Truth About It » mike james

Old Wizards: Butler, Haywood, Finger Guns, Arenas, Howard, Singleton, and James

Kyle Weidie — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:17:41 +0000

Bunch old Wizards in the NBA Finals, this we know. Unfortunately, two couldn’t play in game three last night due to injury, Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler, so they sat on the bench in nice suits while a cat to the far left stuck some finger guns up his nose.

Speaking of finger guns, what is our old pal Gilbert Arenas doing here?

His Twitter @agentzeroshow explanation: “I got on my mo hawk for shawn M..if he can wear a mo hawk durn the nba finals I guess I can wear in my house”

More Former Wizards?

James Singleton and Josh Howard (yes, I’m counting him as a former Wizard, for now) recently appeared separately on the Hardcore Hoops radio show from our Canadian friends at The Score.

In brief:

Josh Howard on what he’d do in the event of a lockout:

“I’d continue to work and rehab. I know y’all know I had that knee injury when I first got traded to Washington, so I actually think that would benefit me, with just getting back to my normal self.”

He later said anything would be an option, playing-wise, i.e., Europe, it just depends on the future situation.

Howard on, as a free-agent, joining a rebuilding team or taking a pay cut to chase a championship:

“As far as a pay cut, I feel like I was fortunate enough to make money [with] Dallas, so that’s now a big deal to me. As far as being part of a rebuilding team, I think I was in Washington this past year and a half … sitting back and watching, and learning another side of my personality as far as coaching. You know a lot of people don’t know that that’s something I enjoy. Just getting out there trying to motivate young kids to go out there and play. As far as being on a championship team, I know the things I bring to the court would help a lot of teams out. I think ultimately it’s up to me, I can go either way.”

Howard was also on to promote the wide range of events at his celebrity weekend coming up in late June, details can be found at JoshHowardWeekend.com. The weekend includes a comedy show, so Howard was asked if any NBA players are going to make their stand-up debut (pronounced daye-BOO in Canada) at the show:

“Naw, but I know in my locker room, the guys I had on this team this past year, ya’ll would have some good footage as far as comedy. Boy, those guys are fun-ny, boy.”

At least in losing, we know there was comedy.

James Singleton … it doesn’t sound like he’ll be going to play basketball back in China any time soon. If you’ll remember, he somewhat spurned the Wizards to sign with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. The city he played in must not have had much in terms of food options, Singleton said he ate mostly eggs and rice when he arrived until he found an Italian place to order from; and on the road, it was mostly McDonald’s and KFC. But don’t worry, Singleton said the practices that would last 6-7 hours per day kept him in shape.

He also claims: “The contact in the NBA is nothing compared to the contact over there.”

And on the ‘lost in translation’ struggles with teammates in China, Singleton says:

“They had a coach there that was just … military … you know, he wouldn’t let them progress and learn. You know everything was one way or no way. And they were so afraid to just go out there and play basketball that it got to the point where we got to the championship, they all just locked up because if they made a mistake, they’d look straight at the bench.”

Finally… Mike James

Young reader of TAI and big Wizards fans Ben Mehic recently got in touch with Mike James to work on his interview skills. Since Ben doesn’t have a blog of his own, I told him I’d post his Q&A here… and it’s very cool for Mike to always make himself available to young fans. Many thanks to both Ben and Mike. Here goes….

Ben Mehic: First off, I want to thank you for taking time out of your day to do this interview. I’m a huge Wizards fan, so it’s an honor.

Mike James: Anytime.

Ben M.: How did growing up in a troubled neighborhood help you grow on and off the court?

James: I had to make it, it was no other option for me. I’m the baby of seven and the only one to go to college and graduate. My mother and father have middle school educations, they had to drop out because they had to provide for their families growing up. The only other option for me was the streets, so I put my trust in the B-ball. My neighborhood taught me how to be a fighter and never back down from a challenge, no matter how the odds were stacked up against me.

Ben M.: Who helped you achieve your goals becoming a pro basketball player, and who did you view as your hero growing up?

James: I really had no help growing up as a youth. Mostly everything I learned was from trial and error. Everyone tried to tell me I couldn’t be a basketball player, so maybe it was the odds that motivated me, wanting to prove everyone wrong. I had no real heroes growing up. I learned to be self-motivated at an early age. I liked Michael Jordan, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, but I wanted to be where they were. I wanted to be on the court at Madison Square Garden, and I wouldn’t let no one tell me I couldn’t.

Ben M.: Besides being the only undrafted NBA player in history to average 20 points per game, what else did you take away from playing in the NBA?

James: The thing I took away from the league most is don’t let no one determine your value of who your are and what you’re capable of doing. Hard work will always beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard. What you think of yourself will take you further in life than the box that people try to put you in. If you allow them to box you in, then you are defeated.

Ben M.: What advice can you give to kids growing up who want to achieve their goals?

James: The advice I give kids is never stop believing in yourself. Always fight for your dreams. Sometimes things come easy to some, but that may not be your story. That doesn’t mean give up on yourself. All that means is you have to go a little harder are put up that much more of a fight to make your dreams come true. Without GOD in your life, it may be easy to get where your going, but impossible to maintain.

Ben M.: What’s your take on the current Washington Wizards? (John Wall, Jordan Crawford, etc.)?

James: Washington’s future is very bright. No one expected Jordan Crawford to have as much success as he has. John Wall is a young phenomenon. They have very good young pieces that if they decide to keep together, not only can they be an exciting team, but a very dangerous squad.

Ben M.: Thanks again for taking this interview. Much appreciated.

James: You can also go to amazon.com and buy my book, “Fight for your dreams.” It’s a surprisingly good read. Take care and GOD bless.

ShareBullets: JaVale McGee Cut From Team USA, John Wall Dancin’ Redskins & Mike James With A Megaphone

Kyle Weidie — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:46:44 +0000

A D.C. picture, links and commentary …

[Howard Theater - 620 T St. NW - Washington, D.C. - K. Weidie]

By now you may know that JaVale McGee has been cut from Team USA … and it also served as another example of news coming directly from a player, via Twitter. This is somewhat disappointing (him being cut, not that word came by means of Twitter). Many signs/media reports gave you the feeling that McGee would at least be taken to Europe to participate in training and exhibitions leading up to the FIBA tournament in Turkey, and it would have been good for his development. Then again, maybe he didn’t want to go, knowing he wouldn’t make the final 12. Or perhaps the team thought it would be best for him to train stateside under the direction of the franchise. Regardless of the reason, a lot of eyes, D.C. and beyond, will be on McGee in 2010-11 because of this Team USA experience. If he becomes more of a student of the game, he can really be special.

Dan Steinberg conveys pretty much the gist of the Redskins’ Brandon Banks doing the John Wall dance after scoring a punt return touchdown in their exhibition opener against the Buffalo Bills. Banks did the dance in front of his boy from Raleigh, John Wall, no less.
[DC Sports Bog]

Even the website of a Lexington, Kentucky NBC television station is covering Banks doing the John Wall dance.
[Lex18.com]

Which makes me wonder … how many corny television montages of various folks doing the John Wall dance are we going to see this year? Probably can’t be more than the number of media members who attempted the famed Albert Haynesworth conditioning test themselves.

And now, Chad Ocho Cinco is getting on board (the Bengals play the Broncos Sunday at 7 pm):

@jimmywa11 im doing the John Wall dance when i catch the ball for a first down tonight

[@OGOchoCinco]

Now, let’s watch Banks do the dance a couple times (and score a TD).

[via @Unsilent]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXJ8MjZVFEE

>>>>>MIKE JAMES

Check out this media release about Mike James’ celebrity weekend in his hometown of Amityville, located on Long Island, New York. Pretty impressive. Now here’s some pictures of the event:

Mike James with megaphone

Representing the New Orleans Hornets

Golf Swing

[see more via pitchengine.com]

Michael Lee profiled McGee’s experience with Team USA in Saturday’s Washington Post, I particularly liked this part:

“He’s not here by accident or mistake. He’s one of the most athletic players I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Odom, an 11-year NBA veteran who went over some individual low post drills with McGee during practice on Friday. “He’s 7-1, got like a David Robinson build, springs off the floor real quick, goes over the rim. If he can just get his feel for the game together, he can have an impact on a team. Because the game is called basketball, not run and jump.”

[Washington Post]

Andray Blatche recently held a free basketball clinic in Syracuse, the city where he grew up. Hard to believe, via the article, that Blatche and Wesley Johnson are the same age. Well, kinda … Johnson turned 23 on July 11, Blatche will turn 24 on August 22.
[The Post-Standard]

Caron Butler recently made a post to his blog on HoopsHype. In it he talks about how he will be working with Tim Grover for the first time for about four weeks before training camp; how he was not contacted by Team USA, but he would love to play; and how he’s been picking Magic Johnson’s brain in terms of developing businesses off the court.
[HoopsHype]

Mike Miller has been working out with MMA fighters. “Yay.”
[Pro Basketball Talk]

In the Washington Post, Michael Lee has a feature story on Yi Jianlian and about how he’s the face of basketball for China.
[Washington Post]

I am high on the Orlando Magic, picked them to finish second in the East after the Heat. Here’s the argument I gave for a post on True Hoop:

After the Miami Heat, obviously, it will be the Orlando Magic battling for Eastern Conference supremacy … in front of the Celtics, and definitely in front of the Bulls, Hawks and Bucks. Why you ask? Well, let’s start with the depth. There’s not much turnover from last season’s 59-win team — they added a more solid backup guard in Chris Duhon, along with veteran Quentin Richardson and rookie Daniel Orton, and really only lost Matt Barnes. Jameer Nelson continues to be a leader by hosting his teammates for workouts in Philadelphia. And don’t forget that coach Stan Van Gundy signed a contract extension through 2012-13 (that constancy thing). Did I mention that Dwight Howard has been working with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer? The East has been warned. As Orlando continues to grow as a unit, while Miami tries to Frankenstein a three-headed monster and surrounding parts and Boston hires extra trainers to keep loose ligaments intact, best believe that the Magic will be in the picture to make the NBA Finals.

