Truth About It - Washington Wizards Blog

Washington Wizards News on Tumblr

2009-05-30T11:18:00.003-04:00

I like the Internet ... I hope it likes me (fingers crossed, still waiting for the Internet to take me out for a nice seafood dinner).

I also like the Washington Wizards .... so combining the latest news on the Wizards found via the World Wide Web all in one place on the Inter-web would make sense.

Hence ... I introduce 'Washington Wizards News' from Truth About It via Tumblr.

You're probably thinking, what the heck is Tumblr? Well, I don't completely know, didn't for the longest time and still don't quite understand. All I know is that I'm watching Crocodile Dundee on TBS right now for some reason, and it's the part where the condescending d-bag in a white dinner coat, 'Richard', is talking mess at dinner until Mick Dundee punches his face out.

Long story short, you want your Wizards news (and perhaps commentary), and you want it now (ok, lil' too dramatic, this isn't one of those silly J.G. Wentworth commercials).

Tumblr, as I understand it/use it/try to figure out what to do with it, offers an immediate outlet for the best and latest Wizards news, notes, commentary, quotes, links, etc., that I come across, all in one place (it could be a 'blog' too, but I'm not going in that direction).

I'm around the Internet, a lot, even more than Kara Sedgewick commercials on TNT ... you can imagine. So at Tumblr I'll be posting a whole bunch of Wizards stuff from everywhere. You can subscribe via RSS Feed (to make sure you get everything)... or, all my Tumblr updates also automatically go to my Twitter account. Internet age is crazy, isn't it?

So, follow this/me/the Wizards if you will ... there will be more changes to come to this site in the future (like a re-design where Tumblr Wizards news is placed in the corner) ... so, stay tuned.

And thanks for visiting ... thanks for your interest in the Wizards. They are my team ... hopefully they are your team too.

Things I didn't know about Crocodile Dundee:

It was based on a real-life character, Rodney Ansell.
Ansell died in a shoot-out with the PO-lice.
Paul Hogan ended up marrying that chick from the movie (been married since '90).

Evaluating Juan Dixon in 2008-09

2009-05-29T12:47:00.001-04:00

Player evaluations for '08-09 are in full effect. You can find the evaluations from '07-08 here. Up second is Juan Dixon. My thoughts are below, you can check on the full report on Bullets Forever.

[Previously: Oleksiy Pecherov]

Juan Dixon seemingly fell into the right opportunity last year ... well, for him, not the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas goes down and signing Dixon, local kid made good via prevailing under abysmal childhood circumstances and a Maryland Terrapins national championship, seemed the perfect fit.

Dixon knew the system, having previously played for the Wiz under Eddie Jordan, and would presumably provide the same veteran guard skills and bench scoring punch that was vacated by Roger Mason, Jr. (or not really).

Unfortunately, so went the season, so went Dixon's recognizable contributions to the team. His play, when it saw the court, was inconsistent, and his lack of veteran poise drew the ire of many on Bullets Forever, especially after an embarrassing five turnover effort in a late season loss against Toronto. What did we expect from the guy? Well, we kind of expected better.

But when he wasn't experiencing a nagging injuring, Dixon never knew if he'd be playing from one night to the next. The were faint grumblings about playing time, both from Dixon desiring more and from some fans wanting less. Ed Tapscott had to speak with him about his minutes prior to an early December matchup with Chicago.

I can hardly blame Dixon for getting testy about his run. The Wizards were essentially the last chance for a soon-to-be 31-year old to get a swan song NBA contract. But he just wasn't able dispel the preconceived negative aspects of his game, unreliable offensive initiation and non-existent defense.

His sporadic play was not a large blemish on the season, rather a product of the unfortunate environment. 2008-09 Dixon, which resulted in his career low PER, will just be a blip on the franchise's historical radar.

Juan Dixon has been a better than expected human being, much less his unheralded success in basketball, college and pro. He came in, tried with good intentions, but things just didn't work out.

We thank Juan for his contributions. We thank him for being the always-ready consummate vet. He could very well prove me wrong, but I'd estimate that he plays overseas for a couple of years before putting the game of basketball behind him, moving on to bigger and better things, such as community outreach/service, which would be right up his alley.

[Juan Dixon photos via flickr/Keith Allison]

Going Bullets Retro with Kevin Grevey

2009-05-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

NBC Washington had a good video piece on Kevin Grevey and the '77-78 Washington Bullets championship team earlier today (video above, obviously .... unless you are getting this through an aggregator/reader, then click the link).

Ahh, the memories ... before my time.

I naturally wanted some more on Kevin Grevey, so should you.

The first place you should go is Bullets Forever for a piece about Grevey, all-time BF #20, by Mike Prada ... bonus is an old school video of Pete Maravich playing horse.

Then jump in the way-back machine and head to a story from the Sports Illustrated Vault about Grevey leading his '75 Kentucky Wildcats to a big win over Alabama.

"Kentucky's star shooter, Kevin Grevey, who had been benched [at halftime] for what his coach called "gutlessness," returned from exile to score 12 points in the final 11 minutes and led the Wildcats to an 84-79 victory. ["They Let The 'cats Out Of The Bag," Curry Kirkpatrick, Sports Illustrated - March 3, 1975]

Or this other tid-bit from the SI Vault:

"At Kentucky, [Coach Joe] Hall has stayed a step ahead of potential recalcitrants. During his second season he suspended his best player, Grevey, for one game after he visited his room late one night and found him absent.

"He lets the players know from the start that it's going to be tough," says Grevey, now a member of the NBA Bullets. On the night Hall visited Grevey's room,

Hall stayed—and Grevey stayed away until Hall left. That was at 6:30 a.m. For the rest of that season the players called Hall "Goldilocks" and "Papa Bear" and kept asking Grevey, "Who's been sleeping in your bed?" ["Forty Minutes To Glory," Barry McDermott, Sports Illustrated - April 24, 1978]

But I got a kick out of this little gem from the Bullets championship playoff run, set in the conference finals against the Philadelphia 76ers:

"At a practice session before Game 2, Grevey, who had scored 26 points and helped hold Doug Collins to 12 in the opener, "felt something pop" in his neck while blow-drying his hair. It appeared for a while that he would have to join Unseld on the bench along with Guard Phil Chenier, who had been there for four months with back problems. But Grevey took 12 showers on game day to loosen his neck and scored eight points in the first half. ["Another Chapter In The Philadelphia Story," John Papanek, Sports Illustrated - May 15, 1978]

And then I can't believe I read this:

"A win over Golden State last Sunday left [the Bullets] just 13-12 in the Capital Centre, with a seven-game road trip stretched over 10 days on the horizon following the All-Star break. Such arduous treks are usually regarded with fear and loathing in the NBA, but these days the Bullets seem to consider them a blessing. After what one player describes as "vicious booing" during home losses to Phoenix and Denver, the Bullets have begun to dread playing at home. "Our fans are spoiled. They're used to winners," says [Kevin]Grevey. ["These Tough Old Bullets May Be Spent," Bruce Newman, Sports Illustrated - February 04, 1980]

In Other News:

According to his agent, Mike James has picked up his player option for next season [via Washington Examiner] ... no-surprise, no-brainer. Just the other day, James told Mike Jones of The Washington Times, "It's already been taken care of, brother. Already done."

Quotable

"I can't wait to see Sam make that 7:30 meeting." Nuggets Coach George Karl about Sam Cassell's coaching career. [via Wizards Insider]

"I was a guy, when I played the game of basketball, I wasn’t fast, I couldn’t jump, I wasn’t a great ball handler, I just knew how to get it done." Sam Cassell on the John Thompson radio show. [via Sports Radio Interviews]

'Witnesses' keep waiting - Mike Jones, Washington Times

"Man, this city is depressed. You get a look at it," says lifelong Cleveland resident Marvin Connors, who is both jobless and homeless. "LeBron bringing us a championship is more than just basketball. If he brings us a championship, I think it will bring something nice that we've never had in Cleveland. It will bring businesses in here, help with the economy. When they made it to the finals the last time, I had a job for three days just cleaning up from the celebration."

Damn. Didn't know how sad it was in Cleveland. Kinda put Wizards fans whining about curses in perspective. Those people are desperate.

TalkHoops.net has a good run-down of the '08-09 season in Exit Interviews: 2008-2009 Washington Wizards.

