SB Nation - Nick Young

Recap: Wizards 109, Bucks 97

Frank Madden — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:03:04 -0000

Jennings once again struggled to hang with the Little General

The BC had kind of a retro feel Saturday night. To be clear, this wasn't a real retro feel--sadly, the crowd that braved the bilzzard wasn't treated to a '71 Bucks-type performance. It was more like 2006 or 2007 retro. You know, when Mike Redd was creating tons of offense, Charlie Bell still played some point guard, Andrew Bogut left you wanting more, and Brandon Jennings played like a high schooler...because he was.

And the feeling held for the Wizards, too. Gilbert Arenas was manhandling smaller point guards (18 pts, nine assists), Caron Butler (23/10) was making the Lakers feel like fools for trading him, and Antawn Jamison (25 on just 12 shots with 10 rebounds) was doing his inside/outside thing. And, oh yeah, the Wizards (still just 10-17) were a better team than the Bucks (12-15).

The outcome of this one was essentially foreshadowed by the first quarter, when the Bucks got a big start from MIchael Redd (13 points) but showed neither the shot-making nor defensive intensity to hang with a more focused Wizards team. Arenas set a physical tone by bullying Brandon Jennings to the bench, which is where the rookie spent much of his night thanks to an unfortunate combination of foul trouble and amateurish play. Luke Ridnour didn't fair any better with two quick fouls of his own, forcing Charlie Bell into the role of primary ballhandler.

The Bucks' reserves did their darndest to keep the Bucks in it, but most of the game seemed an uphill battle in spite of the Bucks slowly chipping away at the Washington lead. The 10-point first quarter lead was down to five at half, but the lead was still six after three. However, Bell scored six in a 9-0 run to start the third, as the Wizards started settling for long twos and also turned it over twice. The second came on a charge by Arenas, who slumped to the ground with a bum thigh that forced Earl Boykins (15 points on seven shots) back into action with seven minutes remaining. The Bucks suddenly had a three point lead and the Wizards were without their floor leader, but given what Boykins did to them three weeks ago, they probably should have known what was about to happen.

Trailing 86-84, the Wizards took the lead for good with a 9-0 run of their own, as Jamison scored five straight before Butler ripped a long jumper and Boykins stuck a mid-ranger in Jennings' face. Bogut was a spectator for all of it, as he let the Wizards goad him into foul trouble for much of the second half.

Immediately thereafter the Bucks ironically started getting to the line and taking full advantage (they made all six freebies on three straight possessions thereafter) but this time it was their defense that let them down. Jamison rose uncontested to bank in a short jumper and Boykins waltzed in for a layup shortly thereafter--and what had been a close game throughout fell well out of reach as the Bucks spent the final two minutes hoisting wayward threes.

Three Bucks

Michael Redd: 32 pts, 8/21 fg, 1/5 threes, 15/15 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 to
Redd went cold from the field after a 5/5 start, but that made his ability to draw fouls (and actually, you know, make them) so much more important. And even when Redd was hitting shots it wasn't generally because of his jump-shooting--he was in attack mode all night long, terrorizing Randy Foye and Nick Young with dribble penetration. The Wizards may not be a great defensive team, but ti was great to see Redd taking it to the rack and creating offense all on his own. Welcome back, Mike. Now keep it up.

Charlie Bell: 14 pts, 6/15 fg, 0/4 threes, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1 stl, 0 to
Bell's box score ended up fairly non-descript, but in truth he was the only point guard who looked deserving of playing time. For starters, he didn't let Arenas walk all over him--a nice contrast to Jennings and Ridnour. And while he wasn't creating much for teammates (hence the zero assists) he had a nice stretch in the second half of the third and beginning of the fourth where he made 5/8 shots, effectively attacking the heart of the Wizards defense for buckets. Considering most of the Bucks' offensive weapons were watching from the bench at that point, I'll take it.

Luc Mbah a Moute: 11 pts, 3/6 fg, 5/8 ft, 5 rebs, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 0 to
Another night with a little bit of everything from Luc. He couldn't be the Bucks' savior on defense--though Skiles did use him on Arenas, Butler and Jamison at various points--but his energy and aggressiveness (hence the eight free throws and three offensive rebs) alone made him stand out from his other teammates.

Three Numbers

.529/.600/.886. Let's just lump the Wizards' superior scoring efficiency all into one. Blame it on good jumpshooting if you like, but the truth was the Bucks also had no ability to contain the Wizards penetration either and seemed a step slow rotating on help defense.

1. The Wizards nearly missed becoming just the second team to be held without an offensive rebound, as Brendan Haywood grabbed their first offensive board with just two minutes remaining. `The Bucks fared much better with 14, but the fact that MIlwaukee had only a 40-39 total rebound edge says a lot about the teams' relative shooting percentages.

