SB Nation - Javaris Crittenton

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

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

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)

Browse more photos »

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."

Briefing: The World's Most Interesting Man Delivers Down the Stretch

JakeTheSnake — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:51:27 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

20 days ago: Washington Wizards guard Earl Boykins, left, is fouled by Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings with seconds left in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. Boykins made his two free throws and the Wizards won 104-102. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Browse more photos »

Washington hasn't seen someone as small as Earl Boykins have an impact this big since James Madison was in office.

Earl Boykins plays a big part in Wizards' 104-102 win over Milwaukee - Michael Lee, Washington Post

Boykins spent last season in Italy -- where his performance in a matchup with Jennings left an indelible mark on President Ernie Grunfeld -- and the Wizards signed him on Nov. 11 only after Javaris Crittenton, Mike James and Randy Foye came down with injuries, leaving the team with one point guard in Arenas. But Boykins has quickly provided some fourth quarter stability for the Wizards, leading the team to victories against Cleveland, Miami, Toronto and now Milwaukee, one of his eight former teams. He was especially clutch on the foul line, where he made his final four shots after missing three of his first six. "I was awful from the foul line, but it's different when the game is on the line. It's actually easier to play when the game is on the line," Boykins said. "Tonight, I was able to get it done for us."

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

It’s been Earl Boykins not Gilbert Arenas who has led the Wizards down the stretch, to a couple of close wins. Boykins scored 11 of his 13 points in the final 10 minutes, causing the fans in the Verizon Center to chant "MVP! MVP! MVP! At this point in the season he’s been the Wizards fourth quarter MVP if nothing else. Not that Arenas isn’t doing his part --finished with a game high 22 points and 9 assist-- but with the game on the line Flip Saunders put the ball in the hands of his 5’5’’ spark plug. "If you look at the games that we have won, (Earl) he has finished games for us. He has the ability to make plays and make free throws. The first game was a great example, we lost but he finished strong and he is a unique player with the ability that he has to do. "

Wizards 104, Bucks 102: the Big Three and a little one that was even bigger - Craig Stouffer, Washington Examiner

Earl Boykins, who wasn’t even on an NBA roster at the beginning of the season, scored 10 of the Wizards' last 14 points, including two free throws with one second remaining, to give Washington a 104-102 win over Milwaukee. It wasn’t just that Boykins (13 points – 11 in the 4th quarter – and four assists) played the role of closer – again – instead of any number of players that the Wizards are built around, but the way he did it. With the Bucks leading, 99-96, Boykins played the pick and roll, and smoothly stepped back for 14-foot fadeaway jumper of 7-foot Andrew Bogut. On the next trip down the floor, Bogut wasn’t going to let Boykins do the same thing, and stepped out even further, only to see Boykins feed Brendan Haywood (8 points, 14 rebounds) for an uncontested throw-down.

Boykins Comes Up Big For Wizards - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

In the game’s final 1:39 Boykins made four free throws, hit a 14 foot fade a way jumper and put the Wizards ahead for a good with an assist on a Brendan Haywood dunk to make it 100-99 with: 59 seconds left. Boykins used his 5'5" size as an advantage as he weaved around the top of the key and then in need of assistance called for a screen to be set by Haywood. With the screen set, Boykins drew all the attention at the right elbow and then shoveled a pass to a cutting Haywood for the dunk. "[Andrew] Bogut hadn’t stepped up on a shot for a guard all night long so we chose to attack him down the stretch and see what he was going to do and he finally stepped up. Earl dropped a pass and I was able to get an easy dunk," Haywood said.

Wizards 104, Bucks 102 [UPDATED] - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

Funny how Boykins was working out in Denver last month when the Wizards called him out of desperation because of their depleted backcourt. Three weeks later, he's on the floor with three all-stars in Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, and he's making plays in the end. Boykins has now closed out wins against Cleveland, Miami, Toronto and Milwaukee. He has done this in previous stops, so this isn't a surprise for Arenas or Jamison, who watched him do the same thing with the Golden State Warriors. "To you guys it's a surprise, but that's what Earl does. He was a great scorer at Eastern Michigan, he's been in the league 11 years because of it. He makes plays," said Arenas, who scored four points in the final period. "I was with him at Golden States and the same results. We played in the fourth quarter together and that's how we did it. Coach yelled at us four games ago...and said 'Why don't you run the [darn] floor?' and I was like 'Well, see me and Earl have this thing from the last couple years. He attacks and if nothing's there, he kicks it back to me. And then I drive and attack.' So, that's just how we play."

