Posts for category ‘3-on-3’

The 10-22 Sacramento Kings are in town to take on the 7-25 Wizards, and believe it or not, this is the first meeting between John Calipari disciples John Wall and Tyreke Evans (Evans was out due to injury for the game in Washington, Wall out for the game in Sacramento on Dec. 8, 2010). But between a Wizards team that’s horrible on the defensive boards and a Kings team that’s good on the offensive boards, who knows where this game will go; the Wizards are favored by three points. For tonight’s 3-on-3 we have Jonathan Santiago (@itsjonsantiago) from Kings TrueHoop blog Cowbell Kingdom, along with TAI’s Rashad Mobley (@rashad20) and Kyle Weidie (@truth_about_it)… three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Rank DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, JaVale McGee, John Wall in the order that you would draft them… What’s the reasoning behind your order?

SANTIAGO: DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Tyreke Evans and JaVale McGee. Outside of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, there is no other center in the league that can dominate a game like Cousins. Both Wall and Evans play the same position, but Wall is more of a true point guard than Evans. McGee is gifted athletically and physically, but does he have the basketball IQ to put it all together?

MOBLEY: Wall is first, because of his tremendous speed, his ability to get to the line at will, and lately, he seems to understand how to play the point guard position now (his application of that knowledge is still inconsistent). Then there is Evans, who is playing much better under the Keith Smart regime and seems to thrive as a 2-guard instead of the point. I still think Wall can have more of an impact on any given night. JaVale McGee gets the number three ranking, because his positives (shot blocking, a hook shot in its embryonic stages and semi-improved court awareness) are starting to emerge victorious over his negatives (excessive dribbling, susceptibility to pump fakes and bad decision making). DeMarcus Cousins has the potential to lap this field, but he disappears at times (like he did last night against Heat with just nine points and seven rebounds), and he’s a threat to meltdown at any moment; he’s not a player you want to have to depend on nightly.

WEIDIE: If JaVale McGee or DeMarcus Cousins weren’t themselves, either could go first. But seeing as both have more knuckles than a flash mob street fight coming out of their heads, I’d have to go with Wall. Tyreke Evans obviously has less true PG skills and falls into a tweener category, which means I’d draft him fourth. McGee would go third because Cousins is simply more of a beast than he is… which is almost as rare as McGee’s athletic length these days. Cousins goes second because of mental instability (although this is a very close second in front of McGee). And Wall would be my first selection. His one-man fast-break blazing speed combined with his willingness to pass first could be scary given the right teammates.

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The Washington Wizards wrap up their Detroit-plus-four-Western-Conference-teams road trip in Phoenix tonight. Having a 2-2 record against the Pistons, Blazers, Clippers and Jazz thus far is a nice accomplishment for this team. Losses in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City were far from abject, but each did display the same ills that have plagued the Wizards all season. Against a 13-19 Suns squad coming off a tough win over the Lakers in Phoenix on Sunday, the 7-24 Wizards have a fair chance to prove progression. The Suns are favored by six points. Today’s 3-on-3 features Michael Schwartz (@ValleyoftheSuns) of the ESPN TrueHoop Network blog Valley of the Suns, along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@AdamMcGinnis) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers… Leggo.

#1) Is Steve Nash not asking for a trade actually a very smart move, in that he’s not hurting his value by mere words, and the Suns will ultimately deal him before the deadline? Or will he really play out his contract and then leave Phoenix (or stay)? Where does he go in either case?

ADAM McGINNIS: The Suns should trade Nash from a basketball personnel standpoint, but ownership appears set on retaining him for remainder of season. If teams are low-balling for Nash’s services, there is an argument for letting him play his contract out. Fans will come to see Nash play his last games in Phoenix and that financial gain could be worth more than taking on salary or a few second round draft picks. Even though the Free Steve Nash movement has sprouted up online, Nash has taken the classy route of not creating drama with trade demands. My prediction is he plays out his contract and then signs with a title contender like Bulls, Heat, Thunder or Lakers.

MICHAEL SCHWARTZ: Steve Nash not asking for a trade has nothing to do with leverage, he’s just legitimately a loyal guy who wants to try to build something in Phoenix even if it seems crazy to the rest of the world (and some Suns fans). I’ve always felt that if the Suns were well out of the playoff race in March that he might change his tune, but there are many complicating factors such as the fact that his contract is not extendable so he’d be a two-month rental, his age, and the lack of teams that need a starting point guard. If I had to put money on it I’d say he’s going to play out his contract and potentially even re-sign, with the presence of his kids in Phoenix and the Suns’ vaunted training staff no small issues. If he does go, Portland would be my guess since they’ve been after him for years, desperately need a point guard and have the kind of assets that could make a deal work.

