wizard’s New Management

A quarter into the season and time to grade the Wizard’s new management team. Michael Winger and Will Dawkins were hired in the offseason to guide the Wizards through a rebuild. They were successful in unloading injury-prone Bradley Beal’s expensive contract, albeit not getting any first-round picks. Getting Kuzma at four-years, $102 million also seemed like a good deal. But other than that, it’s hard to find any positives. The Porzingis trade yielded no first rounders and the Poole trade has proven to be a disaster. In fact, Poole is showing his value is much less than his 4-year /$128 million contract by the minute. We now have reason to believe that they actually acquired Poole to be a franchise cornerstone. Did they Poole could be a leader on a contender?

On the coaching front, they picked up Wes Unseld’s Junior’s 4^th year. It’s pretty clear that Unseld has fallen out of favor with the fanbase based on our fanbase monitoring, and the Wiz of Awes article referenced above will tell you what you probably already know about his coaching and development decisions.

Grade: C-

Wizards Headlines

Report: Lakers monitoring Wizards, Jazz, Nets and Hornets as teams that could have fire sales this season

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly monitoring the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets as teams that could have fire sales this season.

Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are the NBA’s worst, funniest 1-2 punch

Poole and Kuz are so bad it defies belief. Net rating is arguably the best way to measure a player’s individual impact. It’s a pretty simple metric: If you score more than you allow while on the court, then great! If not, something is off. The Poole/Kuzma pairing is something else.

Coach Wes Unseld Jr's bizarre rotation decisions cost Washington Wizards games

Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. closed the Orlando Magic game without Deni Avdija. It cost them the game. The Washington Wizards can't win close games. If the game is down to the wire, rest assured, the Wizards will find a way to lose the game. For a team that already suffers more blowouts than any other team in the league, being awful in the clutch hurts even more.

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Dec. 6th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs 76er (Home)
Friday, Dec. 8th @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Nets (Away)

Have a great week!

4 Wizards Statistics That May Surprise You

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 03:18:11 +0000

Wizards Stats that may Surprise you

Daniel Gafford ranks 5th in the League in True Shooting Percentage and 6th in Blocks

True shooting percentage is shooting percentage adjusted for three-pointers and free throws. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering most of Gafford’s points come in the paint, with my favorite being his signature dunk with authority. It also shouldn’t be a surprise that Gafford is sixth in the league in blocks, averaging two per game earning him the nickname “Landlord”.

Bilal Coulibaly ranks 6th in Rookie Stats

According to Hashtag Basketball, which has a very complicated system of ranking rookie stats (see below for yourself), Bilabl Coulibaly ranks 6th among rookies.

Wizards rank number 1 in the league in Pace

Yes, I’m surprised too. The Wizards actually rank 1st in something. The NBA defines team pace as the number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team. The Wizards are averaging 103 possessions per game. Having that said, we can all be sure that having more possessions does not translate into wins.

Wizards Headlines

Wizards guard speaks up following Jordan Poole's season-worst performance

The Washington Wizards still have embattled guard Jordan Poole's back, even after he cratered with a season-worst showing in Friday's blowout loss to the New York Knicks. After the loss, Tyus Jones said that he and the rest of the Wizards are trying to make sure that Poole stays positive, and expressed confidence that things will turn around before long for his backcourt partner.

Yard Barker

This is why Wes Unseld Jr.’s job is safe despite the Wizards’ rough start

Washington is 2-9 and has one of the NBA's worst defenses. So why is its head coach safe? For many NBA franchises, that would be sufficient grounds to fire a coach who has compiled a 72-103 cumulative record.

The Athletic

Monumental Sports reportedly told broadcasters not to commemorate John Wall or praise opponents

According to the Washington Post, when longtime Wizards star John Wall returned to D.C. as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022, the broadcast was reportedly told not to air a package that commemorated his nine seasons there, even though it had already been put together by staffers.

Awful Announcing

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Nov. 20th @8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Home)
Wednesday, Nov. 22nd @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hornets (Away)
Friday, Nov. 24th @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Away: In-Season Tournament Game)
Saturday, Nov. 25th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Home)

Have a great week!

Another tough week for the Wizards

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 03:10:20 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 2 / 10

This week…

Weekly Recap: Wizards go 0-3 this week
4 Wizards stats that may surprise you
Wizards Weekly Headlines
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Wizards blow another lead against Toronto losing 107-111}

This has got to be the worst loss of the season thus far. The Wizards were up 23 points in the 3rd quarter and had a 16 point lead with 7:25 left in the game after a layup by Bilal Coulibaly. Unfortunately that was the last field goal the Wizards would score and the Raptors went on a 21-1 run to win the game.

Kuzma had a season high 34 points followed by Daniel Gafford with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Poole also had 14 points but on 37.5% shooting and 4 turnovers. Coulibaly had a solid game with 10 points, 3 steals, 3 assists and 1 block.

This play from the game (below) has been making the rounds on social because it really does epitomize where we are at as a franchise. Things will get better but for now this guys pretty much sums it up…

@nodunksinc
Kyle Kuzma joins a long list of classic Wizards brain farts 🥴 #nba #hoops #basketball #bloopers #nbabloopers #shaqtinafool #kylekuzma #kuz... See more

^{Wizards fall to Mavericks at home 117-130}

This game wasn’t much better but at least it was not another blown lead. The Wizards trailed by double digits for most of the game after falling behind in the 1st quarter.

I feel like I am repeating myself ever recap but I promise the trends are consistent: Kuzma led the way with 22 points followed by Poole who had 16 points on 35% shooting and another 5 turnovers (it actually seems to be getting worse).

But once again, our prodigal son Bilal Coulibaly had a solid stat line: 10 points on 80% shooting, 2/2 from beyond the arch, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Here’s why Anthony Gill is not surprised at Bilal’s performance so far…

@chasedcsports
“This guy is the best guy in the draft.” Anthony Gill saw highlights of Bilal Coulibaly long before the Wizards drafted him 7th overall an... See more

^{Wizards lose 3rd IST game at home to the Knicks 99-120}

The good news is I got to see this one in person. The bad news is that the outcome was the same. The Wizards made a few runs to keep it interesting but, for the most part, the game seemed out of reach for all 4 quarters.

Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickly and Julius Randle combined for 71 points. None of our guys showed any real spark in this game, least of all Jordan Poole who ended with 8 points after going 2 for 11 from the field and 0 for 6 from the three point line. Oh yeah, he also had another 5 turnovers.

But perhaps the low point of the night came at the end of the 4th quarter when a single Knick fan in section 121 began the chant “Lets go Knicks” and within 15 seconds the chant had caught on with Knick fans throughout the stadium. It felt like we were sitting in Madison Square Garden.

Here is what Deni had to say about that experience…

@bleacherreport
Deni Avdija on road fans taking over Wizards arena 😬 #nba #nbabasketball #basketball #wizards #knicks #newyorkknicks

Wizards Stats that may Surprise you

Daniel Gafford ranks 5th in the League in True Shooting Percentage and 6th in Blocks

Bilal Coulibaly ranks 6th in Rookie Stats

According to Hashtag Basketball, which has a very complicated system of ranking rookie stats (see below for yourself), Bilabl Coulibaly ranks 6th among rookies.

Wizards rank number 1 in the league in Pace

Wizards Headlines

Wizards guard speaks up following Jordan Poole's season-worst performance

Yard Barker

This is why Wes Unseld Jr.’s job is safe despite the Wizards’ rough start

The Athletic

Monumental Sports reportedly told broadcasters not to commemorate John Wall or praise opponents

Awful Announcing

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Nov. 20th @8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Home)
Wednesday, Nov. 22nd @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hornets (Away)
Friday, Nov. 24th @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Away: In-Season Tournament Game)
Saturday, Nov. 25th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Home)

Have a great week!

The Irrational Belief in Wes Unseld Jr

Ali Zaaza — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 04:44:33 +0000

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 2 / 7

This week…

Weekly Recap: Wizards Wizard lose second In-Season game
The Irrational Belief in Wes Unseld Jr.
Weekly Wizards Headlines
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Embiid blows out the Wizards 126-107}

Weirdly, it looked like the Wizards were in this one throughout most of the first quarter despite only shooting 39% from the field. It was in the 2nd quarter that Philly built a double digit lead and did not look back.

The third period was all Embiid who put together a stat line that I have never seen for a single quarter: 29 points, 100% FGP (10/10), 100% FTP (9/9) and 0 turnovers. Luckily he sat out most of the 4th quarter.

Kuzma led the way for the Wiz with 28 points, followed by Poole with 23. The landlord ended the game with 5 blocks which you can check out below.

^{Wizards beat Hornets in Charlotte 132-116}

The Wizards looked good in this one shooting over 48% from the field and over 41% from beyond the arc. Kuzma led the way with 33 points followed by Gallinari and Delon Wright who both had 18 points.

Jordan Poole struggled in this game, ending with only 11 shots after making only 25% of his shots. Landry Shamet ending up with 15 points and this awesome finish..

@espn
😳😳😳 #nba #basketball #wizards #hornets #lameloball #dunk

^{Wizards lose 2nd In-Season Tournament game to Charlotte 124-117}

The Wizards were leading by 10 points at the 7:23 minute mark of the 4th quarter. I thought we had this one sealed but the curse of blown leads has been resurrected.

The crew looked decent for the most part but the Wizards got completely out-rebounded which led to 32 second chance points for the Hornets.

Kuzma led all Wizards scorers with 17 points and 6 rebounds followed by Tyus Jones with 16 and then Corey Kispert who went 3/3 from three and ended with 15 points.

They highlight of the game came from Daniel Gafford who had this amazing sequence of 3 blocks in a row…

@officialcheckup6
Crazy defensive play!! #fyp #nba #viral #nbainseasontournament #lameloball #wizards #hornets

^{Wizards blow a late lead & lose to Nets 102-94}

The sliver lining to this game was Bilal Coulibaly who had. career high 20 and led the team in scoring and shooting percentage while on the defensive end he had 4 steals. If there is any reason to be excited about the Wizards over the next few years it is gonna be because of this guy.

The Irrational Belief in Wes Unseld Jr.

Wes Unseld Junior is in his third season as the Head Coach of the Wizards. After going 35-47 in the first two seasons, Wizards management (or perhaps Wizards ownership) picked up his fourth-year option to remain the Wizard’s Head Coach through the 2024-2025 season.

Many Wizards fans, myself included, were optimistic in both of Unseld’s first two years, which featured high-quality players such as Bradely Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma. No one expected the Wizards to be a contender or anything like that, but having a winning record and reaching the playoffs were definitely realistic targets. That didn’t happen and many fans and commentators alike, questioned Unseld’s strategy, lineups, and play calling (or lack thereof) in close games.

Now that the rebuild has officially begun, losing should be expected. In fact, the Wizards are currently 2-7. Fans on social media are voicing their displeasure with Unseld, which is nothing new, but this year another block of fans are firing back at those fans claiming we are doing exactly what we’re supposed to, TANK.

If you caucus with the tankers, which looks like the only rational path forward, your party’s platform stipulates player development. However, Unseld has been unsuccessful in developing Rui Hachimura (traded), Johnny Davis, who didn’t get any meaningful minutes in his rookie season under Unseld, and Deni Avdija, who’s in his 4^th season, is the most tenured Wizard. Furthermore, before the beginning of the season, the Wizards restructured their coaching staff and added several player-development coaches. This tells me, Wizard’s management doesn’t really trust Unseld as someone who can develop players.

If Unseld hasn’t been proven as a winner or player developer, why on earth was his fourth-year option picked up by the organization?

It’s still early, but as of now, Wizards management’s gamble on Poole is looking more like we went from a Beal contract problem to now a Poole contract problem.