Wizards 104, Bucks 102 - Mike Jones, Outlet

Seriously. I mean, I know it may drop off at any moment, but for now, Earl Boykins is hot at the right time for the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas still is working his way back, and although he's getting better as is evidence of the last two days. But without Earl Boykins and his late-game charges of energy, the Wizards very well could be looking at 3-14 instead of 7-10. This little dude has now had four games in which his fourth-quarter heroics have led the Wizards to victory.

Last Night's Action: The Tiny Man In The Middle - Aaron Morrissey, DCist

In a league populated with giants, it's easy to forget about Earl Boykins. Standing at five-foot-five and tipping the scales at 133 pounds, he is, quite literally, a David amongst the Goliaths of the National Basketball Association. But when Boykins picks up his figuartive slingshot, he suddenly becomes a lot harder to miss. The Lilliputian one scored 11 points in the last ten minutes, including hitting two free throws with one second left to lead the Wizards to yet another win last night -- their fourth in their last five games.

The little man steps up big for the Wizards - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

Gilbert Arenas had his second good game in a row. The point gaurd added a team high 22 points and nine assists on the night. While it seems he has finally found his confidence to attack the basket, he is still struggling to find his shooting stroke. Arenas was 1-6 from three tonight, and only 10-24 overall. On the season he is shooting a career low 39 per cent from the field.

Wizards hold on to defeat Bucks - Matt Kremnitzer, Krem's Sports Blog

I'm impressed with Young. He turned the ball over five times last night, which is too much, but he shot well from the field and seems to play well with the other starters. I wasn't sure if he'd be able to bounce back from not playing much to start the season, but he worked hard and is certainly contributing right now. I'm not sure if Randy Foye is completely healthy or not, but Young's recent play and the presence of Earl Boykins have really cut into Foye's minutes. Last night, Foye played only five minutes and didn't score a point.

Game Notes: Milwaukee vs. Washington - Rashad Mobley, Hoops Addict

In the second quarter, Gilbert Arenas came down on three consecutive possessions, drove the ball, was seemingly fouled, but nothing was called. After each call, he went and pleaded his case to the referees. This happened just one night after he earned a technical foul against Toronto for doing the same thing. In the third quarter, Arenas again complained about the officiating, and this time that complaining led to him being relaxed on defense and Brandon Jennings went by him and scored. Flip Saunders promptly called a timeout and yelled something to Arenas as he ran off the floor. After the game, Arenas explained his behavior, "I used to average 11 or 12 free throws a game, and now I can’t even get a call. I feel like they’re profiling me as a player," Arenas said while he stood in front of his locker. "They say I’m creating all the contact, and I’m saying that’s what a scorer is supposed to do, there’re supposed to create the contact when they get in the lane. If they [the defensive players] are outside the lane its a charge…now if they’re inside the lane and I run into them, its a no-call. I’m asking [the refs] where do I win that? Last night I got frustrated I got a technical."

Gilbert Arenas Feels Profiled By The Refs - Kyle Weidie, Truth About It

From where I sit, Arenas needs to stop worrying about the refs (at least not more than the standard in-game politicking). Warranted or not, he can’t use a lack of calls as a lingering reason in the back of his head to why some things might not be working. Keep attacking the basket, but do it with scoring in mind, not trying to draw a foul while throwing up whatever attempt that can be mustered. Arenas is still trying to get a feel for his own game, his new coach, and his teammates … much less a feel for how he will be addressed by referees on aggressive moves to the hoop. Allowing frustration to mount won’t help his play or standing with the whistle-blowers. But just like anything else, and to quote a favorite term of Ernie Grunfeld and Flip Saunders, Arenas achieving an offensive comfort zone is a "process." Only time will tell if this process will result in success for Agent Zero his team.

Wizards 104, Bucks 102 - Alex Boeder, Brew Hoop

The Wizards shot 54.3 % from the field despite none of the big three really feeling it tonight: Arenas (10-24), Jamison (5-8), Butler (4-10). Post-game, Skiles had nothing good to say about the defensive performance, and I must say that I can't recall many big stops on that side of the ball.

Defense remains in absentia: Wizards 104 - Bucks 102

Bogut STRUGGLED. I was worried Brendan Haywood’s length and strength would give Bogut problems and they certainly did. He was getting very few clean looks and his touch didn’t seem to be there even when he did get some looks. On the plus side he was able to dish out five assists, a sign that he recognized it was not a favorable match-up for him.

Boykins comes up big for Wizards - Associated Press

It was Saunders' 1,000th career game as a head coach. He has a 594-406 record. ... Before the game, Saunders said he's adjusting to the number of fans arriving after tipoff at Washington games. "It's something we've got to try to change," he said. "As the team becomes better ... they'll want to come out and hopefully get out here sooner."

