SB Nation - Andray Blatche

Keys to the Palace: Go west, young men

JakeTheSnake — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:14:07 -0000

As the D.C. area was bombarded with snow this week, the Wizards were out enjoying sixty degree weather out on the West Coast. Unfortunately, they didn't make the most of their time inside the climate-controlled domes, going 1-3 on the week. What makes the performance this week even sadder is that all four of Washington's opponents missed the playoffs last season.

Of course, Phoenix was the victim of an extremely deep Western Conference. The Kings, Clippers, and Warriors on the other hand, would have been bottom feeders in any conference last season, just like the Wizards last season. With the exception of the Warriors, all of the teams I have mentioned, including the Wizards, have improved since last season.

While the Suns, Kings, and Clippers have developed thanks to the acquisition and development of young talent, the Wizards went the veteran route, figuring that it would take less time to integrate veteran players into the team than a raw talent. Yet as you look at the standings, the Suns are right back in the thick of the Western Conference battle, the Kings and Clippers are hovering around .500, and Washington is the one struggling to win one-third of their games. If this year has shown anything, it's that rebuilding can be faster than remodeling.

As the Palace undergoes renovations, who deserves keys inside? Follow me after the jump to see who goes in and who stays out.

Gilbert Arenas

#0 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 16 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals in 34 minutes (+11)
@ Sacramento - 33 points 6 assists, 4 rebounds in 38 minutes (+4)
@ Golden State - 45 points, 13 assists, 3 rebounds in 43 minutes (+17)
@ Phoenix - 22 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds in 24 minutes (-21)

Gilbert bookended the week with two clunker performances. But like an Oreo, the middle of the week was sweet. We will see if the swagger Gilbert gained out West will travel with him as the team heads back to D.C. In the meantime, enjoy some highlights from Gilbert and Stephen Curry's performance on Friday.

Final Verdict

Andray Blatche

#7 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 3 points, 3 rebounds in 13 minutes (-11)
@ Sacramento - 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks in 18 minutes (-8)
@ Golden State - 8 points, 6 rebounds in 22 minutes (-12)
@ Phoenix - 7 points, 9 rebounds in 21 minutes (-9)

The bench was a weak point all week, and Blatche was one of the big culprits. The good news is that while Blatche has slumped as of late, he isn't hitting the dizzyling lows that he reached earlier in his career.

Final Verdict

Earl Boykins

#12 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 1 assist, 1 rebound in 13 minutes (-13)
@ Sacramento - 8 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds in 15 minutes (-11)
@ Golden State - 2 points, 1 rebound in 4 minutes (-8)
@ Phoenix - 1 point, 2 assists in 14 minutes

Earl was the other big culprit in the bench's woes this weekend. 11 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds is decent output for one game, not four.

Final Verdict

Caron Butler

#3 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals in 39 minutes (+16)
@ Sacramento - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist in 39 minutes (+3)
@ Golden State - 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals in 46 minutes (+13)
@ Phoenix - 10 points, 4 rebonds, 3 assists in 28 minutes (-18)

On the whole, Caron had a solid week. His shot selection improved, but as Kyle pointed out in this excellent post, Caron still has inefficient tendencies he needs to rid himself of. He summed it up best when he said, "why must Caron always find himself facing up further away from the basket than from where he started?"

Final Verdict

Javaris Crittenton

#8 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - DNP - Injured
@ Sacramento - DNP - Injured
@ Golden State - DNP - Injured
@ Phoenix - DNP - Injured

Just when it looked like Javaris was turning the corner, it looks like his ankle has flared up again. Why can't this guy catch a break?

Final Verdict

Randy Foye

#15 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 4 points, 1 rebound in 4 minutes (-5)
@ Sacramento - 0 points, 1 rebound in 5 minutes (-3)
@ Golden State - 2 points in 4 minutes (-5)
@ Phoenix - 13 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound in 19 minutes (-3)

Foye logged 19 minutes on Saturday, the first time he's played over 15 minutes since he November 24th against Philadelphia. His performance, albeit mostly in garbage time, might be enough to earn back some minutes that he has lost to Earl Boykins.

Final Verdict

Brendan Haywood

#33 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 12 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks in 41 minutes (+4)
@ Sacramento - 9 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks in 35 minutes (+1)
@ Golden State - 15 points, 12 rebounds in 33 minutes (+14)
@ Phoenix - 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist in 27 minutes (-17)

After three strong performances this week, Brendan had his worst outing of the season against the Suns. It's one thing to have season-lows in points and rebounds, but against Channing Frye? Seriously? It's a good thing his other three games were solid as usual.

Final Verdict

Mike James

#13 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - DNP - Injured
@ Sacramento - DNP - Injured
@ Golden State - DNP - Injured
@ Phoenix - DNP - Injured

This exchange between Mike and Dan Steinberg of DC Sports Bog sums up everything.

mikejames7: Working hard. Staying on my grind. Gotta stay right even though everything around me seems wrong

dcsportsbog: Um. That doesn't sound good RT @mikejames7 Working hard. Staying on my grind. Gotta stay right even though everything around me seems wrong

mikejames7: It's the truth.

Final Verdict

Antawn Jamison

#4 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 32 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists in 37 minutes (+5)
@ Sacramento - 30 points, 8 rebounds in 35 minutes (-2)
@ Golden State - 10 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals in 36 minutes (+20)
@ Phoenix - 15 points, 4 rebounds in 28 minutes (-23)

Antawn carried the team through the first two games of the week. He nearly helped them win two games that the Wizards had no business winning. Even after he injured himself against the Warriors, Jamison did what he could to shoulder the burden, but he just could not do so at the same rate. Still can't fault him for going out there and trying to do what he could to help the team win.

Final Verdict

JaVale McGee

#34 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - DNP - Coach's Decision
@ Sacramento - DNP - Coach's Decision
@ Golden State - DNP - Coach's Decision
@ Phoenix - 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks in 19 minutes (-5)

After tightening up the rotation for most of this week's road trip, Flip emptied the bench against Phoenix, giving players like JaVale McGee a chance to make their case for more playing time. If JaVale's performance on Saturday was a lawyer, arguing on JaVale's behalf for more playing time, it would have been Lionel Hutz.

Final Verdict

Dominic McGuire

#5 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 2 points, 2 rebounds in 8 minutes (-19)
@ Sacramento - 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist in 13 minutes (+8)
@ Golden State - 0 points, 3 rebounds in 6 minutes (-8)
@ Phoenix - 2 points, 4 rebounds in 18 minutes (-2)

Dominic parlayed a solid performances against Detroit and Indiana into more playing time this week. He's slowly, but surely starting to wiggle his way into the rotation.

Final Verdict

Mike Miller

#6 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - DNP - Injured
@ Sacramento - DNP - Injured
@ Golden State - DNP - Injured
@ Phoenix - DNP - Injured

If I give you a key, will play this week? Pretty please?

