Posts for category ‘3-on-3’

Basketball, basketball, basketball, trades, basketball… Guess what? The Wizards actually have a game tonight, the third of their road trip against the Hornets in the Big Easy. Nick Young, JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf? Gone. Nene and Brian Cook? Evidently on the way. You can find your TAI Nene-McGee trade analysis here, and some more numbers behind Nene and new teammate Kevin Seraphin here. For tonight’s 3-on-3 we have Mason Ginsberg (@WhoDatHornet88) of the ESPN TrueHoop Hornets blog Hornets 247.com, along with TAI’s Sam Permutt (@sammyvert) and Kyle Weidie (@truth_about_it). NOTE: These questions, along with the answers of Mason and Sam, were composed pre-today’s trade. Our bad… meant to get this 3-on-3 up sooner. Things got crazy. Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) With the trade deadline rapidly approaching (or past), which Wizard would you have most liked to see not with the team for tonight’s game against the Hornets?  JaVale Mcgee, Nick Young, and Andray Blatche, the three longest-tenured WizKids, were the names that most commonly were thrown into the rumor mill.  Keeping in mind likely trade values and contract situations, which player’s departure would ultimately benefit Washington the most?

GINSBERG: It depends on your definition of “help.” For the long-term, help is whatever hurts the team’s performance over the next month or two but helps it next season and beyond. Admittedly, I don’t know much about who has been discussed in trade rumors for the Wizards, but I think if the team can unload Blatche for a half-decent draft pick, they should do it. Until then, the Wizards should be playing him 40 minutes a game to have him fulfill the role us Hornets fans rely on Beasley to fill in Minnesota. That role, of course, is an inefficient chucker who stops all ball movement on offense.

PERMUTT: The easy answer would be ‘Dray.  Wizards fans have completely cast him out, booing him even when he’s not particularly terrible.  The smart answer, sadly, is JaVale.  He has taken huge steps backward this season, pouting and making silly plays instead of playing hard and making silly plays.  The league-wide interest for Blatche is almost non-existent, and the Wizards can amnesty him at year’s end.  JaVale, on the other hand, is still likely coveted by several teams across the league, and Washington could get a decent haul for him.

WEIDIE: Easy, Blatche. Young’s departure was only a matter of time (via unrestricted free agency this summer)…. and I could probably care less if the Wizards got Brian Cook and a second round pick in return (even if it is the Hornets’ second rounder in 2015 – I suppose it will be a nice asset to throw in a trade for the hell of it sometime in the future). And McGee? Well, I’m not a fan of giving up on his physical potential, although, evidently the Wizards franchise, which has a much more in-depth view of McGee’s personality, were ready to give up on the lacking mental development. So there’s that. But Blatche (and yes, I have the foresight of hindsight in that I’m the only one on this 3-on-3 answering pre-trade questions with post-trade answers), I’m pretty much of the opinion that the team should find a way to keep him at home, instead of on the court, for the rest of the season.

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The Washington Wizards continue the road trip in Dallas tonight for a matchup against the Mavericks. These two teams are most recently connected by the seven-player deal they completed on February 13, 2010. Washington sent supposed cornerstone pieces Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson (and cash, don’t forget the cash) to the Mavericks in exchange for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross. The crew from Washington helped Dallas win an NBA championship; the crew from Dallas helped Washington accomplish nothing but a chance to clean up after mistakes. Haywood is the only player from the trade remaining on either team. What maneuvering. Moving on, for tonight’s 3-on-3 we have Ian Levy (@HickoryHigh) from the ESPN TrueHoop Network Mavs blog The Two Man Game (amongst other blogs), Beckley Mason (@BeckleyMason) of HoopSpeak.com/ESPN, and TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Although questionable in general, Brendan Haywood is evidently not physically questionable against the Wizards tonight and is set to return to the court for the first time in five games,  essentially (he sprained his ankle in the opening minute of Dallas’ loss to Oklahoma City on March 5th and missed the next four games). This will be the third meeting between the two former practice sparing partners, former Wizards teammates Haywood and JaVale McGee, and the numbers for each player over the previous two look pretty paltry. Who prevails in the matchup tonight and what does it mean for their respective teams?