[ESPN TrueHoop]

Ricky Rubio will be staying in Spain next season, if you must know.
[SLAM]

Ted Leonsis’ former employer, AOL, is getting “bemoaned.”
[BusinessInsider.com]

Classic Steinberg on Jason Campbell’s debut with the Raiders.
[DC Sports Bog]

Chris Bosh played with my emoticons.
[The Basketball Jones]

The Office / ‘Star Wars’ Art. Genius.
[The Daily Wh.at]

Back to the Future Cast, Staff to Reunite for 25th Anniversary, Parkinson’s Research
[NerdBastards.com]

Friday Morning Alarm Clock.
[Hot Hot Japan Hot]

[Looking past the Howard Theater down T Street at sunset.]

ShareBullets: Intersecting Paths – Mike James, The WizzNutzz & Benga

Kyle Weidie — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:59:05 +0000

[Intersecting paths, Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. - taken by Kyle Weidie]

I recently wrote a piece for SB Nation DC about a Twitter interaction — a musical enlightenment — between the WizzNutzz and Mike James, while the former was in glorious Wheaton, Maryland and the latter was in Kenya, Africa. So go read that now … but there’s also more to the story (after you read) …

@WZZTNZZ further Tweets:

@Truth_About_It u like benga jams we gav @mikejames7? then u LUV @AlexMinoff Extra Golden, strait outta Nairobi NW, near Adams Morgan

Alex Minoff is local to the D.C. area, is most certainly a huge Wizards fan (actually, “rabid,” he tells me), and a member of the music group Extra Golden. You can learn more about Extra Golden in various locales on the web, such as their website or Wikipedia, but basically it’s a band formed by two Kenyans and two Americans — a hybrid of benga and rock.

On a related side note, last weekend I dragged the GF with me to Bedrock Billiards in Adam’s Morgan to shoot some pool … ran into a dude with a ‘Free Gilbert’ olde-style Bullets shirt, took a picture of the shirt with my phone, Tweeted it … and later on Alex (@AlexMinoff) Tweeted me and said he met the guy in the Gilbert shirt about an hour after I posted the photo.

And that’s my story … now let’s check out an Extra Golden promo video followed by some links … and you’ll want to stick around until the end of this post, local retro video at the bottom.

!!!!!!!!!!!LINKS>>>>>>>>>>>

Peter John Ramos and Fabricio Oberto catch a flight together and point in the general direction of each other while posing for a picture.
[Ball Don't Lie]

An report indicates that an Italian team, Cimberio Varese, might be targeting Wizards second round draft pick Hamady N’diaye, who remains unsigned by the Wiz.
[Sportsando.net]

On Saturday, Trevor Booker will earn his undergraduate degree in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson University.
[TigerNet.com]

JaVale McGee is one of five young NBA big men poised for a breakout this season.
[Dime Magazine]

First, Mike Jones, former Wizards beat reporter for the Washington Times, joined TBD.com. Now, it seems like David Aldridge is joining the team too. He will be writing a column and hosting a television show.
[@MikeJonesTBD]

For more about TBD.com, Aaron Morrissey has a good review.
[DCist]

A Maryland lawmaker has been falsely claiming that he played for the Dallas Cowboys. Sounds classy.
[Washington City Paper]

Ricky Rubio highlights in a Spanish exhibition match against Canada on August 1st. And yes, he’s still not a Wizard. Oh well.
[Canis Hoopus]

How NBA owners might get away with spending ridiculous amounts of money on questionable players this summer.
[NBA Facts & Rumors]

Ted Leonsis doesn’t think highly of The Real Housewives of DC, or much of reality TV as a whole. I’d have to agree … but there are also different types of reality TV. I’d deem Whale Wars, Survivor Man, Top Chef, Man vs. Wild, Deadliest Catch, Intervention, among others, along the lines of acceptable reality TV.
[Ted's Take]

How Danny Ainge lured Shaq to Boston.
[Brain On Funk]

Shaq wants to fight Jim Rome. Trey Kerby writes:

“Sounds like an hour-long special to me. Set it up, because I’m sure this is what Celtics fans were hoping for when Danny Ainge pulled the trigger on picking up Shaq — total and complete dedication to winning another championship, except for not really and on TV.”

[Ball Don't Lie]

When soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductees, Karl Malone and John Stockton, cleaned out their Utah Jazz lockers on the day Stockton retired.
[Living and Dying by the Jazz]

“Gary” is ready to get down to business.
[Hey Okay]

Finally, a D.C.-area 1980s commercial for Cavalier men’s shop … H/T to TAI’s Adam McGinnis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7KK3_aaEto

Celebrating The Wizards Departed in Portraits and Stories

Kyle Weidie — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:59:57 +0000

Now that the franchise worst 16-game losing streak has departed, it’s time to remember the players who have departed the Wizards this season — via trade or release, not suspension or injury, and only those who actually received minutes.

Below you will find portraits of the departed along with their story from the night pictured and a video clip of a selected quote. Enjoy … I think.

{DeShawn Stevenson}

Depart Date: February 13, 2010

On Halloween Night after the Wizards defeated the New Jersey Nets 123-104 in their home opener, pushing their record to 2-1, (the only time it would be better than .500 this season), Stevenson spoke about how, unlike last season, everybody now wants tickets to Wizards games and that he wasn’t going to dress up for All Hallows Eve.

Coulda fooled me. This night was the best it would ever get for the 2009-10 Washington Wizards.

{Antawn Jamison}

Depart Date: February 18, 2010

In late November, the Wizards suffered a terrible 96-76 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, pushing their record to 5-10, but much less daunting than the current 22-52 record. It was the first home game after the day Mr. Pollin died, on which there was also a home game against the 76ers, and after a Thanksgiving-Friday away loss in Miami.

Before the game against the Bobcats, Jamison spoke on the court, thanking Abe Pollin and the fans. After the game, Antawn spoke about getting zero rebounds to go along with his six points in 27 minutes of play, the first time he didn’t snag a board since March 14, 2005 and the first time he didn’t get a rebound in over 25 minutes of play since January 11, 2004.

{Dominic McGuire}

Depart Date: February 18, 2010

In late December, with a record of 8-17, Flip Saunders’ team came out flat against the Philadelphia 76ers at home, despite having two days off.

Four minutes into the second half, with his team getting out-scored 12-5, putting them down 56-52 to the Sixers, Saunders had enough. He made wholesale substitutions, pulling Gilbert Arenas, Randy Foye, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood in exchange for Earl Boykins, Nick Young, Andray Blatche, Fabricio Oberto and McGuire. Embarrassed, the starters ultimately rallied in the fourth quarter to take the game 105-98.

After the game, McGuire recounted how Flip let his reserves know they were going into the game.

{Brendan Haywood}

Depart Date: February 13, 2010

Coincidentally, as he did in late November, Antawn Jamison was again marched out on the court before the game to speak for the franchise. That night’s match against the Orlando Magic came was the first home match since Gilbert Arenas was suspended indefinitely, so Jamison apologized for Finger Guns.

Dwight Howard got his with 23 and 12, but Brendan Haywood came after him strong with 18 and 15. Plus, the Wizards had three other 20+ point scorers: Jamison – 28, Caron Butler – 23, and Randy Foye – 21. Imagine that … ah, the good ol’ days.

That 104-97 win against the Magic pushed the Wizards to 12-22. After the game, Haywood had jokes, recounting that when Jamison took the mic, he didn’t know if he was going to rap or sing.

{Caron Butler}

Depart Date: February 13, 2010

In late January, the Wizards came across their fourth chance of the season to win three games in a row, something they still haven’t done by the way. With the game on the line and the Wizards down one to the visiting Dallas Mavericks, Caron Butler decided to call his own play instead of the one drawn up by Flip Saunders. Not surprisingly, Caron got his potential game winning shot blocked by Shawn Marion and the Wizards lost.

That night of Rogue Tuff Juice couldn’t be written about enough. It is what it is, unfortunately.

{Mike James}

Depart Date: March 1, 2010

The Wizards put up a late-January stinker against the LA Clippers, losing 92-78 and bumping their record to 14-29. But hey, Mike James got to play for the first time in almost 80 days. He was happy.

Here, Mike recounts how with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, Flip Saunders called his name, but he didn’t respond right away. James’ teammates had to tell him that he was being summoned because he learned a lesson long ago that he would never again confuse himself with the other Mike, White Mike Miller.

{Mike Harris}

Depart Date: March 5, 2010

Harris, the team’s first D-League call up of the season, made his debut with the Wizards in a late-February 99-94 loss to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies. In 1:21 of action, Harris scored two points and got one steal. After the game he spoke of the difference between the D-League and the NBA, including traveling on a regular plane versus a charter flight, and also mentioning the $35 per diem on the road in the D-League against the plush $106 you get in the NBA.

{Alonzo Gee}

Depart Date: March 29, 2010

After his last game as a Washington Wizard, but which was at the time believed to just be one of several more forthcoming as Flip Saunders previously stated intentions to sign Gee for the rest of the season, the former D-Leaguer and current San Antonio Spur spoke about his ‘I’m here!’ rookie moment in the NBA, which occurred onMarch 12th against the Pistons in Detroit.

Gee’s, “Wow, I’m in the game,” instance came in his second game with the Wizards, after he had made his NBA debut with the team in Washington against the Hawks the previous night.

{Paul Davis}

Depart Date: November 11, 2009

Davis appeared in two games with the Wizards, the home opener and a disgraceful November 6th effort in Indiana. He played in a total of eight minutes, scoring five points on 2-4 from the field, and dropped three assists. His PER with the team stands at 35.5

Not pictured, nor caught on video.

{The Wizards Departed}

Sure, there will likely be more departed, such as Cartier Martin and Cedric Jackson, but with only eight games left in the season, might as well start cherishing the memories now.

When Mike James Took A Media Bullet For Gilbert Arenas

Kyle Weidie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:50:12 +0000

{A post-game locker-room scene from the night of January 2, 2010}

The media feeding frenzy at the Verizon Center has dwindled to a faintly glowing ember. Since Gilbert Arenas was banished, there have been press flare ups here and there, such as when former team icons are removed from the franchise’s edifice and shipped out of town, bringing in fresh new faces. But otherwise, it’s usually just the regulars these days.

