Washington Wizards

   On Wednesday night I attended the Wizards game vs. Cleveland and it was great to see Washington come away with a win, especially in front of a legion of Cavalier fans (where they came from I don’t know).  While the Wizards were able to seize a victory against one of the best teams in the East and an immanent rival, it is still hard to ascertain whether this team is any good.  After a dreadful first half by just about every player on the team I was absolutely fuming in my seat.  It didn’t help to be transplanted in between a Cleveland fan who would say “terrible shot” during all of Antawn Jamison’s trick hooks and a Ohio family of six that probably amassed a total of 3,000 pounds.  The father of that Lebron-rooting herd fittingly donned a t-shirt with the slogan “I’m not going to call you stupid, but I’m thinking about it.” 

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He said that there are not any teams even close to those three but on the outside looking in is the Washington Wizards.  The Wizards were the only team he mentioned as the fourth best team and he said this about three times.  These comments got me thinking about what the Wizards need to do this regular season to take the next step and breach that label, in what areas can they improve to develop into the fourth Eastern Conference power? 

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Happy New Year!

With the new NBA season set to tip off with four games tonight, here are some of the things I’ll be watching for in tonight’s action.

Boston @ Cleveland, 7:30pm

I can’t wait to see LeBron again this season. Last year, coming off the Olympics, you could see that his focus was on improving defensively. Now, without a summer in the spotlight, I’m curious to see if he’s made any improvements to his already unreal game. Is this the year we finally see LeBron use his Karl Malone-like body to beast on people inside?

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After it has ended, it is fairly unclear how much stock can be taken out of this year’s Washington Wizards preseason.  As usual in preseason games the stars generally saw limited minutes, particularly at the end of the game.  When the Wiz played the Cleveland Cavaliers they did not have to deal with Lebron James and the Wizards had to cope with a “swine-flu backcourt” for several games.  It was ironically against those same Cavaliers that workhorse power forward Antawn Jamison endured a shoulder injury that could prove onerous in the beginning of the season.  Flip Saunders remarked that Jamison’s injury is better to occur at the beginning of the regular season rather than the end.  That’s a glass-half-full perspective but far from appeasing for a fanbase that is sick and tired of injuries plaguing promising seasons.  As fans we could revert to what’s become an old adage, that “at least it will give time for the young players to develop,” but after three essentially lost seasons, that contrived positivity has run its course.  It is hard to believe that the trio of Arenas, Butler, and Jamison hasn’t played a regular season game together since April 1, 2007. 

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With the Washington Wizards’ season set to get underway, there remain questions about the team’s chances to compete in the Eastern Conference.  Will Gilbert Arenas stay healthy and be his old self?  Will Andray Blatche fulfill his potential and be the player he can be?  Will the Wizards regret getting rid of Oleksiy Pecherov? (just kidding).  One major concern that will be definitive of the Wizards’ season is whether they can play defense, especially against teams of the East’s top tier such as Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland.  Upon taking a closer look at the Wizards’ personnel, there are several reasons to believe that they can. 

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Washington Post and nba.com report that the Minnesota Timberwolves have traded F/C Darius Songaila and G Bobby Brown (not from New Edition) to the New Orleans Hornets for G Antonio Daniels and a 2014

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       With an improved Eastern Conference, it is important for this Washington Wizards team to gather wins from the onset.  It is typical of this Wizards team to get out to a bad start and then recover to an average record, only good enough for a 4th or 5th seed in the playoffs.  To overcome this trend they must be more consistent in beating the lesser teams.  Even at their best point, this team would play up or down to their opponents, a deficiency the best teams are able to overcome.  If the Wizards are to win over 50 games this year, which should be the goal, they have to take care of business when, say, the Timberwolves are in town.  Let’s take a look at the first ten games for the 2009-10 Wizards:

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The 2009-10 Washington Wizards’ roster seems to finally be shaping up as the addition of Fabricio Oberto solidifies their frontcourt with a viable back-up who has significant playoff experience.  Oberto made his name with the San Antonio Spurs, complimenting Tim Duncan and fulfilling that role admirably.  His statistics are unimpressive but he will essentially be asked to fill the Shrek-sized hole left by the departure of Michael Ruffin.  Let’s just hope his number isn’t called to guard a Lebron crab-dribble on the baseline at the end of a playoff game.

