SB Nation - Earl Boykins

Briefing: Still Can't Finish Games

JakeTheSnake — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:24:10 -0000

Nobody is perfect in the clutch. Even the most hallowed crunch-time performers have fallen short from time to time, so we shouldn't get bent too far out of shape after a tough loss like the one we saw last night. The problem, as we all know, is that losses like these are not random outliers, they are the norm. Sure, some of these recent losses can be blamed on bad officiating or just bad luck, but you can't lose 6 games in a row by less than five points without questioning the ability of the team to deliver in critical moments.

An optimist can argue that the law of averages dictates that the Wizards are due for some close victories to balance out this stretch of close losses. While that may be true, I would also point out its better to avoid these situations altogether. If you don't want to get into a situation where the game hangs in the balance and the game could go either way, put them away sooner. I would rather be good than lucky.

Kings 112, Wizards 109 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

"It's frustrating, especially for me because I live for moments like this," said Arenas, who blamed himself for four of six losses in this slide. "The team has been behind me since we started and I feel like I'm letting them down right now -- especially when they're so used to the glory days. At the end of the day, you've got to take your bumps and your bruises. I can't hit every game winner. It all evens out. One day, I'm going to start hitting them again." Right now, it doesn't matter who hits the shot, so long as somebody does. And, the Wizards have yet to find anyone -- other than Earl Boykins -- to play fourth quarter closer/hero. And, that's really a shame.

Tyreke Evans, You Are a Maniac - Tom Ziller, Sactown Royalty

If I hadn't watched it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. That entire final sequence, that is. The what-the-Frahm! turnover on the sideline inbounds play that gave Caron Butler the ballin the open court. The loose ball foul on Tyreke Evans that let the Wizards get within one point. And, of course, the brilliant steal in isolation -- plus the two sunk free throws -- which iced the game.

Kings hand Wizards sixth straight loss - Mike Jones, Washington Times

The Kings finished with two fewer victories than the 19-win Wizards and got the fourth spot in the draft while Washington was awarded the fifth spot. Sacramento used that pick to take Memphis point guard Tyreke Evans. The Wizards traded their pick to Minnesota for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. So far only one team has begun to see a return on their investment and has begun to turn things around. That team is not the Wizards, who on Wednesday night suffered yet another heartbreaking loss, this time 112-109 to Evans and Kings at ARCO Arena.

Game 24 Recap: Kings 112, Wizards 109 - Zach Harper, Cowbell Kingdom

This was the moment that could have signified Gilbert Arenas’ resurgence. He was flush with 33 points on 10/22 shooting and had the ball in his hands with the seconds ticking away and the majority of viewers expecting a dagger by Gil. But as he made his move – the same move he had killed the Kings with all night – there was something else in the cards for this evening. Instead of an Arenas resurgence, we saw Tyreke Evans’ emergence. Evans saw the same crossover move that was destroying Sacramento coming at him and instead of being consumed by it he consumed it. It isn’t registered as a steal because Arenas fouled him before Tyreke could take possession of the basketball but we all know that it was the steal of the game. Tyreke Evans is going to take a lot of things from NBA players as the years go by. He’s going to take hardware and accolades from them (you’re on notice, Brandon Jennings). He’s going to take playoff wins and maybe a title if he’s lucky. He’s going to take a lot of pride away from guys with huge egos. And it all started when he took the win from Gilbert Arenas’ hands.

Arenas confident he's making strides - Mike Jones, Washington Times

"I'm making progress every day. The team is waiting for me to kick it on, and I'm getting back there," said Arenas, who is averaging 20.5 points, 6.9 assists and 3.7 turnovers. "Every day I'm learning something new. I'm learning my game." Arenas said he steadily is regaining his confidence and timing. "I'm close to that. It's just taking a bit for me get my clutch shot back," he said. "It just takes clutch shooting down the end. You can't practice making big shots."

Wizards get close in the end, only to fall short against the Kings - Michael Lee, Washington Post

The Wizards went on a 20-9 run over the six minutes and closed within 109-108 when Caron Butler stole the ball from Kings reserve Beno Udrih and dunked with 17 seconds remaining. Antawn Jamison quickly fouled Udrih, who missed 1 of 2 free throws, setting up the final demoralizing sequence. Arenas said that he was trying to use a crossover dribble to get by Evans, with the hope that he could get a layup or an easy jumper for Jamison (30 points) if Nocioni approached. "I'm right there. I'm feeling the juice," Arenas said. "I felt being back in my old self. Trying to dominate the end of the game and I was close."

Kings 112, Wizards 109: Christmas bells? No, alarm bells - Craig Stouffer, Pick and Roll

Perhaps this team has no other choice but to let Arenas do his thing. If he's getting better with every game -- and his explosiveness seemed to find a new level down the stretch -- surely the Wizards won't lose every one of them. The telling sign of Agent Zero's confidence was the fist pump after Tyreke Evans (26 points) was called for the dead ball foul, which allowed the Wizards to pull within one and get the ball back again. But Evans got redepmtion and the best of Arenas at the same time, poking the ball free, getting fouled and hitting two free throws for the final margin. Butler's game-tying three going in and out was only fitting. Lastly, the unbiased announcing from the ESPN crew should've made it clear to those watching at home, the Wizards are in disarray, even if they came within a three-pointer of going to overtime. Wins may help provide a buffer from the brewing storm, but the foundation is starting to come unglued.

Wow, just wow...the losing streak continues - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

While I know Wizards fans are very discouraged right now, you have to look at it in the most positive light you can. While we have lost five games in a row we have put ourself in a good position to win the game each time. Luck has not been in our favor. But at some point the luck has to change, and at some point the silly calls that don't go our way, and the turnovers at the end of the game have to correct themselves and even out. Until then, we can't ask for more than our two top stars scoring 30 each and our team going 23-26 from the line, and 41-95 from the field.

Behind the Box Score, where Kobe is better than almost all of you - Kelly Dwyer, Ball Don't Lie

Washington? Pressing so hard. Losing so many close ones, and you just have to wonder if something is either going to crack, or if Flip Saunders is going to lose this team for the rest of the year. Few people appreciate Flip's knowledge of Xs and Os like I do, but he doesn't exactly have the best history of righting ships, in-season. And while I know it's a long season, with a start like this, you have to wonder what Washington's next move will be.

Evans, Casspi help Kings hold on to beat Wizards - Associated Press

Arenas scored 13 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and Antawn Jamison had 30 points and eight rebounds for Washington, which has lost six straight games by a combined 14 points. "I’m a big guard in this league, but going up against him I felt little tonight," Arenas said. "It was a great pick up for Sacramento."

Gilbert Arenas vs. Gilbert Arenas. 13 Frames of Wizards vs. Kings - Kyle Weidie, Truth About It

Gil: "This is the fourth loss under my belt. I personally lost it at the end." [via @MikeJonesTWT]

Ownership of a loss. "It’s about time" or a step in the right direction? The good news is that every game brings another chance to turn the corner.

Kings 112, Wizards 109 - Mike Jones, Outlet

After the game, the frustration in the locker room was evident. Brendan Haywood, who usually always has something to say, said "I have nothing good to say. Leave me alone," when reporters walked up to him.

Wizards lose record sixth straight close game - Inhistoric

Last night, the Wizards put their futility in the record books. With a three-point loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Wizards have now lost six consecutive games by four points or less -- tying the 1976-77 Phoenix Suns for the most ever.

Preview: Wizards at Kings ONE DOLLAR MOUNTAIN DEW NIGHT OH BOY

Ziller — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

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THE OPPONENT

You may think the Wizards suck, given their 7-15 record. But they been unlucky in close games, and have the point differential of an 8-14 team. Do not undersell the should-be-8-and-14 Washington Wizards!

How weird is this, right? The Wizards got two key players (former All-Star Gilbert Arenas and ace defender Brendan Haywood) make from injury, traded a high lottery pick for two veterans (one a former Rookie and Sixth Man of the Year), hired the offseason's priciest head coach and augmented the roster with veterans. The Kings lost their best player to injury after five games, drafted a (then-) 19-year-old, a 21-year-old and a 22-year-old, hired the offseason's cheapest head coach and augmented the roster with a 260-pound undersized power forward with bad knee history, a 76-year-old Oklahoman painter and Team Spain's fourth-string point guard.

The Kings have flirted with .500 all season, and sit 10-13 after a string of harrowing road losses. The Wizards are eight games under .500. WHAT.

Mike Miller has been alternatively injured and stubbornly dismissive of his history as a shooter. (Earl Boykins, a gunner himself, shoots twice as frequently per minute as Miller. Unbelievable.) Arenas has needed 18 FGAs a night (plus six FTAs) to get his 20 points. (By comparison, Tyreke Evans, age 20, gets those same 20 points on about 2-1/2 fewer shots a night.) Haywood's return has improved the defense only marginally, and that's under the assumption Flip Saunders hasn't helped in replacement of Eddie Jordan/Ed Tapscott, which probably isn't true. Caron Butler has fallen off the side of the Earth in terms of efficiency. Randy Foye has been a catastrophe. Antawn Jamison has been a champ since returning from injury, but he's clearly aggravated with what's gone on around him.

