Posts for category ‘Chicago Bulls’

The Wizards lost in typical Wizards fashion on Friday against the Chicago Bulls. Through three quarters, they fought hard against a team with playoff urgency … well, actually, the Bulls never really looked like a playoff team. But still, it wasn’t too shabby for the Wiz to be down just 76-75 after three quarters to a team 14 better in the win column.

Then the fourth quarter came. Before it started, Washington had 19 assists to nine turnovers and out-scored Chicago 40-32 in the paint as well as 19-10 on second chance points.

But in the final period, the Wizards didn’t score until the 8:29 mark when Fabrico Oberto hit a couple free-throws, and only scored two points on a couple free-throws after the 4:26 mark. Overall, Washington only made two field-goals and were out-scored 19-12 by Chicago to close out the game 95-87.

So what was the problem?

Read more »

The piece below originally appeared in the February 23, 2010 edition of ESPN’s Daily Dime.

Believe it or not, Flip Saunders is a relieved man. Out the door are the failed expectations of the previously constructed team. Now he can get back to what he likes to do, teaching.

Watch the Wizards coach on the sidelines now. He’s taking time to talk to his young players immediately after subbing them out the game. He’s pointing and instructing, imploring his students to do the same with each other. It’s not like Flip wasn’t giving it his coaching all before, it’s just that now he doesn’t have to stand by while the fruits of his labor go untrusted by inflexible veterans whose play insisted they knew better.

“Well, I could always apply for a job as an air traffic controller,” said Saunders when asked how his in-game teaching has increased after the Wizards’ flurry of recent trades. Since, his team has gone 3-1, defeating the Chicago Bulls 101-95 on Monday night. “As a coach, that’s what you kind of enjoy. You live for those types of things, especially when you have a group that we have. They want to learn. So when you tell them something, they’re trusting. When you get your players to trust what you’re doing, what happens is they do it a lot more aggressively and you usually have a little better outcome.”

Read more »

I don’t want to pick on Randy Foye. He’s a good guy who wants to succeed in the most honorable way possible. His numbers have also been admirable as of late. Over the last five games, Foye has averaged 20.6 points, 7.8 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 4.0 rebounds and a block and a steal. So, I can’t exactly blame Foye for having the ball in his hands at the end of regulation, the first overtime AND the second overtime with the game on the line, but I can blame the Wizards as a team for putting Foye in those situations.

It’s absolutely unfathomable that neither Antawn Jamison nor Caron Butler — the stars, the studs, the captains, and perhaps two Wizards in the midst of their swan songs with the franchise — had the ball in their hands in any of those crucial waning moments where the game was lost, but could have been won. Remember the game winners Caron Butler hit against Toronto and Indiana last season? I do.

But the Wizards fought the whole way. Butler, Jamison and Brendan Haywood combined for 77 points, 46 rebounds and 159 minutes. The team limited turnovers, only six, and shared the ball to the tune of 23 assists. The bench didn’t provide much, aside from an eight point flash from Earl Boykins, and got outscored 27-14. Andray Blatche put up a stat line of three missed shots, two rebounds and three fouls in 10 minutes.

The Wizards lost 121-119 to the Bulls in double-overtime. Oh well, nothing new. It bes like that sometimes. Read more »

flickr/Keith Allison

If the Washington Wizards prefer to lie amongst the weeds and surprise everyone, a panel of 53 ESPN experts is trying to make that happen (despite the Wizards being voted by the same ESPN panel to have the biggest turnaround this upcoming season).

Tied with both Philadelphia and Toronto to achieve 39 wins, and finish seventh through ninth in the East (the averages actually break out to PHI – 39.4, WAS – 39.1, TOR – 39.0), the ESPN panel believes that the Wizards will be fighting just to make the playoffs.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and The Wages of Wins Journal both seem to think the Wiz will be significantly better than sub-40 wins, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe some of the ESPN experts think the Wizards’ defense won’t be up to par, or that their frontcourt is too thin and they desperately need an upgrade. Of course, when Mike Prada of Bullets Forever wrote the two previously linked pieces, he had improving the team to compete for a championship in mind, not so they can solidify a playoff position. Still, both defense and frontcourt are valid areas of concern.

