Game 16 Blog: Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers

Great article in today's Washington Post, Wizards Expecting a Better Fight, by Ivan Carter.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a proud history and can usually be counted on to put up a fight, even when times are tough. But that wasn't the case during a 116-101 loss to the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on Nov. 20.

The Wizards led by 37 points, shot a season-high 57.3 percent and embarrassed the 76ers by scoring with an ease that is uncommon at any level of competitive basketball, let alone the NBA.

For that reason, Wizards forward Caron Butler said he is looking past the 76ers' 4-10 record and expecting to see a highly motivated opponent when the teams meet again Friday night at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center.

As a fan, this is exactly what you want to hear. Now it would be absurd to think that NBA teams, players and coaches alike, don't realize that on any given night.......but hey, it still happens. Teams look past, or underestimate an inferior opponent all the time. And not to say that the 76ers should be considered an inferior opponent, especially with Gilbert Arenas out. Every professional has some level of pride. But to me, you know that players usually think what's written in Ivan's article, but seems like it doesn't always come out in the media. Just cause the words are in print and online, gives them extra meaning. They give the players, such as Tuff Juice the leader, extra motivation to back up those words. We will see.

Now let's start the show....

1st Quarter

Philly comes out with a little full court pressure to start. Not sure I like this.

8:15 - Nice ball movement by the Wizards leads to a DeShawn Stevenson layup. They swing the ball from one side to another, get the Philly D moving, drive a gap, and eventually, it's cake.

6:35 - Backdoor lob pass from Andre Miller to Andre Igoudala (A.I. 2) for a dunk. Phil Chenier saw it coming, I saw it coming...the Wizards just need to talk on the back picks and be aware of the opponent positioning and movement.

6:13 - Antonio Daniels turns it over on the other end. Timeout. 12-7 Sixers.

It's one thing to talk like you're ready, but the Wiz need some energy to produce and back that talk up.

And actually, on the replay of the lob dunk coming out of the commercial...Caron Butler thought A.I. 2 was going to curl over the top of the pick, so he cheated, but A.I. 2 went back door. Caron was never touched by a pick. Nice setup by Igoudala....just bad positioning by Caron.

4:59 - Samuel Dalembert is bothering Brendan Todd Haywood (BTH) tonight.....blocked his shot earlier and just caused BTH to airball a hookshot. Haywood is trying to finesse around the basket...Dalembert doesn't seem that strong.....BTH needs to use that muscle or else I'm going to call him Brenda again. (A double check of the profiles and Haywood has an inch and about 13 pounds on a wiry Dalembert; I know, not exactly indicative of strength).

2:56 - Timeout Wizards. 21-10 Sixers. The Wiz keep missing early shots on offense and the Sixers are just driving the ball down their throats. I can't figure out why someone isn't stopping the ball in transition - it just has been too easy for Philly. Hopefully, the Wizards will adjust coming out of the timeout.

2:07 - Louis "Sweet Lou" Williams checks in. He's a fan fav in Philly already, looked nice in the last game...scored 25 points on 10-13 shooting, making all 4 of this 3-point attempts. And Kyle Korver hits a try, Philly up 23-12.

Phil Chenier just pointed out that the 76ers are doing a good job of shading Caron, something San Antonio did well. You're telling me that an adjustment wasn't made in the offense from last game? They do realize that people are going to start focusing on Tuff Juice right? It's almost like teams will say, Antawn Jamison can beat us, but T-Juice? Nope. Not gon' doit.

No hustle for the Wiz, they are leaking out like an AAU team before securing defensive rebounds.

The 1st quarter ends, and the damage could be worse. The Wizards finished on an 8-2 run, including a Dee-Shawn layup, a Nick Young jumper, an open lane layup by Caron and a Jamison 3. Down to the Philadelphia 76ers 25-20.

2nd Quarter

11:30 - Andray Blatche watches Kyle Korver get an offensive rebound right in front of him. Luckily, Jamison snatches it away before Korver can come down with it.

11:00 - Next time down the court, Blatche fails to put a body on somebody on the offensive rebound again. The Sixers are able to tip it, but more luck, Darius Songaila gets it. C'mon AB, fundamentals son!

7:07 - Back and forth game...the 76ers keep forcing the Wizards to play catch-up. Philly up 1, 31-30. Washington is sloppy, careless, and cannot handle the full court pressure from the 76ers. It's the little things that are killing them.

6:00 - AD fouls Reggie Evans keeping him from getting an easy dunk...but that's AD's 3rd foul. It's pretty concerning that the Wizards do not have a serviceable backup point guard. I know people have crunched the numbers, but are you really telling me that there is no one, big or small, out there that Ern Grunfeld could sign?

I'm just not comfortable with PG by committee situation they have now.

4:35 - Reggie Evans offensive bound and putback...just too many turnovers for the Wiz and too many offensive rebounds for the Sixers. Philly up 37-32.

2:03 - Haywood's 3rd block of the game (on an Andre Miller layup attempt) leads to a fast break and alley-oop from DeShawn Stevenson to Nick Young for the dunk. Phil Chenier points out that the Wizards usually don't throw too many oops for dunks. Well, that's because they don't really have any leapers. Welcome to the show Nick Young.

See guys? D leads to O and efficient O leads to better chances on D. It's an easy game.

0:30 - More sloppy play by the Wiz...Stevenson passes to a cutting Blatche, who tries to make the extra pass...not there, turnover.

0:19 - The next time down...Nick Young offensive foul...questionable call though. Regardless, 8 turnovers in the 2nd quarter for the Wizards. Frustration is setting in.

The half closes out with an A.I. 2 miss, DC up 43-42.

3rd Quarter

9:55 - Haywood gets his 5th block of the game and the fast break starts with AD, drop off to Caron... (seemed a little early to get it to him)... nevertheless, Tuff Juice gets a dunk.

Wiz are being more aggressive to start...trying to be the first team to assert themselves on the offensive boards.