Top Weekly Headlines

Wizards guard Delon Wright out until December with sprained left knee

The Washington Wizards announced Saturday that backup guard Delon Wright has a sprained left knee and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

Wizards' biggest disappointment early in 2023-24 NBA season

Wizards guard Jordan Poole has yet to meet the lofty expectations for him this 2023-24 NBA season following a tumultuous exit in Golden State.

Who needs a star to emerge more: The NCAA or the Washington Wizards?

A dearth of generational talent in the college game has made this the worst season to be chasing NBA Lottery tickets in the nation's capital

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Nov. 13th @7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Raptors (Away)
Wednesday, Nov. 15th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Mavericks (Home)
Friday, Nov. 17th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Knicks (Home-In-Season Tournament Game)

Have a great week!

Do we have a Poole problem?

Michael Shagoury — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 02:28:53 +0000

Standing the East: 15th (last 😒 )

Win/Loss Record: 1 / 4

This week…

Weekly Recap: Wizards go 0-3 second week of the season
Where are they now: Monte Mooris
Should we be worried about Jordan Poole?
Weekly Wizards Headlines
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Celtics blowout the Wizards at home 126-107}

Zaz and I were at Capitol One for this one. The 1st quarter reminded me how much I miss Porzingis 🙁. Remember how he used to start games, knocking down 3s from the top of the key, getting an &+1 on a mis-match post up. Well, now we know how it feels on the other side of the equation. I usually don’t post videos of the opposing team but today I am making an exception…

Not much to say about the Wizards in this one besides that they were mediocre for the most part.

The best part of night came in the 4th quarter when Unseld finally threw in the towel and let all the young guys get some decent playing time. It’s a rebuilding year so that is what we should be doing anyway.

Eugene Omoruy continues to impress, scoring 14 in the 4th while Bilal finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks…

@_bilalcoulibaly
He finished with 9 pts 8 rebounds and 2 block Via trashtalk ig #bucketcouly #bilalcoulibaly #wizardsnation #basketball #hooper #nbadebut #... See more

^{Hawks cruise past Wizards to win 130-121}

The Wizards looked decent in this one for the most part in the first half. Kuzma led the way with 18 points in the first 2 quarters followed by Poole with 11.

Unfortunately, the Hawks went on a run towards the end of the 2nd quarter and the game was pretty much out of reach from that point on.

The Wizards actually shot over 67% from the field in the second half (we rank 9th in the league in FG% which is crazy given our record) but we still are struggling from the beyond the arc. Overall, I am happy wit Kuzma who has definitely taken the reigns as the leader of this team (for now).

^{Wizards lose 1st In-Season Tournament game to Heat 121-114}

Similar story in this one. The Wizards started off well but lost grasp of the game towards the end of the 2nd quarter which made recovery unlikely.

In the first half, the Wizards shot over 56% from the field and made an impressive 50% of their 3-point shots. Kuzma again led the way with 11 points in the first 2 quarters and ended the game with 22.

Poole looked better, especially in his decision making, ending the game with 6 assists and only 2 turnovers (yes that’s an improvement).

Here is a breakdown of the Wizards upcoming In-Season schedule.

In my opinion this was the Wizards play of the night from our veteran Danillo Gallinari…

Where are they now?

Monte Morris had his ups and downs with the Wizards but overall he was a great addition to the team. Over summer, the Wizards new front office traded Morris to the Detroit Pistons for a 2027 second round. This was one of the few transactions that seemed like a fair trade from Michael Winger.

Morris has yet to play with the Pistons as he deals with a quad strain but he was seemingly pumped with where he landed given that he grew up in Grand Rapids MI.

Twitter tweet

Good luck Monte!

Houston we have a Jordan Poole Problem!

When the Wizards offloaded Bradley Beal in the offseason, the rebuilding process had officially begun.

But in a twist, Chris Paul, was sent to the Warriors for Jordan Pool, a future second-round pick, and a 2030 top 20 protected first-round pick. Jordan Poole brought with him a 4-year / $128 million contract, which is something rebuilding teams typically DON’T take on.

I wasn’t sure why wasn’t Chris Paul just flipped for a first-round pick? But then it became apparent that Wizard’s management is betting on Poole shining in DC, and then being traded away for more value.

Fast forward five games into the season, Poole is averaging 17.6 points, on 42% shooting from the field, and 30% from the three-point line. He’s also averaging three turnovers a game. Not the performance you’d expect from a player making $32 million/year.

But most of all, whether accurate or not, some of the accusations on why the Warriors traded Poole in the first place are surfacing. The list includes having an attitude, being selfish, and now, even shameless.

In week 2’s edition, we included the publicity Poole received for not passing the ball to his teammates. This week, Poole drew criticism for his recent “showtime” alley-oop pass off backboard while his team was losing by 20. This prompted an article from Sports Nation that “Jordan Poole on the Wizards is pure chaos”.

@free2productions
#jordanpoole #kylekuzma #lob #blowout #crowd #boo #atlantahawks #washingtonwizards #nba #fyp #foryou #viral

It’s still early, but as of now, Wizards management’s gamble on Poole is looking more like we went from a Beal contract problem to now a Poole contract problem.

Top Weekly Headlines

Report: Monumental asks DC for $600M for arena renovations

The Arena is nearly 30 years old and looking to do an arena bowl transformation. Last July, there were rumors that Monumental Sports & Entertainment was in exploratory talks about moving the Washington Wizards and Capitals to a site in Arlington County, Va.

The Draymond & Poole beef is the Wizards’ biggest storyline this season, for now

Poole, now with the Washington Wizards, still can’t completely get away from the shadow of his old team. And this beef will make Washington’s and Golden State’s first meeting very interesting.

Watch: Wizards guard booed after more boneheaded antics

Washington Wizards shooting guard Jordan Poole had just one assist during the team's road loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, but his best pass of the game didn't actually net him that dime.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Nov. 6th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs 76era (Away)
Wednesday, Nov. 8th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hornets (Away)
Sunday, Nov. 12th @ 3:00pm EST: Wizards vs Nets (Away)

Have a great week!