But when Arenas was around, two noteworthy instances of media circus come to mind: 1) the Wizards’ first game of 2010, the night of January 2nd against the San Antonio Spurs, i.e., the first game after initial stories of a two-man Gun-Gate were revealed; and 2) practice on January 4th, the day the team left for a game in Philadelphia, where finger guns occurred. That Tuesday’s Sixers game would end up being Arenas’ last in a Wizards uniform (to-date). So, that would make Monday afternoon’s practice Gil’s last one in the arena that used to go nuts for him.

That day, the media came looking for Agent Zero, yearning for any morsel of sensationalistic news they could find, I believe they would call them answers. And while January fourth’s practice probably wasn’t as gonzo as the practice on New Year’s Day (which I missed), it nonetheless provided entertaining fodder in it’s own way.

That day, Mike James took one for the team, becoming the first member of the Wizards, amongst those who were dodging the camera lights, voice recorders and notepads at all costs, to throw his own chum into the shark-infested waters. Others did end up speaking, Caron Butler was later accosted in a side hallway, and Randy Foye spoke with a few reporters after most had given up and left. But James took the first shot for the team. His teammates, including Arenas, were partially able to dodge the unwanted attention because of Mike’s distraction, whether it was an intentional act on his part or not.

Am I being a tad dramatic? Probably. But it’s still enjoyable to poke fun at such a ridiculous media scene. James is no longer a Wizard, asked to stay away from the team until his contract situation is sorted out. And while there are many stories to be told about Mike’s brief time in Washington, let’s take a look back at that one day.

{Waiting for Gil}

Today is D-Day for Mike James. By 6 pm eastern, if he is not straight out waived by the Wizards, whereas he would receive the full remainder of his salary, or if he doesn’t negotiate a buyout with the team, whereas he would essentially take a pay cut, he will not be able to sign with another team and be eligible for the playoffs.

The Wizards are unlikely to waive James without a buyout in place. If the two sides don’t come to an agreement, the Wizards likely will, however, waive him sometime after today. By then, it will be too late for the Pollins to cut costs. And since at that point they’d owe James the full remainder of his salary regardless, the team would surely set him out to sea in order to free up a roster sport. Unfortunately for James, in such a scenario, his boat would be an ocean away from the NBA post-season.

Will we potentially see Mike James in the playoffs while his ex-team watches from home? We’ll know by six. Otherwise, why not start remembering James’ exploits as a Wizard with a video of his interaction with the media after that January 4th practice.

Primer on the video below:

The video begins seconds after a local reporter starts to ask James a couple questions. As a result, a full-on scrum breaks out. Up to that point, no other Wizard had talked. James made the sacrifice to jump on a grenade, and the media exploded on top him.

In the video, you’ll see a guy scramble to adjust his microphone, some lady with a fancy cup of $7 coffee looking around, seemingly not really knowing who the hell Mike James is, more microphones, more camera lights, and Wizards media & PR personnel carefully monitoring.

Coffee lady asks Mike what practice was like between Arenas and Crittenton, as if she expected the two to be glaring at each other the whole time, I suppose. If she saw the Spurs game, she would have witnessed the two amicably talking to each other during timeouts, or even them shooting basketballs with each other at the actual practice that day. At one point coffee lady’s phone rings and she has to run away. Nice.

And then some cat in the prototypical hipster(ish) ‘thick-framed glasses & skully’ wardrobe comes at James with some “But it’s guns!?!” questions, etc., about which James is not exactly willing to discuss, and understandably so, but kinda does in a way that only a character such as Mike can.

My favorite line from James to the hipster reporter:

“How would you cope with something if it was you? What, you gonna sit in the corner, crying up in the fetal position? Maybe [Gilbert] doesn’t want to do that.”

You might not agree with everything Mike has to say, but you got to respect him for talking in the first place and for sticking to his convictions. Just watch.

Mike James, good sir, you will be missed. Best of luck to you, wherever you land.

{Keep scrolling for links}

{Links!}

And since Dan Steinberg recently took the time to properly highlight some of the worst writing about Gilbert Arenas, below are some back-in-the-day links highlighting some of the best writing on Gil:

[Dan Le Batard - Miami Herald: Wizards' Gilbert Arenas was wrong, but so was suspension]

Arenas was wrong, period. You can’t defend the dumb and dangerous. Bringing guns into any workplace, never mind an emotional one, is certainly that. I can tell you that good guy Greg Anthony admitted to The New York Times in 2003 that he used to bring a pistol into the Knicks locker room. I can tell you that since the in-home muggings of Antoine Walker and Eddie Curry, basketball players are more armed and alarmed than ever — so scared that Antawn Jamison usually circles his neighborhood two or three times when returning from anywhere just to make sure no one is following him. And I can tell you the locker room is more like the gym or the country club than the sales guy’s cubicle. But, again, there shouldn’t ever be a gun there, never mind four.

[Mike Wise and Michael Lee - Washington Post: For Gilbert Arenas and Wizards franchise, latest incident sheds light on entitlement]

The carefree, self-proclaimed “goofball” who employed tweets and an NBA.com blog to usher in the era of professional athletes who use the Internet and social media, now faces the loss of his reputation and millions of dollars because he peeled back the layers too far. An athlete known for his uncanny ability to charm basketball and non-basketball fans is suddenly being mentioned among modern sports outlaws such as Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick.

[...]

A person close to Arenas said Stern’s suspension might have been a blessing in disguise, saving Arenas from further condemnation. He had apparently scripted an even more elaborate — and uncouth — opening for the next night in Cleveland, in which he would affect a gimp-legged walk like John Wayne and draw at 10 paces with Young, his also-playful teammate.

“We talked about it,” Young acknowledged Friday night.

[Gregg Doyel - CBS Sports: Crazy from (packing) the heat: Talk of Arenas lifetime ban is ludicrous]

Arenas isn’t evil or even, if you ask me, dangerous. He’s a dork, is what he is. He’s immature and inappropriate. He’s the class clown, the guy who will inch right up to that line in search of a laugh and then, if you’re not laughing yet, will sprint willingly over it. We all know people like Arenas, people who hide behind corners and scream “boo!” and seem genuinely baffled that the victim of their prank was more irritated than amused. Arenas is annoying, not nefarious.

And don’t, whatever you do, try to counter that position — Arenas is annoying but not nefarious — with the garbage reporting of the New York Post’s Peter Vecsey, a longtime NBA writer who hasn’t gotten a story right in years, including this one. Not a single witness has backed Vecsey’s mind-blowing version from Jan. 1 that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had drawn guns on each other in the locker room less than two weeks earlier. That’s because it didn’t happen.

The problem is, first impressions are lasting. They’re stubborn. The first thing most of us heard of this incident was the Post’s version of events, and while that version was so fictional and over-the-top that it should have been co-authored by James Patterson, that’s the version that sticks.

[Sally Jenkins - Washington Post: Who is Gilbert Arenas? Even he doesn't seem to know]

I don’t claim to know Arenas. Like so many others, I’ve always enjoyed him from afar for his lightness of being. But looking backward, perhaps it was a sign of trouble. That lightness now looks like an empty vessel that he fills up with whatever version of a self pleases him in the moment, or that he finds expedient. This season alone, we have seen Strictly Business Gilbert and Vow of Silence Gilbert morph into Chattering Gilbert and Unstoppable Twittering Gilbert. He contradicts his own statements, one day he expresses regret for bad judgment and the next he’s got nothing to be remorseful about. The emerging depiction is of a man with sharply veering moods, whose sense of self is highly unstable, and who has yet to adequately address or heal some inner divisions and fractures.

Arenas is in trouble because he doesn’t know who he is, because he play-acted the most harmful depiction imaginable. He’s a maker of manners in a city where violent crime occurs at three times the national average, yet he showed zero cognizance of that fact. He’s in trouble because he seems profoundly disconnected from himself and his community.

[Austin Burton - Dime Magazine: Silent Night: Gilbert Arenas Beyond Black and White]

In Gilbert’s case, even if he truly feels his situation is being blown out of proportion, he could have used the now-inevitable connection between himself and guns to do something right, especially in a city with a history of violence like D.C. He could have cut a PSA about gun violence; he could have made a verbal apology to the kids who look up to him, going off-script to genuinely own up to his mistakes. He could have tried to keep the focus on his actions as a good father (deciding to take guns out of his house when he daughter was born) rather than those as a prankster teammate.

Instead, Arenas constantly downplayed the situation, then on Tuesday night sealed his fate by making finger-gun gestures and cracking up with his teammates — I didn’t notice Javaris Crittenton in that huddle, by the way — before the Wizards game at Philly; another NBA city that has a gun/violence problem. “Ongoing actions” was the term David Stern used in his statement announcing Gil’s indefinite suspension. In other words, it’s not just what you did originally, it’s what you kept doing after the fact.

[Lang Whitaker - Slam: Stop Being Gilbert Arenas]

Regardless of what did or did not happen, there was one correct way for Gilbert to handle the situation he found himself in which would have resulted in him keeping most of his money and maximize his time on the basketball court: Shut up other than to apologize and then play basketball. Let the system run its course. Basically, stop being Gilbert Arenas, at least for a while. Maybe you are completely innocent, maybe you are as guilty as can be, but let those things play out in front of you without commentary. Because in a worst-case-scenario, you could actually make public perception worse. Which is exactly what happened.

[Henry Abbott - TrueHoop: Gilbert Arenas, kicked out of the star factory]

The tide of media washed in, full of froth and accusation for Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards, gun culture, and everything else.

Now it is slowly receding, leaving a fresh batch of bric-a-brac on the sand. This story exits leaving unanswered questions like hunks of driftwood and assorted plastic bags: Why is the player with the unloaded (and, in another incident, playful and imaginary) guns in more trouble than the one who reportedly loaded a gun in anger? What kind of kook is Gilbert Arenas anyway (defecating in a teammate’s shoe)?

[Holly MacKenzie - The Score: Arenas on my mind]

I’m also pissed at Arenas because I cannot defend his punishment. I cannot defend his actions in playing a joke that went horrifically wrong and I certainly cannot defend his decision to bring weapons into the workplace. I cannot look over my shoulder and pretend that a grown man who is making the choice to own licensed firearms does not also automatically bear the responsibility of checking on the status of those firearms when he crosses state lines.

