[Yao Ming & Shane Battier - K. Weidie]

Sometime during the second half of the Wizards’ 98-91 victory over the Houston Rockets last night, Ishmael Smith drove hard to the basket and scored on a layup. Shortly thereafter, one of the Wizards fans I follow on Twitter, tweeted the following:

“I have never heard of Ish Smith before this game. Now I have. I don’t like him.”

The reality is that before starting point guard Aaron Brooks went down with a sprained ankle earlier in the week, not many Wizards fan had any reason to know about rookie Ishmael Smith.  In fact, before I started doing research for last night’s game, I had no idea who he was either. But I should have.

Back in March of this year, Smith and his Wake Forest Demon Deacons, took on John Wall and the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky ran roughshod over Wake Forest, 90-60.  Wall had 14 points and seven assists, while Smith struggled with just two points and four assists.

Read more »

What’s that buzzing in your ear? Or rather, what ‘s that wondrous melodic tone?

That’s people singing the praises of John Wall, who achieved his first career triple-double, in front of Magic Johnson no less, and led his team to a 98-91 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Wall totaled 19 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, six steals and only one turnover, and perhaps Wizards fans should thank John Stockton for that, who was not in attendance at the Verizon Center for the game. Flip Saunders said he recently gave Wall a 45-minute tape of Stockton and that he’d been watching it over the past couple days.

“All he came back talking about was how John [Stockton] was so deliberate, and how he played more under control, and I think John [Wall] tried to make a more conscious effort to do that tonight,” said Saunders.

Wall certainly played his most controlled game as a pro, and that was reflected in the play of his entire team. Well, except for Gilbert Arenas (5 points, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1-7 FGs) and Kirk Hinrich (10 points, 3-9 FGs, 6 turnovers, 2 assists). Without much help from them, Wall showed he could maneuver the offense and carry his team without two-thirds of what’s been touted as one of the best backcourts in the NBA by team management.

Read more »

Plenty of professional athletes pull pranks. Plenty of regular people pull pranks. Gilbert Arenas didn’t invent the prank, he just was, perhaps, the best at it — the most prolific … because he’s a professional athlete.

Arenas’ varied pranks are infamous, and for a recent spell due to a horribly failed prank with guns that wasn’t really a prank, they became blemishes open for all armchair psychologists to analyze to their core, from a distance.

And then there’s pooping in someone’s shoe, an act that added a somber twist to Arenas’ locker room gun affair and his history of egregiousness excused by a franchise. Or in the least, it was Gilbert’s most memorable prank, which went from the punchline of comical stories among those in the know to something that was used to further indict Arenas’ character.

The proper term, kids, is defecation … in verb form: to defecate. And it was first properly used in reference to Arenas and victim, Andray Blatche, by Mike Wise and Michael Lee of the Washington Post in January 2010:

“Former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan and his staff privately intimated they felt undermined by Grunfeld when it came to matters of discipline with Arenas. Arenas, a notorious practical joker, often crossed the line of acceptable decorum. The example often cited was how Arenas once defecated in teammate Andray Blatche’s shoe during Blatche’s rookie season. His behavior often went unchecked and unpunished, said a former team employee on condition of anonymity.”

Early 2010 Internet yuks and blogging gold were the mostly innocent results of the newly divulged information about an act that occurred in 2005/06. And then the story remained relevantly dormant and unmentioned by all parties involved and aware … until recently.

Read more »

Michael Imperioli voice: That’s cool. John Wall just poured Yi a shot. What can your point guard do?… nuthin.

This here was my favorite play of the night because all five Wizards seemed to know where they were going and moved with purpose–not always a given. Hard screens were set, tears were shed, and Yi Jianlian drilled a 17 footer. The Wizards ran this out of a timeout midway through the second quarter in a sideline out of bounds situation.

1) The Wizards begin with Hinrich inbounding and Armstrong, Wall, Yi, and Thornton (who had a very nice game) standing in a line across the free throw-line-extended. Hinrich enters the ball to Wall who is coming off a perfunctory Armstrong screen, while Yi goes away from the space he wants to use by heading down to the block.

2) After freeing up Wall, Armstrong heads down to set a pick for Yi. Meanwhile, Thornton crosses through the middle of the court and Hinrich makes his way along the baseline. These two cuts are meant to clear out the middle of the court and occupy the potential help defenders as Yi comes up for a high screen and roll with Wall. Because Yi himself is coming off of a screen, his man is trailing more than he normally would, so he will be unavailable for a hard hedge on Wall. Instead, he’ll sluff off of both Yi and Wall to prevent penetration as any help is occupied by the Hinrich-Thornton crossing action.