15. Two nights after his free throw shooting demons nearly cost the Bucks a victory, Redd rebounded in style with a huge and perfect response.

Three Good

Redd rebounds. It didn't end up as a great shooting night for Redd, but the hop in his step was an extremely encouraging sign for the longer term.

Jesse White Tumblers. Always a halftime treat.

Seniorgee. The second of two acts that provided infinitely more satisfying performances than the Bucks. Old people dancing: one standing ovation. Bucks playing basketball for 48 minutes: no standing ovations. Not a good sign for the main event.

Three Bad

Starting frontcourt. Delfino and Ilyasova continued the poor play that started in Indiana, as they combined for a horrid 2/15 shooting. While he still looks to be working hard, Ilyasova has made just one field goal each of the past two games and his usual semi-wreckless, "bend but don't break" style of defense has been closer to "bend and snap in two." While Hakim Warrick wasn't much better in his meager 11 minutes, you have to think he's feeling pretty demoralized that he's playing so little even as Ilyasova struggles.

And then there's Bogut. It wasn't quite as bad as the 4/14 night he put up against Brendan Haywood last month, but he was again mostly ineffective offensively with a 5/13, 12 point night in 28 foul-plagued minutes. Unlike Roy Hibbert, Haywood didn't let Bogut back him down or get especially deep catches, forcing Bogut into too many of those 10 foot hooks which are a foot or two out of his range.

Though he had just five points and looked hilariously clueless on the two post moves he tried, Haywood made up for it with nine boards and excellent defense in the paint, swatting six shots including at least a couple of Bogut hooks. Bogut did add nine boards and his now-customary two blocks, but there were also a couple plays where he basically watched the Wizards make layups.

Jennings. This loss probably represents a new low for the Bucks, and the same is certainly true of Jennings. The rookie was held to a season-low seven points, three rebounds, two assists and three turnovers in 16 minutes--the kind of performance you might have expected a lot of before the season started. Arenas looked like the older brother toying with his younger sibling in the driveway in the first quarter, backing the smaller Jennings down with ease before a second foul sent him to the pine. I'm surprised we haven't seen more of this, but that may be something to look forward to going forward.

But as it turns out, Jennings didn't fare any better against one of the few PGs in the league he does have a size advantage on. In the fourth quarter Boykins toasted him for the second time in a month, as the mighty mite scored 10 in the decisive period to embarrass the Bucks in front of their home fans. More and more we're seeing Jennings' defense exposed, and it's forcing Skiles into gimmicky reactions--like running Bell at the point or having Mbah a Moute guard the 1.

Wake up. For the first time in a few weeks the Bucks had no excuses; this game wasn't about free throws or referees. No, this was about playing flat against a team you're supposed to beat, one that was finishing a back-to-back no less. The Wizards are talented and should certainly be better than their record suggests, but a poor road team like the Bucks simply can't give away games at home like this. The loss now puts them at three straight at home, a worrying sign that leaves us still wondering what this team is really about.

(Late) Briefing: Flip the bench, Flip the script

JakeTheSnake — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:10:20 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

"What?!? I have a worse contract that Gilbert Arenas?"

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Game Hub | Boxscore | Game Flow

After the Wizards gave up a 9-3 run to start the second half, Flip Saunders decided to pull a page out of the playbook of a college coach who works at a university that rhymes with "puke." Normally, these are just desperate ploys that show just how bad things have gotten; it's rare that you ever see a full swap have any actual impact on the game being played. Typically the bench can hold serve against the other team, so long as they are not left out there too long. Typically, it does not make the game any closer, as was the case last night as the second team was outscored by three in their time on the floor.

Usually, the hope is that the benching will fire up the starters to play better when they are re-inserted and that the added passion they play with will make up for the time they have lost while riding the pine. Last night, the ploy payed off in spades. It was an unconventional move from a conventional coach, but it worked. As Mike has already mentioned, the move lit a fire under Caron and Gilbert, which carried them through the final quarter toward the victory.

Wizards Down Sixers, End Home Slide - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

While the Wizards bench could not reclaim the lead, it was clearly the answer. In just six minutes of the third, McGuire grabbed four rebounds while Young and Boykins each added eight points to help limit the damage from a quarter in which the Wizards were outscored 35-25. "We knew we were messing up," Butler said of the mass substitution. "We needed a boost and they (bench players) provided a boost. It was about energy and effort. Nick was making shots and Dom was giving the energy."