Final Verdict

Fabricio Oberto

#21 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 0 points, rebounds, or assists in 3 minutes (-1)
@ Sacramento - DNP - Coach's Decision
@ Golden State - DNP - Coach's Decision
@ Phoenix - DNP - Coach's Decision

I guess it's a good thing that the players ahead of him have made him irrelevant, but his disappearance from the rotation has been rather surprising.s

Final Verdict

DeShawn Stevenson

#2 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist in 24 minutes (+12)
@ Sacramento - 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist in 21 minutes (-3)
@ Golden State - 1 point, 3 assists in 20 minutes (+2)
@ Phoenix - 0 points, 1 rebound in 11 minutes (-8)

DeShawn played 76 minutes and he took ten shots to score five points. What else do you need to know?

Final Verdict

Nick Young

#1 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound in 19 minutes (-9)
@ Sacramento - 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks in 12 minutes (-4)
@ Golden State - 7 points, 2 rebounds in 23 minutes (+12)
@ Phoenix - 20 points, 1 assist, 5 rebounds in 27 minutes (-15)

Like Dominic McGuire, Nick is slowly, but surely getting more minutes. He's still learning the offense and how he fits in, but his defense is keeping him in the rotation. Who would have thought we would say that at the start of the year?

Final Verdict

Flip Saunders

Washington Wizards

This Week

@ Los Angeles - Lost 97-95
@ Sacramento - Lost 112-109
@ Golden State - Won 116-108
@ Phoenix - Lost 121-95

I'm not exactly sure when it clicked, but at some point this week Flip found out that he can't teach and motivate this team the same way he motivated the Pistons. Can he figure out a way to get through to this goofy squad? I don't doubt him, but he may have to take a page out of Eddie Jordan's playbook on how to balance the team's many quirky personalities.

Final Verdict

Wizards lose to Pacers: Final wrap (quickly) and more bemoaning our lack of role players

Mike Prada — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:48:25 -0000

More photos » by Ned Dishman - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

Sitting up in the nosebleeds, where you can see the whole court, kind of gives you a new perspective on the team. I figured the team's problem was that nobody did the little things and nobody had any attention to detail, but watching this game, that truth was just staggering.

So many missed defensive rotations. So many dumb turnovers killing any positive momentum we created. So many poor shots. So many times where guys just don't run hard through their cuts. So many weak screens, or times when people slip the screen unnecessarily because they want to get the pass and shoot.

Then, there was the end of the game. Kyle beautifully broke down the staggering lack of detail on the final play of the game, one that cost them the win, but it was the possessions before as well. When the Wizards should have been clamping down on defense to put the game away, they were allowing Earl Watson and Tyler Hansbrough to complete lob passes for dunks. Simply unacceptable.

I'm firmly convinced this is a roster construction problem. Right now, everyone wants to be the guy who saves this team. There are only two guys on the team who truly don't care what kind of role they play in the team's success -- Brendan Haywood and Mike Miller, who is injured because the Wizards decided to run him out when he was clearly injured instead of making sure he was okay. Everyone else wants credit. They won't say it, but they play like it. On an NBA team, only so many people can be the shot-makers. You need guys who have no egos to blend in with the ones who do.

An addition-for-subtraction trade needs to happen pronto. It could be anyone. The ones who remain just need that wakeup call, that message that nobody is safe from getting dealt.

Four Factors (Bold=very good | Italics=very bad)

Team	Pace	Off Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Indiana	96	118.8	47.8	31.1	34	14.6
Washington		117.7	59.8	18.3	34.2	17.7

Snap Reaction: It's nice that we shot well, but how the heck do you let Indiana get to the free-throw line that much? Who do they have that can draw fouls? Ridiculous.

Lineup Details, via Popcorn Machine

Highest individual plus/minus: Nick Young (+14 in 14:00)
Lowest individual plus/minus: Randy Foye (-12 in 7:12)
Best five-man unit: Gilbert Arenas/Nick Young/Caron Butler/Antawn Jamison/Andray Blatche (+9 in the third quarter)
Worst five-man unit: Gilbert Arenas/DeShawn Stevenson/Caron Butler/Antawn Jamison/Brendan Haywood (-6 in the second quarter)

Snap Reaction: It's becoming clear that Nick Young is winning the Young/Randy Foye death match we all anticipated coming into the season (okay, just me). So why does Young only play 14 minutes? That's right, DeShawn Stevenson took the rest of the shooting guard minutes. How Young doesn't have a regular rotation spot is beyond me. Also, why doesn't Dominic McGuire get all of Stevenson's minutes?

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.

Browse more photos »

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

Briefing: Hey, good job! Ow!

JakeTheSnake — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:52:13 -0000

Twitpic via @courtside by way of @jeskeets.

View full size photo »

Game Hub | Boxscore

On a night where the Wizards could have very easily packed it in and accepted the blowout that most of us thought they would receive, the gave a strong enough effort (more assists than turnovers, 5 players with double-digit scoring games, limiting Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace to a combined 16 points) to earn an emphatic high five. But in the narrow loss they did just enough things wrong (missed free throws grabbing a total of zero (!) rebounds in the 2nd quarter) for that high five to end up feeling like a slap in the face.

Gilbert Arenas Can't Buy a Free-Throw - Tom Lorenzo, Fantasy FanHouse

Note to Gilbert Arenas: you have to make your free throws. He shot just 1-of-6 from the line on the night, with two key bricks in the final 26 seconds of the game that helped seal the loss for the Wizards. Aside from a poor showing at the line, Arenas turned in a fairly standard line -- 24 points on 11-of-23 shooting, eight assists, zero steals and four turnovers. Though my favorite stat of the night had to be the zero rebounds that the Wizards pulled down in the second quarter. Zero. Think about that one.

Wizards toe the mark, then retreat again, in loss to Celtics, 104-102 - Craig Stouffer, Washington Examiner

"The positive is that we’re in games," said Wizards head coach Flip Saunders, whose team has lost three games in a row that have been decided in the fourth quarter. "We’re not getting blown out. We’re in games. We had a situation where we were down two. We had our best player with the ball at the free throw line. He was expected to make those and didn’t." Arenas (25 points, 8 assists) retreated to the practice court immediately, where he knocked down 48 of 50 free throw attempts in a desperate search to figure out why he finished the night 1 for 6 at the line. "In a minute, it’s going to be called hack-a-Wizards," said Arenas, as Washington was a combined 14 for 22.

Celtics 104, Wizards 102 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

Arenas used to have a reputation as a reliable closer, but for the second time in as many home games, he came up short when his team needed him most. He missed two free throws that could've tied the game with 26.7 seconds remaining against the Celtics, after missing a point-blank layup that could've tied the game late against Toronto. The Wizards love to talk about how they compete against any team in the league when healthy, but right now they are proving that to be true. Competing isn't enough. The goal should be to win. Granted, they lost to the Celtics, a possible championship contender, but this team isn't winning games against anyone right now. That loss to Detroit on Sunday remains one of the most perplexing of the season.

