Wizards/NBA

Post staff writers Ivan Carter and Michael Lee were online Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss what to expect from the Washington Wizards this season and what stories to follow as the NBA regular season begins.

From The Post:

Wizards Coverage

The transcript follows.

Discussion Archive

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Ivan Carter: Hey everyone. I'm live from Indianapolis where I'll be covering the Wizards and Pacers. Let's get to it.

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Go All In! One Team One Goal!: What's the slogan this year?!?

Ivan Carter: Ready to Rule. Works for me....I guess.

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Michael Lee: Hey, everybody. We're back! I cannot believe that this thing has started already. Forgive me if I don't make much sense today. I was up late last night watching the Lakers-Rockets game. Before we get started, I just want to declare right now that my predictions for the upcoming season were somehow omitted from our preview section. I picked Detroit to win the East. Phoenix to win the West and for Steve Nash and Grant Hill to finally get some rings for the Suns. But enough of that, I'm sure you got questions. So, let's go. . .

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N.Y., N.Y.: Hey guys, keep up the great work with the Wizards Insider and Blogs. I'm a long-time Wizards/Bullets fan and love the do-or-die attitude the team has this year, BUT I don't think they should blow the team up if they only make it to the first round of the playoffs. I know free agents can do what they want, but Ernie shouldn't do it. What if Utah blew the team up every time Stockton and Malone didn't make it to the finals? Or win the championship? It's fun having a good team in D.C. year after year even if they don't win it all.

Ivan Carter: I don't see them blowing it up but things could change drastically if Gilbert Arenas opts out and decides to sign elsewhere -- even if he'd have to take less money to do so. At that point, everything would be up in the air and Ernie would have to think about turning the page and building around the young guys. What happens this season will determine what Gilbert does and how much he signs for if he does stay and that will impact every other decision going forward.

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Kobe: On ESPN this morning, they were saying how Kobe's output last night enhanced his trade value. So I looked at the box score. Yes he got 45 but it was on 13 of 32 shooting (40 percent) and 18 or 27 free throws (66 percent). Not very good, in my opinion.

What do you think?

Michael Lee: I didn't hear that, and I don't know who said that, but that's stupid. Seriously. That game did absolutely nothing to increase or decrease Kobe's trade value. They were joking, right? Kobe doesn't have to do anything to enhance his trade value, his resume -- three championship rings, two scoring titles -- speaks for itself.

Kobe is regarded as the best in the game. He brings a lot of drama with him, but no one can question whether that guy can play ball. He appeared to be forcing the issue repeatedly last night, and outside of few sweet looks to Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum, he was in total "I'm gunning mode." He really wasn't looking to get anyone else involved and I think it disrupted any sort of flow for the team -- which explains why the Lakers were so out of sorts when he wasn't on the floor. It was the worst example of one player on the floor with nine other people. Kobe was in his own world.

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Arlington CrabHands, Va.: By the end of the Wizards regular season: who will have gotten more PT: Nick Young or Dominic McGuire?

Ivan Carter: Great question. I think both of those guys are going to see action as the season goes along but if you put a gun to my head and made me pick one, I'd say Nick Young because he can put the ball in the hole which is what the bench lacked last season. If he can play any level of defense, he'll get minutes.

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Chicago: Am I crazy for thinking that the Bulls can get to and possibly even win the Finals this year without Kobe (barring major injuries)? Am I crazy for thinking that Kobe would harm the Bulls more than help them? Most of my friends seem to want him to arrive, but given the talent we would have to give up, I just foresee the Bulls turning into the post-Shaq Lakers.

Michael Lee: You might be crazy for thinking they can win the Finals, but I certainly think they are good enough to get to the conference finals, maybe even get to play in June. I'm not sure if anybody has established himself as the clutch leader for that team -- although Luol Deng might be ready to establish himself as the team's unquestioned best player this season. They are certainly on the rise, but I don't see Banner No. 7 going up without paying some more dues.

I, too, wonder what Kobe would do to the personality and makeup of that team. One of the reasons why Bulls fans love that group so much is because they play so hard on both ends of the floor (they're more effective, of course, on the defensive end) and they have this blue-collar, pre-all-star Pistons feel to them.