Flip Saunders’ Wholesale Third Quarter Substitution: Wizards Top Sixers 105-98 - Kyle Weidie, Truth About It

Saunders’ motivational tactic worked, but he didn’t like the fact that he needed to use it. The starters returned to the court to start the fourth and the Wizards went on to outscore Philadelphia 33-19 in the final 12 minutes. Washington only had a 26-24 advantage in points in the paint after three periods. They finished the game with a 44-28 advantage. And much of that can be credited to the persistent driving of Arenas. Philadelphia’s defense is pretty bad, but that shouldn’t take away from how relentless Arenas was. Totaling 31 for the game, ten of Arenas’ 12 fourth quarter points came in the paint. The other two came from the free-throw line, also courtesy of penetration into the lane. Caron Butler’s emphatic dunk on two Sixers to put the Wizards up 96-90 was the result of a Gilbert drive.

Last Night's Action: Line Change - Aaron Morrissey, DCist

There's changes, and then there's changes -- and just like David Bowie, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders obviously felt like engaging in some strange fascination, fascinating everyone on Tuesday night at the Verizon Center. Saunders grew tired of his starting five's performance after the Sixers took their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter, and proceeded to substitute them all. At once. Saunders wanted to fire up his regulars; and it seemed to work, as subs Earl Boykins and Nick Young brought a spark. "Guys were pissed, mad. I said, 'you can be mad at me, but you aren't half as mad as I was with the effort,'" Saunders said he told his players. "That got the biggest applause of the night, taking [the starters] out."

Wizards 105, 76ers 98 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

Arenas and Butler combined to score 22 points in the fourth quarter, but the Wizards were perhaps rescued by earlier efforts off the bench, which contributed 42 points. Boykins had 18, Young had 13 and Blatche 10. After the game, Young sounded as if he was a bit fired up about Saunders's decision not to give him back the starting shooting guard job. "We had to step up," Young said about Saunders's third quarter move. "I just got to bring it every game. I can't be considered as a streaky player. The young guys went out there to prove a point. We are somebody on this team and we can step up at any time. It shows a lot of confidence in the coaching staff to take out all the main guys and put in the young guys. It showed that we're a team and we got a lot of weapons."

Instant Analysis: Sixers-Wizards - Brian Jackson - CSN Washington

Arenas missed practice Monday with a sore hip but he showed no ill effects against the Sixers. Agent Zero picked up right where he left off on the west coast, opening the game on a personal 7-0 run, finishing with 15 in the first quarter. After going nearly silent in the second and third quarters (4 points), he came back to life in the fourth pouring in 12 of his game high 31 points. It’s amazing that he was able to top the thirty-point mark while only attempting two free throws. While he did knock down three of six from downtown it was his aggressiveness attacking the basket that gave the Wizards a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint. Over the last five games he’s averaging 29.4 points, 6.6 assists and 5 rebounds.

Bench sparks Wizards to comeback win - Mike Fratto, Washington Times

"I just kept the confidence that I had going coming from the West Coast," Arenas said. "All it takes is a couple games to get somebody going. I found it out west, and hopefully I keep it going." It was a much-needed win for the Wizards, who had lost seven of eight - including three of four on the West Coast trip - and immediately returned to the road for a three-game trip that starts Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

Wizards 105, Sixers 98: Bench and response - Craig Stouffer, Pick and Roll

Antawn Jamison, who let’s face it, had a bad game, didn’t comment on the benching, but he did talk about a collision with Haywood for a fourth-quarter defensive rebound that had him dragging down the court well behind the rest of the team: "I’m used to it by now. We’ve played 30 games. Out of 30 games, he’s found a way to tweak my shoulder in 25 of them. It’s just him being aggressive, going for the rebound. He said he didn’t know it was me, but it’s a good excuse. It’s him being aggressive. I like it. He was going for the rebound, but I’m going to have to find a way to counteract it, find a way to prevent that from happening again."

76ers fall to Wizards - Kate Fagan, Philadelphia Inquirer

"We had a horrible defensive fourth quarter," a frustrated Jordan said after his team's record dipped to 7-21. "Horrible, horrible. . . . I mismanaged one possession. I called for a foul when we were down three with a 10-second differential. I made a mistake there, too, but overall, horrible fourth-quarter defense." The stat sheet for the quarter displayed some ugly numbers: The Wizards scored 33 points. The Sixers scored 19, none in transition; committed seven turnovers; and received a grand total of zero field goals from their starting lineup.

This is not over - Caron Butler, Hoops Hype

Even though my numbers are a little down this season, I know I can be an effective player for the Wizards and do whatever I’m asked for. I still can give you 20 points, 7 rebounds and some assists while guarding some of the best players in the league. I know I can do that. I’m not concerned about the trade rumors. I’ve been traded a couple of times before in my career. That did nothing but give me extra motivation. Look at my track record… Every time I was dealt, I had better years with my new team than I had with the old one. You don’t want to get traded, but you can turn it into a positive. I know I did.

