Posts for category ‘eddie jordan’

If a letter from Steve Buckhantz to The Dagger can’t help the Wizards win, then nothing will.

At the end of game blog #8, I felt compelled to write this as a knee-jerk reaction:

Do I feel the same way today? The jury is still out. I certainly won’t staunchly stand by the theory that nothing matters…..of course a variety of factors add up to results. However, when it comes to the equation of Wizards and losing, I simply can’t put my finger on the root. Maybe I’m just looking to lower expectations in order to minimize disappointment. Either way, I’m at a loss. But I’ve invested a lot of time in this franchise over the years, and exponentially more in the past 14 months…..so, I’m not giving up on the team I love, neither now, nor ever.

The Buzz: Eddie Jordan’s Quote (via The Washington Post):

“This team is built for Gilbert Arenas to lead us, this team is built for our all-star forwards to do certain offensive things for us and for Brendan Haywood to have a career year manning the middle for us,” Jordan said. “We don’t have those things. You’re asking people to do things that they are not capable of doing. They are not capable of carrying the load for us like a Dwyane Wade, like a Gilbert Arenas. You’ve got young guys who aren’t going to make veteran plays night in, night out. They’re going to be good here and there, so to be in the game is a credit to everyone in our organization right now. It’s eight games into the season and you’ve got to be positive but you’ve also got to be realistic about things. That’s where we are.”

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The 2007-2008 history between the Washington Wizards and the Miami Heat was posted prior to Friday’s game. The history of this season? Well, it’s only a couple days old. Read the full Heat-Wizards game 7 blog if you’d like, but all you need to know about the embarrassing 97-71 loss is the 20-3 run that Miami went on to end the 3rd quarter, after the Wizards had a couple chances to cut the Heat lead to four points.

Strong words were uttered in the aftermath. The Wizards claim to know the salve that can cure what ails them, but knowing and and applying are two different things. The Miami Heat have gone 1-4 on the road this season, being defeated by an average of 10 points in the four losses. If the Wizards once again struggle and the game is close throughout, you may want to put your money on the team with the bona fide superstar.

Game Day Reading:

• The Wizards have played the fewest games in the league so far and that has been a recipe for inconsistent, often disjointed basketball. Even after putting things together and earning their first win of the season over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, the Wizards came out flat and were beaten in every aspect during Friday’s 97-77 loss in Miami.
  [Wizards Eager to Find Rhythm - The Washington Post]

• [Eddie] Jordan highlighted rebounding as the area requiring the highest priority, impressing upon his guards to get into the mix rather than letting the post players go after errant shots. Judging by the tempo of the past two practices, the Wizards said they feel more focused and energized as they prepare for a rematch with the Heat.
  [Wizards looking for redemption - The Washington Times]

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“Nothing is missing; guys have just got to take pride in what they’re doing. I can take guys playing hard for 48 minutes and the other team finding a way to get it done, but we’ve got to have some pride. To let them play as physical as they did and outrebound us the way they did … that’s not what this team is all about…..So, nothing is missing – guys just aren’t doing it. Nothing is missing at all – and that comes not from the coaches, not from the front office. I have to get these guys to play night in and night out.” -A fuming Antawn Jamison via The Washington Times

“The truth is told out there. If you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing out there, you’ll play. . . . Everybody knows. People can see who is playing well and who isn’t.” -Caron Butler on accountability via The Washington Post

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Frustration, depression, and finger pointing are being constructed in Wizards Nation. It’s not a huge project, and it can be torn down at any minute, but right now, building losses are wasting the time of all those involved.

The veteran contractors, as quoted above, are starting to speak out in the local rags. But the quandary is who’s the focus of the ‘not pulling their weight’ accusations. The likes of Antawn Jamison are more than willing to shoulder the load of motivational responsibility…..but the reality is, you win and lose as a team.

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Downtown Miami – flickr/anonymonk

For the longest time the Miami Heat had the number of the Washington Wizards. Remember the Wizards when Gilbert Arenas was playing and the team was winning? Yea, those Wizards. Well, when it comes to last year….sorry suckers. SWEEP!