Kobe would change that whole dynamic. He is definitely a hard worker, but he is also a primadonna who wants to win -- but only on HIS terms. He brings so much excess baggage with him. He's so much into HIS legacy. I think the Bulls understand this, which explains why it's been almost six months since Kobe told those fans to "get a Bulls jersey" and GM John Paxson has yet to do anything. That being said, depending on who they give up in any sort of Kobe trade, having him in a Bulls uniform could be the difference between winning a championship now or taking some more lumps in the playoffs.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey Ivan, I'm a big fan of the Wizards Insider. Are the Wizards going to add anybody? We're down to 11 with Pech injured.

Ivan Carter: I don't see them adding a player because they are right up against the luxury tax threshold (teams that go over must pay a dollar-for-dollar tax and after the season, that money is pooled and redistributed among the teams that don't go over.) No way Abe Pollin is going to dish out twice the money and forfeit that pooled money for an end-of-the bench player.

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Arlington, Va.: I read Wise's column. Boy he seems a bit harsh. Is it fair to put Jordan on such a hot seat? We've had 20-plus years of sorry pathetic Wizards/Bullets teams and coaches, and now we have a coach who has them consistently in the playoffs and we are pulling a Yankees type mentality -- "Get us to the NBA Finals or get out." Shouldn't Wiz management also consider the injuries factor of last season? Couldn't Grunfeld be blamed as well for not drafting/acquiring players who will or want to play defense? That seems to be the Wizards biggest failure their utter lack of defense. I remember Sacramento fired Rick Adelman because he couldn't get them a championship, but are the Kings better off now? For years in football Cowher was criticized for not taking the Steelers to a championship. Finally after 15 years the Steelers/Cowher won a championship. Shouldn't we not be so capricious?

Ivan Carter: Having watched Eddie coach for three seasons and having compared him to other coaches around the league, I agree with you. However, the thing to keep in mind is that Mike wasn't saying that Eddie should be on the hot seat. He was saying that Eddie is on the hot seat. That's clear when you consider that Ernie only gave his assistants one-year extensions over the summer, strongly urged him to add an assistant (Randy Ayers) and has publicly backed the team's star player (Arenas) over the coach in the past. It is what it is and Eddie pretty much acknowledged it in my story. If this team stays healthy and performs like it should, there won't be a problem. We'll see.

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D.C.: All the talk about how it's all "me, me, me" for Kobe. Have you looked at his supporting cast? Horrible! It's so bad Kwame scored 2 points...IN THE WRONG BASKET last night.

Michael Lee: To be honest, I don't think that team is really that bad. Do I think they are a title contender? No. But I remember in the first half of the season last year, the Lakers were 30-19 and fighting with Houston and Utah for the fourth-best record in the West. Then, Lamar Odom and Luke Walton got hurt and the season turned to garbage.

I mean, last night, Odom was in street clothes. I think Odom is really talented and the problem he has with Kobe is that he doesn't share that same intensity and passion, but I think Kobe will find that problem most everywhere. Not many guys go as hard as he does. But I'm not in the group that thinks the Lakers are a dreadful team. They have some decent young pieces. But right now, Kobe wants to be in a situation where he is in contention, not building for the future. He sees his window is closing and doesn't have time to wait for the team to grow. He realizes, now with Shaq in Miami, that being a one-man band ain't so fun.

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Barno, Md.: I've been both a critic and, more recently, a fan of Ivan Carter. But in the whole Etan-vs-Ivan mini-controversy, I am firmly in the Ivan camp. Etan was clearly sensitive due to the circumstances, but directed his anger in the wrong direction and said some things that were factually incorrect.

My question to you Ivan is, will you find it somewhat difficult to remain objective in reporting on issues related to Etan in the future, and perhaps would it be a better idea to let Michael Lee cover any stories on Etan's recovery?

Maybe those are questions better directed to your editor, but thought I'd throw it out there in case you guys felt like responding.

Thanks.

Ivan Carter: I've never had a personal issue with Etan Thomas and I don't have one now. My job is the same as ever: cover the Wizards and All of the players and coaches who are a part of the Wizards. That won't change. Obviously, Etan has some issues with the way I go about my job and that's fine. That's his right. I'm sure we'll talk it over at some point and reach some sort of an understanding. If you recall from late last season, Brendan Haywood had a problem with a couple of stories I wrote about him yet we've continued to have a decent working relationship. Same with Andray Blatche, who wasn't thrilled at the way I covered the incident he was in this summer. I've interviewed and written about Blatche repeatedly since all of that went down and without any personal feelings. I'll take the same professional approach to my dealings with Etan.