IAN LEVY: I think Haywood gets the better of McGee, and it means a ton for the Mavericks. The Mavericks have capable depth in the front-court but when Haywood is out, everyone has to move up a chair into a role that asks a little more of them then they are capable. Getting Brandan Wright back will help settle the rotation as well.

BECKLEY MASON: McGee prevails with his activity and earnest effort. If McGee can control the glass, it might make up for what I predict will be a decided shooting advantage in the Mavs favor. The Wizards need to get more possessions, and while Dallas won’t test McGee at the rim too often on drives, he’ll need to be active and communicative on the perimeter. What I’m saying is: McGee will likely outplay Haywood, but he has to do more than that to swing the game.

KYLE WEIDIE: As long as Haywood doesn’t attempt to dribble a la Stanley from The Office, his team will likely get the best of JaVale’s team, and it will be because of Haywood. Why? Well, despite not being the biggest fan of Haywood’s robotic moves while he was in D.C., I did admire his ability to communicate with teammates as a defensive anchor in the paint. JaVale, on the other hand, is having none of that; I recall seeing him communicate on defense two, maybe three times in my life. Epic Vale will get a couple highlight dunks versus the old Mavs, but his team won’t make winning basketball plays.

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The Wizards kick off a six-game road-trip with a date near the Alamo this evening, where they haven’t sealed the deal since December 11, 1999. Back then, John Wall and Jan Vesely were 9-years old, and Chris Singleton, Kevin Seraphin and Shelvin Mack had barely reached double-digits in age (in Seraphin’s case, he was 10 by about five days). Even old Wizards such as Andray Blatche were just 13; Rashard Lewis was barely 20 with 40 games of his current 934 NBA career games under his belt. In other words, it’s been a while. To be close to specific, it’s been about 6,445,440 minutes, along with one massive fear of Y2K being put to rest, since the Wizards last won in San Antonio, Texas. Will the kids, 14.5-point underdogs, stop the streak tonight?  For today’s 3-on-3, TAI’s Dan Diamond (@ddiamond), Rashad Mobley (@rashad20) and Kyle Weidie (@truth_about_it) analyze in an attempt to predict. Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Which two players will most determine the outcome of tonight’s game?

DAN DIAMOND: It’s my rookie debut for 3-on-3 so I’ll stick with the kids. Jan Vesely will do his flying ninja routine and fire up the Wiz with an acrobatic dunk. Kawhi Leonard will force Nick Young into a string of more terrible shots than usual. Mark my words. Unfortunately, those plays will happen in the first half — the game will be over by the third quarter.

RASHAD MOBLEY: For the Spurs it is Danny Green. His offensive contributions are a bonus, but he makes his mark on the defensive end of the floor. He could present problems to frustrate John Wall, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford, which would basically thwart the Wizards offense. For Washington, the Young/Crawford combination will either make life easy for the Wall by spreading the floor and hitting shots, or make life easier for Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs by creating fastbreak opportunities off of their long misses.

KYLE WEIDIE: Why not go with Andray Blatche? I mean, doesn’t he deserve a chance to prove himself away from “home” where he doesn’t have to worry about being booed? OK, so maybe Blatche doesn’t exactly deserve a chance since he’s had about a million, but this is exactly the type of game he would randomly excel in. The likes of Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair or Tiago Splitter aren’t exactly imposing figures for Andray; look for him to contribute 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists off the bench. And yes, I actually typed this. Otherwise, perhaps because of Blatche, the Wizards are the exact type of team that cats like Matt Bonner go off against… Look for Big Red to drop about four trey-balls from deep.