One Coulibaly Statistic that all Wizards fans should be optimistic about

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:59:14 +0000

We are all aware that 3 games are not a big enough sample size to determine anything…but it’s a rebuilding season for the Washington Wizards so we’ll take whatever positive signs we can get at this point.

2023 draft pick Bilal Coulibaly has shown some flashes both at the Summer League and during Wizards the pre-season games. As for the regular season, his stats are less than ideal, but again it’s a small sample size.

There is one stat however that all Wizards fans should be excited about.

Blocks, blocks, blocks…

Following the Wizards 3rd game of the season, which was dreadful loss against the Boston Celtics, Bilal Coulibaly is averaging 2.0 blocks per game.

Let’s not forget that although Coulibaly looks skinny on the court, he is long and at 6’8 with a wingspan of 7’2 he has the ability to stretch high and wide. Add that to his quickness and he can be an elite rim protector and perimeter defender.

Remember, his defensive potential was one of his primary attributes caught the eyes of new Wizards Management team.

@nba
Bilal Bl🚫cks @Washington Wizards #NBA #Basketball #NBAPreSeason #WashingtonWizards #BilalCoulibaly #Blocks #NBARooks

Coulibaly current ranks 13th in the league in blocks, ahead of players like Aaron Gordan, Derrick White and Myles Turner.

Again, we know we may be getting ahead of ourselves but as Wizards fans we’ve got to look for something to be optimistic about.

Top Weekly Headlines

Just how much caution should the Wizards have with Bilal Coulibaly?

After the Wizards’ opening night debacle, I have questions about their plans for helping Bilal Coulibaly grow into an NBA star. This is as it should be, because there’s no “right” way to develop players.

Grade the trades: 3 proposals to help the Wizards get younger

The upcoming season for the Washington Wizards is a year of evaluation for both the coaching staff and the players; therefore, the younger players should b...

Monumental Sports Network Integrates Robinhood as New Partner in Washington Wizards Broadcast Coverage - Monumental Sports

Monumental Sports Network today announced that Robinhood, the innovative financial services platform, will be integrated as a new partner in Washington Wizards broadcast coverage.

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Away)
Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Heat (Away)

Wizards draft rankings: 2019-2022

Ali Zaaza — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:10:53 +0000

We are all very aware that the 2023-2024 season is a rebuilding year for the Washington Wizards. This was more apparent than ever after the, pardon my French, ASS-WHOOPING the Wizards received at home from the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday night.

Washington has a couple decent young prospects on the team including the most recent draft pick Bilal Coulibaly, who has shown promise especially on the defensive end of the court.

We thought it might be fun (or painful actually) to rank the Wizards draft picks from that last 5 years and let YOU vote on where you think Bilal Coulibaly may rank at the end of this year.

Here are our rankings…

1. Rui Hachimura

He missed a significant amount time in his third year due to personal reasons, and his last year was mixed with controversy that ultimately led to him getting traded to the Lakers.

His career average is 12.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. Although not much above sounds thrilling, Rui has a very high upside. We’ve seen him go for 30 plus points multiple times and saw his impact with the Lakers in last year’s playoffs. So much so that the Lakers signed him to a three-year $51 million contract in the offseason.

2. Corey Kispert

The Wizard’s drafted Kispert with the 15th pick in 2021. I know I’ll get some flack for this one, and I might not have put Corey at #2 until witnessing his superb first half performance on Saturday against the Grizzlies. He can get hot. Corey’s 16-point second quarter pretty much was the reason the Wizard’s jumped out to a big first-half lead and never looked back.

Kispert can space the floor, averaging almost 40% from deep and 48% from the field for his career. Since opponents have to respect his outside shot, he has started to leverage driving hard to the basket on the closeouts. I expect big things from Kispert this year, if the coaches give him the minutes he deserves to develop.

3. Deni Avdija

His career average is 8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, on 43% shooting from the field and 31% from deep. What I like the most about Deni is when he grabs the rebound and initiates the fast break. I also think he makes good cuts to the basket. I’d like to see his shooting percentage get better so his game can go to the next level. The Wizards just recently gave Deni a four-year $55 million extension.

4. Johnny Davis

The Wizards drafted Davis with the 10th pick in the 2022 draft (is anyone seeing a trend here or just me?) So far his time with the Wizards has been a disappointment, from a lottery pick context. He only played in 28 games his rookie year, spending a lot of time in the G league. Fans had high hopes for Davis and he still has time to change the script. As of now, his career average is 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game on 15 minutes.

We should take into account a lot of his playing time has come after games were already decided and thus, he hasn’t received the meaningful minutes as Rui, Kispert, and Deni.

So, based on that where do you think Bilal Coulibaly will rank amongst these 5 picks by the end of the 2023-2024 Season? Vote below and we’ll publish the results in our next newsletter.

Top Weekly Headlines

Just how much caution should the Wizards have with Bilal Coulibaly?

Grade the trades: 3 proposals to help the Wizards get younger

The upcoming season for the Washington Wizards is a year of evaluation for both the coaching staff and the players; therefore, the younger players should b...

Monumental Sports Network Integrates Robinhood as New Partner in Washington Wizards Broadcast Coverage - Monumental Sports

Monumental Sports Network today announced that Robinhood, the innovative financial services platform, will be integrated as a new partner in Washington Wizards broadcast coverage.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Oct. 30th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Celtics (Home)
Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Away)
Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Heat (Away)

Weekly recap + draft rankings + what happened to Jordan Goodwin?

Michael Shagoury — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 01:38:33 +0000

Standing the East: 8th

Win/Loss Record: 1/1

This week…

Weekly Recap: Results from the Wizards first 2 games of the season
Where are they now? A new segment that tracks where former Wizards players have ended up.
Zaz ranks of the Wizards top draft picks
Wizards Headlines from last week
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Pacers blowout Wizards in season opener winning 143-120}

What’s probably most upsetting about this game is that the Wizards actually played alright. They shot over 45% from the field and over 37% from beyond the arc. The problem was that the Pacers couldn’t miss, especially from deep. They made 52.3% of their shots and made a total of 20 threes (3 short of their franchise record).