8:50 - The Wizards get 3 offensive rebounds on 1 possession (Jamison - Jamison - Haywood), but then, DeShawn Stevenson turns the ball over.

7:01 - Basket for AJ, his second in a row - 16 points for him. Wiz are starting the heat up on O. They probably will see the pressure again from the Sixers soon, seemed to work earlier. DC up 5, 55-50.

4:20 - Nick Young knocks down a 3, his 3rd make in a row (11 points). Wiz by 4, 62-58. I'm starting to come around on this kid...and actually, I already have. But maybe Hollinger kept my expectations low in the first place.

Stat...Nick Young is leading all rookies in FTs made per 48 minutes. Man, you can come up with a positive stat for just about anything.

2:46 - Sweet 3 by Butler...he is so confident in that shot right now.
Currently 8th in the league in 3 pt shooting...how bout that?

Although, A.I. 2 has really been making things tough on Caron tonight. Straight Hound Dog.

Reggie Evans is a crazy dude (he just got a tech, not sure what the beef was, but the camera got a good shot of his complaint from the bench)...and he looks like someone, just can't put my finger on it. Maybe an extra Debo from The Wire? Actually, he kind looks like Vin Baker. Can you tell me who is who?

The 3rd ends with the game tied at 68. 15 turnovers for the Wiz is about 10 too much. Sixers only have 5.

4th Quarter

Baker was on the right, Evans on the left by the way.

The Wizards really need to show some more aggression if they want to win this game. They are settling for too many jumpers...not the case in the win against the Mavs...not even the case for the whole game against the Spurs.

9:52 - Nick Young cross step back for the J over Korver...that's 13 points for him. Nice quick move. This kid is becoming a consistent threat on offense.

9:06 - Scrapping for the ball under the Sixers basket...couple blocks by AB, many chances for Philly. But the Wiz just can't get their hand on the ball, or maybe Philly wants it more. Sam Dalembert finally gets the ball and gets fouled, Blatche's 4th, 2 made FTs for Sammy D. Wizards up 1, 74-73.

9:00 - Andray really needs to take care of the ball. Gets his 4th turnover of the game, 17th for the Wiz. The ball gets poked from behind as he tries to drive to the basket...he just can't swing the rock out there like that and think that it won't get deflected by a smaller guard.

In other news, the Wiz have held the Sixers to 0-11 from 3 point land this game.

7:43 - Nice pass from AJ to D-Song...second time that Songaila has found an uncovered spot on the floor for an easy lay-in.

7:01 - Two layups missed on the next time down the court for the Wiz, Songaila and Butler. Korver 2 on the other end, game tied at 76. I wished the Wizards would play like they want it.

5:55 - Caron Butler breakaway layup. Up 2, 78-76.

3:36 - Nick Young checks in for Stevenson who has been having a terrible shooting night. DC down 2, 80-78...Wiz turnover down the court. VALUE THE DAMN BALL.

Lack of pg, lack of PG, LACK OF PG!!

The Washington Wizards simply have no one to keep the team composed on offense and into their offensive sets. If AD ain't doin it, then no one will.

2:54 - A POINT guard, Andre Miller sets up Sam Dalembert for a deuce dunk. Philly up 4, 82-78.

1:35 - Haywood blocks Sammy D for his 6th. Jamison bad shot on the other end....Steve Buckhantz says that the Wiz have not scored a point in the last 4 minutes. "Great"

1:06 - Dalembert hits 2 FTs on the other end, Sixers up 6, 84-78. 8-0 run by Philly in last 5 minutes or so.

1:03 - Out of the timeout...Butler hits a 3! He inbounded to D-Song, received the ball back, no dribble, buckets. Finally, a BIG shot.

What an improvement...that was Caron's 18th 3 of the year, he made 18 all last season.

0:51 - Uh oh , Nick Young is on Sweet Lou Williams...pick...miss. But Dalembert gets the bound, and fouled. He makes 1 of 2 FTs.

0:45 - DeShawn is at the point with the ball, Wizards down 85-81...

Butler knocks down a 3 from the corner! Solid. Tuff Juice squirts right in A.I. 2's face. Down 1.

0:12 - Igoudala misses a layup on the other end, Jamison with the rebound....

Wiz hurry down the court... Butler with the ball on the left wing. He gets caught in the air and kicks it back out top to Stevenson. DeShawn swings it to Nick Young on the right wing. He's wide open for 3, fires with 2 seconds left....misses....CRAP.

I think the Wizards could've gotten a better shot in that last possession. What a shitty game. I'm down cause they had a chance. But I'm pissed cause they had 18 turnovers. Whatever...the Wizards, after all the talk about being ready, didn’t come out ready. These are the games they need to take care of.

Stat Guts

The Wizards out shot the Sixers, 41.8% to 38.8%. The big difference in scoring, Philly shot 12 more FTs than the Wiz, going 19-26. The Wizards went 12-14 from the line.

This is the key indication that the Wizards were not doing what they needed to do in attacking the basket. They shot 16-20 from the FT line against the Spurs, and 27-34 against the Mavericks. If they expect, or want, to win, they need to get to the free throw line more than 14 times.

That and the aforementioned 18 turnovers, compared to Philly's 8, are the glaring reasons as to why the Wizards lost.

Toronto Raptors at home tomorrow. Check yo' self before ya wreck yo' self.

A U.S. State Expansion On...Where Are NBA Players From?

Very cool stuff by Jason Gurney of BallHype....using Basketball-Reference.com, Yahoo and Google Maps, he was able to plot the birthplace of every NBA player.

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop was shocked that the distribution of players, team by team, was heavily concentrated east of the Mississippi River.

But as Jason points out, this kinda makes sense when you factor in the US population density.

