Posts in month: November, 2010

[A crab cake and egg breakfast with a Bloody Mary and the Free Darko book at the Phillip's in the Baltimore-Washington airport -- no better way to spend time before a delayed flight.]

If you think you know professional basketball history and want to know more … if you faintly know pro ball’s past and want to be re-captured with tales instead of accounts … if you have any level of personal involvement with the NBA, the new Free Darko book, The Undisputed Guide To Pro Basketball History, is a must-read for you.

The souls of the Free Darko collective take many of stories we all know, and many we don’t, and weave them into intricate, seamless patterns that pull together pro basketball history like the Dude’s highly sought-out rug from the movie, The Big Lebowski, pulled together a room.

Want to know the last type of Cigar that Red Aurbach smoked during his career? Dutch Masters. Or how about what shoe Michael Jordan preferred before he was persuaded to sign with Nike? You’ll have read all the book’s side bar texts that quench your thirst for facts.

The Free Darko book reaches far below the surface and brings meaning to the court action like I’ve never seen before. Clean, tight depth that ranges from comparing the NBA’s statistical explosion in the early 1960s to the English agricultural revolution of the 1700s/1800s to a break down of the frequency of head hair styles/types (including facial) of the 1970s.

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NBA players like their fashion. With so much disposable income, it’s only natural. So why not ask some of them about their favorite fashion items … and shoes, because it’s gotta be the shoes, especially what shoes they were into growing up.So, watch the video below if you want to find out …

• Which Wizard has a brand new pair of basketball shoes with his mom’s name on them. (He wore them for the first half on Tuesday, but then changed into his old shoes at halftime because he’s still breaking the mom pair in.)
• Whose mom bought him a pair of leopard skin Gucci shoes … that he hasn’t worn just quite yet.
• Which Wizard has a hat collection that’s 300 and counting.
• Who wore some skinny, tight Wrangler jeans back in the day when he was 13-years old … back in the day being 1996/97.
• Which Wizard calls his ‘Fruit of the Loom’ underwear his favorite clothing.

A run-down of Tuesday’s home opening win with pictures, links and video …

NOTE: Rashad Mobley and I will be taking turns writing a weekly column on the Wizards for the DCist. Check out the first one by me here.

Cartier Martin celebrates the win after the final buzzer in OT.

Prelude to a meeting in the paint …

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After a thrilling overtime victory over the 76ers on Election night  in the nation’s capital, the Wizards players and coaches appeared  in an upbeat mood at practice on Wednesday morning. Then again, this year’s team always seems to be in good spirits. The Four Bigs ‘(Dray Blatche, Yi Jianlian, JaVale McGee and Hilton Armstrong) were playing a rotating game of one-on-one with coach Gene Banks at one end, while other Wizards took part in a game of 3-on-3 on the side baskets at the other end. Gilbert was in this game and he looked pretty healthy.  John Wall, against a wall, was chatting with Coach Saunders and observing both workout contests. The big topics post-practice were Cartier Martin’s off-balance three that sent Tuesday’s game into an extra period and the spectacular play of Wall.

Check out the video mix:

Observations:

• Blatche bet assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Don Zierden that he could make six baskets in a row. Both took that friendly wager and when practiced concluded, Dray faced up against McGee. I believe Dray had made three or four straight before losing; an elated Sammy-I-Am jumped up for joy.

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[Some transition opportunities end with John Wall dunking and the other team watching, you're about to read about a different version of the break.]

Back in 1991, when I was playing varsity basketball and trying to fulfill my pseudo-NBA dreams, my coach used to always discuss his version of the perfect fast break.  As he saw it, this would happen when one player grabbed the rebound, started the first of four passes without dribbles, and then the last player would lay the ball in the basket (nobody on our team could dunk).  Our coach was so in love with this concept that he promised to take us out for ice cream if we ever achieved the milestone (we didn’t).