The Wizards started strong, winning Q1 39-34, led by Tyus Jones and Gallanari who combined for 22 in the quarter. Unfortunately it was downhill after that.

Kuzma did well, ending with 25 points with a 50% FPG. Jordan Poole looked better than his stat sheet. He ended up with 18 points and 4 assists but went 0-6 from three and committed 4 TOs.

This was probably the highlight of the game…

@jordan_tayag
JP WITH A GROWN MAN MOVE IN THE PACERS DEFENSE!🏀🔥💯#jordanpoole #nba #wizardsbasketball #washingtonwizards #WashingtonDc #fypシ #nbahighlights

^{Wizards hold off Memphis to seal first season win 113-106}

Zaz and I got to see this one in person and the team did not disappoint. The Wizards grabbed the lead in the first quarter which they were able to maintain throughout the game.

Kispert was lights out in the first two periods after making five 3s, ending with a career-high 22 points in the half. Unfortunately that was it for the Kispert show.

Poole led the way for the Wiz with 27 points but continues to struggle with turnovers committing 5 on the night. Kuzma was the second leading scorer with 21 but 11 of those points came in the 4th which really did seal the win for the Wizards.

This was the play of the night…

@espn
#nba #basketball #wizards #jordanpoole #kylekuzma

And we can’t forget about this one… 😂

Twitter tweet

Where are they now?

We all remember the good times with our guy Jordan Goodwin from last season. Goodwin, if you remember, was part of the Beal trade earlier this summer and is now a solid fit with is new team.

Apparently, Suns Coaches and teammates have had nothing but great things to say for about Goodwin, both on and off the court.

Twitter tweet

If there was one thing I personally loved about Goodwin, it was his effort. He always gave 100% and that is definitely what is making him shine in Phoenix.

Zaz Ranks the Wizards top draft picks.

1. Rui Hachimura

The Wizard’s drafted Rui with the 9th pick in the 2019 draft. It’s tough to grade Rui’s time in Washington. His rookie year was the league shutdown COVID year. His second year was solid where he started and the Wizards made the playoffs. He missed a significant amount time in his third year due to personal reasons, and his last year was mixed with controversy that ultimately led to him getting traded to the Lakers. His career average is 12.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. Although not much above sounds thrilling, Rui has a very high upside. We’ve seen him go for 30 plus points multiple times and saw his impact with the Lakers in last year’s playoffs. So much so that the Lakers signed him to a three-year $51 million contract in the offseason.

2. Corey Kispert

The Wizard’s drafted Kispert with the 15th pick in 2021. I know I’ll get some flack for this one, and I might not have put Corey at #2 until witnessing last night’s superb first half performance in person. He can get hot. Corey’s 16-point second quarter pretty much was the reason the Wizard’s jumped out to a big first-half lead and never looked back. He can space the floor, averaging almost 40% from deep and 48% from the field for his career. Since opponents have to respect his outside shot, he has started to leverage driving hard to the basket on the closeouts. I expect big things from Kispert this year, if the coaches give him the minutes he deserves to develop.

3. Deni Avdija

Deni was the Wizard’s 9th pick in the 2020 draft. If you follow the Wizard’s chatter like we do, you know Deni is at the forefront of fan commentary. Some love him, some the opposite. Some regard him as a defensive savant, while others say his defense, (and overall game) is overrated. His career average is 8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, on 43% shooting from the field and 31% from deep. What I like the most about Deni is when he grabs the rebound and initiates the fast break. I also think he makes good cuts to the basket. I’d like to see his shooting percentage get better so his game can go to the next level. The Wizards just recently gave Deni a four-year $55 million extension.

4. Johnny Davis

Top Weekly Headlines

Just how much caution should the Wizards have with Bilal Coulibaly?

Grade the trades: 3 proposals to help the Wizards get younger

The upcoming season for the Washington Wizards is a year of evaluation for both the coaching staff and the players; therefore, the younger players should b...

Monumental Sports Network Integrates Robinhood as New Partner in Washington Wizards Broadcast Coverage - Monumental Sports

Monumental Sports Network today announced that Robinhood, the innovative financial services platform, will be integrated as a new partner in Washington Wizards broadcast coverage.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, Oct. 30th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Celtics (Home)
Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Away)
Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Heat (Away)

Have a great week!

Wizards cut 14 year veteran ahead of season opener

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 02:52:57 +0000

Wizards cut 2 players ahead of season opener including 14 year veteran

NBA veteran Taj Gibson, who played 49 games for the Washington Wizards last season, has been released by the team according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In his time with the Wizards, Gibson averaged 3.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and shot 52.0% from the field.

Twitter tweet

Gibson, a 14-year NBA veteran, was drafted 26th overall in 2009 and has played for several teams during his career. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.

The Wizards had a disappointing season, finishing as the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They open the regular season against the Indiana Pacers on October 25.

In addition, the Wizards also released Xavier Cooks who they signed last season. Cook spent his rookie year with team after coming over from Australia and averaged 3.8 mpg and 3.8 rebounds.

Twitter tweet

Top Weekly Headlines

Jordan Poole infuriating Wizards teammates with shot chucking already

Jordan Poole is already freezing out Wizards teammates and making them so mad.The Washington Wizards might be one of the funniest teams we ever see this year. Composed of nothing but #bucketgetters, this team is going to be built off of contested jumpers and vibes, nothing more.

sbnation.com

John Wall wanted to go back to college and get paid during his rookie season with the Wizards

The former Washington Wizards point guard talked about how tough it was to be on a losing team during his appearance on The Tidal League podcast last January. It’s a reminder of how life can be like for a rebuilding team.

bulletsforever.com

Deni Avdija, Wizards Agree to 4-Year, $55M Contract Extension Ahead of 2023-24 Season

The Washington Wizards and forward Deni Avdija have agreed on a four-year, $55 million contract extension (per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski). Avdija averaged 9.2…

bleacherreport.com

Wizards, new business partner Qatar hold different views on Israel

Like many professional teams, the Washington Wizards posted a statement on their social media condemning the brutal attack by Hamas on Israel last week. Well, not everybody. The Wizards’ and Monumental Sports’ newest business partner — Qatar — had a different point of view.

washingtontimes.com

New Hennessy Lofts area for Wizard Home games @ Capitol One

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Hennessy are bringing in new enhancements of the Courtside Lofts for Wizards games at Capital One Arena.