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The Portland Trail Blazers will continue their seven-game road trip tonight against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in downtown D.C. The Blazers have now lost four consecutive games on the road after falling to the Timberwolves and the Celtics to earlier this week, dropping their season road record to 5-14. But they have a shot to bounce back against a Wizards team that has only won six games at home this season (and just nine games all year). The all-time series between these two teams is tight, 51-47 in favor of the Blazers, but the Wizards have the edge at home, 29-20. For today’s 3-on-3, we have Portland Roundball Society scribe Sean Highkin (@seanhighkin), along with TAI’s Rashad Mobley (@rashad20) and John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Since losing to the Wizards, Portland is 4-7 (the Blazers were 3-5 in the eight games prior to facing Washington in Portland, so there’s that); Washington lost six in a row after that magical Valentine’s Day victory in the nation’s northwest, but have won two out of their last three since.

With the Blazers actually favored by six point coming into tonight’s game, do they enact revenge in Washington as the Wizards come crashing back to reality after a win over the Lakers (and two days off)? Or do the Wizards surprise with their ability to play with energy from the start against a team coming off a road loss (to the Celtics) the night before (as, again, Washington has had the rest)?

SEAN HIGHKIN: The Blazers are two games into a seven-game road trip that will also take them to Indiana, New York and Chicago. In other words, they’d better win this one. On the other hand, they’re on the second half of a road back-to-back while the Wizards have had two days off. And Portland’s play has been so utterly pathetic and uninspired on every level lately that it won’t surprise me at all if they let their season reach new depths by letting the Wizards sweep the season series. (I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m still a little annoyed after last night’s humiliating loss to the Celtics.)

RASHAD MOBLEY: Coach Wittman can sit his team in the locker room, and use the video from the Lakers game as his version of a Knute Rockne speech, but with a young team like the Wizards, there will be forced shots (I see you Nick Young and Jordan Crawford) and attempts at redemption (JaVale McGee sat out the entire fourth quarter of the Lakers game). But not only does Nate McMillian have Portland’s sham of a performance last night against Boston to show his squad, but he has a playoff spot to dangle in front of his team. With Ricky Rubio now out for the season, Minnesota could quite possibly fall out of contention, which means a Portland could slide right in there—and that motivation starts with a big road victory against the Wizards. 92-85, Portland.

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This is ‘Hollywood’ Jordan Crawford, courtesy of the inter-webs.

The ever-turning world of the Los Angeles Lakers comes to the District tonight, fresh off an overtime loss in Detroit last night. You think Kobe and Co. will be motivated to take care of business? Otherwise, Washington’s Nick Young will be showing off in front of his hometown team, and former Maryland Terp Steve Blake will once again be returing home, in a sense. Hey, did you know that in the 2011 calendar year, the Wizards and Lakers did not play each other? That’s the first time the two teams have gone a year without a matchup since forever (dating back to when the Washington franchise was known as the Chicago Packers in ’61-62).  Note: This happened because both WAS-LAL games in the 2010-11 season came in December 2010. The last time the Wizards beat the Lakers in Washington came on December 26, 2005… that’s like 2,263 days ago. For today’s 3-on-3, we have Andy Kamenetzy from ESPN Los Angeles’ Land O’ Lakers blog (@ESPNLandOLakers), along with TAI’s Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) and John Converse Townsend (@JohnCTownsend). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) The Lakers weren’t able to slow down Pistons PG Rodney Stuckey, who gashed LA’s defense for 34 points in a Detroit overtime win last night. It looks like an opportunity for John Wall to live up to his “Game Changer” moniker. What would have a bigger impact for the Wizards: 20-plus points or 10-plus assists from Wall?

ANDY KAMENETZKY: Honestly, I don’t think which stats Wall accumulates matter as much as “how” they’re accumulated. If he’s scoring or table-setting in the half court, the Lakers will take their chances and almost certainly win. If Wall is constantly in transition, he could turn deadly as a scorer or facilitator. Gun to my head, I’d rather him be a facilitator, since he’s prone to turnovers, and the dudes he’s passing to aren’t exactly world beaters. But any opportunities to showcase his speed give me the Willies.  