For years I’ve watched basketball on the professional and collegiate level, and every now and then, when I see the “perfect fast break,” I stop and marvel at its beauty.  Then I think back to my high school coach and say to myself, “Wow, my coach was right, this IS the perfect way to run transition offense!”

On Tuesday, John Wall and Nick Young showed me a different light, making me believe there’s more than one way to run a  perfect fast break.

With 57 seconds gone by in the fourth quarter, Sixers guard Evan Turner attempted to drive the lane, but Wall swiped the ball away–something he did nine times in his Verizon Center debut.

Then, as if Han Solo himself had made the command, Wall kicked into warp speed and started to glide up the court.  He shunned the traditional wisdom that says a point guard should lead the fast break from the middle of the floor and chose to proceed from the left side.

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[Jrue Holiday attempts to go behind-the-back to Andre Igoudala - photo: K. Weidie]

Doug Collins was originally scheduled to meet with the media at 5:45, so around 5:43, I left the main floor, and headed toward the Sixers locker room.  When I arrived, it was clear that his media session had been moved to 6pm, so I hung around and talked to some of the Sixers players while I waited.  Each time I walked in and out of the locker room, I saw Doug Collins chilling in the coach’s office, looking totally relaxed.

He had his feet up on the desk, he was watching a little ESPN, he was laughing with some of his assistant coaches; he looked the total opposite of what I imagined.  The words and phrases attached to Collins are “intense”, “annoying at times”, “hard on players”, and others I’m sure aren’t quite fit to print in this family(ish) blog.  On the flip side, the phrases attached to Collins the NBA analyst are “wise”, a “great talker”, and someone who knows a hell of a lot about the Xs and Os of basketball.

When Collins coached Michael Jordan and the Wizards from 2001-2003, he was basically viewed as a Jordan enabler, rather than an exceptional coach of young talent.  He was never really given a chance to put his signature stamp on the team.  However, when he was hired by the Sixers this summer, he was specifically brought in to guide the young talent, mainly the draft pick which turned out to be Evan Turner.

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JaVale McGee had a pretty nice dunk on Josh Smith in Atlanta on Saturday. He also had a pretty nasty dunk on Spencer Hawes last night at home. Both dunks are very close in awesomeness. I have my ever-so-slight favorite, but you be the judge. Watch both and then vote in the poll below.

JaVale McGee ON Josh Smith – Oct. 30, 2010

JaVale McGee ON Spencer Hawes – Nov. 2, 2010

The Poll.

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Cartier Martin is like Clockwork. You need him to be that guy? He’ll be on time. Play defense, hit a corner three, box out and keep the other team from getting a second possession, hit a last-second, game-tying three? He’ll do it. I don’t know if “Clockwork” will stick, but that’s what I’m calling him.

Beautiful shot by Cartier last night by the way. He only sent the game into overtime, no biggie. Kirk Hinrich was supposed to be the decoy, Nick Young the first option and Martin the second, according to Flip Saunders. Let’s take a look after the jump:

To be a Debbie Downer for a second, that buzzer beater allowed the Wizards to have 34 points in the fourth quarter, bringing their total to 106. The Sixers had the same total at the end of four, but scored 40 points in the final period.

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Tonight’s Play of the Game comes courtesy of Andray Blatche, for obvious reasons.

This play led to the two free throws that lifted the Washington Wizards to their first win of the season. But, but it was also a variation of a play that Flip Saunders had called a number of times tonight.

While the play gives Kirk Hinrich an option for an open mid-range jumper (or even a three-pointer) coming around an off-ball screen, it is designed to isolate Blatche in the post. Blatche is typically quicker and more agile than most power forwards, so the isolation situation offers the Wizards a great scoring opportunity.

The best part about this play was that instead of settling for a jump shot like he’s already done several times this season, Blatche took the ball to the hole. I guess he is finally ready to listen to his coaches and get his “big butt down [in the post].” Andray knows that he has to be more physical and be the Wizards’ low-post scoring option.

