Losing sucks, but believe it or not this franchise DOES have a future, presumably even a winning one, and hopefully soon. Given that, I look to the draft for a measure of distraction and a spoonful of hope. With all but the worst of luck the Wizards will have a top-5 pick in an absolutely loaded (as of yet) draft. Off of a gut feeling, and because after a couple tragic stories I love this kid, I want the Wizards to draft Thomas Robinson. He lives to rebound, and while he doesn't have a polished offensive game, and is largely potential on defense, he is in efficient finisher and is somewhat in the mold of Nene, though with a little more footspeed. I think a frontcourt of Robinson and McGee, while limited offensively in scale of production, could be an efficient and explosive pairing (with time).

Fortunately for the DC area, however, I am not the GM of the Washington Wizards. Despite my gut feeling about Robinson, as well as the poor defensive rebounding (2nd in opponent's offensive rebound rate last year, 5th this year) he could help alleviate, there is a bigger problem this team has: efficient offense. Despite John Wall appearing to regain form, and even take a couple steps forward (looked very composed and managed the game well against OKC, need more of that), he is still inconsistent, and an unreliable scorer most nights. Unless his jumper improves decidedly, and quickly, offensive skill is needed beside him. At the 2, some nights Nick Young looks like the best in the league, scoring with ease and hitting from everywhere, but others he disappears entirely, and on those nights the team can be hamstrung offensively. Also Jordan Crawford's reliance on a decent-at-best jumper can kill the offense. And because he brings the ball up the floor so much, he can kill it quickly. At the 3, Rashard Lewis is not even a ghost of the scorer he once was. However he is clearly not in the long-term plans of the club, so it is important to look at Singleton as a viable long-term option. I haven't been blown away by his defensive game, and while it looks good and like it'll get better, his efficiency on offense is encouraging. But in spite of that, he has a one-dimensional game (shooting), and that one-dimension is not all that great, he usually takes the right shots. And then you come to the 4, where Andray Blatche does not look like the player who could carry the burden offensively, being a primary option. Neither do Jan Vesely (though his hustle has impressed me) or Trevor Booker approach anything great offensively. And at the 5, McGee is slowly evolving into a limited but consistent scoring option, though his game depends almost entirely on Wall until he can develop that post game a little more.

I say all that to highlight this: the Wizards have no reliable scoring options, and no offensive player besides Young who can carry this team on any given night. Without asking Wall to take unreasonably large steps in his game, common sense says that a scorer is needed, a consistent, efficient, high-volume option. The numbers would agree, as the team sports a league-low in offensive efficiency, and was third-worst last year. What's more is the team assist rate, which is the second lowest this season and was the worst last year. A player who Wall can pass to, and count on to score, is a necessity. And at the time, with no real post scorers and a team of largely jump-shooters who aren't great jump-shooters, a multi-dimensional threat would be nice. So, looking back at the draft, Robinson may not be a great option. Personally, I am not too well-versed in college players, but I think the answer could be Harrison Barnes, as I don't think Perry Jones can be that guy. And that, really, is my purpose for writing this. To tell you who I think is right so you can tell me who YOU think is right. What do you say, Washington fans?

Eight games into the season, the Hoyas have performed, although to some, enigmatically. I hear the same things. No dominant big man, but opponents don't dominate inside. "Live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot." Yet we thrive against Mizzou, and get by with two treys against Utah State (a legitimately good team). A so-called anemic Princeton offense, but 81 points a game. When talking to my fellow Big East friends, the criticism is incessant, but the flaws are harder to find. One thing I do notice is that when they do reach, they reach into next year. Into the age of the players. They say that with the talent we graduate last year, this is our only chance at a national championship (to be clear, predicting a national championship 8 games in would be DELUSIONAL). 

Eight games in. Eight games into a season that many thought could be disastrous, and has been anything but. The elation has been bounded, however, by the thought of our repeated failures. See Dominion, Old; Curry, Stephen; Florida, South; Bassett, Aaron. For years following this team has been an experiment in the extremes. While I don't get the chance to make it to Hoya games a lot living in high school suburbia, going to the Snow Game turned into one of the best DC experiences of my life. Bouncing between that and the devastating losses, aided by a recruiting team that borders on inept and a fanbase that can't show the dedication to make it out to the (admittedly lacking) Verizon Center, being a Hoya fan has been a dynamic experience. 

But this I'm not used to. No single aspect of our game seems tremendously improved to me, but for the consistency. The ability to go toe-to-toe with a top ten team LITERALLY down to the last second and then come back and beat a team that won their conference last year (a trap game that, while I'm sure I'm being repetitive in stating, the 2009-2010 Hoyas would lose every time)? 

I force myself to question the team. To hold back in my praise, and be cautious in my optimism. Because I still resent Curry just a little bit, and if we continue to fall in heartbreakers at this rate, I'll be documenting breakfast, lunch and dinner (after-lunch snack optional). But then I see a highlight of Wright's shot, or his dunk against WVU. And I remember what this team could be, what it is. And I just have to keep it Casual. Because all of the failures, and all of the successes, it makes those 14 players a team, and us fans. Because I wouldn't sacrifice the Hoya fan experience for any other. I love it. Every time this team takes the court it's an adrenaline rush. And all the dominance we may show is accented with that little bit of doubt that has built up over the past few years, the nagging thought that we may lose to the AAU team that just happened to roll in that night. 

It's like a surprise trust fall. Every time it goes wrong, it's a disaster, and somebody gets hurt. But every time it works, your trust is renewed, and you're ready to give it another go.

But that's enough of my rambling. As for a national championship.