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Mike Jones
Wizards fans only get out of their seats for food. People screaming themselves red in the face over some free donuts.

Twitter / Michael Lee
Poor Andrew Bogut. Gilbert Arenas knocked him to the ground, he stood up, then Caron Butler dunked on him. Stay on the ground!

Twitter / wizznutzz
oh, our bad!!! you not mean massive slobbering. sorry so much!!!! RT @BulletsForever: Earl Boykins does a lot of dribbling.

Twitter / Tas Melas
The ball in Earl Boykins to win the game. Love the call Flip. Brandon fouls him. He didn't think he'd be guarding smaller players in the NBA

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Earl Boykins is the Closer. Flip has only called for Pick&Rolls b/t him & Haywood on last couple of possessions. Wiz up 100-99, 0:59 left

Twitter / The BF gang
So I was hoping for Antonio Daniels instead of Earl Boykins when they signed him. Mea culpa, everyone. Mea culpa!

Twitter / George V. Panagakos
Boykins 11 pts in 4th Q; MVP chants; the man is rolling since he's been in a Wizards uniform

Game #15: Washington Wizards (4-9) vs. Miami Heat (9-5)

DolPhanDave — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:04:40 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Dwyane Wade goes plain DIAGONAL on the Wizards

Browse more photos »

Tonight the Heat will play a much different Washington Wizards team then they have seen the previous two times this season. The reason? Antawn Jamison. The Wizards star forward missed the team's first nine games with a shoulder injury, but he has been amazing since returning.

In the four games Jamison has played, he's scored 31, 22, 15 and 32 points while shooting 51.4% from the field. He is also averaging 10.8 boards and 1.5 steals. With Antawn, Gilbert, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood all in the lineup for Washington, the Heat are going to see a much more powerful, all-around team.

The Heat are coming off of perhaps their most invigorating game of the year but are still dealing with some issues on defense. The Heat have given up 26 three pointers in the last two games, but in those games the Hornets and Magic put up 59 attempts from beyond the arc. That is pretty ridiculous, and one has to assume that the Heat, who opened the season playing great perimeter defense, has somewhat lost their way.

Another thing to keep an eye on is how Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo come back after the stinker they put up in Orlando. Forget about points, when two point guards combine for 3 assists, there is a problem. Granted, the Heat have often been guilty of not moving much without the ball, but either way that is a problem that needs to be solved asap.

GAME NOTES

The Heat have won two in a row overall and six in a row against the Wizards

Quentin Richardson is listed as doubtful, still dealing with a sore back.

The Wiz will be without Mike Miller, who is dealing with a sore calf, Mike James (hand) and Javaris Crittenton (foot).

This is also going to be the 2^nd game in a row that the Heat are nationally televised on ESPN.

Dwyane Wade has scored 40 and 41 points in the two games against Washington this season, his only 40-point games this year (so far).

Another great test for Miami as they shoot for 3 in a row. Tipoff is at 7pm from the AAA.

How does Antawn Jamison help the Washington Wizards? Some stats to consider

Mike Prada — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:44:20 -0000

With Antawn Jamison set to make his season debut against Cleveland tomorrow, I thought I'd scan the archives on 82games.com and look at the type of difference Jamison's presence on the floor makes for the Wizards and for guys like Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. These aren't meant to be conclusions, since the team dynamic now is far different than it was in, say, 2007, but they do provide some interesting food for thought.

Without further ado:

(And in case your wondering, bwoodsxyz will be back eventually, but has a personal matter he's been tending to these past couple weeks. Nothing to worry about (it's actually a very good thing), just something that requires his attention).

The Wizards as a team have always shot better with Jamison on the floor

One of the biggest talking points with Jamison is that his ability to spread the floor and score in so many different areas helped the rest of the team's shooting percentages. The record shows that this point is unmistakably true.

Here is a list of the Wizards' effective field goal percentages since 2004/05 when Jamison has been on the court, compared to when he hasn't.

Year	Wizards' eFG% with Jamison in	Wizards eFG% with Jamison out
2004/05	48.2%	45.9%
2005/06	49.4%	43.6%
2006/07	50.6%	46.3%
2007/08	49%	48.4%
2008/09	48%	47.8%

Interestingly enough, Jamison's effect was much more pronounced in the years Gilbert Arenas did play than in the ones he didn't. Part of that may be due to the way Jamison and Arenas compliment each other on the court. The shooting percentages of the Arenas/Jamison player pairing back this up, even though it took some time to get those up.