Blasts From the Past (found this while doing research on Grevey)

"The Philadelphia Phillies went from worst to first. Hollywood made a movie about the Jamaican bobsled team. Beavis and Butt-head stopped playing with matches. Even Roseanne Arnold found a key she can sing in.

So when is something good going to happen to the Washington Bullets?

[Mike Terry. "Remedy for Bullets' Woes Still Comes in Small Doses." The Washington Post. October 31, 1993. HighBeam Research. <www.highbeam.com>.]

Cheers.

Prediction: Next Year JaVale McGee Will Fly Like A Caged Bird Free

2009-05-28T01:07:00.000-04:00

Just a hunch ... that's all I'm saying.

And hopefully, unlike Andray Blatche Summer '07, we won't be singing Free 'Vale McGee like Bun B did for the late Pimp C.

Cheers.

[via twitpic]

In honor of Pimp C:

Evaluating Oleksiy Pecherov in 2008-09

2009-05-27T15:13:00.001-04:00

Player evaluation time has come again. You can find the evaluations from '07-08 here. Up first for '08-09 is Big Oily Pecherov. My thoughts and some images from the season are below, you can check on the full evaluation report on Bullets Forever.

I could cite some of Oleksiy Pecherov's mediocre numbers, including his assist per 138.5 minutes rate, but they're a moot indicator as to his value to the franchise. The 23-year old just didn't get enough time on the court. However, when a guy's player evaluation from last year can be easily recycled, a bulk of responsibility lies on his shoulders.

Rail if you will on the Wizards' player development, or lack thereof, and whether or not Ed Tapscott stunted growth. The fact remains that if Pecherov gave more reasons for increased run, the minutes would have found him, especially in such an injury plagued year. The epitome of his season's effort was more when he got blocked by the 6'2"Boobie Gibson in the last meeting against Cleveland than the few positive moments.

Already behind a prideful veteran exempt from the bench (Antawn Jamison), a rookie with more fire and defensive instinct (JaVale McGee), a role player with court smarts (Darius Songaila), an inconsistent prospect with a much better skill set (Andray Blatche), and the occasional Etan Thomas sighting, the Ukrainian goof-ball dubbed 'Big Oily' was already in a position where working extra hard was a prerequisite for more time.

At one point, Pech seemed to want to rebound, which is more than you can say for many European big men with an outside touch. But it's not encouraging that hustle on the glass decreased, while hovering around the arc increased, toward the end of the year, at least in practice as Kevin Broom highlighted on the Secret Weapon. I like Pechrov, but his comedic shtick isn't much without meaningful contribution.

Imagine if Pech used the three point shot as a threat and not a crutch. Imagine if he became a great pick and pop big, opening up the lane for penetration. Imagine if Big Oily had a high defensive IQ. Imagine if he had the heart of Songaila. If you can conjure all of this magically happening over the summer, I'd say you need to come back to reality.

From: Wizards vs. Cavs: The Final Showdown in Screen Shots

This is "Big" Oleksiy Pecherov (7'0"),
getting blocked by Boobie Gibson (6'2")
.... See ya Big Oily, it was nice knowing you.

Pech's "crowning" moment in the game (other than this one) came earlier in the 4th when he caught the ball at the 3-point line, on the right wing, with 21 seconds on the shot clock. Delonte West was on him, so he had the height mismatch.....however, Oily's answer was to painstakingly back West down with several dribbles for the next seven seconds before gunning a fadeaway jumper.....miss.

From: Deep Thoughts with Nick Young and Oleksiy Pecherov

Caron Butler Chews Straws at the Cheesecake Factory

2009-05-27T09:27:00.005-04:00

Caron Butler recently sat down with NBC 4's Lindsay Czarniak for an interview. Interesting tid-bits are below, followed by the embedded video from NBC Washington.

Butler, like most NBA players, has mad love for the Cheesecake Factory.
He enjoys the 'large' chicken Caesar salad.
He's a great dad, often working out from 1-5 am so he can rest and then be home when his daughter gets back from school.
Tuff Juice has 22-23 straws ready to chew during games ... he calls it a fetish.

Wizards Web:

Marbury to the Wizards? [Frank Isola, Knicks Knation]
"Marbury, according to a source, was contacting Flip Saunders almost on a daily basis during the postseason and there is a chance that Marbury could be reunited with his first professional coach (okay, second after Bobby Cremins) next season.

[h/t: Bullets Forever]

Tyreke Evans Draft Profile [Bullets Forever]
{This guy is one of my favorite draft prospects .... I'd love for the Wiz to get him if they traded down.}

The Myth of Trading Antawn Jamison [NBC Washington]
{Just a little something I wrote about 'The Gentleman' -- he's not going anywhere folks, and that's a good thing.}

Addressing JaVale McGee Trade Rumors

2009-05-22T12:01:00.001-04:00

[JaVale McGee on his way to Vegas via twitpic]

The internets are ablaze with one specific Wizards trade rumor today.

That trade: JaVale McGee and the #5 pick go to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the #3 pick. The Wizards would then select heartthrob Ricky Rubio and if for some reason he's not available, the Wiz would "settle" for Hasheem Thabeet.

[via Chad Ford on ESPN then Bullets Forever]

Reaction Process:

A resounding no.
Why not trade Andray Blatche instead? (Unsilent Majority's claims that 'Dray runs the fast break like a drunk point guard notwithstanding.)
Many of us in Wizards Nation have tossed around the notion that some other unsuspecting GM would be glad to take a chance on Blatche ... in a Kwame Brown for Caron Butler type of way.

If Grunfeld is dangling McGee instead of Blatche, either other GMs would rather stay away or Gruns and Flip think that Andray (with his four years of "experience") is more suited for the 'win now' plans.
"Great" the Wiz get unlucky on draft night and are looking to trade two prospects for one.
Would Thabeet even be an upgrade over JaVale McGee? Doubt it.

My reasoning:

Thabeet hasn't been playing organized ball for that long versus McGee, whose baby carriage used to rest courtside while his mom played pro ball;
The two can be similar defensive players with the caveat that McGee gains more weight/muscle (although JaVale may always be more finesse); and
McGee, even with a long way to go, is leaps and bounds beyond Thabeet in offensive ability.

Chill out. These are just "rumors" -- Oklahoma City is all over the map and are obviously considering multiple opportunities [via Daily Thunder] and the trade probably wouldn't happen until draft night when the Wizards would know exactly who is available at the three spot.
We will see ... but this is still a resounding no.
A better trade (possibly): Not sure if the numbers work, but I'd rather send Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche and the #5 to OKC for Nick Collison and the #3.
I'm iffy on how I really feel about this.

The Wizards would do it to get that #3 pick and a big who is more dependable and better than Etan in many ways, including passing and shooting.

The Thunder would do it to get the "promising" Blatche, the 5th, and since Etan and Collison both make about the same amount, but Etan for one more year and Collison for two, OKC would chop $6.85 million of their '10-'11 salary. Plus, Etan is from Oklahoma ... he would get to go home and represent for Wayman Tisdale.

But like I said, there would need to be some number adjusting/fillers since Blatche makes $3 million next season. Who knows?

What Others Are Saying:

Mike Jones, Washington Times:

I have it on very good authority that there is no truth to this whatsoever. Perhaps OKC has interest in McGee, which would make sense, but that doesn't mean the teams have had discussions. Often, I'm told, teams will throw rumors out there to get counterparts to nibble, thus starting up some discussions.

The Wizards are very happy with McGee and believe he will bloss0m into a multiple All-Star. Trading McGee would also put the Wizards on the market for another center of the future and backup to Brendan Haywood, because Etan Thomas is injury prone and has an expiring contract the Wizards would like to move.

I'm also hearing that the Wizards aren't at all interested in James Harden, believing that the Arizona State guard lacks the explosiveness, athleticism and ball-handling skills that they're looking for.

Someone from Comcast Fantasy Sports seems to believe that the Thunder would "make out like bandits":

The Wizards appear to be in love with Rubio if they are willing to give up McGee and their pick to move up two spots. If this scenario were to take place, OKC would be making out like bandits. They already have last year's first rounder Russel Westbrook at the one, so drafting a guy like James Harden out of Arizona State with the five and adding McGee, a tall shot blocker, would seem like a great deal.

Michael Lee, Washington Post:

What do I make of all of this? Not much right now. People talk about a lot right now. Names get dropped. Until something is close to getting done, there is no need to get all twisted up over it. But it is interesting fodder, I suppose.

Flip's Amazed Lottery Face

2009-05-21T01:18:00.003-04:00

To see all 14 of the NBA Draft Lottery faces, head over to Hardwood Paroxysm.