But it got me thinking, what US States are the best at producing basketball talent? I crunched some numbers to see how states would rank in NBA players per capita. I had a theory/feeling that Mississippi would rank highly. Spending time there in my life, I've been fully aware of the talent Mississippi has produced...especially those players such as Jonathan Bender, Monta Ellis and Travis Outlaw who had committed to Mississippi State University but spurned the Bulldogs for the NBA Draft....pre-1-year rule.

Currently, there are 10 players that Jason has listed from Mississippi:

1. Ronald Dupree
2. Al Jefferson
3. Antonio McDyess
4. Lindsey Hunter
5. Mo Williams
6. Erick Dampier
7. Monta Ellis
8. Othella Harrington
9. Travis Outlaw
10. Earl Barron

And remember Jonathan Bender's career unfortunately ended early in 2006 due to chronic knee pain. Also remember that he was the one who broke Michael Jordan's scoring record in the McDonald's All-American game, scoring 31 in 1999. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda.

In my opinion, the greatest player to ever come out of Mississippi was Chris Jackson AKA Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. He was from Gulport, MS, but went to Louisiana State University. When I was 8-9 years old, my dad and I had season tickets to LSU Basketball...and yes, those teams included Shaq O'Neal and Stanley Roberts.

Jackson's NBA career could be considered rather tragic. The tourettes syndrome he had to deal with in his life was both part of the reason he was such a great basketball player (legend had it that he could not leave his backyard court unless he made 500 straight free-throws, or something like that), and perhaps the reason for his downfall (the medication affected his game, but if he didn't take it, he would twitch uncontrollably). But Chris Jackson's story is for another time, another place, and another blog post.

On to today's numbers (and I'm hoping that I got all of them correctly from Jason's work) -- DC is first in per capita, or fewest residents per NBA player produced. But I live in DC, and the last time I checked, it was not a state (but they sure like to make us pay those Federal taxes) .

The first state? None other than Mississippi. Food for thought.

State	Population	NBA	Residents Per NBA Player
DC	581,530	3	193,843
Mississippi	2,910,540	10	291,054
Louisiana	4,468,976	12	372,415
Illinois	12,831,970	33	388,848
Delaware	783,600	2	391,800
Iowa	2,926,324	6	487,721
Wyoming	493,782	1	493,782
South Carolina	4,012,012	8	501,502
Oregon	3,421,399	6	570,233
West Virginia	1,808,344	3	602,781
Tennessee	5,689,283	9	632,143
Washington	5,894,121	9	654,902
North Carolina	8,049,313	12	670,776
Georgia	8,186,453	12	682,204
Wisconsin	5,556,506	8	694,563
Colorado	4,301,261	6	716,877
New Jersey	8,724,560	12	727,047
Alabama	4,447,100	6	741,183
South Dakota	754,844	1	754,844
New York	18,976,457	25	759,058
Indiana	6,080,485	8	760,061
California	33,871,648	44	769,810
Maryland	5,600,388	7	800,055
Nevada	2,495,529	3	831,843
Texas	20,851,820	25	834,073
Florida	15,982,378	19	841,178
Pennsylvania	12,281,054	14	877,218
Arkansas	2,673,400	3	891,133
Kansas	2,688,418	3	896,139
Michigan	9,938,444	11	903,495
Ohio	11,353,140	11	1,032,104
Utah	2,233,169	2	1,116,585
New Hampshire	1,235,786	1	1,235,786
Idaho	1,293,953	1	1,293,953
Kentucky	4,173,405	3	1,391,135
Missouri	5,817,211	4	1,454,303
Minnesota	4,919,479	3	1,639,826
Connecticut	3,405,565	2	1,702,783
Virginia	7,078,515	4	1,769,629
Oklahoma	3,579,212	2	1,789,606
Massachusetts	6,349,097	2	3,174,549
Vermont	608,827	0	N/A
Alaska	626,932	0	N/A
North Dakota	642,200	0	N/A
Montana	997,195	0	N/A
Rhode Island	1,048,319	0	N/A
Hawaii	1,211,537	0	N/A
Maine	1,274,923	0	N/A
Nebraska	1,711,263	0	N/A
New Mexico	1,928,384	0	N/A
Arizona	5,130,632	0	N/A

Linked In - Kobe, Kwame, Timmy & The Onion

Have you voted for your NBA All-Stars today?

Yea, most of these links probably have been circulated twice over....but I thought these were the most interesting nonetheless.

• Kobe Gives OJ Advice - No, not that OJ...but I would not be surprised. Although, it's a little too late for OJ to buy Nicole a diamond ring. But in this Sports Illustrated article, Kobe Bryant gives a little advice to USC's OJ Mayo.
  

  "It's different if you're throwing it to a player you feel can make that shot," said Bryant. "But throwing it to him just because he's open doesn't give the team the best shot of winning."

  I wonder how Michael Jordan's philosophy lined up with this? Probably similar. Then again, if MJ didn't trust a teammate, (and yes, he even yelled at those he trusted), that guy wouldn't even set foot on the court.
  
  
• I'm beginning to like Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, more and more.....especially when he talks about Kwame Brown. Oh yea...check out kwamebrownsucks.com
  
  Here's an excerpt from a recent LA Times article:
  

  Kwame Brown could return next week from moderate sprains in his left knee and left ankle.
  
  "I kind of ignore him like he's a leper on the table, but as I was walking through the training room, the trainer said, 'Kwame's ankle looks great today,' so that was really good news," Coach Phil Jackson said.

  [And in case you forgot the Photoshop of Phil]
  
  
• From Ball In Europe - Oklahoma alum Hollis Price the victim of a racist attack in Lithuania. Skinheads man, you gotta watch out for them.
  
  
• The NBA is changing the rules for Tim Duncan. I'm not exactly sure about how I feel about this. In my NBA All-Star vote blog entry, I did wonder why Duncan was listed at center for the first time ever....of course, in the past, I always wanted him listed at center so he, Dirk, and KG could start for the West. But the ballots are out...should they change now? Are the Suns conspiracy theorists going to be coming out of the woodwork?

