This past week, the Washington Post hosted a roundtable of Wizards bloggers. Each blog weighed in on what the team should do at a given draft position. Pretty cool when you think about it … MSM and Bloggers hanging out and stuff.

Pick #1: Keith McMillian, Washington Post
Pick #2: Truth About It.net (this place)
Pick #3: Wizards Extreme
Pick #4: Bullets Forever
Pick #5: WizzNutzz

Misunderstanding Media
Detroit Pistons blog, Full Court Press (on mlive.com), cited four paragraphs from the Bullets Forever contribution on Wizards Insider. Problem being, author Dave Dial failed to accurately represent that it was a blogger roundtable. He quoted three paragraphs written by the Pradamaster of Bullets Forever and one from Michael Lee of the WaPost without distinguishing the two authors. Dial also led with, “The Washington Post’s ‘Wizards Insider’ gives more credence to the fact that if the Wizards do not land in the top two picks they will look to trade the pick,” which is inaccurate. Yes, it is well known that Ernie Grunfeld sees the pick as an “asset”, i.e., trade-bait. However, the roundtable was speculation, and not necessarily an official team report as Dial’s use of the word “credence” seems to implicate.

We all make mistakes, and this really isn’t that big of a deal. But still, Dial clearly cut some kind of corner by not taking the time to fully understand the nature of the Wizards Insider piece.

LeBron’s Vices
“I guess what I’m trying to get at is I want to know what LeBron’s vice is. There’s gotta be something there. We’ve heard all about how he basically made his posse his representation a few years ago. He’s got a longtime girlfriend that he has had two children with. He grew up in a poor section of Akron, Ohio with a single mother. He had shadiness in his life, like his mom’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Eddie Jackson who has been charged with crimes like aggravated cocaine trafficking and mortgage and mail fraud as recently as 2002. His biological father has multiple offenses on his record and briefly re-appeared in LeBron’s like around the time he got drafted, but the two never actually reconciled. Even his Mom got arrested a couple time. Yes, he had some very good influences like a couple youth coaches in his life, but LeBron was a kid with constant turmoil.”
[About This Lebron Character : Sports and Life Ramblings]

From Cleveland
“If Lebron were to leave and move to New York, his story instantly becomes hallow. He’d go from having the chance for immortality to becoming the Alex Rodriguez of basketball — a shallow, soulless figure obsessed with maintaining a perfectly manicured corporate image to the point of bending ethics and morality. He’d go from a Jesus-figure to the Anti-Christ the moment he dipped his pen in the blood to sign such an unholy contract. How is this remotely appealing to anybody outside of New York? We already have one Kobe Bryant. We don’t need two.”
[Dear Lebron, Will You Please Save My Eternal Soul?: What Lebron James Means To Myself, A Franchise & The City Of Cleveland : Not A Blogger]

Hating
I used to absolutely hate on Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals. But it’s time to fess up like a man (via the Internet Machine) and give Guz props for coming back strong.

Mr. Irrelevant leads the way, “Guzman has gone from doughy object of our scorn to our very own Ichiro. Only in NatsTown.”

Be Like Cal
I went to an O.T.B. in Maryland on Kentucky Derby day with my boy Mac G … lost money. If only I would have recognized all the signs which should have pointed me in the direction of ‘Mine That Bird’ — Of course, being an uneducated horse better, I turned to some stupid site, betfirms.com, for advice. Here’s what they had to say about Mine That Bird: “Lowest rated horse in the field by any standards. Stay away.” Thanks, douche bags.

Print Media
“The Web came along as a medium to be reckoned with about five years later. As an industry, newspapers failed to see it as an opportunity and instead treated it, almost unanimously, as a threat, something to be fought and vanquished. It was a mistake the industry made not for weeks or months, but for years. It was the newspaper industry’s fatal error. The way the kids say it now: its epic fail.

My old boss at the Examiner, Phil Bronstein, has been marketing himself as this sage statesman of journalism now that he’s no longer piloting the Chronicle. A few weeks ago, writing on his SFGate.com blog about newspapers in general, he said the industry had been “marched to the gallows by an uncaring and unappreciative public, sentenced by shifting technological and cultural habits and a few bonehead moves of [our] own.”

Oh, brother. Marched to the gallows by an uncaring and unappreciative public? More like reluctantly left behind by a public that had been ignored for more than a decade as it screamed, “This is how we want information delivered to us! Not the way you’re doing it! This other way! Look! Over here! We’re over here now! Hey!”"
[Newspapers' fatal error - King Kaufman]

Kevin Garnett — Don’t Like Him
He can go fug himself.

Authored NBC Washington pieces

As Cooley As the Other Side of the Pillow
Skins tight end Chris Cooley recently participated in an NFL.com chat; meeting Albert Haynesworth for the first time was NOT one of his favorite moments.

The Night Karma Killed DC Sports
The Diamond District sports scene cannot win, literally. The search for a karma reversal specialist is in full effect.

DC-Baltimore’s Triumvirate of Ownership Futility
Three of the DC-Baltimore area’s owners have been named among the worst in sports.

Danny Snyder Quits Smokin’ With Koken
The Redskins owner cuts DC sports media stalwarts Al Koken and Brian Mitchell from his radio lineup.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• May 8, 2009 -- Cleveland Making It Easy To Hate
• June 15, 2010 -- John Wall: New Era, New Questions
• December 28, 2009 -- No Surprise That Wizards Are Cautiously Open For Business

EuroBasket may or may have not given us the impression that Spiros Vondas and the Greeks were after Antawn Jamison. Then, around 85% of Wizards fans on Bullets Forever believed that there was a 70% or greater chance that Jamison would be back with the Wiz. Seemed like the sensible move…..some even have said yes to Jamison and no to Arenas. AJ is that important.

Then came the eve of NBA free agency. Mike Jones of the Washington Times started at 1:55 pm reporting that Jamison would get a 4-year deal averaging $11 million per season ($44 total). The Washington Post’s Ivan Carter got in on the action around 4:42 pm; his sources said Jamison was close to reaching a 4-year, $48 million deal. ESPN’s Mark Stein was in on the game too, outlining plans for a 4-year, $50 million contract. The Times and the Post quickly followed suit with $50 million updates.

However, Ivan Carter’s update on Wizards Insider said:

Jamison said the negotiations went smoothly for the most part and while he wasn’t too detailed about the specifics of the deal, my sources tell me that it is structured so that his first year cap number is less than $10 million.

Hmmm….curious. The current CBA says the maximum yearly raise that a player, who is a Qualifying Veteran Free Agent, can receive is 10.5%. Say Grunfeld gives Jamison $10 million in year one, 10.5% raises over the next three years only leaves Jamison with a $46,752,576 contract over four seasons. To get AJ just about on the dot for $50 million (assuming the max raise), the Wizards are looking at paying him $10,694,600 in Y1….with $11.817+ in Y2, $13.058+ in Y3, and $14.429+ million in the final year.

Back in early May, I speculated that Jamison may be worth either a 3-year, $32 million contract, or a 4-year, $40 million contract. My ideals were slightly better than the three years, $27 million that Ernie Grunfeld reportedly offered to Jamison at first…..but far short of the four years, $80 million that Antawn’s agent requested. If you’re splitting the difference, seems like Ernie Grunfeld won the negotiations in inking AJ to an average of $12.5 million a season when he started with an offer of $9 million per and Arn Tellem countered with $20 million per. Although, it would seemingly be obvious that Grunfeld’s negotiating start was much more reasonable than Tellem’s.

Ideally, I would’ve liked to give AJ less money in order to possibly have the MLE available after signing Arenas….all while keeping frugal Abe’s team away from luxury tax territory. Assuming the above, add Jamison’s $10,694,600 to the $42,165,117 the Wizards already have on the books for next season….oh yea, don’t forget JaVale McGee, he’s getting $1,160,200…..and you have a total of $54,019,917 in salary for 2008-2009. According to 07-08 numbers, the Wizards are just under the $55.63 million salary cap, and $13,845,083 under the $67.865 luxury tax threshold.

We all know the salary cap, and luxury threshold in tune, rise each year. Official 08-09 numbers have yet to be released, but my barely semi-educated guesstimation puts the luxury at $71.528 million. This gives the Wizards roughly $17.5 million to work with. Estimate the 08-09 MLE at $5.6 million and the Wizards have $11.9 to start Arenas on.

Even with max raises, $11.9 over six would be far under the $100 million dollar threshold for a Gilbert Arenas contract. Agent Zero seems willing to take some sort of pay cut for Antawn Jamison, but not that much. In any case, taking less money in order to sign Jamison is moot. It’s really about if Gilbert is willing to take a pay cut to get more help for the team. I doubt it. $12.8 million in year one with max raises would get the contract to 100 million. The $15 million that Gilbert supposedly desires in year one would give him a $117 million contract over six, once again, with max raises.

Speculation is fun, but far from a science. It may be days before exact numbers are released. Should there be a rush to sign Arenas? Maybe not, but the sharks are no doubt in the water. Stay tuned to see how Grunfeld shuffles the deck and if Agent Crazy Pants sticks around.

Random Posts

• December 30, 2009 -- Denial and The River Without A Paddle: Wizards-Thunder Post-Game Locker Room Video
• September 5, 2008 -- Baron Davis v. Gilbert Arenas: Political Roundup
• July 21, 2009 -- JaVale McGee is a mutant, and he will cut you

While I am sure that Cleveland journalists are no where near the reprehensible nature of the character on The Wire, they sure have been adept in displaying skills of hackery as of late.

Tales of Hack Jobs:

First, there was this excerpt for Brian Windhorst’s blog (he’s also the Cavs beat reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal)

After the game, LeBron said DeShawn Stevenson hit him with a closed fist on the flagrant foul in the first half. I have since seen some photos that support that but it was not clear. Also, he seemed to go for the ball. I suspect the Cavs will push hard to have him to have the foul upgraded but it probably won’t happen. Here is the thing, people who know DeShawn have told me they think he’s crazy enough to attempt to go head hunting for LeBron in Game 5 if he thinks it is over just because of how personal this has all gotten. We’ll see.

My initial reaction was this: For one, this was posted well after the conclusion of the game. Second, he’s telling us that as a Cavs beat reporter, the only access he had to that play was photos, which he deemed to be inconclusive. That’s sad……[and later]……. This “people who know DeShawn” comment is a little disturbing. What exactly does this mean?…..you can know someone on so many levels. I mean, Damon Jones “knows” DeShawn……. Stevenson’s mother also “knows” DeShawn.
>> This whole issue was discussed on a Bullets Forever post (where I made my comments) – others made many valid points, so if you have not already, I suggest you check it out.

Then Along Came Two Sallies
#1) Patrick McManamon, an Akron Beacon Columnist – Cavs need to take out the garbage
Essentially, Patty Cake: Called the Wizards garbage. Pointed out that there are more important things in this world. (Really? More important things than basketball? You don’t say.) And then McManamon proceeded to write a column about everything that’s gone down in this series that has to do with basketball and not those more important things. Sounds like a little snot doing nothing more than pandering to a bunch of whiny babies if you ask me.

#2) Bill Livingston from the Cleveland Plain Dealer – Fierce Wizards a joke that just keeps us laughing
Now, Bill wants to call out the Wizards for all their talk…no problem with that, as I’ve done the same. Unfortunately, Livingston is intent on only telling one side of the story and uses an example which horribly back-fires into his face….just wait.

So, while I am just a stupid blogger….essentially an untrained monkey….I won’t do anything here but express my opinion and angrily call people names.

I’ll let the real journalist take care of the duties of a well-thought-out comeback. I implore you to go read this entry from Dan Steinberg’s DC Sports Bog on the washingtonpost.com: DeShawn Appears to be Popular in Cleveland.

Oh yea….the AP is getting in on the act by making shit up.

In other news:

• 6 pm start time? Crap. [We're Off To See The Wizards]

• Yup, most of the Wizards are saying what they’re supposed to say. [WashingtonWizardsBlog]
• LeBron James Flagrant 1 Fouls = DeShawn Stevenson Flagrant 1 Fouls [Wizards Insider]
• My Swog Needs……something positive to happen. [My Swog Is Phenomenal]
• Meanwhile….some give props and try to find solutions. [Bullets Forever]
• As if I wasn’t embarrassed enough by DeShawn Stevenson. [DC Sports Bog]
• Is this the end? (not a good sign that the Doors are playing in my head…or is it?) [DC Pro Sports Report]
• A true witness testifies. [DC Optimist]
• The Cavaliers like to vandalize their own court [DC Sports Bog]
• Rick has actually been a pretty cool Cleveland blogger (although he may not say the same about me — not that I’ve said anything bad about him….just the whole ‘LeBron is a baby’, etc., et
  c. rhetoric….although, I’ve been very critical of Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson too) — anyhow, Rick has a great interview with Dan Steinberg. [Waiting For Next Year]

• Game 5 Thread (talk it up) [Bullets Forever]
• Oh yea, Gilbert Arenas is finito……we may have seen his last game in a Wizards uniform.

Random Posts

• January 22, 2012 -- Doc Rivers on the Wizards, Limiting JaVale McGee & The Booing of Andray Blatche
• December 29, 2011 -- DC Council Game 2: Wizards 83 – Hawks 101: At Least Nick Young Looks Good
• June 24, 2010 -- Wizards Pre-Draft Workouts: Terrico White, jumped higher than John Wall

Taking a rewind, I tried my best to keep away from this internet thing for the past 24ish hours….for no particular reason as I did get a 10 minute check yesterday afternoon. I took in a pitiful Nats loss against the Cubbies, did some drinking, which unfortunately involved tequila shots, and justifiably found myself with a mini-hangover this morning. The usual antidote would be the tragically tasty grease of McDonald’s. Since one is not convenient to my Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights location, the next best bet was the Marx Cafe on Mt. Pleasant Street. You usually don’t have to deal with Sunday morning crowds, the food hits the spot and the service has all the international neighborhoody friendliness one could want. [by the way, for you're a Redskins fan, I stumbled across this City Paper article about Vinny Cerrato...interesting suggested reading]

Feeling slightly better, perhaps not 100% as I opted not to chase the hair of the dog (that bit me) I came back to do some reading on what I thought would be the life and times of Gilbert’s knee injury……NoPE!

As I’m sure you are aware, all of this happened instead. What unprecedented craziness…..leading to columns and rhyme droppings from the distinguished Mike Wise and nationwide ABC mentions of nightclub fodder by Stuart Scott and Mike Tirico.

I’ve never been to the Park and I’ve only been to Love once when one of my boys from college, an ex-Harlem Globetrotter, was in town (name-dropping without name-dropping, huh?) — I really hadn’t had the desire to go back since, as I would call Love the LeBron James of clubs…..Over, Rated. So yea, why not join the boycott?

This is fun and I am excited. In the last game blog (and in the comments section), I chided DeShawn and Gilbert for their trash-talking ways…..now I’m like fuck it. Talk as much as you want fellas, especially if it gives you extra incentive to back it up…..and as long as you win, of course. In five words: Cleveland, you can suck it.

The way that this rivalry is escalating, I halfway expect this to be the culmination (long clip…the 3:20 mark would be an adequate start):

Random Posts

• December 22, 2010 -- From the Other Side: The Charlotte Bobcats Pick-Up Team
• January 2, 2011 -- A New Year For John Wall
• February 10, 2008 -- Rundown on the Washington Wizards

The Philadelphia 76ers have a proud history and can usually be counted on to put up a fight, even when times are tough. But that wasn’t the case during a 116-101 loss to the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on Nov. 20.

The Wizards led by 37 points, shot a season-high 57.3 percent and embarrassed the 76ers by scoring with an ease that is uncommon at any level of competitive basketball, let alone the NBA.

For that reason, Wizards forward Caron Butler said he is looking past the 76ers’ 4-10 record and expecting to see a highly motivated opponent when the teams meet again Friday night at Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center.

As a fan, this is exactly what you want to hear. Now it would be absurd to think that NBA teams, players and coaches alike, don’t realize that on any given night…….but hey, it still happens. Teams look past, or underestimate an inferior opponent all the time. And not to say that the 76ers should be considered an inferior opponent, especially with Gilbert Arenas out. Every professional has some level of pride. But to me, you know that players usually think what’s written in Ivan’s article, but seems like it doesn’t always come out in the media. Just cause the words are in print and online, gives them extra meaning. They give the players, such as Tuff Juice the leader, extra motivation to back up those words. We will see.

Now let’s start the show….

1st Quarter

Philly comes out with a little full court pressure to start. Not sure I like this.

8:15 - Nice ball movement by the Wizards leads to a DeShawn Stevenson layup. They swing the ball from one side to another, get the Philly D moving, drive a gap, and eventually, it’s cake.

6:35 – Backdoor lob pass from Andre Miller to Andre Igoudala (A.I. 2) for a dunk. Phil Chenier saw it coming, I saw it coming…the Wizards just need to talk on the back picks and be aware of the opponent positioning and movement.

6:13 – Antonio Daniels turns it over on the other end. Timeout. 12-7 Sixers.

It’s one thing to talk like you’re ready, but the Wiz need some energy to produce and back that talk up.

And actually, on the replay of the lob dunk coming out of the commercial…Caron Butler thought A.I. 2 was going to curl over the top of the pick, so he cheated, but A.I. 2 went back door. Caron was never touched by a pick. Nice setup by Igoudala….just bad positioning by Caron.

4:59 – Samuel Dalembert is bothering Brendan Todd Haywood (BTH) tonight…..blocked his shot earlier and just caused BTH to airball a hookshot. Haywood is trying to finesse around the basket…Dalembert doesn’t seem that strong…..BTH needs to use that muscle or else I’m going to call him Brenda again. (A double check of the profiles and Haywood has an inch and about 13 pounds on a wiry Dalembert; I know, not exactly indicative of strength).

2:56 – Timeout Wizards. 21-10 Sixers. The Wiz keep missing early shots on offense and the Sixers are just driving the ball down their throats. I can’t figure out why someone isn’t stopping the ball in transition – it just has been too easy for Philly. Hopefully, the Wizards will adjust coming out of the timeout.

2:07 – Louis “Sweet Lou” Williams checks in. He’s a fan fav in Philly already, looked nice in the last game…scored 25 points on 10-13 shooting, making all 4 of this 3-point attempts. And Kyle Korver hits a try, Philly up 23-12.

Phil Chenier just pointed out that the 76ers are doing a good job of shading Caron, something San Antonio did well. You’re telling me that an adjustment wasn’t made in the offense from last game? They do realize that people are going to start focusing on Tuff Juice right? It’s almost like teams will say, Antawn Jamison can beat us, but T-Juice? Nope. Not gon’ doit.

No hustle for the Wiz, they are leaking out like an AAU team before securing defensive rebounds.

The 1st quarter ends, and the damage could be worse. The Wizards finished on an 8-2 run, including a Dee-Shawn layup, a Nick Young jumper, an open lane layup by Caron and a Jamison 3. Down to the Philadelphia 76ers 25-20.

2nd Quarter

11:30 – Andray Blatche watches Kyle Korver get an offensive rebound right in front of him. Luckily, Jamison snatches it away before Korver can come down with it.

11:00 – Next time down the court, Blatche fails to put a body on somebody on the offensive rebound again. The Sixers are able to tip it, but more luck, Darius Songaila gets it. C’mon AB, fundamentals son!

7:07 – Back and forth game…the 76ers keep forcing the Wizards to play catch-up. Philly up 1, 31-30. Washington is sloppy, careless, and cannot handle the full court pressure from the 76ers. It’s the little things that are killing them.

6:00 – AD fouls Reggie Evans keeping him from getting an easy dunk…but that’s AD’s 3rd foul. It’s pretty concerning that the Wizards do not have a serviceable backup point guard. I know people have crunched the numbers, but are you really telling me that there is no one, big or small, out there that Ern Grunfeld could sign?

I’m just not comfortable with PG by committee situation they have now.

4:35 – Reggie Evans offensive bound and putback…just too many turnovers for the Wiz and too many offensive rebounds for the Sixers. Philly up 37-32.

2:03 – Haywood’s 3rd block of the game (on an Andre Miller layup attempt) leads to a fast break and alley-oop from DeShawn Stevenson to Nick Young for the dunk. Phil Chenier points out that the Wizards usually don’t throw too many oops for dunks. Well, that’s because they don’t really have any leapers. Welcome to the show Nick Young.

See guys? D leads to O and efficient O leads to better chances on D. It’s an easy game.

0:30 – More s
loppy play by the Wiz…Stevenson passes to a cutting Blatche, who tries to make the extra pass…not there, turnover.

0:19 - The next time down…Nick Young offensive foul…questionable call though. Regardless, 8 turnovers in the 2nd quarter for the Wizards. Frustration is setting in.

The half closes out with an A.I. 2 miss, DC up 43-42.

3rd Quarter

9:55 - Haywood gets his 5th block of the game and the fast break starts with AD, drop off to Caron… (seemed a little early to get it to him)… nevertheless, Tuff Juice gets a dunk.

Wiz are being more aggressive to start…trying to be the first team to assert themselves on the offensive boards.

8:50 – The Wizards get 3 offensive rebounds on 1 possession (Jamison – Jamison – Haywood), but then, DeShawn Stevenson turns the ball over.

7:01 – Basket for AJ, his second in a row – 16 points for him. Wiz are starting the heat up on O. They probably will see the pressure again from the Sixers soon, seemed to work earlier. DC up 5, 55-50.

4:20 – Nick Young knocks down a 3, his 3rd make in a row (11 points). Wiz by 4, 62-58. I’m starting to come around on this kid…and actually, I already have. But maybe Hollinger kept my expectations low in the first place.

Stat…Nick Young is leading all rookies in FTs made per 48 minutes. Man, you can come up with a positive stat for just about anything.

2:46 – Sweet 3 by Butler…he is so confident in that shot right now.
Currently 8th in the league in 3 pt shooting…how bout that?

Although, A.I. 2 has really been making things tough on Caron tonight. Straight Hound Dog.

Reggie Evans is a crazy dude (he just got a tech, not sure what the beef was, but the camera got a good shot of his complaint from the bench)…and he looks like someone, just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe an extra Debo from The Wire? Actually, he kind looks like Vin Baker. Can you tell me who is who?

The 3rd ends with the game tied at 68. 15 turnovers for the Wiz is about 10 too much. Sixers only have 5.

4th Quarter

Baker was on the right, Evans on the left by the way.

The Wizards really need to show some more aggression if they want to win this game. They are settling for too many jumpers…not the case in the win against the Mavs…not even the case for the whole game against the Spurs.

9:52 - Nick Young cross step back for the J over Korver…that’s 13 points for him. Nice quick move. This kid is becoming a consistent threat on offense.

9:06 – Scrapping for the ball under the Sixers basket…couple blocks by AB, many chances for Philly. But the Wiz just can’t get their hand on the ball, or maybe Philly wants it more. Sam Dalembert finally gets the ball and gets fouled, Blatche’s 4th, 2 made FTs for Sammy D. Wizards up 1, 74-73.

9:00 - Andray really needs to take care of the ball. Gets his 4th turnover of the game, 17th for the Wiz. The ball gets poked from behind as he tries to drive to the basket…he just can’t swing the rock out there like that and think that it won’t get deflected by a smaller guard.

In other news, the Wiz have held the Sixers to 0-11 from 3 point land this game.

7:43 – Nice pass from AJ to D-Song…second time that Songaila has found an uncovered spot on the floor for an easy lay-in.

7:01 – Two layups missed on the next time down the court for the Wiz, Songaila and Butler. Korver 2 on the other end, game tied at 76. I wished the Wizards would play like they want it.

5:55 – Caron Butler breakaway layup. Up 2, 78-76.

3:36 – Nick Young checks in for Stevenson who has been having a terrible shooting night. DC down 2, 80-78…Wiz turnover down the court. VALUE THE DAMN BALL.

Lack of pg, lack of PG, LACK OF PG!!

The Washington Wizards simply have no one to keep the team composed on offense and into their offensive sets. If AD ain’t doin it, then no one will.

2:54 - A POINT guard, Andre Miller sets up Sam Dalembert for a deuce dunk. Philly up 4, 82-78.

1:35 – Haywood blocks Sammy D for his 6th. Jamison bad shot on the other end….Steve Buckhantz says that the Wiz have not scored a point in the last 4 minutes. “Great”

1:06 – Dalembert hits 2 FTs on the other end, Sixers up 6, 84-78. 8-0 run by Philly in last 5 minutes or so.

1:03 – Out of the timeout…Butler n> hits a 3! He inbounded to D-Song, received the ball back, no dribble, buckets. Finally, a BIG shot.

What an improvement…that was Caron’s 18th 3 of the year, he made 18 all last season.

0:51 – Uh oh , Nick Young is on Sweet Lou Williams…pick…miss. But Dalembert gets the bound, and fouled. He makes 1 of 2 FTs.

0:45 – DeShawn is at the point with the ball, Wizards down 85-81…

Butler knocks down a 3 from the corner! Solid. Tuff Juice squirts right in A.I. 2′s face. Down 1.

0:12 – Igoudala misses a layup on the other end, Jamison with the rebound….

Wiz hurry down the court… Butler with the ball on the left wing. He gets caught in the air and kicks it back out top to Stevenson. DeShawn swings it to Nick Young on the right wing. He’s wide open for 3, fires with 2 seconds left….misses….CRAP.

I think the Wizards could’ve gotten a better shot in that last possession. What a shitty game. I’m down cause they had a chance. But I’m pissed cause they had 18 turnovers. Whatever…the Wizards, after all the talk about being ready, didn’t come out ready. These are the games they need to take care of.

Stat Guts

The Wizards out shot the Sixers, 41.8% to 38.8%. The big difference in scoring, Philly shot 12 more FTs than the Wiz, going 19-26. The Wizards went 12-14 from the line.

This is the key indication that the Wizards were not doing what they needed to do in attacking the basket. They shot 16-20 from the FT line against the Spurs, and 27-34 against the Mavericks. If they expect, or want, to win, they need to get to the free throw line more than 14 times.

That and the aforementioned 18 turnovers, compared to Philly’s 8, are the glaring reasons as to why the Wizards lost.

Toronto Raptors at home tomorrow. Check yo’ self before ya wreck yo’ self.

Random Posts

• February 19, 2011 -- Point Guards & February Madness, aka ‘The NBA All-Star Practice Media Session’
• February 26, 2011 -- Nick Young Tries To Match Dwyane Wade’s Heat In A South Beach Duel
• July 16, 2010 -- JaVale McGee: “I felt like the rim was at my waist.”

“…instead of coming at us with actual details, they write an article about Sean Taylor’s several previous run-ins with law enforcement, as well as his incidents with the team. I guess getting shot and taken to the hospital by a policeman counts as a ‘run-in’ with the law in the same way that being suspected of having a DUI does. I’m not saying Taylor is a saint…but this article is absolutely ridiculous. It’s as if they are saying, Taylor was shot but he is a thug and he probably did something to bring it on…in other words: despite knowing only that he was shot in his own home, he is not an innocent victim. Shame on the Post.”

• 2004: Corey Fuller, then of the Baltimore Ravens, was confronted outside his Tallahassee, Florida home by two armed robbers. He was actually able to take the gun from one attacker and fire at them as they fled.
• 2001: Will Allen, then with the New York Giants, was doused with gasoline and robbed at his home.
• 1996-2004: Yancey Thigpen, who played with the Chargers, Steelers, and Oilers/Titans, was involved in three armed robberies, one of which was a car-jacking, and one which left him and his fiancée tied up while their 2-month old daughter was locked in a closet.

Random Posts

• June 5, 2009 -- Evaluating Javaris Crittenton in 2008-09
• September 22, 2010 -- Al Thornton: A Trailer of Unfulfilled Cinema Potential – 2010-11 Wizards Player Preview
• December 3, 2008 -- Blogger Q&A: The Rip City Project – Portland Trail Blazers Blog

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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