Wizards can't convert in final minutes, fall to Celtics - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

Down two with :27 seconds left in the game, Gilbert Arenas did the right thing. Instead of being the passive, nervous player that many have criticized him for being this season, the former all-star drove to the lane and drew two fouls. He did what the star of the team had to do, he did what a closer needed to do. However despite drawing the foul, Arenas couldn't convert on his free-throws. Gil missed both, completely squandering the opportunity he had created for his team. But hasn't that been the story of the season for the Wizards so far this year? Their man, who used to be the man, can seemingly do everything but finish. He gets open, he makes the plays, but seemingly never when they count the most.

Fundamentals can't rescue the Wizards - Mike Jones, Washington Times

"We competed for the most part except that second quarter, but if we compete the way we did in the second half, we'll win our share of games and get things going in the right direction," Saunders said. "We had the situation where we were down two, had our best player at the free throw line, and you expect him to make those - and he didn't. He also got a pretty good look at a 3-pointer to tie it later - but didn't. We're doing things to put ourselves in good position, but unfortunately we haven't come up on the better end of the draw."

Celtics Deal Wizards 3rd Straight Loss - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

Even with Arenas missed free throws and the defensive breakdown that led to the Rondo dunk, the Wizards still had a chance in the closing seconds. Down 103-100 with 14.6 seconds left, the Wizards were able to get the ball in Arenas hands. Arenas was able to get a good look from the top of arc but his three point-attempt ricocheted into the corner. That’s when Randy Foye tracked down the rebound but he hurried a shot with 8.5 seconds left that fell short. "It was a tough place to be. KG let the ball roll so I thought the time was running out so I chased down the rebound," Foye recalled. "He gave up so I just tried to get a shot off real quick. I didn’t know how much time was on the clock."

Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards fail to come through in the clutch vs. Boston Celtics - Michael Lee, Washington Post

"You got to understand when things are not going well, you got to continue to fight. Only way it's going to happen is to work hard and believe we're going to turn things around," Jamison said. "We're in games. We're competing. We're just not finding a way to get it done. Right now, it's getting tough but guys are still positive. Guys realize things are going to turn around." But that won't happen unless the Wizards find a way to play a full 48 minutes. They trailed 63-48 when Rondo hit a fadeaway jumper over Arenas. Arenas drew a foul on the Wizards' next possession, but as he stepped to the foul line, a group of fans in the upper deck began to chant, "Let's go Celtics!"

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

DeShawn Stevenson got the start in the second half and breathed some life back into this team. The Wizards opened the third quarter on a 22-6 run that got them back in the game. In his 16 minutes on the floor he only scored five points but the Wizards were +9 when he was in the game. This was the first time all season that the Wizards old starting line-up of Arenas, Stevenson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood had been on the floor together for an extended period. Another positive was the play of Haywood and Andray Blatche. The two combined for 34 points on 14-of-17 from the field.

Celtics 104, Wizards 102 - Mike Jones, Outlet

How do the Wizards get Butler going? "That's what we keep on [saying]. We have our meetings, and we keep on talking about that," Saunders said. "To his credit, he's good defensively and he rebounded well. But we're not doing a good job setting screens and getting him open, and when he gets it, some of these teams are loding up on him. ... We're hoping that by pushing the ball up the floor more, we can get him some more open-floor opportunities, but we do have to get him free on more situations."

Celtics 104, Wizards 102 - Craig Stouffer, Pick and Roll

Point: Brendan Haywood finished the night with 17 points on a perfect 7 for 7 from the field, including nine points right after the break in which the Wizards trimmed the 14-point halftime margin completely with a 22-6 run that culminated with taking the lead, 72-70, when Arenas gave up the ball in the lane to Jamison for the And-1. Counterpoint: Of course, Jamison missed the free throw and Allen took the lead right back with a three at the other end -- a jumper that just so happened to give him 20,000 points in his career. Nice touch. It also sparked a 13-2 run for the Celtics that restored a nine-point advantage at the end of the third.

Behind Rondo, Celtics Fight off Wizards - Greg Payne, CelticsBlog

"Clearly (the Wizards') game plan was they weren't going to guard (Rondo)," said Rivers. "They were going to give him shots and he took them. That's what we tell him: 'Once it's your shot, it's your shot. No more passing or being a point guard. When it's time to shoot, it's time to shoot. You're a shooter.'

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Walked in media room bathroom just b/f the game, Gheorghe Muresan was squatting over a urinal trying 2 pee, turned around & walked back out.

Twitter / Jon Lewallen
Unless I missed it before the game, I have a feeling they're not going to ask Webber about Abe Pollin.

Twitter / Jack Kogod
Just begged Ted Leonsis to bring back the old colors/name. Time will tell. #wizards

Twitter / Mike Prada
If the #Wizards do indeed win, they have Gilbert Arenas and Andray Blatche to thank. Both guys have really come to play tonight.

Twitter / Mike Jones
7-Day-Dray got posterized, whipped off the headband, then schooled Rasheed Wallace.

Twitter / wizznutzz
deshawn should get ABE logo patch tattoo on the neck of his Lincoln tat

Twitter / Andrew Sharp
I love how jamison's leaning threes are like, actually a part of our offense.

Twitter / Wolf Blitzer
Ernie Grunfeld is Wizards President. He's a great guy and (again full disclosure) a good friend. He assembled this team.

Twitter / J.E. Skeets
I wonder who Gil will "blame" those missed free throws on. Spalding? Wolf Blitzer? Me?

Twitter / Agent Dagger
How can that man be so good at shooting three's to win games, but he can't hit the free throws..De ja vu from Cleveland series

Twitter / George V. Panagakos
@AgentDagger If I'm Foye, I don't end the game with a lay-up, I jack another three; hope he has a body guard in that locker room

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

21 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)

Browse more photos »

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.'"

Game 13 Preview: Washington at Oklahoma City

illfreaky911 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:35 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Etan Thomas goes up against his former team, as well as Arch Enemy Brendan Haywood. Expect the big man to get extra physical tonight when he sees Haywood coming down the lane.

Browse more photos »

Time: 7:00 PM CST

Place: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Betting Line: Thunder -4

TV: FSN-Oklahoma; Comcast Sportsnet DC

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Backstory: Like our Oklahoma City Thunder, the Washington Wizards are trying to avenge their disappointing lottery campaign from a year ago. While their 3-7 record isn't particularly impressive, they are only a couple of nights removed from a dismantling of LeBron James and the Cavs at the Verizon Center in DC. To make matters worse, Antawn Jamison is just making his return to the lineup, making this one of the most versatile offenses in the league, despite their lackluster record. Jamison scored 31 points and grabbed 10 boards in his return to action Wednesday night, but it's point guard Gilbert Arenas (another Wizard coming back from a string of injuries) who is the engine that makes this offense move. His (admittedly unorthodox) knack for getting in the lane and making things happen should be our primary defensive concern, and Russell Westbrook will have his work cut out for him trying to keep "Agent Zero" in check. Mike Miller and Caron Butler are also players with all-star caliber seasons in the not too distant past, and need to be watched out for on the perimeter.

