Trade that pick!

I know they won the lottery for only the second time ever, and that they usually end up with the fifth or sixth pick, but the Wizards should consider trading away the number one overall pick.  Why, you say?  Because they already have a bunch of young, immature guys and don’t need to add another one to the mix.  They already have Andray Blatche (23 years old), Nick Young (24), Javale McGee (22), and Dominic McGuire (24).  And as anyone who follows the team locally knows, those guys aren’t exactly paragons of hard work and professionalism.  And we haven’t even  mentioned Gilbert Arenas who’s 28 going on 14. 

You think it would be a good idea to drop a 19 year old in that mix, with the hope that he won’t fall down the rabbit hole with a group of guys that I call ‘The Clown Show?’  I sure don’t; there’s plenty of trouble for a young man to find in D.C., especially if he’s being egged on by a cadre of unserious people like those who inhabit the Wizards roster.  Trade the pick, Ernie Grunfeld!

Don’t sign that player!

There are a bunch of guys who will be free agents this summer who should not be signed to max deals.  Of course, that won’t stop them from asking for or getting it.  But let’s be clear right now that if you sign any of these guys to be your franchise player, you’re going to be sadly disappointed very quickly.  They are:  Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh (yeah, I said it), Amar’e Stoudemire, and Carlos Boozer.  Johnson was exposed during this year’s playoffs as an empty numbers guy who doesn’t deliver against better competition.

Bosh is a Scottie Pippen masquerading as an MJ; he has all the physical tools but not the temperament to take over games and dominate when it matters.  I like Boozer’s game, but his best performances don’t result in wins very often, at east not in the playoffs.  And Amar’e is soft as Charmin; we all know that.  Pay for them if you want to, but don’t get mad at me when you regret it later.