Read more »

So Gilbert Arenas is evidently wearing a pair of custom Under Armour shoes now, as seen above (via Sole Collector – click for more pictures). Well, at least he wore a pair Saturday versus Cleveland (and only in the second half, I’ve been told). For his season debut in New York he wore a pair of Jordans.

The model, Under Armour’s Micro G Supreme, will supposedly be sported by Arenas-only for the next couple of months — and as you can see, the released pictures show the shoes in Wizards colors and with Arenas’ No. 9 on the heel. Also note that Arenas is evidently not getting paid a dime by Under Armour just yet (via CNBC’s Darren Rovell on Twitter).

For Arenas, it doesn’t hurt for him to lend his name/number to a company willing to support him; and for Under Armour, it’s certainly a low-risk investment that could increase their basketball market penetration.

But forget all the strategy, how does Arenas’ shoe look? More specifically, who has the better looking shoe, John Wall or Gilbert Arenas? Or, perhaps, whose shoe are you more likely to buy?

Read more »

Links, commentary, and this …

S.W.A.G.

Rod Strickland recently broke down the swagger of John Wall, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans for Benjamin Hochland of the Denver Post:

“They’re different. J-Wall is the most outgoing. D-Rose has an inner swagger. He’s not a rah-rah, big-time emotional dude, but you’ll see him clenching his teeth. Tyreke’s, you can see it, as well. It’s not as blatant as J-Wall’s, but you can see it in his run, when his swagger is really getting there.”

[...]

“[Wall] was a lot more vocal than the other two from the beginning — he came in and there was no question who the leader was,” Strickland said. “We had to tone him down.”

Less Stormy Seas

Read more »

On Monday afternoon Flip Saunders left practice early, storming out and cutting it short because he said his team did not have a sense of urgency and that his players were not working hard. Saunders also said, “That’s the one thing as coaches, you can’t coach effort.” He told his team to come back for a second practice that afternoon at 4 pm.

Barring your opinion of whether coaches can really coach effort or not, or if they should at least be taking measures to encourage maximized effort, or if you believe it should not be an NBA coach’s responsibility to hold the hands of basketball millionaires, there are a lot of issues with this Wizards team and they have been pointed out.

But Saunders walking out on practice … how big of a deal is this? Sure, as TAI’s Adam McGinnis was opining to me over Google-chat, this would be getting killed in Chicago or New York. Then again, via web media with boundless reach, it’s out there for a larger audience to scrutinize nonetheless.

Is it a good sign? No, it’s not a good sign that the lines between coaching instruction and player implementation are not in tune. But we’re talking about practice.

Yes, practice.

Read more »

Without John Wall and Yi Jianlian, the Wizards’ marketing reach beyond D.C. would be pretty much zilch. No sponsor will touch Gilbert Arenas (and rumors of him signing with Under Armour have yet to come to fruition — they, like any other potential sponsor of Arenas, would be wise to wait and see what he has left basketball-wise), and no one else on the roster has much pull with advertising dollars. Any other lottery pick, had the lottery balls/envelopes/combinations not fallen in the Wizards’ favor, would have brought a small fraction of Wall’s marketing clout, if any.

Yep, the respective arrivals of Wall and Yi have paid immediate dividends for Ted Leonsis’ bunch. So keeping this in mind, let’s run down some of the recent marketing buzz surrounding the Wizards’ main names in the selling game.

In case you haven’t noticed, media access to Wall takes a different, more controlled path … mostly resulting in his very own media session before and after games like head coach Flip Saunders. All other players are made available in the locker room in both instances on an ‘as-the-media-can-get-to-them’ basis.

For Wall’s post-game media sessions in the press room, a bottle of Gatorade is strategically placed and waiting for him at the table where he sits (the same isn’t done for Saunders’ pressers — CORRECTION NOTE: Gatorade was present for Saunders’ presser after the Cavaliers game). I’ve yet to see Wall take a swig of the Gatorade (unlike what you might see a NASCAR race winner do). It’s safe to say that by the time he speaks, Wall isn’t in dire need to quench his thirst.

