The Wizards season-to-be just got a bit morbid.

“I told my teammates: I’m willing to give y’all 100-percent out of me every game. I’m willing to die for this,” said Andray Blatche at Wizards Media Day on Thursday.

So it’s here we sit: 7-Day Dray, heading into his seventh NBA season, and caught somewhere between 50-Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ movie from 2005 (that’s almost always guaranteed to be on basic cable during random late-nights), and, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” of The Princess Bride fame.

Exciting, isn’t it? Or wait, is it ominous?

Because right now, although he’s contracted for just under $30 million over the next four seasons, Blatche’s career teeters between life support and resurrection.

But all is not dire if you ask team owner Ted Leonsis, at least when it comes to his expectations surrounding this 66-game season.

“I’m more concerned with process right now than output,” said Leonsis. “Although, we’re here to win,” the owner concluded.

It’s hard to tell exactly where Blatche falls on the process-output pendulum; Leonsis was mostly referring to the youth of his team.

“I want to see how the young kids play,” he said. “The only way we’re going to know whether we drafted and we developed well is if they get the minutes.”

But speaking in terms of Blatche, Leonsis said that this season is a defining moment for him.

“He understands that the fan base, the media are all looking to take cues on, ‘Can his focus and dedication match his natural skills?,’ and I and the front office expect really, really good things from Andray.”

In other words, the process for Blatche is at its culmination, the demand is now for output. And more than ever, Blatche knows it.

“I kind of put my personal goals aside just a little bit and just focus on the team. I feel that the team do good, it’s because something that I’m doing good.”

No lives will be lost. Don’t line up the pall-bearers. It’s just basketball.

But there is potential for blood, perhaps in a “pen is mightier than the sword” type of way. Especially if all these words turn out to be just that, words.

[Is it cold in here? Or do I feel dead people?]

Other reads from Truth About It:

• January 9, 2012 -- The Wizards Said WHAT? Flip Saunders: ‘We Can’t Keep On Using The Excuse That We’re Young’
• December 5, 2011 -- ShareBullets: John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins Think About The Future
• October 3, 2011 -- Washington Wizards Suspensions & Fines Since 1995

Media members tend to attach themselves to keywords or catch phrases and then shape narratives around them. Guilty as charged. The Washington Wizards franchise has especially provided an abundance of excellent catch phrases over the years.

Recently, you have “pixels” via the web tech-savvy Ted Leonsis (and now, likely “erudite“). From Flip Saunders, we’ve had “Style over substance” as a JaVale McGee descriptor. Going back further, Gilbert Arenas helped popularize the term, “Swag.” Now most feel that word is overused, how oddly fitting.

“Just like Groundhog Day,” Antawn Jamison used to say. From “Get buckets son!,” via Oleksiy Pecherov to “I Love This Game!,” the NBA’s 90s motto that Gheorghe Muresan famously said in broken English over the television airwaves on draft night 1993, some phrases have been more relevant than others. And I’m failing to mention dozens of them, as they pertain to the Wizards.

It is unforeseen where Flip Saunders’ recent “popcorn players” parable/anecdote will fall on the spectrum, but it elicited one of the more revealing quotes from John Wall that I’ve heard. Because we all wonder, how exactly are stars like him wired? And while Wall’s words don’t exactly reveal anything about the inner workings of his neurology, they do show what he cares about: playing every basketball game like it’s his last.

“There’s certain players, that when you step into the gym and they smell the popcorn,” said Saunders at media day. “They play at another level, popcorn-type players.”

The coach was then asked who were the popcorn players on his roster.

“John [Wall] is definitely a popcorn player… Jordan [Crawford] is definitely a popcorn player,” countered Saunders.

He went on to cite Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, mostly out of courtesy, but they do have their moments. Rookie Shelvin Mack even got a budding mention as Saunders wound down his answer.

Wall was later asked about being a “popcorn player,” as his coach put it.

“I don’t understand that one,” Wall said with his Southern drawl, rolling the first two words of the sentence together. He was making a joke, showing his personality. And the room laughed out of his hand. Then Wall got serious.