What "They" Are Saying:

Tom Knott: No Griffin, no Rubio and no luck - Washington Times

"The 22-year-old Blatche has a nice skill set, good size and hints of possibility. Yet he also likes to accumulate baggage. He has been quiet so far this offseason. But give him time. It is early.

Michael Wilbon: When the Lotto Gives You Lemons . . . - Washington Post

"The Wizards should move DeShawn Stevenson whenever possible.

*There's a reason that Stevenson hasn't been talked about potentially packing his bags as much as Etan Thomas, Mike James, Andray Blatche, or Nick Young. He's not as valuable an asset to other teams ... but not to say DeShawn can't be moved, using his affordable salary as a filler.

I imagine that DeShawn will be on the Wiz heading into next season. He's willing to come off the bench and could be perfect in that role, assuming the back recovers well. I've come down hard on Stevenson just as much as the next guy, but I almost gather Wilbon has written him off.I have not.

Mike Wise: Not About Luck: Wizards Created Their Own Problems - Washington Post

"It says here Ernie Grunfeld moves that pick and neither Arizona State's James Harden nor Arizona's Jordan Hill makes it to Washington. Grunfeld has too much at stake to wait for the organization to develop another kid who's not yet ready for prime time, much less the playoffs.

Why even toy with the future at this point when the present is all that matters?

The era of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison will end without so much as a trip to the Eastern Conference finals if the Wizards don't trade for a capable big man or a savvy scorer off the bench this offseason, not next.

From the 'Damn. But-this-still doesn't-exactly-exonerate-Michael-Jordan-from-taking-Kwame-Brown' file: [via Mike Wise's column]:

"When the Wizards did win the lottery, Michael Jordan selected Kwame Brown. From the now-it-can-be-told file: Jordan badly wanted Pau Gasol, but thought he would be eviscerated for taking a soft, European player against a hard-scrabble, high school kid from Georgia."

And then some thougts I have on the "curse o' les boulez" over at NBC Washington.

The Mortician of Wizards Draft Lottery Luck

2009-05-20T01:25:00.005-04:00

Good riddance NBA draft lottery. We don't care about you. Yea, it's been a bad week ... and we're going to wallow in our sorrows for a bit. But I'm here to say you are dead to me. The Wizards are going to make the post-season despite you. You're in heaven with grandma now ... So in your honor, these songs will be played at your local barbershop.

Raekwon | Heaven & Hell

Master P | Heaven For A Gangsta

The Wizardry of NBA Draft Lottery Day Is Here

2009-05-19T14:17:00.005-04:00

David Stern's Dream Scenario:
Blake Griffin to the Wizards and Ricky Rubio to the Knicks
(that's right, Stern would rather Griffin in DC than OKC)

Well folks, we made it ... to NBA Draft Lottery evening. It's been a while since I've cared about one of these. Four years of Wizards playoff action did it's job to erase some of the memories. And when the Wizards last won the lottery in '01, I was away in college, a bit lost in my following of the team.

Part of me has been somewhat giddy as I've gone through today, knowing that there is a chance. But then again, I'm a Wizards fan ... I'm pretty sure we will NOT be landing in the top two. Guess finding a balance between these two is keeping medium, as Jim Zorn would advise.

I'm not really a superstitious person ... no consistent lucky charms, just an odd infatuation with May 19th (so much so that I ran the ESPN lottery machine 19 times today, results below).

But I'll surely find something "lucky" to do tonight, such as laying out all my Wizards/Bullets jerseys on the floor, starting with a #1 Rod Strickland Wiz jersey, followed by a #2 Chris Webber Bullets jersey, but definitely not a #4 Webber Bullets jersey. C-Webb will be on-stage representing the SacTown Kings, maybe the #4 will bring him bad luck.

I know what's NOT sign of good luck ... the fact people keep reminding us that the last time Flip Saunders (who'll be repping the Wiz on TV tonight) was on stage, he was able to land Kevin Garnett (for the T'Wolves). But it was still the FIFTH pick, not the first. Coincidentally, the 5th spot is the worst the Wiz can do tonight .... "great". (Then again, today is Garnett's B-day ... whatever that means.)

Ernie Grunfeld has an April 24th birth date, which is the traditional date the Greeks pulled one over on the people of Troy with the Trojan Horse ... not sure if this means it's a trick andGrunfeld has become part of the curse. April 24th is also when the U.S. declared war on Spain, which seemingly wouldn't bode well for drafting/keeping Ricky Rubio.

Or Saunders .... he shares a February 23rd b-day with the day Cuba agreed to give the U.S. Guantánamo Bay for a while ... but now that it's on its way to closing (at least the detention camp part), perhaps the Wiz will be free from their own cursed prison.

Blah, blah, blah ... who knows? The Wizards will cross their lottery bridge when they come to it. Ability to heal a curse notwithstanding, at least the franchise is in a much better position to win games next season than pretty much every other team in the lottery.

Stay tuned ... I'll be twittering, or drinking, or both later tonight.

------------------------

Ran through the ESPN Lottery Machine 19 times and what do ya know .... Blake Griffin and the 1st pick to the Wizards came up five times .... a 26.3% success rate that's obviously better than the current 17.8% chance.

3rd pick: Hasheem Thabeet (Clippers 1, Kings 2)
1st pick: Blake Griffin
2nd pick: Ricky Rubio (Kings 1)
1st pick: Griffin
3rd pick: Thabeet (Knicks 1, Thunder 2)
4th pick: Jordan Hill (Kings 1, Grizzlies 2, Thunder 3)
4th pick: Hill (Warriors 1, Raptors 2, Kings 3)
1st pick: Griffin
5th pick: Hill (Clippers 1, Grizzlies 2, Raptors 3, Kings 4)
5th pick: James Harden (Raptors 1, Thunder 2, Grizzlies 3, Kings 4)
1st pick: Griffin
3rd pick: Thabeet (Kings 1, Clippers 2)
4th pick: Thabeet (Thunder 1, Kings 2, Raptors 3)
2nd pick: Rubio (Grizzlies 1)
5th pick: Harden (Warriors 1, Clippers 2, Grizzlies 3, Kings 4)
4th pick: Hill (Clippers 1, Knicks 2, Kings 3)
1st pick: Griffin
4th pick: Hill (Thunder 1, Kings 2, Clippers 3)
3rd pick: Thabeet (Thunder 1, Clippers 2)

------------------------

Draft Day Links:

NBC Washington: Lucky Be A Lottery Tonight
"The Wizards GM, now with his hand-picked coach in tow, has the fate of the franchise in his hands. The duo will represent the team on draft night, Grunfeld working behind the scenes in the lottery room and Flip Saunders on stage, the hope of turning a new leaf staring down a ghost of the franchise past in the form of oft-injured and unjustly traded Chris Webber, who will represent the Kings."

DC Sports Bog: Flip Saunders Has a Lucky Medallion
"I was hoping he'd bring a Gilbert bobblehead up to New Jersey, or at least a G-Wiz sanctioned burrito, but he said his lucky charm was "kind of a medallion that I always carry in my pocket for games, so I'll take that along." Whatever works."

Tom Knott, Washington Times: Luck simply has everything to do with it
"The prospect of a starting lineup of Brendan Haywood, Griffin, Jamison, Butler and Arenas next season excites the imagination. If it comes to be, the Wizards just might want to deploy a few extra employees later this week to handle the spike in telephone inquiries on the team's various season-ticket packages. "

Wizards Insider: The Wizards of (Second-Best) Odds
The Wizards have the second-best odds of winning tonight's NBA draft lottery, which is a pretty good position to be in, considering that the team with the second-best chances has won the No. 1 pick on three occasions. As I mentioned in my story today, it happened when Orlando won Shaquille O'Neal in 1992, San Antonio won Tim Duncan in 1997 and the Los Angeles Clippers, um, won (?!) Michael Olowokandi in 1998.

True Hoop: Lottery Magic: Bet the Field
(some good drooling over Blake Griffin here)

Ridiculous Upside is calling a Phoenix Suns win.

The Hoop Doctors: Top 10 Undrafted NBA Players

Hardwood Paroxysm: NBA Draft Lottery Drinking Game!

Wizards Fodder For Thought

2009-05-18T20:37:00.004-04:00

"Taste of Eleven"

Looking for a way to celebrate a Wizards draft lottery victory (or fail)? On Wednesday, Wizards Care will be hosting their 2nd annual "Taste of Eleven" luncheon at the Verizon Center in Chinatown, DC.