Blatche shared his new focus with Michael Lee after Monday’s practice:

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[Kirk Hinrich and Wizards assistant coach Gene Banks.]

[Yi Jianlian catches up with Rod Thorn.]

[Gilbert Arenas chats with Sam Cassell and Eric Snow.]

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Not too long ago we took a look at some of the worst shooters in Bullets/Wizards franchise history. Now, especially since shooting is such a concern, we’ll take a look at some the best shooters in team history, specifically from the three-point distance.

[Basketball Court - Georgia Avenue/Howard University - photo: K. Weidie]

Last season was the 31th anniversary of the three-point shot in the NBA. Well, sorta. The three-point line was implemented on a trial basis for the 1979-80 season and set into permanent rule for the 1980-81 season. So, perhaps technically this season is the 31th anniversary of the three-point shot in the NBA. Nonetheless, stats on the shot have been kept for the previous 31 seasons and are available thanks to Basketball-Reference.com.

Kevin Grevey of the Washington Bullets hit the first three-point bucket in franchise history, on opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers at home on October 12, 1979. Evidently there is some dispute as to whether Grevey hit the first three in NBA history; Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics is usually credited with accomplishing this feat, which occurred on the same night.

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First Wizards-related web stuff, then pictures of rallies.

1) According to Asia-Basket, Javaris Crittenton has signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. Evidently he’ll be playing there with another former Wizard, Peter John Ramos.
[h/t: NiuBBall.com]

2) As you probably know, John Wall tweaked his ankle versus the Hawks on Saturday, but should be okay to play against the 76ers on Tuesday. Gilbert Arenas, however, is unlikely to go (via Washington Post). Arenas is getting MRIs, Cortizone shots and seeing specialists about his ankle. Bad timing for Wizards fans who really want to see him play, but Arenas’ patience is tested more. You have to think, loving the game as he does, that he’s desperately anxious to get on the court for a real game. But it would be a good sign if he takes precaution, and it’s not much of a sign of anything else beyond that.

3) The mother of Gilbert Arenas’ children and his fiancee, Laura Govan, recently spoke with S2S Magazine. She denies the rumor about her and Shaq, saying it’s something that Shaq’s ex-wife, Shaunie, made up. But whatever with all that, here’s the best part:

“Laura is a former basketball player and coach who met Gilbert while she was working at a Golden State Warriors basketball camp. He wasn’t “Agent Zero” or the “$100 Million Man” yet. Laura said she tried to ignore Gilbert’s smiles and glances and even turned him down when he asked her out.

“I was like, ‘Being an athlete doesn’t impress me.’ I said, ‘If you really want to go out with me, you’ll work for my family.’” Her dad owned a jazz club and she promised him a date if he worked there.

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The Washington Redskins aren’t the only team in D.C. that may be on the brink of a lineup change (Hi Donovan and Rex!).  Any day now (possibly tomorrow, but that seems unlikely at this point), Gilbert Arenas will recover from a strained tendon in his ankle and will make his 2010-2011 regular season debut.  That may be good news for Wizards fans, and great news for John Wall’s game, but it puts Coach Flip Saunders in quite the quandary.

Does he revert back to the three-guard lineup that creates match-up problems for the defense, but likely causing problems in the much maligned rebounding department?  Does he keep Arenas on the bench until he has his legs and his game back?  Does Flip bench Kirk Hinrich and Al Thornton and start the Arenas/Young combination since they seem to look out for one another?  Should Yi be given the chance to start since McGee seems to be struggling (when not blocking shots and dunking on Josh Smith)?

The possibilities are endless, and with the Wizards sitting at 0-2, it’s not like Flip will be disrupting some sacred chemistry by shaking things up a bit.  Wall should start, and Blatche, despite his passiveness in the first two games, represents the best low-post threat the Wizards have.  Everyone else is subject to be replacement.

So what do you think? Should the starting lineup change when Arenas is healthy?