As much progress the Wizards seemed to make in last Wednesday’s preseason win in San Antonio, on Friday in Cleveland it all came unraveled. I don’t take much stock in preseason results, losing by 28 points to the Cavaliers is nothing more than a meaningless number at this juncture. And as Caron Butler was quoted in the Washington Post, “It’s not necessarily about shots made and missed. It’s about energy and establishing some type of rhythm for the first group.”
All true. Through the first half of the second quarter in Cleveland, the Wizards starters, along with the initial wave of second unit players, led the Cavs 35-33. But with an intriguing lineup of Dee Brown, Nick Young, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and JaVale McGee on the court, a Roots album title ensued (or Nine Inch Nails, or the literary inspiration, or the original poetic inspiration…depending on your flavor)……and things fell apart.
Cleveland closed out the first half on a 24-4 run, taking a 57-39 lead into the locker room, against a lineup that it’s reasonable to assume Eddie Jordan will be using this year, as opposed to him just tinkering.
The focus now shifts to the season opener against the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday. As with many NBA teams, there are still areas of concern. You can read the full preseason Wizards-Cavs game blog at Bullets Forever, but here are three observations which need to be addressed as the season grows:
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