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Michael Lee
David Falk's protest of Verizon Center (he was upset over Pollin not bringing back Jordan as GM) is over. He's watching Elton Brand

Twitter / George V. Panagakos
Blacthe spins and gets bounce on shot .. a no no no yes shot

Twitter / Craig Stouffer
Last week, Arenas said he needed to get away from Verizon, breathe a little bit. How's the air 2night? He hits his 1st three shots.

Twitter / Mike Prada
Apparently the cure to the #Wizards' offensive woes is playing an Eddie Jordan defense. Overkill? I haven't even gotten going yet.

Twitter / calloni
Flip the squad! Saunders just changed the starting five of the #wizards because they were simply crap in third quarter! #comeonman

Twitter / Jamar Short
@Truth_About_It - @Wale is a Cavs fan but he's always at #Wizards games. I think he's a lowkey Wiz fan but ashamed 2 say it cuz we r losing

Twitter / Mike Fratto
It may have taken til 4:25 left, but that Butler facial was well worth the wait for the first dunk of the game!

Twitter / Bobby Oler
you know your fans are devoted when they chant "dont blow the lead!" #Wizards

Twitter / John Schuhmann
#DumbPlayAlert Willie Green fouls with 35 seconds left and the Sixers down 3. ??? Caron Butler goes to the line and hits both.

Twitter / Truth_About_It
Wiz get a much needed win, but it's only a baby step. 105-98 over Sixers.

Twitter / wizznutzz
Jupiter McGwire as gravity grave!!!! Agent Sedgwick as the closer!!! Nick Young as cousin Oliver!!!! WIZ WIN!!!!

Game 27: Wizards/Bucks

Frank Madden — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:23:33 -0000

2009/2010 NBA Season
	@
9-17 (4-10 road)		12-14 (9-5 home)
December 23, 2009
Bradley Center
7:00 PM
Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: FSN Wisconsin
Probable starters:
Gilbert Arenas	PG	Brandon Jennings
Randy Foye	SG	Michael Redd
Caron Butler	SF	Delfino (LRMaM?)
Antawn Jamison	PF	Ersan Ilyasova
Brendan Haywood	C	Andrew Bogut

104.6 (23rd) - OFFENSE - 103.0 (25th)
108.6 (20th) - DEFENSE - 102.3 (4th)
94.1 (9th) - PACE 93.3 (10th)

Linkage:

Bullets Forever / Truth About It

News/notes after the jump

Free Throw Line Blues. The Bucks' mind-boggling 0/7 finish from the line in Indy left a strangely bitter aftertaste to what was a crucial road win. The Bucks' problems at the line aren't anything new of course, but they've taken it to new ~~heights~~ lows of late, as free throws were key ingredients of the Bucks' losses to both the Lakers and Kings last week. Charles Gardner spoke to the prime suspects, and the Bucks offered the cliched responses you expect:

"For me, it's just getting back into a rhythm of playing basketball, shooting my free throws," said Redd, who stayed after practice Tuesday to work on his foul shots with coaches Joe Wolf and Bill Peterson. "My first two looked good last night; my last two looked terrible.

"I'm going to get back to that; it's just a matter of time. Our team will as well. How you correct that is by practicing it. You don't want to shoot 500 free throws but shoot certain sets, put yourself in situations where there may be some pressure."

Bogut also termed the problem a "mental" one, but whatever the origin I'm not sure any of us are expecting sudden improvements from the Big Aussie. With the exception of 07/08 (when he improved by 1% over 06/07), Bogut's free throw percentage has fallen every season since his final season at Utah. He's down to a career-low 53.7% after a combined 6/15 the past two games, so even a return to the modest 60% mark would be a welcome sign.

Guarded optimism. You probably remember the Bucks' visit to the MCI Center last month as the Revenge of Lil' Earl. Boykins was the man down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 13 points (3/5 fg, 7/10 ft) in the last 10 minutes, and capping it off by drawing a foul on Jennings and stroking the clinching free throws. He scored 18 in last night's home win over the Sixers, though he'd managed just 11 points combined in his previous four.

But as scary as Earl may be, Gilbert Arenas is still the guy worth losing sleep over. Despite a sore hip that caused him to miss practice on Monday, Arenas has dropped 30+ in three of his last four games, including 31 last night and 45 against the Warriors (surprised?). In other words, he's finally looking like the Gilbert of '05-'07.