“If you love the game, then every time you step on the court, your adrenaline should already be pumping. You should be ready to play every game,” he said. “You should be thankful because you never know when your last game could be. So I just enjoy it and take all the fun into every game I play.”

Popcorn is just a food. Some players live to eat. Others eat to live. John Wall smells more than popcorn, he’s hungry for basketball.

Video: Flip and John Talk Popcorn

Other reads from Truth About It:

• January 24, 2011 -- Mustafa Shakur’s NBA Debut With The Wizards
• January 15, 2012 -- The Wizards Said WHAT? Nick Young: ‘Ain’t nobody going to take it easy on us if we’re pouting’
• December 28, 2011 -- Andray Blatche Just Can’t Help Himself

There are many incomprehensible facets to JaVale McGee, but the talent and seeming potential is unquestionable.

How did he make that BLOCK!??! (Or was it a steal?)

Two balls, two baskets, one dunk. Enough said.

He’s dribbling full-court again. Oh boy.

Off the court, and perhaps on, the real JaVale McGee, via his Twitter account, claims to have an alter-ego. He calls him Pierre. Sometimes Pierre speaks in the first person. McGee, last April, described Pierre on Twitter:

“Pierre is the smooth operator. @JaValeMcGee34 is the monster you’ve grown to know on the court”

And JaVale on Pierre more recently:

“He’s arrogant, conceited, all the bad things that I shouldn’t be”

McGee is also a young man to whom team owner Ted Leonsis refers, via his blog, as, “erudite and well-read and highly relevant.” Leonsis also used “erudite” when referring to McGee on media day. Makes me want to brush up on my Wordly Wise from sixth grade.

No one is quite sure which JaVale McGee spoke at media day, but here that guy is…. Uncut.

Then there was Ted Leonsis on McGee:

“I think JaVale is erudite. He’s a very, very interesting next generation player. He’s a great person. His challenge is playing within himself. So far it looks like he can do that in practice, now let’s translate that into games. But he has x-factor kind of skills too, both defensively and the way he can move on the court. So it’s up to us to bring out the best in these players. It’s not just up to them. It’s up to us to develop them, and counsel them, and coach them, and create an environment where they can excel and meet their aspirations.” -T. Leonsis

In other news, this:

Somewhat related:

Chick-fil-A was served to the media at Media Day.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• September 28, 2010 -- JaVale McGee Is A Man At Peace – Wizards Media Day 2010
• February 7, 2012 -- DC Council Game 25: Wizards 111 vs Raptors 108: Indefensibly Sprinting Back On Defense
• February 6, 2012 -- 3-on-3: Wizards vs. Raptors: Stupor Bowl Monday

Meanwhile, Arenas continues to be in the contradictory mode of ‘they wanted me out, but I gave them plenty of reasons’ on Twitter. He is very ‘woe is me’, while claiming a lesson has been learned. If only Arenas knew how to not keep himself from proving maturity when it counts.

The abrupt end of one long-running and significant ownership era resulting from the passing of Abe Pollin will only add to the natural sensationalizing of ’09-10. But old flames — the one time poster boy and the patriarch of D.C. pro basketball — passed by new sprouts on their way out.

The 2010-11 season, on one hand, as another lottery year for the franchise, might be as forgettable as the rest. But a change in ownership is a very important event. Just think about how crucial ownership is to your opinion of the Washington Redskins.

The christening of a ‘face of the franchise’ No. 1 overall draft pick in John Wall isn’t lost either, at least in terms of the unknown future that current comfort in Wall’s rookie scale salary provides. Still… all of this at the same time? Very rare are the instances when a team makes such a drastic and quick change in leadership, which is why ’10-11 is equally as sensational as ’09-10.

Part of Ted Leonsis’ inaugural 2010 ownership pizazz was hosting a ‘Midnight Madness’ for fans of his team on the piggy of the annual rites of Media Day. Whether the Wizards will hold another Midnight Madness should the NBA ever return from lockout is up to question, I wouldn’t put it past them.

