Celtics hold off Wizards at the end
by Mike Prada on Dec 10, 2009 11:00 PM EST
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PrintYou know the truth. Some of those calls were ... well ... odd, but if the Wizards play more consistently and don't go an entire quarter without grabbing a rebound, then none of this matters.
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Won't happen until Hopla returns.
FAN MANDATE TO “OWNERSHIP”. BRING BACK HOPLA.!
by Craig_ on Dec 10, 2009 11:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Doesn't Flip
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Post Fail
Doesn’t Flip get embarassed by the free throw shooting? I know he has to deal with huge egos, but I can’t understand why he doesn’t address the piss-poor shooting from the charity stripe.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
A few things the wizards need to work on
1. Outlet passes. I see so many instances where crisp outlet passes can ignite a fast break and get them a couple of easy buckets…this has been an ongoing phenomenon, but the wiz for some reason just continue to walk up and settle into half court. Maybe it’s because they want to limit turnovers? idk
2. bring back hopla and make them work on their frickin free throws
3. wiz need to take smarts shots down the stretch…that 3 attempt by Jamison was terrible i thought he was smarter than that
ON the other hand
if some of those calls were not ….. well….. odd…
The Wizards win the game.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Please
Let’s not blame the refs for this one. They gave us a lot of favorable no-calls during our 3rd quarter run. In the end, I think it evened out. What didn’t even out was our effort compared to the Celtics. They played all 4 quarters, we only played 3.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
I agree that horrible calls went one way then the other and probably somehow maybe balanced out…but every time I hear about Donaghy I just can’t help but wonder if these guys are doing this stuff on purpost.
On a related note, how about that Kings/Lakers game 6 footage they ran in the pregame. Pretty damn damning.
Agree About Donaghy
The refs are certainly corrupt, IMO. But they would have let us win this game if we could. It wasn’t the refs that caused us not to show up in the 2nd quarter, and it wasn’t the refs that made Gilbert miss those 2 free throws at the end.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Who caught the Webber interview in the pregame?
Asked if the refs threw WCF game 6 he says pretty much “I prefer not to think about it”. When asked if Dick Bovetta threw the game it’s “Dick Bovetta? No, not him”. Jeez. Think we can get some investigation of NBA refs somewhere? Can’t congress step in, as they’ve threatened to with MLB? Sure would be nice not to wonder about it so much.
we don't play hard or consistently enough to whine about the refs
we deserved to lose. We were outplayed and outcoached.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 3:54 PM EST up reply actions
I was responding to the thread not to your specific comment.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 12, 2009 6:01 AM EST up reply actions
Sorry, I wish SOMEONE had seen that interview/footage
by MR on Dec 12, 2009 7:49 AM EST up reply actions
I saw it and it was pretty ridiculous
“Not Dick Bavetta!!”
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 12, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions
Gil is a step slow compared to the start of the year- why??
I only see the nationally televised games- my last one being the 1st Miami game- he looked about 90% of Agent 0 then, and now he looks maybe 70-75%.
Is he just fatigued or is the knee bothering him?
If he has the quickness he had at the start of the year, we win this game. Period.
by goober nackulum on Dec 10, 2009 11:15 PM EST reply actions
My guess: Fatigue
My guess he hasn’t played this many games in a 2 year period. He needs to play through the fatigue to get his second wind and push through it all. Give him time and I think he’ll return to what he was. Was Amare dominate in his returns from microfracture surgery? I remember him in a couple games just shooting jump shots from the elbow and everyone questioning whether or not he still “had it”.
I Wish I Could Tell You
But I’m starting to think that he’ll never be the same player he was again. It happens. Player blows out his knee, never is the same.
But what I really want to know is why Caron Butler sucks this year. I thought we were entering this season with a Big 3. Instead we have one All-Star player and a couple of wannabees.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
I disagree
I watch all of the games and I think he is getting his quickness back. Even though we didn’t win this game it is encouraging. Seems like we had less stupid mistakes against a very good Celtics team on a winning streak. I tell myself this often but I think Gil is going to be back to his old self very soon.
by Oldbuckwilder on Dec 10, 2009 11:23 PM EST up reply actions
I Thought That After the Toronto Game
And then we went on to lose 2 more straight.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
He looked quicker today
that may be do to the longest break the team has had in a while. I prefer to believe he is getting it back.
by forthepeople on Dec 11, 2009 12:01 AM EST up reply actions
Other than the missed fts, he played great
Weird time to bring this up IMO. I think he looked better tonight than in any game this season except the Dallas game.
