Open thread: Regular season game 80

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 7:00 PM EDT in Game Threads

Ahhh! Sorry guys, totally fell asleep on the long preview I promised.

Needless to say, this game is as big as it gets this season. A win means we essentially win the five spot, because Philly would be out by virtue of being down two games with two to play (and we have the tiebreaker). A loss means we drop to sixth.

GO WIZARDS!

[UPDATE from TruthAboutIt - I was saving this for the game blog, but it's better served in the pre-game thread]

The Detroit game was the Detroit game. The Wizards players, coaches, fans, bloggers, turkeys, felines and baby mamas need to move it on along now. Needless to say, the key for tonight's game is energy. Hopefully the Wizards can start their own fire and the Verizon Center crowd will be added fuel. Philly is a team that doesn't always leave me with brotherly feelings.

Nov. 20, Game 10 - 116-101 Wizards over Sixers: Gilbert's 2nd missed game of the season…..remember when we thought it was just a precaution? On this night, the Wizards were hot, shooting 57% from the field. On the negative side, the Sixers out-scored the Wizards 33-18 in the 4th quarter, but still lost by 15. Sweet Lou Williams had one of his coming out parties with 25 off the bench.
Nov. 30, Game 16 - 85-84 Sixers over Wizards: The Wiz had the ball at the end of the game with 12 seconds left, but all they could manage was a wide open three miss from Nick Young. Yea, he was open…but you give yourself a better chance with something going towards the basket rather than long distance faith in the hands of a rookie. Stevenson was 4-14, Jamison was 6-21 and PG play was very poor as AD had 4 assists and 4 turnovers. In contrast, Andre Miller had 8 assists and 0 turnovers.
Feb. 5, Game 47 - 101-96 Sixers over Wizards: The Wizards were up 10 after 3 quarters. Caron re-aggravated his hip, limping to the locker room after 3 and not playing in the 4th. Basically, the Wizards folded hard under Philly backcourt pressure as the Sixers had a 17-0 mid-fourth-quarter run. Ideas for a "Jamison You're Next" t-shirt started floating around.

As I was typing this before the game, The Payback by James Brown was playing on my computer itunes…..let's hope that's a good sign.

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Comments

Caron Butler is out tonight.

D-Song will start in his place. Stevenson will start too despite the tail-feather injury.

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 7:03 PM EDT reply actions

Goddammit

It just keeps getting worse and worse.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

WTF

15-0 run? What's going on?

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 7:19 PM EDT reply actions

Hmm

Arenas seems a little too caught up in this one. That full-court bounce pass was silly (and ignited Philly's fast break), and he's been firing a lot of shots.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 7:40 PM EDT reply actions

Dave Friedman just pooped his pants.

What was up with that contested pull-up Arenas gunned right before the timeout?

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 7:43 PM EDT reply actions

Folks

Can we please get back on defense.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 8:29 PM EDT reply actions

84-78

Biggest quarter of the season. We need to come out strong.

Keep the tempo slowish, cut off Philly's fast breaks, and pack it in so all they do is shoot threes.

GO WIZARDS!

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 8:49 PM EDT reply actions

"We need to come out strong"

Check.

Bullets Forever: Where discussion on personnel decisions turn into arguments about Lindsay Lohan.

by Jake Whitacre on Apr 12, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions

The Hibachi is cooking

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 8:52 PM EDT reply actions

"biggest quarter of the season"....ditto

I just typed that in the game blog - looks like a consensus is building. 7 points from Gil doesn't hurt.....

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 8:55 PM EDT reply actions

They're answering the call

Particularly Arenas...he's looking like the old Gilbert.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 9:07 PM EDT reply actions

Gilbert Arenas is a Golden God

Welcome back, Hibachi. We've missed you.

by sierradave on Apr 12, 2008 9:15 PM EDT reply actions

Dave Friedman just pooped his pants....Aaagain

His next column: "The Wizards Are Like Sooooo Much Better and Stuff Without Caron Butler." Sub-title: "Gilbert displays his magical wand."

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 9:16 PM EDT reply actions

Play nice...

But yes, it's only one game, but if the Hibachi is cooking, we can beat anyone, with or without C-But.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions

hahaha

theres your answer friedman...

by Wooz on Apr 12, 2008 9:19 PM EDT reply actions

31-9 in the fourth quarter

That's answering the call.

Predicting how this squad is going to perform is like trying to solve trig problems with pen and paper. -sierradave.

by Mike Prada on Apr 12, 2008 9:19 PM EDT reply actions

Agent Zero is BACK!

I hate to pile on the obvious, actually Im lying, can I send Dave Friedman a copy of the 4th quarter of this game? Great team win. Awesome final Q. I want LeTravel James.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Apr 12, 2008 9:21 PM EDT reply actions

Actually......

....Friedman's cool with me. Much respect for the composed back-and-forth in the comments section the other day (covered here)

20 Second Timeout recently did Friedman wrong though....totally uncalled for. More on that to come in the near future.

No post-game.....gotta deal with soccer? That's sucks.

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 9:23 PM EDT reply actions

Same here

I like that he came here and defended himself, that was kinda cool.

That said, I think Gil's passing in the fourth is a real response to the whole "shoot-first point guard" issue. During that two-month stretch last season, he rarely had big first quarters. Teams were doubling him, so he made good passes and got the rest of the team involved. Then when the defense would adjust in the second, he'd go off for 10+.

Gil's a torrid scorer, (and yeah, if he'd missed that 30+ footer, it would have looked like a terrible idea.) but he's also a great ballhandler and makes good decisions as a passer. He uses the way he affects other teams' defense to create good shots for his teammates, but he can only do that when the other teams are respecting his game.

by sierradave on Apr 12, 2008 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

My Bad

20 Second Timeout is actually Friedman's blog. I meant that Le Basketball did him wrong.

www.truthaboutit.net

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 12, 2008 9:25 PM EDT reply actions

what happened?

not near a tv. i checked the score like a half hour ago and wiz were down 10+ in the third. i look back and they win by 16?

by DarrellWalkerFan on Apr 12, 2008 9:31 PM EDT reply actions

Gilbert happened

"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."

by Vanilla Gorilla on Apr 12, 2008 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

I'm home alone tonight while the kids are with their grandmother and the wife is at a wild bachelorette party, so I can yell at the TV as loud as I want. And did I ever.

Obviously Gilbert was awesome, but everyone pitched in. Jamison scored and rebounded and even did a decent job checking Iggy (got him to airball that J after falling down, right?). Blatche converted a big hoop early in the run and capped a Lou Williams drive. DeShawn must have taken a class in hitting back-breaking crunch-time 3s over the summer. Songaila dropped in a couple hoops and wasn't worthless on the boards.

How many guys in the league can pull off that behind the back reverse layup Gil made AND calmly drain a 30-footer. Holy shit that dude is nice.

"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."

by Vanilla Gorilla on Apr 12, 2008 9:32 PM EDT reply actions

yeah

no disrespect to friedman, but its too easy a card to pull

by Wooz on Apr 12, 2008 9:34 PM EDT reply actions

SILENCER

He could be the best basketball writer ever, I have no idea. All I know is he ripped Gil apart and Agent Zero responded to his criticism this evening in the 4th Q. Albeit this is just one game but it was HUGE w for our playoff position.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Apr 12, 2008 9:34 PM EDT reply actions

Arenas Versus Philly

Obviously, Arenas played very well against Philly, particularly in the fourth quarter. This is impressive not only because of the importance of the game in terms of playoff positioning but also because Arenas is likely not yet 100% physically. I'm not surprised that Arenas can have a quarter or a game like that; he's an All-Star and we've seen him drop 60, plus have numerous 40 point games, big quarters, etc. However, one performance does not refute my premise. Again, I'm not "hating" on Arenas or saying "Arenas sucks" or anything like that. I simply don't think that he is an MVP or All-NBA First Team level player and I question how far a team can ultimately go with him as the main guy. Specifically, I think that he shoots too many threes too early in the shot clock, that he overdribbles and that his defense is not great (though of course he does get a lot of steals by roaming in the passing lanes). Twelve of Arenas' 20 points came on three pointers, many of them very deep. Those were exceptional plays, no doubt about it--and his behind the back dribble drive move was most impressive. My question is if Arenas takes those same shots game after game is he going to shoot 7-14 and 4-9? Over the long haul, it is my contention that he is going to win some games by playing this way and he is going to lose some games, too (unless his shooting percentage makes a most unusual midcareer jump). Perhaps it could be said that I focus too much on the games where it doesn't work--or perhaps Wizards' fans optimistically focus too much on the games where it does work. Anyway, that is my two cents: props to Arenas for his performance versus Philly but my long term view of this issue is unchanged. As I said in one of my comments in a different thread, what I would need to see to change my point of view is for Arenas to be the primary ballhandler/scorer on a team that wins 55 regular season games and/or wins two playoff series.

by David Friedman on Apr 13, 2008 5:38 AM EDT up reply actions