Game time soon….quick history from 07-08:

Game 22: Washington Wizards @ Miami Heat – Dec. 13, 2007
Missed the game, but the game blog was covered by AJ. Wiz came out in the first aggressive on D and running….got them to a 12-point lead after one. As the game would continue, the Wiz held control for the most part with Miami making a run every now and then. Caron Butler started out slow, but caught fire in the 3rd quarter. Ultimately, the final score made the game seem closer than it was; the Wizards had some chances to blow the Heat out of the water. This was also one of those “DeShawn Stevenson playing out his ass” games as he went 6-12 from three point range. Wizards 104 – Heat 91

Game 29: Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat – Dec. 29, 2007
Missed this game too….wedding…thank god I have a DVR for this season (I know, I’m a laggard). All you really need to know about this one is that Ricky Davis led the Heat in scoring with 22 points and Luke Jackson was second with 14 — and Dwyane Wade did play (ouch for them). The Wizards also got 42 points from their bench. Wizards 96 – Heat 74

Game 68: Washington Wizards @ Miami Heat – March 21, 2008
What do you know….I missed this game too…my Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament took precedent. Didn’t miss much….let’s see, the Heat at one point had five former NBDL players on the court (not NBDL vets from a previous season….from that season). Nick Young didn’t play because of a bruised thigh, and Caron Butler led the Wizards with 25 point, perhaps taking out anger at the fact that UConn got upset by San Diego in the tournament. Wizards 103 – Heat 86

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I hear the calling. It reminds me of around a quarter past eleven on Election Tuesday in my neck of DC…..the emissions of excitement I could hear out my apartment window coming from the buildings around me and the streets below. Ok…..well maybe I don’t hear it that much, but people really want JaVale McGee to start. From the distinguished Mike Wise, to the pragmatic Pradamaster at Bullets Forever, to the feigning rationality of Michael Wilbon, the call to get to the Choppa (JaVale McGee) is loud and clear.

With the movement among the blogosphere and MSMers full steam ahead, I’ve like to offer my alternative opinion. And not to say that I’m completely against inserting JaVale McGee into the starting lineup, it’s just doesn’t need to happen……yet. Here are five reasons for feeling the way I do:

A lot of people are drooling over JaVale McGee today (myself included….and justifiably so). The poll on the Wiz-Jazz game blog at Bullets Forever even indicates that McGee should be last night’s player of the game. I will politely disagree. Yes, the Wizards would not have won with game without the young Choppa, but my game MVP is none other than Antawn Jamison.

The Gentleman Jamison spoke words about the attitude in the locker room and backed them up. Statistically, it wasn’t one of his better games….AJ’s stat line actually teeters on mundane (for his standard). But he made his presence felt…..Jamison was all over the court, getting his hands on loose balls, hitting a huge trey, and overall, TCOB.

The Most Important Stat: Sure, the Wizards out-rebounded, out-stole, and out-blocked the Jazz, but getting to the free-throw line was crucial. I noticed that for about 95% of the night, the Wizards refused to settle and were persistent in getting into the paint….which led to the Wiz shooting 40 free-throws. But the key part, unlike in the Milwaukee game, was that Washington took advantage of getting to the line and made their free-throws, sinking 32 to shoot 80%.

A game to build upon? We can only wait and see. (oh yea, this also happened)

Who Said What From Around The World Wide Web:
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Utah Jazz State of Mind: Salt Lake City Mountains
flickr/crotaphytus

The Washington Wizards faced the Utah Jazz twice last season and lost both times….here’s what happened:

Game 45: Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards – Feb. 1, 2008
Washington entered a Friday night matchup against visiting Utah with 24 wins on the season. The Wizards started out fast and furious, fueled by a playoff-like atmosphere in the Verizon, and the fact that the game was televised nationally on ESPN. The Wiz led 21-11 at the end of the first, Antawn Jamison outscoring the Jazz himself with 13 points. For the first half, the Wizards held the Jazz to a paltry 36.6% from the floor, but Utah used a 12-0 run in the latter part of the 2nd quarter to keep the Wizards lead to one at intermission.

In the 2nd half, Andray Blatche started off hot….so much that I said I wouldn’t trade him for Pau Gasol….ahh, those were the days. Even though neither team was shooting particularly well, Utah’s offense was efficient, getting assists on 23 out of 26 field goals at one point. Early in the 4th quarter, ESPN reported that the attention craving Gilbert Arenas announced he would return to the court against the New Orleans Hornets on March 2nd…..things went downhill from there. Hubie Brown commented that the Jazz were playing normal basketball while the Wizards had to fight and scrap for everything. Game, Set, Match. Utah Jazz 96 – Washington Wizards 87.

