This Wizards team is hard to dissect, and I don’t mean “take apart,” as Steve Nash did on Sunday evening on his way to captaining his Suns to a 125-108 victory.

The Wizards are hard to dissect in the sense of separating individual parts to determine why the team continues to lose in the worst of ways (and win by the skin of their teeth). Anything and everything could go wrong on a given night.

On offense, in general, the team wastes too many possessions with bad shots. Pretty simple to conclude that they could use a lot more discipline in this regard. On defense, it comes down to focus and will, something several Wizards have major issues with. When you combine the overall effect that has on the team with the stylings of the two-time MVP in Nash, you have a recipe for the Suns to have their way with the Wizards.

Nash was often seen casually strolling through the paint, slicing through defenders as shown in the above GIF on Sunday night. But really, there was nothing casual about it. Well, unless you’re talking about the Wizards’ defense.

Nash could perform surgery blindfolded against Washington. He’s calculating, he’s precise. One can’t help but wonder which one will come first, Nash’s retirement or Ted Leonsis changing the name of the team, because something’s gotta give. Let’s turn to the Elias Sports Bureau for support:

Steve Nash’s average of 13.4 assists per game versus the Wizards since returning to the Suns in 2004-05 is his highest against any opponent.

Enough said.

Nash came out on top in what was an exciting duel between he and John Wall for a brief spell. The Canadian finished with 17 assists to 2 turnovers and shot 8-8 from the field, netting 20 points. Wall had a decent 12 assists to 4 turnovers, but 10 of those dimes came in the first half when it still was a game, not in the second half that sealed the deal. Wall succumbed to the man whose skills academy he once attended with just 12 points on 4-12 shooting and 3-4 from the free-throw line.

The most telling sign of Nash’s effect on the game came midway though the fourth quarter. Nash went to the bench with 1:13 left in the third, his Suns holding a comfortable 16 point lead. The Suns would push that lead to 21 with 9:23 left in the game thanks to a Jared Dudley trey ball. Then the Wizards found a little moxie and energy (thanks to some beastliness from Trevor Booker), went on a 14-5 run and cut Phoenix’s lead to 12 with 5:13 left.

Maybe the sense of hope for the Wizards at the point wasn’t necessarily false, but unfortunately for Flip Saunders’ bunch, this isn’t like soccer when a player can’t be subbed back in. Nash returned and the Suns promptly went on a 11-3 run over the span of 88 seconds, Nash tallying three assists in the process. Nick Young hit an inconsequential layup with three minutes left before Nash sat down at the 2:42 mark with Phoenix up 18.

The game was put gently to bed by Nash, who served as a playpen mobile all night, dazzling the Wiz Kids with flicks of his one-handed bounce passes and alley-oops galore. The Wizards now take their 0-10 start on the road to play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Get ready for more lessons.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• January 22, 2011 -- Wizards vs. Suns: Aggressor & Regressor
• December 6, 2010 -- The Third Quarter From Hell (via Phoenix)
• January 27, 2011 -- ShareBullets: Portraits Of A Young Team & Wizards Picture Leftovers

I know this about the game of basketball: If a shot, or rebound, goes off someone from the defending team and into the basket, it counts. I’ll go on to assume that if the ball bounces off the floor hard enough and by chance goes into a basket, that counts for points as well. So, what’s to keep me from thinking that a shot taken from the opposite basket, which leaves a player’s hand before the buzzer, and is not touched by any other player on the court, should count if it bounces off the floor and through the net?

Basically, should the referee have caught that ball?
—-

On to the Wizards game….if you want a preview, head to Bullets Forever, or check out my Wizards Rundown.

