Too mad to post

by Mike Prada on Apr 22, 2008 4:47 PM EDT in Team Analysis

I have my requisite one-hour internet access now, but there's just nothing I can say that already hasn't been said. What everyone is saying is true. We're too close in talent to the Cavaliers to resort to the hard fouls and the LeBron Rules defense. Offensively, we need to calm down and run our sets. The fact that neither happened in a game that we really needed demonstrates that perhaps this isn't the team we thought they were.

I really thought this was the year we'd beat the Cavs, but frankly, I wouldn't be shocked if we were swept. That loss was a backbreaker. Hindsight is going to say that it was because of the pre-series trash talking, and I don't think that would be totally incorrect, but what this is really about is a team that forged a new identity, maintained it even as Gilbert Arenas came back, only to completely forget about it once it mattered.

I'm not pointing any fingers, and neither should anyone. They all deserve the blame; Arenas for trying to do too much, Caron for not doing enough, Haywood for his abhorrent flagrant foul, Stevenson for his tight play, and everyone else for their matador defense. Singling anyone out misses the point.

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Exact sediments...just like mine

I’m pretty defeatist right now as well.

I was being a little sarcastic in my ‘Haywood not suspended’ fan post with “supposing” it was good news….of course it’s good news not to lose BTH. But if that’s our one ray of sunshine….then eff me.

If this season has taught us anything….it’s that our Wiz have been resilient after tough losses. Of course, they didn’t face one of the top two players in the world (I say top) after those losses.

On the other hand…..we will be in our home arena and will be facing the same team that muzzled us and then kicked us in the teeth with a steel-toed boot. I can’t think of a better scenario/chance for redemption.

What’s really frustrating is that all the “talk” doesn’t seem to have as much of an affect on the way that Cleveland is playing as it does on how the Wizards themselves are playing.

Instead of daring someone to shoot them in the foot, the Wizards are putting their hand on the gun in Cleveland’s hand and squeezing the trigger…yep, shooting yourself in the foot with another man’s gun (because one could always write-off shooting yourself in the foot as an accident).

I’m not sure if that makes any sense whatsoever, but I’m going to go with it anyway…...because not a lot makes sense these days anyhow.

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 22, 2008 5:10 PM EDT reply actions

Feeling bipolar

Hey the optimist in me says that if the Wiz win the next game the tone of this whole series changes, so I’m still holding out hope. In the long run, losing by so many points may be a blessing in disguise because maybe just maybe its enough to shock Eddie Jordan into reining Gil in a bit. I am imagining Eddie Jordan yelling at the team, “Guys, Gil is a great player but he’s playing hurt right now so you can’t just pass it to him and count on him to bail us out. We need to give the ball to Caron and AJ dammit!” Then I imagine him telling Gil “Look you’ve shown heart by coming back to play this season when you could have shut it down, BUT you’re not 100% and you need to realize that for this playoff run and just for this playoff run, you’ve got to defer to Caron and AJ. Next year, you get your shots back.”

The pessimist in me though wonders if EJ can even get his guys to stop trying to be the New York Knicks and Miami Heat(circa the early 90’s) with all this “tough guy/we’re gonna hit you if you come into the lane” talk. Doesnt he realize the league has changed fundamentally from those days? The NBA doesnt want basketbrawl games and the refs are well aware of that. Its just asinine that EJ’s not only let his team talk like that, but that he’s contributed. Doesn’t he know the refs read the papers too? I mean thats exactly why Phil Jax is a master at painting the other team as thugs in media comments during a playoff series…because the refs pay attention to media comments and often start calling fouls against the team that’s been painted as being thugs. Unfortunately now we’re the team wearing the villain designation.

(formerly LoDawg31)

by IncandescentRex on Apr 22, 2008 5:31 PM EDT reply actions

Just so I'm clear

I’m not too mad to post. The recap is just taking longer than I thought it would, which isn’t to say that the recap will actually be any longer than it normally is.

Bullets Forever: Your home for blogging on the dumbest team in the history of civilization.

by Jake Whitacre on Apr 22, 2008 5:34 PM EDT reply actions

Can Eddie Really Rein Gil In?

Maybe his teammates are making an ass out of u and me by assuming that Arenas won’t be a heis(t) box….

Of course, I love him when the buckets are going down.

But did you see the hand action on his first shot?....a very bad miss. The wrist didn’t even follow through.

by Kyle Weidie on Apr 22, 2008 5:49 PM EDT reply actions

Panic

yet we win Thursday, and all is good. We will be 2-1 right back in the series. I know things are looking down, but I echo the sentiment of others, this may be a good thing. It may make players realize they excel the best within the system.

Gil was hurt, I hope the wrist is fine by Thursday. Reggie kept saying knee, knee, knee… forgetting he was fine game one. If his wrist is fine, his scoring will be back. We just need him to play within the system, while being Gil.

by zeke5123 on Apr 22, 2008 9:09 PM EDT reply actions