Some recent Washington Wizards videos that you might have missed ….
Number ten on the Wizards’ top plays of the 2009-10 season is of particular interest … because one could argue it was the play of the year (or perhaps the play of the last five years), but it also could have been one of the worst bad luck plays imaginable. And it’s nothing more than a Cedric Jackson game-winning three-pointer that gave the Wizards a 98-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the last game of the season. So what significance is that?
Irene Pollin spoke before the fourth quarter of the last game of the season. The Wizards, down by six and looking everything like a 25-win team heading into the final 12, came back to beat the Indiana Pacers by one point. Flip Saunders played his most inexperienced, least talented squad down the stretch. But little-used Cedric Jackson bucked and scored the last five points of the game.
That win, much to the chagrin of tanking proponents at the time, tied the Wizards with the 26-56 Golden State Warriors and not the 25-57 Sacramento Kings. Who knows what would have happened if the Wizards had a tie-breaker with the Kings. Just know that the Wizards lost their tie-breaker with the Warriors and jumped both Golden State and Sac-Town on their way to No. 1.
There’s been a bit of inactivity on this here blog because I’ve been out of town. But now that I’m back, let the John Wall mania re-commence … because us Wizards fans need to hype the guy up so much that madness will ensue should something crazy happen like Ernie Grunfeld taking Evan Turner or Derrick Favors with the first overall pick. Anything is possible, right?
Actually, let’s take a break from getting all Wall-Nuts for a second and check out some Wizards interviews from late last season … specifically when I asked a handful of players which sports teams they rooted for growing up and now.
Watch the video below to find out:
Which Wizard didn’t like Michael Jordan growing up.
Who is from Cleveland but continued to follow the Browns when they moved to Baltimore and now considers himself a Ravens fan.
Who has a dad who’s a diehard Redskins fan but chose to go against him and root for the Eagles.
Which Wizard only really roots for Brazil soccer as far as sports teams go.
LeBron James likes wearing his own name-bearing shoes that fuel his ego. He wears MVP shoes. He wears New York Yankees shoes.
One upon a time Mike Miller wore LeBron James shoes to practice. This created a minorhubbub in Wizards Nation. In hindsight, the blog-worthy occurrence was probably a distraction. Not a distraction that amounted to much, but when added to everything else … exactly.
Sure, team captains Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler chimed in about not liking it. But DeShawn Stevenson … Mister 50/50, I Can’t Feel My Face … the Wizards’ protagonist in their rivalry with the Cavaliers (or antagonist depending on what side you’re on) … was the most vocal about Miller’s shoe selection, drawing scorn for his antics.
Of course, those were the days when the rivalry still had very faint signs of life. It’s over now. DeShawn Stevenson said so. Well, DeShawn in the past talking about a once unimaginable future.
What’s in nickname? Some are given by teammates or coaches. Some are given by friends and family. Some are given by fans. Some give themselves nicknames, although that method is certainly not very valid/credible.
Prior to a couple games before the season ended, I asked several Wizards about their nicknames, past and present. Not all players had fun with the question – i.e., JaVale McGee, who I’m sure, if members of the media were polled, would win the ‘Most Boring Interviewee’ award — but most willingly answered.
Watch the video below to find out who was called “Bucky” as a kid because of his buck teeth, who was given a certain nickname because he evidently walks like O.J. Simpson (whatever that means), and who isn’t willing to laugh at himself.
Who will get to the 2010 NBA Finals and who will win? That’s the question I posed to several Wizards on the last day of the season. One player wants to see Antawn Jamison get a ring. Another surprisingly chose the Orlando Magic to win it all because, he says, “Vince [Carter], he picks and chooses when he wants to play, but I think in the Finals he’s going to be up for it. I think he’s going to be the difference maker.” Interesting.
Out of 10 players polled, four ultimately picked the Cavaliers, three the Lakers, and as mentioned, one went with the Magic. Two players declined to make a choice. Time to watch…
After a recent Detroit Pistons practice, Ben Wallace said,“They say losing builds character, I say losing sucks. That’s what I think.”
The Wizards are just as bad as the Pistons … same 24-53 record that’s currently tied for fifth worst in the NBA. Actually, one could say the Wizards are worse because their expectations going into the season were much higher, according to most experts.
But regardless of Washington’s downtrodden ways, the question of losing, ‘Does it build character or does it suck?’, was worth posing to several Wizards before Tuesday’s game against the Golden State.
Al Thornton, Quinton Ross, Randy Foye, Cartier Martin, Mike Miller, Cedric Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Earl Boykins answered … well, not really Boykins. Video below the jump …
As previously mentioned, Cedric Jackson, who signed with the Washington Wizards from the D-League on March 31st, went to Cleveland State. The Vikings are in the same conference as the Butler Bulldogs, whom they beat for the Horizon League title in 2009 to advance to the NCAA Tournament; as a 13-seed, Cleveland State won its first round game against 4-seed Wake Forest. But in that ’09 Horizon championship game, Butler’s Gordon Hayward had seven points, Matt Howard had 14 and Shelvin Mack had 18. Meanwhile, Cedric Jackson threw up 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds … and got the 57-54 win.
