Andray Blatche calls himself a "finesse player," says he "doesn't see results" from his lifting
by Mike Prada on Jan 7, 2011 2:43 PM EST
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PrintAndray Blatche called into the Mike Wise Show earlier today to defend himself against a legion of callers than criticized him angrily. In the process, he said a bunch of things that make you wonder what's going on in his head.
For example, he did something I don't think I've really heard a professional athlete do: he admitted he's a "finesse" player.
"If anybody watched me grow into this team and into this league, they'd know that I've never been a back-to-the-basket, bang-bang down player. I'm more of a face-up and a finesse player. That's who I am. I can't force myself to be a different player that I'm not."
Kind of a weird admission, but hey, I guess he's being honest. The natural follow-up question here is whether that's the same thing as being soft. It's not, according to Blatche.
"A finesse player is going to be called soft, so it don't bother me much. But I'm far from soft. Everybody's entitled to their own opinion."
That doesn't exactly inspire confidence. You know what else doesn't inspire confidence? Blatche admitting that he's really not seeing results out of this weight lifting.
"I lift. When I do lift, I'm the type of person where I don't see results at all ... I've tried everything. I got a chef so I could start getting as healthy as I could eat, but I don't know what it is. I'm trying."
"My coaches and Ernie are very supportive. If my jump shot is flowing, then they have no problem with it, but if it's in a slump right now, they tell me to focus on being around the rim, which I have no problem with at all because right now I'm slumping."
- Blatche said that the incident at Shadow Room was a shouting match, not a fight. He said he was trying to convince JaVale McGee to leave, but he didn't want to initially and it was just a small argument. "People did their jobs and boosted the whole story up."
- Blatche on his critics: "It's easy to criticize me off what you're seeing me on the court, because you don't see me telling the guys what to do when I can .... "They focus on me missing shots. They don't see all the other little things I do. They just go out and worry about me getting 30, when I can affect the game other than scoring." That's not the criticism I've heard, personally. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Later, he said this: "Coming after Antawn, Gilbert and Caron, all being great scorers, this city, that's what they expect. That's what they want from players. I guess they see what I did last year and think that's what I'm capable of doing, but I just need to continue to work at it and get out of this shooting slump." Weird response.
- Blatche on Gilbert Arenas: "It's tough for me to say. To me, it's just Gilbert being the Gilbert I met when I was a rookie. It's just that it's a new day and age, and some of the stuff he does he can't do now because of his situation. But to me, he's been the same guy since I've been here." He then said Rashard Lewis is much more professional than Arenas and that he reminds him of Antawn Jamison. When asked who the leaders are, he said Lewis and Josh Howard.
- Finally, Blatche had this to say about the team: "Our record shows that we're a bad team, but we're not a bad team. I mean, every game we lose, it's in the fourth quarter. There's only one game we actually got blown out. All the other games, we're in it til the end, until we make critical young mistakes. If it weren't for the young mistakes, we'd have won half those games." The Wizards have lost eight games by 15 or more points this season.
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this is really weird
I started watching the Wiz this year because of John Wall.
I’m still learning basketball as a grandma but what is Dray
thinking? Finesse? Good defense? Not a bad team?
WOW
time to go
Blatche’s head is up his arse! He has lost (if he ever had) all sense of reality and what his team, and Bullets fans expect from him. He has never taken responsibility for his game and his personal issues and I feel his days are numbered…
Now will EG mess it up and trade him for a couple mediocre players who will be gone in a year… we’ll see.
Happy new year ya’ll.
crush our enimies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their women!
Le Bullet - where being a fan isn't easy, but at least we have lots of cool scars to show for it.
A finesse 4?
Who needs a finesse 4 who plays bad defense and shoots 42%? Mike’s repeated use of the word weird to describe the interview is apt. How can they trade this guy?
Andray Blatche is being shopped for a reason.
First of all, I’ve been lifting for a very long time and I know that if you aren’t seeing results it’s because a) you’re on a bad diet or b) you aren’t pushing yourself enough or c) you’re not working out consistently (Every other day) so pick your poison, if you aren’t seeing results it’s because you’re doing one of those things.
Second of all, I was really happy that Blatche “emerged” last year and I was really optimistic we had one piece of the puzzle in place, but in hindsight everything is 20/20 right? He doesn’t seem to be stepping up mentally or physically on the court if you look at his +/- ratio usually it’s on the negative side. For the most part he is just a scorer and he’s far from an efficient shooter, he’s very streaky, and he’s a huge liability in terms of defense usually you see him give up easy shots. As far as off the court, he’s not providing our younger guys with a proper example of how a true professional acts, when you see Josh Howard he really exemplifies what a leader is.