Nonetheless, this transition represented by last September’s kick-off anew, while the old leading player literally passed by the new one en route to a full separation in December 2010, should be commemorated, even celebrated, in some form. Thus, the video below features a photo montage of both the Media Day and Midnight Madness events, and the music of local DMV band The Five One. Enjoy.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• September 29, 2010 -- Enjoying The Fun of The Washington Wizards
• October 2, 2011 -- ShareBullets: Do We Even Know John Wall?
• August 12, 2010 -- How The Wizards’ Future Has Changed: Power Rankings With Foresight From Hollinger and Ford

{Video}

[produced by TAI's Adam McGinnis]

{Pictures}

[via TAI's Kyle Weidie]

What Gilbert Saw.

Media Wall.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Kirk.

Stoic Yi.

A Budding Wizard.

“That’s Me!” -Andray

Here NBC’s Lindsay Czarniak shows her veteran sports media scrum gamesmanship.

As I’ve described, the media scrum can be a pile of sweat, arms, flesh and cameras … tough to get good position, tough to keep balance, tough to get a question in, tough to get face time with a budding superstar like John Wall (you’d think the set-up would have been different, more access-friendly for the main players … oh well). So what did Czarniak do? She got low, kneeling/squatting in front of the table where Wall was sitting, and in front of/below the television cameras which had long been positioned in the prime real estate. Nobody to bump against and an avenue directly from her face to John’s. Pro media gamesmanship from Czarniak.

Steinberg’s Spilled Coffee.

John Wall and Gilbert Arenas share a laugh in the huddle … Yi wants in.

The Coaching Fraternity – Jim Larranaga, Tom Izzo and Flip Saunders.

Gilbert Arenas offers coaching instruction to Trevor Booker — Watch out Trevor! Tony Kornheiser says you can catch cancer that way!

The Yi.

Putting on a show? Sending a message? Just playing ball? It’s Gilbert, the Quiet Man.

[All photos copyright of Kyle Weidie, Truth About It.net]

Other reads from Truth About It:

• December 7, 2010 -- Friday Night Pictures: When Portland Came To Washington
• November 4, 2010 -- Wizards Rewind: A Home Opening Win
• November 4, 2010 -- Wednesday Practice Notes: Gilbert Doesn’t Want To Be Witnessed

In addition to me being there, blogging about DeShawn Stevenson’s new tats, the musings of Gilbert Arenas, and the ‘consistent’ goals of Andray Blatche, there was a ton of great coverage from Hoops Addict, Wizards Insider, Wizards Outlet, and Bullets Forever.

Now, after transcribing all of my interview recordings, I wanted to share some of the quotes/pictures that have been relatively unheard/unseen.

{Note: I will be in Richmond for training camp on Saturday and Sunday. There’s limited media access, but I’ll be updating some of the goings-ons via Twitter}

Antawn Jamison Question: This team needs to improve defensively, where does that start? “It starts with each and every individual. We know what we have to do. There’s no need to talk about it. I think that guys have to be accountable. Guys have to work hard. Work at it, apply it to what the coaching staff is trying to do, and just take it from there. Don’t think we can outscore everybody and just be an offensive minded team because we see where that gets you – that gets you to the first round of the playoffs and then you’re home after that. For us, it’s all about trying to win championships, and in order to do that, you have to play better defense and be successful at it.”

Javaris Crittenton

On his retirement from Twitter (July 18, 2009):

“There’s just a lot going on and I  wanted to stay focused on what I needed to be doing. Sometimes, the Internet, FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, that can take away from your concentration on something that’s more important. And as soon as I got off, some of the players started getting in trouble … you have to watch what you say on there. I think the best way to avoid that is to just not be on there, so I got off.”

• Suggested Reading: Twizards Mostly Okay With New NBA Rule [Michael Lee - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]

On the one thing that can separate him from the pack and earn him minutes:

“Be a consistent shooter and be able to run the offense. Set up the offense and run it with a purpose. Get guys the shots … we got a lot of scorers on this team, and me, I have to play something different. I can’t try to score. I gotta play defense, set up the plays, and make sure everybody gets their shots off. But be able to knock down shots when I have to opportunity.”

On leadership and being vocal:

“That’s something that Flip also stressed. The point guard should always be the leader, no matter how young you are. Not that you should disrespect anybody, but just be a leader. And that’s something that I found myself, not battling with, but I was so young when I came into the league, I had to learn how to lead.