Redd watch. With the exception of the Lakers game a week ago, we haven't been able to say the same thing about Michael Redd. But Redd did show some positive signs in Indianapolis (5/12 fg, 2/3 3fg, 14 pts)---before leaving the aforementioned two free throws well short with the Bucks protecting their narrow lead in the final minute. An 84% career shooter from the line, Redd is now shooting just 55% from the line, 35% from the field and 31% from deep. He also committed a couple cheap fouls down the stretch, but the sloppy defense is at least something we're more used to. Despite all that, Redd still somehow managed to log a game-high and season-high 41 minutes. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me that Redd would see so much burn--for fitness as well as production reasons--but I'll give Skiles the benefit of the doubt for now.

Foye starting? Randy Foye's started the past two games next to Arenas, but the once-balleyhooed lottery pick in Minnesota has struggled to make an impact in Washington. Mike Prada at Bullets Forever writes that Foye has been slow to adjust to a new reality:

In Minnesota, they desperately pumped his psyche up and started him all the time, hoping that he would be a cornerstone like the guy they traded him for, Brandon Roy. They tried him at point guard and shooting guard, but they always gave him his guaranteed 35 minutes. They even gave him the ball with the game on the line, asking him to make the winning plays. In short, he was treated like a much bigger star than he was. Now, he comes to Washington, and he learns the ballad all reserve players learn. Life isn't fair.

Prada goes on to note that Foye is starting in the injured Mike Miller's spot mostly to keep Nick Young in his usual backup role. It's perhaps not surprising then that Young has played more minutes even in Foye's past two starts.

Small forward. Carlos Delfino remained in the starting lineup against the Pacers, shifting over to SF to make room for Redd, but it didn't seem like Skiles particularly wanted him on the court. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute got the call to replace Delfino less than three minutes into both the first and third quarters, as Delfino ended up scoreless on three shots. That's a far cry from Saturday night, when he led the Bucks with 17, including 11 in the fourth.

Delfino has started all 24 games he's played in this season, but given a) Mbah a Moute was significantly better than him against Indy b) the Wizards have the potent Butler/Jamison duo at the forward spots and c) Redd's presence *should* mitigate the need for a fourth three point threat in the starting lineup, Mbah a Moute seems the better lineup fit. Many of us have been rooting for a Mbah a Moute/Ilyasova starting forward combo since the summer, and Skiles was using that lineup before Redd was reinserted into the starting lineup. Stay tuned.

Keys to the Palace: Go west, young men

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

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gilbert Arenas

#0 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Andray Blatche

#7 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Earl Boykins

#12 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Caron Butler

#3 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Javaris Crittenton

#8 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Randy Foye

#15 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Brendan Haywood

#33 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Mike James

#13 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Antawn Jamison

#4 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

JaVale McGee

#34 / Center / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

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

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

This should be interesting.

Final Verdict

Dominic McGuire

#5 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Mike Miller

#6 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Fabricio Oberto

#21 / Forward / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

Remember when this guy was starting games this season?

Final Verdict

DeShawn Stevenson

#2 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Nick Young

#1 / Guard / Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

Flip Saunders

Coach - Washington Wizards

This Week

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

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

Final Verdict

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)

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

Boykins love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caron Butler's aggression had to do with his health

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gilbert Arenas angry at the referees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brendan Haywood reads the scouting reports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other stuff

Flip Saunders on Andray Blatche:

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

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

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

Gilbert Arenas on the last play:

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

Briefing: The Aggressive Gilbert is Back...For One Night At Least

JakeTheSnake — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:25:29 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

22 days ago: Washington Wizards' Gilbert Arenas (0)jumps for the basket against Toronto Raptors' Amir Johnson, left, and Antoine Wright during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Chris Young)

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Game Hub | Boxscore | Game Flow

It's hard to say that anyone is back after just one performance, but Gilbert Arenas showed some nice signs last night that we may see Gilbert return to being the aggressive player we once knew. Just being aggressive won't unlock the pre-injury Gilbert Arenas, but it's an important step in the right direction. Even if his drives to the rim aren't generating points effectively (he was 7-17 from the field) his penetration, if not his passing, opens things up for everyone else. Gilbert's concerns about not freezing out his teammates are well-taken, but playing tentatively like he has does nothing to help the team or himself. Tonight we'll see if he can dial up the aggression again versus Brandon Jennings.

Jamison, Arenas lead Wizards past Raptors - Associated Press

Gilbert Arenas broke out of a scoring slump by dropping his new pass-first approach. Arenas had 22 points and nine assists, Antawn Jamison had 30 points and 12 rebounds and the Washington Wizards beat the Toronto Raptors 106-102 on Tuesday night. "We’ve got confidence in him," Jamison said of Arenas, who was limited to just 15 games the past two years because of knee problems. "We know he’s going to find a way to get out of it and make us a better team and start being his old self again, too."

