Most Wizards fans wouldn’t mind seeing Mike Miller on the team next year, but know there is virtually no chance of it happening, despite Miller’s offer of loyalty immediately after the last game of the season, and more recently telling Comcast’s Chris Miller, “the Wizards landing the number one pick changes everything,” and that he would “love to play with John Wall.”

We know Mike wants to play for a championship contending winner, desperately. His hunger was only increased by the sour taste of 2009-10 with the Wizards. And the 2010-11 Wizards won’t quench his thirst either.

We also know Mike is boys with LeBron James. We know Mike went so far as to name his son, Maverick, after the close friend and adviser of James, Maverick Carter … or so LeBron claims. We know that the 2010 NBA Free Agency dominoes are held hostage by Mr. James. Mike Miller knows this too.

“That’s when everything will start,” Miller recently told Stu Whitney of the Argus Leader, “LeBron and those guys will start making their decisions, and that will open the floodgates for some of the second-tier guys.”

Whitney profiles Miller in a piece entitled, “‘I’m looking for a winner’: Free agent Miller seeks yet another fresh start in NBA,” for the Sioux Falls publication out of Miller’s home state of South Dakota.

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[Photo via SI Vault]

Manute Bol spent about all of his time as a Washington Bullet before I became a fan of the franchise upon moving to the District in 1990. I barely remember his six minutes and two games during a second stint with the team in the 1993-94 season.

Still, his lore as an NBA player, who was really much, much more as a person, lives on with me and many others. So while I unfortunately can’t recount any personal memories of Bol, who passed away at age 47 yesterday in Charlottesville, Virginia, I suggest you remember his legacy by reading the links and watching the videos below.

From the Washington Post’s must-read obituary by Matt Schudel:

When the Bullets drafted him in the second round in 1985, he was measured at 7 feet 6¾ inches in his bare feet — usually rounded up to 7-7 — and he weighed a mere 190 pounds. Mr. Bol had limited basketball skills, but with a fingertip-to-fingertip wingspan of 8 feet 6 inches, he proved to be unusually adept at one aspect of the game: blocking opponents’ shots. Standing flat-footed, he could extend his hand above the rim of the basket 10 feet off the floor.

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Just a rundown of rather random thoughts, with pictures, after watching John Wall’s workout with the Washington Wizards and being there to interview him.

Wall is one strong kid-looking dude.

I turn 30 the day after the NBA Draft. Not old, but it still feels kinda weird calling a 19-year old who’s about to be the first overall pick a “kid” at my age (although, I’ve been comfortable calling people two years my junior “kid” before, somewhat facetiously though) … but “kid” more in a sense of seeing Wall’s built-for-basketball body while coming to grips that it’s way beyond where he is mentally. He’s just a lil’ guy, except not so little. Not sure any of this makes much sense.

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It’s pretty rare to find someone from the DMV area, one who has played basketball at high levels, admit that they were a fan of the Washington Bullets growing up. It’s usually the Bulls, the Bulls, the Bulls, or whomever. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride … the Bullets/Wizards usually are.

Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds is the exception. Reynolds spent a good chunk of his life growing up in Virginia, playing for Herndon High School where he was named a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in 2006. Reynolds moved on to suit up for the Wildcats and after a stellar 4-year career, was named a 2010 AP 1st Team All-American.

As a combo guard, Reynolds doesn’t have the highest prospects for the NBA Draft. ESPN projects him as someone who could go in the second round or undrafted, and both DraftExpress and NBADraft.net do not list him in their respective two-round mocks. This past Tuesday, Reynolds worked out with his hometown Washington Wizards.

Which brings me to why, assuming you are a Wizards/Bullets fan, you should root for Scottie Reynolds … because he is a fan just like you. When asked how much he followed the Wizards (Bullets) growing up, Reynolds opened up the floodgates. He said he was at the very last game played at the USAir Arena, a loss to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls on November 29, 1997; he kept both his ticket and t-shirt giveaway from the game. He also attended the second game at the MCI (now Verizon) Center, a win against Mitch Richmond and the Sacramento Kings. Reynolds then started running off names of players he rooted for — Tracy Murray, Chris Whitney, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tim Legler — saying it’d be a “dream come true” to play for the organization.

Below, check out Reynolds’ post workout interview video, where he talks about the Bullets and calls Randy Foye his “big brother,”  and footage from him on the Wizards practice court … courtesy of Adam Douglas.

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John Wall, Ernie Grunfeld, Andray Blatche and Comcast’s Chris Miller

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Thanks to TAI media guru Adam Douglas for shooting Wall’s interview footage.

John Wall’s workout for the Washington Wizards, his first and likely only with an NBA team, was a whirlwind. Partially because of the amount of attention it got and the anxiousness in the air from all who came to see him. It was “the” exclusive event in the DMV area on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the media, some who haven’t sniffed the Verizon Center for months, and eager interns from said media mainstream media organizations … rich white men in suits … the recently married Steve Buckhantz with other dignitaries looking down from the section of the Green Turtle restaurant with a window to the Wizards’ practice court … the recently married Mike Wise carrying the conversation in the media room while the masses waited in anticipation for young Wall to speak … even Andray Blatche was on the premises with his little brother in tow.

