Andray Blatche is making an appearance at Summer League?

Really, guys. Really? He hasn't graduated Summer League yet?

over 2 years ago Mike Prada 35 comments 0 recs |

Comments

If he can’t break the starting lineup, he should be there.

by les boulez bomber on Jul 14, 2009 7:35 AM EDT reply actions

Good career move, Dray...

The young man barely made it through high school, but I think (with credit to Paul Simon) that he “can read the writing on the wall.”

I hope that (in addition to seeing if Heytfelt can play some) the Wizards “first string JV unit” of McGuire, McGee, Young, Critt and Blatche can put up big numbers and play decent defense in the two games they will have together

by khrabb on Jul 14, 2009 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Heh

He hasn’t graduated Summer League yet?

I know you watched games last season, so I know you know the answer to that question.

by Pryme on Jul 14, 2009 8:48 AM EDT reply actions

I really wish they traded him...

He seems Kwame 2.0, I hope I am wrong but thats been my gut feeling on him.

by Kuruption on Jul 14, 2009 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

Kind of impossible

Its kind of impossible for Andray to be Kwame 2.0 since he was only the 49th pick in the draft. Thus the expectations are vastly different than for Kwame. Salary’s much different also. I think we all have to conclude that Blatche has been quite productive for a mid to late second rounder. He’s a decent back up center/power forward who has potential to be a solid starter in the NBA. I’m a fan of his game and I hope he achieves his potential. He may never reach his potential but its unfair to label him as a bust nor to pin last year’s record on the fact that he likes to try the occasional behind the back pass.

by hotplate on Jul 14, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

completely agree. sometimes we get caught up in unrealized potential. but he still has time to develop before we have to make a real $$$ decision.

by les boulez bomber on Jul 14, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

If the man wants to work on his game

Then I am all for it. Plus I have read that Flips playbook is huge so maybe he needs a head start I know that this is his 5th year pro but he is still only 23 ( in August ). Which puts him at roughly his second year in the league if he had done 2-3 years in college.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 14, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions

Don't Dog on Him, Mike

Really, guys. Really? He hasn’t graduated Summer League yet?

What harm can come from him participating? This is good news, because it tells me that he still understands that his game is not good enough and that he still needs a lot of work. Working on your game during the offseason and attempting to get better at basketball should never be something that you “graduate” from.

"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 Jul 14, 2009 9:51 AM EDT reply actions

I agree. He is signed for the next three seasons for less than 3.5m per year. It is plenty of time for us to evaluate him. If he is not starting and playing consistent by then, you have to just let him go. Unless he can be packaged in a trade for a real, full time contributor in a push to the championship.

by les boulez bomber on Jul 14, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe, but

The skeptic in me thinks that “working on his game” really means “beating up on inexperienced competition”, “partying in Vegas” and “clowning around with Nick Young”.

by mfish on Jul 14, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Not that there's anything wrong with that

I’m amazed that the NBA would put the summer league in Vegas at all. My guess is that its more to attract media members to cover the NBA during its deadest time rather than a serious attempt at player development.

by hotplate on Jul 14, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 14, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

To take it a step further

I don’t really like the message it sends to him. Summer League is for the young guys with potential, not the veterans that are the true leaders of the team and whom the team is counting heavily on. By grouping Blatche with the youngsters, it’s encouraging him to only be as good as he has to be. where he really needs to understand that the team is counting heavily on him and he needs to step up to that challenge.

If I were the coach, I would leave one of my assistants home in DC and instruct him to work out with Blatche periodically during the week instead of sending him to Vegas. That way, he gets the message that he’s more important than his fellow youngsters, but he also is supervised and not simply loafing around.

Also, if there’s anything to the theory that Blatche sets a bad example for the other young kids (which I don’t think there is, but I don’t know), then putting him with them in Vegas doesn’t sound like a good way to deemphasize that.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 14, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed

I really don’t have much of a problem with Andray. He probably is what he is at this point — one of the better backup bigs in the league, a guy who can fill in for a few minutes at either the 4 or 5. Even if he never improves, we’ve hit a home run for a mid-second round pick.