Today's Voice from the Onion -- always good for a laugh.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Pot Smokers Well-Adjusted

A recent Swiss survey reveals that that teenagers who smoke marijuana function better than those who also use tobacco. What do you think?

Terry Gerdes,
Lathe Operator
"I think it's because pot smoking teaches kids to slow down and take stock of what's really important in life: sandwiches."

Alice Muldowney,
Customs Official
"What about those teenagers who aren't musicians, painters, and deadbeats? How well do they function?"

Ivan Chernikoff,
Metal Furniture Restorer
"Is this some kind of trick to make kids think that pot isn't cool?"

Isiah Thomas...He's a Bad Coach, Don't You Get It Charles Barkley?

The New York Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics 104-59 tonight. Would've set an all-time Knicks franchise low for points scored in the game had it not been for a Nate Robinson 3 pointer at the buzzer. And I laugh.

So I'm watching Inside the NBA on TNT at halftime of the Lakers-Nuggets game. First of all, Kenny Smith compares the Knicks to the Washington Generals....hilarious.

But Charles Barkley? I'm with you 99.9% of the time captain, but you feel bad for Isiah? Because the players quit of him? The key part of 'the players quit on him' is the Him and not the Players.

Now look, I know that coaches are supposed to coach and not play. I also realize that it's the responsibility for the players to go out an win games. They are on the court. Coaches are on the sidelines.

And hell, the Knicks players DO deserve criticism for their lack of effort. But to say you feel bad for Isiah Thomas because the players quit on him? Let's do two things Chuck: Be real with us and be real with yourself.

Isiah Thomas is the one who cultivated this whole losing environment for the New York Knicks. Don't look at this one horrible, horrible loss to the Celtics. Look at Isiah's whole tenure with the Knicks. What has he done?

Nuthin' for nobody from nowhere.

Why should I care? I don't. I despise the Knicks.

Game 15 Blog: Washington Wizards @ San Antonio Spurs

"Caron said it best, 'You can't under estimate our will.' And he's our leader."
-Eddie Jordan

A couple other good games on the NBA League Pass tonight. LeBron James makes his first trip back to the Palace in Detroit since.....well, you know. And I'd also like to keep my eye on the Raptors-Grizzlies game...aww eff that, Raptors are up 19 now with 6:43 left in the 3rd, back to LeBron. Thing is, I only get the NBA League Pass on the main TV. The compromise? Wizards-Spurs on the left and right TV feeds, sound up. Boo-ya. (I can't believe I just typed 'boo-ya')

In any case, here we go. For some reason, I decided to switch my hosting services late this afternoon, so truthaboutit.net is down right now because things are switching over. Oh well.

So, the Spurs.... gotta defend that pick and roll Son. And let's play church....I, the preacher, will say, "And the Lawd says, you gotta stop Tony Parka" (in my best Eddie Murphy, Coming to America, talent show scene voice), and you, the choir, say, "Amen."

Happy belated birthday to Brendan Todd Haywood btw....turned 28 yesterday. Aww naw, I know the Spurs dance team is not wearing chaps tonight, the only thing that would top that is if they were all wearing glasses and business suits. Another BT-dub....look out for my NBA Cheerleader Rankings in an upcoming blog post.

Now let's start the show.

1st Quarter

11:34 - Tim Duncan ice-cream layup attempt...B-Locked by BTH (Brendan Todd Haywood ya'll).

10:43 - Tony Parker for the lay-up (first points of the game)...he's EXACTLY who we thought he was!!!

Pistons up 5 at the half...48-45.

The Wiz have started off a little cold. 2 points in 3 minutes.

8:43 - Dee-Shawn for 3...and good. 6-5 Spurs.

Everyone talks about the Spurs D, but their offense is so damn efficient. Ball movement: One of them expensive college textbooks.

7:39 - Even a double team of Tony Parker doesn't work...he gets free and finds an open Oberto.

7:20 - BTH a hook over Tim Duncan. Showing no fear from the get-go. His 6th point.

5:55 - Timeout Spurs after AD dribble pen...a bobble, but a recovery for a baseline J. Spurs up 14-11. Solid start by the Wiz so far. They are showing the Spurs that they came to play.

The Spurs are very active in their defensive movement...even running a guy to double Butler and get the ball out of his hands on the first Wiz possession after the TO.

Oh my dear lord....obscene traveling non-call on Duncan with about 4:40 left. There is NO excuse for that, baseline ref. Maybe those Suns fans are on to something......

3:37 - Tony Parker out already...Jacque Vaughn is in.

Some Wiz turnovers, a couple missed shots, and as expected, the Spurs take advantage. Timeout Wizards. San Antonio up 5 - 21-16.

Damn. Antonio Daniels has a fine wife (the just showed her on TV in the crowd). Good for him, cause he definitely has a mis-shaped head.

Wiz are staying with the Gold & Black unis....the Dallas win makes them 9-8 in them now, right? Did they even bring the blue roads on this trip?

1:21 - AJ 3 follows a Butler 2, 23-21 Spurs.

Nice layup by AD...he had the Francisco Elson mismatch on him and took it to the basket from the short corner. Tie game.

End of the quarter......home arena clock doesn't allow AD to get the final shot off in time. 24-23 Spurs.

2nd Quarter

11:18 - Brent Barry 3 - Man, the Spurs set off-ball screens in a way that I've never seen before.

11:04 - AD answers with his own 3. I see you cap'n, showin' out for wifey.

The Spurs are really making things difficult for Caron Butler. He's got 5 points, on 2-2 FGs, 2 tough shots. It's as if they are saying....we will let anyone else in this Goof-Troop beat us, just not you Caron. Hey, I didn't call the Wizards a Goof-Troop, the Spurs did.

8:24 - Tuff Juice 3 from the top. He didn't even hesitate. Hey, doesn't that make 7 made 3s in a row for him?