As far as the Thunder are concerned, this game marks Etan Thomas' first game against his former team, after 7 tumultuous seasons in Washington. The last few years he spent there were tainted by his very public spat with Center Brendan Haywood over the starting Center position. The two exchanged shots in the media (and allegedly in practice), and it should be interesting to say the least to watch these two go head to head when they're in the game together. Haywood is averaging a double-double this year, but my gut tells me that Thomas' adrenaline will have him up for this game, and he could have his best outing of the year off the bench. We could use all the help we can get after being dismantled by Orlando in our last outing, where everybody on this side of James Harden looked like they couldn't throw the ball in the Atlantic Ocean. Should be a fun one!

Matchups and Prediction After The Jump!

Matchups:

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Gilbert Arenas:

At 6'4, 215 pounds, Gilbert Arenas is used to pushing opposing point guards around. That shouldn't be the case tonight. Russell Westbrook (another one of the bigger point guards this league has to offer) should match up very well with Arenas on the defensive side of the ball, although his unorthodox slashing style could provide some problems early in the game (before we adjust to it). You also never know when Arenas is due for one of his trademark "Hibachi" runs from the outside, when he is capable of stringing together a run of three pointers that can turn a game in Washington's favor. On the other side of the ball, Westbrook's quickness off the dribble should present Arenas and his surgically repaired knee. We should see RW attacking the paint early and often, and he could be in line for a big stat line if he makes responsible decisions with the ball.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Mike Miller

Anybody who's watched Mike Miller knows that he's on a short list of NBA players who's 3 Point Shooting can single handedly alter the course of a game. Miller won NBA Rookie of the Year in the 01-02 season and added a Sixth Man of the Year Award in 05-06, in large part due to his ability to catch fire and score in bunches. Fortunately, we have our top perimeter defender matched up against him in Thabo Sefolosha. Thabo is becoming a fan favorite for his defensive capabilities, and his length should provide a good counter to the 6'8 Miller's outside shooting ability. Keep an eye on this one though, it should be a good matchup.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Caron Butler

Critics have put Kevin Durant's toughness and ability to play physical in question. Tonights matchup with Caron Butler should help provide an answer. The 6'7 Butler is a bull in the paint, and has a non-stop motor, that allows him to clear the glass effectively on both sides of the court. He isn't one dimensional however, and has the ability to knock down the open shot if Durant plays too far off of him. He's also a capable defender who will play Durant very physical when the Thunder have the ball. If Durant is willing to push through his physical off ball defense though, he should be able to rise and fire over the shorter Butler all game. KD could put up very impressive scoring numbers tonight if his mid-range shot is falling.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Antawn Jamison

When the Sonics drafted Jeff Green, I was worried that he would be too small to play Power Forward in this league. When I heard the ESPN crew compare him to Antawn Jamison however, my nerves were calmed. That's why I'm so excited for this matchup, as two great forwards with similar skill sets face-off against each other. Both are dealing with potential setbacks (Jamison's shoulder and Green's ongoing slump from the field), but both are usually the X-factors that decide the outcomes of their teams games. They both hit the glass hard, and have capable outside games to compliment their skill set in the post. Jamison is gonna look to stay hot after his 31 point outburst against Cleveland, so Green is gonna have to play some of his trademark defense tonight to keep the All-Star in check.

Center: Nenad Kristic vs. Brendan Haywood

As excited as I am for the afore mentioned matchup between Haywood and Thunder Center Etan Thomas, it's probably gonna be Kristic who gets the first crack at the UNC Alum tonight. Haywood isn't a particularly skilled big man, but rather just a big, tough, athlete who constantly finds himself on the receiving end of easy buckets courtesy of Arenas. That being said, his success on the offensive end probably depends more on how Westbrook fares against "Agent Zero" than it does on how Kristic handles him in the post. Haywood is also the Wizards leading rebounder, grabbing almost 11 boards a night. Nenad and Etan are gonna have to make him work on the defensive glass, and hopefully open up some second chance opportunities late in the game.

Benches:

With Sixth Man Randy Foye slowed up by an ankle, the immortal Earl Boykins has stepped into the Wizards rotation and produced admirably for 2 games. One of my favorite players to watch in the league, Boykins is a pain in the rear to guard, and could devastate us with his quickness if we don't sub our guys properly. The super-athletic Andray Blatche is an up and coming center in the league, and can put up a decent line off the bench. For Oklahoma City, Etan Thomas should be in line for a good game against his former team (as mentioned above), and James Harden looks to continue his success after a career game in Orlando (24 Points, 6 Three Pointers)

Coaching and Intangibles:

The Wizards are probably gonna try to use their dismantling of the rival Cavs as a catalyst for their thus disappointing season. That makes this game one that they should be particularly desperate to win, as it would deflate all of their momentum should they lose. To go along with Thomas' adrenaline boost, the Thunder should come out ready to play, as they try to avoid dipping under .500 with their hometown fans supporting them. I'd say the intangibles are slightly in our favor.

Prediction:

Westbrook has a good game penetrating the slower Arenas and exploiting his weak knee with his athleticism. We should put a decent number up on the scoreboard, and lacking a serious low post scorer, our perimeter defense will be the key to this game. I think Sefolosha and Green hassle Miller and Jamison from the perimeter all night, and the Thunder stay above .500. Thunder 97, Wizards 88.

Poll

Who Wins Tonight's Game?

Oklahoma City Thunder

24 votes

Washington Wizards

16 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed

It's all in the jumper (well, almost) for Andray Blatche

Mike Prada — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:16:56 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Browse more photos »

In the spirit of reminding everyone that we're not even one-tenth of the way through the season, let's talk about the one major bright spot of the first eight games -- Andray Blatche.

Blatche has arguably been the Wizards' best player thus far this season. (This is where your jaw drops and you gasp. Do it for effect, please). He has the highest PER and the highest Roland Rating (which is 82games' statistical formula that takes into account individual numbers as well as the team's performance when he's on the court as opposed to being on the bench) on the team. He's also been among the most consistent players, which may be an even greater sign that he's coming along.

How come Blatche is surging statistically? It must be better rebounding, right? Well ... no; his rebound rate this season is actually lower than it was last season. Better passing? No, his assist rate is basically the same. Fewer turnovers? Okay, okay, that's actually a big part of his improvement -- his turnover percentage is just 11.6% this year as compared to 14.3% last year. But it's not nearly as significant as ...

(Dun Dun Dun)

... Blatche's improved jump-shooting.

Earlier this summer, we talked about how much better Blatche would be if he just stopped attempting so many jumpers. Why? Blatche was simply dreadful at shooting them last year. His eFG% on jump shots last year was 35.6%, the type of mark you see from guys like Rajon Rondo and Tyrus Thomas. That he posted a league-average PER while posting such a poor percentage on jumpers is actually kind of remarkable.

The theory at the time was that Blatche should get inside more and shoot fewer jumpers, because he stunk so much shooting from the perimeter last year. Jumpers constituted 57% of Blatche's shots last year, which is about 30 percent too high for someone who shoots that poorly. He would have provided much better production, the theory stated, if he played more to his strengths on offense.

