Now that NBA the season is upon us, the most oft-considered repercussion of the compacted schedule has been for whom is it an advantage. Fresh legs? Sharp minds? Old teams?

On media day Flip Saunders was asked if a youthful team brings any benefits to a scrambled environment in the aftermath of the 2011 lockout. ”I think if you have youth, you’re going to say yes, and if you have veterans, you’re going to say yes,” he said, implying that you can cook the perspective to whatever degree you like.

As with any NBA season, normal length or not, if a team is hit with the injury bug too harshly or with bad timing, it can significantly affect results. With a slate of 66 games in just 122 days, injuries are now more likely. Neither young nor old are immune. Sure, less aged muscles can recuperate faster, but those benefits are not as effective without proper time to recover.

“We just have to make sure that they can get the proper rest when they’re not playing,” said Saunders, “and so that’s going to be a main focus of what we’ll try to do too.”

“We got to really listen in and focus in on film session and listen to what the coaches are saying because there’s not going to be a lot of time to practice on the floor,” said Rashard Lewis, a veteran of the last NBA lockout, the shortened season afterward being his 1998-99 rookie campaign with the Seattle Supersonics.

Saunders also likened the compacted schedule, which for Washington includes 16 back-to-back sets and two occurrences of three games in three days, to an “AAU phase,” since players at that level are used to playing three games in a day, or even nine in a weekend. But cognitively speaking, Saunders might not want to make such a comparison, because the Wizards are susceptible to playing more like an undisciplined AAU team instead of scouring report students.

Read more »

Parties, commentary and links…

Antawn Jamison is on his own level and you can’t get on it, at least that’s what the promotional party flier above seems to indicate. Jamison’s level these days involves sitting out the past 13 games — likely the rest of the year — due to a broken pinkie finger; and he has to watch the 15-58 Cleveland Cavaliers all the time, which probably isn’t that much different than watching the 18-55 Wizards. Jamison’s level also involves getting paid over $13.3 million this season, which is a pretty nice level regardless of the environment. Back to the promotional flier … Jamison’s level will evidently be on display this Thursday at the Shadow Room, as he is welcomed back to D.C. with a party the night before his Cavs take on the Wizards. Speaking of the Shadow Room, that’s the venue where Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee once got on the level of fighting with each other outside the club on Christmas Eve. The Wizards are just a classic team, on so many levels.

In other team party news, Josh Howard, who has appeared in 409 minutes over 18 games this season, has lent his name to the Wizards-Heat post-game party at Oxygen tonight. The most recently injured Wizard, Trevor Booker, had provided his name for use as well. Wale will also be performing … I still wonder if he roots for the Cavaliers and/or Nuggets.

Links.

Washington will likely be with Andray Blatche as they play the Miami Heat tonight and without Trevor Booker, who could miss the last nine games of the season with a crack in the bottom of his right foot. It all sounds rather splendid.
[Washington Examiner]

Read more »

[Andray Blatche sends a message with his actions.]

[UPDATE: The supposed skirmish between Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee was originally denoted as "simply a disagreement between teammates," by Wizards team officials.

On Saturday night, team president Ernie Grunfeld released a statement: "After further investigation into an incident on Thursday night, we concluded that Andray and JaVale conducted themselves in an unprofessional manner. As a result, both players will be suspended for tomorrow’s game at San Antonio."

So that is that and we move on.]

>>>>>>>

Flip Saunders’ now infamous words last season still haunt. “Don’t think it can’t get any worse because it can,” he said, on more than one occasion.

Read more »

Pictures of people at the club flipping the camera off seems to be popular these days, especially among athletes. And this picture of Andray Blatche at his season ending party last Wednesday at District in Adam’s Morgan is wrought with symbolic opportunity.

For one, he appears to be brushing (or hiding) his teeth with that middle-finger of his — any 23-year old will tell you that having braces at that age, as Blatche does, isn’t exactly ideal.

Or maybe the finger is in front of Dray’s mouth as a silencer on what he has said or will say.