Basically, $11 buys you a ticket where you can select six lunch items from a selection provided by a ton of local restaurants. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Capital Area Food Bank.

The event is scheduled to run from 12:00-2:00 pm and tickets will be available to purchase at the door. If you are in the neighborhood, like me, might as well eat some good food while supporting a good cause.

My Pick Six: Cafe Atlantico, Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro, Morton's Steakhouse, Zaytinya, Zengo and Zola.

Email Bag

email #1

I like getting the occasional reader mail ... who doesn't?

Got one from Glendale "Bo" Gibbs on Monday expressing how he enjoyed reading a piece on Walt Bellamy I wrote for Bullets Forever last August. Gibbs is from Bellamy's hometown, New Bern, North Carolina, and his mother attended high school with Bells.

Gibbs has had his own brush with greatness, matching up with none other than Michael Jordan on several occasions in high school. He's working on a book, "Not Like Mike," which is about life with a dose of basketball.

I recommended checking out a New Bern Sun Journal article, "When the Bears walked on Air," about the days of Gibbs and Jordan.

email #2

I might have been a little hard on Full Court Press Editor, Dave Dial, in my previous post. He graciously emailed me to explain his position.

My initial point:
"Author Dave Dial failed to accurately represent that it was a blogger roundtable. He quoted three paragraphs written by the Pradamaster of Bullets Forever and one from Michael Lee of the WaPost without distinguishing the two authors."

Dave went back and made corrections to his post.

My second point:
Dial also led with, "The Washington Post's 'Wizards Insider' gives more credence to the fact that if the Wizards do not land in the top two picks they will look to trade the pick," which is inaccurate. Yes, it is well known that Ernie Grunfeld sees the pick as an "asset", i.e., trade-bait. However, the roundtable was speculation, and not necessarily an official team report as Dial's use of the word "credence" seems to implicate.

This is where I got harsh in my criticism. After citing the Wizards Insider roundtable, Dave cited an additional source (which in turn cited other sources, as did the Wiz Insider post), adding validity to the Wizards seeking a trade if they fall outside of the top two picks (so he wasn't relying on the Wizards Insider piece for "credence").

As Dave emailed, "Although I failed to mention the roundtable discussion, I think my readers are more interested in the rumors on Washington trading their draft pick and the links that suggest that."

So yea, misunderstanding cleared up. Many thanks to Dave Dial for taking time to email. Moving on ....

Top 5 Wizards/Bullets

Chris Webber on TNT is starting to grow on me ... I haven't had a chance to catch him on NBA TV (damn Draconian ogres at RCN don't include it on my full blown package even though I can get the NBA League Pass) ... but Webber's analysis is well rooted and he looks comfortable on television.

Right now, you can find C-Webb on NBA.com going through the top 5 all-time Wizards/Bullets. His list:

#1) C - Wes Unseld (Webber wanted to punch him in the mouth the first time they met)
#2) SG - Earl "The Pearl" Monroe
#3) PF - Elvin Hayes
#4) SF - Bernard King
#5) PG - Gilbert Arenas

6th man = Webber gets a little too hype, naming himself at first, but then cites Gus Johnson.

Hard to argue with this list, although Phil Chenier deserves some recognition.

B Wood

Brendan Haywood is blogging again with a thought-provoking post on Arizona State electing not to give Barack Obama an honorary degree. Haywood makes some great points, which spawns some good comments as well. Not sure how I personally feel on the subject ... not sure it's important enough to care. But the answer to Haywood's question, which doubles as his post title, "Obama Still Has a Lot of Work to Do?," is a resounding yes (honorary degrees notwithstanding of course).

Trade Ideas

Came across an interesting trade from a thread on KingsFans.com. Contingent on Sacramento getting the first pick and the Wizards getting number two, DC would send Darius Songaila, DeShawn Stevenson, JaVale McGee and the 2nd pick to SacTown for Kevin Martin.

Intriguing indeed since Martin is pretty damn awesome, but that trade would also leave the Wizards pretty thin, especially up front. In other words, I'd rather keep Ricky Rubio, McGee and depth.

Crazy Pills Artest and Game Seven Links

2009-05-17T12:42:00.003-04:00

Some links as I waste my Sunday away, preparing for a couple game sevens, wearing my smelly, dirty homemade Ron Artest shirt, hoping for a Rockets win, or two close games in the least.

This past week, the Washington Post hosted a roundtable of Wizards bloggers. Each blog weighed in on what the team should do at a given draft position. Pretty cool when you think about it ... MSM and Bloggers hanging out and stuff.

Pick #1: Keith McMillian, Washington Post
Pick #2: Truth About It.net (this place)
Pick #3: Wizards Extreme
Pick #4: Bullets Forever
Pick #5: WizzNutzz

Misunderstanding Media
Detroit Pistons blog, Full Court Press (on mlive.com), cited four paragraphs from the Bullets Forever contribution on Wizards Insider. Problem being, author Dave Dial failed to accurately represent that it was a blogger roundtable. He quoted three paragraphs written by the Pradamaster of Bullets Forever and one from Michael Lee of the WaPost without distinguishing the two authors. Dial also led with, "The Washington Post's 'Wizards Insider' gives more credence to the fact that if the Wizards do not land in the top two picks they will look to trade the pick," which is inaccurate. Yes, it is well known that Ernie Grunfeld sees the pick as an "asset", i.e., trade-bait. However, the roundtable was speculation, and not necessarily an official team report as Dial's use of the word "credence" seems to implicate.

We all make mistakes, and this really isn't that big of a deal. But still, Dial clearly cut some kind of corner by not taking the time to fully understand the nature of the Wizards Insider piece.

LeBron's Vices
"I guess what I'm trying to get at is I want to know what LeBron's vice is. There's gotta be something there. We've heard all about how he basically made his posse his representation a few years ago. He's got a longtime girlfriend that he has had two children with. He grew up in a poor section of Akron, Ohio with a single mother. He had shadiness in his life, like his mom's on-again, off-again boyfriend Eddie Jackson who has been charged with crimes like aggravated cocaine trafficking and mortgage and mail fraud as recently as 2002. His biological father has multiple offenses on his record and briefly re-appeared in LeBron's like around the time he got drafted, but the two never actually reconciled. Even his Mom got arrested a couple time. Yes, he had some very good influences like a couple youth coaches in his life, but LeBron was a kid with constant turmoil."
[About This Lebron Character : Sports and Life Ramblings]

From Cleveland
"If Lebron were to leave and move to New York, his story instantly becomes hallow. He’d go from having the chance for immortality to becoming the Alex Rodriguez of basketball --- a shallow, soulless figure obsessed with maintaining a perfectly manicured corporate image to the point of bending ethics and morality. He’d go from a Jesus-figure to the Anti-Christ the moment he dipped his pen in the blood to sign such an unholy contract. How is this remotely appealing to anybody outside of New York? We already have one Kobe Bryant. We don’t need two."
[Dear Lebron, Will You Please Save My Eternal Soul?: What Lebron James Means To Myself, A Franchise & The City Of Cleveland : Not A Blogger]

*Here's what leaves a bad taste in my mouth about LeBron. The writer is obviously passionate about Cleveland sports, growing up in Ohio, rooting for all teams Ohio. LeBron, on the other hand, grew up rooting for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls and New York Yankees ... what kind of B.S. is that?

Now, certainly, perhaps not having a father figure around to take him to games, one who was already entrenched in the misery of Cleveland sports, had an effect on the rooting interests of LeBron. But still, when the guy is still expressing his infatuation with the Yankees, via shoes, a Yankees hat at an Indians playoff game, etc., it's like taking the waters of lake Erie and throwing it in Cleveland's eyes, making its denizens melt like at the end of Total Recall.

But I guess if a dude of similar nature bought a title to my city, I might look past these transgressions too ... still doesn't make said dude any less of a d-bag though.

Hating
I used to absolutely hate on Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals. But it's time to fess up like a man (via the Internet Machine) and give Guz props for coming back strong.

Mr. Irrelevant leads the way, "Guzman has gone from doughy object of our scorn to our very own Ichiro. Only in NatsTown."

Be Like Cal
I went to an O.T.B. in Maryland on Kentucky Derby day with my boy Mac G ... lost money. If only I would have recognized all the signs which should have pointed me in the direction of 'Mine That Bird' -- Of course, being an uneducated horse better, I turned to some stupid site, betfirms.com, for advice. Here's what they had to say about Mine That Bird: "Lowest rated horse in the field by any standards. Stay away." Thanks, douche bags.

