Feb. 20, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Wizards 104-88. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The Wizards have worlds to go before they can be mentioned in even the same breath as even the lower tier teams in the Eastern Conference.   They been cellar dwellers.

Their franchise player, John Wall, is still finding his way as an NBA point guard, and several other Wizards leave a lot to be desired (That means you Andray Blatche).  With the addition of Bradley Beal, though,the Wizards could have a top-10 backcourt.

It really all comes down to how they do on interior.  Emeka Okafor is undersized and Nene is no longer a young piece around which a team could be built.  The Wizards have a nice 1-2-3 trio too, with Chris Singleton being a legit NBA defender, even one who drew comparisons to NBA legend Scottie Pippen.  Singleton called himself the best defender in his draft class, and I think many would be hard pressed to negate that claim.

Throw in some other talented young guys, Shelvin Mack, Jan Vesely, and starting shooting guard Jordan Crawford, and the Wizards could be a team we talk about in three or four seasons.  It’s a long term window for the Wizards, but rebuilding is a real thing here.  With a strong four guard rotation, a number of good defenders (Nene, Trevor Ariza, Singleton) at the forward position.

The development of John Wall is going to be crucial, though. He must realize at this point he is becoming an NBA veteran who has the ability to lead a team.  He’s in his third year now and averaged 16 points per game and 8 assists per game in his first two seasons, with 1.8 and 1.4 steals per game between the two seasons.  That puts him in pretty elite company.  He was 10th in assists in 2010-11 and 4th in assists last year.  He was 5th in minutes played, 7th in steals, played all 66 games, and has shown himself to be in the top tier of guards.

Is he on the same plane as Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose?  No, but he is in that next tier with Kyle Lowry, Jeremy Lin, Jeff Teague, Kyrie Irving, and Ty Lawson.  I would throw Wall ahead of all those second tier guards except for Lowry, and possibly Lin.

The fact remains, Wall is the most gifted athlete of all those elite point guards except for Derrick Rose, and that should render him in the top two or three point guards in the league.  What is preventing that?  Why isn’t Wall on the same level as Paul and Williams?  Or even his athletic equivalent Derrick Rose (Though make no mistake, Rose is a better athlete)?

There is just so much Wall has yet to grasp mentally, and one of the biggest of those things is that he is capable of taking over games.  He hasn’t tried.  He was 8th in the league in free throw attempts with 402 last year.  Getting to the line like that and hitting at a 78% clip should make him a go to player.  If he could get up over 82%, he would be golden.

But it isn’t all on Wall.  Wall is the key, make no mistake, but they have to get something out of Blatche.  He’s being paid too much to do nothing.  There’s just a problem when you are counting on head case second round picks to carry your team.  We’ll look more at the Wizards in my next piece regarding which team is likely to sniff the playoffs between Washington, Charlotte, and Orlando.

Mar 15, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche (7) goes up for a basket in front of New Orleans Hornets forward Gustavo Ayon (15) during the second quarter at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-US PRESSWIRE

The Washington Wizards cut ties with Andray Blatche today, ending a mediocre run for a talented player, as GM Ernie Grunfeld decided that Blatche simply “wasn’t a part of the team’s future plans.”  After years of waiting for Blatche to pan out, it became painfully simple that he never will.

Or will he?

Could Blatche simply need a better situation, a better mentor, some guidance to turn his immense talent into production?

I can think of the man that is perfect for such a job, and he happens to be on the Celtics roster.

I’m talking, of course, about NBA veteran Kevin Garnett.  When I first saw Blatche play as a rookie, his skill set, his body, and his athleticism reminded me of a young Garnett.

“WOW,” I thought, “This kid could really be the next KG if things go right for him, and if he works hard.”

In 2010-2011, it seemed as though Blatche was on the cusp of being that kind of player, of being an NBA All-Star.  That season, he posted 16.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game in nearly 34 minutes of play a night.  He was earning spots on “keeper teams” in fantasy basketball, as people planned to integrate him into the future of their fictional teams.

While that pales in comparison to what Garnett did in his prime, it showed that Blatche did indeed have the potential to perform on a very high level.  His field goal percentage was still low for a power forward (44%), but he had shot in the 47-48% range in seasons prior, and it was assumed that after he adapted to taking more shots, it would level off back in that range again.

That never happened.

After posting those impressive numbers and appearing to be a future fixture with point guard John Wall, he regressed seriously last season, posting only 8.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game, as his minutes dipped to a mere 24 per game, while he shot an abysmal 38% from the floor, among the worst of all NBA players seeing more than 20 minutes a game.