Btw Gil said he went to shoot 50 fts immediately after the game. He made 48. This all was before he talked to the media.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
agree -
he played well tonight and looked better going to the basket. he was able to finish a lot of those drives that he was missing a week or two ago.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Dec 11, 2009 12:08 AM EST up reply actions
I agree
Gil pretty much looked like Gil to me tonight, except for the FT shooting of course. For those who keep saying that Gil doesn’t look the same or looks like he lost a step (especially after the way he played tonight), what exactly are you looking for from Gil? You could say consistency, and I would definitely agree with you on that one, but tonight wasn’t one of the nights where you bring out the “Gil has lost a step” comments in my opinion.
the only difference i thought
was old Gil probably would’ve found a way to win that game. Either the ft’s or some smarter decisions in the last minute, but I’ll chalk that one up to rustiness
To me
It looks like he has lost some ‘burst’. His speed is still there, but the the ability to take one or two steps to really separate himself from a defender while going to the rim is missing. It is a hard thing to notice, but the thing I look at is his ability to blow by a single defender with a quick first step, and I just dont think its there like it used to be. Ive seen him pull it out on occasion this year, but not as consistently as he used to, whether it is his knee or something mental i dont know, but the difference in his game is noticeable to me. All that being said, i still think he can be effective playing as is.
by SidVicious25 on Dec 11, 2009 9:04 AM EST up reply actions
I think part of that is the new offense
He used to get more isolation chances where he could use that first step, but now, Flip likes having him play pick-and-roll basketball because it gives him more options once he comes off the pick. I think that makes him look slower than he really is, because he’s probing and probing until he makes up his mind.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
I'm Glad You're Researching Why Gilbert Has Been Struggling
But it’s kind of ironic that you are excusing his lackluster play this year due to a new offense after losing to the Celtics. The Celtics basically threw together three All-Star players, surrounded them with whoever else they could sign for peanuts, and forced all of them to adapt to a new system with new roles for most on a championship run. I don’t remember all of the struggling to create chemistry and figure out the offense with that crew. They just came together and won, and they won from the very beginning. But I guess that is what separates the truly great players (Garnett, Pierce, Allen) from our “star” players, right?
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Amen
We don’t need to make excuses for them. They are losing because of bouncing the ball off their own legs, missing free throws, failing to execute any sort of set plays at the end of quarters, etc, etc.
Well
For one, I don’t think I’m “excusing” anything. If you listen to this week’s Dagger Report, Kyle, Mike Jones and I basically agree that the team’s problems start with him. I don’t feel like I need to constantly point out all his shortcomings at this point. We all know he needs to shoot free throws better; I don’t even need to say it.
Perhaps the reason I’m harder on Caron is that I can’t figure out what his deal is, whereas with Gilbert, I think the explanations are easier to figure. About the only explanation I can come up with for Caron is that he’s trying harder on defense, which is sapping his energy on offense. But otherwise, I’m stumped.
In this case, SidVicious mentioned how he doesn’t think Gil looks as explosive, I responded that some of that has to do with the new offense. I’m sure some of it has to do with the injury too, and I’m sure it has to do with Gilbert’s own lack of aggression this season.
But the other thing is, you really can’t discount the injury stuff. There are very few players in league history that have ever missed as much time as Gilbert. Those that have haven’t even returned to the level Gil is currently at now. To think he could just come back and be completely back to himself right away, all while being tasked with the most important role in a new offense, is a lot to ask. The situation just isn’t synonymous with Boston’s Big Three, because none of them missed time. (And yes, our Big Three isn’t close to their level. True).
Now, should the Wizards have adopted more of a contingency plan to account for this? Probably. Overwhelming him with all of this was probably a bad idea. But on the flip side, they need Gilbert to get anywhere, so you might as well give him this responsibility.