Third of all, we either need a new GM or Grunfeld needs to step his game up and trade him to the Cavs for Varejao.
Dear Passionate fan, I know you are passionate, but please reply with a logical answer or I will ignore you.
Why would the Cavs give up Varejao for Blatche?
I have a hard time believe that there is a market for Blatche that’s going to get us much more than salary relief.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
Wishful thinking...
(Sigh). Hey on the bright side we’ll have a Top 5 Pick this year, although I’d rather just have momentum going into next season and a Top 10 Pick.
Dear Passionate fan, I know you are passionate, but please reply with a logical answer or I will ignore you.
by TerpsAllTheWay on Jan 7, 2011 6:54 PM EST up reply actions
Emergence
Was really based on his final contract year (ok, if you want to install the injuries as well so be it), AB doesn’t have the discipline to become better and it shows on the defensive front the majority of his career and also his insistance of being a perimeter 4, hopefully EG can ship him for another player and some DRAFT PICKS to compliment the Zards!
Agreed.
I really liked him at the beginning of the year, but it’s comparable to when you’re a kid and you get that present you really wanted and it doesn’t turn out to be what you thought it was originally. I really hope EG redeems himself going forward because right now I’m very critical of him. The Arenas move was a step in the right direction.
Dear Passionate fan, I know you are passionate, but please reply with a logical answer or I will ignore you.
by TerpsAllTheWay on Jan 8, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Honestly
A “finesse player” seems like a way of excusing laziness. Blatche, as I’ve written before, seems like he wallows in a bathtub of Cheetos while watching reruns of Power Rangers.
How much of this is on the Wizards’ training staff? As a naturally (and seriously) skinny guy who, after many years of struggle, managed to pack on and get to where I’ve always wanted, I can say it’s about educating yourself about the interrelatedness of diet and training. How is that the training staff does not fully educate the athletes? And if they do already, why does the coaching staff permit them not to practice what is preached? I know these are kids, but if they are kids, treat em like them. Set demands.
And yes it’s time for him to go. And if he does go, and he goes to a team with the balls to demand something out of him, to demand that he commit himself as a professional multi-million dollar athlete, then we’ll see the real Andray Blatche. And unfortunately that culture isn’t here. Shame on Andray Blatche and shame on the entire Washington coaching staff, training room, and front office. We get these players because we allow these players. We do not have anything resembling a winning culture. And you can have a winning culture even as you lose.
by ryasch on Jan 7, 2011 3:10 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Oh boy.
I mean I knew he didn’t have a filter after he said he was kinda bothered by the trade rumors… But sometimes its best to keep your mouth shut…
I like the P90X comment
it proves that Blatche doesn’t watch much late night television.
The program works though.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
or a supplement or something
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Jan 7, 2011 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
i think ur putting too much faith in his intellegence
i dont think he knows what a math equation looks like…
I dont care what the D.N.A. Says, the Guy wearing number 12 Cannot be Kirk Hinrich, he is definetly Kurt. Kirk can actually play basketball!
I bet he's familair with "5 x $6,000,000= $30,000,000"
And apparently he knew how to cancel out agent fees in the equation.
Weird? Very. Bad? I'm not so sure.
None of us are in the weight room, so its tough to judge how much effort he’s really putting in. Maybe he’s like Kevin Durant, or Hakeem Warrick, a tall dude that just doesnt get big.. It’s nice to hear that he’s hired a chef though, at least he’s trying to change his eating habits.
That being said, having a skinny 4 isn’t good, and if bulking up is something that he cant do, its imperative for the team, and for his career that he finds a way to be effective at that size.
In terms of defense, he seems to be echoing what Gilbert said in his interview, that the coaches are telling the players to sag off, and prevent the drive. His general effort and team-mentality has been much better since the trade rumors, so his comments about “all the other little things hold some weight”
I have to commend him for having the guts to go live on air, and face all the people who have been criticizing him. Most athletes avoid answering questions that are aimed at make them look bad. Doing the interview took a lot of balls (or ignorance). He probably should have kept his mouth shut though.
i had a little bit of the same reaction
he didn’t end up doing himself any favors, but hey, he cares enough to call in and state his case. in the end this kind of thing does not matter to me. just get better results on the court.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Jan 7, 2011 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
The Wizards have lost eight games by 15 or more points this season.
