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Wizards Notes: Chemistry, Wagner, Thomas

November 26th, 2019 at 6:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The atmosphere in Washington is much more upbeat than it was last season, as Troy Haliburton and I recently discussed on the Wizards’ Locked On podcast. Team chemistry is something that’s hard to measure (I’m no body language doctor as Bill Simmons would say), though this year’s edition of the Wizards are noticeably having fun playing basketball and they are outperforming their low expectations that many gave them entering the season.

The Wizards are second in the league on offense entering the night and while the team only has five wins on the season (5-9), many of the losses have been close with three of those by four points or less and a total of six losses by eight points or less.

As the team begins its four-game road trip, let’s take a look at more notes from Washington:

  • Former University of Florida star Chris Chiozza is with the Wizards on the first leg of their road trip, the team announces. Chiozza is on a two-way deal with Washington.
  • Moritz Wagner, who is helping the Wizards own one of the better bench units in the NBA, recently admitted to Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance that he has a ways to go on the defensive end. “I’m still learning too. It’s my second year and my first opportunity to actually play,” said Wagner, who came to the Wizards in the Anthony Davis three-way trade this offseason.
  • Coach Scott Brooks left Isaiah Thomas and Ish Smith on the floor together in the Wizards’ recent contest against the Kings and Thomas feels the two point guards (both of whom came to the franchise this past offseason) can play together in the future. “I’ve played off the ball in my career a lot, it’s not that different,” Thomas told Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance after Sunday’s game. “It’s a different dynamic. I like playing off the ball, switching it up…Ish is a hell of a guard who changes the pace of the game and definitely finds everybody that is open. Hopefully, we can make that lineup happen a little more because I think it’s dynamic if we get used to playing together.”
  • Thomas offered advice for 2018 No. 15 overall pick Troy Brown Jr., who has struggled with his shot recently. “Continue to work, it’s 82 games. You’re going to have good ones, bad ones, going to have a lot of them,” the veteran said. “You’ve got to continue, no matter how good your games are. I always say the best players have the shortest memories, whether good or bad.”
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Wizards Notes: Brown, Offense, Thomas, Brooks

November 25th, 2019 at 11:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Troy Brown Jr. is still trying to discover what he can do well at the NBA level, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 15th pick in last year’s draft spent much of his rookie season in the G League and only played 52 NBA games. His progress this year was delayed by a calf injury that forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason. He has been part of the starting lineup since returning, but is averaging just 6.5 PPG on one of the league’s highest-scoring teams.

The Wizards picked up Brown’s third-year option in September and have shown a willingness to be patient with the 20-year-old. He has been taking on the toughest defensive challenges and has displayed good rebounding instincts for such a young player.

“It’s still early for him,” Bradley Beal said. “He’s all right. He’s just gotta find his rhythm. We threw him into the starting lineup right when he came back. We’ve just gotta keep making him comfortable and keep him continuing to be aggressive to instill that confidence.”

There’s more from Washington, D.C.:

  • Rob Mahoney of The Ringer examines how the Wizards have been able to assemble the NBA’s second-best offense without adding another star to play alongside Beal. Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith and Moritz Wagner are all thriving as Washington freely moves the ball without the presence of a dominant guard like John Wall. Hughes notes that the Wizards lead the league with 28.8 assists per game, and that no team has averaged 28 assists for an entire season since 1992/93 except the Warriors of the past three years (Twitter link).
  • Terry Rozier tells Hughes in a separate story that he’s thrilled to see former teammate Isaiah Thomas revive his career in Washington after two injury-plagued seasons. “I’m just happy for him, just to get that joy back of playing ball,” Rozier said. “Whether he ever gets back to where he was at or not, I’m sure he’s just happy to be out there and playing. It’s just a guy that I look to as a big brother that taught me a lot in my first two years.”
  • Coach Scott Brooks has made it clear to the team’s younger players that minutes have to be earned, relays Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Players can find themselves on the bench quickly if they don’t follow instructions and give a consistent effort while they’re in the game. “You can only play nine or 10 guys, and you can only play five guys at time, and I understand that. It’s hard,” Brooks said. “You got to be strong and have convictions and reasons and the things that are important to you. We have some areas we know we have to develop and get better. My job is to teach.”
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Wizards Notes: Brown Jr., Analytics, Wall