Read more »

Gilbert Arenas is currently struggling to find a set role in the Wizards back-court, and John Wall is struggling with consistency and turnovers. The general feeling is that the current plight of both players is a temporary one, and eventually they will find their individual games, and then learn how to play off each other as well.  This is not a slight to Kirk Hinrich at all, but as Hubie Brown would say, “Now we know Wall and Arenas have tremendous upside, and at their peak they give you the best chance to win.”  And Hubie is always right.

Until Wall and Arenas find that comfort zone, they will have to continue to work hard in practice, trust each other when they do get in the game, and perhaps watch film to correct their mistakes.  The first piece of film they should watch?  The play of Mo Williams and Daniel “Boobie” Gibson during the Wizards 107-102 loss to the Cavaliers.

Williams scored 28 points in just 31 minutes of play, and Gibson added an efficient 19-point game during his 27 minutes of the floor.  Williams did his damage from beyond the three-point arc, on drives and on mid-range jumpers, while Gibson primarily hurt the Wizards from the outside.  During a key 10-0 run by the Cavs, one which saw the Wizards lose the lead for good, Williams had seven points and Gibson had three–including back-to-back three pointers that pretty much sealed the Wizards’ fate.

When I listened to the post-game comments of some of the Cavaliers players and coaches, I couldn’t help but to think about what Wall and Arenas could be.  First there was Byron Scott;

“You have two guys [Williams and Gibson] that can spread the floor, both guys can beat you off the dribble and both guys are very unselfish.  They look for their teammates and they’re both able to make big plays and big shots.  It’s a luxury for me to be able to have those guys on the floor at the same time, especially in crunch time.”

Read more »

[Note: This is a trial run of a "Player Lock" series in which Truth About It.net will spotlight one player over the course of a game. -John]

I chose to spotlight Gilbert Arenas in Saturday night’s contest between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And why not? It was Gil’s homecoming — the first time he had played at the Verizon Center since January 2, 2010 against the San Antonio Spurs.

[To beard or not to beard? via K. Weidie]

Flip Saunders and Gilbert tested a bit of my patience, forcing me to wait … and wait for his debut. He didn’t check into the game until just a few minutes before the end of the first quarter. After making his season debut against the Knicks on Friday, Arenas indicated that he didn’t mind coming off the bench for the unforeseen future, saying, “When I come off, I just got to be ready like ‘The Microwave’.” And Wizards fans in D.C. were hungry for whatever he had cooking.

When he finally hit the hardwood, Gil didn’t fit the “man on a mission” parable. It was strange. His steps were measured and deliberate. Arenas furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes, as he locked his gaze to the far end of the court. He looked like a man who had lost something he cared about dearly. He looked like a guy trying to find a loved one in a crowd.

Read more »

From FreeDarko’s Undisputed Guide To Pro Basketball History:

“Madison Square Garden, the game’s most hallowed arena, is the Mecca of Basketball. But this nickname had little to do with devotion to the sport; it was borrowed from the Shriners’ Mecca Temple, a venue that hosted boxing and wrestling matches in the ’20s and ’30s.”

Don’t forget to go buy that book, here’s a reminder why.

So, what happens when some of the Wizards’ big men go through their pre-game warm-up routine while some of the Knicks City Dancers do the same, on the same court? Or when Andray Blatche keeps loose with a game of one-on-one with Sam Cassell?

This video:

Read more »

Slow steps and seconds guesses were the main themes from Saturday’s night home loss to an Antwan Jamison-less Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards let a very winnable game slip away as Anthony Parker, Daniel Gibson and Mo Williams all burried late key three pointers and Washington fell to 1-4 on the young season.

Coach Saunders regretted sitting a hot Al Thornton (23 points on 10-16 field-goals) for the final nine minutes of the game.

“I said to Al that I made a mistake….I question myself the last three minutes about not having Al in there.”

Flip went to the long anticipated three-guard lineup of John Wall, Kirk Hinrich and Gilbert Arenas for the fourth quarter. The trio led the Wizards to a 90-85 lead with five minutes to go in the game after Arenas fueled a 3-on-1 fast break that ended with a flush by Andray Blatche.

On the following Cavs possession, where Cleveland seemed to get away with a three-second call and a travel, JaVale McGee fouled J.J. Hickson on a shot attempt. Hickson made the first and missed the second. The very grabbable rebound caromed over McGee’s head into hands of Anderson Varejo, who then found Parker for a corner three ball. The four-point play kind of summed up the night.

