Steve Buchantz in the 4th quarter: The bottom has dropped out for Washington!

Another blowout, so why do I feel so positive?

One of my enduring concerns during the Flip Saunders era was that the Wizards were employing a coach who attempted to extract chamber music out of essentially what was a rock band. Like a well tuned orchestra, for Saunders offense to work, every instrument needed to be finely tuned to hit the exact notes at the perfect moment.

Unfortunately, the Wizards are a little less Mozart and a bit more Germs. And tonight, Randy Wittman tapped into his inner "punk's not dead" and let the Wizards go essentially nuts for an entire game. The result, like many punk (or hardcore shows) may have not been the most technically proficient show you have seen, but it certainly was exhilarating and a change from a norm. It was sloppy, raucous, and loud, but it was definitively more "Wizards" than the previous 17 games. We all laughed at the possibility of "changing the pace," but it says something when one's lead singer (John Wall) has to take a blow during the first quarter due to the pace of play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1mU0cTyFKQ

Is this a lasting recipe for success? I doubt it. But its a change and the Wizards seem more comfortable playing this style of ball. So let's see a few more games played in 4/4 time (Eds: Note: worst typo ever - thanks Elvin!), rather than the stately waltz in which we were engaged early in the season.

So its going to be sloppy and there are going to be a quite a few more blowouts coming to us this year. I'm resigned to the fact because we don't have the right lineup of band members. But somewhere, within the the complete beat down we just received from Houston, I can at least see a style of play I can get behind.

Notes after the break.

• The big story tonight was obviously Jan Vesely getting the starting nod tonight. Vesely, if anything, fits the new punk ethos. All over the place, slightly out of control, but fun to watch.
• The second biggest story? John Wall everyone. Reports of his demise might have been exaggerated. I'm not sure if this pace is going to make him a better point guard, but this free flowing style seems to suit his development at the moment. Wall appears to spending less time thinking about initiating the offense, and more time just "doing it." Going forward, I think the rest will come.
• The third biggest story. Kevin Seraphin lost six wisdom teeth. OK, not the third biggest thing. But six?
• If the young Wizards are punk rock, then Rashard Lewis is playing some easy listening music out there. He appeared to be disinterested in taking part in the night's proceedings. It might be time to take away his Kenny G CDs.
• Frenetic, all over the place defense. One has to appreciate it.
• However, frenetic, all over the place play leads to a huge amount of turnovers. Not so much a fan of those.
• I'm sure what to make of the "Heroes Three" tonight. When considering Blatche/Young/McGee, both Young and McGee excelled at the things we have come to expect, but still frustrated with several miscues throughout the game. McGee came out with a low motor at first, quickly adjusted and brought some energy and set a nice pick, and then reverted to wandering around the paint and losing Dalembert. Actually check that, McGee completely fell off the rails and appeared as if he wanted no part of Sam Dalembert. Young hit some tough shots, but his myopia on the offensive end is becoming a distraction. And Blatche...I don't know. He is still pressing, and hopefully his move to the bench brings some aspect of his game back.
• Honestly, its the oldest member of the band that are proving to be the biggest problem. I think that the Heroes Three need to go gig elsewhere.
• And then like all good shows....thing broke down completely three quarters through.
• Unfortunately, the Wizards lack a lead guitarist. Or in this case, someone who can put the ball through the basket. Raw energy and pathos will only get you so far. Honestly, I've made my bones with this and its not a problem I see the Wizards solving this season. Give me effort through the 4th quarter, and I will spare the "wicked pixels."
  

So do you enjoy the first two quarter of in the red play? Or are you disappointed when things fell apart in the second half? I think I'll have my answer tomorrow in Charlotte.

2011/12 NBA Regular Season
	@
10-8		3-15
January 27, 2012
Toyota Center
8 PM
CSN
Starters:
Kyle Lowry	PG	John Wall
Courtney Lee	SG	Nick Young
Chandler Parsons	SF	Rashard Lewis
Luis Scola	PF	Jan Vesely
Samuel Dalembert	C	JaVale McGee
PREGAME READING: | The Dream Shake | SB Nation D.C. | SB Nation Houston

Mike is taking a much needed break over the weekend, so I will be your caretaker for both the Rockets and Bobcats.

Some quick thoughts before we launch:

• We have talked about the OKC model and Mike's Seattle model, but what about the Rockets model? Looking at their team should give any fan cause for concern that even by stockpiling the best assets, an organization is unable to to pull off a trade to get over the hump. That is how you end up with a lot of nice pieces, but no true superstar.
• Chandler Parsons dunking on JaVale McGee - funny or not?
• Blatche vs. Scola - who you got?
• Is Kevin Martin the rich man's Nick Young?

Hi all.

