Summer league round-up: Washington Wizards

View the Wizards summer league roster.

- Alade Aminu: I've not seen Aminu, to be honest with you. But his stats from last year go like this; 11.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 27 minutes per game. Solid. So is the 6'10 230lb size with a 7'3 wingspan. However, the points came somewhat inefficiently, he turned it over a lot, and he fouled quite a lot too. And he could use some weight gain. But he's also only 21, despite having just played his senior season, and that's got to bode well.

- Dwayne Anderson: In all the times I watched Villanova last year, I didn't realise Dwayne Anderson was a senior. But I did realise that he wasn't very good. He didn't have a bad senior year, but he's a forward in a guard's body, with not much of a jumpshot and little dribbling ability, who rebounds well and who could be a good defender, but who kind of isn't. This is probably his only ever NBA sniff.

- Ryan Ayers Ryan Ayers is here for three reasons. The first is because he has great size for the NBA at 6'7. The second is because he has a fine set jumpshot that already has NBA three point range. And the third is because he's the son of recent Wizards assistant coach Randy Ayers. To be 6'7 and a fine shooter sounds like a good thing, but here's the thing with Ayers; he does nothing else. He only catches and shoots. He's fairly athletic and his defense is all right, but he will only ever catch and shoot. Even at the college level with 6'2 prospective morticians matched up on him, all he did was catch and shoot. That's not going to get it done, even if he is extremely good at shooting and with a good NBA physique.

- Jimmy Baron: See this.

- Andray Blatche: Andray Blatche, there's a reason you're still doing summer league after 5 years in the league. It's because you still haven't figured out that you're not Kobe Bryant. I tell you this in the hope that it may help. Go to the post and stay there.

- Javaris Crittenton: In August 2007, the Grizzlies traded a heavily protected first rounder to the Wizards for the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro. The pick was at least top 12 protected until 2012, at which point if it still hadn't been conveyed, it became a second round pick and cash instead. However, the Navarro move went a bit wrong, and the Grizzlies got all of one year out of him because he buggered off back to Spain, ne'er to return. They then traded Crittenton to the Wizards in December last year to get the pick back, in spite of all its protection. To be honest, I'd rather have Crittenton.

- John Edwards: Edwards is 28 in about a week, but he never stops trying. Aside from one stint in the Ukraine, he's never played outside of America; he's either in the NBA, or in a minor league trying to get back there. Unfortunately, it's no longer happening for him. Last year in the D-League, he averaged 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 fouls for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. That's not getting it done.

- Josh Heytvelt: Heytvelt had a good college career, if you ignore the whole recreational drugs thing, but that doesn't mean he'll have an NBA career. His inside outside offensive game is fun to watch. However, if you're 6'11 and not a defender or a rebounder, you'd better be a bloody good scorer. And Heytvelt isn't. But he is a pretty good Formula 1 driver.

- James Lang: Lang is a former Wizard, and the owner of his own theory. He played 11 games with the team in 2006-07, doing nothing at all. He's done nothing at all since then, too, averaging only 6/4 in the D-League last year. Lang is still freaking huge, so the NBA still continues to monitor him. But he's never developed.

- Tits McGee: The bad news for McGee is that Brendan Haywood is back this year. The good news for McGee is that the Wizards will no longer have to feel like they're obliged to play Darius Songaila. Even at centre.

- Dominic McGuire: McGuire's contract for next year is fully unguaranteed. He's the 15th man on the roster. On a team that figures to be a heavy tax payer next season. Somehow, Dominic McGuire is going to have to show that he's worth the $1.65 million it'll cost to keep him. And I don't think the 21% shooting he managed in summer league is getting it done.

- Tywain McKee: None of us watched a Coppin State game last year, so let's not kid ourselves. So here's some numbers; McKee averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.8 steals and 3.0 turnovers per game, shooting 40% from the field, 36% from three point range and 815 from the foul line. Those are the numbers. This is the fluff piece.

