The Washington Wizards bounced back from two poor losses to Detroit and Toronto with a 119-113 victory over the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Is there something about this team playing up to quality opponents? Before the Reaction, Coach Randy Wittman attempts to explain:

M.V.P.

Scoring distribution. Seven different Wizards scored in double figures, and no one scored more than 17 points. Sometimes there was too much offense, at least for Washington’s taste. At half the score was tied at 64, and the Wizards were getting out-paced in fastbreak points, 12-0. Randy Wittman said that during the break, they only talked about defense. To start the third, Washington forced Denver into two missed 3s and two turnovers on the first four possessions, something Wittman gave much credit to after the game. Denver didn’t score until the 6:39 mark of the period and, in total, the Wizards out-scored them 30-14 in the third before holding on just long enough in the fourth to get the win.

Game-Changing Moment

Read more »

The Washington Wizards preach patience, but internally, they are desperate. The rebuild has not gone as planned. They still can’t seem to adequately develop draftees who aren’t shoe-ins (i.e., those not named Bradley Beal). If they don’t make a move now, their core either could be set for next season, or teetering on relatively drastic change with the expiring contracts of Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor potentially coming into play this summer or before the next trade deadline.

Do the Wizards need to make a deal by 3 pm on Thursday? No, not at all. Why rush the rebuild when lottery chances are once again at stake? Could Team President Ernie Grunfeld still roll up his sleeves to expose some tricks? Indeed (Omar Little voice).

So who’s out there?

Well, we all know Josh Smith is available. But reports on top of reports on top of roast beef sandwiches indicate that the Wizards are now “coolin’” on a move for Smith, which means that the package they’re willing to offer for him is probably not as competitive as offers from Milwaukee or Brooklyn, for instance. I’m not so hot on Smith myself — with him “thinking” that he’s a max contract player and with Smith essentially being his agency’s only marquee player (also the agency of Javaris Crittenton, FWIW). Smith is not a max type player, at least not with his poor attitude. Although, colleague John Townsend informs me that Smith’s cumulative WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player, an advanced stat) over the past several seasons is very good. So, yea…

Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 50, Washington Wizards at Milwaukee Bucks; contributors: Sean Fagan, Adam McGinnis and Kyle Weidie from behind the television screen.]

Real Deal Beal [Bradley Beal shot chart vs Bucks, via NBA.com/stats]

Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 49, Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets; contributors: Dan Diamond and John Converse Townsend from the Verizon Center, with Sean Fagan from B-R-DOUBLE OH!-K-L-Y-N.]

(Chinese) Near Year, New Team

Read more »

“Yea, I got the braces done too … this season, everything is new. Everything is going to be fresh. Everything is going to be more exciting. You know, it will be good this year.”
—Andray Blatche, September 2009

Our friend Andray Blatche visits D.C. this evening as the northeast prepares for a blizzard. After playing the Wizards tonight, the Nets are slated to play the San Antonio Spurs in Brooklyn on Sunday. So the potential of getting stuck in Washington could be a good thing for them. Shadow Room, anyone?

Under Avery Johnson’s coaching, Brooklyn stood at 14-14. Since he was fired in late-December, they are 15-6 under new coach P.J. Carlesimo, but they have lost four of their last seven—two on the road to Memphis and Houston and two at home to Orlando and the L.A. Lakers. Currently tied with the Bulls for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn can’t afford to falter against the Wizards tonight… before facing San Antonio, before going on the road to play the Pacers on Monday, before a hot Denver Nuggets team comes to the BK next Wednesday, and before the league heads into the All-Star break after that.

The Prince of Party has played a slightly diminished role under new leadership, removing the luster from those ready to anoint Blatche as the NBA’s Most Improved Player a quarter into the season. In his 21 games during the Carlesimo era, Blatche is playing 3.4 less minutes, taking 1.9 less shots, pulling down 1.1 less rebounds, and scoring 2.4 less points. All negligible, perhaps.

In consideration of the entire season, Blatche has spent 956 minutes on the court for the Nets over 49 games, and 1,421 minutes off the court. When Blatche rides the bench, Brooklyn shoots the ball 2.7 percent better, tallies 3.1 more assists, turns the ball over 1.5 times less, commits 2.5 less fouls, and scores four points more per 48 minutes.

Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 48, Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks; contributors: Rashad Mobley and John Converse Townsend from the Verizon Center, with Conor Dirks from the ATL.]

J-Wow.

Read more »

John Wall puffed his chest at Amar’e Stoudemire after the aging Knicks vet threw an extracurricular chicken wing his way. The boys scratched their antlers, marked their territory, did some flexing, and carried on. Later on, Amar’e, Carmelo, and throngs of Knicks fans would go quietly into the night. This is your reaction to a 106-96 Wizards win over the Knicks…

M.V.P.

There were Twitter jokes aplenty about amped-up Verizon Center rim microphones picking up the clang of John Wall’s jumper—classic Wizznutzz. Wall missed two mid-rangers on the same possession, and later bricked a robotic-looking 3 with plenty of time and space. But he also made a key jumper from the elbow area late in the game after both he and the Knicks had time to learn sign language and then Amar’e Stoudemire had time to sign, ‘Hey, John Wall, go ahead and take that jumper, punk!’

Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 47, Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Clippers; contributors: Kyle Weidie and Adam McGinnis from the Verizon Center, Conor Dirks from the road.]

Why not start with… Chris Paul vs. the Wizards Girls? Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 45, Washington Wizards at Memphis Grizzlies; contributors: Rashad Mobley, Adam Rubin and Kyle Weidie from the comfort of their own homes.]

Spare Me. With 1:37 left and the Wizards down 80-72, Memphis having just gotten an offensive rebound, Comcast went black. Only poor audio was available. What we heard: John Wall missing a close layup and Tayshaun Prince making a subsequent jumper to put the Grizzlies up 10, the first time the margin reached double-digits all game. But no, Buckhantz didn’t say “backbreaker”—he knew it was already over. The broadcast returned as Martell Webster hit a layup with a minute left to bring the Wizards within eight, and then the Wizards cut it to six with 34 seconds left. But that’s all they had.

Read more »

[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 44, Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers; contributors: Conor Dirks, Sean Fagan and Rashad Mobley from the comfort of their own homes.]

Skittles … ’cause losing tastes like ass

Read more »