Surprise, surprise.
Or wait … I should actually say that we saw this coming.
Actually, let’s take a step back for a second. John Wall, in his individual effort, will not be affected by the players whom he is talking about in the quote you’re about to read, said to Comcast’s Chris Miller after a 117-94 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. He’s too good for that, so don’t worry. But let’s read the quote anyway:
“Until we find five guys that really want to fight, compete, and don’t care, you know, the whole time, it’s really going to be tough for us to win. And the rest of the season can end like it’s been ending the last couple of games.”
Wall was then asked about the level of his frustration:
“Pretty high. I haven’t lost this many games, and it ain’t just about the losing, I’m listening to my coaching and development, and they don’t want me to get in no losing mind set. But it’s just so frustrating to see that certain guys seem like they don’t have the effort to be out there, like they don’t care. That’s the toughest thing for me … no matter if I’m having a bad game or good game, I might show frustration in my face, but I’m going to compete. That’s one thing I’ve always did my whole life is compete, and that’s all we asking for from everybody.”
Ted? Ernie? Andray? Flip? Milt? Wes Jr.? Sam? JaVale?
John Wall isn’t perfect. He’s not infallible. He needs to improve, in several areas. But this direction surrounding him needs to stop. Urgently.
But hey, at least Andray Baltche had a good game.
(Thank you anonymous text messenger into Comcast’s bottom line below John Wall’s face above. Oh, and thanks to Dan Steinberg, linked, for capturing the misspelling of Blatche’s name which appeared on his jersey on Tuesday, and for being the first to feed the algorithm about that misspelling.)
Wall is also disappointed Hinrich got traded.Oh Boy
Yeah I have been fearing this all season long. I know john has to have been frustrated this whole year but he’s been handling it with incredible maturity, especially for a rookie who’s been winning his whole life. If management can’t get some committed talent around our possible FUTURE SUPERSTAR, he’s going to walk right out of DC as soon as he can, a city that he’s trying to embrace but where no one seems to care.
Fans need to step up. I watch every game from Eugene, OR 3000 miles away and you’re telling me in the DC area we can’t get enough people in the stands at the Booth to average better attendance than Detriot or Toronto??? Look at any of the players you would pay to see on those teams and tell me you wouldn’t pay double to watch John.
Management needs to step up and fix the culture of the team. Blowing it up is one thing but these guys who’ve been on the team don’t look like they’re playing any differently from the beginning of the season (maybe with the exception of Nick). John Wall is our godsend but we’re not treating him like he is, and before you know it he’s going to jet and blow up somewhere else. dc sports.
My god, I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but I’m actually going to defend Blatche on this one.
Nothing from Blatche’s past indicated the Wizards could expect any more productivity than he is giving (which I grant you is really really low). But Blatche didn’t hold a gun to Grunfeld’s head and say “give me a giant contract extension”. And now he is the player we thought he was, but with a huge untradeable contract.
Seriously, Grunfeld just keeps making mistake after mistake after mistake. Hinrich for Bibby? Bibby hasn’t been a productive player for years. Crawford was described by him as “intriguing” where most of the NBA world would describe him as “awful”.
Seriously, the Wizards have to examine their player strategy right now. Fine, they want to build a young and dynamic team. I get it. But then get serious about measuring productivity. You don’t let guys like DeJuan Blair slip past you in the draft into the second round, for god’s sake. I mean, it has been decades since San Antonio has had a high draft pick and they’re STILL outdrafting us.
But the worst thing you can do is put players who are known to not be productive around John Wall and just expect things to work out based on upside and potential. It won’t. And we’re competing in the same Division as Miami.
Not sure what bringing in Mike Bibby Maurice Evans, and Jordan Crawford doees to improve this team.
Washington cleared some cap space for a free agent that will never come.
I agree with everything szr wrote but I’ll take it one step further and say they need to fire Ernie Grunfeld. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche, Deshawn Stevenson, etc, the list goes on with terrible contracts this guy continues to give out year after year. And he doesn’t draft well (Seraphin and Booker in the first round, why we need two pf’s when we just gave Blatche and extension?). This franchice won’t go anywhere as long as he has any input into the decision making of player personnel.
Flip needs to go!!!!! They need leaders there, like John Wall, that want to win and show the will to win. I never see flip loose it, throw down his clipboard and ream out the team. It all seems like there just coasting through, getting paid very well (especially Rashard Lewis O what a joke!) and kinda going about things. I can’t even begin to think of how boring and laugh around their locker room is like. There are only a few hungry players on that team, most of which aren’t even starters.
They need hungry players that want to win and compete. Get some young guys, a good coach they can look up to and respect the hell out of and even fear, and let them play ball! They’ll be wins.
Anyone who attended either the Spurs debacle or the Pacer games at home knows the truth. This is an unfocused team whose principal “stars” NY and AB are concerned only with getting their shots and stats; against the Pacers look at their production for three quarters, then look at their garbage points in the closing minutes. If you sat behind the Wizards bench you were treated in the second half to a real motion offense run by young players, who I suspect have a disciplinarian as coach. Foster, Dunleavy, Hansborough, Granger, George, Collison, Hibbert — a terrific nucleus of young players working together; a team to watch with upside. Meanwhile, there was no rhyme or reason to the Wizards’ substitutions or rotations. Nearly every loose ball lost to the Pacers, no second chance points, only John looking to distribute, and rarely did the ball come back to him. At least last night against the 76ers John got very “offensive,” looking to create. slash and attack the defense. This is in truth a lost season, not a rebuiling year. When you got outhustled start to finish on your home court after a six day break, well, what kind of product is this really. I thought it was most telling that the principal owner did not come out for the second half. And chedk out the third quarter routes in each of the Spurs, Pacer and 76er games. If progress is measured by beating the Cavs to end a near year long losing streak on the road, why woild anybody want to renew season tickets. If your goal is to see the other team’s stars, then get NBA league pass for the price of one lower level ticket and watch it on the HD home screen!
[...] John Wall kind of calls out his teammates after the ass romping. Maturely expressing frustration in such a diplomatic manner says a lot about the rookie. It’s easy to forget he’s just 19. Lead young man, lead. [...]