Read more »

He came in cool wearing black and chewing gum.

The headlines today say that Obama should attend more Wizards games…..sure, why not?

But dammit if the Wizards shouldn’t give that kind of effort and energy all the time…..the guy only lives in the same city.

But props to the President….he sat court side, had himself a beer, and seemed to take a bit of heckling well (he was openly cheering for the Bulls).

Read more »

Preparations and giddily being made for a possible Barack Obama visit to the Verizon Center this evening where his hometown Chicago Bulls will attempt to propel an orange sphere into a metallic ring tinseled with nylon.

While the President can fill football stadiums, he’ll probably only muster around 8,000 or so to come see him possibly watch what could be considered a basketball game.

The Washington Wizards, who have been seen performing acts that resemble the game of basketball at various times during the season should be in attendance. However, there is no word if the team will show up on the court.

Read more »

Last night was the first time this season that I just watched the game, instead of trying to take notes/blog during. I can’t say whether it caused me to have a different perspective, but it led me to finally conclude: we are just a bunch of losers (oh, the “we” thing….no, I’m not on the Wizards, nor part of the franchise, but I am a fan, and “with” the team in good times and in bad).

You might be asking yourself what took me so long to come to said conclusion? Sure, the Wizards have been bad pretty much all year, but there have been signs of hope. And despite Mike Wise writing off this season as an inevitable mulligan four days ago (although technically not a “do-over”), some, perhaps myself included, thought that the Wizards could come together as a team, show some spry, accumulate some wins, and then look up and see themselves suddenly in a playoff chase.

Not so, not so at all. I’m not going to call out veterans like Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison for not trying. No, they’re out there, seemingly giving it their all. And I’m not going to call anyone else out for misplaced effort. Well, maybe Andray Blatche…I mean does the picture below look like a guy who is ready to play a basketball game?

Last night, it was the little things that you don’t think about, a bobble of the ball, a travel, that led me to succumb to the thought of writing the entire 2008-2009 season off. I twittered this, and even made the same comment on the Bullets Forever game thread, but I’ll reiterate: The Washington Wizards are simply stuck in a state of mental absence from the game of basketball.

Read more »

Over the years, we’ve become accustomed to seeing Antonio Daniels put his body on the line in driving to the basket. And usually, he is able to draw a foul with his flailing, controlled recklessness. But against Ben Gordon and the Chicago Bulls, AD was getting no love from the refs, which led to the face below.

No, Daniels isn’t smiling as he almost appears to be, that’s a look of pain….pain caused by Gordon throwing his shit in the other direction. See for yourself.

Some have cried foul, but it looks clean to me. AD hobbled around the court for a bit after this incident and then left the game early with a bruised tailbone.

Read more »

Q1

JaVale McGee starts off:

• Blocking a Gooden hook shot on help side.
• Blocking a Derrick Rose layup attempt and then Rose’s jump shot on a recovery.
• We haven’t played a minute yet.

10:37: Deng blows by Butler, slashing to the basket in transition. Caron, in my opinion, exerts a minimal amount of effort. 4-3 Bulls.

9:33: McGee closes out fast and gets a 4th block on Gooden’s jumper.

Read more »

People are beginning to question the decision-making of new Washington Wizards coach, Ed Tapscott, leading some to wonder if he’ll even make it through the season.

For those not local to the DC area, and thus not frequent viewers of Washington Wizards games on Comcast, each game, Legal Sea Foods sponsors a “Question of the Night.”

I think last night’s LSF question speaks for itself.

Now, Steve Buckhantz went on to clarify that the question didn’t necessarily mean hired and fired in the same season, and that’s why Bernie Bickerstaff, now an assistant for the Chicago Bulls, was eligible to be the answer. Nevertheless, not a good sign for Tapscott.

Read more »