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Washington: Bill Simmons predicted the Wiz to win 37 games and take 11th in the East. Why are so many national analysts predicting bad things? What are your predictions? Thanks.

Michael Lee: What's new? When has the national media ever fawned over the Wizards? They might go crazy over Gilbert because of what he says and does, but nobody takes him or the team seriously because they only play on one end of the floor.

I still don't know how that equates to them winning fewer than 40 games - unless they expect Gilbert, Caron and Antawn to get hurt again. I always throw it back and say, hey, all three of those guys went down last year and the Wizards still won 41 games! Hello?!

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D.C.: If Arenas won't sign an extension before the trade deadline, doesn't Ernie basically have to trade him to protect against the risk that flaky Gil will flip a coin and walk this summer?

Ivan Carter: That is a question only Ernie Grunfeld can answer because Gilbert is all over the place and nothing he did would shock me. However, here is one thing to think about: only a precious few teams will have the kind of money it will take to sign Gilbert next summer. Like the Wizards, most teams in this league are tight against or even over the luxury tax threshold so my question is: where is Gilbert going to go? Now, he could always take less someplace and knowing him the way I do, I guess that wouldn't shock me, but I believe that when all is said and done, he will be here next season.

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New York, N.Y.: Do you really see Gilbert signing with another team if the Wiz don't go deep into the playoffs? I mean, if the Wiz don't go deep into the playoffs, isn't it more Gilbert's fault than Ernie's?

Michael Lee: I have a hard time seeing Gilbert signing anywhere else because no other teams will have the big money necessary to get him. I mean the Clippers might, if Elton Brand and Corey Maggette opt out, but why would he join a team that didn't have those two guys on it. The Wizards are in a great position to keep Gilbert, regardless of what happens this season. I don't see him signing for less to go elsewhere, either. And, I don't see another team trading their best player to get him.

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D.C.: So who wins in a 2-on-2 pick up game between Gene Wang and Russ Thaler and Michael Lee and Ivan Carter?

Michael Lee: That is not a serious question. We could spot them 14 in a game of 15 and win that one. I'm sure of that.

Ivan Carter: We would crush Gene and Russ but my concern would be team chemistry. I like to shoot a lot and Mike may take issue with that. We'd probably have to blow up the team with a trade mid-game, Mike would wind up taking on a lesser teammate with an inflated salary and the fans who paid big money to see us play together would go nuts leading to his eventual firing. Life in the NBA man, it's a killer.

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D.C.: Watching the Warriors-Jazz game last night, and Golden State looks a lot different without Richardson. They don't have a second scorer behind Davis (and you know Beetlejuice will miss a handful of games). Don't think they will repeat last year's success.

Michael Lee: They also look a lot different without Stephen Jackson. Did you remember he got suspended the first seven games? That's why I didn't really look at that game last night as any indication of what the Warriors are right now.

I was, however, impressed with Carlos Boozer. That guy gets better and better. I don't know how you stop that guy -- unless you play great team defense like the Spurs -- because he proved it in the playoffs that he can dominate big (Yao Ming) and small (the entire Warriors front court).

But back to the Warriors. I am concerned that they will repeat their success. I was a bit worried when I saw Don Nelson asking for more money and threatening to walk away when the season ended. It made me wonder if he just sees G.S. as his retirement plan. I also thought losing Jason Richardson hurt them more than he will help Charlotte. And, Baron Davis was really looking for an extension this offseason and he didn't get it. I don't know if he can stay 100 percent and play the 70-75 games needed for them to make another run.

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Will from Rockville: Who does Eddie Jordan plan out to bring first off the bench and how much will the rookies play in their first game?

Ivan Carter: Here's the rotation from what I can gather: Obviously the five starters will play deep into the first and third quarters barring foul trouble.

I see Antonio Daniels and Darius Songaila as the first players off the bench either together or shortly after one another. Then Andray Blatche will come in and spell Haywood at the five spot.