1st Quarter

• No Gilbert of course, no Caron, no Antonio.
• DeShawn Stevenson’s left knee is swollen, but he’s still playing.
• 11:38 – Jamison nails the first points for the Wizards, a long 2 from the right wing. I’m thinking potential 40+ point game for him.
• 10:59 – Andray Blatche makes a confident baseline drive against the porous Phoenix D. The result is an assist for AB to Brendan Haywood.
• 10:05 – Haywood needs to step up or Jamison needs get through the screen. Either way, the Wizards can’t just give Grant Hill open jumpers. 4-4 game.
• Suns get a couple easies, Eddie calls timeout down 8-4, under 9:00.
• 10:21 – I guess we’re living with the outside jumpers from Amare Stoudamire?
• 7:38- Comcast is struggling with their coverage…missed a Suns fast-break point earlier and randomly threw the Wizards logo on the screen during a made Haywood jumper.
• The game is getting sloppy for the Wizards, a couple turnovers, a foul on a Suns fast-break….17-8 Phoenix lead. Amare Stoudamire set a pick that clocked Roger Mason coming down the court one time…..the Wizards need to raise their defensive awareness.
• Andray Blatche has been active in multiple areas: deflecting passes, hitting the offensive boards, looking for teammates.
• The Wizards are doing a fair job on defense as the Suns go a stretch of over 3 minutes without scoring, 4 minutes between FGs, both by Amare Stoudamire. 3:33 left, Suns up 17-14.
• But the spacing and patience for Washington on offense looks off on a couple possessions.
• 2:56 – Jamison rebound put-back…..he also has the potential to make Phoenix pay with his effort on the boards. 2 offensive, 4 total rebounds already. 19-16 Suns.
• The Wizards are scraping and keeping the packed house quiet. Game tied at 21 after a long Nick Young jumper, 1:40 left – 13-4 Washington run in last 5 minutes
• Phoenix scores the next 6 points to finish off the first 12 minutes, 27-21 Suns.
• DeShawn Stevenson limps to the bench. I mean really….what’s next?
• The Suns are shooting 57.1% while the Wizards are at 34.6%.
• Phoenix has only taken 3 three-pointers, making 1.
• The Wizards need to keep hitting the boards hard, 5 offensive rebounds so far.
• Eddie Jordan tells ESPN he wants Nick Young to be aggressive in the open floor. Let’s see if he complies.
• It would help if Brendan Haywood guarded Amare Stoudamire, he’s 6-6 with 13 points.

2nd Quarter

• 10:36 – A nice drive to the basket earns Nick Young some FTs….good that he’s not settling for mid-range fade-aways, 30-26 Suns.
• Phil Chenier points out that if the court is not balanced for the Wizards on offense, more opportunities are created for Phoenix to fastbreak.
• You can’t beat Phoenix without a reliable point guard.
• Eddie Jordan mic’ed up on ESPN….”Get Back, Get Back, Get Back”….like a repetitive patriarch.
• 8:06 – Nick Young does have a nice arsenal of moves….including a spin then step back jumper from the FT line. Very smooth. 36-30 Suns.
• 7:16 – Dominic McGuire blocks a Raja Bell 3 attempt….super quick and deceptive close-out on the shooter.
• 6:44 – 3 on 1 break for the Wizards, led by Roger Mason, a pass to Young….and a promising unselfish play from Nick The City with the immediate push back to Roger for the layup. 36-32 Phoenix.
• DeShawn stays in the game despite the knee trouble……tough dude.
• 4:22 – Blatche is having trouble keeping up with Amare Stoudamire too, 17 points for the all-star, 43-34 Phoenix.
• 4:11 – Jamison ends his 10 minute scoring drought with a 3…12 points for AJ. The Wiz need him in the zone.
• 3:42 – What a great play from Phoenix. Steve Nash running a pick and roll on the right wing….inside help from a 3rd Wizard defender goes with the roller but Boris Diaw is left open for a jumper at the top of the key. Nash’s 4th assist puts the Suns up 46-37.
• 20 of Phoenix’s 48 points have come in the paint.
• 1:59 – Haywood throws up some trash…..spinning and fading away from the basket.
• 1:46 – Nick Young with a huge block of a Barbosa layup attempt….I’m sure the Suns don’t take too kindly to his gloating.
• 1:20 – 2 blocks on 1 possession for Stoudamire….on Unbreakable, Andray Blatche.
• 1:01 – Andray’s confidence bringing the ball up in the open court has really improved since the beginning of the season. He sets Haywood up nicely, who can’t finish, but gets fouled by busy-body Amare. 51-43 Suns after both BTH FTs.
• 0:05 – More signs of life from Haywood…Phil C says he looked disappointed because he didn’t receive the ball in the post, but Brendan got the o-board, putback, And 1. 51-46 Wizards.
• The 2nd quarter ends with Amare Stoudamire’s first miss, at the buzzer.
• Not a bad effort by the Wizards at all. I’ll take the 5 point deficit, but is there enough gas in the tank with the depleted personnel?

