Posts for category ‘dominic mcguire’

Well, I’m not doing a game blog for the Wizards-Hornets match-up……which was soooo last year……because I actually attended the game. I’m down South visiting family for the new year, and my pops lives a couple hours from New Orleans (he’s a Hornets fan), so it was natural that we attended the game.

So in place of a game blog, me and my amateur photography skills present a photographic slide show of what I saw:

Game Observations:

• Gilbert Arenas was on the bench during the first half……I can’t remember if he was there for the 3rd quarter or not, but he was definitely absent for most of the 4th and down the stretch.

• Ivan Carter questioned Southeastern Conference loyalty when the local LSU fans booed players from Alabama’s football team in attendance (and then chanted “L-S-U! L-S-U!)…….but Carter forgot to mention that there’s more passion than usual between these two teams. LSU fans absolutely hate former coach Nick Saban with a passion (starting when he left the program to coach the Miami Dolphins). That hatred was magnified once Saban returned to the SEC to coach ‘Bama.

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The Wizards ended their eight game losing streak and much of the credit goes to the effort of Dominic McGuire (although my game ball would still go to Antawn Jamison). You can check the Wizards-Thunder game blog over at Bullets Forever, but as far as Dominic McGuire aka The Taser, aka The Cleaner, is concerned, the highlight clip below speaks for itself.

Web Hits:

[Wizards Insider]
The more I see McGuire, the more he reminds of Ruben Patterson (on the court) except that he’s a better passer.

[Washington Times]
The Wizards were not in a celebratory mood after raising their record to 5-23. They seemed more relieved than anything, knowing a loss at home to the Thunder (3-28) would have been the lowest point yet in a season of lows.

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“It’s ‘Groundhog Day,’ man.” -Antawn Jamison

That pretty much sums it up…..no need to further dissect Sunday’s loss against Dallas.

You can check the Wizards-Mavericks game 25 blog on Bullets Forever, and Jake’s recap.

I also exchanged a blogger Q&A with Dallas Dedicated — their answers about the Mavs are posted here — you can find my return answers about the Wizards there.

Otherwise…..good luck against the Charlotte Bobcats tonight, the Wizards always need it.

As you probably know, DeShawn Stevenson is out (of the starting lineup), Dominic McGuire is, perhaps, in…..got anything to air out? Might as well do it now before turning over a new leaf in about eight days.

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Hey…..did you guys know that the Wizards beat the Pistons [game blog on Bullets Forever]? In the midst of yesterday’s trade frenzy, I was unable to get down any thoughts on the game.

Once again, the Wiz had to claw their way back. In the first meeting with Detroit, they had to fight back just to be down 10, 31-21, at the end of the first quarter (the Wiz had been down 17 at the 3:30 mark). So, after putting themselves in a 29-14 hole after one quarter on Tuesday, you’ll have to excuse me if I wasn’t exactly confident in the ability to get a win.

But the team kept fighting, and that’s the main reason why people are saying that the Wizards are a much better team than their 4-15 record.

The Washington Post’s Ivan Carter especially noted Darius Songaila’s bucket to put the Wiz up 6 with 2:08 in the 4th as the turning point. I guess timeouts work because it wasn’t 20 seconds prior that the Pistons got three chances at the hoop, converting on the third, capping a quick 8-2 run in 2:15 to bring the Pistons within two points. But Tapscott halted play, Wes Unseld Jr. drew it up, and D-Song came to the rescue.

To withstand a final push from the Pistons and live to tell about it was huge for the psyche of the team.

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As for figuratively stinking, I’ll leave that to the Washington Wizards as a team.

Last night against the Miami Heat, as players were getting settled on the bench for the commencement of the 3rd quarter, Andray Blatche decided to unleash a dirty bomb upon his teammates, Nick Young and Dominic McGuire.

Luckily, there is documentation on the reaction stages of Nick Young.

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Here, Nick is just catching a whiff of…..something. He’s somewhat sure about from which direction the emission is coming, but considers it a head-scratcher nonetheless. One cannot help but notice that even Blatche has a hard time dealing with his own “spirits.”

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“C’mon man!” was the lip read I got. The stench just hit Young hard. Seems like it’s fully entrenched in his throat. He desperately grabs for his shirt. That is a sour-puss stink-face if I’ve ever seen one. Andray Blatche is apathetic towards the plight of Young.

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Young seeks relief in the smell of his own sweat (unless he powdered up in the locker room during intermission). Dominic McGuire remains stoic with his Jamie Foxx look.