KYLE WEIDIE: Part of being a nice guy is knowing that you are not helping anything by asking to be traded. And now we know the difference between Steve Nash and Dwight Howard or Carmelo Anthony. So he plays out his contract and Phoenix is content with getting it off the books, perhaps maneuvering a sign-and-trade in the summer, and say Deron Williams stays in New Jersey (assuming Lopez for Howard ultimately happens), and say New York is no longer an option via Jeremy Lin, I see it coming down to signing in Miami or Dallas. The Lakers could be next, but for some reason I don’t see Nash being as interested in their situation.

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The Washington Wizards are in Salt Lake City tonight. The Jazz, having lost games to New Orleans and Oklahoma City on consecutive nights, will try to avoid a third straight loss at the hands of the Wizards. Washington is looking to bounce back after a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday to stay above .500 on a five-game road West Coast road swing. For tonight’s 3-on-3, Hardwood Paroxysm’s Clint Peterson (@Clintonite33) joins TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and, yours truly, John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend). Three questions, three answers starts now … Get it on!

#1) In the last 25 games in Utah, Washington is 6-19 but has won 3 out of last 7, which includes last season’s 100-95 OT victory. The Jazz are 11-5 at home while Wizards are 3-11 on the road. The Wizards had a non travel day off in Salt Lake City on Thursday and Jazz have not played since Tuesday so both teams should be well rested. Vegas has Utah favored by 10 points. Can the Wizards cover the spread or win straight up and why?

CLINT PETERSON: They sure could cover, maybe even win. The Jazz may be rested, but this is when they tend to come out rusty. On two days rest Utah is scoring only 96.3 points per game (PPG), their second-worst stat split in the category, while the Wiz are dropping nearly 101 PPG on the road this season. Throw in various matchup problems from the athletic JaVale McGee to the stretch of Rashard Lewis to the prolific Nick Young to the fact that opposing point guards have been laying waste to the Jazz’s backcourt and Washington matching their road winning record to their home one, at four, would be little surprise to the realist.

JOHN CONVERSE TOWNSEND: February hasn’t been kind to the Utah Jazz, who have dropped to .500 after losing seven of their last nine games this month, after beginning the season 12-7. It’s been the opposite story for the resurgent Wizards—too generous?—who have won three of their last six, one win short of their total for the rest of the season (four), and are looking more like a professional basketball team with each passing day. I expect the Wizards to cover the spread, but I’d have to hedge my bets before picking the road team to win in Utah.

KYLE WEIDIE: Washington’s chances are contingent on JaVale McGee. Utah’s stating bigs, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, provide the bread and butter, literally. Both have the type of grounded stature that could allow McGee to better protect the paint with shot-blocking presence, as long as he is focused and disciplined. Jazz opponents have 166 blocks against them this season, that’s seventh highest in the league. I say the Wizards cover the spread, but fall short of the win column.

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When the Washington Wizards allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to come into the Verizon Center on February 4 and absolutely disrespect them by 26 points, it was hardly a shocker. The Wizards were coming off three consecutive losses, the third being a listless performance against lowly Raptors in Toronto. The Clippers, on the other hand, had won four out of five, including two tough victories in Oklahoma City and Denver. Polishing off the Wizards was merely a formality.  However, as these teams face off in the Staples Center this evening, their respective lead-ins are slightly different. The Clippers are still rolling along (despite a tough loss in Dallas on Monday), but they are doing so without Chauncey Billups, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Wizards, meanwhile,  have won two straight road games over Detroit and Portland by at least 15 points–a franchise first.  The one constant has been John Wall, who seems to have learned what Chris Paul already knows:  Switching speeds is more important than just having speed.  Before the Wizards attempt to prove they belong on the same court with the Clippers, Nick Flynt (@clipperblognick) of the True Hoop Network’s ClipperBlog.com, along with Sam Permutt (@sammyvert) and yours truly, Rashad Mobley (@rashad20) of Truth About It, have three questions to answer.

#1) The 17-9 Los Angeles Clippers are playing well because of, or in spite of, Coach Vinny Del Negro?

NICK FLYNT:  I’m leaning on the side of “in spite of.” It’s almost impossible for a coach to screw up with talent like Del Negro has with the Clippers, but the defensive system certainly isn’t making the roster greater than the sum of its parts, and some of the lineups Vinny has rolled out for extended periods have been…unfortunate.