Stat Half

• The Wizards are 11-12 from the FT line, a good sign of following the game plan. Phoenix is 5-6.
• The Suns have 22 FGs on 14 assists — par for the course, both for the Sun offense and the Wizard defense.
• Blatche has not scored, but he has 2 steals and 7 rebounds (3 on the offensive glass).
• Stoudamire
  is showing who’s boss with his 18 points, 7-8 FG, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
• Jamison leads the Wizards with 16.
• Haywood came on late with 11 points, he was a little limited with 2 fouls.
• 8 offensive rebounds and 8 second chance points for the Wizards.
• Stephen A. Smith ends the ESPN halftime show with a “They need Caron and Gilbert.” Thanks genius.

3rd Quarter

• 11:18 – Andray Blatche continues to work hard, despite not getting a foul call. He muscled his way past Boris Diaw for a bucket.
• 10:55 – Roger Mason is doing a man’s work as well with a hard fought drive to the basket, Suns up 55-50.
• 10:21 – Stevenson drives and misses, he definitely looked limited by the knee….his mouth, however, is not limited has he throws a mini-fit and let’s the ref hear it down the court.
• 9:39 – 3 pointer from DeShawn….maybe he’s just like Sidney Deane from White Men Can’t Jump…he plays better when he’s mad. Wiz are down 3, 57-54.
• 9:08 – Jon Barry references Andray Blatche with a “shades of Hakeem Olajuwon” statement….Blatche does make Brian Skinner look like a fool with a Dream Shake. 5 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and 9 rebounds for AB at this point.
• Still, Phoenix continues to run and the Wiz can’t get closer. Timeout by Eddie J, 61-56 Suns.
• 7:26 – This time a Haywood fading jumper is nailed…BTH is coming on since I talked about him throwing up a garbage shot. 15 points. 63-60 Suns.
• 6:27 – Andray Blatche throws down a hard dunk over Stoudamire…and Brian Skinner, who gets hit dead in the mug by the ball coming through the net. Barry is impressed by AB’s ability to put the ball on floor.
• AB goes out to get a rest…..is that the right thing to do? He’s hot, I’d leave him in longer than the first 6 minutes of the 3rd. Songaila enters the game for him.
• 5:50 – Nash turns the ball over, the 8th for Phoenix, 1st turnover of the quarter for either team.
• 5:38 – Jamison draws a foul on the other end, his 2 FTs tie the game at 66.
• Dangerous save by Mason to Jamison…right under Phoenix’s basket…dodged one there. AJ goes down to hit a 2, keeps the tie at 68.
• 4:26 – Stevenson hits a 3, the Suns score within 6 seconds. DeShawn is definitely soldiering on with a noticeable limp, as long as it doesn’t hurt the team.
• 3:18 – D-Song fouls Stoudamire on a baseline drive after a Nash pass….mimicking a previous play. Songaila needs to improve his feet quickness….on the other side of the coin, someone needs to stop Steve Nash with the ball so D-Song is not faced with an impossible situation.
• 2:26 – BTH dropping baseline jumpers and holding the pose, 17 points for Haywood, 80-75 Suns.
• 1:27 – Roger Mason Jr. hits a 3 like it ain’t nuthin’ to him.
• 0:53 – And it really ain’t, Mason hits another 3 and the Wiz take an 81-80 lead.
• Raja Bell has a quick answer in less than 10 seconds. 83-81 Suns.
• The Suns push the score to 85-81 and the Wiz had the ball with 3 point whatever on the clock….and they can’t even get a shot off. Nick Young gets thoroughly confused by a double-team.
• Still, the Wizards are hanging tough. Only 8 points from the bench….what bench? The City with 6, D-Song hasn’t scored, D-Mac has 2 in 6 minutes and O-Pech didn’t get in until the last 2 minutes of the 3rd.