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Thursday, June the 25th has officially passed as the Washington Wizards remain in a state that few could have foreseen a week ago.  After months of speculation and a calamitous draft lottery, Wizards fans can relax and look at back at what has happened.  No Blake Griffin, no Ricky Rubio, no 5th overall pick, no 2nd round pick.  It was fun but you kind of wish Ernie Grunfeld could have let us know that all of our mock drafts and trade scenarios would be obsolete.  What’s left of the Wizards roster seems to be an incomplete project… still. 

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Thursday, June the 25th has officially passed as the Washington Wizards remain in a state that few could have foreseen a week ago. After months of speculation and a calamitous draft lottery, Wizards fans can relax and look at back at what has happened. No Blake Griffin, no Ricky Rubio, no 5th overall pick, no 2nd round pick. It was fun but you kind of wish Ernie Grunfeld could have let us know that all of our mock drafts and trade scenarios would be obsolete. What’s left of the Wizards roster seems to be an incomplete project… still.

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It has just been reported by The Washington Post that the Washington Wizards have dealt the 5th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The package includes Etan

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k has been quite interesting in that an influx of trade rumors and draft scenarios have flooded the Washington Wizards internet community.  Michael Lee of The Washington Post has reported rumors of trades involving the Wizards’ 5th pick going to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers (gag), and the New York Knicks.  While nothing really seems to be of substance, as www.bulletsforever.com has acknowledged, they are impossible to ignore.  Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Javale McGee are some of the notables that many teams, as many as 14, have expressed interest in.  As we approach the draft, the fans’ opinions seem to be forming an almost consensus for Davidson guard Stephen Curry.  The Washington Post conducted a poll that resulted in nearly half the votes garnered by Southern Conference product.  DraftExpress.com now has the Wizards slotted for Jordan Hill with the 5th selection while both SI.com and ESPN.com are predicting James Harden.  What do the Wizards need?  And should they draft for need or get the best player?  Both possibilities, in my opinion, may indeed overlap.  
I believe the most glaring need for the

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http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/workouts_090616.html

This link has a photo gallery of several NBA prospects including Johnny Flynn (Syracuse), Brandon Jennings (Italy), Stephen Curry (Davidson), and Brandon Costner (N.C. State).  There is also a video which is great, I wish I could have been there.  Curry is dropping everything and Brandon Jennings looks real nice running point. 

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Sports Illustrated has reported a possible trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards involving Antawn Jamison and Mike James.  It was originally brought up by DraftExpress and it would land the Wizards Ben Wallace, who may retire, and Sasha Pavlovic who is under a "non-guaranteed contract for next season."  And what I am assumng is a joke, they said the Wizards may possibly have to surrender the 5th pick.  A deal involving those players in return would make sense financially but the Wizards need to get some value for a player as good and consistent as Antawn Jamison.  If the mindset is win now, Antawn's 20 and 10 production would need to be replaced, and quickly.  I could see this deal if they were bringing in Blake Griffin but acquiring a replacement power forward is just unrealistic at this point.  Also, it would be interesting to see Ben Wallace's opinion on returning to the Wizards.  I am not sure of how his departure went but I know his teamate on the Detriot Pistons, Richard Hamilton, did not enjoy his stay. 

