Wizards Game 12 Blog vs. Golden State Warriors: New Dawn on a Project in Construction
by Truth About It on Nov 26, 2008 11:16 AM EST
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photo source: flickr/Jim Frazier
Well, I snuck a peak at the score before clicking to watch the game on NBA.com. After seeing the win, I couldn't help but look at the box score. Upon seeing the box, I especially noticed Andray Blatche's stat line and uttered the phrase, "This muther effer....." I told my dad that the Wiz had won and he wondered aloud if Eddie Jordan was really the problem. "Surely we won't be able to tell after one game," I said. So I watched.....
Sidebar: For some reason, Ed Tapscott reminds me of Rock Newman.
Q1
No change in starters from the last game...McGee, Brown, Butler, Jamison and Stevenson.
Crawford, Morrow, Biedrins, Jackson, Maggette for the Warriors.
Well....on the first play, JaVale McGee wins the tap, cuts to the basket...and dunk, pass from Caron Butler. The Warriors just completely ignore him.
Next: McGee block, catch, break, and dunk.....do that, Oden. Wow.
McGee then loses track of Biedrins who gets open, receives a pass, basket And1. 4-2 Wizards.
Maggette...too fast for Jamison, blows by him. 6-5 Wiz.
The Wizards are getting the ball up the court fast.
Biedrins slips a screen, gets an easy pass, AJ can't handle, and hoop....Andris much more agile on offense than I remember him being before.
The slept on asset of McGee....handles.
AJ with a fast break oop....6 points in that fast break area so far. The low risk decision from Tapscott......run, run, run. Give Warriors a taste of own medicine?
Biedrins shows handles too...blocks McGee and casually brings the ball up the court upon seeing no available guards, the result of pressure from the Wiz.
Oh really? We fire the coach and Dee Brown is hitting open trey balls now? 15-14 Wiz.
6:27: Blatche checks in for the active and out-of-breath McGee.
If McGuire is the Taser, then Dee Brown is the Laser. He jets up court, without the ball, on the break off a steal and hits the layup off the pass from Stevenson. 17-14 Wiz.
Chris Miller reports that there is a "more talkative coach in the huddle" -- hmm, interesting endorsement?
What is this I see? Andray Blatche running from one spot to another?
Blatche hitting pump-fake dribble drive pull-up baseline jumpers from almost behind the backboard? Question mark?
I feel like I'm in a bizarro world.....well, I've already seen the Andray's stat line...it had to happen somehow.
Man, the Wiz are stealing and running like their life depends on it.....the cops are chasing them and they already have two strikes. Fast break points....10. Butler hits two FTs to make it 25-18 Wiz.
Young checks in, joins Butler, Stevenson, Jamison and Andray.
Who is this Andray Blatche guy? Ya'll heard of him?
Oh yea, just noticed that AD is back in street clothes...makes sense. Don't want him trying to hang with the running men.
Nick Young hits a two at the buzzer after he bobbled the ball...we'll take it. The Wiz shoot 54% to lead 32-26 after one. 32 points = the most in the first period this season.
Q2
D-Mac in with Blatche, Dixon, Young, and Butler in to start the 2nd.
Blatche dropping passes like he used to. I just checked, and he is not wearing a retro jersey...
Whoa....Blatche actually got a rebound and immediately got it to a guard.
The Wiz are even passing the ball better. 10 assists on 15 made FG.
10:11: Gilbert coaching like Rasheed Wallace? It's no coaches board, but he does seem to be explaining a play to someone with a sheet of paper and a pen.
9:47: Butler goes down trying to get a loose ball.....on his butt, he has to clap his hands so that his teammates help him up.....they should be running over there.
Timeout, Wiz up 38-33 with 8:31 left in the 2nd. McGee just came back, with Young, McGuire, Jamison and Dixon.
McGee had really a fast start, but has missed a bunch of close ones since.....makes will come, he just needs to get stronger so he can finish in traffic.
Dixon keeps firing up some trash.....trying to do too much.....and he's taken out in favor of Stevenson with about 6:20 left.
Not one to really criticize the up-tempo offense of Don Nelson, but at least tonight, the Warriors are very helter-skelter. I guess there's a fine line between when things are clicking and the times they seem to be randomly firing up shots.
4:48: Wiz making sure to go to Jamison who had the advantage against Maggette. 1 FT - 47-37 Wizards...but the Wiz get the offensive board and McGee tries to make a spectacular slam against Anthony Randolph, but misses. The kid needs to learn how to get what's available to him....a power two-hand lay-up would've worked there, or at least got him a foul.
3:10: Blatche high with a rebound over Biedrins with TWO hands....wow.....miss, but tip make by McGee.
Down the court, AJ gets a steal, Wizards push and Butler throws a perfect oop to McGee who catches with TWO hands and throws it down. Timeout, 53-42 Wizards. Butler holds up his jersey to let everyone know what team he plays for.
2:17: D-Song makes his first appearance....joins Blatche, Jamison, Stevenson and Butler. Big lineup.
D-Song miss, follows shot, and tips the board to Butler for an easy layup. 59-47 Wiz.
Blatche jumper. Blatche block. Blatche recovery. Was Eddie Jordan really that detrimental to this kid's confidence?
The Wiz head into the locker room with a 63-49 lead. Energy was key to this half.
Jamison -17 points, 3 offensive boards
Butler - 14 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals.
McGee - 12 points, Blatche - 8
BOARDS: The Wiz are killing, up 29-18 (20-9 in the 2nd quarter alone). Not going to get too hype about this one as Golden State plays a small lineup and is skinny when big....although, Biedrins is the league's top rebounder.
Q3
Butler gets it to McGee cutting down the lane, but he gets stripped...ball out of bounds to the Wiz. McGee thinks he might have gotten fouled, but he needs to hang on to the ball. I can see why Butler calls him a LemonHead though....he gets that funny sour-puss look on his face a lot.
McGee picks up his 4th personal foul 55 seconds into the 2nd half....well, that will happen with starting him.
9:42: Warriors get 4 early 2nd chance points in the quarter...don't need that. 68-53 Wizards.
9:11: Turnover. Maggette drive and points. Tapscott timeout.
I guess we can end the Amber Alert for Andray Blatche....he hits a jumper and then blocks out while Jamison gets the board on the other end...."That's the way you do it," says Phil Chenier. 70-55 Wizards.
7:31: Stephen Jackson around Butler (new coach doesn't help man defense with Caron) and easy pass to Biedrins....oh yea, Butler previously left Jackson open for a trey. 73-60 Wizards.
6:10: Stevenson fires because that's what he does every now and then....miss.
Remember when Andray Blatche used to block shots? Yea, that's back too.....of course. He has three so this quarter I believe.
We hear "clean slate" and "Andray Blatche" from Comcast's Chris Miller....and I don't like it. When a player is playing bad....and it's HIS fault, then I'm not down with creating some reliance on "new beginnings" and "clean slates" to absolve someone of past transgressions.
Meanwhile.....Blatche is skying for two-hand rebounds....REALLY? Where the eff did that come from? Aside from this game, I haven't seen Andray get a two-handed rebound just about all year.
Warriors are providing the Wiz with some good medicine in the form of turnovers.....we'll take 'em. 88-68 Wizards with 2:13 left.
With the last shot, Nick Young dribbles too much against Stephen Jackson..nothing doing. Nonetheless, the Wizards are up 93-72 after three quarters. If they can't hold onto this one.....wait, I know they already have.
Q4
Andray Blatche starts out dunking on two Warriors....I feel so frustrated.
Three offensive rebounds by Blatche on one trip down the court. Where has this effort been all this time? I'm not saying it's the case, but it would be a damn shame if this kid's effort is contingent on someone else (Eddie Jordan) and not him.
9:33: Yep, now Andray is hitting three pointers. 104-77 Wizards.
8:12: Blatche great touch pass to Jamison over a fronting Maggette for the hoop and the foul. No FT, but the Wiz get the offensive board, their 21st, a season high. Butler eventually gets a Tuff Juice layup. 108-84 Wiz.
7:07: Andray Blatche goes out to a nice ovation and Phil Chenier immediately wonders what I do....yep, the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard are coming to town.
Wizards a swarming to every ball.
Caron Butler is hitting threes.
Dee Brown is a gnat all over the place.
Tits All Arms McGee is doing his thing.
Darius Songaila is picking on Brendan Wright.
Butler is hitting more treys....7 FGs in a row.
Wiz 120, Warriors 91. Time to bring in the walk-ons?
3:15: Dixon, Young, McGuire, McGee and Songaila are in.....sorry Etan and Big Oily Pecherov, your services are not needed.
2:12: Dixon hits a fadeaway to put it at 124-94 Wiz. Get ready for a Warriors 6-0 run to close the game.
This looks like a bad CYO game now.....if only D-Song would try his And One street moves.
The Warriors call a timeout with 1 second on the clock.
And that's it...the Wiz get win #2. What more can I say? 124-100, Washington Wizards.
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replay on csn right now
if anyones interested…
by hibachi on Nov 26, 2008 11:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
You, Ivan, and Wilbon All Share the Same Feeling
Each of you continues to believe that Eddie Jordan bore little responsibility for the team’s failure to perform, it was all the players. Isn’t it an interesting coincidence how so many of the Wizards players had their best game of the season with a new head coach? It couldn’t possibly be that Eddie Jordan’s schemes, rotations, and coaching had anything to do with certain players’ confidence and performance. It is as if all these players had to do was flip a switch, and they wouldn’t need an effective strategy or good coaching and communication from their coach to play well. They could have played like this all along! Who needs a head coach?
I might believe that Andray was exclusively to blame for his earlier poor performances if I hadn’t already seen what EJ can do to a player’s confidence with regard to Brendan Haywood. Just like with Andray, EJ used to constantly berate Haywood and consistently give him the quick hook every time that he made a mistake. It wasn’t until injury forced EJ to play Brendan exclusively at center did we see Brendan emerge as the player we now know him to be. Why didn’t Brendan play like he did last season in all of the seasons prior? I guess we can exclusively blame Brendan Haywood for just not “showing up” until then. It had nothing to do with Eddie Jordan.
I have an interesting question. What young talent has Eddie Jordan ever successfully developed? Before you say Gilbert or Caron, remember that they were both NBA veterans by the time that Eddie got his hands on them. I think you can make an argument for Nick Young, but I think it’s possible that the best is yet to come from him under a new head coach.
By the way, I don’t mean to pile on Eddie Jordan. I’ve been very busy this week, so I haven’t had the chance to pay the man his proper respect with a posting here after he was fired. He is great assistant coach and master of offense, and he deserves his share of credit for getting the Wizards to the playoffs these past four season. That said, I don’t think he was ever very exceptional as a head coach and I think we’ll see a lot of improvement from this current Wizards squad without him.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
by cuppettcj on Nov 26, 2008 12:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
There are things called reasons
I never advocated absolving Eddie Jordan from responsibility, I just expect players to assume more.
1) It was just one game, let’s all stay medium.
2) I’m really not sure, strategically speaking, that Tapscott had much time, if any at all, to implement anything different from what Eddie Jordan was doing…..other than telling them to protect the paint and contest three point shots…..problems that everyone knew the Wizards were dealing with already. Tapscott didn’t come along and say, “Ok guys, this is what really is wrong with our defense, let’s go out and do this instead.” The same guy, Randy Ayers, who had been responsible for the defense since the beginning of last year, is still in place. Last night, the Wizards simply seemed to play with more energy, effort and hustle. Some have said that they’ve been playing with this aspect all year, but I don’t believe that to be completely true. Now…the reasons why the Wizards had their hustle swag going last night can be debated, but I would not put it 100, or even 50, on Eddie Jordan no longer being on the sidelines.
3) Yea, it’s a tired song and dance, but I expect more from these young and pampered NBA millionaires….but maybe those seemingly inherent facts of being young, pampered for most of their lives, and nouveau rich are part of the very problem.
There’s a reason why Blatche slipped to the 2nd round of the draft. There’s a reason why Blatche was set up by some gold-diggers which led to him getting shot. There’s a reason Blatche was caught soliciting prostitutes by the cops. There’s a reason why Blatche was cited for reckless driving when he was on thin ice already.
Sure, kids make mistakes, and people are forgiven….but all those off-court incidents lead me to believe that Blatche does/did not care, nor realize the sanctity of the opportunities which have fallen into his lap. This is why I will continue to hold Blatche mostly responsible for not taking his time on the court, and overall chances in the NBA, seriously.
NBA coaches don’t make the man, they just develop them……as long as a player starts with the desire to want to improve and succeed.
4) More times than not, I’ve seen the opinion that if it weren’t for Eddie Jordan (and Etan’s injury), Haywood would have been the player we saw last year, long ago…..really? How do we know that BTH wasn’t a better man for going through the troubles with Jordan? Sure EJ used to get on Haywood, but at the same time, Brendan was acting like a knuckle-head…showing up his coach in the huddle and the what-not. Many players get tested by their coach, and usually, it’s all about how the player will respond. But to solely pin the burnt of the Haywood-Jordan problems on EJ, even more than 20%, is preposterous. It was Eddie Jordan (and Randy Ayers I believe) who went down to NC to break bread with BTH….if it weren’t for that, the former big-baby might’ve sulked his way to a trade before last season. Brendan Haywood was responsible for the moniker, “Brenda”, not Eddie Jordan.
5) Gilbert Arenas an NBA vet when Jordan got his hands on him? Well, I guess you didn’t read this quote from Gil himself: “I’m always going to be thankful to Eddie because he put the ball in my hands when I was an unproven 20-year old and he let me be me. Not only did he make me an all-star, he made me an all-league player and a global icon.”
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 26, 2008 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Replies
1) It was just one game, let’s all stay medium.
I am medium, don’t get me wrong. But already, after only one game as head coach, ET has matched EJ’s win total through eleven games. You can’t tell me that EJ hasn’t played teams as bad as the Warriors this season. In fact, he’s played several, including a Knicks team that only had 7 players available. And yet, not once this season has EJ gotten the Wizards to play as well as they did last night. They have already improved. And I don’t think it is going overboard to assume that after watching the Wizards demolish the Warriors that they will somehow be able to win more than one out of every eleven games this season.
2) I’m really not sure, strategically speaking, that Tapscott had much time, if any at all, to implement anything different from what Eddie Jordan was doing…..other than telling them to protect the paint and contest three point shots…..problems that everyone knew the Wizards were dealing with already.
Everybody may have knew this, but nobody seemed to able to correct this. I saw both team captains keep harping on effort during the losing streaks, and I honestly saw players respond with effort and hustle. But what good is hustle if it means hustling from your man to help inside and therefore leaving your man wide open for a three? It wasn’t effort that the Wizards were lacking, it was a good defensive scheme. We all know that EJ spent most of his time in practice with the offense, and consequently nobody knew what the heck they were doing on defense. ET spent almost the entire practice on Monday teaching this team what they were supposed to do defensively, and the team responded with a fantastic defensive performance. Players were sticking with their man, only leaving him to account for screens. When one defender left his man, another rotating to cover that man on the perimeter. Almost every perimeter shot was contested! It didn’t matter how much the team hustled under EJ, they never defended the perimeter in the first eleven games as well as they did under ET last night. That’s more than hustle and energy. That’s a scheme that works, at least better than previously.
The same guy, Randy Ayers, who had been responsible for the defense since the beginning of last year, is still in place.
Randy Ayers wasn’t even present at the game last night. The defensive adjustments that were made during the game were solely the credit of ET. As for pre-game preparation, could it be that Ayers’s scheme works a bit better when players actually spend a good amount of time practicing it? That couldn’t happen with EJ, not if most of the time was devoted to offense.
There’s a reason why Blatche slipped to the 2nd round of the draft. There’s a reason why Blatche was set up by some gold-diggers which led to him getting shot. There’s a reason Blatche was caught soliciting prostitutes by the cops. There’s a reason why Blatche was cited for reckless driving when he was on thin ice already.
Yeah, sure Blatche is inexperienced and immature and has made a lot of mistakes, both on and off the court. But remember, the kid never had a college head coach to teach him the game and mentor him. There have been a lot of players in this league that came into the league raw and needed a good head coach to bring them along. Yet all EJ did was constantly berate the kid and give him the quick hook whenever he made a mistake (aka the Brendan Haywood treatment, notice the trend?). How well could you work if there was somebody constantly looking over your shoulder ready to yell at you every time you made a mistake? The fact remains that EJ was never able to develop anybody with his style of coaching.
4) More times than not, I’ve seen the opinion that if it weren’t for Eddie Jordan (and Etan’s injury), Haywood would have been the player we saw last year, long ago…..really? How do we know that BTH wasn’t a better man for going through the troubles with Jordan?
Because he wasn’t. The biggest difference between Haywood last season and the previous seasons was consistent playing time and a bit of slack. Statistically, his minute averages were very similar throughout his career. Which was amazing, because many players require consistent minutes to be productive. I would put Blatche in that category. And you haven’t convinced me that EJ wasn’t a primary cause for holding both players back.
Sure, different players respond to adversity differently. If Blatche had a different personality, perhaps he could have generated his own confidence and played well despite his coach’s constant criticism. But sometimes it helps when a head coach learns to encourage and motivate players instead of throwing them in the doghouse whenever they do something wrong. Some players need a little confidence in order for their games to work well. EJ never instilled much confidence in Blatche.
5) Gilbert Arenas an NBA vet when Jordan got his hands on him? Well, I guess you didn’t read this quote from Gil himself: "I’m always going to be thankful to Eddie because he put the ball in my hands when I was an unproven 20-year old and he let me be me. Not only did he make me an all-star, he made me an all-league player and a global icon."
Let me get this straight, you are actually going to believe something that Gilbert says? Haven’t you learned enough as a Bullets fan by now to take everything Gil says with a huge grain of salt? Gil liked EJ, so it was only natural he say nice things about the man. As if EJ was the reason Gil was one of the hottest free agents back in 2003. The Warriors and the Clippers must have been crazy to offer an “unproven 20-year-old” such huge contracts. It wasn’t as if he had won the NBA MIP Award or anything, or that he was already a 18 PPG scorer with an 18.6 PER.
Oh, and by the way, Gilbert was already 21 years old when he arrived in Washington. I suppose Gil’s got his facts a little fuzzy. Shocker.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
by cuppettcj on Nov 26, 2008 5:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeesh
1) Brendan was in the doghouse for a variety of reasons. He quit in the Cleveland series, sulked consistently, and got into fights in practice. Repeatedly. Sometimes players need to be disciplined. Did he have a nice year last year? Why yes, he did. But we still got escorted right out of the first round of the playoffs, BTH or no BTH.
2) I can’t understand why it wouldn’t infuriate you as much as excite you to watch Blatche go off like that. Eddie didn’t coach the summer league, and Blatche played much the same way as he did earlier in the season.
3) We haven’t exactly had a drafting gold mine under the Grunfeld era. How is Pech looking? Whither Vermeenko? I just don’t think that EJ was supplied with the personnel to weather the injury storm
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
by ledellforlife on Nov 26, 2008 6:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Whoa hold up, who started those fights? But Thomas was never in the doghouse
"ORLANDO, Nov. 6 — Washington Wizards centers Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood were involved in a physical altercation last Thursday in which the two traded punches at Verizon Center, according to two team sources.
One source, who requested anonymity because the team was trying to keep the incident private, said Thomas was angry over comments made by Haywood’s agent, Andy Miller, on Oct. 30. Miller was critical of Coach Eddie Jordan’s decision to select Thomas as the starting center over Haywood, believing Jordan chose Thomas out of personal animosity toward Haywood rather than performance. “My concern is that this is based on personal issues rather than professional ones,” Miller said the day of the decision.
Thomas felt that Miller’s comments were a slight toward him, he approached Haywood and threw the first punch once the argument escalated…"
by NeverNervousPervis on Nov 26, 2008 7:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Was that the first fight?
And I’m not meaning to be sarcastic, I am just curious as to whether it was Round 1, 2, or 3.
I think most of cup’s comments are relevant, and there are those on Bulletsforever that fall strongly into the pro-Haywood and anti-Haywood camp. After Prada presented me with some great numbers, I finally had to admit that he was a better play than my eyes were telling.
However, what Brendan hasn’t displayed a large amount of is maturity. We had a nice little argument this summer over what happens when Thomas comes back, and whether Brendan would sulk over Thomas taking some of his minutes. A majority of the responses were “well he has the right to sulk, he is the better player.”
Which leads me to the question, what happens when he comes back and JaVale has taken his spot, or at least some of his minutes?
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
by ledellforlife on Nov 26, 2008 8:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure I'll have to do more Googling....
Anyway, I hear what you are saying, and you could be right that BTH will have issues with the new situation. I just wonder about the version of events we get sometimes. It seems like beat reporters always take the coach’s point of view (not just in basketball) regarding whether or not players have bad personalities or maturity issues. I think that’s natural because they are the “authority figure” but one-sided. So we end up swallowing the party line that all the problems were with BTH and Thomas is a good guy, despite the fact that Thomas was half the fight each time. Why? Because we have no other narrative being given play.
by NeverNervousPervis on Nov 26, 2008 11:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
More Rebuttal
ET has matched EJ’s win total through eleven games.
No, Eddie Jordan has 229 total wins, Tapscott has 1…..and yes, I’m being somewhat facetious.
We all know that EJ spent most of his time in practice with the offense, and consequently nobody knew what the heck they were doing on defense.
I believe this was the case back in ‘06, but not as much in recent times. Granted, the D wasn’t getting any better, but by the accounts I’ve read, the D was the focus point in training camp. Besides, I’ve heard the theory/rumors before about Jordan not knowing what was going on with the defense, and to be frank, it sounds too suspicious to be anything credible beyond speculated fodder.
The defensive adjustments that were made during the game were solely the credit of ET.
If you’re saying that a single practice made all the difference in the world, then I guess there’s not much I can say to change that opinion to something which I believe to be closer to reality…..that players increasing their hustle swag in tumultuous times, and a single compartmentalized game, is not any sort of a measuring stick.
How well could you work if there was somebody constantly looking over your shoulder ready to yell at you every time you made a mistake?
There’s a difference between micromanaging and implementing consequences to actions. I believe it was the latter that resulted in Blatche not trying hard (also see below).
Haywood, Blatche, and Minutes
I’m sooooo glad that both are able to play better with more minutes, and you’ll most likely find this to be the case with all NBA players, at least that’s what they will tell you….“If only I had more minutes….”
But if someone is being a knucklehead, you can’t just give them minutes…..a coach has to have principles, I don’t know why people feel they must deny Eddie Jordan of his principles.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 27, 2008 11:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
RE: BLATCHE
You said it better than I ever could.
by ucantstopbernard on Nov 26, 2008 5:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
EJ is too loyal to his veterans and really can’t build up young guys, while I still think until Gilbert comes back that we’re a lottery team, if we can build a nucleus of Young, McGuire, Blatche, McGee; then next year we can be serious contenders.
by Fundefined on Nov 26, 2008 12:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
What About the Defense?
I noticed that you didn’t really comment much on the defensive execution. Did you not notice a big improvement on the rotations? There were some definite lapses that need to be corrected, but overall I thought the defense was really tight and well executed. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, the Wizards aren’t giving up any wide open shots, not even from the arc!” That is, with the exception of the few times the Warriors found a cutter with a quick pass for an easy layup.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
by cuppettcj on Nov 26, 2008 12:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
On Blatche
I was and still am an Eddie Jordan fan. But I’m also willing to accept he had some shortcomings. It’s clear at this point that he may deserve some of the blame for the inconsistency of Haywood a couple years ago.
With Blatche, first consider that he’s still only 22 years old. By all means, he’s still a very young player.
Second, consider the expectations placed on him this season. With Arenas and Haywood out, HE was the difference maker everyone pointed to before the season began. Repeatedly we heard if the Wizards were to excel this season, Blatche would need to step up.
But it took just a couple games for him to be firmly placed in Jordan’s doghouse. For a 22 year old, you don’t place monumental expectations on his shoulders and then give up on him so quickly.
We don’t know what kind of player Blatche will be. But I’m willing to believe that possibly, maybe, who knows, Eddie Jordan – as great a coach as he truly may be – held Blatche back in the way he handled him. For the Wizards sake, I hope so.
by Johnnie Futbol on Nov 26, 2008 1:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
Good thoughts. Check out my new fanshot on Blatche here. I think the quote from Jamison says it all.
We should all remember that Blatche will still make many mistakes and will probably have more than a few setbacks, but I think it is reasonable to believe that he will be better under a new head coach.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
by cuppettcj on Nov 26, 2008 1:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Doghouse?
I’m wouldn’t exactly say that Blatche was in Jordan’s Doghouse……he was still getting burn, and chances, despite playing without effort for pretty much the entire season prior to last night.
His 17 minutes per game average (before receiving 29 minutes against the Warriors) was only about 3 minutes below last year’s pace when he was playing like he cared much more.
Sure, maybe Jamison’s statement about a “new voice” and associations with a “clean slate” might have had an effect, but why did it have to get to that point? Especially when Blatche showed so much promise last year, under Eddie Jordan.
Starting in training camp/preseason play, it seemed like Blatche lost interest in working hard…..so we’re to put that on Jordan?
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 26, 2008 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Doghouse Means More Than Lack of Average Minutes
Even when Blatche was on the court, he lacked confidence and was afraid to make mistakes. Just like Brendan Haywood used to be. Notice a trend? Yeah, his average MPG may have been enough, but the quick hook was always in clear sight. And while EJ would play Blatche several minutes one game, if he didn’t play well enough he might only see a couple of minutes in the next.
If you play 30 minutes one game, and 6 minutes the next, then your average MPG would be 18. But I wouldn’t call that consistent minutes.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
by cuppettcj on Nov 26, 2008 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
What I don't understand about Blatche
Is why he suddenly did all of the things that are expected of EVERY single NBA player, whether rookie or veteran. These were things that would have got any player yolked out of the game, rookie or veteran.
He jumped with two hands to get his rebounds! I know that if I was EJ or any coach at that, you’d be out of the game so quick if you didn’t TRY to rebound the ball as a center or power forward. He got 12 rebounds last night.
He helped out on defense. As a center/PF, you need to protect the paint. In every game so far this season before Tuesday’s, Blatche refused to try to rotate effectively on defense. He got 5 blocks last night. Golden State is in the top three in points in the paint, and we protected those points pretty well last night, with the help of Blatche.
It just looked like Tapp told Blatche to simplify his game last night. At least that’s what it appeared he did. When he was open on the logo, one of his “sweet spots”, he shot the ball without hesitation, when in the past he would try a fancy move even if he was open for the shot. When he did drive, he took one hard dribble and went up for the shot, a simple yet very effective move. He passed well from the high post. This was what impressed me most from Blatche. With him and Jamison in the game, that high post passing should be a staple of our offense.
I agree that it definitely looked like Blatche played with more confidence, or without fear of coming out of the game, but regardless, he was doing the fundamental things that he sure was NOT doing in the past games. This I have a problem with, in regards to his relationship with EJ. How could EJ stifle his fundamentals? It doesn’t make sense to me, and I seriously think Blatche needs to mature off the court before he can reach his full potential on the court.
Dear Diary, JACKPOT!!!!!!!!!!
by Evander holyfield on Nov 26, 2008 6:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I guess I'm not expecting as much maturity from Blatche...
as I am from his head coach. Perhaps Batche felt he had to look super duper with extra cheese in order to get minutes because he knew those weren’t locked down and that he might get pulled for Songaila. People respond to pressure in many ways. it seems to me that one of the main tasks of an NBA coach is to understand talent that tends to be mercurial. If you only coached people with the temperment of Jamison it would be easy. Minutes are everything in the NBA, and Jordan tended to use them as whipping stick. I’m pretty sure that is an approach that has many potential drawbacks.
I find it odd that we discuss Avery Johnson losing the Mavs like that’s a given, but don’t contemplate that EJ might have lost parts of his team. The young developing parts that allow us to pay the big three giant money and hope we have supporting talent over the next few seasons.
by NeverNervousPervis on Nov 26, 2008 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Before the Golden State Game, Blatche Was NOT Trying
I don’t know how anyone in the world could justify continuing to give the kid minutes when he clearly was not trying……what kind of message does that send to the rest of the team?
What on earth did you want Jordan to do? Nurture and coddle the kid like this wasn’t his fourth year in the NBA.
No, it’s time for Andray to get off the titty and start being a man…..and men know that there are consequences for their actions, real world or NBA basketball world.
It’s preached over and over again that everyone, from the top to the bottom of a roster, should be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity they get.
And there Eddie Jordan was, giving Andray chances as one of the first subs off the bench in every single game, only for Blatche to prove time and time again that Jordan could not depend on him.
I’m just baffled as to why you want to pin 90% on Eddie Jordan and his dealings with a fragile-ass baby. Well you know what, he’s an NBA coach, he should not have to take the time to deal with that sh*t.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 27, 2008 10:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I strongly disagree that Blatche was not trying
You’re still hung up on this, but I don’t get it. I don’t feel the need to repeat myself, but Blatche was trying too hard to do too much more than he wasn’t trying.
He wasn’t producing. There’s a difference. And since that’s the problem, then yes, Blatche was given somewhat unfair treatment. DeShawn Stevenson wasn’t producing either.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Nov 27, 2008 11:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Definition of Trying Hard
I don’t know how many times I saw Blatche not blocking out, standing stiff as a board on rebound attempts, trying to rebound with one hand, having his hands at his sides, committing silly fouls, etc., etc., etc….
Trying hard just doesn’t mean getting on the court and giving the appearance of moving around.
In the past, during this season, Blatche was clearly not trying hard to understand the game and he was clearly not trying hard to correct the glaring mistakes which I’m sure were discussed with him in film sessions over and over again.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 27, 2008 11:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
So basically, he wasn't trying smart
I can agree with that. Problem is, you could make the same argument for JaVale McGee re rebounding. You could say the same thing for Darius Songaila for overtrapping on screen and rolls, leaving his teammates out of position. You could say the same thing for DeShawn Stevenson, not hustling back on defense, not cutting to the basket and shooting long contested shots.
It is his fourth year, but he’s also 22. I’m not going to go as far as cuppett and say that Eddie held Blatche back, but I think Blatche, more than anyone, needed a new voice. And I need more than one great game to proclaim Blatche’s emergence. But I think there’s a way to remain patient and still push someone. So far, Tapscott has been doing that. Eddie kind of hadn’t.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Nov 27, 2008 11:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
New Voice
I’ll go ahead and agree with that fact that Andray needed a new voice….perhaps the ex-director of player development had a forged relationship with him and now Andray is more committed to the game under him. I’ll take it.
I get a good feeling from this Tapscott cat, and that’s while I’m not in an uproar over Eddie’s departure. Even AJ mentioned the new voice thing, so there’s something obviously to it (although, I do get a chuckle when I think about me not doing a good job in the “real world” and needing a new voice to turn the corner…..but yea, some of this sports shit has a psychology to it, I get it).
On the first thing, I will still contest that both McGee and Songaila, while they did make their mistakes, some due to youth and some due to athletic inability, they seemed to give extra hustle, energy, get-go, effort…whatever you want to call it, on the court, much more than the output of Blatche.
Most coaches I’ve been around can live with mistakes, but they cannot live with the lack of effort. Now, Blatche hustled against the Warriors, but just like how Jamison was skeptical of all Blatche’s “talk” prior to the season, I, also along the lines of what Butler said, would like to see this flash turn into a streak. Forgive me if I’m a tad bit skeptical, yet really hope the words tattooed on Gilbert Arenas’ fingers are a sign of things to come for Andray Blatche.
Now that Jordan is gone, and we have seen what he can do, would you agree that there aren’t many excuses for him at this point?
If Blatche is immersed in inconsistency under Tapscott, who is hindering his development now?
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 27, 2008 5:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
well there was a similar story last year, no? people complained of his inconsistency and work habits then too.
i don’t doubt that his work habits can or need to be improved. but young people are more influenced by the actions of their elders. not everyone matures at the same rate. “light bulbs” go off at different times in people’s lives. there are countless examples of professional players showing their immaturity early and then getting their sh*t together later.
the big difference this year is there were greater expectations placed on Blatche. We all heard the talk of him being the difference maker this year with Arenas and Haywood out. What was it game 2 that he got benched and only played 4 minutes? I remember game 1 was a GOOD game for Blatche. But TWO games into the season he goes from the great hope of the team, to the big dissapointment?
I’ve always been a big Eddie Jordan fan, but I thought his treatment of Blatche was ridiculous that game, no matter how many times Kwame blew right by him. Give the guy a real chance to prove himself before we give up on him.
by Johnnie Futbol on Nov 26, 2008 2:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Click reply
When responding to a poster, please.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Nov 26, 2008 4:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Detroit Game
Q1: 0:58: Kwame comes down the lane, essentially does a swim move on Blatche and positions himself right inside the inner half circle. Blatche can’t get around Kwame and there’s nothing he can do. Brown gets an easy inside bucket on Andray. 31-19 Detroit.
Q2: 11:40: Kwame gets Andray bad with a jab step right and lefty drive all the way to the hoop….from the 3-point line!! 33-21 Detroit.
11:00: Seriously? Kwame gets the ball again near the top of the arc. Andray kinda, sorta, not really, tried to go for the steal on the pass…..gets out of position and Kwame drives it right down the Wizards’ throat. 35-23 Detroit.
Yea, maybe Blatche should’ve gotten a chance later in the game….but getting abused by Kwame Brown? That’s about all I would have needed to see.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Nov 27, 2008 10:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Part of Blatche's performance is just minutes...
More minutes, more production especially vs. a small team. The real story is the absence of Thomas and Dixon and the death of small ball. Addition by subtraction, and Tapscott most definitely impacted that. Jordan’s rotations this year were ridiculous and indicated someone without a plan. We needed someone with a plan or at least someone who wouldn’t kill our star players with heavy minutes if the season was lost.
That said, I’m tired of hearing that pros should be self-motivated etc. etc. Of course they should in an ideal world, but this isn’t an ideal world. Whatever organization you are in the quality of your leadership counts. Jordan clearly played favorites (as well as having a doghouse) with certain players out of proportion to their actual performance. We know the names. He resolutely ignored BTH’s value. He loved Ruffin, Thomas, AD and Songaila. He playes his stars way too much. That was all bad for the team.
I am conflicted in my feelings for Jordan as everyone else is, because he was the face of the Wizards resurrection as a legitimate franchise. Still let’s stop pretending he got a raw deal. He was one of the longest tenured coaches in the league and he is walking away with millions of dollars. Mike D’Antoni got fired after having achieved a heck of alot more and no one batted a eyelid.
by NeverNervousPervis on Nov 26, 2008 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
d'antoni
had more than one chance to win with a healthy, established team. EJ never did.
huge difference there.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Nov 27, 2008 10:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
From Wilbon’s article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112502896.html
When Golden State’s Don Nelson, the master of the matchup, started to go after Washington’s diminutive Dee Brown, Tapscott countered with a huge lineup of 6-5 DeShawn Stevenson, 6-7 Butler at shooting guard, 6-9 Jamison at small forward, Blatche and McGee. They helped the Wizards win the rebounding battle, 54-40.
That struck me as a huge difference in coaching styles between Ed Tapscott and Eddie Jordan.
In the past, when an opposing coach went small, Eddie Jordan went smaller. Eddie Jordan always seemed to try to match the other Coach’s moves.
Ed Tapscott on the other hand, exploited Don Nelson’s coaching move – to create mismatches in the Wizard’s favor. When they went small, he went BIG and pounded them inside. Having his team relentlessly pound the Offensive boards for put-backs and second chance points.
There’s a reason TALL people play basketball.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Nov 26, 2008 8:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
We also have more talented bigs than smalls right now...
Let’s face it no one would confuse our perimeter players with Run TMC right now. Which is all the more reason to play to our relative strengths. So hopefully we wont be trying Nellie-ball anytime soon regardless of the match up situation.
by NeverNervousPervis on Nov 26, 2008 11:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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