(Sorry, all over the map on this comment. Hope y’all can follow).
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
makes perfect sense to me
i thought the wiz arguably looked better last night than they had since game 1. gil looked much more comfortable coming off the picks and getting in the lane, which is the best thing we could hope for. the D betrayed us in stretches, and CB and AJ struggled, but GA looked good, and the most promising thing to me is that they actually ran a few sets at the end of the 2nd quarter and in the 2nd half and looked like they got what they wanted out of them, which i hadn’t seen in a while. still waiting for them to turn the corner but i felt like i saw some good things last night. besides, the first thing we needed to lock into place was gil, and he looked like he’s made a lot of progress. he’s the head, the rest of the team will form around him.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 11, 2009 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
Another Thing to Consider
Some guys did look sharp, but don’t forget that they had three days off to prepare for the Celtics on their homecourt in front of a national TV audience. I would have expected them to be at least sharp, if not on fire. That is why the 2nd quarter no-show was so infuriating. The Celtics had played just two nights earlier, but they came out and gave even effort throughout all 4 quarters. The Wizards, with twice as much time off, lost focused completely during that dreadful quarter. Simply inexcusable.
BTW, I thought that Gilbert really looked sharp in that loss to Toronto. I keep telling myself he has turned the corner, but then he loses whatever he had in the next game. The next game against Indiana without Granger should be really telling.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
considering
how bad the offense has looked in recent games, and that earl boykins had been carrying us previous to that, i think you are asking a lot. i don’t think it was solely an issue of focus in the second quarter. i think boston found something they could exploit. hopefully we’ll fix that.
i think last night we took steps in the right direction. notice that flip didn’t come out and say that he was as upset as he’d been all season (like he did after the toronto game).
and as for the C’s, we’re trying to get to where boston is at.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 11, 2009 1:26 PM EST up reply actions
Asking a Lot
considering
how bad the offense has looked in recent games, and that earl boykins had been carrying us previous to that, i think you are asking a lot.
That’s sad, but true. It is asking a lot to think that this team, with three full days off, playing at home on national TV, get put together a performance that we all thought that they would be doing regularly when the season began. You know, like play almost like an elite team? Indeed, that’s asking too much of these guys.
i don’t think it was solely an issue of focus in the second quarter. i think boston found something they could exploit. hopefully we’ll fix that.
What I thought that they were exploiting was our complete lack of focus when we got back on defense. You know, like where is the basketball? Who’s got it? Who’s going to stop it? Instead, I saw five guys lazily waltz back to their spots with their heads down and not paying any attention. To me, that’s solely an issue of focus.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Asking a Lot
considering
how bad the offense has looked in recent games, and that earl boykins had been carrying us previous to that, i think you are asking a lot.
That’s sad, but true. It is asking a lot to think that this team, with three full days off, playing at home on national TV, get put together a performance that we all thought that they would be doing regularly when the season began. You know, like play almost like an elite team? Indeed, that’s asking too much of these guys.
i don’t think it was solely an issue of focus in the second quarter. i think boston found something they could exploit. hopefully we’ll fix that.
What I thought that they were exploiting was our complete lack of focus when we got back on defense. You know, like where is the basketball? Who’s got it? Who’s going to stop it? Instead, I saw five guys lazily waltz back to their spots with their heads down and not paying any attention. To me, that’s solely an issue of focus.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
And I'd like to point out....
at 10:45 left in the second quarter – the Wizards were within 2 points at 30-28…
At the time, in the game open thread – I said something like : “now watch the Referees take over the game”….
Sure enough, on the next 7 Celtics possessions, the Wizards were whistled for 5 fouls….
10:52 Foul on Blatche
10:37 Foul on Foye
10:33 Foul on Oberto
9:12 Foul on Oberto
8:41 Foul on Oberto
Oberto and Blatche in foul trouble with 3 each – Wizards in the penalty with Boston shooting Free Throws for the rest of the half….
Boston ended up with a 21 – 9 Free throw discrepancy – and led at the hald 64 – 50 (with 17 of Boston’s points coming from the Free Throw line)…
So – I think it’s unfair to characterize the Wizards play in the 2nd quarter as uninspired, or lacking effort…..