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Team Name: The Washington Bullets/Wizards
Last Years Record: 43-39
Key Losses: Roger Mason, Jr. (free agency to Spurs)
Key Additions: Dee Brown, Juan Dixon (free-agents), and JaVale McGee (drafted out of Nevada)

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

The Wizards re-signed both Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison to big contracts……controversial among some, but I was more than happy to have them back at whatever the cost. I’d rather take my chances on hope with them than dealing with a greater uncertainty without them.

Gone is hometown hero, Roger Mason Junior, who played his way to a nice contract with the Spurs in filling in for an injured Gilbert Arenas last season. Many fans, myself included, wanted to keep him, but the Wizards just couldn’t afford 2-years and $7.3 million while staying out of luxury tax territory.

Added is Juan Dixon, who is supposed to fill in for an injured Arenas this year, quick PG Dee Brown all the way from Turkey, and young JaVale McGee, “The Choppa”, via the NBA draft. I’m hoping that Dixon and Brown, as a two-headed monster, will better replace what the Wizards lost in Mason. I’ll admit that I wasn’t exactly thrilled when Ernie Grunfeld took McGee on draft night (I wanted Mario Chalmers), but I’ve flipped a 180 due to McGee’s preseason play….another reason to trust Grunfeld, The Closer.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

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The Washington Wizards came up short in summer league game number two, just as they did in game one. This time, the youngsters of the Philadelphia 76ers prevailed. You can find the blog for game one against Portland on Bullets Forever….along with an in-depth analysis of JaVale McGee’s defense from that game. As for game two, the show is below.

Quarter One

Andray Blatche isn’t ready for the tip to start. Great.

First curiosity….JaVale McGee isn’t starting, but I don’t think it means much…. Eddie Jordan simply wants to see Andray Blatche at the center. Dominic McGuire is at the 4 spot, and Gary Forbes steps in at the 3. Dee Brown and Nick Young are the guards.

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Round three of the Wizards 07-08 player evaluations is on. Bullets Forever is the head honcho on this whole thing, so be sure and check out the thoughts of the Pradamaster and JakeTheSnake on Dominic McGuire (as well as my thoughts….which are also below).

Previous Entries: Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov
Up Next: Nick Young

Dominic McGuire….Code Name: The Cleaner. I really liked this kid’s energy coming off the bench. He always seemed ready to contribute with his full effort, while learning on the job. I didn’t watch all of his goof-around videos with Nick Young, but every observation of McGuire on the court led me to believe that he’s a mature, composed guy, ready to be coached.

The Cleaner earned his moniker by doing just that…..cleaning the glass for rebounds. McGuire really amazed me at times with his ability to sky for the ball in traffic….something he’ll be able to do with more authority once he adds some NBA strength. Dominic leaves a ton to be desired on offense, and his turnover rate is horrible (20.3), but his handles are adequate and hopefully hard off-season work with Dave Hopla will lead to an improved jumper….a lot of work (38.3 eFG% and 43.8 FT% in 07-08).

McGuire transferred from Cal to Fresno State after the 04-05 season. Draft Express has relayed that there were some “minor off the court rumblings” in terms of maturity level from his days in Berkley. Other reports say that it was Ben Braun’s “system” which led to D-Mac’s departure. Still, more say that with blue-chip recruit Leon Powe joining the Golden Bears, the writing in regard to McGuire’s dwindling playing time was the wall. Research on further fodder became too meticulous. Regardless, I think Ernie Grunfeld got himself a helluva steal by taking McGuire with the 47th pick.

D-Mac has been compared to several NBA players: Andrei Kirilenko (CBS Sportsline); Trevor Ariza (NBADraft.net); to Danny Granger [best case] and Rolando Balkman [worst case] (Draft Express). I once considered the possibility that D-Mac could be the next Shawn Marion…I’m not so sure now as D-Mac needs to be able to stay with small forwards/big guards on D, along with the ability to knock down the trey, to meet the Marion comparison (along with that of Danny Granger). The defensive part is attainable…..in regards to a jumper, I’d be ecstatic if Dominic McGuire could develop a similar shot to Darius Songaila. Keep an eye on The Cleaner in the summer league.

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Ron Thompson on Comcast with his “Ronny’s” tonight…..some type of award with a creative nickname.

The Warrior Award: DeShawn Stevenson – agreed. My 2nd place would be Antawn Jamison
Most Improved: Roger Mason – agreed again. Just as Ron said, it was a difficult choice between Mase-ON and Brendan Haywood.
Mr. Dependable: Obviously Jamison.
Mr. Complete: Caron Butler
(I’m beginning to think that they selected players first, and then named awards according to their games.)
The Overachiever: Eddie Jordan – I’m caught on this award. I hate to call Eddie an “overachiever” for doing his job and being the good coach that I know he is, and whom I’ve supported, from Day 1.

