[Editor's Note: TAI's Adam McGinnis takes us back to his photos from 'Under the Hoop' when the Milwaukee Bucks were in D.C. on March 8.]

The Opening Tip.

Bucks Warm Up.

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Looking for us?

Sad bench shots never die.

All the questions seem the same. The answers all come out of a box. But dammit these people are working … the media covering struggling basketball teams such as the Wizards.

Everybody is usually laughing and joking around in the press conference room before Flip Saunders’ post game sessions. It’s to that point. But when Flip comes in (assuming after a loss, per usual), the stone-faced come out. There are tough questions, there are softballs, there are random ones peppered from abroad about the development of Yi.

But these days the coach is a little lighter, more comfortable. Similar to his post-trade deadline demeanor last season.

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[John Wall weaves his way to the hoop and draws a foul versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.]

It is axiomatic that the NBA is a copycat League, especially given the incestuous nature of most coaching/front office jobs. This season, there is a stunning lack of parity: eight teams have a realistic chance of winning the title (and that’s being a bit generous). The other twenty-two are either a) borderline top-tier, b) making aggressively mediocre moves, c) rebuilding, or d) owned by Michael Jordan. For rebuilding teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the gold standard.

An NBA front office can only pitch a Rebuild to a fan base for so long. Most passionate fans will eventually get tired of seeing a middling product on the court — there has to be ‘A Plan.’ Today, the language of The Rebuild abounds. Organizations are increasingly looking to the Thunder as a model that must be emulated in order to resurrect their franchises. Indeed, Oklahoma City’s ‘blue print’ is the prototypical example of a successful NBA rebuild.

Last year, the Thunder were a Pau Gasol offensive rebound away from forcing Game 7 against the Lakers. This year, at the trading deadline, Thunder GM Sam Presti added Kendrick Perkins to an already formidable, athletic front-court, presumably giving Oklahoma City the size to match up with any playoff contender. Hailed by many to be a case of Presti-fleecing-Ainge, the Perkins acquisition represents the culmination of a four year rebuilding process by the Thunder. After extending Perkins’ contract, the pieces are in place for several years of relevance.

While the media heaps praise upon the current iteration of the Team From Seattle, many more are paying close attention as to how Oklahoma City reached their current perennial-playoff-contender status. Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is certainly a fan of Presti’s work. What transactions are Leonsis and (hopefully) GM Ernie Grunfeld learning from? In short, Presti dealt Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis (back when he was good, sorry Rashard), and took on Kurt Thomas’s expiring contract, all in the name of stockpiling draft picks and maintaining salary cap flexibility for the future. The Thunder also got lucky in the draft: Oklahoma City has three top-5 players. The Wizards are no strangers to lottery luck, but a draft haul like Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka in two years might be tough. Notwithstanding the draft, I’d settle for a front office that recognizes value when it is presented to them.

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{photo: K. Weidie, TAI}

There were varied reactions to the airing of ESPN’s Fab Five documentary this past Sunday.  Some people (like myself) were young impressionable college students when Michigan’s Fab Five rose to fame, and were captivated by everything they did — whether it was good or bad.  Others (like a friend of mine who is a Duke fan) watched the documentary and were reminded of all the negative feelings they felt toward Michigan out of loyalty to their team.  And of course, I’m sure there were some who watched with relative indifference toward the Wolverines, and simply enjoyed the stories, interviews and old clips of exciting basketball.

There are current NBA players who were much too young to watch and experience the play of Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard and Ray Jackson.  They may know about the later pro careers of Rose and Webber, and they definitely know of them via ESPN, TNT and NBATV, but they have no recollection of their college days at Michigan.  They probably know Howard as a contributing bench player for the Miami Heat, but they don’t remember the goatee’d one running up and down the court in maize and blue. King and Jackson probably don’t even register on their radar screens.

