Official Game Thread: Wizards at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Yo, Brad! I bet my house on the under for tonight’s game. You got my back, right?”

 

Well at least the Wizards know how to settle on one direction. Niall, Louis, Zayn, Liam, and Harry Not The Hawk, salute!

Just two games under .500 (0.5 GB ATL) at the All-Star Break, after some diddling around at the Hawks’ expense, the Zards pulled the plug, and enter today’s SEGABABA in Atlanta (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Washington) an unmistakable 11 games below the Hawk Line.

Now, how intentional was that result? That will be demonstrated by Tommy Sheppard’s and Wes Unseld, Jr.’s presence, or absence, when Wizards training camp kicks off next September.

The least loathed sports owner in and around The District, Wiz owner Ted Leonsis has found it hard to uncouple himself from the Ernie Grunfeld era, his NBA franchise doomed to years of purgatorial propagation after landing John Wall and Bradley Beal at Lottery time. Leonsis promoted longtime Grunfeld acolyte Sheppard in 2019. While negotiating a pick swap and sending Wall to Houston for a rental of Russell Westbrook, Sheppard has been gifting Beal in the drafts with one potential wing partner after another, after another, after another.

Ostensibly to free up 2020 wing Lotto pick Deni Avdija (out for yesterday and tonight, elbow bursitis) ahead of a playoff push, Sheppard sent 2019 wing Lotto pick Rui Hachimura to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and a gaggle of future second-rounders. Rui has become the teacher’s pet of sensei Phil Handy in L.A., while Nunn is, well, just waxing off (season-highs of 24 points, 7 boards and 6 dimes all in last night’s loss vs. MIL, so let me be nice).

When Avdija isn’t aggressively crashing the defensive glass, helping to move the ball and making shots, the struggle, if you will excuse me, Israel. His neighbor, if you will, undrafted developmental guard Jordan Goodwin, has outshined 2022 Lotto wing Johnny Davis, the former getting his two-way deal upgraded back in February. Both Davis (rookie-high 20 points vs. MIL) and Goodwin are starting for Unseld by default, as their team began shutting its mission-no-longer-critical players down.

Sheppard would go on to muddle the waters even more by plugging a roster hole last month with yet another wing, this time Australia NBL MVP Xavier Cooks. Cooks is reportedly guaranteed for next season, too, helping to crowd out not just Avdija but 2021 Lotto wing Corey Kispert.

The West-leading Nuggets are grateful for Sheppard sending them 3-and-D ironman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, last summer, for Will Barton, since waived, and ball caddie Morris, among up to four Wizard starters (incl. Kristaps Porzingis, Beal, and Kyle Kuzma) now conveniently out due to various and sundry injuries/ailments. Delon Wright (Ye Olde Non-COVID Illness) and Morris (sore ankle) joined the sidelined pity party ahead of last night’s game.

It’s always the head coach that gets held responsible for the meal that gets cooked. After repeatedly reaching into Sheppard’s grocery bag and yanking out cucumbers, though, Unseld can’t help but feel he’s been put in a pickle. Yet even in the twilight of this disappointing season, Wes’ Wizards still find moments to relish. They did manage to hang 128 points on the Bucks before the home crowd last night, despite coming up short by 12 and letting the Bucks make almost 55 percent of their threes.

The bench, led by Nunn and G-League DPOY and two-way contractor Jay Huff (career-best 17 points in his 9^th NBA appearance, 3-for-6 3FGs, nine rebounds, two steals), made shots throughout and kept Milwaukee from making Tuesday’s game a total laugher. Unseld, granted the dreaded Vote of Confidence from Sheppard (but not, notably, Leonsis) as The Athletic reported yesterday, and the Wizards could still gain the last laugh at Atlanta’s expense tonight.

The pivot point presaging Washington’s freefall likely came last month when the Hawks, who the Wiz waylaid in Atlanta just over a week before, snuck out of D.C. with a pair of consecutive payback wins. Unseld’s plan to field their jumbo-sized frontcourt with Kuzma, Porzingis and Daniel Gafford for the Play-In push unraveled after Kuz (out, sprained ankle) tripped over a courtside fan in a mid-March game. That all ignited this current 4-13 stench of a stretch, with half of those victories coming versus Detroit.

The Hawks, meanwhile, have a chance to win their third-straight game for the first time since January 20. They can secure no worse than a breakeven record in this topsy-turvy season, and also reach a couple games above .500 for the first time in eons.

More importantly, they can swing a little closer to securing a fortuitous 8-seed in next week’s Play-In round, one that would ensure the road to the Playoffs, if necessary, may have to course through the ATL. Based on how intensely their final two opponents played one another last night, today certainly presents Atlanta’s simplest opportunity to accomplish these items.

With an ill Trae Young watching proudly back home in The A, last night’s team effort to nail down a 123-105 win, at possible Play-In foe Chicago’s house, was just what the doctor ordered for the Hawks. More of the same, sparked last night at turns by Bogdan Bogdanovic (26 points, 5-for-10 3FGs, 5 assists) and unreserved reserve Jalen Johnson (16 bench points in 22 minutes), ought to be enough to wither the Wizards that appear today. Especially so if the Hawks’ starters again keep turnovers to a minimum and the frontcourt again finds ways to dominate the glass.