October 29th, 2019 at 8:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Troy Brown Jr. will make his season debut for the Wizards on Wednesday against the Rockets, as Candace Buckner of the Washington Post relays (Twitter link).

“I’m just happy to be back,” Brown said. “It’s just a good feeling, especially sitting out all that time and just being able to see how well we’ve been playing and just enjoying that mix of how good we’re doing right now.”

It’s unclear if Brown will start the Wizards’ home opener but it would be surprising if the second-year wing doesn’t eventually earn the nod. Here’s more from Washington:

  • Fred Katz of The Athletic details how the Wizards are using statistician Dean Oliver this season. Oliver, who formally worked in several NBA offices, was hired as an assistant coach by Washington this offseason.
  • Offseason addition C.J. Miles has about 1-2 weeks to go before he returns to the court, Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan passes along (Twitter link). Miles came to Washington in the Dwight Howard trade.
  • John Wall was seen at Wizards‘ practice running and taking part in individual drills, as Chase Hughes of NBCSports tweets. The Wizards were recently denied a disabled player exception by the league for Wall’s injuries.
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Southeast Notes: Waiters, Hornets, Wizards

October 22nd, 2019 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Dion Waiters and the Heat don’t appear to be on the same page right now. Waiters reportedly expressed displeasure with his role during the preseason, which prompted the team to suspend him for opening night, which in turn led to the veteran guard once again expressing his displeasure — this time on social media.

Given where things stand right now, it’s fair to wonder if the Heat will increase their efforts to move Waiters, who has been mentioned in multiple trade rumors over the last year. However, as Sean Deveney of Heavy.com writes, Waiters didn’t have much trade value before this week, and his suspension won’t exactly improve his stock.

“They’ve been trying to trade him since last Christmas,” one general manager said of the Heat guard. “No one was trying to take him on then. After this kind of thing, it would be really hard to take him on now. He has had this kind of junk attached to him just about his whole career.”

Waiters has a $12.1MM cap hit this season, with a $12.65MM guaranteed salary to follow in 2020/21, the final year of his deal. Moving that contract would likely cost the Heat at least one asset, and the team has already traded away many of its future draft picks.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels, who signed new multiyear contracts with the Hornets this week, each received $500K partial guarantees for 2019/20, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Charlotte used its mid-level exception to lock up Martin for three years and McDaniels for four. Neither contract features any guaranteed money beyond this season.
  • Echoing comments he made in September, Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak reiterated this week that his club doesn’t plan to be an active player in 2020 free agency. “I think we can build a culture here and get enough assets and have a promising enough future and really attract the kind of free agent you want to spend that kind of money on,” Kupchak said. “But I don’t think you can do it right now.” As Marks recently pointed out (via Twitter), Charlotte is one of just four teams that projects to have significant cap room next summer.
  • Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington passes along health updates on a few injured Wizards players, noting that Troy Brown (calf), C.J. Miles (foot), and Moritz Wagner (back) were all able to practice on Monday. However, Brown and Miles seem unlikely to be ready for the team’s opener on Wednesday, as does Isaiah Thomas (thumb), per head coach Scott Brooks (Twitter link via Hughes).
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Wizards Notes: Injuries, Wall, Starters, Wagner

September 30th, 2019 at 12:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards will open training camp with several important players sidelined, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. John Wall, who may miss the entire season with a ruptured Achilles, is obviously a non-participant. He’s joined on the sidelines by Isaiah Thomas, who is recovering from thumb surgery; Troy Brown, who has a left calf strain; Ian Mahinmi, who is battling Achilles pain; and C.J. Miles, who had surgery on his left foot in July.