And now the Wizards have a lottery team without much of a kiddie corps to build with, while the Kings press on with one of the league's most promising young cores, far lower salary committments and a much better record.

WHAT NOW D.C.? WHAT NOW?

THE KEY BATTLE

Evans vs. Arenas. Gil might be off this season, but he can still penetrate and he still averages seven assists a night. He won't be an "Aaron Brooks problem" or a "Deron Williams problem." But he could be a bit of a problem. And we know from experience he has no issues playing before a defiant audience. (In fact, he might be one of the few better in locales hostile. Basically even home-road splits this season. Only slightly better at home for his career.) But to me a key to this game is Evans punishing Arenas. Gil's counterparts have shot better than 52 percent this season. The Wiz are terrible at forcing turnovers and foul too much. Conditions are perfect.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Thursday Sacramento Bee headline: "Brockman Demasked, NBA to Weigh Whether Cthulhu Can Play."

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

$1. MOUNTAIN DEW. ALL. NIGHT. Boy, do I feel for Maloof Sports & Entertainment janitorial staff.

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Muff209 will quaff 208 beers. Juuuuuuust short.

DETAILS

7:30 PM. E-S-P-N. (Also, Comcast SportsNet. I guarantee you won't miss the first half-quarter on CSN.) Also, 1140 AM KHTK. Game thread at 7:30, Game Thread II at 8:30, Post-Game Thread at 10:15. Recap with a whiskey sour.

Briefing: Wizards fumble away big lead

JakeTheSnake — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:55:50 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

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Game Hub | Boxscore | Game Flow

Clips rally, hold on to beat Wizards 97-95 - Greg Beacham, Associated Press

Caron Butler scored nine of his 20 points in the final 2:43 for the Wizards, including a 3-pointer with 11.8 seconds left. Gordon’s 1-for-2 effort at the line followed before Boykins, the 5-foot-5 former Clipper, lost control of his dribble in the frontcourt with about 4 seconds left. "I just lost the ball," Boykins said. "It was that simple. I saw Brendan (Haywood) open up under the basket, I went to make a pass, and I lost the ball. It was a game where we didn’t execute at the end. Whenever you lose a one-possession game, there’s other possessions in the game that lead to that. We played good, but we didn’t play well enough to win."

Inconsistent Wizards dealt another tough loss - Mike Jones, Washington Times

When the Washington Wizards reported for training camp back in September, coach Flip Saunders claimed "Our Time" as the team motto and had T-shirts and caps made up with the slogan. The Wizards' home game operations staff even selected a song with "Our Time" as the main line. But instead of playing according to that theme, the Wizards have looked, sounded and played more like something along the lines of Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold," going on scoring runs, slipping into funks and falling behind only to come thundering back before going cold again.

Clippers 97 - Washington 95 - Another Ugly Win - Steve Perrin, Clips Nation

Why the Clippers dug a 16 point hole in the first place is quite another story. I don't consider myself a Wizards expert after watching them in one full game and bits and pieces of others, but in this game at least, their problem is pretty obvious - they have three players, while NBA rules allow you to have five. OK, I'll throw Brendan Haywood into the mix with Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but every single other player on the Wizards absolutely killed them tonight. Now, throw in the fact that of their big guns, only Jamison was particularly good (specifically, he was great) and this really should have been a relatively easy win for the Clippers. But almost nothing is easy for the Clippers - ever - and this game was no exception. Just when it felt like the Clippers should be pulling away in the second quarter, the lid on the basket sealed shut. What's particularly weird is that they must have moved that lid from one basket to the other at half time, because the third quarter started the way the second quarter ended. Over about a five minute stretch spanning the intermission, the Wizards outscored the Clippers 20-2 to take a 12 point lead.

Instant Analysis: Wizards-Clippers - Brian Jackson, CSN Washington

The Washington Wizards rarely get easy points. This season, they’ve had a tendency to settle for contested jump shots early in the shot clock. But during a four-minute stretch in the third quarter, the Wizards went on a 12-5 run with a balanced attack: passed the ball into the paint and then kicking it out to the wings. On two plays, they fed the ball inside to Haywood, who was fouled on both plays but still finished the easy dunks. As the Clippers shifted their defensive focus to the paint, the Wizards made five assisted long jumpers, including two from behind the arc. After Antawn Jamison made the final 3-pointer of the run, the Wizards led by 17 points.

Clippers Hand Wizards Fifth Straight Loss - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

It was during this time that the Wizards seemed under control as they built a 17-point lead at 64-47 with 6:45 left in the third quarter. The team’s calm was best exemplified on a play when Arenas could have gambled on long throw up court to Butler in traffic. Instead Arenas slowed it down and then found Jamison in the lane on a bounce pass and he flipped to a cutting Brendan Haywood for a slam dunk. The calm didn’t last. The Wizards closed the third quarter more in chaos. Suddenly turnovers and bad shot selection returned for the Wizards and by the end of the quarter their lead was down to 69-67.

Washington Wizards lose fifth in a row, dropping one to the L.A. Clippers, 97-95 - Michael Lee, Washington Post

"When you've got your foot on a team's throat, you got to go ahead and finish them off. We were up 16, 17, we got to go ahead and turn that into 20, 21 and then coast in the fourth quarter," Haywood said. "The problem was, that third quarter, the end of the third quarter, we let them get their confidence going and that basically rolled over into the fourth quarter. It's time to stop fighting from behind and doing the right things when we have the lead."

Clippers 97, Wizards 95 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

After that one, all that I can say is that the Wizards are some creative guys. They really know how to script the most excruciating losses imaginable. The Wizards already delivered the Gilbert Arenas missed layup against Toronto and Arenas's missed free throws against Boston and Indiana (not to mention the referee review that rewarded Mike Dunleavy with two free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining). On Monday, the Wizards squandered a 17-point second-half lead, rallied back from an eight-point deficit with three minutes remaining, then failed to get off a potential game-tying shot as they lost 97-95 to the Los Angeles Clippers and the senior Dunleavy. At least on this night, Arenas won't have to take the blame for how the game ended. That's because he wasn't around for the finish. Arenas fouled out with 2 minutes, 51 seconds left, picking up his sixth foul when he tripped Clippers center Chris Kaman.

Clippers 97, Washington 95 - Kevin Arnovitz, ClipperBlog

Despite a number of dominating spurts by both teams, Monday’s game against the Wizards is a microcosmic win for the Clippers. They play strong half-court defense throughout most of the game, but lose the first half because they can’t control the defensive glass.

Clippers 97, Wizards 95: Another blown lead, another loss - Craig Stouffer, Pick and Roll

Huge nights again for Jamison (32 points, 11 rebounds) and Brendan Haywood (12 points, 12 rebounds) as the Wizards seem to be getting closer -- or further. Yeah, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but Washington has now lost its last five by a combined 11 points, that has to be the sign of something, right? In addition, the Big Three and Haywood were superior on the floor for most of the night, but the Clippers were the ones with the go-to players.

Clipper 97, Wizards 95 - Mike Jones, Outlet

This is crazy. Seriously. Just two weeks ago, the thing carrying the Wizards was strong bench play because Jamison, Butler and Arenas weren't playing well together. Now those three are playing well and they can't get the bench players going. It's hard to get a feel for Flip Saunders' rotations and substitutions becuase many times he appears to be grasping and hoping that he finds the key. But tonight, he went to his bench too early in the third quarter, and I wasn't the only one who thought that.

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Kevin Arnovitz
Jamison: The man knows how to find a mismatch in the halfcourt.

Twitter / Mike Jones
Maybe Brendan should go back to blogging. His defense on Kaman is terrible this game.

Twitter / Craig Stouffer
could've sworn I just saw a #wizards hockey assist. Can't remember many of them lately.

Twitter / Michael Lee
Wiz blow 17-point lead, let Clippers go ahead 71-69 then score 9 in a row. How do you explain this team?

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Wow. Earl Boykins is no longer "The Closer", he's the smallest f-ing turnover in the world. Off his own knee. Wow.

Twitter / Daniel Eichner
Earl Boykins and I are developing a serious love/hate relationship. Would still like to see him as santa's helper tho. #wizards keep losing

Twitter / Chris C-Ford
Id rather they throw up a full court shot, than not get a shot at all

Twitter / Edward
the #wizards might be the collectivley dumbest team sports iq wise I've ever seen. Shot selection in clutch moments is just inexplicable.

Twitter / wizznutzz
Wizards so weary, the sweet cause in vain. You make love, you break love, it's all the same....manic depression is a frustrating mess

Twitter / David Malitz
god, i can't believe i actually have tickets in hand to 4 wiz games over the next month. forget bobbleheads, when's valium night?

Keys to the Palace

JakeTheSnake — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:52:13 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

Scott Skiles shows his outrage after being given a Red Lock of Shame.

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Last week, we got an e-mail from user ledellforlife asking if we could do a weekly segment in the same vein as Japers' Rink's Capital Ups and Downs. After some brainstorming and tinkering, we are proud to unveil the first installment.

Most of you probably know that the title refers to Ed Tapscott's famous response to why Nick Young wasn't getting playing time last season. In case you don't remember, here's the quote:

"Someone asked me the other day if I have a dog house. I said, 'No I don't have a dog house, I have a Palace of Good Play.' I'm looking for someone who's playing well so I can put them in that palace."