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Good Points
But that still doesn’t excuse those frequent alley-oop passes that Rondo made while the Wizards were caught napping. Or Ray Allens driving dunk. It wasn’t just that the Wizards were avoiding contact because of the foul disparity. They were simply caught snoozing. At least that’s the way it came off to me.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Please don't blame the Refs
It distracts from the inherent problems these Wizards have shown us over the last couple years. They check out for possessions on end and there is an absolute lack of hustle. And if the shots aren’t falling forget it might as well just call it a forfeit.
didn't mean to rile you up
although i think you were already riled up
put together a performance that we all thought that they would be doing regularly when the season began. You know, like play almost like an elite team? Indeed, that’s asking too much of these guys.
considering that the team has been in disarray and not anywhere near an elite team the past couple weeks, yeah, i think it’s not a matter of buckling down for two days then immediately start spanking the celtics. i wish they were better than they have been, but they haven’t been thus far. there is clearly a significant adjustment/acclimation process going on.
as for the 2nd quarter, what i thought they were exploiting was flip had instructed whoever was defending rondo to go under the screen, apparently even if the screen was 8 feet from the hoop! and they had jamison drifting and playing safety, which backfired badly. compounding things was the fact that the offense was really struggling for the first 2/3rds of the 2nd, which oftentimes lead to easy offensive opportunities on the other end for the C’s. the team really came out to play last night, they just are still struggling with execution in stretches. at least last night it wasn’t the whole game.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 11, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions
If before the season I presented you with a scenario
Where “player x” was coming off 3 knee surgeries, 2 seasons off, in a new offense, and playing 38 mpg would you consider that a likely scenario for success? His quickness is there some games and not there other games. I’m actually slightly encourgared as his speed seems to be there when his leg is fresh it’s more his shooting and decision making which can come. I mean we should have these conversations at the end of the season not 20 games in when he has been overworked it’s amazing he’s been able to stay healthy so far. I think we should be encourgaed about Gilbert’s progress and should lessen some of the burden off his shoulders whether he looks like Old Gilbert or is playing like he is now.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
Its fine that Gil is still getting acclimated
but why does he have to make so many stupid plays in the meantime. I lost count of how many bad passes he had that were either turnovers or took his teammate out of a scoring position. Gil’s lack of confidence and low basketball IQ he is displaying right now is quickly taking this season to the dumpster.
That is no different than Arenas has ever played
We are just whining now because he’s not scoring as well as he used to.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 6:48 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Foye
I listened to the game on a three hour drive, so I couldn’t follow individual performances all that well, but it seemed like foye stunk up the fourth quarter, can anybody comment on this?
by morethesamewiz on Dec 10, 2009 11:57 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Randy looked bad
and honestly he looked better when he was at backup PG. He works a lot to off the ball just to catch and then he forces action mostly. Problem is he might not get a look there again now that we have Boykins.
Celtics guarded Boykins better than an other team we’ve faced this year.
by forthepeople on Dec 11, 2009 12:04 AM EST up reply actions
I was at the game
I think Gil played much better with Foye in there, though I didn’t think Foye did much. Boykins just makes him too passive. Young had another terrible game.
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
Well, at least
Gils is taking it to the basket again. He seems more confident. (And he had a couple of great passes of drives in the 3rd and 4th.)
Foye’s hoist was obviously awful. But I saw them lose the game when Jamison put up that quick three a couple plays before.
Re: Caron. I’ve been noticing that he’s smiling and joking it up a lot during games. He doesn’t seem to be taking things seriously. It’s kind of annoying.
Foye was falling out of bounds and we had no timeouts
While that play hardly screamed “High Basketball IQ” it wasn’t even one of the 10 worst plays that game.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 4:04 PM EST up reply actions
Another note
I’ve been to a lot of Wizards games, but this was the largest group of bandwagon visiting fans I’ve seen in a long time. Especially the ones who were aged 16-21.
Yeesh.
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
this is why it is everyone's duty who has no ties to boston
to hate on all boston sports teams.
going to a nats game and seeing young ladies in a pink ‘B’ hat induces serious rage in me.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Dec 11, 2009 12:43 AM EST up reply actions
yeah, I was pretty surprised
by the multiple Let’s Go Celtics chants that started and the 1 green jersey for every 3 Wizards jerseys ratio in the stands
but I hope you don’t fault Boston fans, we just love our team (well, some of us are jerks, but don’t let them pull our rep down too much)
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
I dunno
I lived in Boston from 2006-2006. Besides that EC finals game, no one was there for those exciting Ricky Davis teams. I was sitting in the lower level every other night after having been moved down from my 19 dollar seats. Where were these supposed fans during those teams?
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
at home saving our money
like smart DC fans are doing now
I didn’t really mean to make fun, just kinda surprising, you know?
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
I was at a Boston area sports bar during an ECF game in 2008 (vs Detroit). It was packed and my friend and I were the ONLY ones watching the game until the mid 4th quarter.
by MR on Dec 11, 2009 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
not that surprising, sadly
as others have pointed out, DC always has this issue. doesn’t help that the teams are not usually good. it’s really frustrating. i hate it, and it ticks me off. but, DC is a city with an awesome b’ball tradition (see your man, aurebach, red). just a bummer that a lot of people who really care about the team get effectively priced out of getting tickets regularly.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Dec 11, 2009 2:37 PM EST up reply actions
It's what happens in such a transient area
Yea, didn’t see as many two or three years ago. Celtic’s fans used to seem normal, prob b/c they’d been there done that, as opposed to the Sox and Pats, but they’ve been particularly obnoxious and mean spirited in my section last season and tonight. Sorry Jeff, it’s more like you’re pulling their rep up.
When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk - Tuco
by ravoriobulleterpitals on Dec 11, 2009 9:33 AM EST up reply actions
I'm surprised more people aren't talking about the rebounding.
it wasn’t just that second quarter. They still had just 13 in the entire second half; Haywood didn’t look interested in chasing after rebounds for long stretches of the game, and in several cases the ball bounced right to a Celtic; no one on the team had more than two offensive boards. Maybe McGuire would’ve helped, maybe not.
Randy Foye and DeShawn Stevenson took some terrible shots (mostly Foye), and certainly Arenas killed them at the free throw line, but that rebounding effort was atrocious.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Yeah, the Celtics kind of pushed them around all night
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Jamison and Blatche
were even farther out than usual on offense in order to keep Garnett away from the basket but still the lack of effort sucked. I did notice blatche never got credit for a rebound when he one handed that rebound for an easy dunk but still.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
Did anyone else see....
that Blatche accidentally high fived Taser’s face after he tied the game with that put back layup? Fairly hilarious Tivo moment.
Overall it was another painful loss, but we played SO MUCH better. Caron looked almost like Caron (though the stats don’t reflect that) and we really played neck and neck with the best team in the league. That means something.
If we have Mike Miller, then I think we win this game by 8 (assuming Haywood doesn’t deck him after getting mad about him stealing cupcake rebounds)
Hopla
Many of us didn’t understand Grunfeld’s decision to get rid of Hopla last summer, and I can’t understand why Grunfeld hasn’t brought him back, at least as an occasional consultant. According to Hopla’s website, he’s not coaching anywhere, so he could serve as a consultant and probably needs the money. Plus, if this information on his website is up to date, he still lives in the D.C. area. Why not bring him in?
Even if Grunfeld doesn’t bring him in, individual players could hire him on their own. Mike Prada, could you ask around and see if there were any personal reasons why Hopla was let go, was he not well-liked by players and management, etc.? I’m guessing the reason he has not been brought in is to avoid hurting the feelings of someone on Flip’s staff who has been designated as the “shooting coach.” But let’s get real.
well…we might need the money- at least initially entering the season. and at this point, it does not make sense to bring him back until ownership is settled. teams are valued based on a MULTIPLE on income. so why pay the extra money now ??? each extra dollar spent costs you about 5-15x in a sale!
by les boulez bomber on Dec 11, 2009 7:22 AM EST up reply actions
How much more would the Wizards be worth if Arenas had hit 4 of his 6 Free Throws last night (instead of 1-6) – and the Wizards had won?
