- 2 days ago
Will the Wizards make the playoffs this year as constructed? The Junkies had that debate this morning.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00yesterday is they have brought Chris Middleton back to the fold.
00:04If you remember, Middleton was here at the beginning of the season
00:07before he was part of a trade to Dallas, which of course
00:12Anthony Davis ended up here. He played 34
00:16games to the Wizards, averaged about 10 points per game in
00:1924 minutes of action. I like the move, and it was
00:24a sign that a guy wanted to be back here. Now, it's complicated. It was like a six-team
00:28deal. Yeah, but in essence, they did it for D'Angelo and some second-round picks
00:32that literally are meaningless now. So, yeah,
00:35it's kind of for nothing, and he's basically, I consider him like a player's coach.
00:39I agree with that. They've upgraded their coaching staff,
00:44adding Patrick, who I think, okay, didn't have a great run at
00:47Georgetown, but wildly respected as
00:51an NBA vet, an NBA coaching veteran.
00:54Yeah. I like that. Didn't they also add another guy
00:58to the staff? I wasn't as familiar with his name.
01:00I didn't see that. But another guy
01:02to be one of Keith's
01:04top assistants.
01:06I think they're kind of like going
01:08all in, and yeah, I said yesterday,
01:10I'll be stunned
01:11if this team, the way it's currently constructed,
01:14barring injuries, doesn't make
01:16the playoffs. I'll be stunned.
01:17I don't think it's a question.
01:20They should make plus.
01:22It's how high can they be in the Eastern Conference,
01:26and I look at the current landscape,
01:29and we don't know how the Celtics are going to be this year,
01:32but I think that the Celtics will still be one of the top teams.
01:34The Knicks are going to be one of the top teams.
01:36The Cavs.
01:37Detroit.
01:38Toronto got better with the addition of Kawhi Leonard.
01:42Mitchell designed a big deal.
01:43The Sixers are going to be better with Jalen Brown.
01:44So I think six,
01:47maybe grasp like a five seed
01:49in the Eastern Conference
01:51is a realistic goal.
01:53Do you think they could get to 46 wins?
01:55I don't know.
01:56I don't know.
01:56Yes.
01:57I don't know.
01:58The Hawks won 46 games last year,
01:59and were a six seed.
02:00Yeah, so that's what you're talking about.
02:02So if you get to six,
02:02you're around 45, 46.
02:04The thing is,
02:04and I believe this with all my heart,
02:06is that the problem that we have
02:10extrapolating it is,
02:11and teams have done it,
02:12but it's going from 17 to 46.
02:15The caveat, though,
02:17that I believe, again,
02:18with all my heart,
02:19is that 17 is the fakest number
02:21in the history of NBA.
02:24Correct.
02:24Because they didn't try to win any games.
02:26They were trying to lose.
02:26They wanted to lose.
02:27Back when they really had to,
02:28they lost 25 out of 26.
02:30That's how committed to losing they were.
02:31And we've talked about it.
02:32If they were trying to win,
02:33they probably would have been
02:35in the high 20s.
02:36They were trying to win.
02:37High 20s.
02:38I don't know.
02:38The thing is, Jason,
02:39I don't know.
02:40I'm sure they would have.
02:40High 20.
02:41If they were playing Trae Young and Davis,
02:42and all these other guys.
02:43And that's a dramatic.
02:44So let's say.
02:45Low 30s.
02:45I don't know.
02:46Yeah.
02:46Right?
02:47Yep.
02:47If they would have played
02:49Keyshawn the whole way.
02:50People don't think about that.
02:51They're not thinking about it that way.
02:52They just look at the number
02:53and go,
02:54wait a minute.
02:54They had 17.
02:55Right.
02:55And then they get up to 43, 44.
02:57The 17 number is
03:00literally irrelevant.
03:00It's just like Charlotte.
03:02Two years ago,
03:02Charlotte had,
03:03I believe,
03:0417 or 18 wins,
03:05maybe 19.
03:06And then they went up to the 40s.
03:07But we don't know.
03:08I mean,
03:08Charlotte was obviously trying to tank too.
03:10Yeah.
03:11Right.
03:11But I mean,
03:11it's certainly possible
03:12depending on who's on your roster.
03:14You just don't know.
03:14This is a totally different roster now.
03:16It could have been,
03:17if they tried to win all their games,
03:18like you say,
03:19it could have been a 30-win team.
03:20And so then you go,
03:21well,
03:21could they go from 30 to say 42?
03:23Yeah.
03:23Of course.
03:24So let's look at their roster.
03:26Especially what they have added.