SAM PERMUTT:  Having a beloved floor general who also happens to be one of the best guards in the league leading your team (CP3) undoubtedly makes coaching significantly easier. The same can be said for having freak-athletes who have the desire and focus to work hard every day (Blake and DeAndre) and proven veterans (Chauncey, Caron). In a way, all these positives make Del Negro’s job that much tougher when trying to measure his impact. He’s supposed to win, and it can be credited to the personnel that almost every team in the league (except the Heat) would gladly exchange for. At the end of the day, if Del Negro leads the Clippers deep into the playoffs, he’ll be considered a success.

RASHAD MOBLEY: The Clippers are winning NOW because Coach Del Negro is staying out of the way and letting Chris Paul (and Chauncey Billups before the injury) run the team–much like he did with Derrick Rose in Chicago.  But come playoff time when the bad teams are weeded out and the good ones advance in part because of savvy coaching moves, I suspect the outcome will be a bit different.

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Wizards guard Nick Young recent joined some very exclusive company– we’re talking a club that only has 20 members over the course of NBA history (the time period being since 1979-80 when the 3-point line was officially introduced to the league). With his three 3-pointers made to just one assist against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Young now has 316 made 3-pointers for his career to 315 assists. There are now 20 players in NBA history who have: played in 300 or more games, played 7,000 or more minutes, and have more made 3-pointers than assists. This exclusive list, via Basketball-Reference.com, includes the likes of Rashard Lewis, Kyle Korver, Quentin Richardson, Peja Stojakovic, Jason Kapono, Matt Carroll, Tracy Murray, Charlie Villanueva, Matt Bonner, Matt Bullard, Eric Piatkowski, Andrea Bargnani, and a handful of other cats. Young ranks 12th amongst the group in career 3-point percentage (38-percent) and is tied with five others for eighth most assists per 36 minutes (1.5 per 36 minutes). So… Congrats Nick! Otherwise, the Wizards play the Blazers in Portland at 10 pm EST tonight, and for today’s 3-on-3 we have none other than ESPN TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop), along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@AdamMcGinnis) and Sam Permutt (@sammyvert). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) While reports indicate that Nate McMillan will not make a lineup change for the game against Washington on Tuesday, there are issues of concern that might need to be addressed; to be exact, removing struggling point guard Raymond Felton in favor of Jamal Crawford or someone else. Whatever the case, is any Portland point guard equipped to stop John Wall? Or does it not really matter given the surroundings that the PGs from each team have to work with?

HENRY ABBOTT: Almost nobody in the league can stop that short list of speed freaks one-on-one. But the team approach works well. Portland’s defense, in general, is as good as it has been — fourth in the league at defensive efficiency so far. So, the Wizards will have trouble scoring, regardless. The guard issue that worries me, as a Blazers fan, is on the other side of the ball, where Crawford has always been shoot-first, ask questions later, and now Felton has been looking gassed, with a five-game stretch of hitting 23 of his last 61 attempts, with a mighty seven total rebounds to go with 15 turnovers. But I’d play Felton, simply because he has to develop great chemistry with LaMarcus Aldridge if this team is going to make noise in the playoffs.

ADAM McGINNIS: Felton’s shooting percentages (37-percent FG, 20-percent 3P) are abysmal and his last game highlighted these woes, as he went 4-17 from the field in Portland’s double-OT loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Jamal Crawford never has been any team’s answer at point, where his strengths are instant offense off the bench and closing out games with his big shot-making ability. I would give rookie Nolan Smith a shot at starting since Linsanity over the past week has taught us that you never know what can happen, and especially since Smith displayed defensive prowess at Duke. The Philadelphia 76ers executed the most successful defensive game plan against John Wall. They crowded the lane with bodies, calling it ”Building a Wall to stop Wall,” so the Trailblazers will clearly need a team effort as well.

SAM PERMUTT: The fact that McMillan is refusing to start Jamal Crawford despite Raymond Felton’s continuing struggles is more of a vote in confidence in the rest of the team than in Felton. Though he has been struggling in nearly every facet of the game, he is still primarily a pass-first point guard who gets his teammates involved. The important thing in the point-guard match-up is not who is a better player (obviously Wall, right now) but which point guard can get his team to function at a higher level. No knock on Wall, but Felton is still good enough to “compete” with Wall simply by virtue of throwing passes to the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace.

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[Remember when Gilbert Arenas made one of many returns to the court against the Pistons in March 2009 (one of two appearances for all of the 2008-09 season)?
Sure you do.]