It’s a different level now that you’re in the NBA. I definitely think that’s something I’m going to continue to improve upon, my leadership and being much more vocal this year.”

Mike James

On the challenge of changing his game from being more of a scorer to being more of a facilitator in order to earn minutes:

“Just play the game the right way. I think we have a lot of weapons on this team this year, we have a lot of scorers. And so, when we’re playing the game, we have to figure out how to put people in the right places, and I definitely have to be a facilitator. That will definitely be one of my jobs.

But at the same time,  I won’t turn down any shots. And I don’t think Flip wants the type of offense, or runs the type of system where he wants you to turn down shots. He just wants you to go out there and play, and put the team in the right situations.”

On if he’ll be a vocal leader because of his experience and his championship ring:

“This is 2009-10 season, I won a ring in 2004. A lot has happened since 2004, and I’m not even focused on what I did. It’s about what I’m doing and what I’ll do. It has nothing to do with what I did. My respect comes from the basketball player I am, not from what I’ve done in the past.”

Suggested Reading:

• Mike James tries to make the battle for minutes even more complicated [Mike Prada - Bullets Forever]
• Wizards’ James won’t count himself out of the mix [Mike Jones - Washington Times]

Nick Young On his work with Sam Cassell and if he’s learned any veteran tricks of the trade: “Sam was a smooth player, he knows the inside game very well. I grew up watching him, especially when he played for the Clippers. He’s taught me a lot … post moves, and how to stay under control.”

Fabricio Oberto On leadership via his championship experience: “I’m just trying to help the team. I won’t put anything on it, like ‘yea, let’s do this’. That’s happens when you start practicing, start working out, when you start getting to know each other … you know, trying to help with my experience. When you go through many years playing for different teams, you know how to get it done. And I’m that’s what I can bring to the team.”

Brendan Haywood

Fitting In With Flip:

“I think I’ll fit in fine. If you look at Flip Saunders’ system, big men have always fit in well … as far as Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rasho Nesterovic … even guys like Dean Garrett did well in his system.”

It’s A Contract Year, but Does Brendan Know His Role?

“I know my role and I know what I’m supposed to do for this team. I know who the scorers are and I know what they’re supposed to do. And I think as a team, we know that we’re supposed to do.”

On Oberto and Defense:

I think Oberto helps us defensively because he’s a guy, you don’t have to tell him where to be, he already knows. That was part of our problem last year. We had a lot of guys who didn’t really know where to be. He’s not going to be apart of that problem, so that’s definitely an added bonus.”

More on Defense:

“We have to figure out what our defensive identity is, and we have to have guys in the right position. It’s one thing to get beat by your man, but it’s another thing to not know where you’re supposed to be. We have to have guys who play good position defense. The best defensive teams, teams like the Spurs, they play great position defense. They’ve taken guys who have been traditionally poor defenders, like let’s say a Mike Finley or a Brent Barry, integrated them into their system, and they’ve done just fine because they play good position defense. We have to get to the point where everybody knows, this is how we’re going to play, this is where I need to be, and you can count on your teammates to be there.”

Defensive Potential:

“I think we can definitely become a good defensive team. Maybe not last year, but the year before that, with the addition of Randy Ayers, I thought you saw us become a better defensive team. It doesn’t happen overnight, but we definitely became a better defensive team.

In previous years, defense wasn’t stressed … if you could score, you played. And now it’s a little bit different. Now it’s ‘what can you do on both sides of the ball’, because you have to realize that offense isn’t the only side of the basketball.”

On Failure vs. Success:

“Failure will be not making the playoffs, or losing in the first round. I think DC fans probably got tired of that.”

“Success will be making it to the second round, making it to the conference finals, NBA finals … anything past the first round. So, it’s a process, but I think we can get there.”

On his trainer Idan Ravin, ‘The Hoops Whisperer‘:

“He has this one drill that’s like 15 minutes of constant basketball movement. And it’s crazy, I’m like, ‘when am I going to be moving for 15 straight minutes?’ It’s very tiring and frustrating, but at the end of the day, it gets you in shape and gets you ready.”