Wizards 106, Raptors 102 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

Saunders also has realized that he cannot keep Boykins off the floor to finish games. Three of the Wizards' past four wins have come with Boykins running the show down the stretch. This time, though, Arenas shared the floor with him. They both agreed that it was like their time together in Golden State, when they were the closers. "It relieves the pressure," Arenas said of sharing ball-handing duties with Boykins. "It gets me off the ball. It puts me back in my old mold where I was just a scorer. So every time I got it and I can go score. So I don't have to worry about anything." The Wizards are better when Arenas isn't worrying about anything.

Wizards 106, Raptors 102 - Mike Jones, Outlet

"I decided today I was going to be aggressive," Arenas said. "When you average 29 and 6 assists and you average 20 and six assists, might as well play a little bit harder and be more aggressive. That’s what I tried to do today. I hit a three and from there I just picked my spots. I tried to score, got to the free throw line. and then from there, we just hit shots. We had 34 in the fourth, it was good for us.".

Wizards Hold Off Raptors - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

The response in the fourth quarter made up for the bad third and brought back memories of the days of the "big three". Along with Jamison and Arenas, Caron Butler was very much involved and included in his 19 points was a driving dunk on the baseline to give the Wizards much need breathing room at 99-94 with a 1:16 left. "We have had a couple of these wins," Saunders added "We just have not capitalized on them. We know the formula to win. Defend, execute offensively and control tempo of the game."

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

It’s The Little Things That Count: Flip Saunders was very critical of his team’s effort following the loss to Charlotte. The energy was at an all-time high in Toronto. In the first quarter Randy Foye made a nice save while following out of bounds and that led to a lay up on the other end. Jamison, Arenas and Andray Blatche all hit the deck going after loose balls. The Wizards topped the Raptors 10-2 in the steals department and won the fast break points battle 13-4.

Wizards kick-start busy week with victory - Mike Jones, Washington Times

More impressive than his offensive output, though, was Haywood's defense on Toronto's Chris Bosh, who needed 22 shots to score 22 points. After Haywood held him scoreless in the first quarter, Bosh went off for 18 in the second. But in the third and fourth quarters, Haywood clamped down again, limiting the power forward to four points on 1-for-8 shooting. "He had a great second quarter against us, and I knew that if I didn't do something, it was going to be a long night for us," Haywood said. "A lot of it had to do with our team defensive schemes, but I was just trying to cut off his left hand. And I tried to meet him at the rim with his right."

Wizards top the Raptors 106-102 - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

Nick Young earned yet another start for the Wizards, and logged 30 minutes in a highly contested game. Young however, played a very different role Tuesday night than he has in his previous starts. In this game he played the supporting role to the big three, where in the past he had been a more of a gunner. The 24-year-old scored six points on 3-9 shooting, he also added no assists and committed no turnovers. This is a role I could get behind.

Last Night's Action: A Well Rounded Effort - Aaron Morissey, DCist

There's little more satisfying than seeing your team come out on top of a thoroughly entertaining and well-played game. It's a feeling Wizards fans haven't experienced very often of late. However, if Antawn Jamison keeps playing the way he has recently, such satisfaction might become a much more frequent occurrence: Jamison had 30 points and 12 boards as Washington outlasted a very game Toronto.

Raptors Rapid Recap: Washington 106 - Toronto 102 - Franchise, Raptors HQ

The Wizards got good offensive production from their big 3, and a bigger boost from role players like Brendan Haywood (15 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks) and Earl Boykins (8 points and 5 assists.) This was one of the key differences in the end as outside of Jarrett Jack (18 points), the rest of the Raptors' bench was very quiet offensively, and as usual, the defence didn't exactly hold up.

Best of Twitterville

Twitter / Mike Jones
Earl Boykins has some company. Spud Webb in the building judging little kid slam dunk contest.

Twitter / Jack Kogod
Great to see the Wiz take a lead going into the half. The locker room fruit plate should be safe for now.

Twitter / The BF gang
Toronto goes to Hack-A-Wood?

Twitter / Agent Dagger
I think the Wizards are motivated to wrap this one up and get home to watch the Victorias Secret Fashion Show tonight at 10

Twitter / Michael Lee
Wiz lead 55-54 after Boykins J. Wiz should play at this pace more often. Guys look more comfy. Gilbert has 7 assts with 0 TOs at half.

Twitter / wizznutzz
Is Andray Blatche like Chris Bosh minus skills, desire, Jar Jar Binks costume?

Briefing: Down Goes Public Enemy No. 3

JakeTheSnake — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:12:00 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

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Game Hub | Boxscore | Game Flow

LeBron James has been the bane of the Wizards' existence in the playoffs for several years. The travels, the whining, the game-winners, the intense competition each time these two take the court; it's enough to stir some powerful emotion each time LeBron steps on the court. Although LeBron gets the last laugh each season, the Wizards play LeBron and the Cavs tight.