The Wizards kick off a five-game road trip in Detroit on this Sunday evening, with stops in Portland, Los Angeles (Clippers), Utah and Phoenix up next. For one, Detroit is Jordan Crawford’s home, so keep an eye on if he’s pressing too much or smelling the popcorn. But also, Washington is seeking their second road win on the season against the 8-20 Pistons to their 5-22 record; a Pistons team that also experienced championship-level success with former (Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Darvin Ham), and future (Mike James, Flip Saunders) Wizards. Furthermore, John Wall and his Kentucky Wildcats freshman point guard successor, Brandon Knight, will face off for the first time. For today’s 3-on-3 we have Dan Feldman (@danfeld11) of the TrueHoop Network’s PistonPowered.com, along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) and Sam Permutt (@sammyvert). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Washington is tied with the Miami Heat in playing at the fifth fastest pace in the NBA (93.3 possessions per 48 minutes); Detroit plays at… the… slow… est… pace… in the league (87.7 possessions per 48). Which team’s style wins out and why?

FELDMAN: Detroit’s. Though the Pistons have played a little faster lately, they have an incredible ability to suck the speed out of any game. If the Pistons get a lot of offensive rebounds — see question No. 2 — they can extend their possessions and lower the pace.

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LeBron James is in D.C. tonight to take on the Washington Wizards. He’s bringing some other guys with him, the Miami Heat, and they are favored by 13 points. The key for the Wizards is really if they choose to lose honorably or dishonorably. That’s what it boils down to (and containment, surely Randy Wittman is thinking, as he did versus the Knicks). Not saying the Wizards can’t win — there’s always an ‘any given night’ thing in the NBA – but it’s probably advisable that on this Friday night, Washington cleans the wound, bites down on a towel, and hopes the doctor extracts the bullet as soon as possible. For today’s 3-on-3 we have Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) of The Heat Index/ESPN.com, along with TAI’s Markus Allen (@mayminded) and John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Miami has already scored at least 50 points in the paint in nine games this season — a mark they hit 11 times all of last season. Washington has given up 50 or more points in the paint in six games this season. Against a likely frontline of JaVale McGee, Trevor Booker and Chris Singleton, will the Heat ride roughshod over the Wizards defense to score at least 50 in the painted area? How much fight will the home team have?

HABERSTROH: The Heat will have a much easier time piercing the paint than they did on Wednesday against Dwight Howard, that’s for sure. McGee might block shots, but he’s nowhere near the type of presence as Howard. There are two kinds of points in the paint: points scored in the halfcourt and points scored on the break. The Heat have struggled recently generating the former. Something tells me the Wizards might be waking up a sleeping giant.

ALLEN: Given their record, the Wizards are not that bad in points allowed in the paint, coming in at 40.2 (20th in the league). JaVale McGee had two games last year against the Heat in which he had four blocks in each, one of those performances coming in a close game that Washington lost 94-95. If JaVale stays out of foul trouble, the Wizards can definitely hold them to under 50 points in the paint; if he gets into early foul trouble, due to contact from LeBron or D-Wade driving, then Kevin Seraphin will certainly not be able to hold it down.

TOWNSEND: The Heat will score 50 points in the painted area, and if they don’t, they will have come close. Miami’s biggest scorers this season are LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and (somewhat surprisingly) Mario Chalmers, who is listed as questionable versus Washington. Chalmers has scored more than 10 points 17 times this season and is shooting 56.7 percent from 3-point range over his last five games. Without his touch from the outside, the Heat will have to mix it up inside the arc; I’m not sure the Wizards have the brawn or the brains to stop the Superfriends.

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The Wizards and Knicks face off for the second time this season, the previous meeting coming in Washington, a 99-96 Knicks win (the Wizards have only one trip to New York on their schedule). Without much deliberation, let’s get into tonight’s 3-on-3, featuring John Kenney (@JohnBKenney) of KnickerBlogger.net, the TrueHoop Network’s Knicks blog, along with TAI’s Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) and myself, Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) When John Wall and Jeremy Lin (as a member of the Dallas Mavericks ) faced off in the 2010 NBA Summer League, Wall had trouble defending Lin (as did Lin with Wall). John went under a lot of screens and Jeremy made him pay. The Wizards won 88-82, thanks to 23 points from Cartier Martin, but Lin did score 11 fourth quarter points. Tonight will be the first meeting between the two since. Considering the environment (especially Lin’s recent boost into the limelight as the Knicks prepare to play Washington without Carmelo Anthony (groin), Amar’e Stoudemire (death in the family) and Baron Davis (presumably a beard-related injury or ailment otherwise)), how will this Wall-Lin matchup play out?