Each week, we'll be handing out golden keys to the players whose good play has earned them the right to stay in the Palace of Good Play. Each player who makes it inside the Palace will be rewarded with the Gold Key to the Palace of Good Play.

Likewise, those who do not play well enough to enter the Palace of Good Play will receiver their own logo. Their scarlet letter will come in the form of the Red Lock of Shame.

After the jump, we'll take a look at each player on the roster to see who gets to stay in the Palace, and who will be forced to sleep in the cold.

Gilbert Arenas

#0 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 25 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds in 41 minutes
vs. Indiana: 22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds in 35 minutes

It's hard to deny entrance to the palace for someone who recorded a triple-double and played a solid week of basketball, but those free throws are going to stick out in people's minds until he can prove that he can hit clutch shots again.

Final Verdict

Andray Blatche

#7 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in 26 minutes
vs. Indiana: 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in 19 minutes

There were questions about how Andray Blatche would adjust after Antawn Jamison returned. So far, he's done a magnifcent job of showing that he can still be productive in a more limited role. Maybe it would have been premature to do so earlier this season, but I think we can finally give kudos to Blatche for finally turning the corner.

Final Verdict

Earl Boykins

#12 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 2 points, 3 assists in 12 minutes
vs. Indiana: 14 points, 2 assists in 19 minutes

After playing the shortest amount of time he has played all season against the Celtics, Boykins saw his playing time rebound to the norm against Indiana. Fortunately for Earl, it looks like his diminished PT was just an abberation and he will continue to be a key reserve for the team moving forward. Unfortunately, his playing time was the only rebound he collected all of last week.

Final Verdict

Caron Butler

#3 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists in 41 minutes
vs. Indiana: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 38 minutes

Saturday night's game against Indiana was the first game this season where Caron took over 15 shots and hit over half of them. Although they lost on Saturday, it is the most comfortable the Big 3 have looked playing together all season long. Caron holds the key to getting the Big 3, and in turn, the rest of the team in sync, but I'm not ready to give him the key to the palace just yet.

Final Verdict

Javaris Crittenton

#8 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: DNP - Injured
vs. Indiana: DNP - Injured

One has to wonder if the presence of Earl Boykins hasn't totally eliminated Javaris Crittenton from the picture. Nick Young has been in and out of the doghouse all season long and the team picked up his option, unlike Crittenton. If he can't find a way to contribute early on, don't be surprised to see those DNP - Injureds to into DNP - Coach's Decisions once he comes back.

Final Verdict

Randy Foye

#15 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 6 points, 3 rebounds in 13 minutes
vs. Indiana: 0 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound in 7 minutes

You have to wonder if Randy Foye feels a little bit like Wally Pipp, watching as the player who was supposed to just be an injury replacement end up taking most of his playing time. Then again, when you hurry up an off-balance three pointer with 8 seconds left because you didn't realize how much time you had left, it's hard to pass blame off on someone else.

Final Verdict

Brendan Haywood

#33 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 17 points, 8 rebounds in 35 minutes
vs. Indiana: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assists in 35 minutes

It's a good thing that Haywood's play speaks for itself, because his blog was not doing a very good job. While insightful at times, his controversial takes on some issues (most notably the Tiger Woods fiasco) got him in some hot water and he has decided to pull a Gilbert Arenas and retire from the blogging game.

Final Verdict

Mike James

#13 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: DNP -Injured
vs. Indiana: DNP - Injured

He might be injured, and he might be on the trading block, but he's still a bbbeeeeeaaaaasssssttttt.

Final Verdict

Antawn Jamison

#4 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 16 points, 8 rebounds in 35 minutes
vs. Indiana: 20 points, 7 rebounds in 45 minutes

Antawn Jamison is more consistent than you are, he's tougher too.

Final Verdict

JaVale McGee

#34 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 0 points, 0 rebounds in 3 minutes
vs. Indiana: 0 points, 0 rebounds in less than a minute

JaVale McGee made sure the void for a blogging presence from a Wizards center did not last for long. In his latest entry, he told readers:

So really really the point of this blog secretly is to dare anyone with a Ps3 to a challenge on Call of Duty Modern Warefare 2.

I seriously think i'm one of the best in that game, let alone the NBA.

This should be interesting.

Final Verdict

Dominic McGuire

#5 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: DNP - Coach's Decision
vs. Indiana: 4 rebounds, 1 assist in 6 minutes

After receiving a nice palm to the face on Thursday, Taser responded with a solid performance in limited minutes against Indiana. We'll see if his solid rebounding and positive +/- are enough to get him some more burn in the future.

Final Verdict

Mike Miller

#6 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: DNP - Injured
vs. Indiana: DNP - Injured

Odds are, if Mike was playing he would have a key to the palace, but I just can't give him a key for looking nice in a suit. Maybe if he got a haircut I would reconsider.

Final Verdict

Fabricio Oberto

#21 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 1 assist, 3 fouls in under 2 minutes
vs. Indiana: DNP - Coach's Decision

Remember when this guy was starting games this season?

Final Verdict

DeShawn Stevenson

#2 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 5 points, 0 assists in 15 minutes
vs. Indiana: 2 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds in 19 minutes

Starting DeShawn Stevenson might bethe key to creating a balance between Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. In the two games Stevenson has started, Gilbert has averaged 21.5 points per game and Caron has averaged 21. Then again, the Wizards have lost both games he has started, so maybe it isn't worth exploring any further.

Final Verdict

Nick Young

#1 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound in 11 minutes
vs. Indiana: 1- points, 2 rebounds in 13 minutes

Flip has been tough with Nick Young this season. He has put him in the doghouse a few times for poor play, but he has also been fair in giving him chances to work his way out. His recent stretch of strong play makes it appear that the hard work is paying off.

Final Verdict

Flip Saunders

Coach - Washington Wizards

This Week

vs. Boston: Lost to Boston 104-102
vs. Indiana:

The start of the year hasn't gone the way Flip would have wanted or expected, but there are still some bad habits that he has to break the team of before they can truly move forward. The good news is that he is doing a good job of starting to break the team of their worst bad habit, sloppy defense.

Final Verdict

Clippers vs. Washington - Game Preview

Steve Perrin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:38:55 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

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2009/2010 NBA Regular Season
	vs
9-13		7-14
Staples Center
December 14th, 2009, 7:30 PM
Prime Ticket, 980 AM
Probable starters:
Baron Davis	PG	Gilbert Arenas
Eric Gordon	SG	DeShawn Stevenson
Al Thornton	SF	Caron Butler
Marcus Camby	PF	Antawn Jamison
Chris Kaman	C	Brendan Haywood

The Back Story:

First meeting of the season. The teams split the season series last year, one game a piece.

The Big Picture:

Are the wheels coming off? After consecutive home losses, including a 25 point embarrassment against the Spurs yesterday, it sort of feels that way. Basketball is about momentum, both in individual games and over the course of a season, and right now the Clippers have none. How many more ugly losses until the team stops trying? (That is assuming they haven't already, which is not readily apparent from the Spurs game. I mean, how would we know the difference if they stopped trying?) Right now, they have a chance to recapture some momentum. The next four opponents are among the six worst teams in the league. By simply doing what most NBA teams have been doing this season - that is beating the Wizards, Wolves, Knicks and Sixers - the Clippers can get back to .500, if only for a day. It starts with the game against the Wizards. And it starts with defense. The Wizards are fully capable of getting on a role on offense and slicing and dicing the Clippers the same way the Spurs did. If that happens, yeah, the wheels are off. Eric Gordon will surely have to play better than he did against the Spurs, when he went only 4 for 12. And the Clippers will have to get SOMETHING from their bench. Although Sebastian Telfair started last night, if you consider him a reserve as he will be tonight, the Clippers got basically nothing from their bench against the Spurs. Craig Smith scored 6 points in garbage time and that's about it. Not to mention that they didn't play good defense either. The bench simply must play better.

The Antagonist:

The Wizards are 7-14, but they're not really that bad. They are playing much better since getting Antawn Jamison back from injury (right when the team said he would be back, imagine that) but have recently lost four straight by margins of 2, 4, 2 and 1. Don't you just know that teams struggling to get a win have the Clippers circled on their calendars? The Wizards still have their big three of Gilbert Arenas, Jamison and Caron Butler, and those three are averaging a combined 58 points per game this season. But with Mike Miller injured, the shooting guard position is currently a train wreck, with DeShawn Stevenson shooting less than 30% and Randy Foye under 40%. And the Wizards can't really stop anyone, having the 21st rated defense in the league in efficiency. Still, Arenas, Jamison and Butler can score with anybody, and the Wizards have some intriguing players off the bench like Andray Blatche and former Clipper Earl Boykins. I don't expect this to be an easy game by any means. I don't expect much to be easy for the Clippers this season.