4th Quarter

• Steve Buckhantz reports that Glen Consor was activated to participate in a Wizards practice the other day…..no socks and running shoes. Crazy.
• 8:58 – Nick Young out of control and on the verge of losing the ball….he comes close to charging Steve Nash, no call. Nick keeps his composure and hits the short jumper in the middle of the paint. 10 for him, Wiz down 2, 89-87.
• Grant Hill is leading a push for Phoenix.
• 7:30 – Amare is stealing the ball from Nick Young and making athletic fast break buckets.
• 95-87 Phoenix, timeout and Eddie Jordan is mad, holding onto the ball.
• Nerves getting the best of the Wiz…..they can’t take advantage of some chances.
• The Wizards are getting the ball in the paint, they just need to finish the job. They’re in reach, down 7…95-88, but I’m not sure how long the window will be open.
• 4:41 – Raja Bell closes that window a little with a 3 to put the Suns up 10.
• 4:14 – Amare is hitting bank shots on a Sunday, 29 points for him.
• 3:33 – Strong drive by Stevenson, And 1…game within 5. The Lock Smith looks like he’s using every ounce of energy.
• 3:11 – Careless and costly turnover as Jamison tries to pass it to the wrong guy, Haywood.
• 2:37 – Haywood putback slam…100-97 Phoenix. 7-0 Wiz run, 21 points for Haywood.
• 1:42 – The 2-time MVP with a three, Blatche did not step up on the pick and roll. Only 8 points for Steve Nash.
• 1:04 – Jamison great basket…he catches a lob pass and shoots a reverse layup all in one motion. 103-99 Suns.
• 0:39 – Can the Wiz get a stop? Yes, but Diaw gets an offensive rebound. That hurts.
• 0:21 – RMJ with a three….18 points for him…a step-back and Michael Jordan shove on Nash. 105-102 Suns.
• 0:16 – Grant Hill gets fouled, rather him at the line than Nash…..he misses the 1st, makes the 2nd. Eddie takes the final timeout, Washington down 4.
• Insane sequence…Stevenson has a hard time getting the ball in bounds…seems like there were a couple open looks. He tosses a crazy pass across the width of the court to Roger Mason. There’s a fight for the ball, Mason scrambles to get it…..misses a 3, but Jamison gets the rebound and just misses the putback. AJ gets fouled and nails both FTs. 106-104 Phoenix, 8 seconds left.
• No one likes DJ Strawberry….he’s twice wide-open in the back court on the Suns side-out. The first time, Grant Hill elects to take a timeout. The second time, the Suns almost get a 5 second call…Stoudamire gets fouled and makes both FTs, 30 total in a row for him.
• The Wiz get the ball, but they wait until the last second to make a three pointer. They lose by 1 point. 108-107.

What can you say? Great effort guys. Losing sucks. Injuries suck. This game is in the past. Nice work from both Brendan Haywood and Andray Blatche…we can only hope they parlay this into more consistent performances on a nightly basis. The “Rookie Tour” continues.

NBA.com Box Score

In Other News: NBA Coaches are Getting Catty There Days.

Gregg Popovich on the Pau Gasol Trade:

“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” said Popovich. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”

Ivaroni’s Response:

“[Popovich is] a great coach and they do a good job there,” Iavaroni told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I don’t read into anyone else’s comments. That’s just the nature of the league. People have a right to their opinion. We’re just taking care of our best interests.”

Meh, what’s new?

Random Posts

• December 17, 2009 -- Gilbert Arenas vs. Gilbert Arenas. 13 Frames of Wizards vs. Kings
• November 7, 2010 -- Wizards Pre-Game In The Mecca of Basketball Ft. Knicks City Dancers & Blatche v. Cassell
• July 15, 2008 -- Wizards Summer League Game 1 – What They Say

But I took some notes, and got them organized for the blog. Now Let’s start the show.

First of all….
Big Tigger is out? Not a die-hard I guess. MC Styles looks lost.
Little known fact: MC Chris Styles used to throw some kickin’ middle school parties.

1st Quarter

A minute forty into the game and the Suns jump out with a 7-0 lead. It’s all a set up, amazing to watch. You don’t know what is going to unfold until it happens. Some plays you see comin’….but not this Steve Nash pass to a cutting Shawn Marion for the dunk.