Year	Arenas' normal FG%	Arenas FG% with Jamison
2004/05	43.1%	42.9%
2005/06	44.7%	45.2%
2006/07	41.8%	44%

Jamison missed time in both 2004/05 and 2006/07. In 2006/07, the Wizards leaned heavier on their Big 3 than ever before, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Arenas benefited from Jamison's presence, at least from the shooting department.

What about Caron Butler, you ask? That's a bit more of a mixed bag.

Year	Butler's normal FG%	Butler's FG% with Jamison
2005/06	45.5%	45.3%
2006/07	46.3%	47.7%
2007/08	46.6%	45.9%
2008/09	45.3%	44.2%

I guess you could throw out 2008/09, but it's a bit troubling to me that Jamison historically hasn't had much of an effect statistically on Butler's shooting. Butler's shooting has been simply dreadful this season, and if past history is any indication, it might take more than just having Jamison back to fix it.

Nearly every Wizards player shoots above their season average playing in tandem with Jamison than playing without him

Overall,, Jamison tends to have an across-the-board effect in improving individual players' FG% from their normal season average.

In 2004/05, Jamison's presence resulted in a bump in FG% for every key rotation player except Arenas (barely), Kwame Brown, Etan Thomas and Michael Ruffin.
In 2005/06, only Butler (barely) and Ruffin shot worse among rotation players.
In 2006/07, only DeShawn Stevenson, Darius Songaila (in less than half the year) and Ruffin (in limited minutes) didn't see a FG% bump with Jamison in the lineup
Jamison didn't have nearly as dramatic an effect in 2007/08: Only Songaila saw a major bump in FG% due to Jamison's presence. Most players were pretty much at the same level with or without Jamison on the court.
In 2008/09, Jamison's presence gave a significant bump to the following players' FG%: JaVale McGee (+2.5%), Etan Thomas (+2.5%), Andray Blatche (+1.6%), Dominic McGuire (+3.4%) and Javaris Crittenton (+1.8%). He had basically no effect on Mike James and DeShawn Stevenson. Only Butler, Nick Young and Juan Dixon saw their FG% drop with Jamison out there with him.

Obviously, that's not perfect, but for the most part, Jamison helps create better shooting percentages for the Wizards.

Jamison helps Arenas get more assists, but not Butler

Logically, it would seem Jamison helps get Arenas and Butler more assists because of his ability to finish quickly without necessarily creating his own shot off the dribble. The stats back this up in Arenas' case, but interestingly enough, not in Butler's.

In Arenas' three healthy years, he has always dished out dimes at a higher rate with Jamison on the floor than his season average.

Year	Arenas' A/40 season	Arenas A/40 with Jamison
2004/05	5.0	5.5
2005/06	5.7	6
2006/07	6	6.4

That may not seem like much, but consider that Jamison and Arenas nearly always shared the court, due to both playing a ton of minutes for Eddie Jordan. It's incredible that Jamison makes even that much difference in Arenas' assist rates considering how rarely the two played without each other.

That same logic holds for Caron Butler, yet we don't see the assist bump that you see with Arenas.

Year	Butler A/40 season	Butler A/40 with Jamison
2005/06	2.8	2.8
2006/07	3.8	3.7
2007/08	4.9	4.8
2008/09	4.5	4.6

Once again, this provides evidence that it'll take more than Jamison's return to fix Butler's woes.

Jamison and rebounding

Jamison's ability to improve the team's total offensive and defensive rebound percentage when he's on the floor compared to where he isn't is a bit more of a mixed bag than I expected. Consider:

There are two years (2005/06 and 2007/08) where Jamison had a tremendous positive impact on both the teams' offensive and defensive rebounding.
There is one year where he made a tremendous impact on the offensive glass, but not so much on the defensive glass (2004/05)
There is one year where he had a tremendous impact on the defensive glass (crazy, even) and had a pretty significant negative differential on offensive rebounding (2008/09)
There is one year (2006/07) where he didn't have much of an effect on either the offensive or defensive boards.

There are several reasons for this odd trend. The Wizards were fifth in the league in offensive rebounding in 2004/05 but just 25th in defensive rebounding, so Jamison probably caught that bug. 2005/06 was when Etan Thomas missed a lot of time and Michael Ruffin caught the suckitude bug. 2006/07 was when Jamison was asked to leak out onto the break more often than he was asked to rebound. 2007/08 was when Jamison himself had the best rebounding season of his career. 2008/09 was, well, 2008/09.

Anyway, these stats are just meant as food for thought. Use them as you all may.