Well, fast-forward one year later, and Blatche's jump-shooting has completely transformed. Blatche has an eFG% of 50% on jump shots in the first eight games, and amazingly enough, he's actually shooting more jumpers this year than last year (63% of his shots are Js). His improved jump-shooting proficiency has vaulted his true shooting percentage all the way up 57.4%, as opposed to his mediocre 50.8% mark last season.

How do you explain this? I see two reasons that go hand-in-hand. The first explanation is quite simple -- Blatche worked his butt off on his jumper this summer. Granted, Seven-Day Dray worked his butt off on everything this past summer, but he has continually singled out jump-shooting as an area of emphasis. The far more detailed explanation, however, lies in the type of jumpers he's taking. We all have the typical Blatche possession where he dribbles five times and launches an awful shot in our heads because, well, that's what happened so much last year. Only 44% of Blatche's jump shots last year were assisted, and when you're constantly shooting off the dribble, your percentage suffers unless you're an incredibly unique player like Jamal Crawford. This season, 63% of Blatche's jumpers are assisted, because Blatche is catching and shooting confidently instead of trying to create something on his own. No wonder his percentages ae up.

Now, the reason I say these two reasons go hand-in-hand is because confidence plays a huge role here. It's just hard to tell which way. Blatche is making much quicker decisions when he gets the ball, opting to let it fly when he's open much more often than in the past. Why is this happening? Clearly, Blatche has developed a good rhythm from practicing the shot all the time, and trusting that rhythm in the heat of the moment comes from having confidence in your shot. On the other hand, confidence also comes into play when he's hitting the shot early on. It's possible Blatche found that, when he set his feet, squared his shoulders and just shot it rather than trying to create something off the dribble, he was actually a pretty damn good shooter already. He just needed to see that ball go through the hoop to gain the necessary confidence. It's a classic chicken or the egg phenomenon.

Regardless, as long as Blatche continues to play and shoot this confidently, he's going to be an incredible asset coming off the bench relieving Antawn Jamison. We talked about how Jamison's injury was Blatche's opportunity to shine, and that's exactly what he's done.

Lack of ball movement continues to plague the Wizards

Mike Prada — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:58:52 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Browse more photos »

WASHINGTON --Stop me if this sounds familiar.

With just under five minutes left in the third quarter, the Wizards found themselves trailing the Suns by just six points. The lead had swelled to double digits, but a nice Wizards stretch had cut the lead down. Steve Nash missed a three-pointer, and Caron Butler snared the rebound. Advancing the ball in transition, Butler made his way to the right side of the court, but Phoenix had three guys back. Time to pull it out and run offense, right? Instead, Butler sized up his defender, gave a couple cross-over dribbles, and launched a heavily-contested 20-foot jumper.

Predictably, it fell short, and Phoenix eventually got the rebound and pushed the lead back up to 8 on the next possession.

A similar sequence replayed itself several times this afternoon, but with names such as Gilbert Arenas, Randy Foye, Andray Blatche, Brendan Haywood and others instead of Butler. The end result was a 102-90 loss in which the Wizards' offense too often featured overdribbling and one-on-one play.

"We're not there as far as moving the ball," Saunders said. "We're just not there. The ball comes and we don't make that one extra pass."

Overall, the Wizards played a better game than they did against Indiana on Friday. They played harder on defense and had brief moments where the offense flowed much better. But for the second straight game, the Wizards had more turnovers (17) than assists (15), and took most of their shots off the dribble.

"If we're a hockey team, we'd have no hockey assists," Saunders said.

Wizards slow to pick up Saunders' philosophy

Historically, the Wizards have never been a club that posted high assist totals (since 2004/05, the Wizards have averaged just 19.5 assists per game). Remarkably, even with a lack of assists, the Wizards' offense was one of the best in the league because the Wizards didn't commit too many turnovers and they employed a system that opened the floor for the top players to score off the dribble.

Saunders, however, brought with him an offensive philosophy that preaches ball movement and quick passing in lieu of mad dashes to the rim. In Saunders' first year in Detroit, for example, the Pistons averaged 24 assists per game, up from 21.8 per contest in Larry Brown's last season.

But while the Pistons picked up Saunders' philosophy quickly, the Wizards still play like a team confused about what style they want to play. Arenas, for example, claimed before the season that he would not shoot nearly as many three-pointers and jumpers in transition, but so many of the Wizards' possessions today ended with Arenas launching a three or a long two-point jumper while being heavily contested. Butler, meanwhile, continues to try to break down his defender slowly instead of making decisive plays. The rest of the players aren't get open, and even when they do, they're often ignored while Arenas and Butler do their thing.

"I feel, and everyone else feels, that we got to pass the ball," DeShawn Stevenson said. "If we don't pass the ball, we aren't going to win. As good as Gilbert is and Caron is, if we give them the ball every play, we're not going to win."

"Team basketball is what wins in the NBA and that's what coach Saunders has been used to," Brendan Haywood said. "We have to get back to trying to mimic that atmosphere."

For their part, when asked about the low number of assists as compared to the high number of turnovers, Arenas and Butler both expressed concern, even though both continue to struggle with maintaining that balance on the court.

"It is concerning," Arenas said, as emphatically as any statement he made during his post-game media session. "That's been going on the last three games."

"When guys are more a part of the offense, the energy changes, so we definitely have to move the ball from side to side," Butler said.

There's no better way to illustrate the effect poor ball movement had on the Wizards' offense today than to see the number 39.1 on the stat sheet in the field-goal percentage column. Sometimes, you can overcome having fewer assists if it means you are getting by your defender off the dribble and shooting open shots, but that was not the Wizards today. When the passing lanes weren't there, the answer was to take contested jumpers, as Saunders noted in the post-game press conference.

"If you're taking contested shots, it probably means you're putting the ball on the floor and you're trying to take a shot on your own instead of creating a shot for somebody else," he said.

Sounds good in theory, but what about in practice?

As Stevenson implied repeatedly in his post-game media session, the importance of moving the ball has been driven into the players' minds ever since training camp. As the losses have piled up this season, the message has gotten louder. So why do the Wizards still fail to move the ball when the going gets tough?

Stevenson said part of the problem is that the Wizards' plays aren't working. Stevenson said Saunders designs set plays in order to accommodate ball movement or quick passing, but once the plays break down, which has happened too often to start the season, the Wizards give the ball to Arenas or Butler, hoping they will make a play for themselves.

"We run a play, and somebody forgets the play, or the play doesn't work," Stevenson said. "Then, at the end of the day, it's 'Throw it to Gilbert' or 'Throw it to Caron.'"

Several possessions bear this out, in particular, the possession after the Butler one described at the top of this post. The Wizards came out of a TV timeout hoping to get Arenas the ball coming off a curl, where he'd either shoot an open shot or pass to the big man setting the screen. However, Arenas couldn't get free, because the screen was weak and because Arenas couldn't shake Steve Nash. With the play broken down, Randy Foye tried to make a play on his own, but all that resulted was a fadeaway 19-foot jump shot that had no chance.

Like Stevenson, Haywood acknowledged that other teams make runs and dial up the intensity on defense for stretches so that the Wizards don't execute the initial play correctly. However, he said this is precisely the time the Wizards need to share the ball the most rather than simply trying to create shots on their own.