The Subplots:

Matchups. Jamison is the class tweener, not big enough to be a traditional power forward, but not quick enough to play the small forward. Despite that, he's a monster on offense. He has an array of junky shots and his unorthodoxy makes him difficult to defend. His bizarre repertoire tends to neutralize the length of a defender like Camby - it's hard to block a shot when you don't know when it's coming or where it's coming from. The Clippers need to hope that Gil versus Baron is at worst a push and that Kaman versus Haywood and Gordon versus Stevenson are clear wins.
Gil the goat. Gilbert Arenas has missed key late free throws in each of the last two losses, with the game on the line. Gil's been up and down lately - he's been below double figures in 3 of his last 7 games - but he's scored at least 22 in the other four. By the way, in Saturday's game, Mike Dunleavy Jr was the hero - after Gil missed two free throws, MDjr made two with 0.1 seconds left to give the Pacers the one point win.
The Clipper bench. The bench was supposed to be vastly improved over last season, but the simple fact is that a lack of depth has really hurt the Clippers this season. Even on the rare occasions when the starters can build a lead, the bench tends to lose all or most of it.
Rasual and Ricky. Rasual Butler's minutes have been dwindling as he continues to struggle. Ricky Davis was the first wing off the bench and played more minutes than Butler against the Spurs. Rasual's been bad - but Ricky's been no better. Maybe it's time to give Mardy Collins a serious look as the first wing.
Get away game. The Clippers begin a six game road trip, their longest of the season so far, on Wednesday. Moreover, the home-friendly schedule (they have 15 of their first 23 at home counting this one) they've enjoyed thus far comes to an abrupt end. Then again, 'enjoyed' may not be the right word given the Clippers' noticeable lack of a home court advantage. Still, it would be nice to finish the home stand on a high note, but the ugliness of the Spurs game in the past, and leave to Minnesota with some positive mojo.
Movie Quote:

Of course it's Pete! Look at him!... We gotta find some kind of wizard to change him back.

Delmar, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). Ah, the Coen Brothers. This line is when Delmar and McGill think that the sirens have turned Pete into a toad.
Get the Wizards perspective at Bullets Forever.

10 YEARS OF STIFFDOM: A Decade Retrospective...

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:04:03 -0000

Who knew that at the beginning of the '00s - with none other than Dan Issel in charge - that the Nuggets would end up having a successful and often thrilling decade? Here's a look back at the last 10 years of Denver Nuggets basketball...

At the conclusion of the 1990s, the Nuggets were in utter disarray. As documented in detail here at Denver Stiffs, this once proud and respected franchise had been turned into an NBA laughingstock thanks to a lethal combination of ineptitude, incompetence, and ignorance. Between 1990 and 1999, the Nuggets made the playoffs just twice and Nuggets fans were forced to endure seasons with win totals under 40 games eight times (including the lockout shortened 1998-99 season in which the Nuggets would likely have "won" about 25 games had an 82-game season been played out). We witnessed five seasons in which the Nuggets won less than 24 games, and in 1997-98 the 11-win Nuggets won less games than the Broncos that year.

Making matters worse throughout the 1990s, the Nuggets never caught a break. Even though they participated in eight NBA Draft lotteries, twice sported the worst record in the NBA (1990-91 and again after that infamous 1997-98 campaign) and had a bottom-four record five total times, the highest pick they were ever rewarded was third (which Issel promptly screwed up by drafting Raef LaFrentz over Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison). We missed out on all the game-changing draftees of the 1990s: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber and Tim Duncan. And a freak knee injury sustained by rising star LaPhonso Ellis in 1994 would prove to be the undoing of the Nuggets only good team of the decade: the 1993-94 squad that had just stunned the NBA world by beating the number-one seeded Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs before taking the Utah Jazz to seven in Round 2.

But make no mistake about it, the Nuggets problems throughout the 1990s were self-inflicted. Cartoonish figures such as Peter Bynoe, Bertram Lee, the Comsat "Corporation," Paul Westhead, Bernie Bickerstaff, Allan Bristow and finally, Issel, made every wrong/bad decision possible, leaving the Nuggets organization in tatters until Stanley E. Kroenke rescued the franchise in 2000 with his purchase of the team. Upon arrival, Kroenke made it clear that he wanted to win and win now, and thus set in motion a series of events that produced one of the better decades in franchise history...

2000-2001 (40-42, no playoffs)

In an increasingly tough Western Conference, the Nuggets remarkably won 40 games but were still seven games off the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. While a 40-win season would normally be a good thing having come off a 35-win season, team "president", "head coach" and dictator Dan Issel had already mortgaged the Nuggets future by sending away numerous first round picks in order to build that 40-win team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Antonio McDyess

Coming off a gold-medal winning performance in the Sydney Olympics, McDyess was a stud in 2000-01. The quiet, dignified power forward averaged 20.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg and 1.5 bpg and even made the All-Star team.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

The aforementioned Issel had previously (and foolishly) traded away the Nuggets own first round picks for 1999, 2000 and 2001 - all lottery picks, mind you - and after an assortment of complicated, even more stupid deals, for those picks he essentially brought back Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Kevin Willis (on the very wrong side of his career), Voshon Lenard and Tracy Murray. But that was just off-the-court. On-the-court, Issel was a tyrant with his players and the refs. At one point, his players were so fed up with the way he was treating Raef LaFrentz (a draft bust of Issel's own making) and others, that point guard Nick Van Exel led a player boycott of practice.

2001-02 (27-55, no playoffs)

After years of overpaying for mediocre players and parting with valuable first round picks in exchange for nothing, the wheels finally came off the Issel Administration and the Nuggets fell apart in 2001-02, precipitated by a major knee injury to McDyess that caused him to miss all but 10 games of the season. Prior to the season starting, Kroenke - either sensing that Issel had too much power, was too incompetent or both - astutely hired Kiki Vandeweghe as GM to a five-year contract.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

After Issel "resigned" the day after Christmas (more on that shortly), Vandeweghe gutted out the roster and made a controversial move that would put the Nuggets on the path of success they still enjoy today. Knowing the Nuggets were going nowhere with the expensive roster he inherited, Vandeweghe boldly shipped out Van Exel, LaFrentz, Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson (another overpayee thanks to Issel) to Dallas in exchange for Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway, Donnell Harvey and a future first round pick. When the Nuggets eventually met the Mavericks in the 2009 playoffs second round, I detailed how that major trade actually brought the two once dormant franchises together.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

"Go drink another beer, you Mexican piece of shit!" Those nine words - uttered by Issel towards a heckling Hispanic Nuggets fan after a December 10th loss to the Charlotte Hornets - were exactly what Kroenke and Vandeweghe needed to kick Issel out the door. Issel, a Nuggets legend as a player, had built up so much great PR in the community (he still has some...note Woody Paige's ludicrous suggestion that the Nuggets bring Issel back to the organization last year) that he would have been tough to fire otherwise. After serving a four-game suspension, Issel "resigned" on December 26th, 2001 and unfortunately for Issel, things haven't exactly worked out for him since.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Tim Hardaway

Unlike Howard who - knowing playing in Denver would be a brutal, losing situation - accepted the trade to the Nuggets and behaved like a total professional during his time here (it helps when you're getting paid $18.8 and then $20.1 million per season!), Hardaway was a petulant, angry brat who never got over leaving Dallas where he was hoping to gravy train his way into an NBA Championship. After starting 14 games for the Nuggets, Hardaway unleashed his anger on a TV monitor by throwing it onto the floor and getting himself suspended two games.

2002-03 (17-65, no playoffs)

Entering the 2002-03 NBA season, Vandeweghe purposefully compiled the worst roster in modern NBA history in hopes of tanking enough games to win the first pick in the draft (knowing that on the horizon was one of the better drafts in NBA history). The Nuggets starting back court of Vincent Yarbrough and Junior Harrington couldn't crack a 14-man roster the following season, and the rest of the roster was littered with names you already don't remember. Armed with two lottery picks - thanks to a great trade that sent McDyess to New York in exchange for Marcus Camby and the Knicks lottery pick - Vandeweghe drafted Nene and some skinny kid from Georgia, and I'm not talking about the university (more on him shortly).

Non-Stiff of the Year: Jeff Bzdelik

In spite of being dealt the worst hand ever dealt a coach in modern NBA history, rookie head coach Jeff Bzdelik refused to make excuses, worked his ass off and was able to get 17 wins out of our Nuggets. I'd argue that was 17 more wins than they should have had and Bzdelik should have gotten Coach of the Year consideration. The Nuggets were awful talent-wise, but they played harder than their opponent almost every night.

Stiff of the Year: Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Drafted fifth overall out of the Republic of Georgia, "Skita" has since gone down in history as the worst fifth overall pick of all time (and believe me, there have been some bad fifth overall picks). Given ample opportunity to succeed in his first season, Skita - listed at seven-feet tall - shot 29.3% from the field as a rookie. At a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, I once saw Skita shoot a wide open shot in which the ball hit the shot clock first before getting anywhere near the backboard or rim.

2003-04 (43-39, 1-4 in the playoffs)

A full 10 years after upsetting the Sonics in the playoffs, the Nuggets finally got their act together and Coloradoans cared about basketball again. Unable to shake the Nuggets streak of bad luck with the Draft Lottery, Vandeweghe got lucky nonetheless thanks to Detroit GM Joe Dumars' stupidly drafting Darko Milicic (i.e. Skita 2.0), leaving Syracuse star/stud Carmelo Anthony available with the third overall pick. And with Howard's giant contract coming off the books, Vandeweghe was finally able to spend Kroenke's money. Free agent signees Andre Miller, Jon Barry and Earl Boykins joined Melo, Nene and a healthy Camby. Under Bzdelik's stewardship, the Nuggets won 43 games and put up a respectable fight against the Timberwolves in the playoffs first round. As fans, we were happy just to be in the playoffs!