The issue is, I think the only way he WOULD ever get any better is by getting himself in better shape. If he could build on his agility by adding some more quickness to his game, he could be a real force. I don’t think his time is best spent practicing Dream Shakes against undrafted college players — he should be in the weight room and on the tradmill.

by mfish on Jul 14, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Bing

frickin Go.

Andray,
Everybody knows that you will play well and put up points in Vegas. I don’t want you in the Vegas summer league. I’d rather have you in Westwood playing against other NBA veterans. Go to LA or Chicago, always known for the high level of summer ball. If you’re going to play against younger guys then go to a big man camp and at least compete against HUGE young guys that are getting the instruction you were too good for. Stop preparing for the highest level of basketball by shooting by yourself, or playing in Vegas against weaker competition. We get it, you’re the best 8th grader when playing 6th graders. You will never get better playing against inferior or inexperienced competition. Its time to up the difficulty level and see if you can handle it.

by Jheiser3 on Jul 14, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Last year, Blatche chose to go to Summer League. He asked the coaches if he could be a part of that group. I’m willing to bet it’s the same thing this year. Guys entering their fifth year don’t get sent to Summer League (Smush Parker being an exception, but he hasn’t been in the States in years). He’s going because it’s the only time of year he can feel superior to his competition and his teammates aren’t embarrassed by him.

by kseandoyle on Jul 14, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Summer league is for the Young Guys

but Nick Young and Mcguire are both a year older than Blatche. Blatche is no normal 4 year vet. Without maturity experience is completely useless and maturity is something he still lacks. He obviously was not prepared to make the jump out of HS and could have used some serious schooling at the college level. Hopefully the coaching staff can instill in him the proper work effort. If they feel that starts with a couple of summer league games then so be it. Blatche may be tenured in the league but he is definitely not part of the veteran core of this team either.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 14, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

it just might be as simple as he is still eligible to play. there is a new coach with a new system and after watching people work out a bit, he feels that the team would benefit by the second unit getting some game time experience together before the season starts and it all counts. after all, they are younger so presumably have a lower basketball IQ. this game time might help them understand the concepts he has been teaching them to date before he adds more complexity.

by les boulez bomber on Jul 14, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I had heard

that he was gonna make a “cameo.” I’m surprised he showed up this early. I figured he’d just show up for the last game. Maybe he’s finally growing up.

by CJHutch on Jul 14, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

DOG HIM

He shouldn’t be there. Last year was technically one year too long, but I supported him because he the way he talked about going, he sounded dedicated to living up to his potential and becoming an important member of our team. Then what happened? He got fat in between Summer League and the season. He put on a bunch of weight that he slowly took off throughout the year, and never showed himself to be a young leader on the team, which is exactly what going to Summer League should have turned him into. He has to go. I supported him for a long time, and I’m sick of him now.

by kseandoyle on Jul 14, 2009 11:35 AM EDT reply actions

i think that's a little harsh -

obviously he hasn’t fulfilled what most fans see as his potential – which could be pretty damn good. but for all of his flaws (work ethic, lack of consistency, off-court judgment) – he still has that potential, is young, fairly durable, plays a position of need, has a very reasonable contract, and doesn’t seem to be a negative influence on other young guys.
i can see being frustrated with him, but saying he has to go is quite a stretch, in my opinion.

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Jul 14, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm not saying cut him

I say trade him. Let someone else try to develop him and get someone who can perform now out of the trade. The way I see it, if he’s still going to Summer League in his fifth year, that means that he’s still a long way from reaching his potential. Trade him before his trade value plummets. I think we can still get something of relative value if we package him with Mike James in a trade. Sorry if I sound harsh, but this guy took a step down last year. His minutes went up, and yet his per 40 numbers pertinent to being a good big man almost all got worse — more turnovers(2.67/2.75), fewer rebounds (10.15/8.88), way fewer blocks (2.72/1.73). His shooting percentage stayed just about the same (47%), and his points per 40 went from 14.76 to 16.75. You might say that some of these are incremental changes and that his increase in points shows a positive. But on a team where points aren’t going to be shared very easily, I want a guy who isn’t getting incrementally worse at the skills that he needs to be a good role player for us. I need a big man who shoots better than 47%, protects the ball (big hands should not equal nearly 2 turnovers per game), and grabs boards. I don’t see him being a useful reserve for us this year, and I’m done with waiting for him to live up to his potential. EG should be shopping him now to see what value he’s got for us on the trade market.