“We have some challenges ahead right now with our limited guys in training camp,” coach Scott Brooks admitted.

There’s more from Media Day in Washington:

  • Brooks answered “no” when asked if he’s mentally prepared to face a full season without Wall, but admitted that it’s a possibility (Twitter link). He promised the team will be patient with Wall’s rehab process, adding, “He’s not going to play until he’s ready to play 100 percent.” (Twitter link). Wall also addressed reporters, saying he will take cues from his body and is in “no rush” to return (Twitter link).
  • With so much turnover in the past eight months, the starting lineup remains unsettled heading into camp, Brooks said (Twitter link). Bradley Beal and Thomas Bryant will both be starters, but the other three spots depend on what happens during the preseason.
  • Moritz Wagner is looking forward to a greater opportunity in Washington after playing just 43 games as a rookie with the Lakers, relays Chris Crouse of HoopsRumors (video link). Wagner, who was part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to L.A., spent much of his first season in the G League. “My agent called and told me I was traded,” Wagner said. “That’s kind of how the business goes, I guess. That’s what you sign up for. People always talk about being traded as a bad thing. I think in my situation it was the best thing that could happen to me.”
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Wizards Pick Up 2020/21 Options On Brown, Wagner

September 25th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Another team has got its 2020/21 rookie scale team option decisions out of the way well in advance of the October 31 deadline, as Fred Katz of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Wizards have exercised their third-year options on both Troy Brown and Moritz Wagner.

The 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown will now have a fully guaranteed cap hit of $3,372,840 for the 2020/21 season. Washington also locked in a $2,161,920 cap charge in ’20/21 for Wagner, who was drafted 25th overall in 2018. The Wizards will have to make decisions on fourth-year options for 2021/22 on both players by October 31, 2020.

Brown, 20, appeared in 52 games in his rookie season, averaging 4.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 14.0 minutes per contest for the Wizards. He’s expected to play a more significant role going forward, but he’s currently dealing with a left calf strain that may jeopardize his availability for opening night.

Wagner, 22, spent his rookie year with the Lakers, averaging 4.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 43 games (10.4 MPG). He arrived in Washington along with Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones as part of the blockbuster three-team trade that saw Anthony Davis land in Los Angeles.

We’re tracking all of this year’s decisions on 2020/21 rookie scale options right here.

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Wizards’ Troy Brown Strains Calf, Out Four Weeks

September 24th, 2019 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards forward Troy Brown suffered a left calf strain during workouts on Monday and is expected to miss approximately four weeks, the team announced today in a press release.

A four-week absence would sideline Brown through October 22, and the Wizards’ season will begin on October 23 in Dallas. As such, it’s possible the 20-year-old could make it back for opening night, but that’s certainly not a lock.

The 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown appeared in 52 games in his rookie season, averaging 4.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 14.0 minutes per contest. He’s expected to play a more significant role moving forward as Washington transitions into rebuilding mode.

Brown’s injury is the latest in a string of them for the Wizards, who will be a little shorthanded when training camp opens next week. C.J. Miles underwent surgery in July to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, while Isaiah Thomas underwent thumb surgery last week and is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

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Wizards Notes: Brown, Workouts, GM Search

June 6th, 2019 at 7:42pm CST by clarkcrum

Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington sat down with Wizards rookie Troy Brown Jr. to discuss his first year in the NBA, which began with an overwhelming welcome at the combine and finished with Brown becoming a calmer, wiser, 19-year-old man.

“I wouldn’t say I was lost (in regard to the 2018 NBA Combine), but I didn’t know what to expect,” Brown said. “I was just kind of going about things, trying to do everything the best I could. …I knew I was going to get drafted, but it was more about the work that I put in. Is it going to happen? I want to go this number (in the draft). There’s a lot of stuff running through your brain.”