I cannot make what Arenas did any less wrong and because of that, it’s going to be hard to try and tell you he should not be made an
example of, difficult to try and make the spotlight pan out to the bigger picture and damn near impossible to change the way the majority of the public population will — unfairly — now view him.

When Mike James Played In Kobe’s 81 Point Game

Kyle Weidie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:08:27 +0000

So Mike James has been written about a couple times lately. And with everything else that’s going on, it’s nice to talk about non-legal, non-14-29 record, basketball-related items. But first, here’s a run-down of everything that’s going on (can’t help myself) …

Such as Javaris Crittenton finally appearing in court, pleading to a misdemeanor gun possession, and being sentenced to one-year probation and a $1,250 fine all in about half-a-day. Oh, and since Gilbert Arenas has owned “hundreds” of guns, we found out about him making fun of Crittenton’s gun because it was little. Good one.

What else? Well, Crittenton’s day in court only created more contradictions, brought to you by Dan Steinberg, and not clarity. My favorite one … the idea the Crittenton dealt with fearing for his life with an unloaded gun. Can we all agree that Javaris got rid of the bullets before turning in the gun? Ok, I’m making an assumption, but that seems like where the smart money is.

And not to forget … the NY Post’s Petey Vescey has come out with a piece today that makes him the undisputed number one challenger to Tony Kornheiser for King of the Pricks. I won’t link to Vescey’s piece, but again, the magnanimous Dan Steinberg tucks Vescey’s tired act into bed with a nice warm glass of …

So [Vescey] got the date of the confrontation wrong, the fact that they drew weapons on each other wrong, the entire tenor of the episode wrong, while bringing up a complete red herring about gambling on league games. He, more than anyone else, was responsible for this entire incident being framed as a Wild West shootout rather than the ridiculous bit of immaturity that it was. And now he finds his great love for the truth has been sullied by Mike Wise. Swell.

Oh yea, Kobe Bryant and the NBA World Champion Lakers are in town tonight. Speaking of that Kobe guy … look up the box score of his 81 point game against the Toronto Raptors, which occurred just four years and four days ago today. Wonder if Kobe will drop 44 tonight.

In that box score, you’ll find none other than the Wizards’ own Mike James as leading scorer for the visiting Raptors. That night, he pocketed 26 points and dropped 10 dimes.

A while back, I asked Mike about his memories of the game, here goes …

JAMES: “Yea, I was disappointed. We didn’t double-team. We let him do whatever he wanted and he hit every shot.”

ME: Was there ever like …

“I don’t want to talk about that.

I’m going to Tweet about that one, ‘This S.O.B. asked me about …’

I ain’t even going to … I hate talking about that. Don’t you know that’s like a soft spot for me man? Because no body else on my damn team …”

[Mike said all of this while smiling and obviously wanted to speak about the game some more.]

Did you implore anyone to be an enforcer, foul Kobe?

“Yea, but I think at that time, the coach (Sam Mitchell) was more in shock. He was so much into the game and couldn’t believe what he was seeing with his own eyes that he almost forgot about coaching.”

It was a close game (Toronto went up 71-53 with 9:22 left in the third quarter) … Kobe needed to score for his team to compete.

“He was definitely hitting shots that you’re not supposed to be able to hit. He was doing things and … I remember him taking two steps over half-court and shooting, and it’s bottoms.

When the hole is that big, there is only one thing to do and that’s foul, keep fouling, foul some more, and triple team. But we didn’t do that. We felt like at the time we could individually stop him and obviously that didn’t work. And he goes down in history.”

And you’re part of the history …

“And I’m part of the history … yea, thanks.”

{video: the game}

When Mike Confused Mike With Mike: A Surprise Appearance By Mike James

Kyle Weidie — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:10:06 +0000

Lo and behold, the very next game after the frustrations of Mike James were written about by myself and Mike Prada of Bullets Forever, the veteran guard’s name was called to play on Sunday against the LA Clippers. But don’t think it was because people have been calling for Flip Saunders to #FreeMikeJames. After the game, the coach indicated that part of the reason James saw action was because Earl Boykins had an issue with his heel.

Summoned to play for the first time in 80 days, James checked in with 2:33 left in the second quarter and immediately hit a runner off the glass. He also held his own against Baron Davis with effort on defense, but did make a silly, costly turnover on the Wizards’ last possession of the first half.

In the second half, James played just under 17 minutes and scored nine points, dropping two assists to two turnovers. He ended up taking the third most shots among all Wizards, attempting 11 and making four, in 19 total minutes of action. It was James, and not Randy Foye, who received the main minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter. He and Mike Miller both led the team with +3, the only two Wizards with a positive plus/minus rating.

In his press conference, Saunders threw some credit in James’ direction. “He didn’t always play effective, he made some mistakes, but he played hard and played with energy. If you do that consistently as a team, you’ll find a way to get your way back.”

So, good for Mike, as he’s certainly become a favorite of the media and those on Twitter (such as @wzzntzz) alike. Maybe he can earn more playing time in the future, play up his trade value (in addition to his expiring contract status), and the relationship between him and the Wizards can end in a way that will work out best for everyone.

Now, it’s fitting to finish with a video of Mike reacting to the sudden post-game attention given to him by the throngs of media, how he was surprised, almost confused, when Flip called his name, and how his teammates had to alert him to go to the scorer’s table.

The Season of Mike James’ Discontent

Kyle Weidie — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:03:43 +0000

Mike James can’t wait until the NBA trade deadline. It’s his best shot to get out of a place he does not want to be, the Nation’s Capital of Washington, DC. Although, if his $6.5 million expiring contract isn’t traded by February 19th, the Wizards will likely buy him out, releasing him to the sea of basketball free-agents, where there are plenty of fish.

James doesn’t come across as a malcontent. On the contrary, he’s an approachable, nice guy, has a sense of humor, and is always willing to talk. He’s the one Wizard you’ll likely see reading the bible before games and is often prodding youngsters like Nick Young, Dominic McGuire and Andray Blatche to attend pre-game chapel.

But make no mistake. Despite the recent release of a new book, Fight For Your Dreams: Memoirs of an NBA star, and the fact that he rarely shows his displeasure on the outside, Mike James is not a happy camper.

It’s because of his approachable demeanor why James is often seen holding court with one person or another before games, and why I never hesitate to walk over to his locker and shoot the breeze.

James has gently expressed his frustration with the 22 minutes he’s received on the season before, but tonight, he opened up with more poignant words and thoughts to a couple of us who were around before the Wizards were set to play the Miami Heat (including Mike Prada of Bullets Forever).

James said this has been the toughest situation of his career. He came into training camp in shape and says he’s done everything that’s been asked of him, but now feels jilted because he’s appeared in only one game the entire season. It is, however, worth noting that he broke his finger after his one appearance on November 6th and spent several weeks off the court.

As James continues to sit on the inactive list, the nine season NBA veteran said he feels he’s being made a mockery of, and considering the circumstances, he believes he’s the worst person on the Washington Wizards, a 14-27 team.

James said the lone bright spot for him this season was when he played against the Pacers. Not because he actually got to play in an NBA game, but because he got to be on the court with A.J. Price, his basketball protégé with whom he often speaks. James and Price share a hometown in Amityville, NY, and James hopes that someone was able to capture a picture of the two on the floor together back on that early November night.

His psyche may be in a bad place, but James won’t let that affect his basketball confidence. He still believes that he and his career double-figure average (10.5 ppg over 525 games) can help a team. He can’t wait to see an NBA court again and continues to hold onto the hope that he can earn a contract next season, however realistic that may be.

Whatever you think of Mike James as a player can be debated. But I can tell you, he’s definitely a likable guy, i.e., you can’t judge his personality solely on his Supernanny appearance as some, including myself, have done. As Mike Jones once wrote, at this point why not play the guy? The Wizards don’t have much too lose … well, except for more games, but that’s kind of inevitable, isn’t it?

Random Posts

October 15, 2009 -- Antawn Jamison Injury Update
November 21, 2008 -- The Wizards Financial Forecast: Hawks Game 9 Recap
November 24, 2009 -- Rest In Peace Abe Pollin: Wizards Owner Passes at 85

Video: What The Washington Wizards Gave For Christmas/The Holidays

Kyle Weidie — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:25:16 +0000

Before they lost to the Thunder and before Flip Saunders got extremely perturbed, bumping a 40-game evaluation period down to 30 games when it was originally 20 games, I asked various Wizards what was their favorite present that they gave someone else for Christmas/the holidays. Several of them, such as Dominic McGuire, Fabricio Oberto, Mike James, Mike Miller, JaVale McGee, Nick Young, Andray Blatche, Caron Butler, and Gilbert Arenas answered.

It’s just Wizards being Wizards y’all.

At 10-20, with more than a record’s reason to be distraught, i.e., read this piece on Hardwood Paroxysm by Matt Moore, people ask me if it’s hard covering the team. I say …

1) I’ll always love the Wizards.

2) For the reason(s) below, being around this team will continue to be fun. {And we must remember, even though they get paid a lot^4 more money than you and me, they are people too. Not basketball playing robots. That being said, I wish the Wizards would start earning their goddamn salary. (So does Flip Saunders, more from Thursday’s practice to come.)}

3) Happy 2010 everyone.

A Trade Involving Mike James In The Works?

Kyle Weidie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:18:53 +0000

{flickr/Keith Allison}

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports:

The Miami Heat’s position on trades is no secret. They won’t even consider making a deal for anyone whose contract extends beyond this season to preserve every cent of their projected trove of salary-cap space for July 1, 2010.

But the Heat have, according to NBA front-office sources, explored the possibility of trading for Washington’s highly available Mike James, whose first coach in a 11-team career in 2001-02 was Pat Riley in Miami.

Sources say that the teams discussed a trade during the preseason, but the Wizards balked because Miami would not send back an expiring contract. The Wiz have a similar mindset to Miami’s, determined not to take back anything but expiring salaries in minor deals like this one.