8:10 - Elson hits a deuce. Spurs keep a 2 point lead, 36-34. "Aww, how cute, the Wizards are trying to keep up with us." -San Antonio

7:50 - DeShawn curl, receives the pass, dish to Blatche for 2, And1 (Andray missed the 1)...but a nice play by Eddie Jordan coming out of a timeout.

One thing I really love about Butler's game is that he never really tries to force the action. You definitely can't say that about Gilbert.

Detroit is looking now....The Prince just received an oop from Rip, they are up 69-53 with 3:49 left in the 3rd.

5:50 - Timeout, Spurs up 40-36. Knock-down deuce for Roger Mason coming out of a timeout. While Navarro has made us all stop talking about Jarvis Hayes....I'm fine with keeping Mason Jr. over Jarvis so far this year (he's much cheaper).

4:11 - Dee-Shawn J makes Pops call a TO. Wiz hangin, down 1.

Legal Sea Foods question of the night...who are the only 2 NBA players to win a title with 3 different teams? Robert Horry is the obvious call. The other answer is John Salley, the best damn comedian on a show with Best Damn Sports Show in the title. I'm not sure I remember who with....the Bulls, Lakers, and Pistons?

I don't understand...I just looked up and LeBron is on the bench in a suit, with his fingers taped. He has played in the game....but I guess he wanted to show off the gray turtle-neck under the pin-stripe suit jacket. Me, not a turtle-neck guy. Yea, I've owned one in my life (never will again), but all that fabric around my neck? Maybe if I'm shoveling snow, but not profilin' court-side at an NBA game. Guess the King can do what he likes....but remember LBJ, I have you in TWO fantasy leagues....I even regrettably (at the time) chose you with the 3rd pick over Gilbert in one league, when I already had you in another.....I went lasik eye surgery over recovery from knee injury. No regret now, but please don't be hurt....for the sake of the league! (ended up being a sprained finger...still, those aren't fun)

Meanwhile...the quarter is closing down. Back and forth game....Spurs can't really improve past a 3-5 point cushion. For some reason, I get the feeling that the Wizards are exerting a lot of effort while the Spurs are casually going through the motions.

0:06.5 - Haywood open J.....then Duncan hits a two at the buzzer at the other end (off a Tony Parker miss)...it's under review. Phil Chenier and Steve Buckhantz think that it's no good...and the refs agree. Going into the half, Spurs up 49-46.

Believe it or not, the Spurs and the Wizards were both 20-38 (52.6%) from the field in the 1st half.

Well...now my site is back up, but the layout is all jacked. Sorry bout that....it'll be fixed soon.

3rd Quarter

The Spurs start the quarter off hot. They extend their lead to 61-51 by the time the Wizards, and me, realize what's going on. I need to stop being distracted by my jacked up website and blog the Wizards to a win.

7:53 - Timeout Wizards. Nick Young checks in, he didn't play in the first half. Let's hope the kid can spark.

Meanwhile...Steve Javy is giving AJ the "business" by not giving him any calls on some made baskets.

6:10 - Young knocks down some FTs - Spurs 63-57.

We need a new contest at the NBA All-Star game...it'd settle a lot of arguments and it would be simple: Who can get the ball up the court the fastest. 3-2 odds on Tony Parker to win.

4:37 - F*&kin Sh&T...another Parker lay-in...misses the And1, Spurs up 14 now.

3:54 - Nick Young was more open than he realized as he rushed a WIDE open 3 from the corner and missed.....Parker layup on the other end. Absolutely amazing to watch....now somebody take him out.

Good Rockets-Suns game going on in Phoenix. 1st half just ended with Steve Francis complaining to the ref and the Rockets up 56-52.

Man, if you make ONE mistake against the Spurs, they take it, multiply it, put it in a paper bag, take a dump it in, and mail it back to you Next Day Air.

Wiz are hanging around though....kinda. I'm getting tired of typing bad things.

1:13 - Very nice offensive bound by Blatche, catches his composure, takes a power dribble, and put-back. Only down 9.

0:26 - Fast Tony Parker gets 'em moving and whips a pass to Bruce Bowen in the corner for trey.

Nick Young is trusted with the ball with the quarter clock running down...he gets fouled and drops the FTs.

0:04.5 - Of course, the Spurs take it right down...EASE-ily, Manu whips it to Elson who is wide open for a dunk...only, the ball was still in his hands. No basket. Spurs up 9 after 3 and I need a beer.

Spurs shot 68%, Wiz shot 38% in the 3rd...and yet, they somehow survived. Bring out the guts.

4th Quarter

10:45 - Just Manu being Manu...the lefty splits the D and goes in for the slam.

9:57 - Ginobili...Man of Fire. The 3 he just hit gives him 19 for the game. Spurs lead goes from 7 to 10 just like that.

I tell you what, Nick Young sure isn't afraid to attack the basket. Gotta like the resilience in the young kid. Hits two FTs, Spurs 86-78.

8:35 - Nice pass from Antonio to Andray, after a Blatche ball swipe at the other end. Hustle young man, hustle. Wiz down 6.

8:03 - Ouch...Butler baseline jumper attempt sticks between the rim and the backboard.

7:41 - Duncan miss...Songaila really played some nice D on Timmy that time, stood his ground...for all those D-Song haters out there.

7:10 - AD turnover...that's his 4th for the game.

6:02 - Brent Barry 3...Spurs are up 93-80 now, timeout Wiz. Spurs are a great team, but the Wizards have been squandering their offensive possessions by taking ill-advised shots.

Somewhere in Dupont Circle, one guy is turning to his partner and saying..."And for you, a rear seat entertainment system." (please accept my apologizes, that Volvo commercial walked right into that joke)

5:25 - Nick Young jab and 3 in Brent Barry's face. Funny thing is, he jabbed to the side, don't they coach you to jab towards the basket?

4:29 - 2 Tony Longoria FTs and the Spurs are up 98-83......the turkey is almost done.