Cherry blossoms are cute and all. But, given another chance to spoil a division rival’s postseason prospects, while not having to worry about deleterious Lottery implications? In D.C., what’s what makes this time of year beautiful.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Brad doesn't even have to knock it off! I doff my  to him, and not only for stopping short of knocking the block off some foolonious punk who spent his next-to-last dollar on some goofy parlay, then spent his actual last dollar on a lower bowl seat in Orlando (folks down there too young to remember the fan who stepped to Barkley at Church Street Station down the street? dude's still picking window glass out of his teeth) to confront Beal over his "malfeasance" forcing dude to crawl back to his full-time day-trader jerb.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35979445/bradley-beal-police-investigation-spat-fan

No, I also respect his open recognition that heeding his better half's advice gleaned from SnapTok and DogeTweet on essential public health matters, and in the process earning Keldon Johnson of all people what should have been his Olympic gold medal, probably wasn't the best play for him. That's growth! Gotta love it. Salute!

https://andscape.com/features/bradley-beal-takes-pride-in-his-commitment-to-winning-in-washington/

Anyways, Bogi's Questionable on the 1:30 PM Boo-Boo Report for B2B injury management, while we still wait to see what a few Pedialyte cocktails have done for Trae. Dre remains on the Out-side looking in with his bruised knee.

Wizards side has more Outs than Ronald Acuna can throw from right field. Beal, Unicorn, Kuz, Deni, Monte and Delon remain Out, no change from last night's list before the Bucks game. Wright and Prozingis reportedly have that same non-COVID bug going around.

~lw3

[shakes]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

 (folks down there too young to remember the fan who stepped to Barkley at Church Street Station down the street? dude's still picking window glass out of his teeth)

I actually met Charles Barkley at Church Street Station like a week before that happened.   He couldn't have been any nicer.    If I can figure out how to post a picture I will, got a great one of me and Chuck.  I'm wearing a Curious George shirt and my hair is still showing signs of when I bleached it while studying for the Bar exam a couple months earlier.  Great photo.

Went up to Chuck and offered him a beer that he politely declined since it was an open bottle and I've been know to roofie people left and right back then.   talked to him for a minute and then he was more than happy to take a photo with me.

 

The guy who Chuck threw out the window the next week must've been a massive a-hole to Chuck for him to do that.  He famously said at the court hearing that his only regret was that they weren't on the second floor.

 

 

[shakes]

Found it!!  if you look close you can see I'm wearing a mood ring.  

[lethalweapon3]

31 minutes ago, shakes said:

Found it!!  if you look close you can see I'm wearing a mood ring.  

"Bud Light! Anything less would be Uncivilized."

~chuckl3s

[givemesome1ce1]

We could break the one game above and below .500 streak tonight people! Hawks are playing the g-league Wizards. After probably one of their best wins of the season, they have another must win tonight. Have to hope this team can break this losing streak of back to backs (haven’t won a back to back since January against the Raptors)! Lets go Hawks! End the season on a positive note!

[theheroatl]

If we don’t win tonight there are supernatural MID forces at work here

[lethalweapon3]

Anthony Gill career-night on deck?

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

Thanks lw3! Let’s not get to .500 again 

[kg01]

Ain't it about time for Ally mcBeal to shut it down since he can never lead a team anywheres? 

@Spud2nique, why is the guy still out there?  Just give us the ol' 1-2-3 Cancun chant and leave us alone. 

[BrazilianHawk]

OK Hawks, impress me. 

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.

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I'm waiting... 

[Spud2nique]

16 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Ain't it about time for Ally mcBeal to shut it down since he can never lead a team anywheres? 

@Spud2nique, why is the guy still out there?  Just give us the ol' 1-2-3 Cancun chant and leave us alone. 

He had 24 in 2K but on 10-26 shooting and 2-8 from downtown. Ehhhh he’s gonna get his but they ain’t going nowhere. Unicorn is working that contract year thing too but nah, Wiz stuck. We win tonight. 

14 minutes ago, BrazilianHawk said:

OK Hawks, impress me. 

.

.

.

I'm waiting... 

not unless you go back to your usual BIG LETTERING IN RED!!! I miss that $hit Brazil!

[terrell]

39 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Dre should be out until the Playin minimum imo.... No need to re-aggravate anything..

Edited April 5, 2023 by terrell

[terrell]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Anthony Gill career-night on deck?

~lw3

Perfect game for Trae to "get right".  He needs to find his shot before the Playin..

[Guest]

#1   Don't anyone get injured
#2   Get Trae back in the groove
#3   Let OO, JJ, and AJ get some good run
#4   Big lead by the start of the fourth quarter/rest starters
#5   Win the game

[Dnice]

I don't know about no.4.. lol. They might win by 4 to 6.

Too many turnovers ALREADY 

[terrell]

Lets go ahead and get these turnovers out of the way.. smh

DJM is not a 2... Hes a PG..

[hawkman]

Not sure what Cap was doing there. That ended how I thought it would end.

[JayBirdHawk]

STOP TURNING THE BALL OVER - 5 Already