[via "Mike James back to Miami? Maybe" - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN]

Interesting.

Stein goes on to report that Miami may have added motivation to acquire James because during Michael Beasley’s troubles and subsequent rehab in Houston this past August, he hosted the youngster at a private gym for workouts.

It’s no secret that Ernie Grunfeld probably needs to make a move. Guys are getting healthy, the Wizards have a lot of guards, and Mike James likely won’t go down without a fight/quietly. But Grunfeld is one to bide his time, and I’m not necessarily seeing the Heat, a division rival, as a strong possibility for a trade (unless, as Stein mentions, a third team gets involved).

Stein also reports, “Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem are the only expiring deals Riley can offer in exchange for James without a third team being recruited to help faciliate a trade.”

Richardson doesn’t help the team much, unless Grunfeld, for some reason, wants a three-point shooter who has history of back problems, plays spotty defense, and doesn’t seem to get along with Brendan Haywood.

The two got into a shouting match late in the game during a Wizards loss down in Miami on November 10th, and I couldn’t help but notice a couple exchanges between the two when the Wiz won in Miami on November 27th.

If the Heat want to send Udonis Haslem in exchange for Mike James and Fabricio Oberto (after December 15th when Fab becomes eligible to be traded), no one will complain. Of course, Pat Riley values Haslem and doesn’t go for that in a million years. He’d likely ask for someone Grunfeld doesn’t want to give up, like JaVale McGee.

Mike Prada of Bullets Forever makes a plausible proposal:

Maybe something like James and Shaun Livingston to Miami, Haslem to Oklahoma City and a second-round pick to DC.

Makes sense if Grunfeld is interested in getting James’ contract off the books before it would count toward the luxury tax, which is calculated after the last game of the season.

The report from Stein is a timely, but early, speculative feeler. Nonetheless, stay tuned.

Wizards Sunday Links; Is Mike James Going To Stab Someone?

Kyle Weidie — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:49:53 +0000

via Mike James’ Twitter …

But he seems like such a nice guy!…

{via Ned Dishman, WashingtonWizards.com}

Well … the preseason ended on a poor note Friday in Chicago. Meh. At least the Wizards’ preseason mantra of “It’s just the preseason” can no longer be used … cheers all around.

Wizards vs. Bulls

[Michael Lee - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]

The only positives that can be taken from this game? Nobody else got hurt and the preseason is finally, mercifully, over.

If you thought the Wizards couldn’t look worse than they did against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, then you missed the entire second half against the Bulls. That’s when the Wizards decided that they were ready for the regular season. They were outscored 52-31, missed 25 of 34 field goal attempts, and got outrebounded 29-11. They seriously packed it in.

[William Yoder - Agent Dagger]

Arenas had arguably his worst game this preseason as Agent Zero himself looked a little lost against the Bulls. Arenas did score a team high 15 points, but he shot only 3-12 from the field with four assists and four turnovers. Also contributing for the Wiz off the bench were Andray Blatche who scored 14 points in just under 28 minutes. Blatch also grabbed 8 boards and had a blocked shot. Randy Foye also added 11 points on 5-12 shooting.

Wizards vs. Other D.C. Pro Teams

It’s one thing for people to loathe how a franchise is put together or how it performs; it’s another not to matter. The Wizards went back to not mattering last spring, virtual irrelevancy, a place the Nationals only truly know.

But it’s too cheap and easy to make the 2009-10 Wizards about any other team in this area. Don’t let your burgundy-and-gold depression cloud your outlook. They play in the only hopeful arena in town these days. Beyond the Wizards, Verizon Center is currently home to just about the greatest North American team-sport athlete alive. (At this moment, I would take Alex Ovechkin slightly ahead of LeBron James.)

[Mike Wise - Washington Post]

An Anonymous Eastern Conference Executive on Gilbert Arenas

“The worst thing that can happen is that he’s neither. He’s a hell of a player, as good as they come in the league, but I don’t know if Gilbert is capable of taking the foolishness out of his lifestyle in order to be a leader. I also don’t know if he’s able to take the ego and pride out of his game to be a follower. [Leadership] has been a fundamental issue with the Wizards and it will continue to be until it is solved in one way or another, whether it’s through the head coach, the players or the management.”

[via Michael Lee - Washington Post]

Damn Stat Guys

[Via The Wall Street Journal] … The ‘stat’ guys at Basketball-Reference.com crunched some numbers, history, and the what-not to “simulate” 10,000 NBA seasons and calculate how many times each team would win the NBA title. To prove how silly/pointless of an exercise this was, according to BBR, “one team went winless 92 times in 10,000 seasons.”

To further illustrate the silliness, the Wizards only won the NBA championship twice out of 10,000 times … the absolute least of all 30 NBA teams. Less than the Kings (3), the Clippers (6) the OKC Thunder (9), and the Grizzlies (24).

HUH? Yea, exactly.

Wizards Salute The Stars

Last week, the Wizards put down the basketballs and honored military men and women who serve our country. The ‘Salute The Stars’ day of service took place at Morton’s Steakhouse in D.C. where the Wizards served up food and drinks to all members of the military in attendance. Here are some classic pictures from the event which was in conjunction with the ‘Wizards Care’ community service program.

[pictures via WashingtonWizards.com]

Haywood The Shrimp Man

Caron Butler On Meat

Blatche’s Service With A Smile

Tough Guy Bow-Ties

Men For Others

Haywood Eyes The Shrimp

Random Posts

September 19, 2010 -- NBA Point Guard Heaven: The Beginning of John Wall’s Ascent
October 20, 2009 -- Hawks Down Wizards Like Falcon’s Balloon; Atlanta 113 – Washington 95
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Mike James Expresses Frustration On Twitter, But Not Throwing In The Towel

Kyle Weidie — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:55:51 +0000

The battle for Wizards starting shooting guard is crucial. The backup power forward spot almost just as much, especially with Antawn Jamison nursing injury and little to show in terms of front court depth. The backup point guard position, however, is a relatively unheralded story.

The talented and rock-steady Randy Foye is thought by many to be the favorite to spell Gilbert Arenas. Foye is also in the mix to play off the ball some. But, there’s already quite a crowd competing at shooting guard with Mike Miller, DeShawn Stevenson, Nick Young and even Caron Butler factoring in.

And then there’s Mike James. With Javaris Crittenton currently out with a foot injury and an unknown timetable for return, some of the competition at point has been eliminated … or at least postponed. But with two DNPs in five preseason games, is James being given a fair shake?

“The only way you can really assess yourself is by playing … I got two DNPs in preseason,” James said after Friday’s practice. “Whether it’s fair or not, I’m not the coach, so I can’t say. All I can say is the opportunities I have, I gotta take advantage of them, weather they’re short or not.”

That’s not the only problem in James’ eyes. He’s had a hard time defining his role. On his progression in that department, James said, “So far, I still don’t know my role. That’s the thing right now that’s the most curious to myself … where things are going to stand.”

“Coming into training camp, I prepared myself as well as I possibly could. Coach basically said that there would be battles for things and nothing would be given to people … so we’ll see what will happen. Right now, it’s not encouraging, it’s a little discouraging,” James continued.

“But you can’t complain about things. You understand that there’s two options you can take from this, you can continue to keep working hard, or you can throw in the towel. The second one is definitely not what I plan on doing … never throw in the towel. I’m going to continue to keep working hard and keep grinding. If things don’t change, we have to go from there.”

When asked about James’ role and if he sensed any frustration out of him resulting from two DNPs, Flip Saunders deadpanned, “I mean, that’s exhibition … some guys play and some guys don’t.”

Still, James’ frustration has been noticeable from the bench at times, and seemed to come to a head with a tweet he made (the one you see above) at 9:35 pm on October 14th, not long after the Wizards beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland, a game in which James was handed one of his two DNPs. On Friday, I asked James about invoking a similar line to the beginning of ‘December 4th’ on Jay-Z’s Black Album.

“I mean, it’s a true statement. That’s normally what happens in this game or in anything in life. Most people take you for granted. And when you’re dead … it’s just like Michael Jackson. Now they want to come out with a movie, now they want to forget all the charges that were brought against him, and they want to give him his greatness, give him back his credibility that he’s always rightfully deserved. Why couldn’t they give that to him while he was still here? It only took when he died that people wanted to show how great of a person he was, and how he has a Guinness Book World Record for giving to foundations and charities around the world*, which nobody talked about when he was here on earth.”

“So, it’s the same thing, James said. “When you’re missed, when you leave, when you get traded, then they want to talk about how valuable you were to the team and how other things about you stood out. But when you’re here, they take advantage of you, so they never really care, they never really express it. So, it’s just a true statement … they really don’t miss you until you’re dead or you’re gone. I don’t plan on dying, so after this quote … I’m outta here.”

Potentially being missed or not, James’ three preseason appearances have produced mixed results and leave a lot to be desired by those who comment on sites like Bullets Forever. He looked ‘okay’ in his first game against Dallas, out of sync in Toronto, and stats indicate that he was “serviceable” in an un-televised match against Detroit.

On assessing his play so far, James said, “I give myself a ‘C’ … sometimes you have to get into the feel of the game, you have to keep working and grinding. Against Detroit, I made some good plays, I made some ‘okay’ plays. In Toronto, I didn’t play as well as I was capable of playing. You know, that’s just preseason. Coach is using preseason to figure out who are the players he can trust on the court. So, it’s basically take advantage of the opportunities when you’re given them.”

Over his 45 total minutes of action, James has scored 17 points on 7-15 from the field (.467) with five assists, six turnovers and three steals. His cumulative plus/minus stands at minus-19, the second lowest on the team (Andray Blatche has a minus-24 over five games).

Mike James seems to be a good guy whose lighthearted nature has formed a bond with teammates. But personality only gets you so far. What we do know is that James is one of Ernie Grunfeld’s “assets” … possibly as a veteran point who can manage a team in brief spells, but more likely as an expiring $6.47 million contract.

Which direction the NBA journeyman’s career homestretch will go remains to be seen. Either way, Mike James isn’t going out without a fight. Problem is, he might not have many fighting chances left.