4:07 - Steal, spin, reverse back to the basket layup-scoop, circus, clowns, elephants, made bucket by Tony Parker.

3:35 - Parker runner. Spurs up 102-85.

3:01 - Tony Parker. Aaaaaagin. Ok Belichick....err.....Greg Popovich, sit him down.

Blah, blah, blah...Parker, Duncan, Parker....new BTH season high in points.....Michael Finley 3....Spurs up 109-91.....1:23 left......why is Eddie Jordan taking a 20 second timeout?.......

Tony Parker is finally out of the game...a meager 29 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds for him tonight.

Put 'er in the books. Final: Spurs 109 - Wizards 94.

I preached to the choir about Tony Parker, but unfortunately it's Wednesday and not Sunday so no one was in church. Oh well...it's the Spurs, what did we expect?

I should've just been happy with the Dallas win, but I'm not. Off to fix this damn website, drink beers, and sulk. See ya Friday.

Sean Taylor, May He Rest In Peace

UPDATE: Very good blog post by Marc Fisher of the Washington Post, Listener: Two Stations, Two Sean Taylors, which discusses the differing coverage of the Sean Taylor tragedy from DC's two main sports radio stations.

The passing of Sean Taylor was a pretty surreal moment for me. I went to bed on Monday evening, probably like many of us, thinking that he would be okay. The coverage on Washington, DC's Comcast Sports after the Wizards-Mavericks game seemed to indicate that the positive signs shown from Taylor meant that recovery was imminent. Part of my morning alarm routine involves my bathroom television coming on at a certain time, to coincide with my blackberry alarm. On most days, except for after Redskins losses because I want a little separation from the sports world, the station is tuned to ESPN 2 for the Mike & Mike In The Morning broadcast. Today, Tuesday November 27th, I woke up to the sentence that Sean Taylor had died about an hour earlier that morning. Yes, a surreal moment. Yet, I can't begin to imagine how shocking the news of his death was for family, friends, teammates, coaches, the entire Washington Redskins organization, and anyone who ever had personal contact with Sean Taylor. When I first heard of the incident on Monday morning, the shooting itself, I was taken back a little, but casually figured that Sean Taylor would survive.

The thing is, I wasn't even shocked that Taylor was shot in the first place. And I can't pin-point the exact reason for this feeling. Even Michael Wilbon, in one of the several versions of Pardon the Interruption leading up to Monday Night Football, said that he was not surprised when he heard about the shooting. I'd be willing to bet that this was the case for many of us, but why?

The very first Washington Post online story released around 11:26 am on Monday, November 26th could not yet provide any details outside of the fact that Taylor had been shot in his home, and that he'd been air-lifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The article went on to give a brief account of Taylor's time with the Redskins, along with the fact that he grew up in south Florida, the son of a police chief. Then followed the run down of Taylor's troubles since he entered the NFL, including the ATV assault incident, the suspicion of drunken driving, the skipping of off-season workouts, the absence from the NFL mandatory rookie symposium, and the spitting in the face of Michael Pittman.

In an email chain among friends, my boy Chris expressed his displeasure at the simple fact that the article mentioned Taylor's previous run-ins with authority:

"...instead of coming at us with actual details, they write an article about Sean Taylor's several previous run-ins with law enforcement, as well as his incidents with the team. I guess getting shot and taken to the hospital by a policeman counts as a 'run-in' with the law in the same way that being suspected of having a DUI does. I'm not saying Taylor is a saint...but this article is absolutely ridiculous. It's as if they are saying, Taylor was shot but he is a thug and he probably did something to bring it on...in other words: despite knowing only that he was shot in his own home, he is not an innocent victim. Shame on the Post."

My contention was that at the time, there were no details to tell, yet the Washington Post was obliged to report on the fact that it happened. But upon hearing of the shooting, and I can't remember whether it was reading it online or hearing about it on television, my mind immediately drew upon the past off-field events in which Sean Taylor was involved. Mainly, the one which involved him and a gun where he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery charges related to a June 2005 confrontation when Taylor allegedly hit another man, whom he had suspected of stealing an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) from him, with a gun. The media knows it's natural that these past incidents pop into our heads, regardless the responsible party, for the simple fact that both involve Sean Taylor's name and "gun" in the same sentence. Yet, since many of us do not recall the exact details, and thus would probably troll around Google for them, I would consider it the media's responsibility to include them in their story. So, who is at fault for the portrayal that Chris brings up?

Now, we still do not have many details from this incident, this murder. What we've been told so far: Taylor, sleeping with his girlfriend and 18-month old daughter, awoke to noises in his living room. He proceeded to grab a machete under his bed, where his girlfriend remained, protecting their daughter. It's unclear how the confrontation developed with the one, or more, intruders from there...whether it was Taylor who opened his bedroom door, or if the intruders came inside the room themselves. The girlfriend's account says that someone broke through the bedroom door. In any case, two shots were fired, one of which hit Taylor in the femoral artery in the upper thigh near his groin. Taylor's, girlfriend, or fiancée, attempted to dial 911 using the house line, but discovered that it had been cut, so she used her cell phone. Currently, the police do not have any suspects in custody.

I understand that the news of Sean Taylor's death is still fresh and that all of us are still trying to digest. But the details, or lack there-of, are very curious and hard for me not to ponder. On the Comcast's pre-Wizards game report yesterday evening, Kelli Johnson, who was described as having a close media relationship with Taylor, who in turn, at times had an aloof relationship with the media in general, made a point to say that there were no guns, nor an alarm system in the Taylor house in Palmetto Bay. Also, consider the fact that there was a break-in at the same household 8 days before where someone had gotten into the house through a front window, left signs of rummaging through draws in Taylor's room, signs of attempting to break into a safe, and left a kitchen knife on the bed of Taylor's sister. Taylor was excused from some team functions/meetings in order to tend to matters related to this attempted burglary.