Non-Stiff of the Year: Carmelo Anthony

For the first time since Alex English last donned a rainbow jersey, the Nuggets had a perennial All-Star caliber player in Melo. As a rookie, Melo averaged 21 ppg and 6.1 rpg while giving fellow rookie phenom LeBron James a run for the Rookie of the Year Award. But more importantly, Melo led the Nuggets back to the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, whereas LBJ couldn't do the same in Cleveland in the weakened Eastern Conference.

Stiff of the Year: Rodney White

Playing for his next contract after his rookie deal was due to expire in two seasons, White gave the Nuggets next-to-nothing in 2003-04 even though he appeared in 72 games and received 14 minutes of playing time per game. Just a few years removed from being the ninth overall pick to Detroit (ahem...Joe Dumars again), White would be out of the NBA completely after the 2004-05 campaign. But hey, at least he was nominated for the Denver Stiffs Hall of Fame!

2004-05 (49-33, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Wanting to build upon the Nuggets newly found success (and at Kroenke's alleged insistence), Vandeweghe spent the entire 2004 offseason shopping for a big name free agent to bring to Denver. After being turned down by Manu Ginobili and Brad Miller, Vandeweghe panicked and got duped into sending three number one picks to New Jersey for Kenyon Martin in a sign-and-trade deal. K-Mart's price tag? $90 million over seven seasons. Under immense pressure to win more games, Bzdelik and the Nuggets floundered out of the gate, starting out 13-15 before Bzdelik got sacked and replaced by a former WNBA coach (Michael Cooper) who went 4-10 as coach of the team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Inheriting a 17-25 team loaded with talent but without any direction and big egos to boot, Karl's no-nonsense, "my way or the highway" approach immediately turned the Nuggets fortunes around. With only 40 games to work with, Karl guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 record (the best in NBA history after a mid-season coaching switch) and had the Nuggets playing the best basketball in the NBA down the stretch of the regular season.

Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

By acquiring K-Mart, Vandeweghe essentially panicked while throwing away all of the salary cap flexibility he had worked so hard and smartly to cultivate. But worse than that, Vandeweghe was eerily silent while Bzdelik was left to twist in the wind as the Nuggets struggled early in the season. Vandeweghe never publicly defended the one man willing to coach the dreadful 2002-03 roster that Vandeweghe had assembled, and Kiki made matters worse by bringing in Cooper to take over as head coach. The Cooper hire cost the Nuggets a higher playoff seed.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Carmelo Anthony

Melo couldn't stay out of trouble in 2004. First, he was cited for marijuana possession at DIA that his cousin conveniently took the blame for (the old "that wasn't my pot!" excuse). Second, he feuded with Olympic coach Larry Brown in Athens and found himself benched on the 2004 Team USA that embarrassingly finished with a bronze medal. Third - and perhaps the worst/dumbest - Melo was caught on a "Stop Snitching" DVD in which alleged drug dealers explain what happens to people who cooperate with the police. Melo didn't improve much on the floor, either, and found himself (rightfully) in Karl's doghouse early and often.

2005-06 (44-38, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Unable to build off the team's incredible run under Karl to conclude the previous season, injuries ravaged the Nuggets and they limped their way to a 44-38 record. K-Mart and Camby missed 26 games apiece and most tragically, Nene succumbed to the Nuggets power forward curse and was lost for the season with an ACL and MCL tear after just one game. At the time, the Nuggets marketing and PR team spun the season as as success under the guise of "Northwest Division Champs" and that the Nuggets were a three-seed entering the postseason. But this was before the NBA properly seeded division winners who have mediocre records. The Nuggets were such a weak three-seed, that the Clippers purposely tanked games to face them in the first round...and when they got their wish, the Clippers clocked the Nuggets in five games. Oh, and that was the Clippers only playoff series win since becoming the Clippers in 1978. Overall, the season was a mess from from the top down (as chronicled in detail at the time by the Denver Post's Thomas George). Vandeweghe would be let go at season's end and was replaced by Mark Warkentien (and eventually Rex Chapman, too). Dysfunction, egos and injuries had set the Nuggets back a few steps.

Non-Stiff of the Year: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller

Melo and Miller played in 80 and 82 games, respectively, and carried the Nuggets in 2005-06. Melo improved his scoring average by over six points per game and his field goal percentage went up, as well. Miller - the modern day NBA "iron man" even if he doesn't condition well in the offseason - was a steady hand as always, starting in all 82 games and dishing out over eight assists per game.

Stiff of the Year: Kenyon Martin

Recovering from microfracture surgery and frustrated by knee tendinitis, K-Mart was pretty surly for much of the season and was morphing into a locker room cancer. He allegedly didn't get along with coaches or teammates (according to George's article, K-Mart's teammates questioned his commitment to recovery and work ethic) and it all came to an ugly head during halftime of Game 2 at Los Angeles, when K-Mart went at it with Karl and several teammates. K-Mart was benched for the remainder of the game and eventually su spended for the duration of the series.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Reggie Evans

As perhaps a microcosm of the dysfunction and lack of respect for the game that was taking over the Nuggets, "The Joker" grabbed Clippers center Chris Kaman's testicles while fighting for a rebound during Game 1 of the Clippers series.

2006-07 (45-37, 1-4 in the playoffs)

In spite of it being K-Mart's turn to succumb to the Nuggets power forward curse (he would play just two games all season) and losing their first three straight games by a total of five points, the Nuggets would win 12 of their first 21 games with Melo playing the best basketball of his career. That all changed abruptly on Saturday, December 16th, 2006. In New York facing the Knicks (who had embarrassingly beaten the Nuggets in Denver in Game 3 of the season), the Nuggets found themselves up 19 with 75 seconds to go. Karl - alleged by some to want to rub the victory in Knicks coach Isiah Thomas' face (Thomas had recently sandbagged Karl's good friend Larry Brown) - left his starters on the floor, prompting Thomas to send in his "goon squad" and make the Nuggets pay. What began as a hard, unnecessary, dangerous, around-the-neck foul on J.R. Smith by the Knicks' Mardy Collins erupted into a full-scale brawl...culminating with Melo's cheap shot punch on Collins. Melo would be suspended 15 games and Smith 10, prompting Nuggets management to attempt to salvage the season by bringing in super star guard Allen Iverson from Philadelphia in exchange for Miller, Joe Smith and two first round picks. Little did we know that the fun was just beginning.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

Welcomed with open arms by Nuggets fans and his new teammates, Iverson made an immediate impact on the Nuggets (on and off the floor, in good ways and bad). But with Melo out 15 games, Iverson was able to keep the Nuggets afloat and competitive almost by himself. When Melo and Iverson finally got to play together for a long stretch, the Nuggets reeled off nine straight wins and 10 of 11 to finish out the season strong as the hottest team in the NBA.

Stiff of the Year: Isiah Thomas

In addition to sinking the Raptors as an incompetent vice president, sinking the CBA in a summer as an incompetent commissioner and sinking the Knicks as an incompetent president/coach/alleged sexual harrasser (hell, Isiah was an incompetent broadcaster, too), Isiah would sink the Nuggets season in one fell swoop by commandeering his players to take out the Nuggets starters in that game.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith

Even though Isiah "started it," Melo and J.R. were unable to keep their heads cool and unnecessarily exacerbated an already ugly situation, ruining the Nuggets entire season as a result.

2007-08 (50-32, 0-4 in the playoffs)

Entering 2007-08, the Nuggets would finally have a training camp with their full roster participating from the get-go. With Melo and Iverson having ample time to play together, optimism in Denver was higher than it had been since entering the 2004-05 campaign. So high was the optimism, in fact, that Kroenke had over $83 million invested in the team's payroll (second or third highest in the league at the time) and Melo and K-Mart started floating out "60 wins" as a realistic goal. But even with Iverson appearing in all 82 games, Camby playing 79, Melo 77, K-Mart 71 and vast improvements seen in the games of bench players J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, the Nuggets weren't able to secure a playoff spot (an eighth seed no less) until the 79th game of the season with a big win at Golden State. As an eighth seed, the Nuggets got worked over by the Lakers in an embarrassing four-game sweep: a series which saw Melo bark at Karl "don't just sit there!" and the benching of Iverson early in Game 3 that didn't go over well. Prior to the Nuggets final regular season game, Melo would get arrested on suspicion of a DUI. It became evident that the A.I. experiment was an expensive failure.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Nene

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer and undergoing surgery to remove his right testicle, Nene remarkably returned to play again on March 27th against the Mavericks, giving the Nuggets a much needed emotional boost that helped them secure a playoff spot down the stretch.

Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Stuck in an admittedly tumultuous and difficult situation, Karl spent much of the 2007-08 sitting on his hands during games while the Nuggets unraveled on the court. While the Nuggets head coach got called for just one technical foul all season (second to last in the NBA), his players finished in the top two in personal fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls and ejections. The inmates were running the asylum as Karl's coaching record in Denver got extended to a paltry 3-16 over four years. Karl would later admit to SI.com that "...the last couple of years, I was confused." Watching Karl's Nuggets routinely take nights off that season, so were we.

2008-09 (54-28, 10-6 in the playoffs)

Disappointed with his lack of return on investment, Kroenke gave an edict to management to slash payroll during the 2008 offseason. Camby would be shipped out to the Clippers in exchange for a trade exception, coach and fan favorite Eduardo Najera would not be re-signed, Iverson's contract wouldn't be extended and things were looking grim entering the 2008-09 campaign. But what loomed as a disaster instead became a season of reformation and rejuvenation. Karl came into training camp as "Fiery George" again, Melo won a gold medal with Team USA and learned a thing or two from Kobe Bryant on what an NBA work ethic really is and K-Mart, fully healthy, came into camp with an apology to his coach and teammates and a vow to work harder and play better. With former NBA castaways Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Dahntay Jones added for next-to-nothing (by NBA salary standards) and Nene in real basketball shape for the first time ever, the Nuggets were quietly confident that they had a special season on their hands.

The lone chink in the Nuggets newfound armor would be Iverson who, upset by not receiving a contract extension, showed up to camp out of shape and several steps slow. Remarkably, Nuggets management was able to pull off one of the great trades in Nuggets history by shipping Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups. By adding Billups to a roster primed to take off, the Nuggets would shock the basketball world by tying a franchise record with 54 wins and going toe-to-toe with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Simply put, it was the greatest full season of Nuggets basketball since the 1984-85 Nuggets made it to the conference finals and hopefully a sign of more good things to come in the decade ahead.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Chauncey Billups

The Denver-born Billups - who had been cast off by Issel years earlier without ever given a fair hearing as a Nugget - immediately proved to be the perfect leader for the Nuggets. Coming off six consecutive conference finals appearances with the Pistons, Billups would make it seven when he led the Nuggets there.

Non-Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Nuggets Management and George Karl

After years of placing talent over character, the Nuggets GM "troika" of Warkentien, Chapman and team adviser Bret Bearup had assembled a roster stocked with good character guys and also deserve credit for not panicking after the 2008 playoff debacle. Warkentien would be rewarded with the NBA's Executive of the Year Award, but it should have been shared by all three guys. Karl, meanwhile, turned in one of his finest performances as an NBA head coach while bridging whatever gap had existed between him and his mercurial stars Melo, J.R. and K-Mart.

Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

The NBA will soon be announcing their "All Decade Team" and it will be fascinating to see if A.I. makes the squad. One of the greatest players of the decade, Iverson ultimately proved to be a bad fit for the Nuggets and a bad influence on Melo and J.R. This became painfully clear when the Pistons imploded after bringing Iverson on board in exchange for Billups.

Overall, the '00s were a great decade for Nuggets basketball: six straight playoff appearances, two 50-plus win seasons, All-Star players and thrilling performances (how many game-tying and game-winning shots has Melo made?!). And while it would have been nice to see a few more playoff series victories prior to last season, the memories of the Bickerstaff and Issel Administrations are still prominent enough for me to appreciate what's been going on recently.

Fortunately for Nuggets fans, four of our best players - Melo, J.R., Nene and rookie Ty Lawson - still have many seasons ahead of them and hopefully will remain in a Nuggets uniform into the next decade. At the very least, we're guaranteed that the new decade starts out reasonably well and it will be fascinating to see where this franchise is standing in 2020.

Thanks for the memories and Go Nuggets!!

Photos courtesy of AP and NBAE/Getty Images

Pacers 114, Wizards 113: Whirlwind Finish Ends As Mike Dunleavy's Free Throws Ice Victory

spstevenson — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:06:46 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Mike Dunleavy ties the game with one-tenths of a second remaining after being fouled on an in-bounds play. His second free throw gave the Pacers a 114-113 victory.

Browse more photos »

Don't believe the text messages or the e-mail alerts. Don't believe the scoreboards on your cell phones.

When the hoards of e-alerts went circling around cyberspace that the Indiana Pacers had seemingly dropped a one-point loss to the Wizards Saturday, fans who believed the initial warning were in for a special treat -- a Pacers win.

In a finale that brought back memories of last year's miraculous finish against the Cavs, it took several replays, a controversial foul and two Mike Dunleavy free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining for the Pacers to nab a 114-113 win in Washington. The win was the team's second in a row and snapped a six-game losing streak on the road.

Are we ready to recap this? Take a deep breath because here we go right into the thick of things in the final seconds. Gilbert Arenas clanks two free throws with 6.6 seconds left in the game and the Wiz up, 113-112. On the rebound, the Pacers are forced to make something happen quickly as the team has no timeouts hanging around in coach Jim O'Brien's pocket, so T.J. Ford decides it's his game to win/lose.

The guard takes it coast-to-coast, flings up a layup that sails beyond the goal, but Washington's Brandon Haywood decides he'd like to keep this game going and tips the ball out-of-bounds with 0.0 seconds on the clock. This is when all those alerts hit the airwaves. Game over. Pacers lose.

But, occasionally there's a deity out there that feels sorry about The Brawl and sends some luck toward Indy. After a referee review, it's determined there are actually 0.5 seconds left in the game. The Pacers pull out a page from their past and lob the ball to Dunleavy in the paint, hoping to draw the foul or luck into an easy bucket. Dun's does what he does best -- draws the foul on Haywood. Wizards fans boo. Pacers fans cheer. After another review to make sure that the foul occurred in regulation, Dunleavy stepped to the line and drained two free throws with 0.1 left on the clock and iced the win.

Wizards fans boo (particularly a nutjob behind the scorer's table). Pacers fans cheer. A new batch of alerts are sent out. The end.

That's a lot of junk that happened in just six seconds, but this game was chalk-full of fun material. Check out the jump for more about the other 47 minutes, 54 seconds of this one.

T.J. Ford wanted to be the goat of this game, really, really badly. The starting point guard (well, of the first half...Ford was demoted for Earl Watson at the start of the third quarter) had only two assists (eight less than Watson), two turnovers and 6-of-16 shooting from the field heading into the final minutes. Read our game thread and you can see the gang readying with fire-lit torches and heading to Conseco to rid themselves of the point guard monster. And it got worse before it got better. With just under two minutes remaining in the game and the Pacers down four with the ball, Ford circumvented the entire perimeter of the court for an isolated pick-and-roll situation with Troy Murphy. Ford then lobbed the ball to the post to the rolling Murphy. The problem? Murph was still setting the pick. The turnover then led to an Earl Boykins jumper (which was made as Ford tried to recover defensively on the weakside), sending the Pacers back six and into a timeout, their last of the game which would effect the finale and yada, yada ,yada...the Pacers miraculously win the game. Needless to say, this stretch of time resulted hair-pulling, tongue-lashing at Ford from my couch. But, we won, so until next time.
Troy Murphy had a heck of a game, unloading 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 39 minutes. Even more impressive was Mike Dunleavy's line of 24 points, five assists, three steals and two game-winning free throws in 26 minutes. It'll be great to get Mike out there for another 10 minutes per game. His cutting, quick-release shots and leadership are top of the pops right now. Jim O'Brien said after the game: ""Troy (Murphy) was terrific but Michael (Dunleavy)'s line, for not having played many games, was terrific. Those two clutch foul shots didn't even move the net. It says a lot for him."
According to Pacers.com, Indiana's bench outscored its seventh straight opponent. The blue and gold's second unit toppled the Wiz's bench, 49-29.
Rookie Tyler Hansbrough was clutch in the fourth quarter tonight and may have cemented his role of being on-the-court during crunch-time moments.He scored twice down the stretch in the final minutes and dropped 13 of his 19 points in the fourth while playing like a controlled madman in the post.
Dahntay Jones left the game midway through the fourth quarter when he landed hard on a dunk attempt. The Pacers said he was diagnosed with a right shoulder contusion. In his place, JOB implemented a version of last year's Jarrett Jack-T.J. Ford backcourt with a Earl Watson-T.J. Ford lineup. I gotta say, I feel much more at ease watching games with Ford at the two-guard spot and Watson controlling the ball.
What a difference a quarter makes. After giving up 38 first-quarter points to the Wizards, the Pacers defense made a late-appearance and held the home team to just 14 points in the second, allowing the blue and gold to garner a 66-52 halftime advantage. The bad news, of course, was that the Pacers blew that lead by giving up 38 points again the third quarter.
Gilbert Arenas torched the Pacers for his first triple-double (22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) in 5 years.
Dunleavy crushed a half-court heave at the end of the first quarter to keep the Pacers within two at the end of the first period. The shot helped swing the momentum heading into the Pacers' critical second quarter.

Briefing: It's Been a Cold, Cold December

JakeTheSnake — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:02:55 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

12 days ago: Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler, left, drives against Detroit Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko, of Sweden, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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For whatever reason everything about the Wizards' performance was cold. The team's shooting was frigid (although their field goal percentage was higher than Detroit's). Players were freezing each other out on offense; only four players registered assists. Flip Saunders got a rather icy reception from the Detroit, where he used to coach. Then there was Gilbert Arenas, who complained about the building being cold and never seemed to thaw out on the hardwood.