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[Remember when Nyjer Morgan, former Washington National and current Milwaukee Brewer, showed up at a Wizards game, in the tickets the team provided him, while wearing Warriors gear? We do. Photo: A. McGinnis]

The Golden State Warriors come to Washington this evening. And no, Andray Blatche, Kwame Brown is not playing to soak up boos from the D.C. crowd that might be otherwise directed toward you… because he is hurt. The Warriors announced in mid-January that Brown would miss around three-months of action due to surgery needed to repiar a torn pectoral muscle. Otherwise, between John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, there should be plenty of action and excitement to put the “U-N” back in ”F Street,” at least for this night. For today’s 3-on-3 we have  J.M. Poulard (@ShyneIV) of ESPN TrueHoop blog WarriorsWorld.net, along with TAI’s Sam Permutt (@SammyVert) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) The Golden State Warriors are rumored to be heavy suitors for JaVale McGee, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting that they are more likely to pursue McGee in restricted free-agency this summer rather than through a trade this season. Golden State has David Lee tied up for 4-years, $57 million after this season; Monta Ellis for 2-years, $22 million (ETO for 2013-14); and Andris Biedrins for 2-years, $18 million (ETO for 2013-14) [salary info via Sham Sports]. Knowing they might have to give money to other young players in the near future, such as Stephen Curry, how much can the Warriors afford to offer McGee so that the Wizards don’t match?

KYLE WEIDIE: If Ted Leonsis is willing, this summer, to drastically re-think how his franchise has been developing players (and Leonsis has likely taken significant steps regarding such anyway), then McGee can’t be seen as a lost cause. He has the ability to defend the rim like no other, just imagine what he could do if beating on McGee’s rock in a Sisyphus-like manner finally cracked his hard-headed ways, opening intelligent results. That being said, the effort has its price… as in how much are the Wizards willing to pay McGee for a chance at developing him better? If we’re getting close to the $10-million per year mark, say 4-years, $40 million, then the Wizards should think long and hard about matching, but then pull the trigger. If the contact offer starts to average crazy numbers past that, figure something else out… sign-and-trade or flat-out refusal to match. It’s worth it, for Washington, to let someone else set McGee’s market and then make a decision. However, this doesn’t mean McGee is currently off the trade block.

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[Antawn Jamison ponders the Wizards - photo: K. Weidie]

Tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Washington for a marquee match-up between struggling teams and former rivals. Though Soulja Boy is not expected to be in attendance, Antawn Jamison will be, playing in his first game in Washington since he was shipped out. Both teams look to snap losing streaks. Three questions, three answers, from three of your favorite people– John Krolik (@JohnKrolik) of ESPN TrueHoop blog Cavs: The Blog, and TAI’s Sam Permutt (@sammyvert) and Kyle Weidie (@truth_about_it) — right now.

#1) You’re Antawn Jamison, consummate professional and former All-Star power forward. The NBA has decided to merge the Cleveland and Washington teams. You get to pick four other players (point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and center) to start alongside you for the new and improved Wizaliers team. Who are you running with? And even with this merger, how successful can the Wizaliers team be?  Are they a playoff team? Championship contenders?

JOHN KROLIK: You also have horrible shot selection and terrible defense, and don’t pass if you’re Antawn Jamison. Anyways, you cheat and take John Wall for your point guard and Kyrie Irving for your shooting guard, take Anderson Varejao as your center, and reluctantly take Jan Vesely at the SF position. Unless John Wall can turn it around playing with Kyrie and Varejao, this team doesn’t come close to the playoffs.

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[We've posted this before, but why not again? ... Patrick Ewing enjoying a pre-game Pop Tart.]