Print Media
"The Web came along as a medium to be reckoned with about five years later. As an industry, newspapers failed to see it as an opportunity and instead treated it, almost unanimously, as a threat, something to be fought and vanquished. It was a mistake the industry made not for weeks or months, but for years. It was the newspaper industry’s fatal error. The way the kids say it now: its epic fail.

My old boss at the Examiner, Phil Bronstein, has been marketing himself as this sage statesman of journalism now that he's no longer piloting the Chronicle. A few weeks ago, writing on his SFGate.com blog about newspapers in general, he said the industry had been "marched to the gallows by an uncaring and unappreciative public, sentenced by shifting technological and cultural habits and a few bonehead moves of [our] own."

Oh, brother. Marched to the gallows by an uncaring and unappreciative public? More like reluctantly left behind by a public that had been ignored for more than a decade as it screamed, "This is how we want information delivered to us! Not the way you’re doing it! This other way! Look! Over here! We're over here now! Hey!""
[Newspapers' fatal error - King Kaufman]

Kevin Garnett -- Don't Like Him
He can go fug himself.

Authored NBC Washington pieces

As Cooley As the Other Side of the Pillow
Skins tight end Chris Cooley recently participated in an NFL.com chat; meeting Albert Haynesworth for the first time was NOT one of his favorite moments.

The Night Karma Killed DC Sports
The Diamond District sports scene cannot win, literally. The search for a karma reversal specialist is in full effect.

DC-Baltimore's Triumvirate of Ownership Futility
Three of the DC-Baltimore area's owners have been named among the worst in sports.

Danny Snyder Quits Smokin' With Koken
The Redskins owner cuts DC sports media stalwarts Al Koken and Brian Mitchell from his radio lineup.

Brendan Haywood Doesn't Hold Hands

2009-05-14T10:51:00.001-04:00

As if it was 'Blog About Brendan Haywood' week ... but as you'll see, it's not all about him.

Haywood had an online chat session via ESPN last week and took the opportunity to subtly call out a couple of the Wiz kids. And what would be a Wizards offseason without hoping that certain someone finally gains some maturity?

When asked how he could help the young bigs, specifically Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, Haywood responded, "Both those guys have the skill but it comes down to being in shape and wanting to do it. Nothing I can do to help them, they have to want to do it on their own."

Blatche's career issues have been well documented. From getting shot during a car-jacking, purportedly set-up by gold diggers after a night of clubbing, to sleeping at the arena because he couldn't pay rent, to snacking on nachos before a game because he didn't think he'd play, to soliciting an undercover D.C. cop posing as a prostitute, to getting arrested for reckless driving and driving on a suspended license (three times over), Andray has had plenty bumps in the road, somewhat validating why he was overlooked by many GMs en route to slipping to the second round out of high school.

Blatche also hasn't shown the improvement expected of him on the court. Despite claims of being more mature and "hungry" before '08-09, which was snicked at by Haywood and Antawn Jamison, Blatche's flashes of brilliance have been plagued by long spells of inconsistency, which can be mostly attributed to his poor conditioning, and general lack of focus. He's even been named to the NBA All-Scapegoat team (ok, well ... nominated by me).

When it comes to opinions of Blatche, most fall into two categories. There are those Andray apologists who are willing to look past continued transgressions, citing Blatche's age (he'll only be 23 in August), while deeming it hypocritical for those such as Jamison to pass judgment. How dare Antawn speaking ill of Blatche when he can barely play defense; he needs to be guiding Andray and the kids, showing them how to be a veteran.

Others are tired of the excuses. Four seasons and 22+ years is more than enough time to get your shit together, whether you received a brow-beating from your old coach and/or teammates or not. Get over it. No one should have to expend energy holding Blatche's hand.

(If you'll notice this post mostly omits McGee. He gets a pass for being a rook last year, and for playing with fire and hustle when on the court.)

Haywood clearly falls into the latter category, as does Jamison, as did Eddie Jordan. It's somewhat ironic, considering that Jordan often showed some tough love to Haywood and now Brendan is doing the same to Blatche. Sure the trails and tribulations between Jordan and Haywood were different. And maybe the tough times weren't solely responsible for Haywood being the player he is today, a composed vet with blossoming maturity. But they sure didn't set him back. Because Haywood is mentally tough, he's shed the moniker, 'Brenda' ... not because anyone coddled him.

Blatche has committed more bone-headed off-court mistakes than Haywood and looks lackadaisical enough to make you think he'll never make it. But his affordability, and the brief times he shows his amazingly diverse basketball skill-set are just enough to keep him around a bit longer (that is, if he can't be cashed in with a trade this summer). Andray might even be likable in a situation where he is the second big off the bench, with the opportunity to get more run. Guess what I'm saying is that I'm willing to give Blatche one more chance. Silly me.

You smell me?

Original Post: Andray Blatche Has Found The Cure For Stank

[photo #1 source: flickr/Goerdie Mott]

Brendan Haywood Tries To Figure Out Blogs

2009-05-12T15:50:00.005-04:00

Blogging ain't easy. Just ask Gilbert Arenas, who stopped his contributions to 'Agent Zero: The Blog File' on NBA.com (so he says) because blogging turned into a "double-edged sword."

Now, a newbie to web-logging his thoughts, Brendan Haywood, is just trying to get his feet wet and learn the ropes.

In his first post on Yard Barker, Haywood threw some digs in LeBron James' direction, saying "I think we all know that anytime you touch LeBron James, you’re going to be sent to the showers! You accidentally bump into him and you’re going to be "rub-a-dub-dubbing” in the locker room bathtub!"

For more of my thoughts on the subject, you can head to NBC Washington, "Haywood Tired of LeBron's Superstar Treatment."

But just as we were digesting the initial post by Haywood made only yesterday, Yard Barker is sending out email alerts that BTH has posted another blog entry today. Huh? Guess the guy is full steam ahead with his contract year media campaign.

Naturally I immediately checked it out, hoping for more insults hurled towards LeBron, or some insights on Flip Saunders in the least. Here's what I got:

"Thanks for all of the love and support from everyone who's read my first blog! I'll be back very soon blogging about a ton of new topics!

Bwood"

Uhh Brendan, this is a "comment" more appropriate as a follow-up on your first post, and NOT an entirely new blog entry.

But alas, we can't blame Brendan Todd too much for not being well-versed in the best practices of blogging geekdom, we can only appreciate that he's joined the party in the first place.

[photo source: flickr/Keith Allison]

Linking the Washington Wizards

2009-05-11T11:25:00.004-04:00

Did the Caps depress you this weekend? Did you spend time drinking on it?
Sorry.
The series isn't over,
but you're always welcome to pull up next to a Wizards fan at the bar.

So ... time for a good ol' Monday Wizards link fest.

First a couple Wizards-related pieces I wrote for NBC Washington (shameless self promotion):

"[Ernie Grunfeld is] panicking and that whole franchise is panicking, they are a dumb blockbuster trade waiting to happen," said ESPN columnist Bill Simmons.
ESPN Columnist Wants To Fleece Wizards [NBC Washington]

From Miami, to throwing the opening pitch at a Nationals game, to La-La Land, Caron Butler is on a tour, going each and every place with a mic in his hand .
Caron Butler's Championship Campaign [NBC Washington]

Speaking of ... in case you missed Butler's redemptive throw [via DC Sports Bog]:

Of course Antawn Jamison was this year's team M.V.P.
MVP of the Woeful Wizards [NBC Washington]

(speaking of Jamison, he had surgery last Thursday to fix his ankle)

Antawn Jamison an all-NBA No Defense 1st Teamer [Tim Kawakami, MercuryNews.com]

Wizards Game of the Year? Go vote at Bullets Forever.

Brendan Haywood chatted it up briefly on ESPN. Here are the highlights:

On Blake Griffin:

"He's someone that can get physical and play hard. In the future he is somebody that can lead a team."

On playing youth, all at once, this past season:

"...playing them all of the same time wasn't the best for us at all times because it left them on the court without any leadership. It's tough to play in this league as a youngster without leadership or guidance."

On holding the hands of the Wiz kids, i.e., Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee:

"Both those guys have the skill but it come down to being in shape and wanting to do it. It's nothing I can do to help them, they have to what to do it on their own."

