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NBA Rumors: Washington Wizards Keeping Close Eye On Gary Neal

By Ben Mehic

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NBA Rumors: Would Gary Neal Help The Washington Wizards?

The Washington Wizards suffered their worst loss of the season last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a much needed All-Star break, the Wizards came out flat against Cleveland and were handed a 38-point loss at home on national television.

Before the season started, NBA pundits credited Washington for bolstering their bench via free agency and trades. The Wizards replaced Trevor Ariza and Trevor Booker by adding Paul Pierce, Kris Humphries, and DeJuan Blair. Ernie Grunfeld also signed Rasual Butler, who quickly became one of the league’s top three point marksmen.

While those additions have been enough to beat the sub-.500 teams, the Wizards have struggled to beat the top teams in the East.

With last night’s loss to Cleveland, the Wizards have fallen to a combined record of 1-8 against the Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks. That’s…not good.

The front office recognized the team’s need for a backup guard and swapped Andre Miller for Sacramento’s Ramon Sessions before the NBA Trade Deadline on Thursday. Most people, like myself, criticized Washington for the move given how the other top teams improved and the Wizards seemingly got worse.

But, let’s just say the move works out in favor of Washington…then what? Would the Wizards’ bench woes become cured because of the Ramon Sessions addition? Truthfully, I don’t think so.

During Washington’s recent slump, it’s become clear that the Wizards need another offensive threat off the bench. Bradley Beal and Kevin Seraphin both missed last night’s game against Cleveland and the bench gave Randy Wittman virtually no production. Of course, it certainly doesn’t help when the coach’s offensive system hasn’t worked the entire season.

Washington tried to acquire Brooklyn Nets guard Jarrett Jack on the deadline, but after a 3-team deal fell apart, so did the Wizards’ chances of acquiring him.

The addition of Rasual Butler may have been enough to keep the bench’s offense afloat early in the season, but now that Butler’s production has tapered off, the Wizards have to add another offensive threat. And no, Bobby Brown is not the answer.

That’s where someone like Gary Neal could come in and contribute.

Gary Neal was acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Mo Williams, but the veteran guard has no desire to play out the season for the lottery bound Wolves. Instead, Neal will seek a buyout from Flip Saunders and Co.

Do you really need more shooting, Atlanta? Ugh.

The Wizards will continue to monitor Ray Allen, but since most executives believe that he’ll remain retired, it might be best to move on.

It’s unclear whether Gary Neal will reach a buyout with the Wolves, but if he does, he’s certainly someone the Wizards could add to the final roster spot.

When John Wall takes a rest, the Wizards have no one on the roster that could create their own shot, especially off the bench. The reserves have struggled mightily as of late and Kevin Seraphin remains the only legitimate offensive threat on the second unit. Watching Garrett Temple try to initiate offense off the bench is honestly painful. While Ramon Sessions will help create baskets with penetration, the second unit lacks a true offensive spark.

Gary Neal hasn’t been great this season, but he’s shown an ability to score in bunches. Neal has shot an inefficient 36 percent from the field in Charlotte this season, but he did shoot it well from beyond the arc last season with the Hornets, knocking down over 40 percent of his threes. More importantly, Gary Neal is capable of creating shots for himself, which is something the Wizards desperately need.

Gary Neal won’t solve all of the Washington Wizards’ problems, but he would give the second unit an offensive spark. Quite frankly, I’m sick of watching the team give away leads or allow other teams to gain huge advantages just because the second unit and coaching staff is incapable of creating a decent offense.

It’s become clear that Martell Webster‘s days as a legitimate offensive threat are over and Rasual Butler has cooled off from the beginning of the season. If Kevin Seraphin is your only offensive threat, you’re going to have a difficult time winning basketball games.

Washington has to find a way to generate offense for their second unit. If Gary Neal gets a buyout from Minnesota, let’s hope he lands in the nation’s capital.

Next: How Each Trade Deadline Deal Impacts The Wizards

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