So in the ten minutes I had in the Oklahoma City Thunder locker room prior to their drubbing of the Wizards Monday night, I asked Kevin Durant, Daequan Cook and Cole Aldrich about the documentary and the Fab Five in general.  All three players were under the age of five when the Fab Five was taking the NCAA by storm, and I was curious to hear their musings. Plus, the chemistry of the Thunder overall seems to be identical, if not very similar, to the chemistry of those 1991-1993 Michigan teams. I asked each of them three questions:

1. Did you see the documentary
2. What did you know about the Fab Five, and what were your impressions about them and their game, and did they influence you?
3. Do you see similarities between them and this Thunder team

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The Wizards were slaughtered by the Oklahoma City Thunder like lambs in the path of Zeus’ lightening bolts from Mount Olympus on Monday night. The rivers in the Verizon Center run red with the blood of losing. In addition to their 116-89 take down by the Thunder, Washington has lost their last two games by a combined 48 points. The statistics and numbers relating the common place of losing could go on; now the Wizards set their watching to those numbers.

Injuries, inefficiencies, youth, lack of heart and effort … the Verizon Center has become a dollar store for losing excuses. Or rather, reasons. But hey, the kids are in the pool. This is a good thing. Adult time and a dolt time is over with the forced hiatus of several injured veterans. There are still problem children, but without notables who enjoy night club potent potables, losing couldn’t be more comfortable. Not necessarily more comfortable for the fans and certainly not for the players and coaches, but for those who will endure.

The air about the team is all about getting this over with as fast as possible, which could be dangerous in the complacency of an apathetic mis-education and development. Seventeen games equating over a fifth of a season are left … gosh that’s a long time. If it continues to end horribly, upon whom will that reflect poorly?

In other news.

JaVale McGee did some very JaVale McGee things against the Thunder, just as he did versus the Clippers. A positive event came when he caught a down field pass from John Wall and forced the rock in the hole while brushing his head on the underside of the backboard. Let’s view.

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What is JaVale McGee doing here?

The video below will answer that question and more…

{Eric Bledsoe streaks past the giving up JaVale McGee}

{ ...for a dunk.}

Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers rookie guard and college teammate of John Wall, went through his normal pre-game routine before facing Wall’s Wizards on Saturday night. He went through shooting and dribbling drills with assistant coaches Howard Eisley and Robert Pack, he did a bit of on-court stretching, and he took time to joke around with teammate Ryan Gomes.  And when I stopped and chatted with him about John Wall as he walked from the court to the locker room, Bledsoe gave me the normal clichés that players love to give — for the most part.

“I know John and I are boys from Kentucky and all that, but we are still on struggling teams, and we both need to go out and play hard and focus on winning,” he said.

But then he came clean.

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Nothing has come easy for former, brief Washington Wizard Randy Foye since he joined the NBA in 2006. But the reversed-organed kid (Situs inversus for you doctors) from a rough neighborhood in cold New Jersey has always had cloudy obstacles to overcome.

A Kevin McHale draft day deal sent Foye as the No. 7 pick (via the Boston Celtics) from the Portland Trailblazers to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the No. 6 pick, Brandon Roy. While Foye averaged a respectable 10.1 points per game and a December 2006 Western Conference Rookie of the Month award during his inaugural pro campaign in Minnesota, Roy enjoyed Rookie of the Year honors for the Trail Blazers.

As Foye steadily increased his scoring output in the coming years, Roy shot up the charts as a top player in the league’s top conference, making the Western Conference All-Star team as a reserve in 2008, 2009 and 2010. During those three years Foye’s T-Wolves shuffled through three coaches, never winning more than 24 games in a season. In Portland, Roy enjoyed team success under coach Nate McMillan, winning 30 more games than Foye in 2009 and leading the Blazers back to the playoffs after a five-year drought.

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[Editor's note: Eric L. is a Wizards fan, season ticket holder and a faithful reader of Truth About It.net ... and he's caught in a conundrum over whether to renew his season tickets for next season or not. Ted Leonsis, upon officially taking over ownership of the team, said:

"Full season ticket holders are the lifeblood of our company. And I will tell you that we need more full season ticket holders for the Washington Wizards. I will personally drive our full season ticket holders to games. I’ll mow lawns, I’ll wash cars. We are in this together. And while I can’t promise championships, I can sincerely and honestly tell you that what is in our control is making the game experience, the value and the way we treat our customers, the best in the plans."