KENNEY: While many have focused on Lin’s offensive explosion, his defense has also been pleasantly surprising. Wall’s athleticism makes him a tough matchup to defend, but if Lin’s performances against Deron Williams and Devin Harris are any indication, he’ll do a fine job. (I also wouldn’t be surprised to see 6-foot-5 Iman Shumpert defend Wall at times.) And on offense, I expect Lin to score around 20 points, while delivering a number of nice assists to Tyson Chandler. The one concern should be that Lin must avoid foul trouble. If Lin is out for extended periods of the game, that means more Toney Douglas (currently in the worst slump of his career,) which helps explain why Lin played the entire 2nd, 3rd AND 4th quarters against the Jazz. Luckily, having Tyson defending the rim is a good safety net against Wall blow-bys.

MOBLEY: Based on the results of the last two Knicks victories, Lin will have to carry the offensive burden in order for his team to win–which is the equivalent of playing with house money. He’ll play loose and carefree. Coach Randy Wittman will tell Wall to run the offense and play within himself like he did against the Raptors. But Wall will struggle to balance that with his own competitive streak, and his numbers and overall game will suffer.

WEIDIE: Jeremy Lin will get his… Why? Because he’s a smart player, has great confidence, New York will be in desperate need of scoring, and Washington’s bigs are generally inept of pick-and-roll defense (aside from rookie Jan Vesely). Screening action has proved to be Lin’s bread and butter in his two dazzling games with the Knicks. They honeymoon, however, will be over for Jeremy tonight. Not that the Wizards will intimidate a depleted Knicks squad by any means, but I think John Wall remembers that Summer League battle and his athleticism advantage will overwhelm Lin (even though Lin has legitimate 6-foot-3 height). Before the game Sam Cassell was telling Wall in the locker room that Lin will try to bait Wall into some charges, so watch out for that.

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Here we go again… Tonight’s Wizards-Raptors game is the third of four meetings between the two clubs. Washington and Toronto have split the 2011-12 series thus far, each team celebrating a decisive victory over the other — the average winning margin is 16 points. Although the Torontonians have been more successful on the road (5 wins) than the D.C. locals have been at home (3 wins) this season, the Raptors haven’t won a game at the Verizon Center since 2009. Consider heading to the game if you have a couple of hours to kill tonight: tickets can be scored for a buck! Raptorholic Sam Holako (@RapsFan) of ESPN TrueHoop/Raptors Republic joins TAI’s John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) for tonight’s 3-on-3 roundball roundtable. Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Fact or Fiction: Rashard Lewis will score four or more points tonight, joining Jason Kidd and Paul Pierce as the only players in NBA history to have scored at least 15,000 points, grabbed 5,000 rebounds and hit 1,500 three-pointers in their careers. [UPDATE: Lewis is out versus the Raptors due to what is being called a sore right knee; Chris Singleton replaced him in the Wizards starting lineup.]

HOLAKO: Fact. If Rashard can’t score 4 points against the Raptors, then he probably doesn’t deserve to be in that company. On a side note, I was hoping Lewis had more gas in the tank after the ‘steroid’ incident. I’m a big fan of his; undeserved massive contract not withstanding.

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Lob City comes to the District tonight… the highest highs and the lowest lows of the Wizards multiplied by the Los Angeles Clippers and divided by a 4-19 record against a 13-7 one. “I told them I’m pulling that cigarette out tonight,” said Wizards coach Randy Wittman before the game, referring to the very poor effort the Wizards gave in a loss to Toronto last night and how his team “fell off the wagon” back to poor habits. The coach is also going with Trevor Booker over Jan Vesely in the Wizards starting lineup. Talking to the Cook Book before the game, his focus will be keeping Blake Griffin away from the basket and on how the Wizards guard pick and rolls (Chris Paul runs a lot of them, Wittman admitted). What’s the key to stopping Paul on the P&Rs? “We got to make sure we stop the ball, make sure he can’t get in the lane. The more he’s in the lane, the more have to collapse, and the more the bigs are going to be open to throw the lob to,” said Booker. For tonight’s 3-on-3 drill we have Kevin Arnovitz (@kevinarnovitz) of ESPN TrueHoop/ClipperBlog, along with TAI’s Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

1) What’s the No. 1 thing Chris Paul has that John Wall doesn’t, but really needs to get?

ARNOVITZ: Vision. When Paul has the ball in the half court, he’s thinking about one thing — where he is relationally to the other shotmakers on the court and those on the defense who can alter those shots. Wall is speedy, but like most people in their early 20s – apologies to Louis CK – he has no idea how to do the job yet. That will change.

MOBLEY: Since this is the Super Bowl weekend, I’ll start with a football analogy. Rookie running backs tend ignore their offensive line and to try to use their God-given athleticism to make a big play.  Seasoned running backs patiently wait for the offensive line to open a hole (they may even rest their hands on the backs of the O-line while the play is unfolding) then they run right through. There’s an impatience to Wall’s game right now that manifests itself via the one-man fast breaks, the rushed jumpers, and the exasperation with his teammates. Chris Paul, with talented teammates in Los Angeles and less talented teammates in New Orleans, is a patient point guard. He lets the game come to him, he sets up teammates, and if he’s needed to do more, he does that too.