03:27We know the starting five,
03:29likely,
03:30is going to be
03:30Trae Young,
03:32A.J. DeBansa,
03:33let's go
03:34Keyshawn George,
03:36Alex R,
03:38Anthony Davis.
03:39Love it.
03:40Mm-hmm.
03:41Now,
03:41all of a sudden,
03:42the bench is looking much stronger.
03:45All right?
03:45You've got Bub at point guard.
03:48You've got Trey Johnson
03:51back up too.
03:53Love.
03:53Good shooter.
03:54Showed us his rookie season
03:56that he's a very capable
03:58offensive guy.
03:59Got a bunch of wings now
04:01because you've got
04:02Middleton who can come off the bench
04:04and who can shoot.
04:05You got Will Riley
04:06who showed last year
04:08that he's kind of
04:08an offensive spark plug.
04:10He's a stud.
04:10You got Bilal Koulibaly
04:11who can play defense.
04:13Right.
04:14And then they brought in
04:15DeAndre Ayton
04:16back up center.
04:17Love that.
04:18They're a pretty deep team.
04:19It's a good 10.
04:20They got Champagny too.
04:22They got,
04:22yeah.
04:23They got maybe the nub Champagny,
04:25but they got a Champagny there.
04:27I think it's great
04:27because you've got to assume
04:28even with health
04:29that Anthony Dave's
04:30going to miss 20 games.
04:31So even with good health
04:32he's going to miss 20 games.
04:33You plug in 8.
04:34That's a pretty good
04:36backup plan for 20 games.
04:37That's why they did it.
04:38How good can this team be?
04:401-800-636-1067.
04:44Do you think
04:45I think a playoff team.
04:47Do you think they could
04:48possibly be a top
04:50four seed in the East?
04:52Can they get that high?
04:53I'm not willing to go that far.
04:54That's low 50 wins.
04:56I don't know about that.
04:58My threshold is just playoffs.
05:01Last I heard,
05:02wasn't there a team
05:04that got like 38 wins
05:05that made the playoffs last year?
05:08This past year?
05:09Yes.
05:11Maybe Golden State,
05:12but that was the play-in.
05:13Yeah.
05:13Okay, play-in is playoffs
05:15as far as I'm concerned.
05:15No, no.
05:16We've got to set the bar here.
05:17Play-in is not playoffs.
05:18As far as I'm concerned,
05:19that's playoffs.
05:19Playoffs, top 80.
05:20That's your definition.
05:21No, that's the NBA definition.
05:24Top eight is the playoffs.
05:25You're not in the playoffs
05:26if you make the play-in game.
05:27Correct.
05:28And I think,
05:28maybe I'm wrong here,
05:29I think we're getting
05:30way ahead of ourselves.
05:31You guys,
05:32we said many times
05:33when Trey first came here,
05:34he doesn't add to wins.
05:35That was the first thing
05:36that everyone said.
05:37I think obviously
05:38the Wizards are headed
05:39in the right direction.
05:41If you look
05:41at the expectations for them
05:43outside of this city,
05:45EB said yesterday
05:46he's going to be stunned
05:47if they don't make the playoffs.
05:48Yes.
05:48JP said five seed now.
05:50All right.
05:51I don't know.
05:51I didn't say that.
05:52I said 42 wins.
05:55I think they can get
05:56around 42 wins.
05:57There's nuance.
05:58I'm not saying
05:59they're going to be a five.
06:00And by the way,
06:0142 wins this year
06:02wouldn't have got them
06:03into the playoffs.
06:04I'm just saying
06:04we are putting the bar,
06:05I think,
06:06expectations too high.
06:07They're overwhelmingly
06:08have the highest odds
06:09to finish last
06:10in their division.
06:11That's not true.
06:12Yes, it is.
06:12I'm looking at it.
06:13In their division.
06:13Not in the Eastern Conference.
06:15First of all,
06:16that's not even really true.
06:17You're looking at championship odds
06:19or odds to win.
06:20Odds to win the division.
06:22That's different.
06:23That's different
06:24than where you're going to finish.
06:25Okay.
06:26They're 11th
06:26in the Eastern Conference
06:28in odds to make the NBA Finals.
06:30Right.
06:30That doesn't matter.
06:31I'm not pretty sure
06:32they're going to make
06:32the NBA Finals.
06:33I think they're not
06:34going to make the NBA Finals.
06:35I'm saying
06:36they just think
06:36there's 10 better teams.
06:38My threshold is
06:39if you want to take a top eight
06:40that they will be
06:41in the top eight.
06:42What do I think
06:43the chances of them
06:44being in the top eight?
06:4570%?
06:45What do I think
06:46the chances of them
06:47making the NBA Finals?