Thursday Practice Report: Andray Blatche’s late-night workout, Randy Foye says playing with Gilbert Arenas off the ball is "easy," and Javaris Crittenton’s injury isn't getting better

Mike Prada — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:34:58 -0000

Andray Blatche works with Assistant Coach for Player Development Gene Banks, as Paul Davis looks on. Via my IPhone.

Coming off a big win over Dallas on Tuesday, the Wizards were in pretty good spirits after practice today. Flip Saunders said the club went through a very good practice and emphasized the importance of maintaining those winning habits throughout the "process."

Once again, Gilbert Arenas did not talk to the media, telling NBC's Lindsay Czarniak that he only talks when they make him. So, once again, nothing new on that front. However, there's a lot of interesting nuggets to chew on from today. Make the jump to read about Andray Blatche's late-night workout, an update on Javaris Crittenton's injury, some thoughts about the Randy Foye/Gilbert Arenas backcourt and more.

Andray Blatche isn't resting on his laurels

Andray Blatche had an outstanding first game of the 2009/10 season last Tuesday, notching 20 points, 7 rebounds and only 3 fouls in 35 minutes. But as we all know, Blatche has had plenty of good games in his career. Sustaining that success has proven to be an elusive quest for the 23-year old.

After practice today, Blatche made it clear that he knows his big opening game means nothing if he can't sustain it.

"Tuesday's in the past," Blatche said. "Right after the game, Flip came up to me and said, ‘Last game don't mean s***,' excuse my French."

So how did Blatche try to build on last Tuesday's performance? He called Sam Cassell late last night and asked him to come in to do a workout with him. Blatche said they came to the Verizon Center at around 11:15 and went until about 12:30 in the morning.

"[We worked on] all the situations that would be in the game," Blatche said. "Post-ups, pick and pops, stuff like that. All game-type situations."

It's yet another example of the new "Seven-Day Dray." When asked whether he would have ever come in for a workout that late in the past, Blatche said no. He also joked that the empty arena spooked him a bit.

"Man, it was a little scary, I ain't gonna lie," Blatche said. "I called my best friend. I had to go to the locker room by myself, I was a little scared. It's so quiet, and dark a little bit. I'm telling you all, it's different at nighttime, but I was alright."

Eventually, though, the conversation veered back into Tuesday night. Blatche said Fabricio Oberto did a great job guarding Dirk Nowitzki, and also praised the team's pick-and-roll coverage. He also once again sung the praises of Flip Saunders' offense.

"It just seems like you're always moving, you're always setting picks, you're always rolling, always popping," Blatche said. "You're always doing something. Last year, you set one screen and you stand still and you waiting for something. This year, we're always moving and sharing the ball a lot more."

Even Antawn Jamison admits he thinks Blatche's new approach is paying dividends.

"I think he's getting it," Jamison said. "I think he understands that it's not about what [he] does on gameday, or the day before, or the night before. Little things like that will help you stay consistent and be able to do that night in and night out."

Video below, courtesy Truth About It:

Javaris Crittenton's injury gets worse

Those of you looking forward to seeing Javaris Crittenton return to the court will need to wait a lot longer. Crittenton was limping around on crutches today, with yet another boot on his injured ankle.

Team spokesman Scott Hall told me that Crittenton went to get "an exploratory scope" last Friday that revealed nothing new. Hall didn't mention anything about how long Crittenton was expected to be out, nor did he say that the injury got any worse.

However, Mike Jones talked to Crittenton, and Crittenton told a slightly different story. Crittenton told Jones that he had surgery last Friday to clear up some torn cartilage that had been found in previous X-Rays. But Crittenton also admitted that he was hoping to get this procedure done sooner.

"I wish the procedure would have been happened, so I could have recovered by now," Crittenton told Jones. "They actually saw it on the X-ray a long time ago, but they had to continue looking at different cat scans and X-rays to get it done."

Would having the surgery earlier have changed things? Did they really see these problems a long time ago and unnecessarily looked several more times before having the surgery? I don't know. I think there's a lot of information missing here. But it certainly seems odd, doesn't it?

Crittenton said he has two more weeks of recovery, followed by four weeks of rehab, which means he'll be out at least another six more weeks.

Randy Foye and the "small" backcourt

As I mentioned yesterday, when Gilbert Arenas and Randy Foye played together last Tuesday, the Wizards outscored the Mavericks by 14 points. When I asked Saunders about why he turned to that pairing despite not using it much in the preseason, Saunders joked that "there are a lot of things I do during the regular season that I don't do in preseason." I then asked when we might see it in the future.