On Blogging (and if Gilbert has passed the torch to him):

“I’m not sure if he handed to blogging torch over to me, but it’s something I just did this summer. YardBarker asked me if I wanted to do it, I figured it’d be fun. I had a little bit of fun with it. I think I’ll continue to do it during the course of the year. It’s gets you closer to the fans and gives them a little insight into what you’re thinking and what you’re doing.”

On If Gilbert Needs To Change:

“I don’t think he needs to change. I think you have to be who you are. When we were winning, and he was doing all his antics and actions, everybody loved it. But when we started losing and they tried to blame him, I don’t think it was him needing to change, I think it was him being injured. I compare him to Chad Johnson. When the Bengals were winning, all that stuff was funny. When they started losing, they blamed him. It wasn’t his fault. Carson Palmer was hurt. They weren’t going to win anyway. Everybody is always going to need a scapegoat, and he can’t let people on the outside determine who he is.”

Haywood At Attention

Jamison’s Blue Steel

Wiz Media Day Scene 1

Wiz Media Day Scene 2

The Faces of Tuff Juice

Waiting For Gilbert

Other reads from Truth About It:

• October 8, 2009 -- Wizards v. Grizzlies: Leftover Table Scraps & Pictures
• September 29, 2009 -- Blatche Makes Cupcakes, LaVar Arrington Posts Up Arenas, and Training Camp Day 1
• April 30, 2009 -- Questioning Antawn Jamison

Back in late May, Mike Miller professed his ‘man-crush’ on LeBron James via Twitter. When coming across this sometime in early September, I thought, ‘okay, let’s give this guy the benefit of the doubt.’ For one, his proclamation occurred way before he joined the Wizards. And let’s be honest, despite my hatred of LeBron, the guy is a damn fine basketball player.

Unfortunately, Miller just doesn’t seem to know any better. It’s kinda like the greasy-faced tween-age boys who have crushes on Megan Fox. Grown men know better. Sure, most so-called grown men wouldn’t kick Fox out the bed, i.e., wouldn’t mind LeBron James on their team. However, neither of these happen without compromising personal beliefs (and cheating on whomever you’re with/your team … especially if you’re a Wizards fans, but a distaste for LeBron is growing around the league).

My point: LeBron getting “Chosen One” tattooed on his back is just as douchey as Fox getting Marilyn Monroe tattooed on her forearm. (Cavs fans, I know you’re wondering, where does getting Abe Lincoln’s face tattooed on the front of your neck fit in? I’m not sure, and I won’t even begin to explain.)

Also, Fox’s hissy-fits on the set of Transformers easily compare to LeBron’s temper-tantrums when peddling his self-serving movie that essentially highlights the fact that the French translation of ‘team’ has an ‘i’ in it.

Ok, I digress … but spewing about LeBron James negativity is always worth it.

Back to Miller’s crush on James, he didn’t exactly help his cause on Monday’s media day by showing up wearing LeBron James Nike shoes. According to a Tweet via Mike Jones of the Washington Times, Miller had no idea that James was so unpopular in DC. But to Miller’s credit, he did seem game to reverse Wizards playoff futility against the Cavs.

So, we still welcome Miller with open arms, just as long as he doesn’t become the bro below.

{via some sort of ‘popular’ blog that’s supposed to be ‘relevant’ to people who matter}

‘Randy Foye and Mike Miller are thrilled to be in a winning situation’ – Bullets Forever

Miller’s last season in Minnesota might have been his most painful of the three.  After being acquired by the Timberwolves in the trade that sent Kevin Love to Minnesota and O.J. Mayo to Memphis, Miller was expected to provide leadership and potent outside scoring to compliment Love and budding star Al Jefferson.

Instead, Miller struggled through an ankle injury and literally stopped shooting.  He attempted just 7.5 shots per game, significantly down from his career average of 11, and spilled his frustration to a Minnesota reporter that asked him about not shooting, saying “It’s called basketball.  James Naismith invented it a long time ago.”

Miller declined to discuss last season in detail, saying only that “it is what it is right now, it’s in the past,” but when asked about what he could bring to the Wizards, he primarily discussed his ability to shoot.

