[Not many breaks for the weary -- photo: K. Weidie]
The third day of Washington Wizards training camp entailed a spirited scrimmage toward the latter stages of Sunday evening. JaVale McGee showcased nifty jump hooks, John Wall finished at the rim with ease, and Roger Mason Jr. flashed his superb shooting ability by drilling numerous long-range shots. The weekend two-a-day practices were taking a visible toll on the team, however, as Andray Blatche sat out of portions with cramps, Kevin Serpahin played with a wrap on his shoulder, and players labored through their final conditioning drills. McGee sarcastically mentioned afterward that compact schedule was different than camps of the past, and “Pierre” relayed a similar sentiment on Twitter.
The mood conveyed to the assembled media was one of leadership and workmanship. Blatche again discussed his pre-lockout meeting with Flip Saunders about being a leader. And while Dray again hilariously could not recall the name of the book Flip gave him to read, he did recite the literary themes quite well. McGee said that he sees himself coming into his own as a leader. Saunders praised the leadership skills of veterans Rashard Lewis, Mason Jr. and the new addition, Ronny Turiaf. There is no training camp motto this year like 2010′s “Back to Basics” or 2009′s “Our Time.” The construction hard hat given out after each practice to the hardest worker symbolizes the no frills approach.
McGee described the new business-like atmosphere: Read more »