Or how about other games where they shot terribly from the FT line and lost the game…?
Does the fact that they’re 7-13 devalue the team?
or – a better question…. What are the most valuable teams in the League?
1 Los Angeles Lakers
2 New York Knicks
3 Chicago Bulls
4 Detroit Pistons
5 Cleveland Cavaliers
6 Houston Rockets
7 Dallas Mavericks
8 Boston Celtics
9 Phoenix Suns
10 San Antonio Spurs
Notice that the top 10 most valuable teams are, for the most part, WINNING teams… Teams with a history of winning championships…or of getting to the finals…
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..
Now let’s look at the bottom 10 – the LEAST valuable teams in the NBA:
21 Atlanta Hawks
22 Sacramento Kings
23 Los Angeles Clippers
24 Indiana Pacers
25 Charlotte Bobcats
26 New Jersey Nets
27 Minnesota Timberwolves
28 New Orleans Hornets
29 Memphis Grizzlies
30 Milwaukee Bucks
Wow – BIG SURPRISE…. mostly composed of LOSING franchises – with a history of losing and missing out on the Playoffs….
Seems to me, as an Owner in the NBA , if you want to increase the value of your team – you need to WIN… and Winning is not the same as penny-pinching…
Hopla’s Wizards salary would be as a flea on an Elephant – but the rewards would be many times the investment.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Depressing thought for the day
The Wizards have ten games between today and December 29th. Seven of those ten are on the road, including a four game West coast trip. A lot of those games are against teams that are below .500, so they should be games the Wizards should win. It gives the Wizards an opportunity to turn it around, perhaps their last opportunity. But will they?
So, the depressing thought: This season may be over before December ends.
God, I hope not
14-17 would look really good as a fresh start to the new year. Seven of those ten HAVE to be wins. They have to start pulling these close games out against the teams with less talent.
When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk - Tuco
by ravoriobulleterpitals on Dec 11, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions
Maybe sooner than that...
The team’s psyche is on the edge of the cliff — a few players already look like they’re beginning to accept losing and nobody looks like they expect to win…one more bad loss (Indiana) might be all it takes to shift the balance enough to push them over the edge, and I don’t think anyone on this team has the will to pull them back once they go over. The talent is there to turn things around. Arenas and Young in particular are confidence guys — they’ll take it to another level if the team starts winning. But it has to start now.
Some talent, but...
The team plays soft, their best player is immature and they play to level of the competition (but aren’t good enough to win in the clutch). Good coaching can’t rectify these issues.
The only bright spots for the future are Blatche and McGee, but the organization is fixated on winning now despite its many limitations so Blatche and McGee don’t play enough to develop to their full potential. But Blatche showed last night that he is already better than Rasheed, despite the equivalent of less than two full years in the NBA.
The Wiz’ other valuable assets are all of their expiring contracts. They ought to figure out a way to get a top point guard to grow with Blatche and McGee into a real contender.
It’s time to relegate the Big 3 to a smaller role.
Refs?
You have got to be kidding me! Gilbert missing those free throws was just completly unacceptable, and Caron missing his and then laughing about it was ridiculous. These guys have no sense of urgency. The weird thing about Eddie Jordan was that he was a terrible in-game coach, but the team always seemed confident. Not now. I thought Flip could run designed plays? That play at the end of the game was just pathetic. If Gilbert can’t make free throws and try to play defense, he has no hope of ever returning to the upper ranks of the league. He doesn’t even try! He should give Leonsis a refund on that $100 mil plus contract. I have always supported Gilbert, but he needs a reality check.
by Unselds on Dec 11, 2009 9:37 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
stephen a.
was at the game last night and look who showed up:
i made sure to ask him how the draft was.
i saw him last wiz game i went to as well
which was admittedly a couple of years ago. he was just walking by himself in the parking garage under the VC.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Dec 11, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
I sit behind the Wiz Bench
and when he is there standing near the tunnel entrance I yell “Howevvvva” repeatedly till he gets mad and goes and stands somewhere else. He’s even turned and given me the “Why are messing with me” look a couple of times. Haven’t seen him for awhile.
by BayAreaBullet on Dec 11, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
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