10:00 – 2nd personal foul on Brendan Haywood. He picked up the first with a silly charge a minute into game. Wiz were trying to go to him early, and that’s good…but not if Haywood tries to force it. Looks like Eddie Jordan is going to leave BTH in the game with 2.

DC can be such a transient city. Yes, they say the US is a melting pot. And well, I always tout DC as the melting pot of the U.S. — But where the hell did all these Phoenix Suns fans come from? Can’t be a bunch of Canadians, can it? The upper deck, or “The Hill” as the Wizards marketing now refers to it, is packed. The lower bowl, or the Swamp (yes, Washington, DC was built on top of a swamp), is speckled with fans.

8:40 – Wizards are trying to run with the Suns a little bit. This move could be considered dangerous taking into account often inconsistent offense from the Wizards. AD misses a jumper which wasn’t a bad look. Those will need to fall for him if the Wizards expect to be in it.

Miss by Stevenson. Man, he really couldn’t hit the side of the Verizon Center this year. It’s like we get the 00-01 rookie year with the Utah Jazz DeShawn and not the NBA vet in his 9th year DeShawn.

Quick check of the stats for Stevenson:

• 00-01 Utah Jazz – 34.1 FG% 68.4 FT%
• 07-08 Washington Bullets – 36.2 FG% 60 FT%

6:20 - Deee-Shawn hits a deuce. The “Can’t Feel My Face” move is definitely in effect. Guess he can’t come up with anything new.

Just the look of Steve Nash. You gotta love it. He’s probably made a fool out of many who have underestimated him simply because of his look.

3:26 - Haywood is still in and getting dunks. No interior D from the Suns allows him to get 8. Wiz need to keep going inside on the Suns. I just wish they had another post scorer.

3:00 - Just under 3 and DeShawn drives to the basket. Stevie Nash gives a Euro-style flop, more recently known as the Hollywood Baron Davis. DeeShawn gets the call and knocks down the shots.

Digging the Wizards Cheerleaders tonight, they’re all in lady-cut gold Wizards jerseys. Much better than the gold shorts from the Cavaliers game. Those were terrible.

2:00 - You know Eddie Jordan is starting to gain confidence in Roger Mason, Jr. — he’s the second guy off the bench, after Blatche, checking in for Stevenson.

The Wiz don’t do a bad job of hanging around, down 4, 36-32. 11 assists for the Suns, on 13 made baskets….4 assists for the Wizards.

2nd Quarter

11:26 – Great move by Antonio Daniels to give himself a lane for a nice pass to Blatche for a reverse lay-in..

10:24 - Leandro Barbosa J. AD has got do a better job at getting over the screen. You can’t go under on a good shooter like Barbosa.

10:15 - Songaila and Nick Young are 3rd and 4th off the bench, in for Jamison and Daniels.

6:17 - Andray misses a jumper, partially blocked by Amare…and Stoudamire was allowed to leak out unnoticed for a dunk deriving from a sweet full court pass by Nash. Communication for the Wizards? Suns are up 43-35 and showing signs of pulling away.

5:22 - Jamison hook on a runner….just another one of those “Antawn Jamison” shots.

4:52 - Andray Blatche is showing Hustle Swag again with a put-back dunk. 10 points for him already.

4:42 - Bad foul on Amare Stoudamire committed from behind by AJ. It was funny, almost like Blatche turned to Jamison to ask him about the silly foul, or why didn’t he just let Amare go, etc…Pops said that AJ turned to AB and gave him a look as if to say, “I know, don’t tell me about that sh*t kiddo.” (an open lane for Amare was caused by Andray going for a steal in the first place)

Stoudamire has 18 by the way….

4:10 - Drive to the basket by AD and a hard foul by ‘Bosa. They called a flagrant…but it looked like just a hard foul. Barbosa seemed apologetic.

3:45 - Great penetration move by AD, who swings it to Andray, who uses his length for the lay-in. But the Suns are that fast, they go right down the throat for a transition bucket. Phoenix up 50-47.

2:17 - Great pass by Blatche to Songaila for a deuce. The play was really set up by Roger Mason co
ming off a curl and making a great pass to AB, who was set up for the flip.

The Wizards are still just hanging around, down 5, 60-55 at the half.