From there, I think Eddie will go with his gut or try to dictate matchups. For instance, if a team is playing a lot of zone, he may put Roger Mason in the game to knock down some threes.

If the opponent has a first- or second-year shooting guard or small forward out there (especially early in the season) he may see that as a prime opportunity to get Nick Young and Dom McGuire into the game because they'll be on equal footing with their opponent. That's basically how I see Eddie using his guys through the early portion of the season.

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Washington, D.C.: Ivan, am I the only one who hates the fact that the VC is the BRIGHTEST arena I've ever seen? Part of the charm of the Cap Center is that it was kinda dark and cozy. The VC is like a doctors office...too antiseptic. Lower the wattage and you'll definitely get a different feel in that place. It's like people are afraid to get loud and crazy in support of the team for fear of being on camera or being seen. Even Caps games are darker and allow the fans to go crazy.

Ivan Carter: Interesting. I've heard that the old Cap Center was kind of dark but I've never heard anyone say that about VC. I'll check it out and try to make a comparison to other arenas.

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Arlington CrabHands, Va.: Each of you: please name a team that didn't make the playoffs last year that you see doing so this year, or most likely this year.

Thanks for the reporting.

Michael Lee: That's easy -- Boston. But if you want a team that didn't make an offseason splash but should improve, I'd go with the New Orleans Hornets. They will have Chris Paul back healthy and fired up. Tyson Chandler is getting better and Peja Stojakovic should play more than 13 games. That was one of the more injury-riddled teams in the league last year and they still were in the playoff hunt until the final month. They also get to play all 41 home games in one building, which should make life a lot simpler, too.

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Berryville, Va.: Wizards,

All this talk of defense is misguided. The Wizards need to learn to play lock down D for only the last 5 minutes of every game. The majority of games come down to the final quarter so if they can man-up in the end they will be fine. They are not capable nor should they try to play 48 minutes of D per night

Thoughts?

Ivan Carter: Exactly. And you know what? Ernie pretty much said the same thing when I talked to him yesterday. I've seen this team up close for three seasons now and there is no way you can convince me that they will ever be a great defensive team.

However, they can be a solid defensive team, one that could finish around 16th, 17th or 18th in opp field goal percentage and points allowed. They can get there by playing better defense on five or six key possessions per game, by not giving up those three or four easy drives to the bucket for an uncontested lay up and by rebounding better. I do think that the reserves will make a difference as well. Right now, Andray's best skills are shotblocking, defensive rebounding and passing. McGuire is a tough guy with quick feet and a knack for rebounding and shotblocking, Songaila is a solid position defender and plays the pick-and-roll pretty well and Daniels is a solid on-the-ball defender (though young quick guys can blow by him).

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SE, DC: At some point are you guys ever literally shocked at the lack of skills some NBA players have. Really, a Shaq or Ben Wallace free throw is insulting to a degree. A 6-10 with no NBA caliber post move is crazy to me. Jacque Vaughn has played 10-years or more in the league and still cannot hit a 15-foot jumper. I know Shaq is ultra dominant and Ben Wallace is a monster on the defensive end, but what gives?

Michael Lee: I think you are spending too much time highlighting the weaknesses of those individuals and not focusing on their strengths. I happen to remember a very dominant center who won a couple of championships and scored 100 points in a game, but couldn't hit free throws. Does anyone think that Wilt Chamberlain wasn't a great player?

Does Tim "Big Fundamental" Duncan lack fundamentals because he can't make free throws? I don't think so.

I just think he and Shaq have some mental problems when they step to the line. They've been shooting free throws all of their lives. I'm sure they've practiced once or twice.

Ben Wallace didn't get to the league because he could shoot. His energy, hustle and toughness got him an opportunity in the league and he more than made the most of it. Look, every player in the league has some flaw -- and most are working to improve in those areas, but the reason why basketball is a team sport, is for the other players to cover up the areas where the another individual isn't so strong.

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Washington, D.C.: Ivan, when reading your Wizards preview this morning, I was surprised by how many players you said were good individual or on-ball defenders. Why hasn't this translated into better team defense yet?

Ivan Carter: As I see it, the Wiz have the following issues defensively: 1. Gilbert too often gets caught on or under screens and/or loses his man when he's off the ball and that results in an open shot for his man or a drive that breaks the defense down. He has to get better. We'll see.