* Jackson is estimated to have given over $500 million to charities in his career.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Arenas, Gilbert Calls The Media “Lazy”

Kyle Weidie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:14:21 +0000

There was a larger than usual media contingent at the Wizards’ practice this afternoon. I can’t really say this with conviction since it was only my second time attending a practice, but let’s just say there was a presence on a national level. And we’re talking about practice.

Waiting to be let into the gym, I surveyed the media scene. A bunch evil, lazy looking mofos … with daggers in their eyes and hate in their blood. Of course, I’m being extremely facetious here. But in the eyes of Gilbert Arenas, that’s what they are. Ok, again, I must confess, I’m putting words in Arenas’ mouth … but he did call the media “lazy.”

Arenas spoke in such a sullen and somber tone, he seemed like a kid who’d just lost his puppy. I halfway expected him to break out in a smile, but he didn’t. I know I broke out a couple uncontrollable smirks myself. When Arenas was done, he just quietly put his head down and walked to the locker room.

Here’s an excerpt of his presser …

I later spoke with Mike James about the differences between Agent Media and Agent Teammate:

“Gil is crazy and he’s going to continue to be crazy. That’s just who he is. He just wants to play basketball. He doesn’t want to think about all the other stuff. He doesn’t really care what the media says about him and how they express their feelings about him. He’s only talking to the media because he has to talk to the media.

Gil is Gil … cracking jokes all the time. He’s a fun guy to meet. I enjoy him. So now, he’d rather spend more time on the basketball court than in front of the cameras.”

So there it is. Arenas just wants to play basketball. And on the court with his teammates, he’s a totally different person … a regular Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Arenas.

Sorry media. It may be a tad immature, a wee-bit overboard … too bad.

Hopefully, what Arenas does on the basketball court will be entertainment enough.

Oh yea … speaking of “entertainment”, Arenas’ new website, GilbertArenas.com will debut on October 31st. [via Gilbertology]

Another oh yea … Arenas has a book coming out in February 2010. [also via Gilbertology]

Take that again media! Gilbert Arenas will be his OWN media!

Mike Jones of the Washington Times and Michael Lee of the Post have more on Arenas.

Unheard and Unseen Cuts from Wizards Media Day

Kyle Weidie — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:14:06 +0000

Last Monday’s Washington Wizards media day seems like such a long time ago.

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.”

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

Who Is Randy Foye?

Kyle Weidie — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:44:09 +0000

(flickr/coolgates)

There was a mini-spike in Randy Foye news last week. On Monday, after watching a video about Foye on NBA.com, I wondered if he could be ‘the’ difference maker.

On Wednesday, the WaPost’s Michael Lee put together a nice piece on Foye off his notes from a previous meeting. Here, we learned of a potential style conflict between Foye and former T-Wolves head coach, current Wizards assistant, Randy Wittman. Lee also related something Kevin McHale once told Foye before a matchup against Dwyane Wade, “Anything he can do, you can do.” Foye battled and finished with 29 points to Wade’s 31. The game came down to a last second foul call that Foye did not get … Wade probably would have.

Predating Wade-Foye comparisons, looking back into John Hollinger’s vault, we find Foye associated with Vinny Del Negro. Before he was drafted in ’06, ESPN compared Foye to Ben Gordon, while NBADraft.net to Chauncey Billups. But it was DraftExpress FTL … in their ‘best’ case, Randy Foye is Mike James; worst case, Juan Dixon. Yuck.

Clearly it’s time to use historical record to compare Foye. Here are the requirements that I plugged into Basketball-Reference.com:

Looking for a season in which a player was:

6’4″ or shorter
TO% between 11.5 and 12.5
More than 5 assists per 48
Between 20 and 25 points per 48
PER > 13.5
60 or more games
over 200 total rebounds

The answer: Three seasons: Jason Terry (01-02, age 24), Randy Foye (08-09, age 25), and Gary Payton (92-93, age 24).

Check their career Turnover Percentage Curve. All three players significantly improved through their third season.

In regard to Foye’s turnovers, the stats below are from 82games.com.
*(Position %: “represents the percentage of the team’s total minutes the player was at that position.”)

Remembering that he only played 39 games in 07-08, Foye’s percentage of turnovers due to ball handling remains consistent. It’s his bad passing and decision making which get worse with increased time at the point. In his most recent season, Foye averaged 2.2 TOV/48 minutes at SG, and 3.9 at the PG spot.

Now look at each player’s career Assist Percentage Curve. Terry, who holds a career 25.2 assist percentage, has AST%/TO% ratios that remain relatively consistent with each other. Payton remains mostly in the lower part of the 10-15 TOV% range, while his AST% spiked to seven straight years of 35+.

Foye’s AST%, however, has remained flat. He’s shown he can get better at taking care of the ball, but the clear inefficiency is his inability to create for teammates.

Foye may have the size to get to the basket like a young Gary Payton, and the spot up shooting ability of Terry, but he is far from being either player. Which brings me back to the Mike James/Juan Dixon, ‘best case/worst case’ assessment. Their PER 36 career averages, and some select advanced statistics, are eerily similar.

What does it all mean? Who exactly is Randy Foye?

Well, he’s Randy Foye, not anyone else. He’s bigger than both Dixon and James, with the ability to finish strong at the hoop. Also, unlike James who is more of a gunner sans conscious, Foye can spot up and play off a teammate’s driving ball movement. And although Foye’s defense has been questioned, he has more tools than the others in the area. Foye is clearly the most talented of the three, and that’s where comparisons should end.

So who is Randy Foye? I still don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.

Interview with Mike James, Washington Wizard (for now)

Kyle Weidie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:10:56 +0000

Mike James - flickr/Keith Allison

Last week, I had a chance to interview Mike James over the phone from Houston as he was on his way to the gym. Why Mike James? Well, the guy was nice enough to respond to my email and subsequently agree to chat. Doubt many NBA players would do the same for a ‘blogger’.

In speaking with Mike, I came away with two main impressions; he absolutely loves the game of basketball and he’s very confident — two traits you’ll probably find in every player who sticks around in the best basketball league in the world for more than five seasons.

Acquired from New Orleans in mid-December, James’ presence on the court in a season inevitably filled with mounting losses was the cause of frustration for many Wizards fans who would have rather seen younger players developing on the court.

However, many times James was the only guard willing to penetrate into the paint, or at least try … an aspect of creation so desperately needed by a team simply trying to play together. Either that or James was the only veteran PG available, as young Javaris Crittenton, acquired in the same trade, tried to acclimate himself to his third team in two seasons, or as Juan Dixon fought through injury and the inability to lead an offense.

Regardless of how you feel about Mike James the player, you should respect him as a person. Much like Gilbert Arenas, he’s made a career for himself by exceeding the expectations of others. Unlike Arenas, who played for a big time college program under the legendary Lute Olson, James attended Duquesne, an off-the-radar program seated in Pittsburgh, PA.

After four years playing for the Dukes (he was eventually inducted into the Duquesne Hall of Fame in 2008), James went undrafted, and hopped around in Europe for stints in France and Austria, even briefly playing in the CBA before catching on with the Miami Heat in 2001.

It’s kind of amazing how every year in the NBA draft, a ton of guys get selected and never make it. And then there’s Mike James, an undrafted guy who’s been in the league for eight seasons, playing for nine different teams … so far. James hasn’t stopped fighting since first suiting up for the Heat on December 23, 2001, and doesn’t seem ready to quit anytime soon.

——————————————–

On how the offseason is going:

Summer is going great, I can’t complain at all. Guys are working hard every day in the gym now. I’m working with John Lucas this summer. A lot of professional athletes normally don’t work out this early, but I’ve never found myself taking too much time off.

In terms of his training and diet, does he do anything differently now compared to when he started his career:

Not at all. I still got the same diet, I still got the same training. I eat whatever I want. With 4.5% body fat when I first came in the league, I still eat whatever I want, and I still have 4.5% body fat … so, what’s the point of changing?

Listen, I’ll eat a hot dog on the street corner after coming from the club in New York City, and I’ll buy three hot dogs at three o’clock in the morning. I don’t have a favorite food. As long as the food is good, I eat everything. I eat hamburgers, hot dogs, cake, cookies … and also chicken (laughs).

On turning 34 on June 23rd and how many years he wants to continue playing basketball:

I just want to play (I think) three more years in the league. These young players still haven’t shown me that they can take my position. I’m going to leave this game when I’m ready to leave this game.

At the same time, I want to watch my kids grow up, and I understand that basketball takes away from that … being on the road, constantly traveling. I want to be able to enjoy them in their teenage years.

So, it’s not that I can’t continue to play … because I haven’t had an injury. The worst injury I’ve had in my career is a broken pinkie. I’ve never had a knee injury or a back injury. People talk about my age, but I’m still in shape. I still do exactly what I have to do on the court. I’m still an efficient player.

People don’t talk about my game, they talk about my age. Don’t talk about my age, leave my age alone. If I’m doing something on the court, let that speak for my age itself.

Aside from staying healthy, on what has kept him in the NBA for so long, for eight seasons playing with nine different teams:

I didn’t deserve to be on nine different teams. It just so happened that I turned out to be a journeyman in this league.

Most of the people who traded me have a story of wanting me back at some time. It basically says that you really don’t know what you have until it’s gone. They always thought they could find somebody better than me. I wasn’t as good as I thought I was or they thought I was. But then, when I leave, they figure out I was exactly the piece that they needed. So, I wind up being a journeyman.

Everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me. At the end of the day, I didn’t deserve my journey in this league, but it was meant to be.

Who he’s seen as a mentor or thought highly of, whether it be a player or a coach:

One player I’ve always thought highly of is Chauncey Billups, playing under him in Detroit the year we won the NBA Championship. That in itself being a great accomplishment, and he also got Finals MVP that year.

I was happy for him because they call him a journeyman at one point in his career. He turned around and made himself into a household name. I tip my hat to guys like that. I tip my hat to all the underdogs. All the guys who work hard and fight for their name, fight for respect in the league. I tip my hat to them because it’s not given to them, and they understand that the only way to maintain and sustain it is to continue to keep working for it.