The new Hennessy Lofts area will be redesigned with the Hennessy brand at the forefront for every home game.

There are three elevated tiers of lofts, accommodating fourteen reserved loft spaces, for a total capacity of 60 guests each night.

The lofts are available for purchase beginning with the upcoming 2023-24 season. More information is available at www.nba.com/wizards/hennessylofts

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 25th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pacers (Away)
Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Grizzlies (Home)

What is "SUCCESS" for the Wizards this season?

Michael Shagoury — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 02:24:27 +0000

What should success this year look like for the Wizards this year?

One thing we do differently at the Wizards Newswire is monitor what all the fans are talking about on the various Wizards social media pages.

On Friday’s game against the Knicks, Jordan Poole put up 19 shots in 25 minutes and scored 41 points. However, the main thing fans were buzzing about was not Poole’s performance, but the play when he didn’t pass to an open Deni.

Poole instead took the shot, nailed it, and everyone couldn’t help but notice Deni throwing up his arms with his body language clearly expressing disappointment.

Twitter tweet

Another clip showed them beefing on the bench with Kuzma laughing. It’s not clear what they were talking about, but I think we can all expect Jordan Poole to be taking shots with a green light just like his former teammate, Steph Curry. But…Poole isn’t Steph Curry.

Twitter tweet

I also wonder if Kuzma was laughing because he plans on doing the same when he’s in the game? If this is a rebuilding season, should we even care?Well, that depends on what the goal is? Do we want to tank and get a high draft pick? Do we want make a play-in run? Do we want to develop players for the future? Can players even develop when you have two high volume shooters like Poole and Kuzma in the lineup?

The fan (and season ticket holder) in me wants to see them compete, but what good is it if we have another 35-47 season without a top five pick? I know don’t want that. All I can say for now is I’d like to see our young players grow. I also wouldn’t mind if both Kuzma and Poole shine enough to drive up their values. On that note however, I’d think we should pose the quesiton back to you!

Top Weekly Headlines

Jordan Poole infuriating Wizards teammates with shot chucking already

sbnation.com

John Wall wanted to go back to college and get paid during his rookie season with the Wizards

bulletsforever.com

Deni Avdija, Wizards Agree to 4-Year, $55M Contract Extension Ahead of 2023-24 Season

The Washington Wizards and forward Deni Avdija have agreed on a four-year, $55 million contract extension (per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski). Avdija averaged 9.2…

bleacherreport.com

Wizards, new business partner Qatar hold different views on Israel

washingtontimes.com

New Hennessy Lofts area for Wizard Home games @ Capitol One

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Hennessy are bringing in new enhancements of the Courtside Lofts for Wizards games at Capital One Arena.

The new Hennessy Lofts area will be redesigned with the Hennessy brand at the forefront for every home game.

There are three elevated tiers of lofts, accommodating fourteen reserved loft spaces, for a total capacity of 60 guests each night.

The lofts are available for purchase beginning with the upcoming 2023-24 season. More information is available at www.nba.com/wizards/hennessylofts

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 25th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pacers (Away)
Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Grizzlies (Home)

What should success this year look like for the Wizards?

Michael Shagoury — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 01:31:30 +0000

Standing the East: TBC

Win/Loss Record: 0/0

Opening Night: Wizards Newswire Happy Hour!

As loyal readers of the Wizards Newswire we would like to invite all of you to our first official in-person event to celebrate the start of the 2023-2024 Season.

Please join us, Zaz & Mike, on Saturday October 28th from 5:00-6:30pm at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern (less than a 10 minute walk to Capitol One Arena)

We’ll have a few special give-aways for the first 5 people to arrive including a Kristaps Porzingzis bobble head.

If you are interested in attending please let us know below. We looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

This Week…

Weekly Recap: Wizards go 1-1 in second week of pre-season
Top Weekly Headlines: Deni’s extension and beef with Poole
Zaz’s Asks: What should success this year look like for the Wizards?
New Hennessy Loft area at Capitol One for all home games
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Poole leads Wizards to victory over the Knicks 131-106}

This is the Jordan Poole that we all want to see this year (I know, big words). JP shot 52% from the field with six 3-pointers and 15/16 made free throws. Some teammates were not very pleased with Poole’s shot selection but we’ll have a lot more on that later.

Overall, the Wizards had a great offensive stat line across the board, hitting over 50% of their shots, going 44% from the three point line, 12 steals and only 13 turnovers.

Our new addition from the Warriors Ryan Rollins also had good game which included 13 points, 4 rebounds and this amazing poster over Miles McBride…

@the_bucket_doctor
Ryan Rollins Washington Wizards dunk vs New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden Arena #fyp #tiktok #wizards

^{Raptors blow out the Wizards 134-98}

A very different story in this game. The Wizards shot 37% from the field and only 25% from beyond the arc. In contrast, the Raptors were rolling, making over 50% of their shots and dominating the paint with 25 second chance points.

Deni led the way for the Wizards, shooting 7/14 from the field including four 3-pointers and 7 rebounds. Newcomer Eugene Omoruyi contributed 16 points including two 3s.

The highlight of the game came from our boy Corey Kispert, who has not looked great so far but let’s give him a bit more time to adjust.

@nba
Kispert throws down the BIG one handed jam‼️ #NBA #basketball #sports #coreykispert #dunk #nbapreseason

Zaz Asks: What should success this year look like?

One thing we do differently at the Wizards Newswire is monitor what all the fans are talking about on the various Wizards social media pages.

Poole instead took the shot, nailed it, and everyone couldn’t help but notice Deni throwing up his arms with his body language clearly expressing disappointment.

