One thing that struck me about Bradley Beal’s shooting zone chart for games 21-50 that I included at the bottom of the previous post was the relatively even distribution in attempts per location. Now, he’s certainly better from certain spots — 12.1 percent better on 3-pointers from the left corner versus the right; 32.3 percent better on above the break 3s from the right side as opposed to the left (even though he’s attempted 14 more on the left side). It’s especially interesting to go back to that post and compare Beal’s game 21-50 chart to those of Eric Gordon, Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen to get a feel about the player each was when they got into the league (and to a certain extent, still are).

Below I’ve re-posted Beal’s shooting zone chart for games 21-50, and below that, Beal’s chart for games 1-20. After that, we have a video of Beal talking about the progression of his jump shot — he says he’s now getting more lift. Given that Beal’s Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) has gone from 42.1 percent over his first 20 games to 49.8 percent over games 21-50, that is certainly evident.

Bradley Beal: Games 21-50

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h/t @jose3030

DeAndre Jordan’s bricked free throw versus the Lakers last Thursday night caused the following reactions from current and former members of the Wizards:

The worse free throw EVER

— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) February 15, 2013

D’Andre Jordan free throw he just missed might be Top 5 worst free throw miss EVER in NBA history #SMH

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A new season for the Wizards? It sure seems that way after the debut of John Wall and a win against the Atlanta Hawks. Sure, no one is getting ahead of themselves, but they can totally think about getting ahead. Past losses are not absolved, but the future looks a lot brighter, or at least more fun to watch, with a healthy Wall (and Nene, and others). What gets lost in both the over- and underestimation from the toll of losing is the importance of playing within roles. The difference between the seventh and eighth players in the pecking order trying to bump up to the fourth or fifth spots in the rotation is vastly unconsidered and under-appreciated  Now, at least, the ensemble is more complete. On Saturday, A.J. Price said he didn’t feel like the Wizards had a “fair shake” due to all the injuries, but that they are ready to give it their all over the last 48 games. The playoffs? Shoot, these players just want to play.

“I really feel like we have a fighting chance to make a great impression on the league, to really show the league what we’re capable of doing. As long as we keep the mindset in understanding that John is the maestro, and we got to get out and run, I think we’ll be good.” —Martell Webster

New year? Same season? New life? Fresh breath? Whatever it is, it’s something, and it’s because the pack is (mostly) back together. And as Nene puts it: “It’s good to have our dogs, man, our dogs back.”

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[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 29, Washington Wizards vs Dallas Mavericks in D.C.; contributor: Kyle Weidie from the Verizon Center.]

Romantic Bradley Beal Bobblehead. Read more »

Vince Carter started the game with a dunk against the #SoWizards… Surprise, surprise.

Below is the brief reaction I submitted for ESPN’s Daily Dime, and then a video of some Wizards talking about losing to Dallas while witnessing some retro Vinsanity.

MVP.

If a bad team like the 4-25 Wizards doesn’t get what’s left of Vince Carter’s juices flowing, what will? The artist formerly known as Vinsanity started the game with a monster dunk, of all things, and pretty much ended the night with a more vicious dunk. Carter finished with an efficient, game-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

X-Factor.

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I’m not going to call the locker room scene after Washington’s second loss to Detroit in as many nights on Saturday interesting. It wasn’t exactly a sad place. It wasn’t exactly unique. I don’t know what it was. And I’m pretty sure the players don’t know either. But it was something.

Kevin Seraphin sat crouched on the floor, only in his game shorts, next to a seated and suited (and currently indefinitely injured) Trevor Booker at his locker. Cartier Martin, with an adjacent locker, seemed to be part of a trio rapping about the days problems with concern, wondering about a fractured locker room. In reality, and in all likelihood, basketball was probably the furthest topic from their discussions. Or maybe they were talking about waived teammates.

Shaun Livingston was already dressed and ready to exit by the time the media was allowed access to the Wizards’ locker room. Earl Barron was scrambling to gather his things. Minutes later, the news would surface that both had been cut. The Washington Post’s Michael Lee knew, evidently, as he chased Livingston around the corner for one last interview.

John Wall had already exited the locker room, in a suit that actually fits him (his suit game has really excelled during these injured times). Nene sat near his massive, standard post-game ice bucket, still in uniform, looking rather depressed (or embarrassed). Bradley Beal provided his prerequisite “first thank God and Jesus Christ for blessing me with this opportunity” before answering the first question posed by the press. (Nene eschewed giving God a shout-out before speaking on this particular night; normally, he does not.) Martell Webster looked weary and worn out, ready to appreciate two days off with his family. Jordan Crawford donned his shades full of steez before meeting the media—normally, this season, Crawford has made sure to remove his glasses before talking post-game. Not this night.

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[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 22, Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks in D.C.; contributors: Rashad Mobley and Kyle Weidie from the Verizon Center.]

Wittmanisms. Read more »

Tonight is the third time, with his third team, that DeShawn Stevenson has been back to play in D.C. since he was traded away in February 2010.

As a member of the Dallas Mavericks, before they won the title, Stevenson returned to Washington, played two minutes and missed one shot in a February 2011 contest, a 105-99 Dallas win. As a member of the New Jersey Nets last season, Stevenson made a brief 12 second appearance at the Verizon Center in a 90-84 Nets win on opening night of a lockout-shortened season. Now, as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, having been traded last summer in the Joe Johnson deal, Stevenson returns to Washington, yet again.

Take the opportunity to speak with DeShawn before Tuesday night’s Wizards-Hawks matchup? Certainly.

TAI: Anything to being back here in D.C., or has all that passed by now? Read more »

“We are going to shock the world.”

This was the answer Washington season ticket holder and Goodman League head honcho, Miles Rawls, said just moments before tip-off between the Wizards and Heat on Tuesday evening. I had asked the iconic D.C. hoops personality for his prediction of the matchup, one where the Wizards were 10.5-point underdogs and plus-475 payout on the money line.

Rawls was not the only one with confidence that the NBA’s current cellar dwellers could defeat the defending champs at the Verizon Center. Coach Randy Wittman delivered an inspirational message to his team before the game, and he discussed  it afterwards.

“They only people that really think you have a chance tonight is us here right in this room,” Wittman remembered telling his team in the locker room.

He then spoke directly to the media attending his press conference: “You guys don’t. The outside didn’t. I said we need to have a statement game, we haven’t had a statement game … what better of an opportunity to come play in front of the fans that we knew were going to be here and to beat this team. And they took it to heart.”

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“We just broke through the ice. That ice was about—I’ve lived in Minnesota for 15, 17 years—that ice was four to five feet deep, but it’s broken through now.”
—Randy Wittman

You break through the ice, you can breathe. Now the Wizards need to learn how to swim. Every player knows how close they came to blowing that game against Portland, but they won. Now they don’t have to focus on that zero in the win column. Hopefully they can more focus on basketball. These are your Wednesday night winners after breaking through the ice… Jordan Crawford, Bradley Beal, Nene, Martell Webster, Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Chris Singleton, and Randy Wittman, head coach.

The Wizards Said WHAT?

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