06:482%?
06:49I don't care about the NBA Finals.
06:49I'm just telling you how they...
06:50Well, let's not say
06:50you're basing it on that.
06:51So there's a difference.
06:53You're basing your argument
06:55on...
06:56There's a subtlety to it.
06:58I know.
06:59What I wrote you guys last night
07:01is that the Wizards
07:02are picked to finish last
07:03in their division.
07:04Yeah.
07:05No, they're picked last
07:07to win
07:07to go to the finals.
07:09No, Eric.
07:09They're 18-1
07:11to win their division.
07:12That's different.
07:12That's different
07:13than to finish last.
07:16There's a difference to it.
07:17Of course there's a difference.
07:18What odds are you looking at?
07:19I'm saying, man.
07:19There's a difference.
07:20We have to acknowledge that.
07:22There's a difference.
07:23In other words,
07:24there might be another
07:25middle-of-the-pack team
07:26that I would bet
07:27is going to make the playoffs
07:28but not win the division.
07:31I'm just saying,
07:31there's really good teams
07:33in the Eastern Conference.
07:34Knicks, Celtics, Raptors,
07:35Cavs who are going to get LeBron,
07:37Pistons, Sixers,
07:38Heat, Pacers
07:39who are getting Halliburton back.
07:40Those are eight really good teams.
07:43Matt, I'm saying
07:44they can't make the playoffs
07:45but it sounds crazy to say
07:46I expect them to be
07:47I think that they should be
07:49a playoff team.
07:49I think their roster
07:50is a playoff roster.
07:53100%.
07:53Yeah, yeah.
07:54It's a playoff roster.
07:55If Davis is on the floor.
07:57Yeah, Davis is the key.
07:59If Davis doesn't play,
08:00it changes dramatically.
08:01You're talking about
08:02an all-NBA player.
08:03Even at his age.
08:05But I can see
08:05where Matt's coming from
08:06because if you looked
08:07at the standings
08:08and we're talking about
08:0942 wins,
08:1043 wins
08:11which would be a huge jump
08:12that didn't get him
08:12even into the play-in last year.
08:14I didn't even mention
08:15You've got to get
08:16the 46-47
08:17to be in top six.
08:19We'll see how it plays out.
08:20I didn't even mention
08:20the Miami Heat
08:22with Giannis.
08:23Right.
08:23Now a lot of people
08:24look at their roster
08:24and say it's incomplete
08:25and it's going to take
08:26some time for them
08:27to be a contender
08:28but this is what
08:30I would rank them
08:31right now.
08:32They're not going to
08:33jump above the Pistons.
08:34They were a 60-win team.
08:36They won 60 games
08:37last year.
08:38They're not going to be
08:38better than the Knicks.
08:39They're not going to be
08:39better than the Knicks.
08:40They're not going to be
08:40better than the Cavs.
08:41Or the Celtics.
08:42So that's four right there.
08:44The Raptors got better
08:46with Kawhi, five.
08:49Yeah, but who knows?
08:49The Sixers better
08:50with Jalen Brown.
08:52That's six.
08:54Orlando was good last year.
08:55I would probably say
08:56right now,
08:58plan.
08:59I just put this up
09:00as our Junkies poll
09:01of the day
09:01and you can call us
09:02at 1-800-636-1067.
09:05The poll's brought to you
09:06by Surfside Iced Tea
09:07and Vodka
09:07or Surfside Lemonade
09:08and Vodka this summer.
09:09Grab a Surfside,
09:10your go-to canned cocktail
09:11made with real vodka,
09:12only 100 calories
09:13and zero bubbles.
09:14It's not a seltzer.
09:15Surfside.
09:16Must be 21.
09:17Please drink responsibly.
09:18And there's four options
09:19you can vote at
09:19Junk's Radio.
09:20Will they be a
09:21top four team
09:23in the East?
09:24That seems like
09:25an absolute long shot.
09:26I would never bet that.
09:27That seems like
09:28a long shot.
09:29Will they be
09:30the five or six seed
09:31in the East?
09:32I probably wouldn't
09:32bet that either.
09:33I'd say 20%.
09:35Play-in team
09:36is seventh through tenth.
09:37So last year,
09:38you know,
09:38you mentioned the wins.
09:39These were teams
09:39that won between
09:4043 and 45 games.
09:42That's the range,
09:43I think.
09:44Last season,
09:44it was the Sixers,
09:45the Magic,
09:46the Hornets,
09:46and the Heat.
09:47Well, it's kind of tainted
09:48because that's what
09:50I'm talking about.
09:51Seven or eight.