2. Antawn Jamison tries hard but isn't quick footed enough to stay with a lot of small forwards nor is he long enough or bulky enough to handle a lot of power forwards. That's a problem.

3. Caron is a tough dude who gets a lot of steals but he's not particularly long so guys like T. Prince, P. Pierce, etc., can get their shot off over him. These three factors too often force Brendan to cover a ton of ground and he tends to get out of good defensive and/or rebounding position.

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Washington, D.C.: Allow me to preface my question by saying I am a big Ernie Grunfeld guy and think the Wizards are in very capable hands.

That said, with all due respect to EG and the job he has done building this Wizards team, why are the Wizards somewhat stuck and spinning their wheels in the Eastern Conference while a team like Chicago has risen from the muck and is now lauded as a Finals contender? Can I blame Kwame and other picks like Hayes that didn't pan out? How do the Wizards take the next step?

Ivan Carter: Good point and that's why this season is so critical to the future of this franchise. Ernie feels that he's put together a team that is capable of doing big things (translation: getting to the conference finals) if the big three stay healthy, if Andray Blatche continues coming along as he has and if vets like Haywood, DeShawn, Songaila, Daniels and Mason earn their paychecks by bringing consistent, solid performances at both ends.

None of us got to see what this team could have done last season but this has to be the year where this particular collection of players does something significant.

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Albuquerque, N.M.: What do you see happening with Antawn after the season? Or is there a chance, as you hinted at in this morning's story, that he gets dealt midseason if the team isn't performing to expectations?

Ivan Carter: I don't see Antawn getting traded during the season because so few teams can take on that kind of contract -- he's making $16 million. Remember, as all of these trade rumors begin floating out this season, NOBODY HAS MONEY!

Teams are desperately trying to dump bad contracts so they can be players in free agency next summer and to trade Antawn, the Wizards would have to either take back a player who is making way too much money or take a combination of players who add up to what Antawn makes. Now ask yourself this: If you are Ernie Grunfeld and Jamison's $16 million is set to come off the books next summer, why in the world would you trade him? Why not let the contract expire and either use that money to go get another piece or re-sign Antawn to a far more reasonable deal? He's not going anywhere.

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Coaching, Va.: Do either of you have a hand on good young coaching prospects?

Who do either of you think would make a great head coach someday that has not had the opportunity?

Michael Lee: I know a name that has been getting a lot of attention the past few years in Miami is this guy, Erik Spoelstra, who has been dubbed Pat Riley's successor for awhile now. He might get pushed into the spot sooner than later if things quickly go sour on South Beach.

Other guys who might get an opportunity one day are Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer (if he ever decides he wants to leave Gregg Popovich), Dallas assistant Mario Elie, ABC analyst Mark Jackson would love to be a coach.

From the European ranks, Ettore Messina and David Blatt (who led Russia to the European Championships) might get a look down the road, especially with the success of Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix.

I'm just throwing out names as they come to me, I haven't really thought this out.

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Cleveland: Both you and Wise report that circumstances indicate that there is a sense of urgency, but is it palpable? If so, what has changed among the players and coaches that suggests that the circumstances will translate to more go-for-broke on court performances?

Ivan Carter: You know what? I can't honestly say that the circumstances surrounding this team are going to lead to more go-for-broke performances. I do know that Gilbert and Antawn will put together go-for-getting paid performances but as for the team dynamic, I really can't make a prediction. That's why this season could be so interesting. My gut tells me that this team needs to get off to a good start and go there. Given Gilbert's flighty nature, a bad one could lead to some problems.

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Washington, D.C.: Would the Wizards have had a Finals appearance in the last five years if they had traded the Kwame pick for Elton Brand?

Michael Lee: I don't know. I'd have to look back, but would the Wizards have had the cap room to sign Gilbert Arenas if they had Brand? They were both free agents the summer of 2003. I'd have to go back and check. I'm assuming you ask that question with the possibility that he would be on the same team as Arenas, right?

But if they couldn't, how far would a team with Elton Brand, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes have gone? I don't think that I can say that that squad would have gone to the Finals. Good "what if," though.

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Washington, D.C.: Every season, there are teams that are terrific, and teams that are terrible. Which teams do you think will be terrible this season in the East? Tonight's Wizards opponent might be one.