Blatche’s shot was broken, his confidence gone, and he never could find his groove playing on such a horrible Wizards team.  The lack of chemistry in Washington affected not just Blatche, but also their franchise player, Wall, as no one could find any cohesion or consistency within any lineup arrangement.  It was a disaster.

I think Boston could be the perfect opportunity to change all of that for Blatche.

Would he be counted upon to step into the starting lineup and replace Bass?  Simply, no.

Blatche could be brought along slowly, as though he was still a youngster, because you know what?  He is.  Blatche is a mere 25 years old, still a few seasons away from hitting his prime.  Investing in him now could pay big dividends for the Celtics, and for a team short on size, the 6’11″ Blatche could help provide another big body, someone to push Chris Wilcox for minutes, a valuable big that the Celts just re-signed.

Things are coming together for the Celtics, but they really should take advantage of what is still remaining on the market.

I’m not sure how much money Blatche will command, and the Celtics don’t really have any financial flexibility after re-signing Bass and small forward Jeff Green.  Green obviously made more sense than Blatche, and after his Playoff performance, re-signing Bass was an absolute must.

Still, Danny Ainge has been creative before, and if he wanted to find a way to get Blatche, it wouldn’t come at a great cost.  It would be a gamble on a guy who has yet to get his career into full gear, after showing signs of being a much better player.  No one is going to overpay for Blatche because he hasn’t been consistent enough to warrant a big salary.  Again, I still have no idea what he will command, and I’m not sure many teams are going to want to shell out the cash for such a player.  Blatche can’t be built around yet is simply too good not to be in the NBA.

The overwhelming sentiment from Celtics fan on popular message board Real GM has been not to bring back a player they feel is a “team cancer,” but players change.  People change.  Kevin Garnett could be just what Blatche needs.

Every trade is much deeper than just swapping a player for a player. Much more is involved and we are often reminded about how The NBA is a business and sometimes you have to trade a fan favorite in order to make the team better.

Kendrick Perkins had been with the team for eight years since being drafted out of high school and calls have been pouring into Boston area talk radio voicing the collective displeasure with the deal.

Said Nate Robinson: “He’s taking it pretty hard because he’s been here eight years, he was very emotional, crying. He has to move his family, and he’s been really tight with Rondo and other guys on the team. I feel his pain. It was tough when I left New York because of all the guys I’d been around.

“With Perk, everyone thinks he’s mean because of how he looks, but he’s a soft giant with a big heart, I told him he’s not alone. We’re going together. I told him you won’t be by yourself. You’ll have me by your side. We’ll make it work together.”

Said Kevin Garnett: “It’s not even about a teammate, you feel like you lost a family member today. Tough day.”

Said Paul Pierce: “It was very emotional, especially for me being that I had a chance to see Perkins grow up from Day 1 fresh out of high school seeing him get to the level he got to on a championship team. I had a chance to talk to him at length this afternoon, but he was definitely hurt. The guys around this locker room are definitely hurt to see Perk go.”

Said Ray Allen: “I just said, ‘Sorry,’ there’s no words that can really describe the emotions that you feel. Perk is a tough guy, he was very emotional. Like he couldn’t get the words out that he needed to get out. In my mind, he’ll always be a Celtic. He’s been here for eight years. I felt truly bad. That’s probably one of the toughest pills I’ve had to swallow of any player I’ve seen traded, because he was a part of what he was doing here. So we have to change that around and incorporate these new guys we got.”

Said Celtics president Danny Ainge: “I’m as close to Perk as any of them, I have a great relationship with him. I brought him in as an 18-year-old. It was very difficult. We shed some tears today, talking to Perk. It was tough. He’s a good kid. I think he’s going to a great situation for himself and for his future. I think Oklahoma City is a top-notch franchise and they obviously have some great young players. He has a bright future there, so that does make it a little bit easier.”

Said Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca: “I have mixed emotions, I loved Kendrick Perkins as a person and a player, and he helped us get a championship. So, that’s the tough part of the sports business. You’ve got to try to make the club better if you have opportunities. Danny’s done a great job at that over the last eight years, since we’ve been here. He assessed that this was something that would be great for the short run to help us win a championship again, and the longer run.”

Said HardwoodHoudini Lead Blogger Brian Cloney: “The move makes sense and I think Danny Ainge made the move that makes the club better both today and going forward. The Celtics are a better club today than they were yesterday and that should make them even more dangerous.”