3rd Quarter

10:10 – A Daniels pass goes out of bounds, off of Haywood’s back, when the Wiz were in transition after a Raja Bell basket. Value The Ball.

9:07 – Haywood with a nice put-back, 12 points for him. Pops says that he’s almost playing like 7 footer. Wiz down 61-66.

8:20 - BTH goes to the basket yelling…aaand he gets blocked by Amare Stoudamire.

8:07 – Raja Bell 3, 10 points for him. It’s not like the Wiz started the 3rd quarter playing poorly, but the Suns are so exact & efficient. 12 pt lead. It’s getting easy for Phoenix.

How quick can it be? It’s as if the Suns keep hitting the Wizards over the head with a stick. They then hold that stick out there, daring the Wizards to grab it, and when a grab attempt is made, the stick is pulled out of reach, hitting the Wizards on the head again. Speaking of hits with a stick.

4:00 - When did it become a 19 point lead? That’s the Suns. You can only combat them with slowing the game down to half-court, like the San Antonio Spurs. Not what the Wiz have done of course. But at the same time, you gotta be able to play a little Defense, ya know?

2:44 – Andray had the ball for a 1-on-1 with Amare Stoudamire, but he pussed it up. A right hand hook. C’mon AB, let’s see some post moves….drop steps, leg whips, pump fakes, the whole list.

1:26 – Another trey for Raja Bell. Malcolm’s boy is killin with 19 points, Suns up 22. I’m also told that Bell has four 3s in the 3rd. I call him Malcolm’s boy because Adam’s brother, Malcolm, named his pit bull after Raja, inspired from Bell’s days ballin’ in Philly. Ok, Cool?

Marion is on the bench with ice on his wrist, and no, he’s not wearing a watch.

Funny thing is, the Suns don’t seem like they are absolutely killin’ the Wizards. They just casually run over them.
Suns dropping a hundo to the Wiz 76 at the end of 3.

4th Quarter

Why is Brian Skinner’s ‘David Banner-esque’ goatee dyed blond at the tip?

The game is not even close, but the Wizards start out the 4th with some intensity on D. I like to see that they are not quitting.

9:15 – Is Barbosa going to be in the 3 point contest this year? He’s 8th in the league in made 3s, Raja Bell is 14th.

Make it about Steve Nash all you want, but this Phoenix Suns team can shoot the cover off the ball.

8:00 – Nash does yet another Euro-style flop, this time on Nick Young. Young was running down the court without the ball and ran into Nash, who was setting him up. The refs didn’t buy it, but AB missed his shot and of course, Grant Hill easily scored going the other way.

5:28 – Great pass from D Mason to Haywood…..Well, they held Stoudamire to only 6 points in 2nd half.

4:30 – Risky, but nice, Nick Young dunk.

Wiz cut the Suns lead to 14, but all I can seem to watch is the cheerleaders at this point. Blocking out has appeared to be a premium for the Wiz this game. At least they won the battle of the boards 43-42.

2:51 – 2nd illegal dribble of the game for Nick Young. Does the Wizards Spirit Squad ever give it a rest?

1:27 – Nice assist from Blatche to D-Song…AB is always ready to dish.

Well…that’s about it, the play of the Suns was amazing. What else can you say? At that point of the night, I’d had enough scotch and I’d had enough Wizards.

Stat Stuffers

• 42 assists for the Phoenix Suns, an NBA season high.
• Steve Nash, 19 of those assists.
• 7 Wizards and 6 Suns scored in double-figures.

Random Posts

• April 20, 2010 -- Andray Blatche Bids The Wizards 09-10 Season Adieu (and some links)
• November 18, 2007 -- Game 9 Blog: Washington Wizards vs. Portland Trailblazers
• October 28, 2010 -- The Statistical Wizardry of Bob Bellotti & The Washington Basketball Team

Ok, what do you think of when you hear the name Jason Kidd?

• Great passer (career 9.2 assist per game average).
• Deceptively quick, one of the best in transition.
• Court vision…and he takes care of the ball, 3.18 TOs per game for his career – excellent for someone who handles the ball so much.
• Best rebounding point guard (actually, best among all guards — he’s averaged 6.7 for his career).
• He’s big, (6’4″, 210 lbs.) and this is part of the reason why he can see the court so well, rebound, and post up smaller point guards causing the opposing defense to adjust.
• Before his knee injury history slowed him down, Kidd was a premier league defender, still has averaged over 2 steals per game for his career.