As we get closer and closer to the 20-25 games that Flip Saunders predicted it would take for the team to get used to the new system, it looks like the team is closer to being stuck in a deep freeze than setting the league ablaze. Hopefully some hot cocoa and some nice, cozy sweaters are just what the Wizards need to heat things up again.

Wizards drop their second in a row as Flip makes his Auborn Hills return - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

For Jamison, it was a matter of not being able to find the bottom of the basket. The Wizards captain only shot four of 14 from the field including a measly one of five from three and an uninspired four of seven from the charity stripe. Jamison registered no assists and only two rebounds in his second worst effort since returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss much of the start of the season. Arenas on the other hand only took nine shots from the field, and was three of five from inside the ark, while shooting o-for-four from three. Arenas only got to the line two times on the night.

Pistons 98, Wizards 94 - Mike Jones, Outlet

Earl Boykins had eight points in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards still lacked offensive flow. As in the other three quarters, there were far too many one-on-one plays. Here's a stat for you: Arenas had nine assists. His fellow starters combined for . . . . ZERO. Butler, Jamison, Haywood and Young (who didn't play much because Flip said he wasn't where he was supposed to be on a few early plays) instead combined for eight turnovers. Butler said the lack of assists weren't because of a lack of effort. He said "guys did some wonderful things out there tonight. ... The effort was there." Um, I didn't see much wonderful out there tonight. And the effort? Well, it was in spots, but not from everyone.

Wizards sport a familiar look in loss to Pistons - Michael Lee, Washington Post

A small crowd at the arena greeted Saunders mostly with silence. But as the game carried on, one Pistons fan behind the Washington Wizards' bench started heckling him.

"Hey Flip, you grooming Sam Cassell?" the fan shouted. "Michael Curry replaced you after one year as an assistant!"

"How'd that work out?" Saunders replied.

Last Night's Action: Only This Team - Aaron Morrissey, DCist

Yesterday's game was a homecoming for coach Flip Saunders, who was let go as Pistons coach in 2008, despite winning two straight Eastern Conference championships. Suffice it to say, his charges didn't really give a the kind of effort which would have made his former employers regretful.

Wizards Lose Close One To Pistons - CSN Washington, Dave Johnson

Unlike Friday’s loss to the Raptors, energy to start the game was not the issue for the Wizards. They were active on defense early, but struggled to develop any rhythm on offense, turning to Earl Boykins midway through the first quarter in a quest for some consistency. "Right now the guy that has been the savior for us has been Earl," said Wizards head coach Flip Saunders. "He has been keeping us in games and getting us back in games." Boykins scored 10 of his 18 points in the first half. In addition, Randy Foye scored 6 of his 12 points in the second quarter to help the Wizards shave a 12-point deficit down to three with a 52-49 halftime score.

Wizards fall short in Saunders' return - Mike Jones, Washington Times

The Wizards had one more run left in them. Brendan Haywood's layup with 3:49 left pulled his team within 85-84. But from there the Wizards missed five straight shots and turned the ball over two times over the next 2 1/2 minutes. For the final gaffe, Arenas - who took only nine shots all game and finished with eight points and nine assists - drove the lane and tried to send a pass to the other side of the court. But Ben Wallace plucked the ball out of the air with both hands.

Pistons 98, Wizards 94 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

The Wizards seemed to move closer to the goal after winning four of five games. But these past two losses have proven that the Wizards just are not a good team right now. They have the talent -- or at least the names -- but they still appear to be dealing with a prolonged feeling-out process. Players don't seem to understand their roles or to be willing to accept whatever Saunders is asking of them. You have to wonder when -- or if -- it's going to click.

Recap: Pistons 98, Wizards 94 - Perry A. Farrell, Detroit Free Press

TWO CENTS WORTH: Antawn Jamison had plenty to say to the referees and Kuester early about how he was being defended by Jason Maxiell. Jamison and Kuester are North Carolina grads.

About Last Night: Quality ball movement propels Detroit Pistons to second consecutive win - Justin Rogers, Full-Court Press

It's unfortunate the odds of the Detroit Pistons meeting the Washington Wizards in the playoffs this season are astronomical. Based on the two competitive games the teams have played this season, I can't help but imagine it would be a fantasic seven-game series.

The Pistons make it two in a row against The Wizards - Natalie Sitto, Need4Sheed.com

As for Stuckey’s game against Washington, he was great. Hot early, and had in not been for early foul trouble he would have led the Pistons by more than just 25 points. Stuck went 9-for-18 with 2 assists, 4 boards a steal, 3 turnovers and some clutch shots down the wire when the Wizards were gaining ground.

Riding the (Wealthy) Bench: Pistons 98, Wizards 94 - Packey, Motown String Music

In fact, you could make a strong argument that three of the bench players (Gordon, Villanueva, and Will Bynum) should be regular starters (at least while Rip and Tayshaun are out). And so it shouldn't come as a surprise that these three, with a little help from their bench friends, combined to score more points than the starters tonight against the Wizards, 55-44. With Ben Gordon still somewhat nursing that ankle injury he suffered two weeks ago against the Cavs, someone else had to step up and fill the spotlight, though. That was the Pistons' 1st round pick, Austin Daye.

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Agent Dagger
Through the first half, Arenas has an asst/to ratio of 6-0, the rest of the #Wizards starters are at 0-5

Twitter / wizznutzz
oops, sorry. just find out that's Charlie Villaneuva RT @wzzntzz: when did Rip start suffering from alopecia???

Twitter / Mike Prada
I'm tired of fourth-quarter Boykins. Takes ball away from the good players (Gil, Caron) and doesn't let you put in another shooter.

Twitter / Michael Lee
Can this game end already. These refs a making us wait with all this confusion over Arenas's foul. Finally, it's a wrap. Wiz lose 98-94.

Twitter / Mike Jones
Flip: "We held them to a low FG% and turnovers again killed us tonight in the first half. We just aren't getting that overall consistency."

Twitter / Truth_About_It
My heart is now as dark as Dan Snyder's. The Wizards suck & I'm beginning 2 succumb 2 the fact they need 2 trade & rebuild. Major FML.

Twitter / Kevin Cheng
Still fuming over the game. Can't believe we lost. They didn't even have half their starters playing! Ugh. #wizards

Twitter / Jason
Man, what the hell. #redskins ruin my upcoming work week and now the #wizards have just blown the hell out of me.

Twitter / tPFmariah9999
What the hell are Nick Young & Blatche laughing about on the bench??? I don't find this game funny at all! #wizards #NBA

Twitter / Alex Minoff
Is this it? Is this all the #wizards are this year?

Javaris Crittenton participated in shootaround and is on the comeback trail

Mike Prada — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:45:01 -0000

More photos » by Ned Dishman - NBAE/Getty Images

8 months ago: WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Ed Tapscott talks with Javaris Crittenton #8 of the Washington Wizards during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Verizon Center on February 25, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Sixers won 106-98. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Tonight's game thread is below this post. Scroll down to participate. -MP

WASHINGTON - A giddy Javaris Crittenton was in the middle of a sentence when Antawn Jamison wondered why he was so excited.

"Why you talkin' like that?" Jamison said, while imitating Crittenton's 'Definitely, definitely!'

"Man, that's how I talk," Crittenton responded, with a smile on his face.

That might actually be how Crittenton normally talks, but he had reason to be excited. He participated in shootaround today and said he should be practicing normally within the next couple weeks.

"I don't really have a timetable, because they don't want to tell me something and then I can't step out in that time. They don't want to get me too excited," Crittenton said, smiling. "But I'm anxious to get back out on the court, so I would say, with how I'm feeling, [I should be practicing] in no more than two weeks."

Crittenton initially injured his left foot over the summer in an Atlanta Pro-Am league. He then came back to participate in training camp, but sat out after four days. He then had surgery on the foot October 23 (he remembered the exact date), and was in a boot and a cast until two weeks ago.

You might recall how Crittenton expressed some frustration that he wasn't able to get the surgery sooner than he did. He admitted tonight that he was just really frustrated about being injured at the time and also admitted that he rushed back early in training camp in order to try to make an impression on new coach Flip Saunders.

"That's definitely the reason I came back early [in training camp]," he said. "I still felt like I could play, I wasn't completely hurt like that, I didn't feel completely hurt. But I was like 'Man, I still can move, and as long as I can move, I'm going to come out here.' I wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity when I could still run around and jump."

Crittenton is returning to a backcourt that has become even more crowded with the emergence of Earl Boykins. He said he hopes to bring a defensive presence to the court, picking up guys full court, and said that this time period essentially his training camp.

"I didn't really get a chance to showcase [myself] in training camp. I played four days," he said. "Now, it's almost like training camp for me again. I'm trying to earn my time."

Postgame notes and quotes: Wizards over Bucks

Mike Prada — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:15:43 -0000

More photos » by Ned Dishman - NBAE/Getty Images

16 days ago: WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 2: Brendan Haywood #33, Caron Butler #3 and Gilbert Arenas #0 of the Washington Wizards celebrate after a made basket against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Verizon Center on December 2, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Some interesting stuff that people on the Wizards said before and after the game. Stats will be up later.

