[Jason Collins on the day he arrived in Washington after being traded to the Wizards from the Boston Celtics.]
He came to D.C. in a bizarre midseason trade, played all of six games, and scored a mere four points.
The most ever written about him on this site, until today: 128 words, in a recap of game 82.
Yet Jason Collins is destined to be the most remarkable unremarkable Wizard of all-time.
(And for a star-crossed franchise that’s boasted a constellation of characters, from a rising Gilbert Arenas to a fading Michael Jordan to a…whatever-the-heck Ledell Eackles was… well, that’s saying something.)
[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 74, Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls; contributors: Dan Diamond and Adam McGinnis from the Verizon Center, and Sean Fagan up I-95 in Brooklyn, N.Y.]
Entering Wednesday night, here are the NBA’s top five teams in defensive rating–a stat that measures opponents’ points per 100 possessions. Essentially, it’s a pure way to track which teams are best at keeping opponents’ points off the board.
[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 61, Washington Wizards vs. Charlotte Bobcats; contributors: Dan Diamond and Sean Fagan from the Phone Booth with John Converse Townsend from behind the television screen.]
[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 49, Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets; contributors: Dan Diamond and John Converse Townsend from the Verizon Center, with Sean Fagan from B-R-DOUBLE OH!-K-L-Y-N.]
[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 27, Washington Wizards vs Orlando Magic; contributors: Dan Diamond and Conor Dirks from the Verizon Center.]
After another tough loss on Saturday night—a game where the Wizards fell behind the Detroit Pistons by as many as 22 points, before clawing back to lose by only nine—Washington’s players and staff dutifully trooped in front of the microphones.
Reporters’ questions were predictable. Do the players lack confidence? (The players’ answer: No.) Would a healthy John Wall make a difference? (Players’ answer: Yes.)
For three straight years, they drafted high in the lottery, nabbing a trio of coveted players: A sure-fire star who’d dazzled college basketball in his one season as a freshman. Next, a terrific athlete with great energy and defensive presence. Finally, a scorer who made the game look easy.
Of course, there was no guarantee that these lottery tickets would pay off.
But that team—the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder franchise—somehow hit the jackpot on all three.
The Washington Wizards, with their own collection of youngsters … haven’t. Read more »
[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 26, Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers; contributors: Dan Diamond, John Converse Townsend and Kyle Weidie from behind the television screen.]