WEIDIE: Pace. Watch Chris Paul stop and go, use a screen how he sees fit, get a defender on his back. Paul has developed a killer jumper over his NBA career, but he started as a player who could control a game’s pace, use his quicks deceptively when he needs to, and create passing lanes with the measured ability to see a play unfold. In other words, chill sometimes John Wall.

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Players and coaches are programmed not to admit overconfidence publicly, but in the crevices of their locker room or practice courts, the Wizards and Raptors have to be looking at tonight’s game and thinking to themselves, “We are definitely winning.”  In their last three games, the Wizards defeated the lowly Bobcats, came close to defeating the Orlando Magic (they aren’t playing well now, but they still have Dwight F. Howard), and the Chicago Bulls (arguably the best team in the league).  Facing the Raptors, a team that gave the Wizards their first victory this season, would seem to be an easier task.  The Raptors were just thoroughly whipped by the Celtics in Boston, just one night after being whipped by the Hawks in Toronto.  They have to be thinking that their confidence can and will be restored against the lowly Wizards — a team they already have extra motivation to defeat after losing in Washington on January 10th. Before we see which franchise can take advantage of the other, Ryan McNeill (@ryanmcneill) of Hoops Addict, TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@AdamMcGinnis) and yours truly, Rashad Mobley (@rashad20), will go 3-on-3 starting right now.

#1) During his six-year tenure as president/GM of the Toronto Raptors, Bryan Colangelo enjoyed some success before the departure of Chris Bosh, but since then, he has been criticized for his draft failures, the Raptors’ lack of a defensive mindset, and his puzzling free agent signings (most recently Jamaal Magloire and Anthony Parker).  During his nine-year tenure as Wizards team president, Ernie Grunfeld is credited with building playoff teams during the Gilbert Arenas era, but since then his moves (or lack thereof) have the Wizards mired in something worse than mediocrity.  Both GMs are now asking their fans to trust in the development of their young players, and to be patient with the rebuilding process once again.  Which GM deserves to be relieved of their duties?

McNEILL:   Maybe I’m being a homer, but I’m voting for Grunfeld. Besides lucking into John Wall with an easy pick, what has he done to warrant trust during his time in Washington? Colangelo was burned by Bosh, but there isn’t anyone surrounding the team who honestly thought he should have dealt him before that summer. Even the drafting of Bargnani is looking “safe” considering his development and how that draft class is now shaking out. Again, this is a homer pick, but consider Bosh was in place, and LaMarcus Aldridge (2nd pick after Bosh in 2006) was a redundant piece, so the only other player who might have been a better fit is Rudy Gay. So, sorry, I’m not buying the argument that five years with Brandon Roy (6th pick) is better than the decade Toronto will get with Bargnani.

MOBLEY:  I want to say Colangelo, because those rabid, supportive Raptors fans have watched Vince Carter and Chris Bosh lead the franchise to the playoffs, and now they have to watch Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon lead them to the lottery.  But Grunfeld is trying to rebuild the Wizards franchise into a contender for the third time in nine years, and everyone who started with him from Gilbert Arenas to Eddie Jordan to Flip Saunders is gone.  The official rebuild will begin when he follows suit.

McGINNIS:  Since Ted Leonsis took over ownership in 2010, Grunfeld has been a good solider in the new mandate of freeing up cap space and acquiring young players. This does not absolve his past mistakes or mean that he warrants a contract extension after it expires at end of this season. Flip Saunders was relieved of his duties and the company line was team needed a new voice, but this also applies to the basketball personnel department. It would seem appropriate for a fresh decision-maker to lead the Washington rebuild and beyond. Colangelo could have a future super star in 2011 draft pick Jonas Valanciunas, and with a loaded 2012 draft, those two picks could determine whether the Raptors GM is worth keeping around.

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Look, Dwight Howard has long known that he does not want to be a member of the Orlando Magic past this season, so does it matter that his current team is in such disarray, losers of four games in a row with Howard calling out his teammates for effort? Probably not. In fact, it likely prompts GM Otis Smith even more to make a move, but it doesn’t make him any less desperate. (Read: this painfully drags on for Orlando up to the March 15 trade deadline… Have a fun next six weeks Magic fans!) So with Baby Dwight wanting a cure-all change of venue, but not able to cure-all as Superman himself, his team takes on the lowly Washington Wizards tonight, with Howard likely preparing to be as proud as a schoolyard bully (Orlando is favored by 10 points). This 3-on-3 drill prior to possibly just one of Howard’s last 23 games in a Magic uniform includes Nate Drexler (@natedrex) of TrueHoop Network blog MagicBasketball.net, along with TAI’s John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend) and yours truly, Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Which stat is more surprising? That the Washington Wizards have a higher offensive rebound rate (ORB%) than the Orlando Magic (0.261 ORB% compared to 0.259 for Orlando; league average is 0.264)?  NOTE: WAS eFG% = 0.442, 29th in NBA; ORL eFG% = 0.495, 9th in NBA)….