If with the Wizards next season, what type of role does he see himself playing:

Whether starting or coming off the bench, I can help this team. I’m understand that we have a lot of guys who demand the ball. We have three All-Stars coming back this year. In Gil coming back, he definitely controls the ball a lot. Caron demands the ball a lot. Antawn demands the ball a lot. And Brendan is going to want his touches also. So it’s almost like, I don’t need nothing. Just give me the scraps.

At the same time, I understand how we can win with everyone being offensive threats, and how we can feed off one another. It’s definitely going to be an exciting year if I come back to Washington. If I don’t come back to Washington, my story is still being told. It just has another chapter to it whether I’m in D.C. or not.

What teams or players he follows now:

I’m a fan of my boy A.J. Price. He’s probably the only person I’ve been watching lately because he’s from Amityville, and he has a chance to get drafted this year. That’s a great accomplishment. Him coming from my hometown, I want him to be successful.

Memories from playing overseas:

My first year overseas, the team I played for paid for my wedding (laughs). I got married in Europe. They enjoyed and loved having me so much that they wanted to do my wedding for me. I didn’t have any money, so I appreciated that one from them.

I understood that [overseas] wasn’t the final stop in my career. I knew that’s the way I had to go, the path I had to take. I know I was better than what everybody else was saying and I never let anyone decide how good I am or when I was supposed to quit.

It was one of those cases where I knew I deserved to be in the NBA, but I was there, so I was going to continue to keep working. Being in Europe was just a stepping stone.

After basketball, what he sees himself doing:

…Everything. I wrote book. I’m in the editing process now. Basically, it’s the story of my life, called ‘Fight For Your Dreams’, and I just finished it.

You know, the businesses that I have … I don’t know, do I want to coach? I may go into coaching. If anything, I’d like to go into the front office. Who knows what may happen after basketball? But I know I can’t be put in a box, and I know I won’t just do one thing.

Basketball is the one thing I enjoy doing, what I love to do. I’m passionate about it and [right now] it’s the only thing that will take away all my attention. I need something that’s going to take this energy that basketball drains me from, and I know that one thing can’t do it. So because of that, I’m going to have to put myself through a whole bunch of other activities just so I can sustain that adrenaline flow that basketball gives me.

But that’s why I’m still in the gym in the summertime. I still enjoy the summertime. Every time I see a retired player, I always ask them, ‘How is it being retired?’ I want to know, I’m curious as hell … like, ‘What do you do now that there’s no more basketball?’ So many people have so many different answers to that question.

The one reason why they all retired and said they were done … when the summer time ain’t fun no more to work out, it’s time to quit the game. When you’re not looking forward to the dribbling drills, and the thousand jump shots, and the passing drills … when you’re not able to do that any longer, and you’re not having fun anymore because you’d rather be on the golf course or doing something else, then it’s time to retire.

[The summer] is the time to get better and I still enjoy the summertime. It’s still fun to me. I still get a kick out of going to play pickup. I still get a kick out of shooting a thousand jump shots, doing the drills, and going to the different pick-up/summer leagues, playing against those street ballers and letting them know, ‘I’m old and in the NBA and y’all still ain’t nicer than me.’ I still love seeing these young kids coming out in the NBA, and everyone is so high on them, and I love seeing them in the summertime and letting them know, ‘Yea, I’m old. Yea, you were 12-years old when I first came into the NBA, but I’m still better than you.’

That’s what still excites me about the game now is that I’m still better than some of these young kids. Can’t nobody tell me when to quit this game. I’ll tell myself when I’m done.

Many thanks to Mike for taking part. Here’s to wishing him the best of luck, whether he returns to D.C., or is a part of a trade elsewhere to acquire a piece of the potential championship puzzle.

Mike James at the mic - flickr/jeffbalke

Random: So What's David Wesley Doing?

Kyle Weidie — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:48:00 +0000

You remember David Wesley….former NBAer, longtime Hornet, one time speed racer (what, too soon?).

I was flipping around on whatever day it was….with basketball, they all run into each other…and evidently Baylor was playing against someone in some tournament…..probably NIT (is the CBI even on television? is it black-listed from MSMer and the blogworld alike?)…..and there was David Wesley: student manager.

Wesley needed 33 credits to graduate, so working on that physical education degree while watching basketball…..good for him.

Wesley never played for the Wizards, but is connected to several people who have:

Wesley played with Nervous Pervis Ellison on the Celtics from 94-97.
With Mugsy Bogues on the Charlotte Hornets in 97-98.
With Doug Overton and Otis Thorpe on the 00-01 Charlotte Hornets.
With Courtney Alexander and Robert Pack on the 02-03 New Orleans Hornets.
With Lonny Baxter on the 04-05 NOLA Hornets (and later Houston Rockets)
With Juwan Howard, Mike James, Tyron Lue and Rod Strickland on the 04-05 Rockets.
And with Larry Hughes on the 06-07 Cavs.

Random Posts

December 28, 2010 -- Wizards Fall To 0-15 On The Road In Houston
January 24, 2008 -- LeBron James Lobbies to Get New York Yankees Logo Added to the Quicken Loans Arena Court
November 1, 2008 -- Blogger Q&A: Detroit Bad Boys

Apathy Over Losing Mounts: Wizards Game 61 Blog at OKC Thunder

Kyle Weidie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Typical scene from modern day Oklahoma
where the dust bowl continues.

Started to watch the beginning of the Wizards-Thunder game last night…but fell asleep, bloggers need naps too. I’d intended on waking up at some point and watching from the start…..but then thought, am I really missing anything?

So, the game blog picks at the end of the 2nd quarter.

———————————-

Why do they play “Whomp, There It Is!” when good things happen at OKC games? (well, when Russell Westbrook does good things) Bet that’s the only hip-hop song (wait, is that song considered hip-hop?) that’s “safe” for the white people in Oklahoma.

As soon as I turn the game on, you got 10-0 Thunder runs, Wizards matador defense, Russell Westbrook dunks…..36-35 OKC.

Of course, the Thunder are in a competition with the Wiz to see who can turn the ball over more.

I’m thinking that Nened Krstic has killed a man….and I’m talking withing the last 6 months.

Lotta ball bobbling going on….ESPN is cuing up the Benny Hill music.

And Dom McGuire ends the half with a great block on Krstic…..44-43 Thunder at the half.

2nd chance points….Wiz up 16-2…go figure.

With the amount that Jamison does on this floundering Wizards team, he must be adding two games for every one on his career.

The Wizards call some sort of timeout….I think Tapscott wants to vent about big white stiffs like Collison and Krstic killing his team.

8:55: Andray Blatche is hovering around the 3-point line doing his best Pecherov impression…..and somehow hits a trey (he must have landed five feet in front on the 3-point line) 52-48 Wiz.

8:05: Andray Blatche hits a 17 foot jumper off a Songaila screen……’Dray would like Nick Collison to guard him every night.

6:45: Andray calmly hits a 15 foot jumper….Collison must have slipped him some young Jermaine O’Neal juice. 55-52 OKC.

5:24: Andray with a baseline layup set up by Mike James penetration….13 total points for AB, 9 straight from him for the Wiz. 59-54 OKC.

4:54: Blatche slips a screen, gets the pass from Crittenton…misses the power layup, but gets his own board and draws a foul. Who IS this dude? I demand to Know! (Blatche goes 1-2 from the FT line)

1:39: Damien Wilkins is blowing up……uh, Dom McGuire….defense? Wilkins gives the Wiz a taste of their own medicine (or at least the Wiz kids) with a Presidential salute. Tapscott Timeout…..and coach looks to be fuming. 68-58 OKC — Wilkins has 7 points in about the last 1.5 minutes.

Ugh….the OKC Thunder dancers are wearing camo — how hunting and gathering.

1:26: Some guy named Nick Young (I know, hard to pronounce) scores his first points of the game….he’s 1-4 on FGs. 68-60 OKC.

End of Quarter….Wilkins had 7….some Swiss guy (Sefolosha) had 9 points in the quarter. 68-62 OKC.

Stuff happens.

11:14: Crazy Nick Young lefty reverse layup cuts the OKC lead to three. 69-66.

10:33: And Jamison ties the game with a trey….25 and 9 for AJ.

9:00: Wilkins gets Dom on a bad pump fake….looks like an easy drive, but D-Song comes to help and holds his ground….this makes Wilkins travel.

8:15: OKC shot clock vio….their 14th turnover.

8:02: Wiz take a two point lead as Young rattles in a J. 74-72 DC.

7:48: Ball off Westbrook’s foot….TO 15.

Blatche misses a J….uh, yeeeeea, how ’bout you NOT do that? (even though you pulled some jumpers out your ass earlier)

7:05: Now I’ll take open big man jumpers from D-Song…he nails and the Wiz are up 4.

Nick Young is gunning shots like it’s on him…..ball movement please.

5:15: Aaaaand 6 straight points by the Thunder since the timeout at 7:05. 78-76 OKC.

Scott Brooks looks like he should be in a Mylanta commercial.

Wizards D has become unaware. 80-78 OKC…5:00 to play……

Jamison gets blocked…he goes crazy thinking it was a goal tend…..Nick Young is the only one with awareness to get the loose ball…..but he throws up some junk.

4:00: Blatche with a reckless spin in the lane….loses ball…..Nick Young recovers….throws up something panicked….shot clock violation.

3:18: But the Gentleman Jamison gets a rip and then a baseline hook. 82-81 OKC.

Seeing cheerleaders try to dance to the beginning of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ is off-putting.

Well…now OKC is getting tight on offense and D-Mac is securing rebounds….Wiz up 83-82 with two minutes left…..

1:47: But OKC gets a fast break off a Jamison miss…Thunder up 84-83.

Young drives down the middle….too much dribbling in traffic….turnover.

1:13: Wiz get a stop….good D by McGuire on the Swiss dude.

0:57: AHHHH! James drives, but Crittenton is the only one available for a pass in the lane…..he tries to double clutch and a bunch of shit…so he doesn’t draw a foul and OKC gets the ball back.

0:33: Westbrook gets the slower Mike James on his heels…and has plenty of space to nail a long jumper. 86-83 OKC.

0:11: Jamison throws up something crazy….even for him….Krstic board…..call it a game?

