SB Nation User Blog: stlballa

somebody buy this team a compass

stlballa — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:49:44 -0000

theres no apparent direction for this team. give every fan a compass at the gate and see if any of them work once they sit down in the vortex center.

is just so frustrating to watch this team this year. They don't seem to be doing anything to make us better in the long run. How come Tapscott isnt playing any of these young guys in a meaningful manner. I know its unfortunate in professional sports but sometimes the whole good of a franchise takes presentant over an individual. On this team thier are certian guys that are not going to be here long term. Why not tire javale,andray ,nick, taser, crit when the game is young, giving them important minutes and then put james, songiala, etc in down the stretch. the vets wont like it, but hey be better, youve had the whole season to prove you can keep us in games, just go cash your check. Im not saying to bench jamison or butler at all. But GIVE THEM A NIGHT OFF every once in a while. What good is it for anybody to run jamison out there every night for 38.5 minutes. We have this guy signed long term, hes not getting younger, dont waste his legs anymore than you have too.

The Fans:

I can see a counter argument from an operating perspective. the fans are paying for a product and we should give them the best we can. wake up: Nobody going to a wizards game expects to see a great product this year. But they should expect an exciting product. We have a slew of exciting young guys can deliver that. My counterpunch: That is what people are going to the games: These young guys. I honestly would rather see Javale McGee block the air out of a ball and then get an alley oop from NY and finish with 15pts, or see taser hit 5 outside jumpshots then i would like to see jamison score 20 and 10. Because I will leave the arena excited about what I saw. hopeful about the future.

Its ashame that this season has gone the way it has. However, itll be more of ashame if we don't sqweeze the most out of the last 22 games.

Rubio

stlballa — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:33:10 -0000

Here a link: http://www.nbadraft.net/players/ricky-rubio

This kid would be a great, wise use of our inevitable lottery pick. For once we would have true pg on this team. I deeply feel that drafting a player who has a set position would be a great move for this organization. Please don't draft another combo guard/ swingman / might be able to play the 4 sometimes. I'm sick of watching a group of young players that resembles this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-01PZ5hq8YY, I'd rather the verizon center be used to showcase Christ on Ice, with Seal, (they are touring).

Rubio

Arenas

Butler

Jamison

Haywood

Mcgee Young and Mcquire coming off the pine.

If we trade Jamison at the deadline, then theres a case for Griffin, but even then I feel Rubio would help the Wizards tremendously.

I like Griffin a ton, but we need a court leader, and have you not seen how Rudy Fernandez has helped Portland out this year.

Can Mcgee get some quality time.

Please trade Etan Thomas, Songaila, keep Pech for comedy, get rid of James at the deadline, and figure out what you want to do with Javaris (I'm sure he'd appreciate it as well).

Theres no direction for this team, no incentive, no goals, no purpose. We are not developing our young players. I want 0 starts at center for Songaila the remainder of my life.

When is Gilbert coming back? I cannot believe that there is still no date. Is there a time when he is going to start practicing again? Any news on this, because I can't find anything clear. How come our best player, the face of our franchise, so on, so on...., and there' nothing on him, no one is pushing for answers or what?

I am aware this post is horribly incoherant and I apologize.

Olympic Wizards

stlballa — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:18:32 -0000

Interesting article, which I'm too lazy to link but it suggested that if you took an enitre contending team they would have a better chance to win gold then patching a bunch of all-stars together and trying to build chemistry. The article noted that a contending team would already have role players and chemistry in place and in spades and would thus have a greater chance to succeed. The team suggested that made the most sense was the Celtics. The spurs were also suggested but who do the spurs have left after parker (french) Ginobili (argentine) and Dirk (German) are gone. Not that i believe this is a more favorable option, I happen to be in love with our national team right now, but I did feel it was an interesting option and wanted to share it with you all.

This did get me to thinking that the wizards, ours truly, have one of the best teams consisting of straight Americans out there. Minus Songialia and Pech, and i think we could convince pech to play for the US, we are all red white and blue. This is a good quality to have in my opinion. I think Americans are the cream of the crop when it comes to pressure situations, and we have some great clutch players. But enough im not here to divide our fan base by nationality ( i happen to be nigerian), and the pech comment was for pure comedic purposes (but isnt his entire marriage with the wiz. for the sole purpose of providing hilarious awkwardness that you can't be taught you must be endowed with?)

To the masses: Throw out some other teams that you think would would rival my choice of the wiz. if we were forced to send a single team over to the olympic games.... you can add one other american player to the team....

and with that i would choose Dwight Howard...

In an Ideal World

stlballa — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:24:05 -0000

I wanted to title this blog: Cut the Shit! but we have a 16 yr old on the site now, so ill keep moderately clean.

