Washington Wizards 2012-2013 Playoff and Offseason Update - Deadeye15's Blog

Deadeye15's Blog

Washington Wizards 2012-2013 Playoff and Offseason Update

Posted on May 22, 2011 at 04:22 AM.

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Wizards Playoff and Offseason Update

29 Game Regular Season
10 Minute Quarters
Playoffs are 5-7-7-7 Format

Final Regular Season Stats

Washington Wizards 2012-2013 Final Statistics Stats - 2013
Player	GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FPG
John Wall	29/29	38.5	24.2	3.7	10.8	1.7	0.4	3.4	2.1
Marvin Williams	29/29	31.4	12.4	6.0	1.5	0.9	0.4	1.2	2.1
Yi Jianlian	27/14	25.6	11.9	7.6	1.0	0.9	1.3	1.0	2.2
J.J. Redick	29/29	25.0	11.4	2.5	0.6	0.2	0.0	1.1	1.9
Kentavious Caldwell (R)	29/0	20.6	10.5	2.6	0.8	0.3	0.4	1.1	1.8
Tyler Hansbrough	29/0	19.1	9.6	4.5	0.7	0.4	0.0	1.2	2.7
Antawn Jamison	24/0	19.1	8.9	4.0	0.9	0.5	0.0	1.0	1.5
Tyler Zeller (R)	29/29	20.4	5.1	3.7	0.8	0.5	0.9	0.8	2.6
Elias Harris	28/3	15.6	4.1	4.1	0.7	0.4	0.7	1.0	1.1
Chris Wright	7/0	5.3	1.6	0.7	1.7	0.1	0.0	0.4	0.7
Paul Sherman	20/0	3.1	1.5	0.8	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.3
Steve Blake	24/0	6.3	1.2	0.4	1.0	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.7

GP is Games Played/Games Started

First Round

The regular season came to a close with the Wizards needing a win to make the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. John Wall was able to accomplish that goal and the Wizards locked up the 7 seed in the East. The Miami Heat earned the 2 seed so the Wizards would see them in a best of 5 series.

The Wizards had momentum on their side entering the battle with the Heat. They had just ran off 3 wins in a row to enter the playoffs and John Wall was playing the best basketball thus far in his young career. Improving the Wizards chances was the injury to Chris Bosh. Although he would be able to play through his sprained ankle, it severely limited his mobility and he became a huge defensive liability against the Wizards high octane offense.

Game 1 saw rookie Tyler Zeller produce the best scoring game of his career scoring 23 points in 24 minutes. The Wizards shooters hot streak continued, missing only 2 free throws the entire game. John Wall added 17 points and 17 assists as the Wizards upset the Heat to take homecourt advantage away.

Game 2 started off fast for the Wizards putting up 29 points in the first quarter to shock the Miami faithful. Kentavious Caldwell continued his stellar play off of the bench allowing the Wizards to coast into halftime with a lead. The second half was another story, however, as game 1 hero Tyler Zeller was taken down with a hard foul by Dwyane Wade and diagnosed with a Broken Wrist that would put him out for the remainder of the season. Just as things were looking up for the Heat as the Wizards lost their only Center over 6'10", disaster struck as Dwyane Wade went down with a Strained Back in the 4th. Karma seemed to be on the Wizards side. Wade, however, is a tough player and missed no time but his play was limited, especially defensively and the Wizards were able to again shock Miami and jump out to a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 back in Washington was much of the same in the first quarter with J.J. Redick hitting 2 three pointers in the quarter. The tide seemed to change in the second and third quarters as the lack of size on the Wizards frontcourt due to Zeller's absence was glaring. The Heat, led by Lebron James, scored 27 points in the 2nd and the 3rd to take a commanding lead into the 4th quarter. Kentavious Caldwell again refused to let his team die and hit 5 three point shots in the 4th quarter alone to bring the Wizards back within striking distance. John Wall then put nail in Miami's coffin with 2 huge 3 point shots with under a minute to play. Lebron James tried to answer but came up short on all 4 of his 3 point attempts in the final 2 minutes. The Wizards shocked the world by sending a hobbled, yet still favorite-to-win-it-all, Heat team home in the first round, with a sweep.

Second Round

The Second Round had the Wizards matching up against the Atlanta Hawks, fresh off an upset of their own over the Bulls. Both teams running on high emotions would make for an interesting matchup between 2 young teams.

The Wizards lack of depth at the Center position proved obvious as they were outrebound in every game of the series. Zeller had been averaging 2 blocks per game in the playoffs and that interior presence was also sorely missed by the Wizards. They were only able to surpass 3 blocks once.

Games 1 and 2 started off with a bang in Atlanta as Joe Johnson scored 28 and 29 points respectively leading the Hawks to an early 2-0 series lead.

Games 3 and 4 were a different story however as Washington evened the series with lopsided wins on their homecourt. John Wall led the way with a double double in each. 22 points and 10 assists in game 3 followed by 21 points and 12 assists in game 4.

Games 5 and 6 went the same as the rest of the series had so far. With Atlanta winning game 5 on their homecourt led by Josh Smith's near triple double. He managed 22 points, 14 rebounds and an outstanding 8 blocks. Game 6 in Washington was another lopsided win for the Wizards with 6 of the 10 players seeing time scoring at least 10 points. John Wall again led the way with 18 points, 10 assists and 3 steals.