09:52And if you're saying
09:52that's what I actually
09:54play in,
09:55and you're not counting
09:56that as playoffs,
09:57that's crazy.
09:58To me,
09:59that's crazy.
09:59So you say you could
10:00only be top six
10:01to be considered playoffs?
10:02No, because you've got to win.
10:03Because it could be
10:03only one game.
10:04I understand.
10:06But if you finish seventh,
10:08like every other year
10:09in the history of forever,
10:10that's a playoff team.
10:12Now it's weird,
10:13and you're not
10:13considering that a playoff team.
10:15No, no, no.
10:15If you finish seventh
10:16after the play-ins,
10:17yes, you're in the playoff.
10:18I know.
10:18I'm just saying,
10:19at the end of the regular season,
10:20if you finish seventh,
10:21that's a playoff.
10:22Now you're adding
10:23this one-game caveat.
10:25Well, the play-ins,
10:25if you finish seventh
10:26and you're in the play-in,
10:27okay, you can lose one.
10:30It's not a single elimination.
10:31Right, right.
10:31It gets complicated.
10:32But I'm saying,
10:33but after the play-in,
10:34then you get your top eight.
10:34That's what I consider playoffs.
10:36Matt, I'm kind of with you.
10:37I don't think they're going to be
10:39in the top six,
10:40which is automatically
10:41in the playoffs.
10:41I think there'll be
10:42a play-in team
10:44possibly getting into the playoffs.
10:45I think even regular season,
10:47if they're seventh or eighth,
10:48that's way too high
10:49of expectations, I think.
10:50Yes, they could sneak in
10:51as the tenth team.
10:53That only leaves four teams,
10:54I believe,
10:55that don't make the playoffs
10:56at all.
10:57I actually don't think
10:58it is with our talent.
11:00I would be surprised.
11:02We just disagree.
11:03I don't know where
11:04the records are going to be.
11:05I would just be surprised
11:06if they're not in the 40s.
11:08Yeah, I don't think
11:08they're going to be
11:09a top 16.
11:0940 or 46.
11:11I would just be surprised
11:12if it's not in the 40s.
11:13I think it should be in the 40s.
11:14If they have 36 wins,
11:16it's a huge disappointment.
11:18That's a big jump.
11:19But I could see it happening.
11:21It's really dependent
11:22on how good is
11:24A.J. DeBonsa
11:25going to be as a rookie.
11:26Correct.
11:26He's going to be as a stud.
11:27We think so,
11:28but it's a wild card.
11:30Sometimes rookies come in
11:31and it's slow.
11:32When I say a stud,
11:33I think he's going to
11:34give you 16.
11:35Okay, but what if
11:36he only gives you nine?
11:37There's some guys that...
11:38Well, there's not a planet.
11:40He's got nine points
11:41on donks.
11:41Probably not.
11:42And then I'm not as sold
11:44on Trey Young
11:45as you guys are.
11:48Trey's amazing.
11:48I think he'll have nights.
11:49He's going to have nights
11:50when he scores a bunch.
11:51There's some question marks.
11:52No doubt.
11:53I think the Trey Young
11:54slander is out of control.
11:56You've got a career
11:5725 and nine guys.
11:58Like two, three guys
11:59in the history of the league
12:00have done what he's done.
12:01He's going to score points.
12:02No doubt.
12:03And he's going to...
12:03But the question is
12:04how do they all mesh?
12:06They've never played together before.
12:07That's the question.
12:08It might take a while.
12:09The other question is Keefe.
12:10Because Keefe is known
12:12for being a player
12:12development coach.
12:13We don't know.
12:15I'm sure his X's and O's
12:16are great.
12:17But we don't know
12:17how he is
12:18in the crunch of games.
12:20Right?
12:20Winning games.
12:22Last two minutes.
12:23Last minute.
12:23When they're actually
12:24trying to win?
12:25Yes.
12:25We don't know.
12:26So Keefe...
12:27And I like him.
12:27But Keefe is a question mark.
12:291-800-636-1067.
12:31It's exciting times
12:32for the Wizards.
12:32You're going to see
12:33A.J. DeBonsa
12:33against Aaron Peterson
12:34tomorrow night
12:35in the Summer League.
12:37Of course,
12:38they drafted DeBonsa.
12:39They had
12:40re-signed Trey Young
12:42or gave him an extension.
12:44Whatever it was.
12:44Gave him a ton of money.
12:46Now they're bringing
12:47Chris Middleton
12:47back to the mix.
12:49How good do you think
12:50this Wizards team can be?
12:51We'll take your calls next
12:53here on The Junkies.
12:53The Junkies.
12:54The Junkies.