A Summer League Game: Wizards Game 50 Blog vs. Denver Nuggets
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 7:29 AM EST
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Antawn Jamison has no hope.
Crittenton gets the start for Butler....and not Nick Young. Mike James, Songaila, Jamison and McGuire are hanging too.
Q1
11:51: Jamison takes it on the Chauncey Billups mismatch and over Nene to start. Man, that guy has no quit (until he gets on defense).
Small Wiz lineup tells us that Denver is switching on all ball screens...so says Hubie Brown.
9:27: Hey Crittenton hits a two...doesn't look like he gets a ton of lift on his shot though. 6-4 Wizards.
Dahntay Jones is killing Mike James to start.....all 2-point jumpers. He has Denver's first 6 points.
Grandpa Hubie says that 12 Wizards losses by 6 points or less points is "encouraging"
8:16: Jones is just jumping right over James and nailing Js....hasn't even dribbled yet. 4-4 FGs - 10-8 Nuggets.
Fast-Paced start to the game -- each team has 14 with 5:30 left....Wiz are moving the ball well. Mike James' D is meh.
4:00: Jamison gets a dunk.....an Mike James gets a trey. What is this I hear? Cheers from the 8K in the Verizon? Wiz up 21-14.
Of course, the Wiz have had a couple careless turnovers....to be expected I suppose.
2:54: Carmelo J and then back to back dunks by K-Mart and Birdman....Hubie calls Jamison out for taking a bad shot. Just like that, it's 21-20 Wiz.
Anthony dunk....easy when he's allowed to get position down low. That's three jams in a row.
ESPN goes 'inside the huddle' - Tapscott has to remind his team that the keys are defense and driving the ball....our team is led by the Captain of the USS Obvious. Then again, guess you have to remind the young guys....even though these are basic principles of basketball.
0:19: Uh oh...Hubie calls Dominc McGuire out for body language after he got an offensive foul called against him....it was a good call, he had his arm out on 'Melo.
16-2 Nuggets run to close the first.....30-23 Denver.
Q2
15 consecutive Nugget points after Pecherov fouls Birdman for two FTs.....things got a little testy on that one two. I'm not sure who would win between Big Oily and the B-Man. 35-23 Denver.
10:56: McGee fade...bucket. Man, that guy will take the toughest shots.....he ain't passing the ball out the post.
10:17: Anderson dunk...McGee's man.
10:00: McGee bad off-balance double clutch shot, miss. That's cool....get yours kid.
Great, the youth are playing.....but how does that help their development when they can't be made to care and are playing for themselves?
9:36: Nuggets have 6 dunks so far.
The Wiz look like they're trying to hustle on offense......but not on the other half of the court.
7:11: Dunks, dunks, dunks.
New Slogan: Character, Commitment, Connection, Hanging of Heads.
Wiz taking a pickup game attitude...playing for self (it's as if I can't iterate this enough). Way to go Tapscott
6:15: Ha! Ha! Funny guys.....good one! (every player on the Wizards bench NOT in uniform is laughing at something.....the rest look grim as all get out) 49-35 Nuggets
5:18: Dom McGuire with a nice oop dunk from Dixon.
Kleiza drives it right down Jamison's throat from the corner for a bucket.....Jamison then, a bit off balance, pushed McGee out of his way. Guess it's the Rooks fault that your defense stinks likeBigfoot's D*ck. 51-35 Nugs.
Hubie Brown is calling out McGee for going soft on Nene.....C'mon kid, get some viagra or something. So what if you get a foul....if you don't get physical, Nene's gonna keep rolling over you. (Good point by Grandpa Hubie)
Layup drill by Nugs.
Please, get rid of Tapscott and get a coach who will whip these soft MFs into shape!!!!
0:34.9: Hey....Crittenton takes a give and go from AJ and dunks it...nice work kid.
Wiz had the ball with 9 seconds left...can't even get off a shot. 68-48 Denver at the half.
NINE (9) DENVER DUNKS AT HALF.
Q3
Granted, the Wizards 2nd unit consists of four players (Young, Pecherov, McGee and Dixon), but they are 2-14 from the field with 5 points. In contrast, the Nuggets 2nd unit is 12-18 with 31 points.
10:28: Songaila traveled....K-Mart slapped the shit out of his arm anyway.....god I wish that D-Song would smack the hell out of that arrogant S.O.B.
"Right now they're just running a drill" -Hubie Brown after a lob dunk for Denver. 78-50 Nuggets.
Any team that loses to the Wizards for the rest of the season should be ashamed of themselves.
7:09: McGee gave a fairly hard foul to Martin. Unfortunately, he got scared and tried to help Martin up. NO KID NO!! It doesn't matter if it was an unjust hard foul...you WALK AWAY. Don't ever show a soft/regretful side...eff K-Mart. Martin swatted McGee's arm away and let some of his teammates help him up.
Of course, Hubie wants the Wiz to commit "tough" fouls...they only have 9 players.
6:16: D-Mac gets another dunk...good look by Dixon. 84-57 Nugs.
Hubie does like that McGee is a bit more active in the 3rd.
3:30: Game is still happening and stuff. Dixon's FTs make it 95-63 Denver.
Disappointed in the boo birds at Verizon.....guess the place is so empty, you can't really hear them. Quarter ends with Denver up 102-70.
Q4
These are some of the laziest passes I've ever seen.
Excuse the infrequency (not sure why I'm apologetic)...I'm game blogging, twittering, game thread commenting, and putting butter on bread (no, really, I am) at the same time.....oh, and drinking...not that that's encourage by BF.
10:39: JR Smith hits a shot.....Nick Young gets called by Grandpa Hubie out for not even trying to step out on him. 104-72 Denver.
9:37: Young pass to Opec for three! Wiz down 104-75.
9:13: Jamison coming back in? Huh? -- Guess he's got to give others a rest. Eff 'em.
Nick Young is proving that he can be down 30 or so points, and be the only one taking shots..and score. Good for him, he's got 13.
7:00: Pam McGee ain't happy. At least she's not Iverson's mom...wearing her son's jersey and sh*t....or even LeBron's mom (we all know how she acted a fool).
5:49: Nick Young trey.....more good for him. 113-87 Wiz.
5:27: Nick Young gun miss.
Ball movement is zippo.
3:24: Crittenton is great in the open floor......Hubie Brown noticed that at Ga Tech.
Other guy (than Hubie) just relates that the Nugs were getting involved in the wave. Classy. They then show it on ESPN....it was K-Mart....What. A. Dick.
1:44: Pecherov....splash. 122-99 Nugs.
And we get reminded that the Nugs were down 7 midway through the 1st....and then were up by 7 after 1.
0:11.9: Nick Young getting his ya'll - 20 garbage points.
The final is an obscene 124-103 Nuggets -- and that score was much closer than the game actually was.
NBA.com Box Score
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Jamison's comments after the game:
“It was embarrassing,” Antawn Jamison said. "It’s embarrassing to play at home and get booed by your fans. Time after time. The coaches are doing a great job telling us what to expect, what we need to do and certain guys don’t take it the way they need to take it. For me, it’s getting frustrating. To not protect the paint, not protect your teammates. On one end of the floor, you’re a superstar but when it comes to competing and doing the things that take to win, you don’t sacrifice for the team. That’s frustrating.
More Jamison: “Honestly, I thought some of my guys were scared to be out there playing tonight. What are you supposed to do?”
It’s obvious to me that he’s talking about Young and McGee.
Oh yeah, I’m sure the coaches are doing a fantastic job — especially on defense.
To me, Jamison always plays hard — on offense. Who exactly do the young Wizards have to learn from on the defensive side of the ball? Not Arenas. Not Jamison. Not Butler. Maybe Haywood, except he hasn’t played this season.
Because of the team’s defensive philosophy to routinely collapse on post players, shooters are left wide open time and time again. McGuire or Crittenton might be the team’s best on-the-ball defender, but you rarely get to see that because other players are almost basically left by themselves to shoot at will. Players like Willie Green and Dahntay Jones, who barely ever score lots of points, look like all stars against the Wiz.
Not only that, but when teams run a basic pick-and-roll, the Wizards look like it’s something they’ve never seen before, and guys on the other team roll to the basket with ease. Are the Wizards really that far off in talent level, even with all of the injuries?
I’m all for playing the young guys and getting them minutes, but I just don’t know what else can be done with this team. They didn’t give any effort in the Nuggets’ game after the 1st quarter. Playing hard shouldn’t have to be taught by the coaching staff.
When you make “The Birdman” look like the second coming of Dominique Wilkens, a move or a change needs to be made. I’m not sure I, or many other Wiz fans (if they’re still watching), can take much more of this awful, awful basketball.
by Matt K. on Feb 7, 2009 8:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I haven’t seen EVERY game this season, but I’ve seen most. To me that was the low point (did I forget anything?).
I’ve got to agree with AJ. Guys looked scared.
McG FINALLY showed a little muscle and guts and knocked the completely classless, preening, hanging-on-the-rim Martin down…AND HE GOES TO HELP HIM UP!
To me this game should put an end to the concept that the “young” guys would win more games than the “vets” would.
by MR on Feb 7, 2009 9:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
It keeps sticking out i my head....
…when McGee tried to help up Kenyon Martin after fouling him.
Not a sign of toughness…..but he’ll learn.
But on who should play…..
I mean, it’s tough…..maybe Tapscott should go with whomever he thinks is playing the best, young or old — granted, it’s kinda hard with only 9 players.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 10:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Unfair
10:39: JR Smith hits a shot…..Nick Young gets called by Grandpa Hubie out for not even trying to step out on him. 104-72 Denver.
I think Grandpa had an Alzheimer’s moment there.
Go back and look at the tape (old school) on that one. Smith caught the ball outside the 3-point line. He faked…Nick jumped out to contest… Smith dribbled once, let Young go by, and shot a 2-pointer.
Hubie can call out Nick for poor defense…. he could say he was schooled….. he could even say he should have fouled him (although then there’s a 70% chance of Smith making 3 Free Throws, versus a 43% chance of a 2-point shot) ………… but it’s not fair to say he didn’t even try…
To be honest, I thought Nick did a satisfactory job on that play – he ran Smith off the 3-point line, and made him shoot an open, but long 2-point shot… And as everyone here knows, I think that 3-point defense is one of the (if not THE) biggest problems for the Wizards on Defense.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 7, 2009 11:52 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Huh?
Instead of properly closing out on the shooter, Nick just went the matador route.
Run guys off the three point line, but don’t run past them.
Trust me, I watched the play again too, and what I saw was bad defense.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
When NY entered the game
the offensive flow stopped. He seemed incapable of passing.
I turned off the travesty after the 3rd quarter so I didn’t see his garbage time points, but prior to that he looked like he was on his own team.
by MR on Feb 7, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bad defense, or bad effort
I also saw that play again. Nick closed out on Smith’s shooting hand side…. and went past. That’s standard 3-point defense. Go up on the shooting hand. Maybe he closed out too hard…. maybe he didn’t turn around and come back from behind… BUT HE DID CLOSE OUT ON THE SHOOTER.
Again – I think it’s fair to question his defensive strategy….. You can question his defensive position……. You can even question his judgement….. But why does everything boil down to questioning “effort”
– when that’s the single hardest thing to determine…. Especially by fans, watching the game on a Television set.
Hubie said Young did not even try to step out…. That is a flat out incorrect statement. A false statement. A canard. A Lie!
I didn’t hear Hubie call out Jamison for the 27 times his man just went around him, while he stood like a central park statue. How come nobody is questioning Jamison’s “effort”… Because he scored 26 points? Is that what it takes?
Why didn’t anyone at ESPN question Mike James’ “effort”…. The guy should be wearing a Traje de Luces and montera as often as he allowed Dahntay Jones and Anthony Carter to go around him and through the lane. They went a combined 11-15 for 26 points.
And while we’re at it, why are Pecherov and McGee the only ones willing to give a hard foul inside, when Denver is tramping through the lane like it’s the Yellow Brick Road, dunking every other play? Jamison and Songaila issuing the requisite “AND ONE” slap on the arm as their opponents go by…………………
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 7, 2009 3:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Look......
This ain’t about those other dude’s effort….it was shitty too. But this is about that one play…so let’s not get convoluted.
But when you close out on shooters, you also STAY IN FRONT OF THEM.
Nick Young CLEARLY did not do that.
It was BAD DEFENSE.
Enough said.
Case closed.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Right, exactly
I don’t think Truth was talking about effort. Maybe Hubie was, but it’s not exactly easy to differentiate between effort and execution in real time on a broadcast. We have the benefit of time to think about it a little more.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Feb 7, 2009 6:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And "standard" three-point defense
Is not to go past the man.
I’m not sure where you got that from…..but you are welcome to enlighten me.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
3-point defense
In the case where you’re not within easy reach of the shooter, ie: you have to close hard, …. that’s usually 2-3 steps, depending on the defender’s speed, quickness, etc…
If you’re a step away, you simply go up with the shooter, with a hand up in the face. If you’re further away, you need to drive hard at the shooter.
If you drive hard, directly at the shooter, you’ll foul em… then it’s 3 Free Throws…
Standard defense, in that case is to contest the shot, slightly from the side… the shooting hand side. That way, if you contest hard, you don’t run into the shooter.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 7, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
AND YES
you can call what Young did “BAD DEFENSE” if you want…. call it “POOR POSITIONING”……. call it “POOR SCHEME”…… whatever
And you and I may still have a friendly disagreement…. because I’d rather see JR Smith shoot an open, long 2-point shot RATHER than a 3-pointer; but you are entitled to your opinion. And you may be right… Maybe it would have been better to run right at the guy while he’s shooting a 3-point shot…. or make him earn 3 the “hard” way at the FREE THROW line. Or, how about this for an entirely new 3-point defensive concept: stop sagging and stay closer to the shooter to begin with !!!!!!!!!!
BUT my biggest beef is about the “effort” connotation. You cannot say he “didn’t try” to contest the shot. Well………… you CAN say it, but you’d be lying. That play had NOTHING to do with “effort”, or lack thereof.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Feb 7, 2009 6:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ok.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 7:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Veterans
Despite the ugly loss Ed Tapscott said “I think that there are some things that are developing. As long as there were some veterans on the floor, we were playing good and we were competing. However, I cannot play all the veterans for the entire 48 minutes.”
by morethesamewiz on Feb 7, 2009 1:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
And Mike Jones calls him out on that.
What exactly those positive developments were tonight, it’s hard to tell. Even the veteran players were giving up easy drives to the basket and failing to look for their opponents.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It Dot Net
by Truth About It on Feb 7, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Mike Jones is my hero
Finally, a beat reporter called out Taps’ crap.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Feb 7, 2009 6:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Though, to be fair, so did Ivan
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Feb 7, 2009 6:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Injuries
The team is getting worse because Stevenson, Butler, and Blatche are out with injuries.
by designer on Feb 7, 2009 4:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Yeah there's been a drop in effort
So what. The team sucks, half the squad is injured, and their leader (Eddie Jordan) was cut loose for not being able to pull off a miracle.
I mean, they SHOULD be giving more effort, but it’s been a long draining season. I can’t fault the players for not having a pep in their step every game.
Lifts glass — Here’s to getting refreshed during the All-Star break and getting back the one player who could bring a light to this dark dark tunnel.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Feb 7, 2009 5:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
draining season
yea, playing a kids game for a living, 5-star hotels, massuses, groupies, people asking for your autograph. tough f*&ing life. if jamison wants to trade his lot for my cubicle, he’s got a f*&&ing deal.
by stevie on Feb 7, 2009 10:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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