The negative? Jason Kidd simply cannot shoot, and leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end in general. Partially, this is a side effect of him being such a great distributor…he doesn’t exactly need to score. But then again, his lack of range decreases the amount of offensive spacing for his team. His career FG% is a small hair above 40%, barely 33% from 3-point range.

So, how about Steve Nash?

• Experienced. He’s a savvy veteran who knows all the tricks.
• Court vision (pretty much a prerequisite for all great pure point guards) — 2.57 career TOs per game.
• Much better scoring threat than Kidd. His shooting percentages (FG & 3P),along with his scoring average has improved throughout his career
• Great transition player, and in my opinion, he is better at getting penetration into the lane than Kidd. This is probably a side-effect of him being more of a scoring option.
• And not that Kidd doesn’t, he’s great at this also, but Nash seems more astute in knowing the passing angles, along with the timing of ball distribution (not to mention that great PGs must know their personnel. — How many times have you seen a bad passer feed the ball to a lumbering big man on the break, only to see a bumblin’, fumblin’ turnover or missed shot?

And the negative? Defense. Look, I’m sure you can blame many other Suns players as to why they are not a good defensive team. And I’m sure you could also cite an offensive system which is not conducive to lock-down D. But if you are making, or going down, a list of reasons, put Steve Nash at the top. As the point guard, usually defending the other team’s point guard, you are the first line of defense in either keeping that other PG from getting into the lane and thus, making your own defense avoid a shift and cover…or, at least keeping the other guy from easily getting his team into their half court set. (Gilbert Arenas, are you listening?) Steve Nash is fast in the open court, but he is not quick on D…..but he certainly has his “tricks”.

Saying that Chris Paul will eventually be a better point guard than Jason Kidd or Steve Nash is easy to do…although, it may be a tough pill to swallow for some. But here’s the thing, CP3 is closer to that statement than you think. I’m talking this year.

Here is the obvious:

Chris Paul is a much better defender than Steve Nash and on-par with Jason Kidd. He’s averaged over 2 steals per game for his career so far, almost 3 per game this year. And I know what you’re saying….Chris Paul is only 6’0″. How is he going to be able to stick with the bigger point guards? Heck, at least Nash is 6’3″. Yes, C-P-Threazy can possibly be eaten up in the post. But really, with the loosening of the zone defense rules in the NBA, how many point guards are really posting up anymore? Considering that more and more teams are swaying towards a run’n'gun offense in today’s NBA, I’d rather have a point with the quickness and ability to stay in front of the opponent.

Chris Paul will also be a better offensive player than Jason Kidd, and most likely, in line with Nash’s capabilities today. I know, I know…defenses are still giving him space. Not for long though. I really think his numbers so far this year are more indicative on what he will be able to do over the course of his career. Through 8 games so far: FG% – .504, 3P% – .438, PPG – 19.3. Yes, I know that Paul shot around 43% from the field his first two years in the league. And from beyond the arc, he shot 28% and 35% in those years respectively. Keep in mind that Nash shot less than 42% from the field his first 3 years in the league…and while the Canadian may be a better 3 point shooter over the duration, I don’t think Chris Paul will be far off of Nash’s 42.8 career 3 point shooting percentage.

So, it’s easy to see. Court vision, transition game, unselfishness, pin-point passing…..Chris Paul has all of that now. And he will continue to develop these skills once he has the experience that Kidd and Nash have today. But CP3 is the more complete player. He has defensive and offensive traits that either of the other two lack. Paul will be remembered as the better point guard of the three, if not one of the greatest of all time. Even knowing what I know today about the games and careers of Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, if all the factors were the same…in terms of if Paul, Nash, and Kidd were all coming into the league at the same time, or even free agents after their first 3 years per se…… I would choose Chris Paul over the other two every single time.

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Interesting post on Washington Post’s Nationals Journal today about media bribes and voting on MLB award winners. Where can I sign up?

New study that may or may not be right up my alley.