"It can't be [a situation where] their team makes a run and we just say 'Ok, it's [isolation] time.' That's where you have to execute the most," he said. "That's when you have to swing the ball around, set good screens, roll, have everybody on the floor touch the ball. Then, you end up with a wide open shot."

This all sounds great in theory, but why do so many possession during runs by the opposing team end in isolations?

"Sometimes, when you're really, really talented, and you have a team that has a bunch of guys who can score the ball, things get bogged down," Haywood said. "They feel like 'Okay, get out the way, I'm going to do this myself.'"

Butler agreed with Haywood's sentiment.

"Sometimes, when you fall behind, and you got players like myself and Gilbert on the court, we kind of take it upon ourselves to do something," Butler said. "But we got to continue to believe in our teammates, move the ball, gets it from side to side and trust that they'll make plays."

It's that trust that has proven to be elusive for the Wizards thus far. Not having Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller in the lineup hasn't helped -- everyone from Saunders to Arenas to Stevenson acknowledged that. But even if those guys were in there, the difficulty developing on-court trust doesn't surprise Foye, one of the team's new additions.

"If you're playing with a certain player for three, four years, you learn them," Foye said. "But if a guy just comes on, it takes a while. You're going to play well for two or three games and you're not going to play well the next three because teams are switching the way they're guarding us. We just have to get familiar with each other."

Clearly, that hasn't happened yet.

The alternate explanation (sort of)

So what does Arenas think is the problem here? As usual, he has a slightly different read on the situation. He acknowledges that the lack of assists is a problem and admitted that he played poorly in the second half today. He also cited the injuries to Jamison and Miller, saying that both help open up the floor because they can catch-and-shoot skillfully.

But for Arenas, the problem is that the rest of the team isn't being aggressive enough trying to make plays. Rather than suggesting that the Wizards need to improve their shot selection, Arenas said he thinks the team needs to shoot quicker. He cited the Suns as a team that consistently gets open shots because they confidently shoot right away when they are open.

"I say [the problem] is when we have shots open, we're not taking them," Arenas said, pausing for several seconds prior to answering the question. "We're trying to do the extra dribble or the extra get closer to the rim, or pass the ball, when we could just take the first shot."

Arenas agreed with Saunders' assertion that the Wizards are taking too many shots off the dribble, but he also seemed a bit envious when he compared Washington's situation to Phoenix's. Arenas mentioned how he heard Nash yelling at Grant Hill for pump-faking and stepping in for a two-point shot rather than catching-and-shooting. The obvious implication from Arenas was that he feels his teammates are being too indecisive. With his teammates being indecisive, Arenas ends up being the one having to take initiative, and that so far has meant calling his own number.

"Once we swing it to the weakside, we got to drive the ball and shoot our open shots," Arenas said. "When your four man [Oberto] has five assists, it kind of tells you something that he's making plays. We have to get that from the rest of the guys."

Arenas said that if the rest of the Wizards make quick, decisive decisions, the assists will come. In that case, he was asked specifically about his own assists, but he might as well have been talking about the entire teams'.

Newsflash: It's still early

Lest this all seems doom and gloom, there's still a fair bit of hope coming from the players and the coach. We are just seven games into the season, and the Wizards have lost two very important pieces to injury that should return soon. There was buzz around the locker room today that Jamison might be ready to play next Saturday against Detroit, and his ability to function without the ball in his hands will dramatically help the offense.

"They're missing their best player," Suns coach Alvin Gentry told Michael Lee. "With Jamison, they're a different team."

Butler also seemed very relaxed, joking about the new rims and how they affected his finishing ability around the rim (he estimated that he missed six layups tonight). When asked about the offensive flow, he said that it would come, so long as they continue to move the ball. Arenas, too, was optimistic, saying that "we still have offensive players" and that he was encouraged by the defensive improvement the team is showing.

But in case the players felt a switch was suddenly going to flip (no pun intended) and they would just get it, Saunders was there to remind them that it's not so simple.

"There's no magic wand with anything in sports," Saunders said. "It's one of those things you have to grind, you have to pound away."

For the Wizards' sake, that grinding can't take too much more time. We're only seven games into the season, but already, other Eastern Conference teams like Atlanta and Miami have started stronger than the Wizards. The longer it takes for the Wizards to pick up Flip Saunders' ball-movement-heavy system, the more ground they will have to make up to avoid being a bottom-rung playoff team. And being a bottom-rung playoff team couldn't have been what Ernie Grunfeld and company had in mind this season.

Wizards lose to Heat: Final wrap, including some questioning of Flip Saunders' in-game strategy

Mike Prada — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:55 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Browse more photos »

It's true that a large reason (okay, fine, very large reason) last night's game against the Miami Heat was so frustrating was the outcome. To lose in the final seconds because of two missed free throws and two poorly-executed late-game plays against a team that you should probably beat really hurts.

But the truth is, I don't think I would have felt so good about this game even if we had pulled it out. The way we started the game was so frustrating and should never happen at a home game. Even if we had managed to come back, we did it by once again abandoning a lot of our principles. Gilbert Arenas almost won the game by himself, but with the exception of the brief moments Mike Miller displayed his toughness after the shoulder injury, this was a team reverting back into a one-on-one approach. Too many players either didn't show up or didn't get a chance to show up (or both).

There are a lot of reasons for those problems, and it's tough to nail down exactly who deserves the lion share of the blame. We'll try to do so below the jump. But several people involved with the team took a questionable approach to tonight's game. That list, sadly, includes head coach Flip Saunders, as we'll discuss below.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four Factors: (Bold=very good | Italics=very bad)

Team	Pace	Off Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Miami	89	104.5	54.2%	20.8	22.2	19.1
Washington		100	40.9%	26.8	30.2	13.5

Snap reaction: This looks like a Four Factors chart we'd see a lot when Eddie Jordan was coaching. Terrible shooting defense, poor shooting offense, a lot of turnovers forced and not a lot of fouls committed on defense. It's the first time out shot defense has not been good, which I guess is a good sign. Overall, looking at this, it's a pretty big surprise that the Wizards were even as close as they were.

Lineup Details (via Popcorn Machine)

Highest individual plus/minus: JaVale McGee (+11 in 8:18)
Lowest individual plus/minus: Brendan Haywood (-18 in 36:00)
Best five-man unit: Randy Foye/Mike Miller/Caron Butler/Andray Blatche/JaVale McGee (+8 in the second quarter)
Worst five-man unit: Gilbert Arenas/Randy Foye/Caron Butler/Fabricio Oberto/Brendan Haywood (-12 in the first quarter)

Snap reaction: I was surprised to see Haywood's plus/minus so low, but he basically only played when Dwyane Wade played, so that explains a lot. That also explains a lot of why McGee's plus/minus was so good.