On the other hand, Dwyane Wade destroys everything in his path when he takes on the Wizards. Save for two losses in 2007 when he and the team limped to a 15-67 record, Wade was undefeated against Washington.

Until last night, that is.

Wade had his second-worst shooting performance (6-19 from the field) and his second-worst scoring total (18 points) this season. As was mentioned in last night's recap, Nick Young was a huge part of slowing down The Flash. But we must remember that it takes a true team effort to slow down any superstar, so kudos to the whole team for limiting someone whom they had no success slowing down in the past.

Wizards 94, Heat 84 - Mike Jones, Outlet

The first key to slowing Wade was going right at him. The Wizards figured rather than let Wade simply concentrate his efforts on the offensive end of the court, make him play some defense as well and wear him down. Another key was Nick's length. He's three inches taller than Wade, which helps, but the kid's also got a 7-foot wingspan! Those long arms made it difficult for Wade to get comfortable looks at the basket. And Young didn't even have to foul often to limit his counterpart.

Wizards get their first back-to-back victories of the season - William Yoder, Agent Dagger

Young has earned a third chance and has taken the opportunity seriously. In his last two games he has scored 20 and 22 points, and for the first time in his career, has shown a true commitment to defense. That defense was on display tonight as he put together a masterpiece against the Heat's Dwyane Wade. Wade was held to 18 points, his second lowest total on the season. Perhaps most impressive however is that Young stopped Wade from doing what he does best, getting to the line. Wade only attempted seven free throws on the game, five of them not coming until the game was well in hand in the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter.

Wizards 94, Heat 84 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider

"I told him, until I get a rhythm where I can play consistent basketball, I need him to score. I need him to be aggressive. I need him Tawn and CB to be the scorers in that starting group," said Arenas, who had just nine points and five assists in 27 minutes. But he did some smart things with the ball, especially late in the third quarter, when the Heat scored nine consecutive points and got within 63-62 when Wade made two free throws. Instead of settling for some fallaway jumper, Young responded by driving to the basket and converting a nifty reverse layup.

Last Night's Action: Two In A Row - Aaron Morrissey, DCist

But while Agent Zero struggled to find his rhythm, Wade also looked flat. (Perhaps he was still fatigued after the Heat's dramatic win over Orlando on Thanksgiving eve.)

Dwyane Wade struggles again as Miami Heat falls to Wizards - Barry Jackson, Miami Herald

Wade, continuing a recent stretch of erratic shooting, finished with 18 points on 6-for-19 accuracy. Young, starting in injured Mike Miller's absence, scored 22. ``I wasn't getting calls I thought I should get,'' Wade said. ``It's schemes -- lot of double teams, lot of picks and rolls. We've got to find a better way to get me the ball in different positions.''

Jamison lights fire under Wizards - Mike Jones, Washington Times

The Wizards had blown a double-digit third-quarter lead, and the hosts needed only a 3-pointer to tie the score as the fourth quarter opened Friday night. But there was a scowling Jamison at midcourt, clapping, barking - anything he could think of to motivate his teammates. The Wizards responded with a charge and won 94-84 for their first victory against Dwyane Wade and Co. this season. "I said early in the year that that was something we missed," coach Flip Saunders said of Jamison, who missed the first nine games of the season with a partially dislocated shoulder. "Some of these games might have been a different story, not only with his leadership but also his ability to make tough shots. He's emotional, and he's going to be there when you need him."

Jamison Leads Wizards Past Heat - Dave Johnson, CSN Washington

Midway through the third quarter Jamison reached 17 points by wiggling in position to tip-in a missed jump shot by Young. With the basket the Wizards went up 61-53 and Jamison reached 16,000 career points. Jamison along with Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan, are the only active players with at least 16,000 career points and 6,000 career rebounds.

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

Similar to the win against Cleveland, it was Earl Boykins instead of Arenas who got the call to close out the victory for the Wizards in Miami. Boykins provided the spark for a bench that outscored that of the Heat 24-4. He finished the game with 10 points and 9 assists en route to a +17 +/- rating. In the closing minutes Boykins hit a leaning jump shot that iced the game and cued a "dagger" from Steve Buchantz.

Wizards 94, Heat 84: Two in a row, finally - Craig Stouffer, Washington Examiner

How about Earl Boykins? 10 points, 9 assists, ZERO turnovers in 21 minutes on the floor. It’s not even that Arenas had a bad game, although his numbers (9 points, 5 assists) were well short of what he’s used to. It’s just that Boykins was that much better down the stretch. Can’t wait to see how this plays out, but it seems like the way that it should is Arenas should be on the bench until his shooting percentage goes up or his turnovers go down, plain and simple.