It’s all good now, but I’ll get very suspicious if Miller cuts a lock of his golden blond hair and ships it to Cleveland.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• November 30, 2010 -- Wizards vs. Heat: A Screen Shot Revue
• July 2, 2010 -- CHECK MY STATS: Kirk Hinrich, Sioux City Shooter
• June 15, 2010 -- John Wall: New Era, New Questions

Media day was the first time I’ve been around Andray Blatche in a public setting. From what I’ve gathered in the past, he’s not exactly a juicy quote machine. On Monday, he pretty much lived up to that expectation.

“Consistent” was Andray’s choice word of the day, repeating it several times, and mostly in reference to his jump shot. I found this to be a bit curious. In my evaluation of Blatche, I outlined how I’d rather him take less jumpers (or at least avoid ill-advised/forced ones).

If he can hit them, great/splendid/wonderful. Everyone likes a big man who can spread the floor. I just would have been more comfortable had Andray mentioned rebounding and defense as priorities.

But enough about my wishes, read Blatche’s quotes for yourself …

On his summer

“Um, you know my main problem … I worked on my conditioning. I worked on my jump shots, more consistent. After that, pretty much staying in the gym and getting in touch with the game.”

{I think the “main problem” part was a brief honest slip of the tongue by Blatche. Since his first year in the league, and as recently as the beginning of last season, conditioning problems have plagued him.}

On the #1 thing he can do to turn his doubters into supporters

“Show consistency. That’s why I’ve been in the gym shooting extra jump shots. I want my shot to be consistent so I can be a consistent player.”

Blatche was asked, essentially, if this is the year that he takes all of his potential and puts it together

(this question sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)

“Once again, it’s all about consistency. I just gotta stay focused, stay humble and just compete. You know, just go out there and work hard every night.”

On the team and all its ‘new stuff’

“A lotta new stuff … it’s very exciting. I hope the fans are ready for a great season. Everybody is just so eager to get training camp started, to get the season going. A lot of guys feel it’s going to be a great season for us. This is a whole new season, and we’re going to work hard and give the fans what they want.”

On Flip’s Style vs. that of Eddie Jordan and/or Ed Tapscott

“I like Flip a lot … he makes you want to stay in the gym, always telling you when you’re getting better, or what’s not good. So that kinda kept me in the gym a lot more. I can’t really tell you his coaching style yet, because we haven’t had a game. But I’ll tell you after training camp.”

On how/where his game has grown over the summer

“My consistent jump shot. My jump shot has gotten more consistent. And I believe that’s going to help me a lot more.”

On his new braces

“Yea, I got the braces done too … this season, everything is new. Everything is going to be fresh. Everything is going to be more exciting. You know, it will be good this year.”

Whatever is clever Andray … but can we all finally say that there are no more excuses? I’m glad Blatche is excited by the ‘newness’ of it all (as is everyone else), and that he’s ready to turn over a new leaf.

But after the scapegoats of the difficult Princeton offense and that big ol’ meanie Eddie Jordan (in comparison to the warm and comfortable lap of Flip Saunders), there’s nothing left to blame if he doesn’t have a breakout season. And I’m not talking about ‘breakout’ in terms of stats, rather if the common man, woman, or child watching the game can say, ‘Boy, that guy is working hard.’

Blatche also revealed that a post-season conversation with his mother served as yet another catalyst for his change in attitude.  “She said you’re too lackadaisical, like you’re just out there goofing around with your friends,” Blatche said.  “After awhile I was like [mom] you’re right, this is my job, this is my team, I need to go ahead and step my game up and be more focused.”

Of course, when Blatche entered the media area, he was acting goofy and laughing … and then there are pictures like the one below which could typify the “goofiness” his mom was talking about. But we are all allowed a little fun, aren’t we?

{via Bullets Forever Facebook page / Haraz N. Ghanbari, AP}

The Washington Post’s Michael Lee on Blatche:

Andray Blatche talked about changing his number from 32 to 7 and said that he will be committed to working hard, hustling and being more consistent. He said he’s not worried about having a breakout season but feels like he has yet to come from out of his shell.

Consistency Is The Key (and/or ‘?’).