Or perhaps Dray is just expressing toward the Wizards’ 2009-10 season in its entirety what I’ve done mentally several times before … bidding it a fond farewell. Read more »

Remember last year’s crappy 19-win Wizards season? At least in those times, the anxiousness to get the season over was supported by hope for the future. Now, the future is very uncertain. Something to be said about ignorant bliss.

In any case, it seems that over the past 12 months, Andray Blatche has learned a valuable lesson: Don’t have an ‘End of the Season’ party before the actual end of the season. Yes, last year Blatche had his season ending celebration on Sunday April 12th at Josephine’s in DC. The Wizards had a home game on the 13th against the Raptors and concluded on the road in Boston on the 15th. They lost both games.

But this year is different. Blatche has grown up. He is now Seven-Day-Dray. And while a guy who works every day of the week certainly deserves to host a party, that same guy also now knows that it’s best to host said party after all the games are played.

Hence, tonight, after the Wizards go for their 26th win of the season at home against the Indiana Pacers, which would be a 37% improvement over last year’s win total, (imagine if that happened over the next three seasons), Blatche will host his kick-off to another summer of Dray at District in Adam’s Morgan (flier below).

So, while you can’t exactly congratulate Blatche or the Wizards on the season they just had, drinks and scantily clad women are certainly in order. Question is, at what point in his career will Mr. Blatche settle down and stop hosting parties? Maybe the Jay-Z video below the flier has the answer.

Read more »

Evidently, every one of the current Wizards, and one former Wizard, will be throwing down at the Lux Lounge in D.C. Friday night to celebrate going ‘Back To Camp’ (not yet sure what Juan Dixon is going back to — he worked out with Memphis in early September, but then they signed Allen Iverson). The Wizards Girls will be serving as the party hostesses.

Part of me wishes the team well … better to get partying out of the system now (right Andray Blatche?), and get serious when the season starts. The other part of me says ‘uh oh’ … for obvious reasons.

[via The State of DC]

Read more »

Maybe Caron Butler was just born a travelin’ man, or perhaps he’s a rollin’ stone … but without the negative connotations that come with those terms.

So for this off-season, Tuff Juice has hung with Orpah at an awards banquet in D.C., chewed straws with with NBC 4’s Lindsay Czarniak at the Cheesecake Factory, performed a day of community service for Caron Butler Day in Racine, WI, thrown the first pitch at a Nats game, coached at Big Tigger’s Celebrity Basketball Classic and celebrated at Lux Lounge, attended the Marcus Johnson album release party at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown, sat ringside at the Pacquiao-Hatton fight in Vegas, has been the topic of a rap song courtesy of Mr. Wicked, chilled with Kobe in L.A., and checked Venus Williams and the Washington Kastles while telling the departed Oleksiy Pecherov that he’s just a phone call or text away.

And I’m sure that isn’t the half of it.

Tonight, Butler, along with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Delonte West, and Michael Beasley (all dubbed as Caron’s “friends” as he is the headliner), will be hosting, depending on which flier you look at, a Worldwide Tour or National Tour at Bed Nightclub in South Beach Miami.

If I didn’t know better, Mr. Butler might be angling for a future career in politics.

Do what you do Tuff Juice.

Read more »

You’ve seen the YouTubes of Nick Young playing in the Drew Summer League out in L.A. — you can find highlights of Young with JaVale McGee here and more sans McGee here.

But that’s not all Young has been doing. He and his fellow Trojan, Gabe Pruitt of the Celtics, recently attended a party at the Roadstarr Motorsports mansion. Elie Seckbach was the ‘Embedded Correspondent’ and leads video of the occasion via FanHouse.