Arenas and Wizards finally knock off the Heat - Michael Lee, Washington Post

The Wizards wore black tape on their uniforms in honor of Abe Pollin, the franchise's longtime owner who died on Tuesday at age 85 and was buried earlier Friday. Following an emotional week that included a spat between Arenas and Caron Butler, they won their first game within the Southeast Division after losing twice to Miami and once to Atlanta. They will host the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday night at Verizon Center.

Best of the Twitterverse

If you're wondering why this game's version is short, Mike Jones has the answer for you:

Twitter / Michael Lee
Flip's starting to like Tawn at the 3. He's got him in there with 7-Day Dray and the JaValevator.

Twitter / Agent Dagger
Screw Miller and Foye, Boykins is looking like the best acquisition in years

Twitter / Chase Hughes
Nick Young has tied a career high with 5 assists (3/2/08)

Twitter / George V. Panagakos
Arenas only scores 9 -- first game without double-digits scored this season for Gil

Twitter / Wizards Extreme
Wiz victorious against the D-Wade show. 2 in a row, I'll take it

Briefing: Wizards Hold on to Beat the Sixers

JakeTheSnake — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:41:41 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

29 days ago: Washington Wizards guard Nick Young (1) goes to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Iguodala (9) and Louis Williams (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, in Washington. The Wizards won 108-107. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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[Ed. Note: Obviously, there was a lot more than a game going on last night. Today's briefing will be two-part. The first part will focus striclty on the game last night and in the second part we'll focus on tributes to Abe Pollin. -Jake]

Wizards pull off comeback, hang on for win - Mike Jones, Outlet
The unlikely hero of the night, however, was Nick Young. Young had been inactive on Saturday night, and had five DNP's this season. But he came out tonight with the Wizards shorthanded with Mike Miller and Caron Butler out with injuries, he started and played a smart game on both ends of the floor. He scored 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and had two assists.

Wizards 108, 76ers 107 - Michael Lee, Wizards Insider
Young helped hold Andre Iguodala to just 12 points on 2 of 10 shooting. He also made some smart basketball plays, like when he recovered a loose ball in the third quarter and alertly called timeout before falling out of bounds. Saunders said that going on the inactive list probably forced Young to say, " 'I got a choice. I can change myself or go along with the motions.' To his credit, our last few practices, he's probably been our best player."

Wizards win one for Pollin - William Yoder, Agent Dagger
Antawn Jamison notched a free throw at the 8:24 mark in the third to get things started for the Wizards and to give them a 56-55 Wizards lead. From there on the Wizards would turn up the pace as the club would go on a 19-4 run to take a 15 point lead at 74-59. In a stretch where the Wizards looked like the club we had hoped to see going into 2009, as opposed to the club we have, Washington shot seven for nine from the field while tallying four assists and no turnovers. It was a stretch where the Wizards looked like a team that was in-synch offensively, and mature enough to hold on to the ball.

GM 13 RECAP: WTF !? - Philadunkia
The Wizards won without Caron Butler. — Out with a sore ankle, we thought the loss of Butler’s 16 & 7 a night would spell doom for the Wizards. We were wrong as the Sixers had no answer for Antwan Jamison (32 points) or Nick Young and that was all the Wizards needed. By the way, how good is Jamison? You really forget just how good he is because he is such a quiet guy and plays in DC, but he is just awesome and arguable one of the best forwards in the League.

Defensive lapse proves costly to Sixers - Kate Fagan, Philadelphia Inquirer
In the third quarter, nothing blocked the Wizards from the rim: They shot 16 for 25 and built a 15-point lead. What happened to the Sixers' defense? "The same thing we've been doing all year," said swingman Andre Iguodala, who shot 2 for 10 and sat for most of the fourth quarter. "Giving up open shots, second-chance points. Teams get in a good rhythm, and we don't apply enough pressure and they score the ball pretty easily."

Sixers lose to Wizards, but Jrue is free! - Jordan Sams, Liberty Ballers
The game-winning attempt upset some people. Lou dribbled 11 seconds off the clock and pulled up for a jumper instead of driving to the basket. I completely understand why fans are mad that he didn't go to the basket, but I'm okay with the shot myself. What I'm not okay with is the 11 seconds he dribbled off the clock. I would've much rather seen him take a quicker shot, so the Sixers could foul and get the ball back should he miss. My counter to the people saying he should've taken it to the hoop is: how many NBA players settle for a game-winning jump shot instead of taking it to the hole? 99%. That doesn't make it right, but that's the NBA folks. Everyone wants to be a hero and hold the pose.