"You'll see it a lot," Saunders said. "A lot of it depends on the defensive end. If we're playing Kobe Bryant at the 2, you might not be able to put Randy on Kobe because of Kobe's size. A lot of that is going to depend on defensive matchups. There was a situation in Dallas where they played a couple smaller guards."

Foye said he was wondering when he was going to get a chance to play more with Arenas, but added that "[Saunders] probably didn't want people to see it."

"When you put us in together, Dallas didn't have an answer to that," Foye said. "With two scorers in there together, because if you pay too much attention to [Arenas], you gotta help, then we kick it out to me for an open shot. It's the same [vice versa]."

I was particularly struck with what Foye said later, when he talked about how his mentality and comfort level change when he plays with Arenas.

"When you play with someone of that caliber, it's easy," Foye said. "Everything else comes easy. Like, when they were pressing at the end, they couldn't get the ball, because we could both break the press. When they press and denied him, I got the ball, and when they doubled me with his man, I passed him the ball. It just makes it so much easier playing with another ball-handler."

Foye also praised Saunders' strategic instincts, saying, "it's like he's playing chess up in his head." Regardless, with so many teams nowadays playing small backcourts, the Foye/Arenas backcourt should be a regular staple.

Other stuff:

Flip Saunders was asked again about Nick Young not playing at all on Tuesday. "We haven't really talked," Saunders said. "I think he knows what he's got to do." When asked what he has to do, Saunders said, "Be more consistent, as far as what you're doing. You can't rely on making shots as a criteria for whether you are going to play." Saunders added that Young did some extra work yesterday and that "he'll get an opportunity." Young himself slipped out the door before anyone could talk to him.
Antawn Jamison was there shagging rebounds for JaVale McGee, and showed no major limitations on his shoulder. It's obviously not in game shape, but it wasn't in a sling or anything. That's pretty encouraging.
DeShawn Stevenson was asked about his thoughts on Antonio Daniels potentially signing with Cleveland. In typical DeShawn fashion, he responded in a way where you wonder whether he was joking or being serious. "Traitor," Stevenson said. "I don't talk to nobody that plays to Cleveland." Chris Miller then said to Stevenson, "I'm sure you have a reaction to them starting 0-2." Stevenson's response. "Yeah, yeah I do," and then he walked away.
Saunders said that while his top eight players will remain pretty consistent, his rotation is not 100% set in stone right now, saying that JaVale McGee in particular had a great practice and may play more tomorrow against the Atlanta Hawks. "Now, we're playing a team with a lot more athletic ability, where a guy like JaVale could have an impact."

More pictures:

BWood working on his free throw stroke.

Caron Butler works on his shot while Randy Wittman looks on

Dominic McGuire works on his shot while Nick Young looks on

14 players in a new system: Mike Miller

Mike Prada — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:14:34 -0000

More photos » by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

Browse more photos »

We all know Mike Miller is going to play this year. He's proven this preseason that he's an efficient, if reluctant (at times) scorer, an excellent rebounder for a guard and a very underrated passer.

However, it's still up in the air as to how exactly Miller will be used. Miller's a paradox of sorts. On the one hand, with his shooting and versatile offensive game, he could pretty much fit in with any combination. If he were to play a ton of minutes with the starting lineup, for example, he would make everyone's job easier because he can shoot the ball so well. As he's talked about so many times in interviews this preseason, with him on the floor, defenders are going to have to choose whether they double off him and make him shoot or stick to him, which would give the other Big 3 players more time to go one-on-one. That split second of indecisiveness could be all this offense needs to click.

On the other hand, we've also seen Miller display an annoying passivity for stretches because he's trying too hard to fit in. This was a problem in Minnesota, where he suddenly stopped shooting in an attempt to play like Magic Johnson, and we've seen it here too, particularly when he has been paired with the starting lineup. While he has a game that screams "complimentary player," he also has enough skills where he should be put in a position to make more plays. That would mean playing a lot of times with the second unit, because Miller will have to tap into those facilitative skills in order to get the team to perform.

It's a dilemma, that's for sure. We also haven't even talked about his defense, which isn't so awful that it kills a team, but also isn't good enough to help a team when paired with other poor defenders. So where do you play Miller most? Make the jump to discuss.

Why he should start: Because nobody else has really separated themselves from the pack, and Miller is clearly the best player that's competing for the position. Often times, simple is best. Start your five best guys, and you won't have to worry about all the mind games and extra strategy that comes with saving one of your top five for the bench. Miller's game also can help the Big 3, as mentioned earlier.

Why he should come off the bench, but play starters' minutes: Miller's defense is pretty poor, and defense is the type of thing where you need to set the tone at the beginning of the game. Miller's facilitative skills can also help Randy Foye, who seems to play best when he isn't the only one making plays for people.