Are these two incidents related? Was Sean Taylor a target? Could he perhaps have known the shooter? Why weren't more precautions taken? Without further knowledge, we can all easily make assumptions on a number of contingencies. One conclusion that we can come to, however, is that professional athletes must be aware of the unfortunate consequences of their profession. No longer can just taking precautions in public be the minimum. If the two separate incidents of NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry both being duct taped and robbed in their Chicago homes this past summer didn't raise enough eyebrows, this should. And hopefully, being aware will involve professional athletes lowering their profile and using their riches to upgrade their homes with state of the art security systems and not the purchase of guns for defense. Although, could we blame them if they do? Here is a link to an interesting article entitled, "Athletes and Guns" written by John Lott, Jr. for Fox News in January 2004. This article also mentions other NFL player home robbery incidents such as:

• 2004: Corey Fuller, then of the Baltimore Ravens, was confronted outside his Tallahassee, Florida home by two armed robbers. He was actually able to take the gun from one attacker and fire at them as they fled.
• 2001: Will Allen, then with the New York Giants, was doused with gasoline and robbed at his home.
• 1996-2004: Yancey Thigpen, who played with the Chargers, Steelers, and Oilers/Titans, was involved in three armed robberies, one of which was a car-jacking, and one which left him and his fiancée tied up while their 2-month old daughter was locked in a closet.

A more recent incident involves the home robbery of Texan cornerback, Dunta Robinson in Missouri City, Texas in September of 2007. Actually, considering these tales, and I'm sure there are more of them, eyebrows should have been raised a long time ago. And now, an unfortunate and unnecessary death might drive the point home.

We are all aware of Sean Taylor's troubled past. But by all accounts, he had turned a corner. The presence of a daughter in his life had started to make him more mature, had made him closer to a man of responsibility. His teammates loved him, as he was part of their leadership group this season. At face value, the death of Sean Taylor is a classic Greek Tragedy, even more so if it turns out that this was not a case of his past catching up to him, rather, him being a target as result of the money he made from his natural talent. Whichever way the details of the murder of Sean Taylor unfold, if they ever do, Taylor was a victim of circumstance. Sean Taylor will be missed on many accounts outside of football. May his soul rest in peace.

Game 14 Blog: Washington Wizards @ Dallas Mavericks

Okay, so no one is exactly expecting the Wizards to win tonight, Danny Sheridan's odds on USAToday.com favors the Mavericks by 12. And I'm sure that Eddie Jordan may be giving the "no one outside this locker room thinks you are going to win" speech...actually, do NBA players even need this speech? Especially since there are so many games? I wonder if most all NBA pre-game talks are more technical and strictly about business. I can't exactly see Eddie Jordan trying to fire a team up.

If the Wizards want to be in this game, the need to stop the penetration of Devin Harris first and foremost. Yea, we know, the Wizards have been trying to protect the basket which has lead to inefficiencies in defending the 3-point line. But, the Wizards would not have to do so much basket protecting, and so much shifting on D, if the dribble penetration was limited.

The Pradamaster on Bullets Forever has an issue with the excuses given by Eddie Jordan in today's Washington Times article. Prada makes some good points...hell, we all are frustrated with the team defense over the past couple of years. But I saw the article as less of Eddie Jordan trying to make excuses and more of a little politicking for Ernie Grunfeld to seek some help and for Abe Pollin to dig in his pockets to find a means. Yes, guys do need to step up when the chips are down, but you also need to replenish the cupboard after some plates are accidentally broken.

The Basics:
1) Stop/Slow Devin Harris
2) Play with Effort & Energy
3) Step Up and Score -- the Wizards need someone other than Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison whom they can depend upon as a scoring threat

Now let's start the show....

When you get a chance, check out a pretty cool feature on Caron Butler (by Caron Butler) on SlamOnline, a quick hitter on growing up, shoes, and how basketball saved his life.

1st Quarter

Jamison starts off on Dirk....if anything, he needs to make Diggler work on the defensive end as well.

9:51 - With Trenton Hassell in the game, Josh Howard is a big 2 guard for the Mavs, tough assignment for Dee-Shawn. Evident when Howard drives by the matador Stevenson for a lay-up, foul by Haywood, And1.

This just in...Steve Buckhantz says that Abe and Irene Pollin have stepped up their 'Scores for Schools' effort tonight. Instead of donating the equivalent of 5 points from Gilbert, $500, they are giving a full G tonight. I would say that's much better, right Gil?

6:55 - Wiz timeout, down 7, 16-9. Dirk is 4-4 on his FGs so far.

6:35 - AJ smells Dirk defensive blood...goes for two. Then again, so does Dirk, pops a J in AJ's face on the other end.

5:57 - Devin Harris penetration leads to a wide open Hassell jumper.

4:30 - Second and third chances hurt too...inside layup by Howard after two long offensive rebounds. 22-15 Mavs.

Oh yea, I forgot that Josh Howard and Darius Songaila were at Wake at the same time.

Monday Night Football has finally started after lightning delays. 8:52 pm.

3:31 - Butler hits a J to cut the Mavs lead to 3. His FG% has been on point this year.

On thing I've noticed is that Dirk really likes to spin and move around (acting like he's making an offensive move towards the basket) on those high ball screens. The pick and roll is hard enough to guard in the NBA, the refs really need to make sure these guys are set.

Have you voted for your NBA All-Star team today? I've changed my tune to 'Tuff Juice and LeBron, and not the Big Ticket for the starting East forwards.

2:10 - Rebound in traffic by Blatche...but he tries to dribble it up instead of kicking it to AD, who was right near him, and turns the ball over. How many times have I seen Andray do that this year?

People never talk about how agile Dirk Nowitzki is....the guy is a 7 footer!! Well...maybe they do, guess it's just old news now. Hey, I'm still amazed.

1:36 - Nick Young checks in...and forces a shot with 1:20 left.