On any given night, you can turn on SportsCenter and hear the names JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. McGee gets mentioned for his dazzling dunks and puzzling basketball decisions, and Howard, with his looming free agency sprinkled in with 20 point/20 rebound performances, is equally good ESPN fodder. Even as the Wizards and Magic prepare to face off for the third time this season, the names McGee and Howard are very much in the NBA news cycle.  McGee was benched during the second half of last night’s game against Milwaukee, and trade rumors with Howard’s name seem to be picking up steam. To get you ready for that and much more, Eddy Rivera (@erivera7) from the Orlando Magic ESPN TrueHoop blog MagicBasketball.net, and both Rashad Mobley (@Rashad20) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) from Truth About It, will give you three answers to three questions…

#1) Who has the tougher coaching job the second half of the season: Stan Van Gundy, who will have to endure “The Dwight Howard Situation” much like George Karl had to do with Carmelo Anthony last year? Or Randy Wittman, who is the coach of 7-27 team that has no shot of even sniffing the playoffs?

EDDY RIVERA: Wittman. Even with Dwight’s future in flux, at least Van Gundy has a roster full of players that are coachable and smart. Not to pick on the Wizards or anything, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve watched a team with so much talent waste it away because the collective basketball IQ is so low (Wall is being dragged down unfortunately).

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The Washington Wizards start the second half of their season to nowhere with the ol’ road-home back-to-back. Tonight they’re in Milwaukee, where they lost their third game in as many at the beginning of the season to the Bucks 102-81 (where Roger Mason Jr. also played without being eligible), and tomorrow night they return to D.C. to take on Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Want to check out some key Wizards mid-season stats? Click here. Otherwise, tonight’s 3-on-3 features Kevin Chouinard (@AnaheimAmigos) of Behind The Buck Pass, along with TAI’s Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) and Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It). Three questions, three answers starts now…

#1) Bucks PF Ersan Ilyasova is averaging 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds over his last five games, highlighted by 29 points and 25 rebounds in a recent win over the New Jersey Nets. Washington starting PF Trevor Booker has emerged as a key performer for the Wizards and is averaging 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds over his last 14 games. Which player will come out on top in their match up?

KEVIN CHOUINARD: Amazingly, both Ilyasova and Booker are 24 years old, even though Ersan debuted in the NBA back in 2006. Among qualified players, Ilyasova has the sixth-best rebounding percentage. He’s relentless at tipping the ball until he gets it. Ersan is also the Bucks’ best and savviest interior defender with Andrew Bogut out. On the other hand, Booker has a chance to develop in the ways that Ersan hasn’t. Booker is assertive in traffic; Ilyasova pump-fakes himself out of rhythm. He can’t catch the ball on the move, and he has zero post game. It’s all tip-ins and jump shots for Ersan.

ADAM McGINNIS: Both Ilyasova and Booker are playing some of the best basketball of their professional careers in the past month so this should be a key one-on-one battle. Ilyasova is a tough guard because he can scrap down low and has ability to knock down 3-pointers, shooting just under 39-percent from long range. Booker’s low-post game has improved; he is able to get shots off effectively with both hands and he is shooting a respectable 50-percent from 10-15 feet.  The key will be if Booker can stay out of foul trouble, as this plagued him in the Sacramento loss before the All-Star break and rendered him ineffective. Ilyasova will get his points but Booker will make him work for it, and Trevor will have a bounce back offensive back game.

KYLE WEIDIE: If Booker doesn’t have a vintage “Cook Book” game, I might start to become concerned. He needs to be a force like he was against the Heat on Feb. 10 to the tune 13 points and 15 boards. Booker won’t get a lot of plays run for him, which means he needs to create points by rebounding and finding the right areas to be the bailout pass for his teammates. More importantly, Booker needs to keep Ilyasova off the glass; at 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, Ilyasova shouldn’t be too much of a specimen for the 6-7, 240 pound Booker to handle. What concerns me is Ilyasova’s ability to spread the court; he is shooting 38.8-percent from deep on the season, and Trevor has the tendency to forget about shooters. Still, my hope is that Booker has the better night, especially since he wasn’t a starter the last time these two teams played.

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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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