by kseandoyle on Jul 14, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

These are all numbers

from a team that had19 wins, no coach and no point guard. How is a young big man supposed to be successful in those conditions. I guess he could have just become a stat-hog and just played for his numbers every night. Then we could all admire his " improvement " from last year.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 14, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah - i'm not inherently opposed to trading him

but ccrun makes a good point – last years stats and performance needs to at least be taken with a few grains of salt, and not just for blatche.
besides, unless they get a good big man back, they can’t afford to trade him, as he is apparently going to be relied on as the 1st big off the bench.

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Jul 14, 2009 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

With all the injuries we had

Blatche had an opportunity to step up and show his worth. D-Mac did that, and ended up starting 57 games. I think Blatche failed to recognize that he had a chance last year to assert himself as a valuable asset and an emerging leader last year. But you’re right, he is looking to be the first big off of the bench (unless we sign Oberto, or if McGee gets recognized by the new coaching staff). So we shouldn’t give him up if we aren’t getting a big man in return. But if we keep him, I don’t see him contributing much to the team this year, which will only make it harder and harder to get trade value out of him down the road. I believe he can be a very good player one day, Sixth Man of the Year candidate even. I also believe that he won’t ever be that guy. He’s naturally gifted, but not enough to be as lazy as he is. All that being said, I want nothing more than for him to prove me wrong.

by kseandoyle on Jul 14, 2009 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn't

be terribly upset if they traded him. He has had every opportunity to fulfill his potential. There is no way Songalia should enter the game before Blatche, but it happened time and again. He just hasn’t shown the desire to get better.

Those are the pro’s for trading him, now here are the cons:

He’s still only 23 years old, so he still can mature. He DOES contribute, just not to his potential. And, the biggest reason, his contract is so cheap that we will NOT get equal value in a trade. We would have to take on a bigger contract.

by CJHutch on Jul 14, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

James

He could always be packaged with Mike James or somebody else in order to get equal value.

by lj15 on Jul 14, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions

but

you need a trade partner. Teams do their homework. Blatche’s career stats are roughly 7ppg and 4 1/2 rebounds. WE know he can do than that. What we don’t know is if he WILL DO better. But we have the time in with him, and he’s relatively cheap. Meaning if he gets to his even near his ceiling, he will be a real bargain. If he gets to the end of his deal and is still not productive, then you let him walk.

Now, I’m not saying you don’t listen to trade offers for him. But you still have to factor in his potential, because he can still get there. And if you don’t think so, ponder this: Do you like Hedo Turkoglu? Similar positions and playing styles, right? Well Blatches numbers in this, his 4th year, were better than Turkoglu’s in his 4th year. With the shambles Sacramento has been in, you don’t think they wish they would’ve held on to him a little longer?

by CJHutch on Jul 14, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

that is also very much a reflection of the coaching staff. flip seems much more serious and more likely to not reward that unacceptable behavior. what is he 21? he is going to do what almost all 21 year olds do, get away with what they can- especially when the pay is guaranteed

by les boulez bomber on Jul 14, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

that is also very much a reflection of the coaching staff.

Not necessarily that the coaching staff let him get away with stuff, just that they didn’t really pay attention. I think they were much more focused on the veterans. That’s why AJ and Caron had to be the ones to lay down the law in the locker room.

As for Blatche himself, and Young probably as well, it’s true they are both still maturing, but wouldn’t it be nice if they had McGuire’s attitude and work ethic? Why do we always end up with the talented guys who have no work ethic?

by CJHutch on Jul 14, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Why do we always end up with the talented guys who have no work ethic?

Arenas, Jamison, Butler, McGee, McGuire, Critt, DSteve, Haywood. Some pretty good work ethics guys in there.

by MR on Jul 14, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

okay okay

I was being a little dramatic. I mainly mean Kwame and Blatche, and Young to a lesser extent. And I meant guys with SPECIAL talent. Sorry, that doesn’t include McGuire, Critt, Stevenson and not even Haywood. They all got where they are from hard work moreso than talent.

by CJHutch on Jul 14, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions