Double Trouble for the Mavs

Anyways, here's what I thought about my first good look at the 07-08 Wiz:

1. Preseason basketball is in no way about the established players. Arenas and Jamison looked awful, and their numbers were worse, but no one cares, because no one expects them to play hard when nothing is on the line. We already know what they can do. Both limited themselves almost exclusively to outside shots, and few of them went in. No biggie.

2. Blatche looked terrific. He was very active and effective on both boards, and even when he didn't manage to grab a few offensive boards, the effort he made to get his hands (at the ends of his very long arms) on the ball kept the Wiz in possession at least a couple of times. He needs to play with at least this level of intensity for, say, the next 15 years (preferably as a Wizard)). He also blocked and altered a few shots and was generally disruptive on defense, although apparently Nick Fazekas is the next Larry Bird, based on how hard The Tarantula bit on a couple of the rookie's head fakes (followed by Fazekas making much easier jump shots).

3. Pecherov belongs. He's not nearly as quick and bouncy as Blatche, but he was very active on the boards. He finished with 5 boards, including one that he converted into a nice putback dunk. He also drained a pair of outside shots, including a 3-pointer (he has a quick, smooth release). What impressed me most was how hard he ran. One thing you see with European big men is that when they're running in transition, they sometimes look like they're a gear slower than everyone else -- sort of like they're running in sand. Not Shaggy. He ran hard almost every single play and looked every bit as fast as everyone else.

4. Donell Taylor is pissin me off. When Taylor got into the game, I told a buddy who attended the game with me how little I thought of Donell. He proceeded to his shot after shot and generally look like a solid player. I guess there's a reason Ernie's a GM and I'm some dork commenting on a blog.

5. Taser didn't do much. He seemed to let the game come to him, and it just didn't come that much. He hoisted up four shots, hitting only one, and grabbed some nice rebounds, but he didn't make much of an impact. Mike Hall looked better. Laser played sort of the opposite game. He forced things in  a few cases, and despite his obvious talent (cripes he's fast, and he has a nice shooting stroke), he finished with some sloppy turnovers and had several shots blocked.

6. The popcorn at the Patriot Center is pretty lousy.