Let's start with Flip Saunders. After four games of nearly flawless in-game management, I thought Saunders made some decisions that can be questioned. Among them:

Starting out with Mike Miller guarding Dwyane Wade and Caron Butler guarding Quentin Richardson: I'm still scratching my head about this decision. I guess Saunders wanted Butler to focus on finding his offense, because he had been struggling, but that obviously didn't work out. Wade is an incredible player, no doubt, but Butler's ability to move laterally would have given him more trouble than Miller, who just can't slide his feet fast enough. Instead, Miller laid way off Wade, Wade got into a rhythm, Miller got into foul trouble and Wade couldn't be turned off. Meanwhile, Butler, who has always been prone to lapses off the ball, allowed Quentin Richardson too many open looks from three, and Richardson burned the Wizards every time.
Going to a zone in the second quarter: I get the logic here - nobody can stop Wade, so throw a different look at him and maybe it'll mess up his rhythm. But with a team this behind in basic defensive principles, I don't think it's a good idea to have them try to pick up an exceedingly complicated scheme to go along with their basic scheme. I'd like to see them master the basic scheme first.
Not going back to JaVale McGee after his boneheaded play in the second quarter: At the time, I also wanted McGee out for the game after he tried to go from the free throw line to the rim. But looking back, McGee did help the club when he was in the game, and Miami had trouble dealing with him. It might have been better to reward him for his energy and give him another chance.
Not giving Dominic McGuire a shot: I'm still wondering why McGuire isn't getting his chances. I'd think he could at least guard Wade for stretches, and with DeShawn Stevenson shooting so poorly, I'm less inclined to worry about McGuire's perimeter shooting problems.
Allowing Gilbert Arenas full freedom: A lot of this is on Gilbert, as we'll discuss below. But if you were watching ESPN, you heard that Saunders basically encouraged him to attack and call his own number. That might be wise in the fourth quarter, but in the third quarter, the emphasis should have been on getting some of the other players in the game. Yes, it's true Miami couldn't guard him, but the other guys have to stay involved.
Keeping Mike Miller in the game after he was initially hurt: Not sure how I can excuse this one. I mean, I'm sure Flip wanted him out of the game, but Miller insisted he come back, so this isn't all on the coaches. But once it was clear his shoulder was bothering him, I'm really surprised it took so long to get him back out of the game. It's game five, not game 65.

So, all those were decisions I didn't agree with. But let's be honest, tonight's loss is also on the players. The way they came out in that first quarter was pretty unacceptable. It is true that one of Flip's jobs is to get his team ready to play, but that's also the players' jobs. Caron Butler, in particular, came out so poorly last night. He wasn't shooting when he was open, which is a killer in a continuity offense. If he's not playing well, this team is in real trouble, as we saw last night.

It was around this point that Gilbert Arenas decided to take over. He hoisted 27 shots and had 15 free throws, but also only had three assists. The only time the offense really ran well, in fact, was when Arenas was not in the game (though, to be fair, neither was Wade). Obviously, in the long run, that's not a sustainable way to win. If I had to break the game down into stages, here's how I'd do it.

Quarter 1, first part: Everyone comes out flat, Gilbert defers most of the time.
Quarter 1, second part: Gilbert decides he's the only one who's in the game and tries to score every time down. His teammates remain flat.
Quarter 2, first part: Gilbert goes out, everyone else in the game realizes they need to step up and come to play, and they rise to the challenge.
Quarter 2, second part: Gilbert comes back in, still doesn't fully trust his teammates, but does pass a bit more. However, Wade hits some big shots and the Wizards fall back by 9.
Quarter 3: Gilbert gives up the ball a bit more, but still shoots a lot. The offense runs very well, led by Brendan Haywood early and Mike Miller late.
Quarter 4: Gilbert gets into a duel with Dwyane Wade, everyone else gets freezed out, Gilbert and the team lose.

It's hard for me to fully blame Arenas in Quarter 1. It was clear nobody was in the game, and Gilbert has every reason to think that he needs to carry more of the load himself until his teammates ido get into the game. But once the Wizards cut the lead down, Arenas should have committed himself more to stepping back a bit and playing more under control. Obviously, in the fourth quarter, he should get the ball, but there were too many times when he predetermined what he was going to do instead of trying to create for others.

When you do too much freezing out of your teammates, it has an effect. Butler never got back into the game after the beginning. Yes, a lot of that is on him, but he also didn't exactly get a ton of good chances in the second half. Randy Foye also didn't do much tonight, in large part because most of his shots came off the dribble when he was paired with Arenas. The Heat played him pretty well, but he still gets hurt when Arenas predetermines what he's going to do. It speaks to Arenas' incredible physical skill (he's officially back there) that he can score so many points when he predetermines like this, but it's still not good for the entire team. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Wizards' best lineup tonight didn't include Gilbert.

It's early, and his mental game still isn't there, but it should be noted that Arenas did not play particularly well despite his high point total.

More notes:

The unquestioned MVP of tonight's game was Brendan Haywood. He dominated Jermaine O'Neal, scoring 16 points and notching 11 rebounds while holding O'Neal to just four points. He also was absolutely flawless helping out on defense tonight, particularly in the fourth quarter. On offense, after a bit too much forcing early on, Haywood didn't do anything out of his comfort zone, and that made him a far more effective player. The Wizards don't come anywhere close to winning tonight without Haywood's contributions.
Lots of people are annoyed that DeShawn Stevenson was on the court at the end of the game. I don't really have a problem with it, because Stevenson was doing a good job on Wade in the fourth quarter. Wade did most of his scoring damage against other guys, not DeShawn. Now, DeShawn's play at the end to go one-on-three wasn't a smart one, for sure, but with Miller injured and Foye very incapable of guarding Wade, I'm not sure what else Flip could have done. Normally, I'd think Miller closes that game with Butler guarding Wade, but Miller was hurt, so Flip was stuck.
Gilbert is right about Caron Butler when he criticized him for taking too long to make decisions on the court. Caron can't be pump-faking and surveying the defense in this system. However, I would also like to see some different plays be run for Caron in order to empower him more. Maybe more post-ups like Tayshaun Prince used to run? I'm not sure.
I have to admit, I was impressed with how well-coached Miami is. They have little talent, but they execute extremely well. Credit Erik Spolestra for that. Then again, I am a bit confused as to why Michael Beasley didn't play very much.
Getting Antawn Jamison back will be such a big help. Right now, Fabricio Oberto is being completely ignored on offense. You can't do that with Jamison in the game.

All in all, considering where our team is at now, it's not terrible to be 2-3. I just wish I didn't have to feel so queasy about this game, win or lose. We should have taken this one.

Wizards lose to Cavaliers: Final wrap and a word about our half-court offense

Mike Prada — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:17:33 -0000

More photos » by David Liam Kyle - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

Last night, in our emotional game recap, I mentioned that last night's game proved that we're still not there when it comes to the true contenders for the title. It was a bit of a snappy line that was put there in effect, in part because it sounded right and in part because there was something more to it that I needed time to think about.

Well, now I've thought about it and I realize what I meant.

The sign of a true contender is one who can run their half-court offense effectively in the face of stepped-up defensive pressure. A true contender trusts their offensive system and offensive sets enough to run them better when the defensive pressure increases rather than abandoning them. The Wizards didn't run their halfcourt offense well last night. Therefore, they aren't there yet.