Gilbert Arena's stomach tattoo via Slam Online. I wish he didn't have to put the design of the tiger over his belly button. It looks like the tiger has an extra mouth, or a bullet hole in his chin. Bullets.

NBA Draft: Tom Ziller did some research on the King's Lucky Numbers at SacTown Royalty, I had my research on the date May 19th.

Coaching: SacTown Royalty also has an evaluation of Eddie Jordan's experience ... good read. But to be clear, Jordan dealt with plenty of injuries before this past season.

The Philly Sixers have had their eye on Jordan as well ... but Sacramento might be a more realistic, although less desirable, situation. The Sacramento Bee has a run-down on Jordan being the prime candidate. The WaPost's Michael Lee has a follow-up on Jordan on Wizards Insider.

That is all.

The Best Part About Ron Artest Getting Ejected

2009-05-09T16:49:00.005-04:00

As I've stated, Ron Artest was unjustifiably tossed from Friday night's game against the Lakers, which has since been downgraded to a flagrant 1.

The best part about Arest's ejection wasn't the quiet exit, but in the midst of slapping dejected fives to anything that moved, Ronnie tossed one the cheerleader's way, via her pom-pom, and moved on in a matter of fact manner.

The Anatomy of A Modern Ron Artest Breakdown: Part 1

2009-05-09T00:20:00.004-04:00

Seriously. It's supposed to be the EENNN BEEEE AAAAA playoffs. Teams send messages to each other. Let it be.

Instead, NBA refs get to be the ones sending messages. Is that what fans want? Doubt it.

So I'm watching Ron Artest, who was having a terrible 'crazy pills = horrible shot selection' Ron Artest kind of night in the first place, get kicked out of game three in Houston with a flagrant 2 for no apparent reason.

Hard foul on softy Gasol, no biggie ... just a sharp knock of the ball out Pau's hands, the Euro goes flop-flying, and all of a sudden it's D-Day. Artest gets kicked out because there is less than a minute on the clock, the Lakers have the game in hand, and because he's Ron Artest.

"I don't think that was a flagrant .... You know, I'm an 80s baby, so that shoulda been two shots and be done with it." -Kobe Bryant

Back to game two.

Ronnie Artest had an intentional break down which was over-reacted upon by the refs who tossed him from the game. Here is the anatomy of that breakdown:

Cleveland Making It Easy To Hate

2009-05-08T14:29:00.005-04:00

Lake Erie, on standby until the next fire

While the association of sports punditry blowhards will bellow, "No, no, no!!! Cleveland and Washington are NOT rivals!!," those with common sense beg to differ.

As we found out in early April, a game between a hapless Wizards team and the unstoppable force of LeBron & Co. wasn't exactly meaningless.

The fact that these two teams seem destined to exchange barbs, not only between the members of each organization, but also amongst fans and journalists, screams rivalry on some level -- contrary to popular opinion, a 'rivalry' is not solely defined by wins and losses.

On April 8th, Cleveland columnist Bill Livingston decided to randomly hurl insults at the Wizards franchise, for which a response was necessary: "Kicking The Wizards While They're Down," NBC Washington.

And lately, that LeBron James fellow just can't seem to keep the Wizards out his mouth. As Michael Lee of the Washington Post relays, LeBron discussed with reporters last night about how Washington tried to be a physical team last year, but failed; the second such mention of the Wiz that LeBron has made during the '09 postseason. The "anointed one" failed to acknowledge Gilbert Arenas being injured as a big part of the Wizards' failure, but oh well.

The Cleveland and Atlanta media are even getting into spats (h/t to the big lead), with some douche bag Cleveland Fox news anchor named Bill Martin challenging the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Mark Bradley to a fight. Who the fuck does Martin think he is? Russell Crow?

An ESPN sideline report from game two between the Cavs and the Hawks last night relayed that the Cavaliers like to demoralize their opponents by laughing and celebrating on the bench when they are ahead (yep, we've seen this before). In other words, they're just a bunch of dicks ... and it seems that this assholishness is wafted upon the stenchy waters of Lake Erie and is transubstantiated to all of "The Cleve."

Comedian Mike Polk has even received death threats for making quaintly valid Cleveland tourism videos such as the one below.

Death threats to a comedian from Cleveland? Ahh ... the unfortunate who cannot make fun of themselves. Lord knows we could do a similar video for DC featuring our 'Mayor For Life' with a "moral compass from god" and a crack problem.

Sometimes this rivalry is fun, and sometimes it teeters on a steep slippery slope of absurd hatred. Not everyone from the Mistake by the Lake is a douche-bag (the guys from Waiting For Next Year are pretty cool) and not everyone from D.C. is a reflection of DeShawn Stevenson (especially since that dude isn't even from the District).

One day, knock on wood/cross fingers/throw salt over the shoulder, the Wizards will have a chance to get the Cavs back for continued beatings. But until then, my hatred for the Cavaliers can't help but fester. The ease in doing so, spawned simply by Cleveland being Cleveland, is what rivalries are all about ... at least to this lone Wizards blogger.

[photo source: flickr/Walsh]

For Wizards/Bullets Fans, The Price Was NOT Right

2009-05-07T14:19:00.004-04:00

The friendly bloggers (and their fans) at the Cleveland sports-based Waiting For Next Year have taken upon the task of creating a Mark Price-themed t-shirt (h/t Sporting News).

Price, the current Atlanta Hawks shooting coach, may still be right for Cleveland Cavaliers fans, but that's far from the case for Wizards/Bullets fans.

A reminder of how the Cavs fleeced former Bullets GM, John Nash (from this May '08 post):

In late September of 1995, distinguished Washington Bullets GM, John Nash, took a risk and traded the 12th pick in the '96 draft to the Cleveland Cavaliers for an aging Mark Price. Someone needed to fill the hole left by a departed Scott Skiles and Nash didn't feel that Mark's brother, Brent Price, could adequately distribute the ball to the likes of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Rasheed Wallace, Ledell Eackles, Calbert Cheaney, Tim Legler, and Gheorghe Muresan.

Price, then 31, didn’t even make it to the beginning of the season before getting injured which left Nash scrambling to acquire Robert "The Original Pac Man" Pack from the Denver Nuggets for Doug "Philly’s Finest" Overton and Don "Oft-injured 'gym rat' who tested positive for steroids in 2000" MacLean, just days before opening night. Mark Price played only 7 games in that 95-96 season…..I also blame Nash's "Curse O' Les Boulez" inducing trade for Webber only playing 15 games that year. But I digress...

Back to that 12th pick in 96 ... Cleveland used it to select overpaid bust, Vitaly Potapenko. Who was taken 13th? None other than the 2008 MVP, Kobe Bryant. The likes of Peja Stojakovic (14), Steve Nash (15), Jermaine O’Neal (17), and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (20) followed. I just love hindsight….and coincidentally, Nash was forced to resign in April of '96.

I remember the lore of Mark Price, I remember it well. Excited I was as a young 15-year old, only be disappointed by one of the many marks on the wall of my NBA fandom jail cell indicating another failed franchise season due to injury. When the Bullets finally got their act together, putting together seven wins in a row from late-March to early-April, they lost their last four of the season, finishing a mere three games behind the Miami Heat for the last playoff spot in the East.

Price was damaged good before he even arrived in DC, but that's just out luck, isn't it?

Thanks for nothing Mark Price.

"The price is wrong, bitch." -Happy Gilmore

Missing From The NBA Playoffs Part 1: Eduardo Nájera

2009-05-06T23:57:00.001-04:00

[photo source: flickr/dskciado]

This is Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez, a Mexican victim. Probably not of the swine flu, but definitely a victim of capitalist America's NBA luxury tax, which is designed in a rather socialist manner to penalize those who spend more money.

Many have wondered where Denver would be if they still had Marcus Camby, who was sold to the Clippers for a 2nd round pick. But watching the energy, hustle, and scrapiness of the Nuggets, led by the Birdman Anderson, it's easy to see how a big like Nájera might fit better than the frail Camby.

Nuggets coach George Karl hated to see the Big Mexican sign a 4-year $12 million contract with the Nets this past summer, but Kiki had an edict from cost-cutting owner Stan Kroenke (even though anyone might question giving that much to a 32-year old). Still, Kroenke and his wife, a Wal-Mart heir, are both on the Forbes billionaires list (Kroenke is ranked 205 and worth a meager $3 billion).