I’ll let the clip do most of the talking, but just know you are about to see to following excursions of young NBA ballers:

• Nick Young has a posse: The Rich Family Click aka The Rich Youngs
• Yet another Nick Young nickname, ‘The Wiz Kid’
• Posse dude Mike Ski (sp?), a rapper, rhyming “do it big” with “do it big”
• Nick claiming his swagger is high and that he’s ‘jet riding’
• The posse having a “get numbers” contest
• When it comes to choosing between Kobe and LeBron, Nick chooses himself
• Nick  showing off his ‘Jesus Piece’
• Pruitt claiming that he and Young started a  trend of good players going to USC (SoCal’s all-time NBA roster)
• Hot girls dancing in their underwear and voguing in body paint
• Some dude who is evidently Nick Young in 10 years
• Young claiming he started the ‘fro hawk’ — gee, thanks
• Young expressing his desire to win the 6th man of the year and most improved player awards.

Read more »

If the Wizards’ play on the court wasn’t indication enough that this wretched season has long been over, causing some to yearn for the remaining games to be put out of their misery, then planned ‘End of the Season’ “celebrations” before, well, the actual end of the season, are a sure sign that it’s in the books.

Yes, the Wizards’ own model of concentration, hustle, and professionalism, Andray Blatche, will be hosting his “End of the Year” party…excuse me, “celebration”… this Sunday, April 12th, at “Josephine UltraChic Lounge“ in DC.

Oh, did I mention that the last home game of the year is the next day against the Raptors, with the finalé in Boston on the 15th?

Not sure how much “celebrating” of the season Andray will be able to accomplish, but if memories get him down, he can always head to his old Thomas Circle stomping grounds, literally a hop, skip and a fast-break travel and/or turnover away from Jospehine’s 1008 Vermont Ave. address, for some late night relief from a street walker….or undercover cop.
Read more »

Just to make one thing clear, I do NOT read Perez Hilton…..the GF does and I get the occasional share via Google Reader. Still don’t believe me? Well, eff it.

One of Hilton’s “gimmicks” is to do things to photos of celebrities…..nasty things.

The audacity of this LeBron “Raymone” James….to throw a party in DC, the city he has done wrong with countless acts of douche-baggery.

I do not care for LeBaby James, a secret this is not.

Would Philly, or perhaps Boston, or even Detroit tolerate a LeDouche-Nozzle party in their wastelands? Who knows.

But LBJ has done his dirt in DC twice!

Read more »

You know……when we saw Caron limp off the court before Tuesday’s game against Minny was over, he wasn’t hurt, he was just doing a pimp walk.*

* Caron Butler was really hurt, something with his hip (not serious)….and for the record, he’s married too. He once admitted, with no shame, to seeing the ‘Sex In The City’ movie with his wifey because he said he said he doesn’t have to “justify his thug.”

I hear ya Tuff Juice.

By flipping the hat to the back, representing Racine, and throwing up the solo digit at the Park at 14th of course.

Tuff Juice has a decidedly less faded look than his pal Andray Blatche had last Thursday.

Well, to go from partying in DC one night, to this the next. Ahh, the life of an NBA baller on a sucky team.

Well, at least Andray Blatche has that $2,739,669 he’s making this year…..with $9,780,992 coming over the next three years.

But sheesh (pulls at collar), that Nuggets game got ugly fast. The Wiz had a seven point lead midway through the first quarter, but that lasted about the time it takes to microwave a burrito.

Dunk after dunk after dunk later, the Wizards were left with a 21 point loss that seemed closer than the game actually was.

Game Blog at Bullets Forever

Read more »

Sure ol’ Andray may be down and out (strained knee, 2-4 weeks)…..but that doesn’t mean he’s not “out” – if you know what I’m saying……wait, do I even know what I’m saying?

To clarify, I’m not saying that Blatche stepped out of some sort of closet, but that’s probably where he keeps that fly skully and chain.

Anyway…..go ol’ DC Fab spotted Blatche (and Vernon Davis) out at the Park at 14th sometime recently….I’m thinking last night (Thursday, Feb. 5th for you record keepers).

But really, who cares?

If my team was as bad as the Wizards, I’d be out drinking anyway. Wait…..my team is the Wizards and that’s what I do.

Read more »