Michael Lee: I think Philadelphia will be terrible. I think that if Indiana trades Jermaine O'Neal the Pacers will be terrible. But overall, I don't know which teams will be horrendous. The East really got better this year. The bad teams added pieces that should make them very competitive. Teams can't look on the schedule and pencil out wins when they see Atlanta and Charlotte anymore.

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20010: Are diehard Bullets/Wiz fans going to see a different Brendan Haywood this year? Is being the "clear No. 1" going to up his game? Make him more consistent? Did the trip to NC by Eddie Jordan really smooth things over?

All the BTH defenders on the blog last season claimed the he was better when he was starting every night and playing his minutes with the 1st team dudes. Needless to say, I have my doubts. And they really need consistency out of him this year, or Eddie will start playing small with Darius or someone else at the 5.

Thoughts on BTH and his play and demeanor this year.

Ivan Carter: I don't know that Brendan will ever be a whole lot more than he is right now when it comes to production. At best, he's a 10 point, 10 rebound, two blocks a game guy who is going to shoot a decent percentage and be a solid if not particularly physical defender. This team can win with that.

Now, I can say that in terms of attitude, Brendan seems to be in a good place so far this season. He and Eddie have been on good terms -- they even joked with one another briefly when Eddie took him out of a game in Philly this preseason and I've never seen that before -- and he appears to feel secure about his position on this team.

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Haymarket, Va.: Who will have the better season, D. Stevenson or Juan Carlos Navarro?

Ivan Carter: Stevenson is a good defender who takes care of the ball but isn't a big-time scorer. Navarro is a bad defender who can fill it up. Different players. Stevenson is a better fit for this team and Navarro is a better fit for Memphis.

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Michael Lee: Thanks for the questions, folks. I've got to run and get ready to do Washington Post Live this afternoon. I might have to bring my shorts and sneaks if Russ read the chat today. It's been fun. I'm out. Peace.

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D.C.: Do you guys agree with what the opposing scout said about Eddie in the Sports Illustrated preview, about him being one of the most copied coaches in the league in regards to the offense?

Ivan Carter: I spoke with a scout recently who told me that preparing for the Wizards is difficult because Eddie runs so many variations off of his staple plays. The things he does with Gilbert and Antawn -- the dribble hand-offs, the pick-and-pops, the way he tries to isolate Antawn on the elbow where he can either shoot it or drive and throw up one of those unorthodox runners -- those are things other coaches mimic with their guys. Then again, the whole league is like that. I do know that this season, he has installed some things for Gilbert that are similar to what Sacramento has done with Mike Bibby over the years.

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WDC: I was a Donell Taylor fan. Any update on where he may land, NBDL or Europe, etc.

Ivan Carter: You know what? I haven't heard. I'll give Donell a shout and check up on him and update it in my blog.

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Woodbridge, Va.: I know it's only a rumor, but Blatche and Zero for Kobe is very, very tempting. Would either of you do it? Better yet, would Ernie pull this trigger? I think with Kobe, AJ, and Tuff Juice, we could win the East. As disjointed as KB is off the court, the man can ball on the court. He would bring some defensive toughness that is sorely lacking.

Ivan Carter: I wouldn't do it. Based on what I've seen from Blatche this preseason, I would not include that kid in any trade for any player. I know that sounds kind of crazy seeing as though he hasn't done much to this point but but ask yourself this: how often do you get a 21-year old who is 6-foot-11, with long arms and quick feet and has ballhandling, shooting, passing, shotblocking and defensive ability?

He has the potential to play small forward, power forward or center and he can defend all five positions depending on the matchup. Oh, and you've got him locked up for five years for only $15 million. I tell the Lakers, thanks but no thanks. Now, if you take Blatche off the table, I'll at least listen to what you have to say but before I'd do anything I'd have to know that Kobe would want to be here and would sign a longterm extension.

That said, it's not happening. Because Gilbert can opt out next summer, the Lakers would never do such a deal. They'd lose Kobe AND the risk losing Gilbert too? Talk about a disaster. If it happens, it's going to be Chicago.

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Ivan Carter: Thanks for dropping in folks. Check out the blog and our coverage from tonight's opener. It's going to be a wild, wild season.

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