"I tried to harp on him from day one, about professionalism and preparing yourself to be successful, and that starts, not when you step in the gym, but prior to that. And that's lifting weights, taking care of your body, preparing your body, understanding scouting reports and knowing what they are going to do to you," Saunders said. "I think prior, when we had Caron and Antawn, he never really took that to heart. 'It really doesn't matter what I do.' When those guys left, I think he understood. All of a sudden he's lifting more. He's quiet in the locker room. And all of a sudden his game has coincided with improving with that. He's understanding that as you prepare, you prepare to win and you prepare to lose and he's preparing himself to be successful."
almost 2 years ago
Mike Prada
27 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Finally
I watched the Nets game and I have to say, I have been extremely happy with the energy level and overall quality of entertainment we’ve had on the floor lately.
This stands out in Lee’s article:
Blatche is also the only NBA player to score 36 or more points, with 15 or more rebounds, four or more assists, two or more steals and two or more blocked shots in a game this season. The last player to reach those numbers was Al Jefferson, who had 36 points, 22 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks on Feb. 7, 2009.
Blatche is averaging 26.6 points and 11.7 rebounds in the first seven games since the all-star break, which is a startling development..
Some have said three or four games was too small of a sample size, but seven games seems like a solid trend. I know there are Blatche doubters out there, waiting for him to fall back into his inconsistent play. Sure, he might have a game or two like that.
oops..the last sentence is mine, not Lee's...and i meant to finish with...
But I think AB will finish out the season averaging 20-plus PPG and 10- RPG in the stretch of games since the All-Star break.
by CVC on Mar 1, 2010 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
When given the opportunity....
Blatche stepped up. Yes, we can talk about “before the trade” but frankly, now is what matters….. I was at the Jersey game & I wanted to scream PUT THE TEAM ON YOUR BACK BLATCHE…. Just like I used to scream about Butler… But clearly Blatche did not need to be reminded that we needed him to produce…
This makes a lot of sense
I mean, ideally he’d be a gym rat with a great work ethic no matter what, but I can see him thinking "no matter what I do, I’m gonna have 10-15 minutes behind the “big 3.” Now he’s the guy and he has a chance to make a real name for himself… not a lot of players in the league step up to being “the guy” on a bad team as well as he is.
by sierradave on Mar 1, 2010 6:17 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Yes
We can blame Blatche for this if we want, but the fact of the matter is that Andray was being held back by the “Big 3”, whether it was their constant criticism of his game, their criticism of his maturity, or just the lack of confidence he had playing behind them and knowing that he would get pulled at the first sign of a mistake. (Gil pooping in his shoe probably didn’t help his confidence.) After all, there were only so many minutes to be had behind Jamison. Now that they are all gone, Blatche plays with a lot more confidence, and that can go a long way in this league.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Actually
I think that the leadership AJ showed is what Blatche had to demonstrate now that AJ is gone. I give AJ a lot of credit that we now have a mature, professional Blatche.
by MR on Mar 1, 2010 9:54 PM EST up reply actions
Too bad we couldn't have done this last year
and had a mature, professional Blatche, a monster rebounder in Blair, another year of development under the belt of JaVale McGee, and Ricky Rubio (or Brandon Jennings, or Stephen Curry)…. PLUS $25 Million in cap room this summer for chasing Free Agents…
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
well, unfortunately, i think abes health had a lot to do with the direction the team took these past few years. i cant blame him because he has been a good owner even though he could not put together a team in 20 years- lol
i am excited for ted…i think once this gets rebuilt, we will have a respectful team most years with the chance to maybe win one :-)
by les boulez bomber on Mar 2, 2010 12:09 AM EST up reply actions
Going back on my word....
So… just how many times did Flip FLIP on the the Big 3? he waited until all THREE were no longer near the Verizon ctr to talk about now having guys that can take directions & are open to learning from the coaching staff….
by 2StepsAway on Mar 1, 2010 6:47 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good Point
I think Flip would like to be able to take more control over an NBA team, but realizes that it doesn’t work like that in the NBA. Coaches who come down too hard on the star players of an NBA team develop reputations like Scott Skiles or Avery Johnson as dictators who the players eventually phase out. So instead, he bitches to the media about his stars, but in short, vague references without confronting them or benching them. Then when they leave, he feels more free to openly criticize them.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Not true...remember Flip's barrage in December
“This team needs a mindset change. This team for the last five years has been known as one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and until we make a commitment…” Saunders said, stopping himself short before hunkering down in front of the microphone. "We couldn’t stop anybody out there. We could’ve taken five guys out of this room and they would’ve had a chance. …
Yeah Flip's publicly gotten on everyone this year
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
he is a good coach. hope he stays!
by les boulez bomber on Mar 2, 2010 12:11 AM EST up reply actions
flip is ruining nick young he needs to get him in the game and let him
do what he does flip is wasting the best baller in this team….
"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 Mar 1, 2010 11:43 PM EST up reply actions
i think ny needs to take a page from ab’s book and make a commitment to improve before he gets sig more minutes. the stars aligned for andray and he is making the most of the situation, but it started with a commitment last summer which he obviously followed through on. that commitment was made before he was promised more minutes- and in fact, had no reason to expect them. nick needs to do the same. the minutes are there for him to earn and i think flip would love to give them to him. he has talent. he needs focus and effort now. the clock is ticking for him because there are not many teams in the nba that can offer him a starting 2 spot right now if he steps up and takes it.
by les boulez bomber on Mar 2, 2010 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
andray learned how to play like a big
young needs to learn how to pass. i don’t see it happening.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Mar 2, 2010 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
Flip won me over when he ripped his team's defense
"This team needs a mindset change. This team for the last five years has been known as one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and until we make a commitment…" Saunders said, stopping himself short before hunkering down in front of the microphone. "We couldn’t stop anybody out there. We could’ve taken five guys out of this room and they would’ve had a chance. …
Make sure you link whenever you excerpt material like that
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
I have been surprised and impressed by this version of Dray
I would never have expected this out of him. I am not shocked, we have all seen the potential for years. But I am slightly surprised by his recent success. But defenses are going to start watching his tape and studying his scouting report. People are going to start learning his tendencies, that go-to spin move of his, for instance, can quickly be turned into an easy way to draw a charge for the defense. And he is going to start experiencing defensive pressure and double teams that he isn’t used to seeing at the NBA level. But as long as he keeps working hard and keeps his head on straight, I am confident that he has the skills to make all star teams and beat the Cavs, in playoff series, Gilbert arenas as his sidekick ;) for years to come.
Let it snow- ping-pong balls, from the heavens.
by returnofswagger on Mar 1, 2010 10:59 PM EST reply actions
He Needs to Adjust as Well
I think he adjusted after the Grizzlies game and started outlet passing more from the post. It’s a learning curve, but I think he has the talent to still be productive despite the increased defensive pressure he is likely to face.
One sign of hope – both Miller and Foye are catching and shooting the 3 more the past couple of games. Having Blatche demand double-teams in the post will continue to open up 3 pointers for our perimeter guys.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
Like I said:
Blatche attracting doubleteams is an awesome development!
Not only will it open up threes, it will also open up cutting lanes as well as backside oops to lemonhead. In short, having an effective efficient low post scoring option makes everyone on your team much better. Its a ‘whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ thing.
And to top it all off
he’s already a very good passer! So once he has enough in-game experience dealing with double teams, and he can quickly identify who should be open based on which direction the doubleteam is coming from, this team will benefit immensely.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bullets Forever
Related FanShots on Bullets Forever
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