Boykins love

Earl Boykins wasn't originally going to talk to the media. He had somewhere to be and left before everyone got there, and the Wizards' PR people apologized to everyone on his behalf. But he eventually came back and chatted for a bit, though he's not the most talkative guy in the league.

One thing he was asked was about playing in Italy last year, which yielded an interesting answer.

"It was easy for me [to go to Europe], because when most guys go, they go because they're forced to. I chose to go. That's the big difference. When you choose to do something, it's easier to handle being away from home."

It's nice that he tells himself that, and clearly it's allowed him to persevere. But let's be honest, he kind of was forced to go to Europe. The money dried up in the 2008 offseason and nobody was willing to offer him good money, so he went to the only place that paid him. Nothing wrong with that, just saying his explanation doesn't seem right to me.

That was probably the only thing that I can find fault with Boykins for on this night. Many other guys talked about him, particularly his former teammates, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

Jamison said he couldn't believe that Boykins hasn't been able to stick anywhere.

It kind of amazes me that it's hard for this guy to stay stable in the league and stay on a team," he said, latter adding that "The only thing that amazes me [about Boykins] is that this guy was at home relaxing, and all of a sudden, he's acting like he hasn't missed any time."

Arenas was also asked why Boykins hasn't been able to stick, and said he thinks a lot of it has to do with the stigma that's resulted from his height. Arenas said people look at him and make assumptions that there are better guys out there because of how small he is. He also seemed totally comfortable with Boykins taking the last few shots, which is either a sign of selflessness or being overly passive, depending on your perspective.

"Coach yelled at us like four games ago, saying 'Why don't you run the goddamn floor?' I was like, 'Well, me and Earl got this thing going for the last couple years.' Earl goes and attacks, and if he doesn't have anything, he passes it back to me and I go. He knows that when he gets stuck, I'm behind him. That's just how we play."

There were people chanting "MVP! MVP!" when Boykins went to the free throw line. Jamison laughed about it and said he didn't hear until someone told him after the game, while Boykins said he also didn't hear it (which I don't believe).

Flip Saunders said the final play was indeed run for Boykins, and not Arenas, in case you guys were wondering. He considered playing Nick Young down the stretch instead of Boykins, but decided to stick with Boykins and it worked out.

(Below the jump: Caron Butler's aggressiveness, Gilbert Arenas' mid-range shooting, Arenas' beef with the refs, Brendan Haywood breaking down the defensive strategy on Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings and more)

Caron Butler's aggression had to do with his health

Comcast SportsNet's Chris Miller said it best tonight - Caron Butler had "that look." Before the game, he was out on the main court shooting game-speed jumpers - spot-up shots, one-dribble, etc. As he stepped onto the court, he took the ball from the ref, bounced it around, all while strutting from one side of the court to the other.

His numbers weren't incredible - 15 points on 10 shots - but he got to the line 10 times, attacked the rim and had a nasty throwdown on Bogut tonight. It was a Butler who wasn't settling for jumpers, instead choosing to attack sensibly. It was a Butler we hadn't seen all season.

After the game, I asked Butler what caused his renewed aggression. He said a lot of it had to do with his ankle feeling better. Remember, he missed the Philadelphia game and was nagged during the San Antonio game with that ankle.

My ankle is feeling better, and I'm able to maneuver. At the time I wasn't feeling so well, I was settling for jumpers and stuff because I couldn't explode to the basket and do some of the things I can do.

Then, as if catching himself mid-thought, he somewhat changed his tune so that it didn't seem like he was excusing his poor performance.

But I'm not going to make no excuses. I'm just going to go out there and play and don't point no fingers. I just try to do what I can. Sometimes, maybe for a guy like myself, 60 percent is better than somebody healthy, so I'm just trying to do the best I can. But now I'm definitely feeling much better and adding another dimension to this ballclub.

The explanation still makes some sense, though. We all know how Butler plays through pain often, so it's very possible that ankle injury was worse than he let on. Ankle injuries can nag you for a long time too - Derrick Rose, for example, is struggling in large part due to his slow recovery from a preseason ankle injury.

Butler didn't say whether Saunders told him to be more aggressive, saying instead that "it's common sense" to drive to the rim more, especially when a smaller player is defending him. However, Saunders said he did in fact talk to Butler and encouraged him to drive to the basket more often.

"I told [Caron], he's got to be more aggressive. He's one of the one guys that we have that can put it on the floor and beat people off the bounce. When he does that, it sucks the defense in a lot and it opens things up for everyone else."

Either way, I hope this keeps up. I also hope we see more of Caron posting up. I'll save this for a future video segment (if I can get source video), but I really liked how he was deployed tonight.

Butler also was very happy about his jam on Bogut, bragging that it was the second time he got Bogut in his career ("He's on my wall twice!"). I asked him when that other dunk happened (I didn't remember), and he said it happened last year. Anyone remember?

Gilbert Arenas angry at the referees

What started as an innocent question to Gilbert Arenas by Kyle from Truth About It turned into an all-our rant against the referees. Arenas accused the referees of "profiling" him and can't understand why he was called for two straight offensive fouls when he tried to drive to the rim.

Read more about it on Truth About It, where Kyle has the transcript of the exchange. It'll be interesting to see if Arenas gets fined at all for his comments.

This version of the "more aggressive Gilbert Arenas" means...

Arenas eventually calmed down, as he always does, and opened us up his mind, heart and soul about, well, everything. At one point, when asked about the bench, he praised DeShawn Stevenson's ability to play his role by saying he job previously was basically to make some shots and "irritate" the other team like Dennis Rodman used to do. I guess that's a compliment...

I eventually asked him about his mid-range jumper, which he seems to be knocking down far more proficiently than he did earlier in the season. Why is he stroking that shot now when he wasn't before?

"Now, I'm concentrating on shooting. Before, it was like 'Shit, I'm open, let me just shoot it before coach yells at me for not shooting it.' At the beginning, Twan was out, and I was scoring. Then, there was this little part about 6, 7 games ago where if I saw an open shot, I was taking it, but I wasn't in rhythm. I wasn't thinking about shooting. Now, I'm thinking about shooting again. When I come off the pick, I'm shooting instead of just thinking about passing."

I also asked him about Antawn Jamison's comments from last week and what it meant to hear him and Flip Saunders imploring him to be more aggressive. He said it helped a lot to hear those comments from them.

"I was afraid what those guys were going to think. I've been gone for two years. You come back, and they're holding up the ship. If you're coming back and you're coming back shooting, you don't want them to look at you sideways."

Brendan Haywood reads the scouting reports

Talk to Gilbert Arenas, and he'll break down offensive schemes and stuff like that in a very detailed manner. Brendan Haywood is the same way, except defensively.

I asked Haywood what the team strategy was on Andrew Bogut, who was held to just eight points on 4-14 shooting. Haywood had a major hand in that, of course, but Andray Blatche did a good job on Bogut as well. That's really key, because Bogut does so many things for the Bucks.

"Our strategy wasn't to double Bogut at all. We really just kind of wanted to stay at home. You don't want to make anyone comfortable, so you want to sometimes, when he starts dribbling, fake at him a little bit, make him think he might be being doubled when he's really not. But our whole thing was, listen, let's not let this guy get to his left. Even though he's right-handed, he really likes to use his left hand. Let's keep him off his left hand and take away his space for his jump shot."

Now THAT'S a detailed breakdown. It shows Haywood does his homework on players to make sure they won't get in their comfort zone. That's a huge part of being a good defensive player, and Haywood seems to have mastered it.

I also asked Haywood about the team's strategy on Brandon Jennings, who had 17 points, but needed 21 shots to get there.

"We really tried to converge at [Jennings] at the rim. We realized early on that he drives to score more than he drives to pass, so we really tried to step up, take away his scoring angles and make him shoot jump shots. That's just the name of the game. You make guys take contested jump shots, you're going to play good defense."

This is an interesting observation by Haywood. I have noticed a couple times that Jennings tends to shoot those little floaters once he gets into the lane instead of focusing on driving and dishing. He passes really well off the pick and roll on the perimeter, but not as well when he gets to the rim. Again, Haywood did his homework tonight and does it all season. That's the sign of a defensive leader.

Other stuff

Flip Saunders on Andray Blatche:

"Andray's in a tough situation. Right now, our two most consistent people have really been Antawn and Brendan. At times, it's tough to take those guys out. Sometimes, when Antawn gets on a roll, he's one of those guys where he gets on a roll, you want to keep him playing because he doesn't seem to get tired. He gets better as he keeps on going. But to Andray's credit, he's kept a positive attitude these past few games, and even though he played 19 minutes, he had a solid 19 minutes."

Antawn Jamison on beating two very different teams (Toronto and Milwaukee) in back-to-back nights.

"Knowing that the style of play [between TOR and MIL] is very different, for you to be able to adjust to that really speaks volumes. That's the type of team that we have to be. We can be a team that can run up and down the court with you, or we can be a team that can play physical and rebound and just grind it out."

Gilbert Arenas on the last play:

"On the last play, they were so worried about me, and I was like 'You're about get a rude awakening, because this is Earl's show.'"