Game 74: Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz – March 31, 2008
Going into this game, I knew that the Wizards would be without both Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels….yet, I still had hope. Well, that pretty much got thrown out the door after one quarter of Boozer and Okur killing en route to a 31-22 Jazz lead. The 2nd quarter wasn’t any better as the Jazz moved the ball extremely well and built a 46-24 lead within the first four minutes….about the time when Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier mailed the game in. The 3rd quarter was just insulting….peddle to the metal all the way for Utah. Going into the 4th, the Jazz were +39 in points, +23 in assists, and +15 in rebounds. The Wizards lost the 4th quarter 24-21 and couldn’t escape SLC fast enough. Utah Jazz 129 – Washington Wizards 87.

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Yep, that’s how I feel today.

Unexpectedly went to the Wizards-Knicks game last night (big ups to my friend Rob who called with the extra ticket….ups also to Rob’s friend Jo(h)n, from whom Rob got the ticket)….took a bunch of pictures, drank some Crown & Cokes, have some thoughts.

I’ll get a game blogish/defensive analysis up on Bullets Forever later (home game blogs are on BF this season, you’ll find the away games here on Truth About It), but until then, I wanted to get up a post on the best game recaps from around the web.

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• The Wizards and Knicks played at such a rapid pace last night, about the only thing in the building that did not bust a sweat was the 24-second shot clock.
  [Knicks' Pace Too Quick for Wizards - Washington Post]

• Another appropriate adjective would have been frustrating. The Wizards outrebounded the Knicks and outscored them in the paint and on second-chance opportunities – all by double-digit margins. But trailing in two other categories – 3-pointers and assists – sunk the Wizards in a 114-108 loss at Verizon Center that dropped them to 0-4.
  [Knicks streak past winless Wizards - Washington Times]

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The Wizards only played the Knicks three times during the 07-08 season, and lost twice to a New York team that only finished with 23 wins on the year. Here’s what happened (after the pic):

[source: flickr/cougar-studio]

• Game 37: Wizards @ New York Knicks – Jan. 15, 2008
  Antonio Daniels had a sore knee so Roger Mason Jr. got the starting nod, and he did not disappoint, knocking down 8 of 14 shots for 20 points. But as they have the propensity to do, the Wizards got off to a bad start, down 30-14 after one quarter…..perhaps it was the empty airplane hanger-like atmosphere in the Garden. Behind a strong 2nd quarter where “I Get Buckets Son” hit three 3s, the Wiz were down 51-41 at the half. After three, the Knick lead was cut to 5. But in the end, the Wizards were out rebounded, out assisted, out shot, and looked worn down after coming off amazing back-to-back wins against the Celtics. Jamal Crawford torched the Wiz for 29 points en route to a 105-93 New York win over Washington.

• Game 38: Washington Wizards vs. Knicks – Jan. 18, 2008
  So, three days later, the Wiz got their shot at redemption in the confines of the Verizon Center. The first quarter ended with both teams scoring in bunches, and shooting over 63%; the Knicks held the lead 32-28. In the 2nd quarter, Caron Butler showed some hustle swag to put the Wiz up 61-57 at the half. Washington built their lead to 12 at the end of 3 with solid defense by DeShawn Stevenson on Jamal Crawford, and some strong contributions from Big Oily, Oleksiy Pecherov, off the bench. The Knicks cut the Wizards lead to 4 early in the 4th, but Caron Butler (22 points), Antawn Jamison (32 points), and the bench (30 points) ensured the win for the Wizards, 111-98 over the Knicks.

• Game 53: Washington Wizards vs. Knicks – Feb. 19, 2008
  I missed this game because of a trip to Argentina (thanks for my friend Chris for picking up the slack on the game blog)….evidently Art Monk was in attendance, as was Alexander Ovechkin, who at one point was shown on TV slipping the tongue to a blond chick (I’m assuming his now wife?). Antawn Jamison tried his best (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals), but the Wizards could not overcome the absence of Caron Butler, who was out due to injury. Jamal Crawford missed a chance to put the Knicks up one with 19 seconds left in regulation when he only made 1 of 2 free-throws. With the score tied at 90, the ball was in the hands of Antonio Daniels….not good and you can guess the result. The Knicks would outscore the Wizards 23-10 in OT for the 113-100 win.