His opinion being qualified, I briefly chatted with Cedric about Butler and the 2010 NCAA championship before Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Eight seconds left in the game. Your team is up three points, having just hit two free-throws making the score 90-87. Your opponent must go the length of the court, i.e., no timeouts left in the NBA or a regular made basket scenario in college.
Do you foul and put your opponent on the line for two-free throws (no fouls to give/in double-bonus)?
Or do you play straight-up defense, allowing the other team a chance to tie the game with a three?
Opponent can be a factor, and that did come up when I posed this basketball strategy question to several Wizards before Sunday’s Nets game: Mike Miller, Quinton Ross, Cedric Jackson, James Singleton, Al Thornton, Randy Foye, Cartier Martin and JaVale McGee. Here’s what they had to say:
Some quotes and pictures from before today’s Wizards game versus the New Jersey Nets …
Flip Saunders on Andray Blatche:
“Dray, his scoring production in the fourth quarter isn’t what it is in the first three quarters because teams lock in more.”
“Early in the game Dray’s definitely a lot more ready to take cuts, work a little bit harder … late in the games, he gets pushed out a little bit.”
“The number of minutes he’s played, he hasn’t played this. All these guys are going through a huge learning experience of playing more minutes and going through situations and learning through that whole process.”
Cedric Jackson doesn’t know the plays and Flip Saunders hasn’t exactly seen what he is able to do, the Wizards have yet to have a practice since Jackson has joined the team, but expect the rookie to be on the court against the Chicago Bulls tonight.
Before the game, Saunders said that he’ll probably play both of his new players a little bit, Cartier Martin along with Jackson, to “see what they can do.” The coach also mentioned that his guys know they have to play well because the team they’re going against certainly have a sense of urgency right now. Currently the Bulls are two games behind Toronto Raptors for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
In the meantime, Jackson, having previously spent time with Cleveland and San Antonio this season, said he’s just looking to find a home and show the coaches what he can do.
But much less a home, Jackson has been looking for a jersey. Tonight he gets to don the #9 jersey which was originally planned for him. After waking up at 4 am to catch a flight from his D-League home of Erie to Detroit to New Orleans on Tuesday, the Wizards were only able to get him a nameless #88 jersey to wear on the bench against the Hornets. So, maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t make his debut with the Wiz on Tuesday.
And even though the Cavaliers and the Spurs are in vastly different situations, Jackson said his time with the Wizards is a “great opportunity” for him because he’s getting a chance to learn a new NBA system. “The Cavs and the Spurs have somewhat of a similar system, so just coming here it’s different to learn the plays when I get out there to run the team,” said Jackson before tonight’s game.
First reported yesterday, today the Wizards officially announced the signing of guard Cedric Jackson from the Erie Bayhawks of the D-League to a 10-day contract.
Jackson is listed at 6’3″, 190 pounds.
He attended Northern Burlington High in Columbus, New Jersey, which is just off the Jersey Turnpike, not far from Philadelphia.
He started at St. John’s, but after two seasons he transferred to Cleveland State in 2006.
When Waters was showed the door at Rutgers, Jackson, his high school coach, and his father approached Waters and told him that he would go where he went. Cleveland State became their destination.
In his senior year, Jackson was the Horizon League defensive player of the year.
Last March, Jackson and Cleveland State upset Butler in the Horizon League Tournament final to lock up an automatic bid in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
In the second round, Cleveland State lost to 12-seed Arizona 71-57.
Undrafted out of college, Jackson signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this year (late Jan./early Feb.) and appeared in five total games. Cavs coach Mike Brown didn’t always know who Jackson was, even after putting him in his first NBA game ever. Of course, Brown is the same NBA head coach who sometimes stands on the outside of his team’s huddle while someone else draws up plays.
Jackson also signed one 10-day contract with the Spurs at the beginning of March and appeared in five games.
The basic scouting report on Jackson is that he’s lightening quick, a good defender, but doesn’t have much of a jump shot … for more, check out Ridiculous Upside.
Matt Hubert of Blog Talk Bayhawk (which covers Jackson’s D-League team) once told Michael A. De Leon of the blog Project Spurs that Jackson’s game is, “very similar to Tony Parker’s in that he uses his speed to drive to the basket and finish over bigger defenders.”
His NBA game-highs are: 14:41 minutes (3/13 with Spurs), six points (3/12 with Spurs), and four assists (3/13 with Spurs) — I imagine he will soon be setting new career highs.
Jackson will be in uniform against the Hornets in New Orleans tonight and will wear #9, which is also the number he wore with the Cavaliers. He wore #11 with the Spurs.
The last Wizard to wear #9 was Paul Davis earlier this season and before that, Darius Songaila in his three years with the team.
“Officially,” Jackson is the 26th Wizard this season, but neither Drew Gooden nor Zydrunas Ilgauskas suited up for the team. It’s safe to assume that Jackson with be the 24th player to suit up in a Wizards uniform. Cartier Martin set the franchise record by being #23.