My best guess: I see the latter situation happening for Miller. He'll play starters minutes and he'll finish most games, but I don't see him starting for two reasons. One is the defense factor -- Miller isn't good at it, and this team will need to play it better from the start of games. The second reason is to best prevent the "passive Miller" from showing up. If he's placed in the game and told to make plays, it'll keep him more in the flow for when he has to come in and play in the fourth quarter with the starters.

Game-Day Preview vs. Wizards

Raptors HQ - Vicious D — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:22:41 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Flip Saunders is a man who some fans believe Colangelo should have considered to lead the team. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Browse more photos »

Taking a look, the Raptors are facing a Wizards team looking to reintegrate their #1 offensive option from two years ago. The Raptors on the other hand are trying to get bodies back in the lineup and get their defense set.

Most "experts" are looking at the Raptors and Wizards as two teams that may be battling it out in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings this season . In some ways the teams are similar. Both teams greatly underperformed last year thanks to a combination of injuries and perhaps a stale playing style. Both teams underwent major coaching changes during the year. Both teams have made some large changes to their personnel with their core players largely unchanged.

However, for myself, pre-season is pretty much a time for us to just get back into the swing of things. We at the HQ need to brush up on our writing skills and the Raptors have their own set of "to do's". Jay Triano so far has up held his end of the bargain, distributing minutes evenly amongst everyone and trying to instill certain defensive policies. This should be applauded. It's also important for us to see that the team's bench can change the tempo of a game and has their own unique flare that they can bring onto the floor. All of our successful Raptors teams of the past had a Keon Clark who could come in and provide some extra punch every once in a while.

It's for that reason that I'm interested in seeing that the team continues with their development, regardless of wins.

Here are three keys that I think the Raptors should focus on later today:

1. Out Rebound the Wizards

39-39, 46-37, and 45-36. These are the rebounding stats of the opponents-to-Raptors for the first three pre-season games. We can talk all we want about better defense and team rebounding, but the fact of the matter is, the Raptors are not off to a good start. There has to be a conscious effort to get after the ball. We've known it for months now that this team has to rebound as a full unit because there's just no Matrix around to gobble up 10 rebounds per night. Against the Wizards, the Raptors should have an easier time, as they will probably be without the services of Brendan Haywood. So if there was ever a time to practice out rebounding a team, today would be the day.

2. Clean up the Free Throws

Sure, we can expect Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and Hedo Turkoglu to get and make their share of free throws over the season. However, Reggie Evans, DeMar DeRozan, and the rest of the supporting crew have to continue to get to the line and score. The only way Evans or DeRozan are going to get significant end-of-game playing time is if they both improve their free throw shooting. Triano, otherwise, will be hesitant to play them in fear that teams will simply hack away on both of them. To stay on the court when it matters, both have to continue to increase their shooting percentage from the charity stripe.

3. Athlete vs Athlete

Going into last year, the big worry was that the Raptors simply were not going to have the athleticism or smarts to stay with the best players the league had to offer. This year, there's an influx of new talent that is hungry to prove themselves. The Wizards had lots of young talent and most are fairly good athletes including Nick Young, Randy Foye, Javaris Crittenton and JaVale McGee. It will be interesting to see if the Raptors are able to continue to finish hard and yet come back on defense against a fairly athletic second unit. Just the fact that the Raptors have an athletic unit tells you a lot about the club's makeover.

Don't forget about the love game day thread that will open at 3 pm today!

Morning Briefing: Washington Wins Preseason Opener 101-92

JakeTheSnake — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:38:45 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

2 months ago: Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood (33) passes the ball in front of Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol during an NBA preseason basketball game in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Browse more photos »

[Editor's Note: After each game we'll round up the best links and reactions to each game. Throughout the preseason we'll try to tinker with the format to make this as informative as possible for you, the reader. Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments. -Jake]

Grizzlies vs Wizards coverage | Boxscore

Arenas shows his unselfish side - Washington Times

Arenas showed no hitches as he showed great acceleration and leaping ability and drove past defenders at will. And his court vision was as keen as it ever was as he wove through defenders and still managed to find his teammates. But Arenas hardly looked for his own shot, taking just five attempts. He made only one of them and struggled from the foul line as well, going 3-for-9.

Wizards Control Fourth In Preseason Opener - WashingtonWizards.com

"I thought [Gilbert] was good," said Head Coach Flip Saunders. "He did the things he needed to do in this situation. He had a 20 and 10 game right on his fingertips. He’s not going to miss that many free throws. Nobody should question how his knee is after he jumped over the table in the first quarter (to save a ball). He has given me no indication in the things that he has done that he’s not back. He needs games like this to play and to get used to the flow of the game. He almost got to the point where he was too unselfish."