All came to see him … even if it was just to catch a glimpse. And a glimpse it was. Wall’s workout started around the 11 am scheduled start time and the media was allowed to enter not too long after 11:20. It was a much more brief workout than the usual hour-plus reserved for other players. And honestly, Wall looked kind of winded by the time we saw him. He would later divulge in his interview that his back had tightened up on him, but that he thought the workout went well.

None of this means anything by the way. D.C., despite the mysterious charade surrounding will they or won’t they take him first overall, John Wall is ours. For now, check out the video from his workout below — couple nice dunks in there, despite the stiff back — more to come, including Wall’s post-workout interview …

Five players worked out for the Wizards on Tuesday, highlighted by former Iowa State standout Craig Brackins and Villanova star Scottie Reynolds.

When it comes to making the decision to turn pro, the media routinely hypes up two outcomes: when a kid stays in school and improves his draft status, and when a kid leaves too early and doesn’t get drafted, wasting his remaining college eligibility.  The third scenario, one the media often downplays, is when the player’s draft fortunes decline by staying in school an extra year, costing him NBA millions in the process. This is what transpired with Brackins.

During a monster sophomore campaign (2008-09) for the Cyclones, Brackins averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He was was named first team All-Big 12, honorable mention All-American and  tallied up a career-high 42 points in a contest against powerhouse Kansas. Mocks of the 2009 NBA Draft had Brackins going anywhere from late lottery to mid-20s. He was pretty much a lock for the first round and thus, awarding him the coveted financial security a second round selection does not provide.  Brackins tested the waters and ultimately decided to return for his junior year because he felt he was personally not ready yet.

The 2009-10 Cyclones opened the season with great expectations and some thought they could be a conference sleeper like 2008-9 Missouri. However, injuries, player defections and hard luck contributed to a disappointing 15-16 record. Brackins underachieved, struggled with consistency and his numbers dipped to 16.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

Iowa State’s head coach, Greg McDermott, likely under fire with a make or break 2010-11, bolted to take the job at Creighton in April. The Cyclones then hired ex-NBA player, former school standout and local icon, Fred Hoiberg, aka “The Mayor,” who previously had not been a head coach at any level.

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It was only a matter of time, obviously.

“Got me bringing guns to work, Gilbert Arenas,” is a line Jay-Z uses in a verse on the recently leaked collaboration between him and Dr. Dre called “Under Pressure.” The track is supposedly on Dre’s upcoming Detox album, the release of which has been anticipated since before Antawn Jamison ever wore a Washington Wizards uniform.

Some music critics have pointed out that Jay-Z’s lyrics on “Under Pressure”, which also mention the Tiger Woods sex scandal, are rather stale.

I’ll point out that Arenas likely didn’t bring guns to work because of any kind of pressure he was under, or because of the “haters”, as Jay-Z’s line associates his actions.

It kinda paints Arenas as a thug, kinda … I’m taking liberties here. Hence, that sorta makes Wizards players 0-2 in their last two mentions by Jay-Z in a verse. Blow the whistle indeed.

[H/T goes to @marshallrader]

Yes, I’m blogging a Tweet from Twitter that I already re-Tweeted. It’s a new media world.

Remember when a helicopter from a local television station followed Donovan McNabb’s limo en route from the airport to his grand arrival in Washington as a Redskin? Yea, that was fun/silly.

Wonder if the same thing is going to happen tomorrow when Wall will finally, in fact, workout for the Washington Wizards, along with Darington Hobson (G/F, New Mexico), Chas McFarland (C, Wake Forest), Kevin Palmer (G/F, Texas A&M-CC), Dexter Pittman (C, Texas), Andy Rautins (G, Syracuse), and Terrico White (G, Mississippi).

Actually, strike that. Wall will actually get his own individual workout, and then those other six guys will battle for their NBA careers while likely hoping that any remaining John Wall sweat in the air of the Wizards’ practice court will infiltrate their pores. Gross.

In any case, if you hear the blades of a helicopter cutting throught the air tomorrow, know that some reporter, somewhere, has likely taken to a re-enactment of that scene from Predator when Major Alan “Dutch” Schaeffer tells  a young lady that she must get to the chopper as urgently as possible.

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Here we go again. Yet another opinion from the cornucopia of experts about John Wall that this site will be unquestionably unabashed about posting because, well, John Wall is involved. Makes sense, right?

I can’t wait until Wall actually suits up in a Wizards uniform so we can get opinions on how he looked and what he did instead of all the maybes.

[Speaking of, Wall will be slipping on Wizards gear and playing in an organized basketball game for the first time on Sunday, July 11th at the NBA's 2010 Las Vegas Summer League -- and this here writer will be there to cover that game and the four Wizards summer league games to follow.]

But alas, when someone like TNT’s Kenny “The Jet” Smith speaks about Wall in an appearance with Ivan Carter on Washington Post Live, we should all listen because going Wall-Nuts is fun, right?