Immediate expectations for Brown’s rookie season were not very high, as Washington came into the season with playoff aspirations and more. But after a disappointing 2018/19 campaign, Brown may be the most important player on the roster long term after All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal.

“It’s definitely weird not knowing who is going to be back and knowing our whole roster (might) be different… (but) (a)t the same time, you know it’s a business… I’m kind of use to it now. I had 24 teammates in one year.”

There’s more out of D.C. tonight:

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Eastern Notes: Ellington, Wizards, Cavs

April 9th, 2019 at 12:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Detroit remains in the playoff race in large part due to the addition of Wayne Ellington. The shooting guard has made 38.1% of his looks from behind the arc on 7.8 attempts per game since coming to the franchise. Coach Dwane Casey sees Ellington’s use of his speed as a major reason why he’s able to succeed from 3-point land.

“If he was slow coming off, teams would chase him over and get there. He really comes off with speed and he knows how to change speeds to get open. [Luke Kennard] could really learn from him as far as watching him work out. It’s not just for games. He does it every day in practice,” Casey said (via Keith Langlois of NBA.com).

The Pistons were in need of outside shooting after shipping Reggie Bullock to the Lakers at the trade deadline and the team is glad it was able to nab Ellington after the veteran agreed to a buyout with the Suns. The sharpshooter will again be a free agent at the end of the season.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Wizards are working with prominent sports executive Mike Forde as the team looks to reset its front office, a source tells Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Forde is the CEO of Sportsology and was previously the director of football operations for Chelsea in the Premier League.
  • Bradley Beal has been a mentor to Troy Brown Jr. and the All-NBA candidate sees a bright future for the Wizards‘ rookie, as Zach Rosen of NBA.com relays. “I told him in the beginning of the year, you are going to see a lot of stuff throughout this year, and one thing I always tell him is, it is easy to just get caught up in the negativity but the more positive you stay and the more ready you stay, your name will eventually be called and sure enough, it was called and he performed,” Beal said. “He did excellent. He has been constantly growing. It is just a matter of him just getting more minutes.”
  • The Cavaliers‘ home arena will see a name change from Quicken Loans Arena to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. The venue is also undergoing “major” renovations.
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Southeast Notes: Brown, Parker, Hernangomez, Adams

February 27th, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ solution to losing John Wall for at least 12 months appears to include grooming rookie Troy Brown Jr. as a point guard, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Brown has the size of a small forward, but grew up running the point. Coach Scott Brooks and team president Ernie Grunfeld both believe he has the potential to be successful at that position in the NBA.

Much of his training may come in the G League, where Washington’s Capital City affiliate is short on point guards with Chasson Randle on the Wizards’ roster and Chris Chiozza on a 10-day deal with the Rockets. Tomas Satoransky will be a free agent this summer, and even if Washington is able to keep him, Brown could be useful as a backup.

“[Point guard] is not a position that you can just learn it as fast as you would like, or as fast as the coaches would like,” Brooks said. “It takes time. It’s a very tough position to learn. We’re very patient with him.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Tony Parker hasn’t indicated whether he plans to play another season, but the Hornets would welcome him back if he does, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte has a $5.25MM team option on the deal that Parker signed last summer, and GM Mitch Kupchak said recently that he has exceeded all the expectation the Hornets had for him.
  • Willy Hernangomez has fallen out of favor in Charlotte, but that doesn’t mean the Hornets are done with him, Bonnell adds in the same piece. The third-year center has dropped out of the rotation, playing just once in the past eight games. However, Bonnell notes that young big men often get several chances to succeed and states that Hernangomez may have trade value this summer.
  • The new contract that Jaylen Adams got from the Hawks includes a $100K guarantee on his $1.4MM salary for next season, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Adams was a two-way player until Atlanta promoted him to the 15-man roster last week.
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