Twitter tweet

Top Weekly Headlines

Jordan Poole infuriating Wizards teammates with shot chucking already

sbnation.com

John Wall wanted to go back to college and get paid during his rookie season with the Wizards

bulletsforever.com

Deni Avdija, Wizards Agree to 4-Year, $55M Contract Extension Ahead of 2023-24 Season

The Washington Wizards and forward Deni Avdija have agreed on a four-year, $55 million contract extension (per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski). Avdija averaged 9.2…

bleacherreport.com

Wizards, new business partner Qatar hold different views on Israel

washingtontimes.com

New Hennessy Lofts area for Wizard Home games @ Capitol One

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Hennessy are bringing in new enhancements of the Courtside Lofts for Wizards games at Capital One Arena.

The new Hennessy Lofts area will be redesigned with the Hennessy brand at the forefront for every home game.

There are three elevated tiers of lofts, accommodating fourteen reserved loft spaces, for a total capacity of 60 guests each night.

The lofts are available for purchase beginning with the upcoming 2023-24 season. More information is available at www.nba.com/wizards/hennessylofts

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 25th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Pacers (Away)
Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Grizzlies (Home)

Have a great week. Go Wizards!

Wizards Restructure Coaching Staff + Weekly Recap & more...

Michael Shagoury — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 03:57:00 +0000

This Week…

Weekly Recap: Wizards go 2-0 in pre-season openers
Top Weekly Headlines: Coaching staff changes and more..
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{Wizards shine in opener defeating Taipans 145-82}

^{Ok lets be honest, none of us had ever heard of the Cairns Taipans so it should not have come as a surprise that the Wizards dominated this one. 8 players on the Wiz ended with double digits, led by Kyle Kuzma with 22 points followed by Jordan Poole with 18 pts. We are not gonna deep dive too much into this one but we will leave you with this fun recap….}

@queueproductions
Washington Wizards Debut was a DOMINATING performance ! 〽️ LINK IN BIO FOR TWITCH #queueproductions #fypシ #explore #fypシ゚viral #fyp #blow... See more

^{Wizards come from behind to beat Charlotte 98-92}

^{Despite being out-scored and out-rebounded through the first 3 quarters of this game, the Wizards were able to come back in the 4th and take care of business.}

^{Led again by Kyle Kuzma who shot 8/16 from the field ended with 19 points, the team’s overall offensive stat line looked bleak, shooting 32% from the field and 22% from the 3 point line.}

^{The highlight of the game was our first round pick Bilal Coulibaly who shot over 62% from the field with two 3s, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and this awesome block.}

Twitter tweet

Top Weekly Headlines

The Wizards’ restructured coaching staff will emphasize player development

Per a press release from the team, the Washington Wizards have restructured their coaching staff this offseason. Several members return from last year’s staff but the new hires all point to an increased emphasis on player development.

Bullets Forever

Wizards' Jordan Poole Gets 100% Real On Kevin Garnett's 'New James Harden' Take

According to Garnett, the former superstar forward of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, Poole and teammate Kyle Kuzma are “the new duo in the league.”

Yard Barker

Rookie Bilal Coulibaly is the best thing about the Wizards right now

In their preseason game, the Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Hornets 98-92. The game was sloppy and difficult to watch throughout as the teams co...

Wizard of Awes

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 18th @7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Knicks
Friday, Oct. 20th @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Raptors

Have a great week! Go Wizards!

Offseason Recap + Zaz questions Winger's Trade Strategy + Pre-Season Schedule

Michael Shagoury — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 02:21:08 +0000

Well Wizards Fans, we’re back!

It’s been a crazy offseason and now it’s time for the official rebuild to begin. It will be a long road ahead but let’s look at the bright side: Real moves have been made to turn this team into a contender which is something we could not say 1 year ago. We’ve got a new front office and a relatively clean slate…let’s go!

This week…

Offseason Recap: Front office shake up, trades and draft night
Zaz’s take: What are they thinking?
Pre-Season Schedule

Offseason Recap

New Front Office

After yet another disappointing season in 2023, Ted Leonsis finally decided to part ways with General Manager Tommy Sheppard and shake up his senior management team. Fast forward, two months later and the Wizards front office had a whole a new look. Here are the main hires:

Michael Winger, President of Monumental Basketball: Winger comes to Washington after spending over 6 years with the LA Clippers as the Team’s General Manager. Prior to that he held the position of Assistant General Manager for the OKC Thunder.
Will Dawkins, General Manager: Winger quickly hired Dawkins, an old colleague from OKC, who most recently held the role of Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Thunder. ,
Travis Schlenk, Vice President of Player Personnel: Shlenk was immediately hired by Winger to oversee the player development for the team. Schlenk previously worked for the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors.

Cleaning House

Winger and his crew wasted little time in getting the re-building process underway which meant tearing down a roster to create cap space and obtain draft assets. This included the Beal and Porzingis trades which you all know about but a few other moves that may have gone un-noticed.

There were some key additions to the roster that the Wizards made via the various trades that should make this season’s outlook “interesting” to say the least.

Finally, there were some important re-signings including Kyle Kuzma at $102M for 4 years.

Draft Night 2023

New general manager Will Dawkins said before the draft that he wanted to take big swings and he did just that. The Wizards gave up a pair of 2028 second round picks to move up into the 7th pick to secure Bilal Coulibaly, an athletic wing with high potential who most recently played in France alongside Victor Wembenyama.

In the second round, the Wizards drafted Tristan Vukcevic, a 20 year old 7-footer who currently plays for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade where he will likely remain for the 2023-2024 season.

So where does that leave us you may ask. Here’s a video that looks at the glass half full…

Zaz’s Take: What are they thinking?

Well folks, that was quite an offseason. Several moves were made from changes in personnel to management, to even the coaching staff. All that being said, I can’t honestly say I know what’s going on?

My first impression when Beal and Porzingis were traded was that this was definitely going to be a rebuild. But then, we acquire Jordan Poole and resign Kuzma. I can understand the Kuzma signing, we were able to get him much cheaper than what I thought he’d command. But acquiring Poole confused me.