As is evident, Eric's decision is crucial for all parties involved. So, read below what Eric has to say on the matter and help him decide via the poll at the bottom of this post. -Kyle W.]

Are you all in? (again?)

I am a 400-level season ticket holder; a passionate, if albeit, middle-class 30(ish) male who is old enough to remember Coach Wes Unseld leading the Bullets at the Capital Centre, but young enough to marvel at the progress and potential of John Wall. I’m a fan’s fan — I cheer the great plays, quietly pump my fist, and point out on-court observations like I’m Sam Cassell’s second assistant. I wear my season ticket lanyard over my Arenas Zephyrs Swingman Jersey (heavily discounted at retailers all over the DMV) and trudge up the escalators by the Gallery Place entrance to my home in 419. I have to remember my glasses or sometimes I feel like I’m watching the ’96 Pistons (white/slate blue is a real killer far away).

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Pictures of flying NBA players and a couple stories about them…

{Kevin Garnett sends Cartier Martin flying}

{John Wall hovers to save a ball}

{Joakim Noah doing Joakim Noah things}

{John Wall flies for a loose ball}

Fans love the basketball player who dives on the floor for a loose ball. In high school and college, the act surely fits in with how many romanticize the blue-collar work ethic thought to be prevalent on those levels — slap the floor, play zone defense, pass the ball for as much as the 35 second shot clock allows, dive for loose balls. In the NBA? Not so much, or so goes the stereotype.

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Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis transparently concedes rebuilds are messy and painful, as he asks fans for patience and faith while the roster is retooled for the future.  He forgot to mention the word that immediately came to mind after witnessing the Milwaukee Bucks 95-76 destruction of the Wizards on Tuesday night at the Verizon Center: Embarrassing. Those partaking in Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras festivities were better served than fans suffering through another demoralizing defeat.

Flip Saunders was disappointed that his backcourt did not respond to the challenge, Trevor Booker questioned the team’s heart, and John Wall admitted to playing terrible.

The Bucks, who the Wizards hammered just a few weeks prior, blew open a tight game in the second quarter and never were seriously challenged again. They toyed with the Wizards and were able to get any shot they wanted. Milwaukee has struggled with scoring all season, yet, they appeared to be high offensive juggernaut versus Wizards hapless defensive resistance.

Andray Blatche was unable to return after spraining his right shoulder early in the first quarter. To the shock of Blatche haters, the “third option” offensive presence was definitely missed as the Wizards struggled to score points. Sloppy ball-handling did not help the cause either, the Wiz Kids finished with 22 turnovers to only 17 assists. Rookie Jordan Crawford led the team with 22 points but tallied a plus/minus of minus-22.

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[Editor's note: Ryan Gracia is majoring in sports communication and journalism at George Mason University and freelances for work for TAI can be found here, here and here.]

{photo: A. McGinnis, TAI}

As my eyes wandered away from the court for a moment during Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, a rarely-seen-before sight from my peripheral view quickly brought my attention back to the court. The Wizards’ 56^th pick in the 2010 draft was headed to the scorer’s table, getting ready to make just his fifth appearance all season. That sight got me smiling and fist-pumping – and definitely would have unintentionally gotten me on the Verizon Center “Fist Pump Cam” if it were happening then.

It wasn’t just the sight of Hamady N’diaye finally getting a chance to prove his worth that got me excited. It was simply seeing him jog to check in. Let me repeat: He showed excitement to play the sport he loves and actually jogged to the scorer’s table. N’diaye and his enthusiasm didn’t look like the typical substitute hopelessly aiming to show his rares amidst an unknown opportunity. But maybe the change turned out to be exactly that – hopeless at first, yet impactful in a 5:28 stint.

Andray Blatche’s newest shoulder injury experienced three minutes into the Bucks game, depleting (depth-wise) an already-depleted (skill-wise) Wizards frontcourt, paved the way for N’diaye to be thrust under the bright lights of the house that Abe Pollin built.  Flip Saunders was caught in quite a pickle with just Yi Jianlian and Hamady as the only big men hoping for their number to be called at that point in the game. And the Wizards coach made a great choice by choosing the gap-toothed man from Senegal, who hasn’t played for the Wizards since mid-December (with time spent in the D-League in between).