Plus, the two, Smith and Carter, had already talked extensively about Taco Bell; the deliciousness of Wall’s game would probably be the most sensible progression in the conversation. Let’s watch …

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[Editor's note: Check out the debut of new TAI author, John Townsend. Read more about that John at the bottom of this post, but first, check out his piece about another John. -Kyle]

America always seems to need an enemy, whether they’re found in politics (terrorists!) or in sports (referee Dan Crawford for Mavericks fans).  Sure, there are times when our criticism of these villains is justified (British Petroleum), but just as often it is not (Steve Bartman).

The most celebrated, captivating products and people are the most polarizing as well.  We should expect this, especially considering the amount of time, money, and hopes being invested.  This all brings me to John Wall – savior or setback? The question was never will the Wizards select John Wall, but instead what will happen when they do.

photo courtesy of thomasbeisner's Flickr

The debate over whether or not John Wall is the answer in Washington, DC is groundless.  John Wall is one part of the solution to a greater basketball challenge.

Some will argue that taking a point guard with the number one overall pick is a waste, based on historical records.  Power forwards and centers who have been drafted number one overall have won 23 championships combined, while point guards, shooting guards and small forwards have only won nine.  However, it is important to note that there has been, and continues to be, a large disparity between frontcourt and backcourt players selected first overall.  No. 1 overall power forwards and centers have won more championships, not because they are necessarily better players, but as a result of being selected at that spot with greater regularity – 21 times since 1985.

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[Editor's note: TAI media guy Adam Douglas attended the Wizards pre-draft workout on June 14th, his report is below.]

The Wizards worked out six players on Monday, highlighted by Luke Harangody from Notre Dame and Trevor Booker from Clemson, and including Marqus Blakley (Vermont), Marquis Gilstrap (Iowa State), Trevon Hughes (Wisconsin) and Jeremy Wise (D-League), as the entire coaching staff , several personnel employees and team president Ernie Grunfeld closely watched. Below are some video interviews, pertinent draft info and pictures from the “job interview”, a concept Flip Saunders drilled into the heads of these professional basketball applicants after the workout.

Trevor Booker – Clemson, Sr.

Chicago Measurements: 6’6.25″ without shoes, 236 lbs., 6’6.75″ wingspan
Age: 22 (11/25/1987)

Draft Express Profile (Feb. 19, 2010):

Booker is just 6’7, but he has excellent length and strength, which suggests that his transition to the next level should be smoother than expected from undersized post players. Similarly, his explosiveness and quickness in the open floor will help him overcome his lack of size at the next level. Though undersized big men have done well in the NBA lately, and Booker’s athleticism helps his case significantly, but he still must prove to scouts he has what it takes to operate as a power forward at the next level.

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A couple weeks ago, I was invited to cover a WNBA game, the Washington Mystics versus the Connecticut Sun. Some people snickered. Some asked why. Some didn’t care.

And that’s fine. This post isn’t to convince anyone that the WNBA is great or that it’s even better than they think. Plain and simple, the WNBA is worth it. Worth the effort to make sure it works. Worth the support and subsidization of the NBA … although, the current level of the NBA’s assistance is somewhat mysterious.

WNBA president Donna Orender was recently interviewed by Fortune’s Poppy Harlow on CNNMoney.com. When asked if the league gets financial support from the NBA, Orender carefully said, “We are an entity that runs ourselves, but with … I would say we have support from the NBA, but there’s always been these rumors that they’re writing big checks for us …” Harlow interrupted and implored Orender to clear the record on if the WNBA stands on its own feet financially. Ordener responded, “At the league level, we do. Yes.” A bit vague, but certainly indications of progress from Orender.

Individual teams, however, are another story. A report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Henry Unger last December indicated that the Atlanta Dream, in its second season of existence, lost $3 million, although official financial numbers are disclosed.

Over the league’s existence, six teams have folded: the Portland Fire (2000-02), Miami Sol (2000-02), Cleveland Rockers (1997-03), Charlotte Sting (1997-06), Sacramento Monarchs (1997-09), and Houston Comets (1997-08). The Comets won the first four championships in league history. The Detroit Shock, winners of three championships in the past seven seasons, most recently in 2008, relocated to Tulsa for the current season.

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At his grand opening press conference as Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis said he was “shocked” that so many fans were contacting him about a name change for Washington’s NBA franchise, especially with all he has to accomplish after officially becoming majority owner, i.e., turning a loser into a winner.

The next day, the issue was evidently so hot-button that Leonsis had to clarify his comments regarding the matter in two venues, on his blog, Ted’s Take, and in a meeting with editors and reporters from the Washington Post.

One can only assume that the shock has now worn off and that the realized issue might be serious enough to not be appeased by a simple changing of team colors that seems to pique Leonsis’ interest the most.

The Wizards as an NBA team nickname in D.C. has never been truly embraced by fans. Some of that surely has to do with winning, or lack thereof, but much of it is because the moniker is in no way a reflection of the Washington area and a city that stands as the capital of the free world.

That such an issue is near and dear to the hearts of many should never have come as a surprise.

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