It's clear that Denver misses a big man to compete with the Lakers. But I'm here to say that the playoffs as a whole misses the Mexican from Chihuahua, the 10th most marketable player in the NBA.

Not only that, but Nájera misses the high altitude of Colorado. He suffered several injuries with New Jersey, including a sports hernia causing him to miss the last couple months of the season, only appearing in 27 games. His minutes per game were almost cut in half, dropping his 12.8 PER average from the previous two years in Denver to 7.7.

Eduardo wanted to be back, but he wasn't wanted in return. If this year's playoffs are disappointing, even for a brief moment, Stan Kroenke is one of those to blame. Because of a sports mogul more interested in the bottom line than winning, Nuggets/NBA fans are deprived of NBA relevancy to today's Mexican issues with one of their countrymen scrapping and hustling to make Denver more competitive.

Other Stuff:

Eduardo Nájera is the Mexican version of Darius Songaila, FDA approval pending. Their hometowns, Chihuahua and Kapsukas, Lithuania, are in the application process to be sister cities.

Nájera shares a sickening July 11th birthday with former Wizard/Bullet Rod Strickland and Chris Cooley of the Redskins ... and oddly enough, with Korean singer, Kelly Poon and her American counterpart, Lil' Kim.
Coulda had more incidents like this:

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with LaPhonso Ellis

2009-05-05T16:46:00.002-04:00

On this night of Cinco de Mayo, the Denver Nuggets square off against the Dallas Mavericks, playing in the second game of their first 2nd round series since '93-94.

In 1994, Denver became the first #8 seed to beat a #1 seed in the NBA playoffs (they only played a five game series back then). Pivotal game four of that series was played on May 5th. Dikembe Mutombo led the Nugs with eight blocks, to go along with 10 points and 16 boards.

But it was the play of LaPhonso Ellis in game four which allowed Denver a chance to return to Seattle and win game five. Ellis dropped 27 points and 17 rebounds on the squad formerly known as the Sonics. Both those numbers remain playoff highs for Ellis. Of course, he only played in 16 career playoff games, 12 coming that year with Denver, and four coming in '00-01 with Minnesota.

You want more? Well, that night, and today, Cinco de Mayo, happens to be LaPhonso Ellis' birthday.

So, in a random tribute to Ellis, who shares a b-day with Harold "Baby Jordan FAIL" Miner, and former Wizards training camp/pre-season participant, DerMarr Johnson, I present a YouTube clip of a LaPhonso Ellis monster block.

Still can't decide who I want to win the Mavs-Nugs series. Don't really like cats like J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin, but I completely respect cats like Chris Anderson and Chauncey Billups. I suppose I ultimately want Denver to advance ... they'd have a better "chance" against the Lakers, if they even get past Houston.

That's all I got.

Other Randomness:

Carmelo Anthony will turn 25 on May 29th, same b-day as Raef LaFrentz, whom Denver drafted the last time they had the 3rd overall pick ('98) prior to taking 'Melo with the third after LeBron and Darko in '03. Denver has held the 3rd overall pick one other time, in '90 when they drafted Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) out of LSU. Abdul-Rauf was on that famed '93-94 Denver team.

LaPhonso Ellis is currently a basketball radio analyst for his alma mater, Notre Dame.

Michael Jordan Jersey in Miami: A Classic NBA WTF

2009-05-04T14:57:00.001-04:00

Seems like I've heard about it before, but maybe I didn't think much of it at the time, or just forgot, as it occurred way back in 2003, before the 'blogging era'.

But there I found myself, coming home to an on television Friday night, checking out game six of an incredibly boring Heat-Hawks series.

Dan Marino was courtside, ESPN showed his retired jersey in the rafters. Little curious to see it hanging in a basketball arena, but okay ... I'll go with it.

I once ate at Dan Marino's steakhouse in the gloriously classy Hooters Hotel & Casino in Vegas ... or is it delightfully tacky, yet unrefined? In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Marino's steakhouse. Plus, you gotta give the guy credit for going from the prince of coal mining country to the king of South Beach ... the equivalent to Biggie Smalls going ashy to classy.

But just to the right of Marino's jersey, there it was, red Chicago #23. Huh? None of the announcers could really explain why Michael Jordan's jersey was retired to the rafters. Jeff Van Gundy seemed to angrily mutter about it being unacceptable to have your opponent's jersey retired.

So what's the story? In '93 Pat Riley decided to retire Jordan's jersey in Miami, saying, "No one will ever wear No. 23 for the Miami Heat." Also according to the SI.com story, the jersey was half-blue for the Wizards and half-red for Chicago ... doesn't seem to be the case now, all red.

Now, Jeff Van Gundy could be a bit bitter for what Riley did in conveniently replacing his brother, Stan Van Gundy, to win a championship with the Heat.

But still, JVG is right ... you retire the jersey and number of a player who beat your team time and time again? Jordan went 30-8 against the Heat in the regular season, only scoring below 18 points twice (both times in single digits) -- and both times when MJ was with the Wizards -- and 10-1 against Miami in the playoffs. Not only that, Jordan's number 23 was the first jersey to be retired in Miami.

I don't care if Jordan was the "greatest" -- Miami putting a red Chicago Bulls jersey in the rafters is an absolute disgrace. If you're a Wizards fan, could you imagine one day retiring LeBron James' jersey in Chinatown, DC? I shudder at the thought with disgust.

Kobe's jersey in San Antonio? Duncan's jersey in Phoenix? I think not.

I already wasn't a huge fan of the Heat franchise, as they've beaten up on the Wizards a good bit, but because of this, they've just lost a great deal of respect from me.

Will the Miami Heat loose any sleep over this? I doubt it. But at least my home arena doesn't have the jersey of a man who used to torch us hanging from the ceiling as a cruel reminder. Nope, I'll stick with the embarrassment of WNBA "Attendance Champion" banners hanging in the Verizon Center.

Questioning Antawn Jamison

2009-04-29T21:15:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge Antawn Jamison fan. He's a classy dude, I've nicknamed him 'The Gentlemen' (hasn't caught on), and the women folk say he's got eyebrows for days.

Jamison is the current patriarchal cornerstone of the franchise. This year's team MVP? Unquestionably. He possesses the never-quit attitude that should be infecting the locker room via leadership by example ... Jamison is quite the opposite of past clubhouse cancers, like Christian Laettner.

But sometimes, everyone needs to be questioned, Jamison being no exception.

1) What's with the defense?
2) Will Antawn be flexible in his future role with the team?

Jamison's struggles on defense are no secret. He has aging lateral movement, and as discovered this year, he's not an adequate substitute for Brendan Haywood's post defensive communication. Are we to just accept Jamison's "unique" scoring ability, rebounding numbers, and minimal turnovers as big pluses? Or should Flip Saunders seek improved defense out of the starting lineup?

Gilbert Arenas said on Washington Post Live that he wouldn't mind going to a big lineup, suggesting getting a four, putting Jamison at three and Caron Butler at two. A tall lineup would have some usefulness in the rebounding department. However, the problem with keeping Jamison as a starter is that he'd likely have to guard the opposing team's wing. I'd rather not go through the pain of watching that, even if thematchup zone hides individual defensive inefficiencies. A poor defender in a mismatch can still be exploited time and time again.

I've come to Jamison's defense before, saying he'd "take one for the team" for a chance at winning ... just as he did when he won the 6th Man Award in Dallas . I couldn't be wrong, could I?

On Washington Post Live, Eddie Jordan rapped about a situation back in 2006. With Haywood already out of practice nursing an injury and Jamison going down briefly during, Jordan instituted a lineup of Arenas, Butler, Jared Jeffries, Michael Ruffin and Calvin Booth. The coach liked how they jived defensively. "It really got me going," said Jordan at the time, going with the lineup for the next game regardless of the heath of Haywood and Jamison (both were cleared to play).

Lo and behold, the Wiz won their next two, without Haywood and Jamison starting, by playing *gasp* defense. Going into a January 13th game against the Hawks in D.C., the Wizards were 13-19, scoring 100.3 points per game, but giving up an average of 102, and allowing opponents to shoot 46.4% from the field. The Wiz were also getting out-rebounded by averages of 44.6 to 41.5 in those first 32 games of '05-06.

Against Atlanta, Wizards held the Hawks to 72 points and 39.4% FGs, out-rebounding them by a whopping 52-31 margin as well. Jamison came off the bench to play 28+ minutes with 13 points and 7 boards. Haywood got 10 and six in 17+ minutes as a sub. Otherwise, the Wizards' scoring was balanced on their way to 103 points; Arenas only had nine and Butler 14.