OR, that JaVale McGee is shooting worse on free-throws than Dwight Howard? (McGee is at 0.433 this season, 0.600 for his career; Howard is at 0.460 this season, 0.592 for his career.)

DREXLER: This is tough, because neither of these surprise me all that much. I suppose JaVale getting out sniped by Dwight from the charity stripe takes the cake, though. Look, when you have two bigs who shoot 60-percent and below for their careers, no amount of badness should catch you off guard, but McGee is getting close to 30-percent land! The biggest surprise of all is that no matter how hard I try to convince myself that JaVale McGee has star potential it just isn’t so. Guy sure is athletic, though. Why is it that athletic guys can’t shoot free throws?

TOWNSEND: Dwight Howard has always been consistent, if reliably unreliable, from the charity stripe, so I’m more surprised by JaVale McGee’s continued struggles at line. McGee has demonstrated a bit of a weakness for jump shots and perimeter-oriented play, as if he was a two-guard trapped in a 7-footer’s body, making it tough to comprehend how his free-throw percentage has dipped almost 25 points since his rookie season.

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Chicago Bulls in town, not the Charlotte Bobcats. Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton? Back for Chicago. Luol Deng? Out for a bit. Andray Blatche? Questionable. President Obama? Nope. The last time people expected Washington to lose this much (aside from pretty much all the time) was the Oklahoma City Thunder game. The Wizards somehow won that one. Chicago is favored by nine points on the road this evening. Should you get any ideas? Probably not. Chicago has the second best Defensive Rating in the NBA (97.4 points allowed per 100 possessions)… the Philadelphia 76ers are best (94.6 DRtg), and we all know how games against the Sixers work out for Washington. Nonetheless, let’s do the 3-on-3 drill… featuring Beckley Mason of HoopSpeak.com along with TAI’s John Converse Townsend and Kyle Weidie. Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Derrick Rose will be walking into the Verizon Center with the weight of Sunday night’s loss to the Miami Heat (partly due to his missed free throws) squarely on his shoulders. Not only will John Wall have to face off against a motivated Rose, but he’ll most likely have to face off again John Lucas, who had a career game against him on January 11 (25 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds — although backup Bulls PG CJ Watson, unavailable in the previous meeting between these two teams like Rose, is also back).  Who has a better game tonight, Wall or Rose?

MASON: Rose has the better game because he’s the better player playing on the better team. Especially troubling for Wall, who struggles with turnovers in pick and roll sets, is that the Bulls play awesome, suffocating pick and roll defense. I think the only way Wall has the better game is if it becomes a real up-and-down contest.

TOWNSEND: John Wall has flirted with triple-doubles for the past month; the numbers might convince you that Wall will get lucky tonight. But then you remember that Wall’s career averages against Chicago are, well, average — 13.3 points and 4.3 turnovers. Reality sets in: It’s Derrick Rose, not Wall, with the No. 1 stitched on the back of his jersey, and it’s Rose who has learned to bend the laws of physics, and it’s Rose who wins the game.

WEIDIE: Dare I say Wall? (For dubious reasons…) Rose missed the initial meeting on Jan. 11, then came back to play against Boston and Toronto (both wins for Chicago), then missed the Bulls’ next four games. He’s played in four games, 156 total minutes, since coming back exactly one week ago, and saw 45 minutes of action against the Miami Heat on Sunday in a game where both teams were clearly tired toward the end. Even if the Bulls really need him, and I doubt that they do, I’d expect Rose’s minutes to be limited in Washington… You know, the team opponents with nagging injuries to stars are always delighted to play.

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Wizards-Bobcats Part II within about 72 hours of each other… the two worst teams in the NBA and truly the polar opposite of a #LeaguePassAlert. Washington is not without a plethora of questions from game-to-game, as goes their perpetually inconsistent state. If wouldn’t be any fun otherwise… you know, if they were just bad and not like a bunch of breakable eggs on the court each time. In any case, let’s begin the 3-on-3 drill featuring some of the most disgruntled Wizards bloggers out there… Sean Fagan of Bullets Forever along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis and yours truly, Kyle Weidie… Let the three questions, three answers begin…

#1) Randy Wittman surprised by starting Jan Vesely over Andray Blatche in Houston. What does he do tonight against the Bobcats? Or rather, what starting lineup would you like to see?