I just wanted to put down into writing what I feel and project and hope this team will be like in two-three seasons:

at the 1:

Gil lighting up the league

a younger pg, one who we drafted or traded a few benchers for, someone who gil can mentor

2: Nick young, playing great, reminding us offensively of kobe on some nights, he'll have a consistant three and as pure a mid range jumpshot as their is in the league

again i think we need to go outside the org. for our back up two, but he will need to be a defensive stalwart

3. caron will still have a few years left on him and wil be playing great. he will have morphed into a lock down defender who can drop 20 evrey night..he will be the mvp as he is now by straining the opponents best player's energy by making him work on both ends...i envision a bruce bowen but who actually has legit bball skills

Dom is there, fought hard and has found a way to contribute, developed a consistant lil j as he plays great street ball grabbing boards and throwing down alley-hoops off the fast break, hopefully he'll have gotten a feel for setting the timely pick and rolls that gil and ny will be needing

4: Jamison will still be around

BLATCHE will be blossoming having completely filled out this 23-24 yr old is a straigh vet by now and coaching the summer league (sike) a legit pf that will push bosh around and give howard enough of a problem that by the time he gets past him .....

5. Haywood will be able to take care of the rest, with his awkwardness all gone, and confidence leveled out he is a defensive POY candidate

JV Mcgee, wil be wieghing 270+ and adding on still....he will be stealing minutes with the first team and the go to post player for the second team..giving our 2nd unit consistant offensive production, if by nothing else than drawing fouls and his defensive ability will make our oppostion leave a few starters in against our second unit

1st unit:

gil

Caron

Jamison

Haywood

*solid group can score the ball at will but whose playing perimeter d? well if haywood can step up the interior d and let our perimeter players play thiers... i think we win a lot of those games gil and a polished ny with caron and jami..vs...???

2nd unit:

this is where it gets scary

a pg...a quick one kinda like dee but with wallace's cold-faced three someone that can push the ball and keep up with the insanely athletic group he'll be running with but can take the pressure off with a consistant outside shot..all he needs to do is press the ball up the court and feed it inside and then wait for the kick out

sg..a defender..that can jump outtta the building and likes to run...a thaddeus young type of player

3..dom getting 3 fast break dunks a game and about 5 boards while giving the opponents startign 3 a workout while carons getting a massage on the bench

4 blatche..the star of this unit...developed enough to play with the starters but a year or so until 'tawns gone so he comes in and plays some high energy minute and does a bit of everything..besides i still dont think he'll have his fouling habits controlled by then...

5. Mcgee playing a sudo-haywood..just not letting much happen in the paint...a bulked up JaVale can do this...and he needs to be posting up and working an inside out game that our first unit won't commit too. this will make us very tough to deal with

any thoughts on this guys??? This is just a quick summation of how i want everyone on our team to develop and when you break it down like i did above you gotta feel good because you realize that all the players above can actully realize this goal...next years free agency will be so crazy it will turn the league upside down..the wiz are gonna be on of the few...esp. in the east that will be coming out that next year with a team thats been together and developing side by side...

Lets go tonight boys

stlballa — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:41:03 -0000

A few things I don't want to see tonight:

that one play where Blatche was standing flat-footed and still in the lane, and then decided that the best thing to do would be that awkward reverse 360 finger-roll he tried, only thing more awkard would be: Helen Keller asking if "its" in yet.

McGee start the game with a toe-on-the-line three.....nice way to start your career JV McGee, did Unseld Jr. call that play for you? Whose coaching out in Nevada? somebody please tell me, is charlie spoonhour still alive?

A Nick Young fadaway jumpshot from 4 ft....Or him create and attempt any of the following shots: fadaway dunks, fadaway lay-ups, fadaway fingerrolls

McGee grab only one def. rebound...(well he wouldve gotten two but he let himself get pushed out of the way when the game was on the line)

based off the first game, and i know its only his first summer league game, but i stand by the fact i would accept a straight up JaVale McGee for Dan Dickau deal..no questions asked ( i dont realllly mean that)

Blatche almost fouling out of a 40 min max summer league game that permits 10 fouls...that is silly

I DO want to see:

A Nick Young dunk of any kind

Dee Brown attempt a shot of any kind

Blatche get an alley-hoop

McGee show some toughness

I just hope Thadeus doesnt straight dunk over the top of JV McGee...that might be detriemental to his career...

Lets do this! we should have one of the best teams Las Vegas, I really want some of these players to show some promise

"Mr. Pollin, I love you," Jamison replied.

stlballa — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:27:38 -0000

.... "And I'm going to do everything possible to continue to make you happy."

That is how the press conference went yesterday. Just makes me feel so great. I love, well the love. Cheers to Abe:

"The 84-year-old Washington Wizards owner arrived via cart and was helped into a cushioned chair for a news conference for the newly re-signed Antawn Jamison. Although the body appeared frail, the voice and mind where strong and sharp."

"I'm getting a little old and a little sick," Pollin said. "But I'm still around, and I'm going to be around until we win the ... championship. I'm stubborn and hardheaded."