Game 7 in Atlanta would have to break the trend of home teams winning if the Wizards hoped to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to get a chance to face Boston with a ticket to the Finals on the line. John Wall's refusal to quit wasn't enough for the Wizards, however, as they were outrebounded by 18 and the Hawks closed the game and the series out. Wall posted 24 points, 8 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks, but this was not enough for the Wizards who now head into the offseason with postseason experience, but questions about depth and the lack of a number 2 behind John Wall to address in the offseason.

The NBA Finals saw the Lakers and Celtics again meeting, with the Lakers making quick work of the Celtics in 5 games. Kobe Bryant finally got his 6th ring after falling short the past few years. He also gained his 3rd NBA Finals MVP award.

Offseason

Staff Signing

All Staff was still under contract.

Team/Player Options

Nolan Smith - PG - Team - $568k - Declined
Chris Wright - PG - Team - $568k - Declined
Elias Harris - SF - Team - $568k - Accepted
Yi Jianlian - PF - Team - $5.00m - Accepted
John Wall - PG - Team - $7.46m - Accepted

Nolan Smith (60) and Chris Wright (60) were declined because they weren't players the Wizards felt like could help them going forward in the future. Elias Harris (66) was resigned due to his energy, commitment to defense, and his ability to play multiple positions. His play in the Playoffs earned him one more year. Yi Jianlian (79) and John Wall (93) are both players that can carry this Wizards team back to the top of the league and were both obvious resignings.

Player Re-Signing

J.J. Redick - SG - 29 yrs Old - 65 Overall - Resigned for 1 year at $2m - Role: Role Player
Marvin Williams - SF - 27 Years Old - 74 Overall - Chose to enter Free Agency
Antawn Jamison - PF - 37 Years Old - 71 Overall - Not Resigned
Tyler Hansbrough - PF - 27 Years Old - 72 Overall - Chose to enter Free Agency
Paul Sherman - SF - 26 Years Old - 63 Overall - Not Resigned

The Wizards rewarded J.J. Redick's play for the last few years with a new contract. Although it is only a year and J.J.'s role was downgraded from Starter to Role Player he felt he wanted to be apart of the Wizards going forward and accepted. Marvin Williams and Tyler Hansbrough were both offered contracts but decided to test their worth in Free Agency. Antawn Jamison and Paul Sherman were let go as neither is in the Wizards plans going forward.

NBA Draft

The Wizards were offered multiple trades during the draft, including a chance to move up to number 1. However the asking price was John Wall, and the Wizards had to contain their laughter at the thought of that trade. They were also offered a chance to move up to #9 and #13 both teams asking for Yi Jianlian but the Wizards declined this as well, feeling Yi is an irreplaceable asset on the team.

The Wizards did make 1 trade however, parting with the 30th overall pick (previously acquired from the Lakers), Steve Blake (PG), and their 2nd Round Pick (18th selection). Toronto was the destination as the Wizards got back the Raptors current 2nd Round Pick (5th selection) and their 2014 1st Round Pick. The Wizards felt the trade was all reward and little risk as it allowed them to move up in the second round as there was no player left on their board that wouldn't still be there at pick 5 in the 2nd round, and the Raptors have been in the Lottery every year in recent memory so next years 1st could turn into a gem.

Wizards 2013 Draft Class
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
18	Shawn Kemp Jr.	Auburn	PF/C	6'9"	225
35	Marcus Jordan	Central Florida	PG	6'3"	200

Shawn Kemp Jr. was the player the Wizards had their eye on from the start of the season. An athletic freak, Kemp was a high flier and shot blocking specialist. Although raw, his ability to run the floor made him a perfect choice for the Wizards fast paced system. The Wizards are a young team so Kemp has time to develop.

Marcus Jordan was selected to fill the vacant backup PG slot following the trade of Steve Blake earlier in the draft. Jordan is raw, but has his fathers blood in him, so the Wizards are willing to give him a shot and see what he has. If he can even become half the player his father, Michael Jordan, was then the Wizards will have found a steal in the 2nd Round.

Free Agency

Josh Smith - PF/SF - 27 Years Old - 86 Overall - 5 Years $90M - Role: Starter
Austin Daye - SF/PF - 25 Years Old - 70 Overall - 2 Years $6.1M - Role: Role Player
Tyler Hansbrough - PF/C - 27 Years Old - 72 Overall - 1 Year $4.2M - Role: Role Player
Marvin Williams - SF/PF - 27 Years Old - 74 Overall - 1 Year - $6.4M - Role: Starter

The Wizards got their guy when Josh Smith chose not to resign with Atlanta and enter Free Agency. The Wizards felt he is the perfect fit in their offense with his ability to block shots, rebound, run the floor and his unique offensive skill set. They slightly overpaid to assure he would come play along side John Wall and to prove to upcoming Free Agent John Wall that the Wizards will spend money to put this team back into contention.

Marvin Williams and Tyler Hansbrough were both offered contracts before the Draft but chose to enter Free Agency. The Wizards felt both of these players could contribute going forward and had every intention to resign them. Austin Daye was a unique signing as he adds the depth missing and more importantly flexibility to play 4 positions on the court. That versatility made him a priority target for the Wizards.

Training Camps