Teams going through a rebuild generally unload assets to free up cap space and don’t add talent so they lose games (aka tank). Furthermore, rebuilding teams try to load up on future first rounders, which they acquire from unloading those assets. No first rounders were acquired in the Porzingis trade (unless you count the Celtics who were able to get a KP and a first rounder after sending away Marcus Smart. Let that sink in). In the Beal trade we got plenty of pick swaps and second rounders but no additional first rounders.

We then flipped Chris Paul from the Beal trade and finally got a first-round pick in 2030, that is top 20 protected. Furthermore, Jordan Poole’s contract isn’t cheap and could be considered overvalued judging by the way he played in last year’s playoffs.

So what are what we trying to do? I stood right next to both Winger and Dawkins for about ten minutes during the Wizard’s fashion show last week and had the urge to ask. Fortunately for them, I was too preoccupied trying to get a pick and some conversation with my favorite player Mr. Landlord.

My best guess is that their hope is Poole and Kuzma have great numbers in the first half of the season and are flipped for outright first rounders. But you never know the way the new management has been.

Pre-Season Schedule

The pre-season starts this week and we’ve got the full schedule for you below.

Tuesday, Oct. 10th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Taipans
Thursday, Oct. 12th @7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hornets
Wednesday, Oct. 18th @7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Knicks
Friday, Oct. 20th @ 7:30pm EST: Wizards vs Raptors

Have a great week! Go Wizards!

Pre-Order a Bowmen University Inception Box for only $179

Michael Shagoury — Mon, 15 May 2023 22:21:03 +0000

The NBA Draft is coming up next month and the buzz around Victor Wembenyama is in full effect! NBA players, coaches and executives have been eyeing this guy for over two years and now it's the time to find out which team's fortunes are about to change.

The 7'4 prospect from France is currently averaging 21.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.1 blocks per game in the LNB Pro league in France...and he is only 19 years old!

The NBA's biggest superstars have already started to take notice of Wembenyama and his potential impact on the league. Check out what Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and Lebron James had to say about him...

Wembenyama is by the far the most sought after NBA prospect in recent history, easily matching the hype of Lebron and Zion Williamson. The Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets are the most likely frontrunners to land him based on 2022-23 regular season standings.

How do I get my hands on a Victor Wembenyama rookie card is what you should be asking yourself. Here's how...

Bowman University Inception is scheduled to release a box on May 19, 2023 with the first official licensed trading card of Victor Wembenyama. If you pull one of Victor's autographed cards you will probably be sitting on a $1,000 evaluation.

The pre-release price for the box is set at $200.00.

However, for a limited time Collector's World is offering a pre-release special for $179.00 for Wizards Newswire Subscribers.

Click the link below to take advantage of this fantastic offer

Collectors World Promotion

How much will Victor Wembenyama's be worth in 10 years?

Hard to say exactly but let's take a look at some notable rookie card comparisons.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: $89,999

Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted 10 years ago in 2013. Since then he has won an NBA Championship, back-to-back MVP Awards and was Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-2020 season.

The Greek Freak's Panini Gold Knights Rookie card can now fetch a cool $90k to an extremely motivated buyer.

2013 Giannis Antetokounmpo Panini Gold Knights Rookie PSA 10! POP 2 💎RARE💎 | eBay

2013 Giannis Antetokounmpo Panini Gold Knights Rookie PSA 10! POP 1 💎RARE💎. Condition is Brand New. Shipped with USPS First Class Package.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114258153530?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-222657-2056-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=114258153530&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1027108&poi=&campaignid=18943809114&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9303523&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzf6w7dby_gIVo_XjBx3WZQVaEAQYBSABEgKHdvD_BwE

Kevin Durant: $115,000

Since coming into the league in 2007, KD has won 2 NBA Championships with the Golden State Warriors and earned himself an MVP Award in 2014 while he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

KD's Pristine Tops Chrome Refractor rookie card from his first year with the Seattle Supersonics can be purchased today for $115,000.

PRISTINE BGS 10 2007 TOPPS CHROME REFRACTOR KEVIN DURANT ROOKIE RC /1499🔥🔥🔥 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for PRISTINE BGS 10 2007 TOPPS CHROME REFRACTOR KEVIN DURANT ROOKIE RC /1499🔥🔥🔥 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144345119488?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-222657-2056-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=144345119488&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1027108&poi=&campaignid=18943809114&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9303523&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4PqCq9jy_gIVdAOzAB31Swg7EAQYBSABEgKq8_D_BwE

Stephen Curry: $129,999

Steph Curry was drafted in 2009 by the Golden State Warriors and since then has won 4 NBA Championships and back-to-back MVP Awards. A Stephen Curry Topps Gold RC rookie card is currently on the market for almost $130k.

2009-10 Stephen Curry Topps Gold RC- BGS 9.5 Gem Mint... #1202/2009 | eBay

This card is ultra rare and #1202 of the 2009 produced. BGS Serial #- 0009293207. make Supersized seem small.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193907678497?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-222657-2056-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=193907678497&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1027108&poi=&campaignid=18943809114&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9303523&merchantid=101682464&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI38C9itry_gIVvCuzAB36pQIIEAQYAiABEgKjpPD_BwE

Lebron James: $575,000

King James was drafted directly from High School in 2003. During his 20 year run (and counting) he has won 4 NBA Championships with 3 different teams, back-to -back MVPs, broke the scoring title and many other records.

A Lebron James Topps Chrome Black Refractor Rookie card can be purchased today for $575,000.

2003-04 Topps Chrome Black Refractor Lebron James RC /500 BGS 9 10 9.5 9.5 8.5 ! | eBay

SUBGRADES 8.5 CENTERING 10 SURFACE 9.5 CORNERS,9.5 EDGES RARE !

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144446293163?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-222657-2056-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=144446293163&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1027108&poi=&campaignid=18943809114&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=9303523&merchantid=561541171&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhquQi93y_gIVsPbjBx2t2w7aEAQYASABEgLWn_D_BwE