Who wouldn't want to be a part of that? We have a great owner, a great players coach, an awesome group of funny, good character players that seem to all get along, exception etan and b-wood, etan of whom in my last post i stated i would trade for a lobster buffet. GREAT CITY, all the players get huge stars to come to thier birthday parties, and without doubt some of the most loyal and knowledgeable fans. We are not spoiled but appreciative. and...we dont ask our players to play defense, how cool is that? haha. Seriously tho, we play a fun system, fast paced NBA ball with a street style that allows an openness for players to do what they feel at the given time. this aint no spurs team where you have to run down the court and set 4 pick and rolls, then feed the post and if not then you have to lick one of popovich's pockmarks . No, please deshawn jack a three with 18 seconds on the shot clock, haywood please try a turn around hook shot when you catch the ball out of the lane, caron take 12 contested 19 ft jumpshots in a game, just make half of them, and blatche go out their and get 6 fouls in 4 minutes. The comraderie is great, so what if the butt of all the jokes is "the pecherov". I feel they still include him in of the team antics, which a lot of other teams dont, you think spencer hawes and ron artest joke around? straight business...

well im just saying that i like the organization that the wizards are becoming, and having recently moved from a city with no nba team, i wouldnt trade this one for any other.

any comments, or things you like about our team that i forgot...or are their any other fans around the league that think you have it as lucky im saying we do?

we dont ask our players to play defense,

Stlballa

slow and steady wins the ring?

stlballa — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:57:27 -0000

While this may not be the most exciting thing to do, by that i mean sign your two big stars early and settle in until the regular season. I am thankful for the stability this organization is conducting itself with. All the way down to continuously drafting huge projects early, EG has had the same game plan for the last few years. I think everyone is right and that we have somhow stumbled into a position where we can go out and pick up a all-star caliber player in a trade at the deadline. gil will have a chip on his shoulder, with everryone saying chris paul is better than him and that he can't lead a team or pass, hes gonna set the league ablaze next year. I think a few of our young players are ready to impress and that we have a team when healthy that will give anybody fits and happens to match up quite well against the elite in our own conference. Gil young butler jamison and haywood are solid. then you have stevenson blatche d-mac daniels and songalia and and maybe Mcgee coming off the bench in spurts helping as needed. the great thing about our bench players is that they all have the abillity add something specific to the game. If eddie can get them to realize their roles for a calculated playoff run then we surely have a chance. Im just praying that we are healthy next year and if we are i dont feel we ill be disapointed with the results one way or another. with the team we have i feel we are a conference semi/ finals team. add diaw, josh smith, okafor..someone bigger perhaps a 2 guard if young doesnt develop well like a gino-bili or a maggettee type playerr despite the fact that maggettee prolly wont be avialable. to conclude this ramblin i feel we have a healthy mix of young developing players with pot. and vets who can still play and will be able to for awhile to come. I think we have a bigger window and a better set up to make consistant runs at the championship than any other team in the east. Celts have 1-2 more years, cavs- who knows after james hits free agency, and the pistons have next year, orlando is yougn but needs to add a 2 guard and then us we have a team that when healthy again can compete with all those team and will be around and assembled after they are done-broken up- dismantles-retired/ in their hurtin' rebuilding years. I'm excited and feel we just need to improve internally and stay on the court and we are gonna be a surprise in this league next year.

p.s Please add brent barry to our squad, i feel he would fit in nicely here.

Do We Even Want Gil Back this seaon?

stlballa — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:01:36 -0000

A popular question now days circulating in and out of conversations involving Wizards fans is: Do we even want gil to come back this year or not? Well I think the answer is yes. I for one, and I feel sometimes I am the only one, HAVE NOT FORGOT THAT GILBERT IS MY FAVORITE PLAYER! He is a dynamite scorer, great shooter, confidence builder, and positive uplifting influence on his team. I feel he owes Daniels, Mason, Jamison, Butler, Stevenson, and Haywood a fair opportunity to validate their efforts this season. Just think of everytime Antonio Daniels has hit the deck hard this season, I don't think its a number that can be calculated. You are telling me that everytime he then has picked his "not so young" body up, he never once thought about it being worth the bruise, and was just hoping that this team would be healthy enough to make a serious run this year, and he was just trying to help us get through these tough times. How about Roger Mason, you think he wants his "breakout" season to be for nothing, you don't think he wouldn't like to take a shot in a conference final game, or that he wouldn't greatly benefit from doing so, or at least getting the opportunity. How about Butler and Stevenson, lets focus on Stevenson, remember when his knee was "the size of a softball", as Buckantz repeatedly said. He played through that, and because of his toughness we won a few games in that tough stretch that are proving to be very valuable right now. Jamison: He has been the heart of this team and isnt getting any younger either. He needs Gil out there or even his 35-40 pts a game wont matter, just as it didnt last year vs. the cavs. Brendan Haywood; he has played hard all year and with a consistency that shows much promise, I would hate to see his 08' campaign be all for not. I know that Gil supposedly won't be the "same ol' Gil" this season if he comes back. First of all I don't see that happening, I think Gil is ready to go and won't need but a handful of games to be good to go, hes still so young. I hope that he plays tomorrow and that we can get our rotation down by the first round. I think Gil owes this much to his team.

Poll

Do you think it would better our playoffs chances is Gil came back?

Yes, But only if its soon.

9 votes

No, not at all.

1 votes

yes, anytime will do.

9 votes

19 votes | Poll has closed