Other reads from Truth About It:

• February 6, 2012 -- The Washington Wizards: Making Amir Johnson and Others Look Like All-Stars
• February 2, 2012 -- Stickers for Selflessness: Leading the Charge Against Hero-Ball
• January 30, 2012 -- Pre-Game Quotes: John Wall On Life Without Andray Blatche

The media knew Gilbert Arenas was going to be first up to bat at media day, so they picked their spots and waited. When Arenas arrived with a full ‘mean-mug’ on his face, the rugby scrum for question asking and comment hearing positioning began.

Arenas started with a serious nature and short answers, but eventually opened up and talked about a wide range of subjects. Here’s the run-down:

Three-Hour Retirement Contemplation

He spoke about the emotional roller-coaster that he went through surrounding his knee. In January 2009, he got an x-ray on it before he going to Miami. The doctor told him he had swelling in his joint and that he might need yet another surgery. “That’s when I blew up,” Arenas said. “For about three hours, I said I’d rather retire before I go through another surgery … at least I can save the team some money.” But another doctor he saw in Miami told him to hold off on the surgery and instead, gave him a shot that seemed to clear everything up.

Getting “Serious”

Arenas says that there will be no more ‘Agent Zero’ and no more ‘Hibachi’.

“When I was entertaining and playing, all you guys focused on was my words, now I’d rather you just focus on my basketball … you know, put the gimmick out and just play basketball.”

When asked further about his serious nature, Arenas said he didn’t exactly know if he’s going to be serious all year, but says that when he’s having fun, he gets criticized (seems really hurt/jaded about this), and that now we will see what happens when he’s serious.

“I don’t want to entertain anymore, I just want to go out there and play.”

In regard to how this might change the locker room, Arenas said:

“Well probably since I’m not in there goofing around, I don’t know how everybody is going to react. You know, everyone is used to me lightening up the mood before games and for practice … it just might affect that aspect.”

Later, I followed up and asked him if things get ‘too’ tight in the locker room, would he feel the need to bring the pranks back out, perhaps cut up Nick Young’s suit (or something like that).

Arenas responded with a simple, “No … I’m not doing that anymore.” So, good for Young and any other potential victims.

Of course, when DeShawn Stevenson was told about Arenas’ new found serious nature, he said, “Well, Gil say one thing and do another. So we’ll see.”

No More Jacking Threes

(the ears of fantasy basketball players just perked up)

“Before, in Eddie’s offense because it was made for the three and the four, I took a lot of wild shots, fastbreak threes. I don’t need to take 500 threes this year. I’m trying to take probably less than 100. I’m not going to be a three point shooter this year. I worked most of the year on mid-ranging and I mid-range very well.”

“I have the deep shot if it comes to a game winner, but I’m not gonna be sitting there launching threes up. I’m going to be shooting for percentage.”

On Leadership

When asked about accepting a leadership role, Gilbert retorted with ‘What is a leader’ and then waxed poetic whether it meant setting an example via working hard and getting to the gym early, or if it meant a coach saying in the paper that he’s a leader and then ‘poof’, he’s a leader. He said he has no idea  what a ‘leader’ really is.

“My first year here, Eddie appointed Stackhouse and Larry [Hughes] to be the leaders. He didn’t want me to be the leader, said I was too young. From that moment, I was just never the leader. In my mind, I was always too young. So, every time he tried to appoint me as the leader, I just didn’t want to be it. And this year, Flip said ‘I want you to be my leader’, so I said ‘okay’.”

On his personal goal for the season

“To play 82 games, that’s it … I’ve played it once in my career and I’d like to try it again.”

On his weight

“During the season I was 234, right now I’m 209, and I feel a lot stronger. This is the lightest I’ve been since my rookie season.”

On reports of current NBA players (Igoudala, etc.) from pickup games saying that Arenas is back

“I mean … you’re not playing in an NBA atmosphere. So, it’s hard to really judge, but I guess if they say I’m back through pick up games, then …” [inaudible, but essentially a 'whatever']

Gil said that the best basketball he played during the summer was in Chicago because it was the most consistent in terms of playing with NBA guys every day.