The Hawks (9-23 at the time) were no world-beaters, but holding them below their 97.2 ppg average on the year to only 72 points was certainly an accomplishment.

Afterwards, Haywood was pouty because he claimed to not know about his benching until just 20 minutes beforehand. Jamison towed the company line in being happy about the win, but still said, "I don't see myself as a guy coming off the bench."

Jordan went with same the lineup two nights later on the road in Indiana, the Pacers entering the game with a 19-14 record. Holding Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, Danny Granger & Co. to 85 points on 45.3% from the field wasn't too far off Indy's regular season numbers. But holding the Pacers to five rebounds below their season average, besting them 41-37, was key. Arenas and Butler were responsible for a bulk of the scoring load, combining for 61 of the Wizards' 91 points. Jamison didn't score in 13+ minutes off the bench and Haywood netted five points in just under 20 minutes.

In the 32 games leading up to Eddie's adjusted lineup, the Wizards only held opponents to 37 boards or less three times, and allowed less than 85 points just three times.

Still unhappy, Jamison elected to bitch and complain behind closed doors, while Haywood showed his ill will of emotions on the bench. The two were back in the starting lineup the next night in Atlanta, where the Wizards beat the Hawks for the second time in three games.

According to Jordan, Jamison gave him an "I told you so!" after hitting a 7-foot jumper with 18 seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 99 and sending it to OT. The Wiz outscored Atlanta 15-7 in OT, making the final 114-106.

What Jamison failed recognize was that his team had just given up 106 points on 45.5% shooting to a Hawks team they held to 72 points on 39.4%FGs just three nights before. The Wizards also got out-rebounded by seven, 45-38, when they previously killed Atlanta on the boards with a +21.

It's a coach's prerogative to try new things/send a message, especially when he sees defensive efforts falling short of reasonable expectations, reflected by the Wizards' record at the time. But alas, it's the NBA, and the presence of enhanced player's rights over those of the coach are why so many college basketball aficionados are turned off by the pro game.

What was Eddie Jordan to do? Perhaps his message about defense did work as the Wizards cut opponent scoring from 102 ppg in 32 games before the ATL-Indy lineup change to 99.2 ppg in 48 games after.

But all that was back when Jamison was a spry 29 years old; AJ turns 33 in June. And while there haven't been many signs of Jamison falling off statistically, his defense sure as hell isn't getting any better.

What happens in the dream scenario I've been touting of taking Chris Bosh off the Raptors' hands for Blatche, the expiring contracts of Etan Thomas and Mike James, along with the #2 pick, and perhaps a future 1st rounder as well? (this scenario will surely be covered in the future, just go with it for now).

With the big combo of Bosh and Haywood, the Wiz could play tighter on the perimeter, cutting down on wide open three point attempts they love to give up. Maybe you're willing to look past the defensive inefficiencies from Jamison playing the three, but think about the atrocious combo of Arenas and Butler trying to contain the opponent's one and two. Not to mention Caron doesn't even like playing the two, but maybe that changes inFlip's offense.

Simply put, the Wizards need a better perimeter defender in the starting lineup and dependable scoring off the bench. New coach ... no one's spot is safe? Wonder if in his "player's coach" capacity, Flip Saunders has been promising starting jobs to people.

One possible scenario: start Arenas at a guard, have an open competition between DeShawn Stevenson (I'll attribute DeShawn's poor play this year to back/hamstring injuries and will assume that the Wiz will get something resembling his former self from the previous couple of seasons -- I know, a huge assumption to make) and Dom McGuire at the two, fill in Caron Butler at the three, Haywood at the five, and either Jamison or veteran four with experience/defense at next, the latter obviously being more ideal.

Imagine a bench of Crittenton, Young, McGuire, Jamison and Songaila/McGee ... sounds like a promising, if not slightly young. The Wizards would need another veteran point/combo/three point shooter (Roger Mason, Jr. would be ideal, wouldn't he?). But it's way too early to delve into the questions when the probability of roster adjustment is high and unknown.

Improved defense is a must. What the Wizards, and Saunders, need to know is if Jamison is able to swallow his pride, suppress any hubris, and come off the bench. If the team wants to win, and no one is immune to sacrifice, then the Gentlemen Jamison should be willing to hold the door for someone else.

[photo 1 source: flickr/wizardsdotcom]
[photo 2 source: flickr/Keith Allison]

NBA Playoff Thoughts: Two Horrendous Haircuts Share An Embrace

2009-04-28T01:26:00.006-04:00

It was like that part in Hoosiers when Coach Norman Dale discretely asked the ref to kick him out of the game so that Shooter the Drunk could take over with a chance at redemption. Last night against the Lakers, there was no drunk, the Jazz just had their final run squashed, and Jerry Sloan asked the ref to kick him out by calling him a mutherfucker. Could Sloan's coaching career be over? Not like Hoosiers at all.

@ Mohawks Meeting Swarth

This isn't the first time opposite hairdos set aside their differences.

Let The Flip Saunders Era Commence

2009-04-24T09:33:00.001-04:00

Well, the Flip Saunders era "officially" begun ~~today~~ (yesterday, meant to get this posted then, but blogger was acting funny) with a short and sweet press conference. Yep, seems like the Wizards franchise is 'Determined to Deliver' four c-words to fans next year. Keep reading for quotes and commentary from the presser.

images via www.washingtonwizards.com

Ernie Grunfeld Quotes:

"Start of a new beginning."

Hopefully, every new beginning has a start ... not sure if anyone can go right into the middle of a new beginning.

"Not only a winner in the regular season, but also in the playoffs."

Sure, you could cite that Flip has never won, won in the playoffs, but you'd need to chill. For one, the Wizards may be that team that helps Saunders get over the championship hump, and vice versa. For two, I'd almost be content with the relevancy of three straight conference finals appearances.....but I'm of course thirsting for a championship.

Flip Saunders Quotes:

Flip cited the "loyal fans" in D.C. early on.

What a bunch of media & PR BS. Washingtonians arrive at games almost as late as those in L.A., and when the chips are down, seats get empty fast. Plus, DC is a football town.

HOWEVER, the franchise has made drastic improvement since the days when the crack sales team only marketed the opponent. And the Verizon Center is one of the few NBA arenas that gives LeBron James a decent smattering of boos ... that makes me proud.

"Not just a basketball game, but an 'event'."

"Great" ... get ready for more Susan O'Malley-esque marketing pizazz. Greater chance: a tap-dancing G-Wiz, or a DJ Styles comeback?

Flip Saunders touted the need for "luck" in some aspects, but also said that you make your own luck.

Flip, meet Curse O' Les Boulez.....Curse, meet Flip.

Flip Saunders "loves Gilbert Arenas' competitiveness."

But said nothing about Gil's non-communicativeness.

Flip Saunders: "My huge playbook is 60% defense, 40% offense."

People aren't going to care about the math as long as the 'Zards are playing smart defense and rebounding the ball.

Saunders spoke of "hockey assists" with a shot out to the "hockey here[in DC]" but didn't call out the Caps by name.

I would like to see the NBA implement a 'hockey assist' stat....Cavs coach Mike Brown loves to speak of the 'hockey assist' applied to basketball.

"America is a great country because it's a melting pot...and as a basketball team, we need to be the same way."

And I've touted DC as the melting pot of America (obviously ignoring NYC and LA).

"Can't all be robots."

Although, I often suspect others of being robots. I'm looking at you A.C. Green.

Flip expressed that he wanted to take "responsibility for bringing personalities together to maximize strengths."

Fit the square pegs into square holes and the round ones into round ones....sounds like a plan to me.

As a coach, "you have to be willing to listen" -- "sometimes players have good advice, sometimes they don't" -- "want them to take accountability"

The term "players coach" has been an increasingly dirty phrase among some in Wizards nation. But what exactly does that mean? If it means that Flip will solicit and consider the opinions of veterans, as he outlines above, and keep an open mind because they are all in it together....then what's so wrong with that?

"How you carry yourself off the floor reflects how you carry yourself on the floor."

Andray Blatche....HELLO?!?!?!???!!??!

"You play 82 games in the season to perfect how you play in the playoffs."

Essentially, why would the Wiz play one way (i.e., a high-octane offense and no D) and then grind the offense to a halt in the post-season? Sounds like another good plan to me. Welcome to DC Flip, we wish you the best of luck.

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