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{photo: A. McGinnis, TAI}

The Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards were coming out of an official timeout with 7:31 left in their game on Tuesday night with Milwaukee leading 84-61.  The Wizards only mustered 31 combined points in the second and third quarters while the Bucks put up 53, and the game was all but out of reach as a result.  Still, Wizards coach Flip Saunders wanted to make a last ditch effort at a comeback so he subbed in John Wall, Trevor Booker and JaVale McGee for Yi Jianlian, Kevin Seraphin and Jordan Crawford.

After a made free throw by Milwaukee rookie Larry Sanders, Wall dribbled down the court while being pressured by Bucks guard Earl Boykins and eventually had to give the ball up to McGee.  McGee took the pass, but could not immediately give the ball back to his point guard for him to set up the offense because Boykins was pestering Wall as only the 5’5″ Boykins can do.  McGee even motioned for Wall to come to him, but no such luck from Wall in getting separation.  Instead, McGee, who was just inside the foul line at that point, made the executive decision to not look for anyone else, put his head down and dribble toward basket.  Although he was bailed out by a hard foul from Andrew Bogut, he missed both free throws and the possession was wasted.

Conversely, with 6:56 left in the third quarter, Brandon Jennings and Bogut found themselves in a similar situation.  Jennings passed Bogut the ball in the high post and expected to get it back, but Wall prevented a return pass from happening.  Instead of hesitating, waiting and panicking as McGee had done with Wall, Bogut intelligently waited for Jennings to create an open lane, then he drove decisively and dunked on a flailing McGee.

You’re probably thinking this is yet another Truth About It post dedicated to slamming McGee or one of the other Wizards big men. Not the case.  Without Andray Blatche (who sprained his shoulder three minutes into the game and was unable to return), McGee (nine points, 13 rebounds), Seraphin (one point, six rebounds), and Booker (eight points, eight rebounds) did a good job on the boards and occasionally made their respective presences felt.  They certainly made mistakes, but Booker and Seraphin are rookies and McGee is still learning. I can’t be too critical of their play … at least not last night.

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On Sunday against the Detroit Pistons JaVale McGee had just two rebounds, both defensive, in over 30 minutes of play. He also contributed 12 points on 5-6 shooting (2-4 from the free-throw line), three blocks, a steal, an assist and a single foul to his stat line.

The rebounding? McGee lacked a lot of energy in the early going and simply wasn’t able to contribute past a couple flailing attempts at the ball. The Detroit big men – Greg Monroe, Chris Wilcox, Jason Maxiell and Charlie Villanueva — also seemed intent (or instructed) to be as physical as possible with McGee at every opportunity. And so goes the scouting report for JaVale: run with him, dissuade his athleticism with physicality, and either pump fake him or go into his body rendering him unable to block a shot. His effort changed in the third quarter, but the Wizards still lost to the Pistons 113-102, and the goal with McGee, as it is with the inexperienced Wizards as a whole, is a complete work of gamesmanship art. NBA players don’t get paid part-time.

McGee’s grinding progress continues to provide frequent repetitive mistakes. It’s no secret how other teams, coaches and players treat him in their preparation (and how that affects his game), and it’s no secret that McGee will sometimes make plenty of his gaffes on his own. Will he learn through continued frustration from fans, teammates and coaches? That’s up to him, but there are two abundant factors working in his favor: his franchise’s presence in rebuilding mode and plenty of playing time chances. Taking advantage, however, seemingly hasn’t always been a prevalent function of McGee’s basketball thought process.

Nonetheless, we plod on. The below video breaks down instances of the 23-year old center against the Pistons on Sunday … The Continued JaVale McGee Learning Experience. As Flip Saunders and the Wizards coaching staff continues to pound the stubborn rock sheltering McGee’s cerebral willingness, the familiarity of the lessons remains consistent.

Pictures, commentary, links and the whatnot …

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