On if Tim Grover’s training is essentially a ‘reboot’ of his career

“I’m starting another one … this is the second chapter of my NBA career, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Arenas also said that it took about two years for him to accept Tim Grover’s offer to train him because he didn’t believe in traveling and paying somebody when you can do it yourself.

“All the ‘free’ ones wasn’t getting the job done, so I had to go to [Grover]“

More on Grover

“What NBA staffs don’t have, he has them all … acupuncture, chiropractor, PTP book, he has it all in one facility. The stuff I needed, we didn’t have here.”

On his inspiration to try Grover

“The way [Dwyane Wade] played (last season), he played like ‘you guys made a mistake on me’ and it just gave me that confidence to try something else.”

On carrying over Grover’s training into the season

“I know what I have to do. I need to lift twice a week on my leg. [Grover's] going to be there at training camp to teach our strength coach what to do.”

On Flip Saunders’ offense

“It’s a lot of reads. It’s not like the Princeton or the Triangle where everybody is reading off each other.”

Gil went on to say that there’s a lot of movement in Flip’s offense. It’s not difficult, but to the point.

As a point guard in Flip’s offense, as opposed to the Princeton where he’s “just a guard” or the Triangle where any number of people (Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant) and be a “point”, Arenas said he now gets to “control the game with the ball.”

On how important the season is to him

“If you would have asked me four months ago, I would have said this is ‘very important’ but now, I just want to play basketball again. Being out two years from something I love, it’s just taking the thing you love and taking it away for two years … you have your ups and downs, you’re going to have mood swings … and I just want to play basketball. I don’t care if it’s a pickup game, training camp, or the NBA, I just want to play again.”

Portraits of Gil …

Other reads from Truth About It:

• October 3, 2009 -- Unheard and Unseen Cuts from Wizards Media Day
• September 16, 2009 -- Arenas Breaks Media Silence, Praises Tim Grover As His Savior, and Questions The Franchise
• August 13, 2009 -- Flip vs. Igoudala: Gilbert Arenas and the Year of the Tiger

(No, I don’t think this is really of the ‘utmost’ importance, but definitely the quickest/easiest/most fun to blog about.)

What does Abe Lincoln have to do with all this? Well, his face is one of Stevenson’s new tats … and it’s right on the front of his neck (jeez that seems painful), always looking right back at you.

Stevenson also has a backwards Pittsburgh Pirates logo on his right cheek and a Frankenstein-esque crack starting at his hairline and working its way down his forehead (not sure what happens if his hairline starts receding).

Mike Jones of the Washington Times has more:

On his left cheek bone is inked the Pitsburgh Pirate’s ‘P’, “for the Pittsburgh, that’s my favorite team. Barry Bonds, when he first started.” The thing about the P is, however, that it’s backwards and looks more like a 9. DeShawn tried to explain, “No, if you’re standing where Dom’s standing and looking at me, it looks like a P.” Dominic McGuire was standing directly in front of him about 10 yards away, but it still looked like a 9. I think DeShawn meant to say, “when I look in the mirror it looks like a P.” The final new tat is a crack on the left side of Stevenson’s forehead. He said it’s because “I don’t crack. I feel like people always try to break me, but I don’t crack. So, I put that there.”

More shots and a closer look …

Other reads from Truth About It:

• October 18, 2011 -- ShareBullets: A 50-50 NBA Lockout Mess
• October 3, 2011 -- Washington Wizards Suspensions & Fines Since 1995
• July 27, 2011 -- Playoff Shooters: Wizards/Bullets Franchise History

This being my first media day, I’m not exactly sure how it will go down. But I’ll be prepared with an arsenal of unique questions, and an array of ways to capture the players as they embark on one of the team’s most important training camps in years.

If anyone out there has any questions you’d like me to pose to the players in general, or to a specific player, I can be reached at truthaboutit[at]gmail[dot]com, or via a direct tweet to @Truth_About_It.

Random Posts

• July 2, 2011 -- ShareBullets: Wizards Weekender of Lockout Links
• January 20, 2011 -- Wizards go 0-20 on the road, but at least Blatche made Gooden slip
• March 5, 2010 -- A Third Quarter Colder Than Milwaukee