Speaking of dirty players….the Andres Nocioni Song!
(I say that he currently holds the title of Dirtiest Player in the NBA, what do you?)

Very interesting story found via ballhype.com
The “Unidentified Source” Behind the Kobe Bryant Trade Talk
from www.chicagosportsreview.com

Chat with Wizard’s Insiders, Ivan Carter and Michael Lee, on WashingtonPost.com today. Thanks for taking and answering my question Ivan.

Washington, D.C.:
For one, the Wizards are currently the worst shooting team in the NBA. Two, the star of the team is also struggling to overcome an injury (probably more than the public knows).

Considering these factors, how much blame can really be placed on the shoulders of Eddie Jordan?

And if Gil struggles with his knee all season, how do you think it will affect him opting out of his contract?

Ivan Carter: Gilbert had that left knee drained of excess fluid this morning and did not practice for the third straight day but did tell Antawn Jamison that he plans on playing tomorrow night. Thing is, this team has three games in four days and I don’t see how he can play heavy minutes with that kind of grind. It may be time to pace him a little bit. He averaged 41 minutes in the first three games. As for Eddie, I’ll put it like this: His star player is shooting 33.3 percent, another of his big guns (Antawn Jamison) is shooting 29.5 percent and Caron Butler has 17 turnovers. DeShawn Stevenson’s struggles from late last season and the playoffs have continued. Not sure what he’s supposed to do. It’s early.

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Remember all that whining the Suns did last playoffs? Well, most of it revolved around Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw getting suspended. But….

*Side Rant* The rules for leaving the bench were implemented for a reason, a good reason. No exceptions should be made. Period.

And good for Commissioner Stern for not putting the rule up for discussion on the agenda for NBA owner meetings. For one, officials can’t always determine intentions when a player leaves the bench. But more importantly, neither can other players already involved in a potential situation. Plain and simple, fisticuffs in NBA basketball games have the ability to be defused easier and more quickly when you limit the possible number of players involved. And if the boundaries are broken, punishment should be handed down, no question.

But back to the Canadian.

I really don’t believe Bruce Bowen’s step-in on Nash last year…where there was incidental contact between Bowen’s left leg and Nash’s crotch…was that bad. Used to be, if someone was up in your sh*t on defense, you took the ball through their nose. Bruce Bowen has displayed many dirty defensive “tricks” in the past….but his reputation doesn’t always have to precede itself and translate to assumptions about every one of his questionable plays. So yea, call an offensive foul on Bruce in this instance…but otherwise, chill out.

And Robert Horry’s hip check. Bad foul, shouldn’t have happened. Call a technical, flagrant…whatever. But the reactions? Save that for TNT’s non-NBA programming. They know it.

Well…I wasn’t watching the Charlotte Bobcats – Phoenix Suns game last night when it happened, but I did catch the highlights and a brief discussion on ESPN’s NBA Nation. Of course, the Suns were up 30+ when this happened…

….but Ray Felton drove the lane, easily getting past with a spin move Nash as most do; Steve Nash was knocked off balance, but clearly stuck out his leg tripping Felton, who went down very hard, in the process. Ray was able to shoot the FTs, but got taken to the training room after that. Thankfully today, MRI reports say that Felton’s knee should be okay.

Unfortunately, I can’t find a link to the clip yet….and I’d really like to see the play a couple more times for an in depth breakdown. But I know what I saw, and what I saw looked much more intentional that Bowen’s knee to the crotch. (and I know that you’re asking yourself, why were either of these guys in the game anyway?….irrelevant)

UPDATE: Found the clip of Nash tripping Felton, I think the evidence is conclusive.

Now, I really respect Steve Nash’s ability. And I’m fairly confident that he deserved those MVP awards. But he’s not the innocent white cream pie that people perceive him to be. He’s a warrior, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be dirty too. He’s just a little more deceptive and smart about it than others. Think John Stockton.

Verdict: 1 game suspension….and yes, “hypocrite” maaay be a little harsh, then again, maybe not.

If anyone disagrees, I’d like to know why his foot was that high in the air and reaching back…..and if I’m totally off-base and wrong on this one, I will apologize.

BTW…interesting discussion on Yahoo! Answers….someone posed the question on whether Nash’s trip on Felton was intentional or not.

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