More below the jump, but first, some numbers.

Four Factors: (bold=very high, italics=very low).

Team	Pace	Off Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Washington	88	102.3	42%	46.4	29.3%	14.8
Cleveland		115.9	48.3%	22.1	26.5%	8

Lineup stats, via Popcorn Machine

Highest individual plus/minus: JaVale McGee (+1 in 11:24)
Lowest individual plus/minus: Mike Miller (-16 in 34:36) and Randy Foye (-14 in 19:30)
Best lineup: Gilbert Arenas/Mike Miller/Caron Butler/Fabricio Oberto/Brendan Haywood (+6 to start the game)
Worst lineup: Gilbert Arenas/Randy Foye/DeShawn Stevenson/Andray Blatche/Brendan Haywood (-9 in the fourth quarter)

Think about it for a second. When did the game turn? In the second quarter, when the Wizards started fouling too much on defense. What happens when you foul? The other team goes to the free throw line. What happens when the other team goes to the free throw line? You're constantly taking the ball out of the basket. What happens when you constantly take the ball out of the basket? You have no transition game to rely on to use your speed advantage. How do you win when you can't rely on your transition game? You need to execute your half-court offense well.

That didn't happen at all. Credit Cleveland's defense for a lot, of course. They basically decided to play Gilbert Arenas straight up and let him try to score, and it worked tremendously. But eventually, with the game slowed down and the Wizards frustrated by perceived bad calls, they stopped running the sets and instead broke plays to make mad dashes to the rim. They figured that the refs were calling the game tight and could take advantage by creating contact. That worked, in a sense, because the Wizards ended up with 41 free throws (which was 14 more than Cleveland despite referee mistreatment, for what it's worth). But all it did is slow the game down even further, which works to Cleveland's advantage.

It wasn't just Arenas either. Caron Butler, after an excellent offensive first quarter where he did a great job of running LeBron James off picks and tiring him out, didn't do the same in the third quarter. When he did get the ball in the second half, the offensive flow just stopped as we waited for Butler to size up his defender, jab step, then either shoot or drive. Those types of things hurt your offensive flow, even if the play is designed to get Butler isolated somewhere. Randy Foye slugged his way through 19 minutes and just one assist, while Brendan Haywood continues to look for his offense a bit too much for my taste.

The Wizards' halfcourt offense needs quick and decisive moves to work. It's all a bunch of cuts and screens that fold into each other. If you take too long on one play, then you hamper your chances of continuing the offense. Too often, there was a lot of sizing up the defense rather than just going and making a play right off the bat. That, along with driving just to draw fouls, slows down the pace of the game and only exacerbates Cleveland's size advantage.

The good news here is that, if this is the problem, the remedy may simply be more time in Flip Saunders' system. That'll occur naturally as the season goes on, as everyone gets more comfortable running those sets after so many years in the Princeton. Here's hoping that time can heal those wounds.

Other notes:

Mike Miller took just three shots last night (although he did draw a number of fouls). Frankly, it's just mind-boggling how this happens. He does so many things that just make you wonder, like throwing the ball into JaVale McGee in the post with the shot clock running down. The Wizards really need to do something to force him to shoot instead of relying on him to find his offense. For example, why not let him come off the bench and start DeShawn Stevenson? Miller could come in for Caron Butler and immediately become the second- or third-best offensive player in the lineup. Then, run some plays for him and have him handle the ball in pick-and-roll situations.
I was very disappointed that Foye, Arenas and Miller never shared the court last night. I guess Flip Saunders was concerned with how they'd match up defensively with LeBron James in that lineup, but LeBron only played 36 minutes. Why not play that lineup during that stretch? Cleveland has small guards anyway. Instead, either Butler or Stevenson was in the game at all times. I think that was a mistake. UPDATE: As Aldo points out, they did end the second quarter together and were outscored by six points. My bad. Of course, the Wizards were playing Caron Butler at PF, but the point still stands.
It's only four games, but I'm a bit worried with how much Brendan Haywood is looking for his own shot. I talked to him after the Nets game about this, and he sounded so happy that he was shooting. He pointed out that he's taken 32 shots in three games (not including last night), and that it would have taken a month in the Princeton offense to get that many. This may be true, and I'm not opposed with the occasional post touch for Haywood, but Haywood is one of those guys whose efficiency goes down with increased usage. Since his efficiency was such a huge part of his value in the past, it's important his usage remains low. Don't force things, Brendan. Run the offense.
Once again, Fabricio Oberto did some positive things, but it was amazing how little respect Cleveland showed for him. Anderson Varejao basically didn't guard him the halfcourt offense. This is where Antawn Jamison's return will help most. The spacing with Oberto on the floor is brutal.
Andray Blatche didn't play badly, but he still needs to work on improving his play when he runs into a little adversity. He wasn't the same after he picked up those three fouls.
A positive sign: JaVale McGee has put together four very good games. He hasn't played much, but he's doing several positive things out there. I like his aggression fighting for offensive boards.

And finally, a note to Cleveland fans...

I imagine if you check out our game thread, you'll be a bit put off by all the whining about the officials. I understand that -- you want to enjoy your win and you don't want to deal with comments that make us seem like sore losers. But please, consider a few things.

Game threads are our sounding board. They're meant to be where we make our snap reactions to plays. They're meant to be places where our passion shows itself the most. Everyone on this site is a smart, rational fan that, like any other, is prone to emotional anxiety in the heat of the moment. So don't use those comments as fuel to your long-standing belief that Wizards fans are either stupid, crybabys or sore losers. Consider context first. Understand that those threads, and the immediate post-game threads that follow, are meant to be venting places when the Wizards lose. We do plenty of self-analysis, so don't say all we do is whine about the officials. To make an analogy - coaches complain to the officials during games all the time, but nobody would consider them whiners. It's just what happens in the heat of the moment. We understand that and we ask you do too.
Please, please, please admit this is a rivalry and that you dislike the Wizards and their fans emotionally. I mean, your own local broadcast had a poll running that said "Which Wizards player do you hate the most?" We're willing to admit that our hatred for the Cavs affects us, please be willing to do the same. And please, the players on the Cavs don't like the Wizards either, as much as they may say otherwise. As long as you're willing to admit your biases, we're willing to talk to you, because we're all aware of ours. The second the tone turns into "You pathetic Wizards and your fans, you're not our rival, we don't care about you," is the second things go south. It's wrong and you all know it.
You are welcome to comment on here, but please understand you're talking on someone else's turf. You may not agree with us or our rules, but you need to be respectful of the location. So don't come on here to pick fights. Don't call us whiners even if you believe we are. Be careful with how you phrase your comments because you know we're a sensitive lot. It's not the fairest way to talk in the world, but that's just how it is. You wouldn't go over to someone's house and tell them that their cooking sucks or their house isn't clean enough.
Finally, it is possible for us to have intelligent, rational discussion as long as we set some ground rules.

Thanks. If you are here to comment rationally and follow those ground rules, we look forward to hearing from you.