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Ok….I’m not one to throw in the towel, but I couldn’t help feeling as I watched the Wizards-Bucks game that a win would be a bonus, and not anything to expect. I don’t want to get into deep analysis on the game three loss, so here are some bulleted observations:

• Andray Blatche is getting his fair share of chances and is not taking advantage of them.

• He severely lacks blocking-out fundamentals — Somebody teach him….PLEASE!! Tony Massenburg? Wes Unseld?
• Blatche is trying to do too much — I’m not sure what needs to happen for Andray to let the game come to him.

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Bridge to Nowhere in Milwaukee? flickr/Zack K

NEW FEATURE: Andray Blatche Threat Level Color Coded Alert System.

Ok….I’m glad they’re starting Andray Blatche (Etan Thomas is out with an ankle….Michael Redd is also out for the Bucks with an ankle). I still got hope for the kid and this time, it’s hope that this elevated status, and past poor performance of course, drive him to succeed.

If I could think of the perfect two words to describe Scott Skiles, it would be ‘piss ant’

Q1

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Walter Herrmann on Fire – flickr/Vedia

Flickr tells me that the above picture is none other than Walter Herrmann….and I have to believe it. Something tells me that old school Walter Herrmann would totally have a hair-doo like Guile from Street Fighter only to go with the ‘Fabio’ look we’re graced with today.

So a guy with a pony-tail goes off on the Wizards and everyone becomes a drama queen. I mean just look at the picture….the guy is about to dunk with a ball on f-ing fire! It’s no wonder that Herrmann was hitting trey balls and finger rolls on the Wiz. For all we know, he could be the Argentinian Chuck Norris.

Plus, the dude has been through a TON in his life that not many can imagine. In July 2003, Herrmann lost his mother, younger sister, and girlfriend all in the same car crash. Exactly a year later, he had one of the best games of his career, 38 points and 11 rebounds, in leading Argentina in the South American Championships. After the game, he found out that his father had died of a heart-attack.

So, from a guy who almost quit the game of basketball, but was encouraged not to by his older sister, to starring in the NBA today. If such a game had to happen against the Wizards, then so be it.

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An old prophet once said, “I need you to do two things, be real with me, and be real with yourself.” You know who that prophet was? Jesus. Wait….no it wasn’t…..it was my old college roommate. No matter, a couple of Washington Wizards are having serious issues with this concept.

Case Study #1: Andray Blatche

Ok, I don’t recall every chance that Andray Blatche had to block out….maybe that’s something I should pay closer attention to in the future since it’s a problematic area for him. Remember, Blatche only played 3:49 seconds in the final preseason game specifically because he badly missed block-out assignments on two consecutive trips. Doing such a horrendous job in that one instance against the Nets, at such an important stretch of the game, would not lead me to think he did “well” at boxing out. Bigger picture….if turnovers are the only area in which Andray Blatche didn’t fare well last night, then we’ve got a problem with Blatche’s own assessment of his game. How are you going to improve if you’re not your own biggest critic?

Case Study #2: Gilbert Arenas

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This Wizards team has me changing directions more times than Jack Nicholson in that maze scene at the end of The Shining. Turn one corner and things look familiarly optimistic…..turn another and I wonder if I’ve just gone in a full circle….returning to the mid-90s. I look down and I’m wearing a red Bullets Starter jacket and some Tims. I grab my DiscMan, pop in Return To The 36 Chambers, and it’s time to go to school.

Uhhh…..no. It’s Thursday morning and I have the privilege of working at a desk in a building all day. Hey, at least my pockets are straight…..well, more like wrinkled with the standard wadded dollar bills/receipts/credit card combo, complimentary to waking up hung-over……except I didn’t go out drinking last night.

Back to the Wizards…..shots don’t fall every once in a while, oh well. Andray Blatche looked kinda good while looking mostly bad, to be expected. Some of the Wiz Kids, Nick Young and JaVale McGee, showed increasing promise. But the opener against the Nets just didn’t feel right. This team has overcome bad shooting nights before, but for some reason, lacked the energy/desire/wherewithal needed to take grasp of the game.

In either case…..it’s a long season. For the full story, check the Wizards-Nets Game 1 Blog on Bullets Forever.

Oh yea….after a long hiatus, the WizzNutzz are back…..and dish the inside scoop about JaVale McGee’s painful trip to France. I hope JaVale at least got a baguette and an ice-pack for his troubles.

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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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