Wizards Defeat Grizzlies in Preseason Opener - Washington Post

Saunders said that he planned on using Arenas for just "eight to 10 minutes," but Arenas played 11 minutes in the first quarter. When he grabbed a seat next to assistant coach Sam Cassell, the Wizards held a 29-24 lead. Arenas got the Wizards going quickly as he caught the ball in the low post and kicked the ball out to Antawn Jamison for a three-pointer. He then found Nick Young in the corner for a 19-foot jumper, Butler up high for a 17-footer and Jamison for another three-pointer. His best assist came when he zipped a no-look pass to a cutting Jamison for a one-handed dunk. Jamison said having Arenas back provides him much easier looks. "It was unbelievable, having a guy like him," Jamison said after scoring a game-high 20 points with eight rebounds. "On one, I was so wide open I didn't know what to do."

Wizards 101, Grizzlies 92 - Wizards Insider

Mike Miller didn't shoot the ball particularly well (1 of 7), but he had six rebounds. Brendan Haywood, who missed the preseason and the first 75 games of last season with a wrist injury, had six points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in 28 minutes. Mike James had played well throughout the first week of training camp, but he joined the injured Javaris Crittenton and training camp invitees Paul Davis and Vincent Grier on the bench all night, drawing a DNP-CD.

Wizards-Grizzlies postgame - Outlet

The Wizards have to be happy with what they got out of Jamison (20 points, eight rebounds), Butler (15 points, six rebounds), Young (11 points, two rebounds and a steal), Foye (14 points, three assists, three steals), Blatche (13 points, eight rebounds) and even JaVale McGee's eight points, three rebounds in spot duty. Saunders said he was happy with Haywood's play (six points, seven rebounds, three blocks), but that he felt like defensively the team didn't give him enough help, and that offensively he would have liked to see him get more touches. But all in all, the Wizards come from this game without any glaring concern areas.

Wizards host Grizzlies at VCU preseason opener - Wizards Examiner

Tonight fans of the Washington Wizards got to see Arenas as a "true point guard," Brendan Haywood as a shot-changer, and a first look at the offensive powerhouse that is the Washington Wizards. Stevenson and Foye showed their range while Miller showcased his passing talents. Frontcourt reserve duo JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche complimented each other inside and out of the paint respectively in the fourth and ushered in the first win of the preseason.

Griz notes: Iverson sits with hamstring injury - Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Griz saw their first action with the NBA's replacement refs, and it wasn't a smooth experience. On one possession, the Griz had just four players on the court because rookie DeMarre Carroll sat at the scorer's table when he was supposed to replace Zach Randolph. Action continued and Rudy Gay intentionally fouled to stop play. There were 55 fouls called in the game.

Preseason: Wizards Wrap-Up - Straight Outta Vancouver

Michael Conley was perhaps the lone shining example. Sounds like he controlled Gilbert Arenas and forced him to pass more frequently then Agent Zero normally likes him to. His stats suggest an efficient and effective offensive game.

After you check out the latest news from The Onion about Juwan Howard, you can check out the top tweets from last night's game.

Top Tweets

Twitter / Michael Lee
Flip Saunders on making his debut with the Wizards: "I hope they aren’t going to judge me on the preseason games."

Twitter / Washington Wizards
http://twitpic.com/kj3rc - Washington Wizards brand new warmups. Tell me what you think...

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Evidently Richmond is "The Most Powerful City In The World" too ... thought only D.C. held that title.

Twitter / The BF gang
Miller with a hook over Haddadi. I think he's been more impressive running p&r than Randy Foye has.

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Blatche tries baseline spin move on Thabeet, weakly loses position and gets his stuff THROWN.

Twitter / The BF gang
Blatche is having a much better fourth quarter than a second quarter. Some great boardwork in the fourth.

Twitter / Mike Jones
So much for the end of "I can't feel my face." Stevenson 3 followed by the hand-wave.

Twitter / The BF gang
JaVale just tried the Hakeem Olajuwon flick at the rebunder move. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Twitter / Trey Ervine
At the wizards grizzlies game! Allen iverson sat on the bench by himself the first half then didnt come out for the second. Smart buy? ...no

Twitter / GoDanica7
@dwadeofficial man, I just got back from the Wizards/Grizzlies game...why Mike Miller look like Linsday Lohan?!?!

Twitter / ChellyBelle
http://twitpic.com/kjqb6 - Wizards v grizzlies mike miller #6. cute white boy! back to the game