- Tyrese Rice: Rice averaged 21/5 in his junior season, but that dropped to 17/5 in his senior season. Maybe he was trying to reinvent himself as more of a pass first player - which wouldn't be a bad idea as a 6'0 guard with not a great jumpshot - but either way it was a downwards trend. And that's why he went undrafted. I do love the Boston College uniforms, though.

- Jason Rich: Rich got a pre-draft workout with the Wizards last summer, but went undrafted out of FSU. He then spent the year in Italy, averaging 9.8 points and 3.1 rebounds for NGC Cantu in Serie A. He shot 39% from three point range, which shows improvement, but he still doesn't have NBA talent.

- Alex Ruoff: Ruoff has signed in Belgium next year for Belgacom Liege. I feel this is all the Alex Ruoff news and views that you need.

- Diamon Simpson: Simpson is a great rebounder but a crap shooter, and not much of an offensive player in general. His points come from hustle and scrappiness around the rim; he got to the line over 7 times a game last year, just to shoot 58% from there. His size at 6'7 230lbs isn't really getting it done, either. And as is mentioned in the McGuire section, the Wizards are already carrying 17. Apart from the four already with contracts, none of these boys really have a chance. Still, thanks for playing.

- Kyle Spain: A fat shooter out of San Diego State. (Sorry. I can just see the end in sight, finally.)

- Brandon Wallace: Last season in Poland, Wallace averaged 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. His usual high defensive numbers weren't really there, averaging less than a block per game. He shot 38% from three point range, which is a good sign, but it came in limited attempts. If the Wizards decide they can replace McGuire with an inferior but cheaper version, then Wallace could be a candidate. But that doesn't seem as likely as just not bothering with either of them.

- Nick Young: Fun Nick Young fact: Nick Young's career PER in the playoffs is 1.3. That is all.

Come Back, Baby Come Back

As you might presently yourself fully be aware of, my grammar sucks. Also, you might have noticed that nothing has happened around here lately. Well, it's OK, I'm here.

Thanks to those of you who showed genuine concern as to whether I was maimed, imprisoned, dead, or worse. You're very compassionate, kind-hearted and sincere, traits that will inevitably lead to a joyful existence on the heavenly half of the afterlife. Conversely, fuck off to those of you who showed anger and resentment at my lack of posting and/or site updates, as if I was in some way contractually obliged to do what you want, when you wanted it. May I remind you that this is a free website, with no adverts, greatly superior to every comparable website on the internet (particularly with regards to the colour scheme) run by a man who frankly you should spend a good 90 minutes of every day praising, rejoicing, and fellating. You'll get what you're given, as and when I choose to give it. You hell-destined bar stewards.

The actual answer to the age-old question of "where the hell were you?" is that I was on holiday. I went to the Costa Del Sol, in November, escaping the classic British grey of November time. So you can see why that was more fun than calculating Rob Kurz's salary for the remainder of the season.

Do you want to see my holiday photos? Ch'yeah you do! Here are some of my holiday photos!

The Sun. It was hot. I burnt.

My burn.

A fat woman whose arse seemed to have no seam. (Identity concealed, expertly.)

The mighty Grunkel television that kept us entertained with German versions of Remington Steele and soft core pornography all week long. No, I don't know why all Spanish television is German either.

A dog curling one out.

A dead fish.

Now that I've been sufficiently self-effacing and boring in equal measure, here are my thoughts on stuff, for all those who struggled to go a full week without my aggressive and misguided thoughts on stuff.