We are obviously going through a turbulent time in the Wizards history. Every day seems to bring with it a new story which makes it easy to criticize the franchise or start leveling blame at others who may have a different viewpoint than yourself. However, we first and foremost need to remember that this is a COMMUNITY, and the success of the community is predicated on having open and thoughtful dialogue on all things things related to the Wizards. Sometimes, that may lead to frustration when another poster's ideas or opinions do not mesh with your own. But under no circumstances is it okay to chastise other posters for not sharing this viewpoint and deciding to express an opinion. Once we get to the point where we're criticizing each other for wanting to put in their two cents about anything, we are going against the very nature of what this site is all about. If you have a legitimate counterpoint to make, that's one thing, but when your sole contribution is to tell other people that they need to chill out, that crosses the line.

When posting, use this thought experiment. Think of the site as Mike's house. Rook, myself, BNIE and the other moderators/contribs all rent space in that house. Mike loves to throw a good party. So if you come to the party and get a little too crazy or knock over a lamp, we are probably not going to yell at you the first time it happens. However, if you continue to come to the party and act like a drunken boor, you won't get invited anymore. The same rule applies to if you come to the party, make fun of the other attendees, and complain about the decor and how the punch sucks. You don't want to be that guy/girl. And you wouldn't want that person at your party.

Without further ado, here are some rules to keep in mind.

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As Sean and Mike have already said, Flip Saunders' firing is no panacea. The simple fact that the Wizards' struggles are so easily recognizable as systemic failure necessitates an uncomfortable course of action for Ted Leonsis. The 'Changing out our Coach' edition of Ted's Take discussed putting everything under a microscope, and highlights a subtle tension that could reshape the landscape of the organization.

The comprehensive situation the Wizards find themselves in is fast forcing them to a watershed moment in Leonsis' ownership; making a decision on a current GM without an incontrovertible case pointing to either retention or dismissal. When the Mystics dismissed Linda Hargrove, it was after several seasons of losing with nothing approaching a demonstrable plan and a ride on the coaching carousel no DC fan is a stranger to.

So, when Ted says:

Right now – everything is under a microscope – we know we have to make more investment in additional player development and we shall.

via Ted's Take

He has to know how disturbingly reactionary that sounds in conjunction with the abrupt hiring of Joe Connelly. Was Flip Saunders against such a personnel move? In other words, was this a premeditated move Flip was against?

The club maintains that assistant coach Don Zierden acts as a big-man coach for JaVale and other post players, and they were unaware of Pamela’s specific concerns.

Mike Wise via Washington Post

If the club didn't know (although the thought of Pam McGee quietly enduring any perceived injustice to her son beggars credibility), Flip certainly wasn't against it, which directly implies a snap decision to fix an embarrassingly glaring need in the wake of the Mike Wise interview. Firing Flip Saunders and hiring Joe Connelly in rapid sequence while promising to make player development a priority feels like slapping a Band-Aid on a broken bone.

What happens between now and the end of the coming free agency period is crucial to the future of the franchise. How Ted navigates the paradox of active ownership and effective organizational management will determine the fate of the current rebuild.

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Today's links:

• JaVale McGee doesn't get a contract extension, but the Wizards still plan on matching offers for him, at least according to this. [Michael Lee, Wizards Insider]
• That's OK with McGee. [Wizards Insider]
• Speaking of McGee, yet another anecdote that reveals his mother's influence on his behavior. [Kevin Dunleavy, Washington Examiner]
• Recaps of Randy Wittman's coaching debut: [Us (recap, quotes) | CSN Washington (Jackson, Jackson again, Hanrahan, Johnson) | Washington Post | Washington Times | Washington Examiner | SB Nation D.C. | WUSA9 | Charlotte Observer | Rufus On Fire | Queen City Hoops]
• A packed house was on hand. [SB Nation D.C.]
• John Wall gets asked about Wittman saying he needs to be willing to be coached. Kind of an interesting answer here from shootaround. [CSN Washington]
• Wall and Nick Young were put back in the game by Wittman with the Wizards up 20 late, which was odd. [Wizards Insider]
• Wittman says he wants to run, Andray Blatche says Flip Saunders said that too. [Washington Examiner]
• Does Wittman really have enough time to change all these bad habits? [SB Nation D.C.]
• Paul Silas, Tyrus Thomas and Herman Cain. Confused? [Truth About It]
• Wally Szczerbiak, who used to clash with Saunders in Minnesota, said Saunders was a casualty of the lockout. [106.7 The Fan (audio)]
• Brilliant "Coming To America" parody here. [CSN Washington]
• The idea of Gary Williams coaching the Wizards amuses me. [DC Sports Bog]
• Programming note: I'll be on HoopSpeak Live at 3:15 to discuss the coaching change and the Wizards. Tune in here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Here are your postgame quotes from Randy Wittman and the rest of the Washington Wizards players following Wednesday's 92-75 win over the Charlotte Bobcats

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It's just the Charlotte Bobcats, but it was nice to see the Washington Wizards get the Randy Wittman era off to a good start with a 92-75 win. It's hard to find anything too instructive since the Bobcats might be one of the worst teams I've ever seen play professional basketball, but the sign of a major gap in talent comes from blowout wins like this. For one game at least, the Wizards really got after it defensively, moved the ball and were able to get easy buckets in the open floor.

Some more notes on a game where there wasn't a ton to pull out.

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