Read more »

Some might say, ‘So goes John Wall, so goes the Wizards.’ Maybe, but not really. This team has a lot more talent past their leading point guard, they just need to figure out how to put it together as a cohesive unit.

There were a lot of things which contributed to the Wizards’ 112-91 loss to the New York Knicks in a packed Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Almost too many to digest. What stood out most to me were the defensive rotations. The footwork was simply too slow and players were not running to their spots.

And while many want to point to youth and inexperience as the causes of problems high and low, and validly so, Andray Blatche, a tad ironically, attributed his team’s struggles versus the Knicks to lack of communication and the fact that it’s so early in the season, refusing to use youth as an excuse.

So what’s the answer? It’s pretty much a combination of everything. This team will get better with time and patience. Of course, with the roster constructed as it is, that patience will continue to be heavily tested because of the meager options Flip Saunders has to work with in the post and little availability of dependable outside shooters whose overall play (defense, passing, etc.) doesn’t turn out to be a negative.

Gilbert Arenas returning to form helps a little. Josh Howard getting back will too. Otherwise, get ready for some hard pills to swallow Wizards fans. This team will get better, but that doesn’t necessarily mean mounting wins.

I swear I saw four different Washington Wizards teams flash before eyes during their 112-91 loss to the New York Knicks tonight.

In the first quarter, I thought it was Spring 0f 2010, because Andray Blatche looked focused and assertive.  He scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and he seemed to have both his inside and outside game working to perfection.  John Wall was able to pick up an easy six assists, simply because Blatche was feeling it.  Unfortunately, Blatche’s good fortune did not continue, as he only scored six points on 2-of-9 shooting the rest of the game.  He also appeared to be a bit hobbled in the fourth quarter.

During the second and third quarters, the Wizards looked like the 2008-2009 team that finished with the futile record of 19-63.  John Wall and Kirk Hinrich seemed to alternate turning the ball over and there were numerous defensive lapses that led to open shots and even more wide open dunks.  Blatche reverted back to his immature days by picking up a silly technical foul, when he got tangled up with Ronny Turiaf, simply because he was upset he did not get a foul call.  The Wizards watched their one point lead, turn into a 13-point deficit at one point in the quarter.

I’m not sure what Flip Saunders said at halftime, but the Wizards came out with a little more fire in the third quarter, and they resembled the inconsistent team they’ve been during the first four games of this season.  Wall went up and down the court in a blur and made easy baskets, but he continued to turn the ball over.  Al Thornton and JaVale McGee would make brilliant plays on one end of the floor, only to give it right back on the other end.  Andray Blatche appeared to be out of shape, out of sync, and even further from his first quarter dominance.  The Wizards were able to outscore the Knicks, but they still weren’t able to put a significant dent in that lead.

Gilbert Arenas, who was making his regular season debut, heated up in the fourth quarter, and took everyone back to the 2006-2007 season when this was his town, not John Wall’s.  He stopped, he popped, he hit threes, he drove (tentatively) to the basket, and he single-handedly kept the Wizards in the game.  At one point, he even appeared to wave Wall away when the young rookie attempted to get the ball to bring up the court.   The lead shrank to six points, and it looked like Arenas was going to lead his team to a magical victory.

But unfortunately, Arenas cooled down, the 2010-2011 version of the Wizards reappeared once again, and the Wizards lost.   The game ended with players like Lester Hudson, Trevor Booker and the hero from Thursday night, Cartier Martin, on the floor.  After the game, Coach Saunders had the same I-didn’t-sign-up-for-this look on his face, that he had during the opening night loss to Orlando.

Read more »

NEW YORK – Gilbert Arenas wasn’t in the mood to talk to the media tonight at Madison Square Garden before his first scheduled appearance of the 2010-11 season. Well, check that, to use the word ‘mood’ is a little bit loaded. He seemed to just rather not adhere to a formal session of manufactured quotes before playing his first real game since January 5, 2010.

He dribbled the ball while sitting in his locker, listened to his headphones, went in and out of the crowded visiting locker room at MSG. No scowls on his face, no menacing glares (at least that I witnessed, for the most part).

Without a Flip Cam or a recorder in his face, I asked him, “Okay, on the scale of 1-10, how excited are you to be playing tonight … for the first time in a while?”

He looked off toward the ceiling in sincere thought, but still couldn’t answer the question.

“You’ve got to be excited, right?,” I asked him. “Or maybe ‘excited’ is not the right word,” I followed.

Read more »