Chris Knoche, the color analyst for Maryland Terrapins basketball, is co-hosting our NBA Draft show with Lynnell Willingham tonight live from Capital One Arena! Hours before that gets underway at 6:30 p.m., Knoche joined The Junkies to talk a little Terps hoops – including how NIL affects them and Hunter Dickinson not coming to College Park – and then a little NBA Draft.
And when it comes to the pros, the first thing you have to think about is how, ahead of the draft, the Wizards are clearing their books…and Knoche says it’s easy to be frustrated seeing the Beal and now Porzingis deals, but remember, the Wizards aren’t the ones dealing from strength.
“I think it’s easy to be really frustrated, especially when you see Boston was able to parlay Marcus Smart into two first-round picks, and yet you don’t really get that in return for a guy who is arguably much better in Bradley Beal,” Knoche said. “But you have to look at two things: the ability to clear $80 million off your books is not insignificant, and let’s be real – this team has not been good, and it’s insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. As constituted, they weren’t close to good enough, so torch it down and let’s begin anew.”
Knoche joked that the Wizards’ sales staff has the hardest job in America now, and admitted it’s going to be tough for fans to take the leap of faith forward into the future. But, the idea is to “develop a more likable, fan-friendly, competitive team at the end of the day.”
No guarantees, and as EB said, you ‘have to hope it’s not Kwame Brown if you’re picking at the top of the draft’ – so, then, why not even punt on No.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this started unfolding last night,” Knoche said. “If I was sitting at 8 and I couldn’t get the one guy I really targeted, I might as well trade down and collect a couple picks. I just don’t think, qualitatively, there’s a whole lot of difference in this draft between 8 and 14; the first few guys are really, really good, but then you find yourself in that NBA middle Earth where you can’t really go anywhere and it’s hard to rise above if you’re picking in that area every year. The Wizards haven’t had much luck there, but they also haven’t had that much acumen, either.”
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