Yep, call it a game. 88-83 Oklahoma City Thunder….without Kevin Durant and Jeff Green (yes, the Wiz are without Butler, Arenas, Haywood, Stevenson, Thomas, Eddie Jordan, a coach, heart, hustle, intensity, etc., etc…..whatever)

NBA.com Box

[photo source: flickr/Casino Jones]

Random Posts

June 18, 2009 -- A Night With Flip Saunders Part 2: Top Quotes
August 20, 2010 -- Nolan Richardson, A Gentleman Basketball Pioneer – Pt. 1
November 30, 2010 -- Wizards vs. Heat: A Screen Shot Revue

Hope for Rubio Good For Wizards No Matter What

Kyle Weidie — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:55:00 +0000

Many have believed that 18-year old phenom, Ricky Rubio, would not enter the 2009 NBA draft because of a six million Euro buyout from his current contract with DKV Joventut of the Spanish ACB league.

However, recent reports, including one from Draft Express on February 22nd, indicate that via Rubio’s representatives, U.S. agent Dan Fegan, negotiations are under way to reduce Rubio’s buyout to three or four million Euros.

Rubio is very likely to be a top three pick in the ’09 draft which would be the most favorable conditions for a possible buyout. ESPN’s Chad Ford follows up with a Feb. 27th report that there are strong indications that Rubio will be available in the upcoming draft.

How does this benefit the Wizards?

Well, obviously, the potential lottery pick for a team currently tied with Oklahoma City for the second worst record in the NBA (two games behind the league worst Sacramento Kings) gets more valuable in what is considered a weak draft.

So, if the Wizards are looking to package either or both of the last year contracts of Etan Thomas and Mike James, the two most preferable to jettison, with a draft pick, the presence of Rubio makes it more enticing for the potential partner. Of course, we won’t know where the Wiz stand in the draft until the season’s over and the draft lottery is held during playoff basketball in May.

What if Washington gets the 2nd pick and wants to keep it?

That would be a nice scenario to have the choice between two “can’t miss” prospects such as Blake Griffin and Rubio. So, let’s assume that Griffin is a lock for #1 overall and the Wiz place in the draft.

Would Rubio be right for the Wizards?

The first thing that comes up in scouting reports for Double-R is “playmaker.” The kid has exceptional court vision. His long range jump shot is a question, along with his athleticism. But the moxie he showed on the world stage in the Olympics and the willingness to play defense, in addition to the more strict hand-checking rules in the U.S., makes Rubio a potential once-in-a-lifetime creator.

Let’s for a second assume that the Wizards will return next year with a starting lineup of Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood. Tentative potential here, contingent on bench strength.

Stevenson’s minutes would be limited with what we anticipate to be back issues for the duration of his career….so in steps Nick Young with scoring punch off the bench. Javaris Crittenton will be around to compete for the #2 PG slot, while also possessing the potential to play alongside Arenas.

All NBA teams need a third point guard, so do you rely on the possible undependable nature of a 19-year old (to be) at that slot? (backing up the developing Crittenton to boot?) Or, would Ernie Grunfeld prefer to keep Mike James on board?

James, who’ll surely take his $6.47 million option for next season, has an expiring contact which will only become more valuable as next year’s trade deadline approaches (pending team record circumstances).

Is James a veteran worth keeping? First of all, he’s not as bad as people think and could be a nice veteran presence, playing for another contract next year — assuming he doesn’t get an ego about himself and unjustifiably demand more burn.

Scenarios

That’s what it all depends on…...a question that A Tribe Called Quest would ask. What pick will the Wizards get? Will potential buyers for expiring contracts be more feasible in the summer, or before the trade deadline in February ’10?

Ernie Grunfeld has his work cut out for him, but he does have options. The presence of Ricky Rubio in that upcoming draft would simply add to those options.

Either way, Wizards fans should do what they usually do…..pray for health. Oh yea, good luck at the draft lottery wouldn’t hurt either.

Knowing the cursed history of this franchise, if either Rubio or Griffin are available, it’d be best for Grunfeld to do what he needs to do to keep the pick. Time and Abe Pollin’s pocket book flexibility will only tell.

Random Posts

July 12, 2010 -- John Wall, Natural Born Leader
October 20, 2010 -- Tuesday Night Radio Starring The Wizards and The Pistons
March 3, 2009 -- Stay Waiting On Andray Blatche

Remember Wizards, Obama Lives in DC: Wiz-Bulls Recap

Kyle Weidie — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:57:00 +0000

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).

[Check the game blog on Bullets Forever here]

Bullets on the Bullets:

Great ball movement in the first quarter — it was as if the Wizards had goals of patience and a rule that no one would hold onto the ball for more than two seconds.
Can’t say the same for the youth, although they did play well.
Javaris Crittenton didn’t asset himself on the game.
Nick Young, while he hit some very tough shots, still dribbles the ball waaaay too much. I wish he could learn to create in as few moves as possible, while being able to set up others. Right now, he’s a very one dimensional player and must improve his overall game to receive significant time next year.
Dominic McGuire continues to impress with timing and instinct on the glass and with blocking shots. But the best part about McGuire is that he’s becoming such a diverse defender. He really gave it to Ben Gordon and not much came easy for a guy with a history of killing the Wizards.
Mike James, while not great, is not as bad as people think — get off his back a little, okay?
Antawn Jamison…..the consummate pro. Shame on those who wanted to trade him…SHAME!
Caron Butler didn’t score a ton of points, but he also didn’t force the issue as he’s been susceptible of doing.
I’ve also liked what I’ve seen from Andray Blatche since his return from injury. He still has his “Andray Blatche” moments, but has displayed more hustle and a better fundamental game.
Darius Songaila…..my mans.
Feel like I’m missing something, but that is all (oh yea, JaVale McGee was around…..cool).

Link Dump:

[Wizards Insider]
Maybe the Wizards should get the Prez season tickets. For whatever reason, they looked like a real, legitimate NBA team tonight.

[Wizards Outlet]
The Wizards had the crisp ball movement, solid ball containment and aggressiveness that they have lacked far too often in this 14-44 season.

[Washington Times]
“He is what he is. He’s going to be what he’s going to be. If he wants to stay with the Bulls, stay with the Bulls,” Wizards center/forward Andray Blatche joked before the game. “But we’ll have to teach him a lesson today. He’s going to try to come here his first day and think the Bulls are going to win. I feel bad, but it’s something that’s got to be done.”

Nick Young’s hairdo via Krem’s Sports Blog

Random Posts

May 7, 2010 -- LINKS: The Day Gilbert Arenas Went From Halfway To Wholeway
December 25, 2011 -- A Christmas Miracle from THE WIZZNUTZZ
December 21, 2011 -- The Rundown: Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers – Preseason Game 2

Truth About It » mike james

Old Wizards: Butler, Haywood, Finger Guns, Arenas, Howard, Singleton, and James

More Former Wizards?

In brief:

Finally… Mike James

Other reads from Truth About It:

ShareBullets: JaVale McGee Cut From Team USA, John Wall Dancin’ Redskins & Mike James With A Megaphone

Now, let’s watch Banks do the dance a couple times (and score a TD).

>>>>>MIKE JAMES

Mike James with megaphone

Representing the New Orleans Hornets

Golf Swing

Other reads from Truth About It:

ShareBullets: Intersecting Paths – Mike James, The WizzNutzz & Benga

@WZZTNZZ further Tweets:

!!!!!!!!!!!LINKS>>>>>>>>>>>

Other reads from Truth About It:

Celebrating The Wizards Departed in Portraits and Stories

{DeShawn Stevenson}

{Antawn Jamison}

{Dominic McGuire}

{Brendan Haywood}

{Caron Butler}

{Mike James}

{Mike Harris}

{Alonzo Gee}

{Paul Davis}

{The Wizards Departed}

Other reads from Truth About It:

When Mike James Took A Media Bullet For Gilbert Arenas

{Waiting for Gil}

Primer on the video below:

Mike James, good sir, you will be missed. Best of luck to you, wherever you land.

{Links!}

[Dan Le Batard - Miami Herald: Wizards' Gilbert Arenas was wrong, but so was suspension]

[Mike Wise and Michael Lee - Washington Post: For Gilbert Arenas and Wizards franchise, latest incident sheds light on entitlement]

[Gregg Doyel - CBS Sports: Crazy from (packing) the heat: Talk of Arenas lifetime ban is ludicrous]

[Sally Jenkins - Washington Post: Who is Gilbert Arenas? Even he doesn't seem to know]

[Austin Burton - Dime Magazine: Silent Night: Gilbert Arenas Beyond Black and White]

[Lang Whitaker - Slam: Stop Being Gilbert Arenas]

[Henry Abbott - TrueHoop: Gilbert Arenas, kicked out of the star factory]

[Holly MacKenzie - The Score: Arenas on my mind]

Other reads from Truth About It:

When Mike James Played In Kobe’s 81 Point Game

{video: the game}

Other reads from Truth About It:

When Mike Confused Mike With Mike: A Surprise Appearance By Mike James

Other reads from Truth About It:

The Season of Mike James’ Discontent

Random Posts

Video: What The Washington Wizards Gave For Christmas/The Holidays

Other reads from Truth About It:

A Trade Involving Mike James In The Works?

Other reads from Truth About It:

Wizards Sunday Links; Is Mike James Going To Stab Someone?

But he seems like such a nice guy!…

Wizards vs. Bulls

[Michael Lee - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]

[William Yoder - Agent Dagger]

Wizards vs. Other D.C. Pro Teams

An Anonymous Eastern Conference Executive on Gilbert Arenas

Damn Stat Guys

Other Links:

Wizards Salute The Stars

Haywood The Shrimp Man

Caron Butler On Meat

Blatche’s Service With A Smile

Tough Guy Bow-Ties

Men For Others

Haywood Eyes The Shrimp

Random Posts

Mike James Expresses Frustration On Twitter, But Not Throwing In The Towel

Other reads from Truth About It:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Arenas, Gilbert Calls The Media “Lazy”

Other reads from Truth About It:

Unheard and Unseen Cuts from Wizards Media Day

Antawn Jamison

Javaris Crittenton

Mike James

Suggested Reading: