I don’t want to pick on Randy Foye. He’s a good guy who wants to succeed in the most honorable way possible. His numbers have also been admirable as of late. Over the last five games, Foye has averaged 20.6 points, 7.8 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 4.0 rebounds and a block and a steal. So, I can’t exactly blame Foye for having the ball in his hands at the end of regulation, the first overtime AND the second overtime with the game on the line, but I can blame the Wizards as a team for putting Foye in those situations.

It’s absolutely unfathomable that neither Antawn Jamison nor Caron Butler — the stars, the studs, the captains, and perhaps two Wizards in the midst of their swan songs with the franchise — had the ball in their hands in any of those crucial waning moments where the game was lost, but could have been won. Remember the game winners Caron Butler hit against Toronto and Indiana last season? I do.

But the Wizards fought the whole way. Butler, Jamison and Brendan Haywood combined for 77 points, 46 rebounds and 159 minutes. The team limited turnovers, only six, and shared the ball to the tune of 23 assists. The bench didn’t provide much, aside from an eight point flash from Earl Boykins, and got outscored 27-14. Andray Blatche put up a stat line of three missed shots, two rebounds and three fouls in 10 minutes.

The Wizards lost 121-119 to the Bulls in double-overtime. Oh well, nothing new. It bes like that sometimes. Read more »

It’s a different world now.

In a way, I feel like Frank Sobotka from The Wire. Just like Sobotka was witnessing the port of Baltimore and its potential crumble around him in season two, I’m witnessing the same happen to the Washington Wizards.

And yes, I realize that it’s very ironic for me to use the word “witness” considering who the Wizards will play in about an hour.

By the way, while I’m making comparisons to The Wire, I might as well call Gilbert Arenas “Ziggy” (Sobotka’s son in the show, not the cartoon character) … both self-destructive in nature and ultimately brought down by gun-play.

Last night’s Sixers game seems like so long ago, obviously aided by Gilbert Arenas’ indefinite suspension, but also because, among other things, I’m rushed into thinking about tonight’s game against Cleveland.

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I don’t think the Wizards have ended a game with turnover this season yet. Chalk another one up in the ‘Inventing Ways To Lose’ tally. Although, turning the ball over to lose a game isn’t a new invention, it’s just what bad teams do. What more can I say?

{fact}

Four of Gilbert Arenas’ six fouls came immediately after a turnover. Three of those turnovers were committed by Arenas himself, one by Caron Butler.

{wizards vs. clippers: 11 frames}

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On one hand, you have arguably the best game of the year. Dallas is the only other in contention (even though the win against Cleveland was nice, it wasn’t the best).

On the other hand, you have arguably the worst … but there are far more in the conversation (Indiana, Oklahoma City, San Antonio).

Part of me wants to vote for the loss to Charlotte as worst because it’s still fresh. And then there’s this:

Charlotte’s 1st Road Win

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I’m afraid I’m dating myself with the Oregon Trail reference. It happens.

San Antonio: 59 Rebounds - Washington: 44 Rebounds

Wizards: 12 ast, 9 turnovers – Spurs: 32 ast, 8 turnovers

WAS: 33.3 FG% – SA: 46.5 FG%

Ok, Halloween Night, at the Verizon, ready for the Wiz to make up for last night’s loss in Atlanta. Unfortunately, the Wizards didn’t just lose the game, but they lost Caron Butler too.

Butler had an MRI and X-Ray today that revealed no structural damage; the diagnosis was a bruised kneecap. Before the game, Flip Saunders said he expected Butler to be back in the lineup against the Cavs in Cleveland on Tuesday. The official injury report is that he’s day-to-day.

In Caron’s place, Randy Foye will start; Mike Miller will move to the three-spot. Arenas obviously still starts at the point and Fabricio Oberto and Brendan Haywood will hold down the front court.

I spoke to Foye before the game. He said it will be a little bit different on out the court with the starters, but he will have the same mindset to play his game … be aggressive on offense, execute plays, and play hard on defense.

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{Game Faces}

A focused pre-game Gilbert Arenas.

A plotting, thinking Flip Saunders.

Contrasting bench facial expressions.

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flickr/Keith Allison

If the Washington Wizards prefer to lie amongst the weeds and surprise everyone, a panel of 53 ESPN experts is trying to make that happen (despite the Wizards being voted by the same ESPN panel to have the biggest turnaround this upcoming season).

Tied with both Philadelphia and Toronto to achieve 39 wins, and finish seventh through ninth in the East (the averages actually break out to PHI – 39.4, WAS – 39.1, TOR – 39.0), the ESPN panel believes that the Wizards will be fighting just to make the playoffs.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and The Wages of Wins Journal both seem to think the Wiz will be significantly better than sub-40 wins, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe some of the ESPN experts think the Wizards’ defense won’t be up to par, or that their frontcourt is too thin and they desperately need an upgrade. Of course, when Mike Prada of Bullets Forever wrote the two previously linked pieces, he had improving the team to compete for a championship in mind, not so they can solidify a playoff position. Still, both defense and frontcourt are valid areas of concern.

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We all like to reminisce to the days of health in 2004-05 when the Wizards started the year by winning 26 out of their first 41. Since, they haven’t gotten out of the gates so well.

In 2005-06, they won five out of their first six, but then lost 17 of the next 24, going 12-18 in the first 30. The Wiz started 4-9 in 2006-07 before they got going, 0-5 in 2007-08, and last year … well, do I really need to give out the numbers?

It’s the NBA, and no game this year is going to be easy. Hell, this team can’t afford to think one might be easy. A good start is tremendously imperative to setting the swagger level of the year. Why? Because the playoff stretch of March could be brutal.

We already know this from the previous post:

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