Anyway, the game…

This is the Pacers ‘De La Soul’ game….you know, the Stakes Is High. If they lose, they can pretty much count on watching the playoffs from home. And that’s fine with me, I’d rather see the Atlanta Hawks step up to bat. The task won’t be easy, Danny Granger has been killing lately (much less being an upcoming Wizards Killer, a la Mo Williams) and both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler will be resting injuries tonight.

Quarter One

10:33: Dunleavy is Mr. Go-Hard at Antawn Jamison, getting a bucket and later, a two foul shots. Bout time, for a #3 overall pick. 4-4 game.

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Word on the street is that Dominic McGuire and Roger Mason Jr. both have new nicknames. You see, Nancy, the DC Sports Bog reader sponsored some prizes and a contest was born. I initially campaigned for ‘Taser’ (made popular on Bullets Forever) as McGuire’s nickname. However, in the spirit of competition, I started suggesting more possibilities. Now for the results (decided by Nancy herself this past Friday night):

Roger Mason Jr.
1st Place: Tres (WizardsExtreme.com)
2nd Place: Dr. Tre (Ahern Inquirer)
Personally, I still like the Potomac Rainmaker – seems like Mason’s nickname needs to have a hometown flavor. Then again, Antonio Daniels was on TV the other night saying that the players call him Mase-ON.

Dominic McGuire
1st Place: The Cleaner (yours truly)
2nd Place: McFly (CK in GA from VA)
3rd Place: LiveWire (doclinkin)

Now, I’m sure there are some out there who disagree with Nancy’s decision (more words from the street indicate that MacGuyver was also popular for D-Mac)……but it is what it is. Who knows? One day there may be a web poll allowing for a democratic decision. But this time, Nancy was Queen. So, in honor of Dominic McGuire’s new nickname, I present this photoshop:

A) D-Mac needs to work out more….he’s starting to look like Cedric the Entertainer.
B) That one Wizards dancer has an abnormally long arm. Read more »

Business First

Steinberg’s DC Sports Bog and Nancy the reader are holding a contest to nickname Dominic McGuire and Roger Mason, Jr. – Bullets Forever gave me the heads-up…..as our friend the Vanilla Gorilla has already coined the nickname “Taser” for D-Mac. (of course, inspired by the infamous ‘Don’t Tase Me Bro’ skit/stunt). Well, what would Dominic McGuire do under similar circumstances? Judging from the photo below, D-Mac would gladly be tased broseph…..leading one to think that he just may be partial to his potential new nickname: The Taser

The Celtics Game

Solid win for the Wizards last night. [Live Blog on Bullets Forever] Regardless of the quality of the opponent, I was especially proud of the team effort and the ability the Wizards showed in sustaining a couple Boston runs. My boy Adam aka infrequent poster, the Stubborn Old Man, sent me an email right after the game which summed it up best:

After watching tonight’s game versus the Celtics I am convinced that the Wizards are capable of competing with and beating any team in the league. What kills me is our inability to put forth the same effort, focus and concentration regardless of our opponent.

Last week versus the Bucks, we had Milwaukee dead in the water, but for whatever reason we allowed the lowly Bucks to erase a double digit lead and snatch a victory out of the jaws of defeat. Tonight versus a much better and deeper Celtics team we withstood the inevitable “run” and made shots when we needed to and pulled out a nice 14 point victory.

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Pretty good Wizards Insider entry today by Ivan Carter. As were others who commented on the post, I was taken aback upon reading that Ivan was surprised when a scout recently told him that he believed Caron Butler was one of the league’s most improved players. Tuff Juice’s numbers have increased almost across the board, as I pointed out in my argument that Caron Butler should be the first NBA Eastern Conference All-Star reserve selected. But the numbers are only half the story. It’s pretty easy to see that his maturity level has blossomed by simply observing his court presence and how he has stepped up in the absence of Gilbert Arenas. People are starting to associate his name with words like reliable, solid, leader, and gamer much more; and it’s very close to being franchise, superstar, and untradeable. He might not get voted most improved player, but the scout is right.

Being a Pro [Ivan Carter, Washington Post Wizards Insider]

It was discussed above in Wizards Insider, and in a recent Washington Post article as well, but the Wizards’ veterans in the locker room have decided to reign in the young cats.

“….Jamison, Stevenson, Butler and Antonio Daniels were not happy when they walked into the locker room Sunday morning and saw how Blatche, Young and McGuire were getting ready for the game — joking, laughing and not concentrating on basketball.”

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