Recently, the two first-named Michelle Marie of YoungHollywood.com caught up with Antawn Jamison at some location in the world … and it wasn’t in a dark room featuring an old wooden table, an uncomfortable stool, and a solo Jamison sitting and sipping on some Jameson.
Marie asked ‘Twan how the Cleveland Cavaliers were going to transition without LeBron. The gist of his answer: “It’s going to be interesting.”
Indeed it is, Antawn, indeed it is. He also spit out some generic clichés such as, “It’s a business,” and “It’s not going to be easy.” I don’t think the Gentleman will ever change, and he shouldn’t. In any case, you can watch the video yourself via Yahoo! Sports.
When Maze talks, you can really tell he’s from the DMV. Just listen to how he says “area” and “experience.”
Maze Run-Down:
6’3″ guard, 195 pounds.
Bobby Maze was born in D.C. and went to Suitland High School.
Played with Kevin Durant and Ty Lawson on the DC Blue Devils AAU squad.
Maze says he’s been talking with Durant, Lawson and Michael Beasley about the pro process and intends to go back and give advice to Duke’s Nolan Smith, who is from Upper Marlboro, MD.
In his post-Wizards workout interview (video below), Maze talks about the DMV’s basketball hotbed, saying a lot of guys will go up to Georgetown or Maryland to play and that, “sometimes you got NBA players that might not get to play the first game.”
After Suitland, went to the Patterson prep school in North Carolina.
Signed with Oklahoma over Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Kansas State and Seton Hall; Maze was the first signing Sooners coach Jeff Capel made after getting the job.
Was initially sidelined with a broken foot as a freshman, but eventually became the starting PG by the end of the year.
But after the ’06-07 season, Maze and Capel came to an understanding that Maze would no longer be apart of the program.
With the Washington Wizards, I could point to a ton of self-induced actions that don’t go right during the course of a game. It boils down to a team that’s lacking focus, fundamentals, and a commitment to each other.
One specific time period that highlights much of the Wizards’ woes came over a three-minute span in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City on Tuesday. From the start of the quarter, when the game was tied at 76, to around the 7:30 mark, the Wizards and Thunder traded baskets. A Gilbert Arenas three-pointer put the Wizards up 90-89 at the 7:43 mark.
Over the next 180 seconds or so, with breaks for two Flip Saunders timeouts, the Thunder went on an 11-2 run, effectively ending the game. Here’s how it happened.
{7:34 – 4th Q}
Eric Maynor splits Andray Blatche and Earl Boykins. Andray, you’re reaching instead of moving your feet to close the gap. Your feet were growing roots. Your argument is invalid.
I actually rewatched last Friday’s loss against the Thunder on Saturday morning … and then was left with the “treat” of the game against the Spurs that night. Lucky me. And no, I didn’t rewatch the Spurs game on Sunday. I’m not self-loathing.
But as this player-induced, media-fueled soap opera surrounding the Wizards continues — [And Dan Steinberg is right, the players should stop ripping each other in the media. However, the media (of which I am apart, I suppose ... since I was called a "reporter" in a Tweet by an actual reporter) is good at taking windowed instances and magnifying them into potentially meaning much more. Than again, these players have been around the media plenty of times, they know what they're doing.] — it’s not necessarily about egos, or free-agents, or hidden agendas.
It’s about a group of players taking the personal responsibility to do the little things, and then that coming together under the coaching of Flip Saunders and the leadership of the three captains: Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison (Brendan Haywood should really be counted as a leader as well). Yes, I know … seems like these things should have been handled in training camp and the preseason.
If this team wants to get out of the current funk, it starts with the little things. I was able to capture several screen shots from the Wizards not doing the little things against the Thunder, probably could have taken more against the Spurs, but I didn’t. So without further adieu, here’s a sample of those which I was able to break down.
Caron Butler and a very tall clown {via WashingtonWizards.com}
Evidently on Sunday morning, Caron Butler was slated to co-chair the ‘Sister to Sister’s Bike For The Heart’ event with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty at the Verizon Center in Washington. But the Wizards also had a preseason game in Toronto, Canada at 3 pm that afternoon. Event host Irene Pollin, Wizards co-owner, told Butler that he could attended that morning and just catch up with the team at their next stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The team’s other ‘co-owner’, Irene’s husband Abe, said “nope,” indicating he wanted Butler in Toronto, supporting his teammates. So Abe called up his private jet and whisked Butler, along with team president Ernie Grunfeld, to T-Dot after the event and in time for Butler to get in a workout before the Raptors game.
Tonight, Butler, along with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Delonte West, and Michael Beasley (all dubbed as Caron’s “friends” as he is the headliner), will be hosting, depending on which flier you look at, a Worldwide Tour or National Tour at Bed Nightclub in South Beach Miami.
If I didn’t know better, Mr. Butler might be angling for a future career in politics.
