Today’s guest is Kyle Weidie from the superstar TrueHoop Wizards site, Truth About It. Kyle talks about one of the few franchises that may be in even worse shape currently than the the Nets.
NAS: What are your thoughts on the trade rumors involving Caron Butler? The Nets seemed to be backing away from trading Devin Harris now, but would you be interested in a Harris for Butler swap?
I haven’t been particularly fond of Caron’s play this season. He has not adjusted his offense game to be more team-oriented in order to fit into Flip Saunders’ system. His assists per 36 minutes is down to a measly 2.0; it stood 4.4 and 4.0 in ’07-08 and ’08-09 respectively. Even in ’06-07, the last time Gilbert Arenas was really on the court before this season, Caron managed 3.4 assists/36.His latest transgression, ignoring the play Flip Saunders called with the Wizards down one point with 6.7 seconds left against Dallas, clearly outlines that Butler is playing selfishly and that two All-Star appearances has led him to egotistically believe that he’s a number one option, superstar player when he is not.As far as I’m concerned, his time in DC has passed because he has vastly strayed from the reason he was given the nickname “Tuff Juice” in the first place. I don’t want to completely trash Butler. He’s a good guy, a decent locker room presence, and a great community man. But it just ain’t working out.That being said, I’d be completely down for exploring a Harris for Butler trade. Why not invest in a decent young PG for the future? Problem is, I’m not sure the Wizards’ brass wants to put themselves in the position to take on two more years of contract that they’d be getting back in Harris.Why do you guys want to get rid of him anyway?
You forgot to mention an ownership in transition …. limbo. Basically, there is no direction. I say they try to get value in return for their assets, but without completely blowing up the house with a fire sale. Sounds neither easy nor likely. Rebuilding is so painful, so enduring, so unpredictable … and something Wizards fans don’t deserve. They really need to find a way to remain competitive while rebuilding … so, not like the Nets. But to do that, you need luck in the draft. After Kwame Brown, I’m not sure the Wizards franchise will ever have luck in the draft again.
I guess you’d have to put a number after “top” to really get the convo started. At 33-years old, his ability is obviously on its down-slope. That being said, Jamison is still putting up incredible numbers. He rebounds like a man and his offensive trickery (and the fact that he doesn’t play in the paint much) lends itself to more sustainability as he ages. Currently, Jamison is unquestionably a top 40 NBA player … maybe even top 30.
I highly doubt it. My clairvoyant opinion indicates there’s a 20% chance he’ll play for the Wizards again. Seems pretty high, right? But you wouldn’t bet your life on a 20% chance. If by some strange circumstance he plays for the Wizards again, I will welcome him with open arms, conditionally of course. He must be repentant, and the must prove himself to be more mature, which will obviously take some time. Oh yea, he needs to stop lying and being so delusional too.He’s a good guy when it comes down to it, and everyone deserves a second chance. The idea that Americans love comeback stories has become cliché, but true. Why does Gil have to comeback somewhere else? Why can’t D.C. have his comeback story? Who knows …at this point, I’m not sure I care either way.