I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about championships, not games, not games, not games, but we're talking about championships. Not the game that they go out there and die for and play every game like it's their last but we're talking about championships man. How silly is that?

Now I'm gonna sound like a total idiot here. Because I remember Alonzo Gee last season. I remember watching him, liking him, and seeing the Spurs get him. I do not remember what happened to him after that, he seemed to fall into obscurity. What I do NOT remember is Gee getting back with us. I am deeply confused, and feel free to laugh if you can clear it up for me. Any insight?

I posted this over at Fannation on SI's website in a thread about who would finish higher in the NFC North standings this year IF Favre is gone for good: the Bears or the Vikings. At first I only planned on writing a few sentences in response to a comment that our defense was not what it used to be, but then I got into it.

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Mike Miller played efficiently for the Wizards last season. As both a Thunder and a Wizards fan, I would love to say that he played well, but his reluctance to shoot hampered his production, despite very high shooting percentages. However, he brings a very interesting skillset, a level of experience, and could help this Thunder team.

A significant reason for an offense that at times was stagnant was our shooting. While we are capable of making long-range shots, there were stretches where we would become dependent on them. While many call for a big man who could punish the paint or hope for an offensively developed Serge Ibaka, why not expand on a strategy already in place? Rather than trying to reduce shot attempts, why not add in an efficient 3-point shooter, who was cited as "showcasing an incredible ability to fit in with almost any team by seamlessly moving from shooter to distributor," in an end-of-the-season player evaluation over at Bullets Forever. He is a player who would not disrupt chemistry and could bring a consistent threat from deep. I would like to sign him to a one year contract and see what happens, as he is not expected to return to Washington. What do you think, Loud City?

Over the last two months, the biggest question on the minds of most Bears fans has been in the defensive backfield. At the start of free agency, many were rabid for a top-end starter such as OJ Atogwe or Antrell Rolle. As it was, our starters were Danieal Manning and Craig Steltz, per one ESPN analyst. With a series of moves, we now have a revamped defensive backfield, boasting not only depth, but a hint of talent as well. 

SS

Chris Harris

Al Afalava

Kevin Payne

Craig Steltz

I like that combination. Harris is a solid starter, a leader on the defense, and should be great in the clubhouse. I'm just as happy to have him back as I was sad to see him go, and he should give us good to great production, especially with some help from the D-Line. Afalava impressed me greatly last season, showing big upside and playing at an above average level on a defense filled with holes. Payne should be a solid backup, and Steltz, well, Craig Steltz is Craig Steltz.

FS

Major Wright

Danieal Manning

Quentin Scott

Josh Bullocks

We never got Atogwe. Or Rolle. We didn't move up in the draft and grab a Nate Allen. And no, we did not get Kam Chancellor. What we did get was the perfect selection for the 75th pick: Major Wright. Wright is a skilled safety prospect with good man to man and zone skills. His not-so Major weakness, playing the run, should be covered up by a stronger D-Line and a healthy LB core. Hopefully. Manning is a very athletic safety who should serve as a good despite tackling issues. However, he may quickly be displaced by the undrafted Quentin Scott, who flew under the radar despite good size (6'4) and better speed (4.4 40). There isn't much tape, but reports indicate that he is good in coverage, good at tackling, and a downright vicious hitter. Bullocks, is just about the FS equivalent of Steltz. Depth.

So, with major upgrades at our weakest position, added depth, and Chris F'in Harris, our pass defense should actually be decent, especially with Peanut and Bowman holding it down at corner. If Manning sticks around, I see him possibly being completely displaced by Scott, who may even give Wright competition for the starting job. Everything else is stable for at least this season, barring injuries. But what do you think, Windy City? I for one am excited about this defense, we're talented, we have depth, upside, and veteran leadership. Assuming we stay healthy, I see this defense being a major asset next season.

I am shamelessly stealing this idea from Royals Review, where they did it for the Central. I used http://www.mlbdepthcharts.com/ and Fangraphs to figure everything out. The position is given along with the projected starters on each team, and the winner at that position, the player with the highest projected WAR (CHONE).

Left Field – Randy Winn, Jacoby Ellsbury, Noland Reimold, Travis Snider, Carl Crawford. 
Jacoby wins with 3.9 WAR

Center Field – Curtis Granderson, Mike Cameron, Adam Jones, Vernon Wells, B.J. Upton
Granderson wins with 4.4 WAR (CHONE puts Cameron at 1.7 even though he had two straight 4+ years, seemed very odd to me)

Right Field – Nick Swisher, J.D. Drew, Nick Markakis, Jose Bautista, Matt Joyce
Markakis wins with 4.1 WAR (CHONE puts Drew at 2.7 despite two straight 4+ years, another oddity)

Third Base – Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Tejada, Edwin Encarnacion, Evan Longoria
Longoria just gets it with 5.1 WAR (Rodriguez was at 5.0)

Shortstop – Derek Jeter, Marco Scutaro, Cesar Izturis, Alex Gonzalez, Jason Bartlett
Jeter wins with 3.4 WAR

Second Base – Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, Brian Roberts, Aaron Hill, Ben Zobrist
Pedroia wins with 4.7 WAR (Zobrist had a fairly conservative 3.7 after his breakout)

First Base – Mark Teixiera, Kevin Youkilis, Garret Atkins, Lyle Overbay, Carlos Pena
Teixiera wins with 5.1 WAR (Youkilis posted consecutive seasons of 5.5 and 5.6, but CHONE has him at just 3.8)

Catcher – Jorge Posada, Victor Martinez, Matt Weiters, John Buck, Kelly Shoppach
Martinez takes the last spot with 4.4 WAR

It all adds up to a 35.1 WAR for the All-AL East team.