:33 - Wizards hustle leads to steal and a Butler dunk. Tie game at 26, 9-2 run by the Wiz. Oh yea, Butler was also the one who caused the steal.

Dirk hits a couple FTs on a bad call....they said that Caron fouled Dirk on a rebound. The 1st ends with the Mavs up 28-26.

Earlier in the quarter, Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier were talking about the June 24th, 1998 draft day trade where the Milwaukee Bucks sent the rights to Dirk Nowitzki (9th pick) and Pat Garrity (19th pick) to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert "Tractor" Trailer (6th pick). Steve was saying essentially that he doesn't know how the responsible GM could now sleep at night after making that trade. Then....he started to realize that Ernie Grunfeld used to be the GM for the Bucks and chuckled, hoping that Ernie wouldn't hold it against him if he was the GM who actually made the trade.

Well....we should all know that our Ernie is way too savvy to clown like that. Bob Weinhauer was actually the Bucks GM at the time, the coach was Chris Ford. They were later replaced by George Karl and Ernie Grunfeld. But I do believe that the same Bob Weinhauer was GM of the Houston Rockets when they won one of their championships. So, I'm sure he's sleeping somewhere.

2nd Quarter

8:20 - DeShawn 3-pointer. The Wizards are playing a tad bit sloppy...but VERY scrappy, with energy and hustle swag. They are up 35-30. Wiz have 5 turnovers, but have forced the Mavericks into making 8. (of course, the Josh Howard 3, And1, at the other end doesn't help...Wiz only up 1 now, 35-34)

7:36 - Blatche gets a lay-up, And1...but only after bobbling a dribble, almost making a bad pass, and somehow recovering the ball in the open lane. He has got to learn how to take better care of the ball. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have Tiny-Tim hands like Kwame "Slap-My-Face" Brown, but he does need to strengthen them, a lot.

I've always heard that a big reason as to why Larry Bird and Michael Jordan with the #1 over all. It seems like all Michael Jordan would've had to do was look at the damn kid's hands....and if they didn't raise enough red flags, just give him a simple psyche test..maybe the were such great players was the size and strength of their hands. This isn't something that people talk about that often. Which makes me all the more baffled when it comes to MJ selecting KwameWonderlic...or whatever. Seems like you could easily find out he was a baby who would cry for his bottle when slapped. And another thing I always wondered: what exactly did Kwame Brown do to make MJ slap him?

5:08 - Jason Terry missed an open J...and Dirk was definitely moving around when trying to get him open. Wiz up 39-36.

And now the Wiz have caught up to the Mavs in turnovers..even at 8.

4:01 - After turnovers by him on two consecutive trips, Haywood gets great position and draws a charge on Josh Howard, his 3rd.

3:07 - The score is still stuck at 39-36....lotta turnovers and pig slop. 6 turnovers between the two teams since the last points (Nick Young FTs with 5:48 left).

2:28 - Dirk back door, gets the pass, gets the dunk. He definitely gave a nice push-off to Jamison...even though AJ was over-playing a tad.

1:26 - Mavs have made a little run, Harris hits two FTs after getting fouled on a break. Mavs up 45-41 now. Daniels isn't doing a bad job managing the game so far, but his jumper isn't falling like I remember it falling last year.

1:04 - They finally got the Mavs moving on a screen, Erick Dampier.

Antonio Daniels hits a big running baseline layup with 3 seconds left to put the Wizards up 2 to end the 1st half....and wait a tech has been issued to Devin Harris. He tried to drive the length of the court for a shot in the remaining seconds....Jamison made a smart move to go to the spot where he thought Harris would be, near the top of the 3-point line, and stood his ground....Harris went up for a running three, and there was contact..... but like I said, Jamison had his spot. So, the right call was a no-call. Guess Devin didn't agree.

The 1/2

• Wiz hot shooting is the story. They are at 48.5% while holding the Mavs to 40.5%.
• From watching, Devin Harris seemed relatively contained...then again, the kid has 7 assists and 0 turnovers.
• Getting out-rebounded 23-15 by the Mavs is not good...even worse that Dallas has 9 offensive boards and the Wizards have 1. Let's go BTH!
• 21 points on 8-10 shooting for Dirk. Can't do much about that.
  

3rd Quarter

12:00 - Caron makes the tech. 1-0 second half run by the Wizards.

Plus, on the first possession, the Wiz get Josh Howard to commit his 4th foul. He goes to the bench early.

8:44 - Another offensive rebound by the Mavs, tip in deuce by Diop after a Devin Harris drive causes Haywood to have to help.

8:01 - Tough shot And 1 by Dirk. He ties the game at 54.

7:54 - Huge AD cut and dunk...AND foul. I see you stepping up with 11 points AD!

6:55 - Dirk misses a 3 and is forced to foul as AD gets the long rebound and tries to push it up the court with numbers. The Wiz are playing with a lot of energy here to start the 3rd...and it seems like the pace benefits Washington. What tired legs?

6:18 - AJ driving one-hand lay-up attempt misses, but he is fouled. The Wizards are doing a great job in getting their offense going towards the basket and not settling for jump shots. AJ makes both FTs, Wiz up 62-54.

Jason Terry can't hit anything tonight. He's 0-5 from the field.

5:48 - Stevenson drive to the basket for 2 FTs. 11-0 run for the Wiz. They are 22-24 on FTs, Mavs are 13-13.

5:24 - Butler answers a Dirk 3 point play with a 3. Wiz still lead by 10.

BOOM! Another 3 by Caron Butler. Lead is 70-59. Pressure by the Wiz almost leads to a steal...but actually leads to a Dampier dunk on the other end.

4:12 - Wow, the game is really moving. Jamison hits a scoop shot on both Dirk and Damp, and gets fouled. Missed the FT, Wiz up 72-61.

3:35 - Dammit...Jason Terry finally gets going with a 3. Shhh....

3:06 - Blatche rebound...dribble (uh-oh)...jump (what are you doing in the air?)...and a 3/4 court le