1: I didn't initially know who I liked the Denver/Detroit deal for most when it happened, if either. But in the week or so that I've spent lying on beaches not thinking about it, I've decided I like it for both teams. Detroit gets the better player and the best salary in Allen Iverson, which can never be a bad combination, while Denver switches up a core that was never going to work anyway, almost getting under the luxury tax in the process. (After Antonio McDyess's buyout, Denver is now no more than a small dollop over their eternal enemy, the luxury tax threshold. If they waft a pick Memphis's way, they should be able to dump Chucky Atkins, whose salary for next year is only $760,000 guaranteed, thus not affecting Memphis's 2009 cap space plan much. This move gets Denver under the tax, finally, and it need only cost them the pick that they got from Charlotte for Alexis Ajinca to do it. Also note that I'm just an ideas man, not a soothsayer. Houston would be sensible to do much the same with Steve Francis, who is entirely surplus to requirements in both Memphis and Houston, and whose salary is keeping the Rockets in the tax territory. But his expiring is tolerable for the Grizzlies with apt sweeteners. With those two deals, Memphis could gain two picks without changing their long or short term plans, while Houston and Denver save lots of money on players and picks that they don't need. To me, this makes sense. Does that mean it will happen? No. But, between now and February, I'd place a call. Boy, this bracket got a bit long.)

(Oh, by the way - the combined $34 million in expirings that Detroit can now offer up with Iverson and Rasheed Wallace makes that Kwame Brown deal look even worse. Whoops.)

2: I forgot to post my Houston and Phoenix previews before going away. If you want them, send an email. Enclose money.

3: I really can't stand Bob Ortegal. In the years that I've listened to him, I can't remember one single insightful or interesting comment. Now, history tells me that when you question a team's announcing duo, fans of that team will then try to kill you with words and insults, so I expect Dallas fans to now do much the same. But, seriously. Take a step back and reanalyse. He's awful. There's no chemistry, no humour, no insight and you know for a bloody fact that he's never watched a game that he hasn't commentated on. (For example, take Dallas's preseason game versus Chicago. Ortegal admits he's never seen Derrick Rose play before, concludes after two drives that Rose only goes to his left, and then spends the rest of the night finding excuses for every time Rose went right. That's so dumb, I should have said it.) There exists only a dull, repetitive retelling of what the replay he's "analysing" depicts. And any old bastard can do that. I just wanted to vent this.

4: The Bulls suck in a variety of ways, which is a shame. Good luck John. (By the way, last night I dreamt that Paxson unretired and filled the Bulls current backup point guard void, proof if it were needed that I didn't have any fleeting holiday romances. After having seen they signed Lindsey Hunter, I kind of wish it had come true.)

5: In keeping with this website's continued attempts to be better than everybody else, here's next year's free agents.

6: When it happened, I nearly wrote something in this blog about the Pau Gasol trade. In contrast to the opinions of everyone else in the world, I was keeping to leap in and defend the Grizzlies' end of the trade. But I didn't, because I couldn't be bothered. I've rued that laziness for a while, so let me go on the record now, despite it being a bit late since the secret of the awesomeness of Marc Gasol got out: Memphis did all right. When your mandate is to make a salary dump, and you wind up getting the second biggest expiring contract in the league, you're off to a good start. But in addition to that, the Grizzlies got good young talent that people don't acknowledge. As well as Kwame Brown's salary, the Grizzlies got back Javaris Crittenton (good young guard, with emphasis on the "young" - he's still only 20), and the rights to Marc Gasol (a starting calibre NBA centre, whether you knew of this in advance or not). The Grizzlies also two first round picks from the Lakers, one of which has become Darrell Arthur, their 20 year old starting power forward formerly thought to be a high lottery pick. They still have their other pick to come, along with almost double maximum cap room, while taking back not one bad contract or inconsequential player in the deal. That's a good return on a one-time-All-Star power forward, particularly when you only wanted to dump salary.

What we may have witnessed here is a win-win trade, where both teams get what they wanted and improved as a result. This should be the result of every trade, and we shouldn't try to find only one winner to the deal. The Lakers clearly benefitted greatly from the deal, but Memphis won too. Yes, such a conclusion is entirely possible.

There. The balance is redressed. Now take out the bits about Darrell Arthur, and pretend I wrote that in February.