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possibly leaning toward Davidson point guard Stephen Curry.”  It is now a rumor that the Washington Wizards are intrigued by the scoring phenom whom many teams have expressed interest in, including the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats.  Stephen Curry was originally projected outside the top five, closer to the tenth pick.  If it is true that Ernie Grunfeld is interested then the Wizards may be looking to draft more for need than just going with the best player available.  This assertion contradicts Grunfeld’s statements last month about picking the best player still on the board.  This could also mean that the Wizards are indeed looking to trade back in the draft, possibly around the mid-to-late lottery or even later.  This is a theory fueled by Michael Lee of The Washington Post who reported that the Wizards were working out Louisville’s Terrence Williams today. 

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After all of the anticipation had mounted it was a surprising revelation to hear the Washington Wizards envelope be the fifth pick, the worst possible pick for the team to receive.  It instantly shattered to hopes for Blake Griffin or Ricky Rubio and started what will surely be a hectic guessing game for the next month.  Where do journalists start in predicting what the Wizards will do?  This draft class becomes increasingly hard to decipher after the second pick. 

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9 NBA Draft Lottery Looms…

As we near the 2009 Draft Lottery it is time for the Washington Wizards community to get serious about the future of the franchise.  There is an evident window of opportunity for the current squad, made clear by the hiring of Flip Saunders and the extension of Antawn Jamison.  It is Ernie Grunfeld’s belief that the Wizards are one piece away from making a deep run in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.  One thing is clear, the Wizards need to add a player that can consistently contribute right away.  They don’t need another project big man or an offensive-minded guard who needs a few years to learn how to play defense, and they want to get something significant for the value that beholds a top five pick. 

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like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

-the entire Washington Wizards' starting lineup

-Charles Barkley

-Ricky Hatton

-Obama (with all due respect, Mr. President)

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Arenas, Haywood, and What Could Have Been

Up 7, three minutes left in the Washington-Cleveland game. Still plenty of time to blow it, if these are the same Wizards who've been playing all year. Then Mo Williams puts up a shot from the perimeter as Brendan Haywood stands intimidatingly in the paint. The Cavs have taken a lot of perimeter shots on this night, especially when Haywood's been on the court. Williams' shot clangs off the iron, and Gilbert Arenas, like Haywood playing in his second game of the season, goes up for the clutch rebound. As he comes down, Arenas whips the ball down the court to a streaking Antawn Jamison for the breakaway dunk. Up 9. Now it's real. All game long, the crowd has wondered if it should believe, wanted to believe, hoped to believe, and the players on the court seemed to be doing the same. Now they believe. You can see it on Nick Young's face as he takes an Arenas pass and charges to the hole with 1:30 left. You can see it in Caron Butler's eyes as he leaps up to steal the Cavs' inbounds pass down 5 and with 50 second remaining to essentially put the game away. You can see it in the body language of all the Wizards as LeBron does what LeBron does, finding open teammates, hitting long three after long three, and generally defying every rule about how basketball is supposed to work. The Wizards team that has played most of this season would have collapsed, folded, stopped playing defense and started throwing up bad shots on the offensive end. Instead, they keep hustling, keep getting after the boards, and let an eerily calm and collected Arenas take control of the offense. And, lo and behold, Arenas, Haywood, Butler, Jamison and the crew make more plays down the stretch than the King.

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BA Draft beginning with...

The 2nd Runner Up for the Biggest Loser in the 2008 NBA Draft...

The Washington Wizards:

Just when you thought having one Andray Blatche was underwhelming enough, the Wizards go out and get another in the form of JaVale McGee. Another soft, face up seven footer, with oodles of upside, but an awful large project. I have had the opportunity to cover the Wizards over the past couple of years, and they have been frustrated with the slow progress of Blatche, who has shown flashes of stardom but has also had the "one step forward, two steps back" tag. A good story to sum up Blatche and his immaturity starts with Blatche being on the injured list. In the NBA you must wear a suit as an injured player to sit on the bench during games, Blatche, finding that rule "stupid" decided not to join his team on the bench during games. Instead he opted to wear sweats and sit in the stands...

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