FAGAN: Last night, we saw a type of pedal-to-the-metal play that I think the team should continue for the rest of the year, because for at least the first two quarters, the team appeared to be having fun. Against the Bobcats, I think this type of controlled disorganization has a greater chance of success than of failure. The game might resemble more of a scrum than actual basketball, but I’ll take wins over aesthetics any day of the week. A guy like Vesely, who is everywhere at once, is integral to this type of play. He isn’t AK-47, but he is whatever the slightly cheaper Czech knockoff of that weaponry might be. As such, your starting lineup should be: Wall, Young, McGee (if I had my way, Turiaf would heal overnight), Vesely, and Singleton.

McGINNIS: At 3-16, no one’s starting spot should be secure. My issue with McGee and Vesely as your front line starters is that neither are scorers. I would expect Randy to change it up again as he appears to sending some messages to players because honestly, he has nothing to lose at all. The team stinks and it’s highly unlikely the organization will fire him before end of season, so why not keep throwing different lineups out there? I would roll with Wall, Mack, Singleton, Booker, Vesely. Those five will play hard and leave it all out on the court.

WEIDIE: The Wizards really don’t have anyone who can score in the post. People say Blatche is the best at doing this, but what’s the point? Here is my ‘screw it’ lineup: Wall, Singleton, Vesely, Booker and Seraphin. OK, but somebody has to score… So, Jordan Crawford instead of Singleton at the 2-guard. I’m wearing of Crawford regressing if he’s thrown back in the starting lineup, but I think he deserves more of a chance than Nick Young, who should be preparing for a future role off the bench anyway.

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Tonight the Wizards face a Houston Rockets team that they played fairly close about 10 days ago… Washington fell apart toward the end, per usual. But this game is different, new Wizards coach Randy Wittman, that dancing fool (as it IS ‘Dance Party Friday’ on Bullets Forever), will be facing off against friendly foe Kevin McHale. When the Washington Post’s Michael Lee attempted to pry some answers out of McHale about his old chums, Wittman and Flip Saunders, the Rockets coach said, “No thoughts. I’m pretty much not going to answer anything you’re asking on that. That’s usually a hint. If I don’t answer the first question, I’m not answering the second or third.” Then he offered Lee a dap. Whatever is clever… McHale probably just didn’t want to call the Wizards players dumb (since, after all, McGee did try that off-the-backboard dunk B.S. the last time these two teams faced). In any case, the drill is three questions, three answers, featuring TAI’s Rashad Mobley, Sam Permutt and John Converse Townsend. 3-on-3 starts now…

#1) Houston won just five of their first 12 games when they beat Washington on MLK Day, but overall won seven in a row before that streak was snapped by Milwaukee, in Houston, on Wednesday (the Rockets victory over the Wizards was win No. 2 in the streak). They now stand at 10-8, while the Wizards are 3-15, and normally you’d expect Washington to lose this game, but under a new coach, they might be a bit more hungry to get their first road victory. Which team comes out the aggressor?

MOBLEY: The Wizards. Unless you’re the Oklahoma City Thunder, and you’re trying to avenge a loss, no one is going to get up for the Wizards and come out aggressive, so the Rockets will start slow. The Wizards as a whole will be looking to continue their Randy Wittman-inspired momentum previously found against the lowly Bobcats. But more specifically, JaVale McGee SHOULD be motivated because a) he got dunked on by Chandler Parsons’ franks and beans in the last meeting, and b) he performed this ill-advised dunk.

PERMUTT: A coaching change can create a tryout-like atmosphere on a team. Players suddenly have newfound motivation to play unselfishly, to dive on the floor, to show their new leader (and minute distributor) why they belong on the court. Of course, the players are all familiar with Randy Wittman as an assistant. Nonetheless, expect the Wizards to be eager to please their new head coach in his first official game. Wait… the Bobcats are a real team?  That game counted?!? Never mind. But still.

TOWNSEND: It’s hard to imagine this group of Washington Wizards initiating hostilities at home, and even tougher to do so on the road where the team has lost all but three games over the past two seasons (0-7 in 2011-12), so I’ll take the Rockets. Houston should come out hot, looking to defend their court after having their twelve-game home winning streak snapped this week. To make matters even tougher, Rockets players have vowed to shore up defensively after allowing two consecutive 100-point games in the Toyota Center (Houston had held opponents to fewer than 90 points over its first seven home games).

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