Yeah but half the time, theyre only down by like 5 points (or even tied) when the bottom falls out. But OTOH closing is kinda the definition of a good team…
The coaches don’t have a problem with my defense
Well you have to admit they don’t ever mention it…
I didn't mind the comments about defense at all
I have no idea whether he’s doing what he’s been told, but I agree with him that fans frequently have a hard time understanding defense. One of the easiest ways for a player to look absolutely foolish is to be playing within the team concept when other players aren’t.
“Great” defense seems a bit of an exaggeration, but I can also kind of give him the benefit of the doubt since, as you point out, the coaches aren’t exactly benching him or calling him out on his defense.
Soft
People see what they want to see – being a finesse player, guess George Gervin was one of those or perhaps Dr J was one – neither played with their back to the basket and neither played defense worth a lick. You people keep looking for the perfect 4 instead of appreciating what Blatche does offer – good rebounding and deacent scoring. When you can trade him for an All-Star let me know. In the meanting appreciate that he is a good player that would be excellent on a good team, he is not the promised land and he will not lead you their. But for that matter neither will John Wall until he gets a better feel for the pro game.
by poppalaw on Jan 7, 2011 3:20 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
The goal is to get the basket in the hoop without missing and protect your basket. He does not protect his own rim, he misses too many shots, and he has a habit of making the most boneheaded plays at the most inopportune times. He’s not but so bad a player and he can have some value, but now that we’ve got Rashard as another scoring forward, it’s time for us to put a grind guy to bang and cover Javale’s back. Either move Blatche to the second unit or move him out of town. I don’t care which one.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
I don't see a whole lot wrong with what Blatche
I’ve read this summary and I’m fine with what Blatche said. First, let me say I think Blatche needs to lose weight. He’s needs to have a KG type body to be effective with a quick first step. However, he’s being honest. I like that.
He says ""If anybody watched me grow into this team and into this league, they’d know that I’ve never been a back-to-the-basket, bang-bang down player. I’m more of a face-up and a finesse player. That’s who I am."
That’s true. He can improve on his rebounding, but he may never be the under the basket player.
He says he’s lifting, but not seeing results. I can buy that. He goes on to say he’s trying. What more can you ask for.
His comments on defense sounds true. They’re being taught to do certain things on defense. Go to certain spots etc… I can live with that.
Plus, if he’s talking to talk radio people about the Wizards he’s fighting a losing battle. The host and callers don’t have a clue about what’s going on with the Wizards.
Yeah but to be honest, neither do we.
The host and callers don’t have a clue about what’s going on with the Wizards.
Yeah but to be honest, neither do we.
As for lifting weights, I don’t buy it. I don’t think any players keep up a consistent weightlifting regimen during the course of the season, and so you get into a kinda gain-lose cycle. But I’ve never met a physiologist (several of my college buddies studied the subject) who would defend his statement.
I trust what people are saying
on this board way more than the callers on talk radio.
Depends what he means by "results"
I know lots of guys who can’t build much muscle. I know they’re working out smart every day, taking supplements and whatever, but they’re still sticks. They do get stronger though eventually — they just don’t get much bigger.
"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR
I've not listen to his show lately
but I’m sure his show is focused on the Redskins like most of the shows on 980 and 106.7.
He should not have called into a radio show
But I also don’t have a problem with most of his comments.
I especially agree with his finesse player comments. That is so true. Many fans want a power player at the 4, but a ton of effective big men are finesse players: Dirk, Duncan, Bosh, Hakeem (I would list more, but I’ve got a meeting). It would be just as dumb for Blatche to try to be a power player as it would for Booker to try to be a finesse player.
Are you really comparing Andray to Future Hall of Famers?
All except Bosh are guaranteed to be in the Hall of Fame from the list you gave. I would not call any of the players you listed as finesse players. Andray is more than a few notches below these guys, in my humble opinion.
He shouldn’t be starting. He doesn’t have a starter’s mentality, perhaps never will. But if he can get you 14/5 off the bench for the next few years, that’s not so bad, even at his new salary. Until Josh Howard can go full speed, I’d say start Booker/Lewis at the 4 and 5. And let 7-day just deal with it.
7-day indeed
Reminds me of the George Bush joke: On the job 24/7, that’s 24 hours a week, 7 month’s a year. Blatche works 7 days a month. Bench him or trade him. He needs time in the corner to reflect.
Meh.
Pau Gasol isn’t ripped, and he’s one of the best bigs in the game. If Dray is doing the work, I’m not going to ask for any more than that.
But you can't deny that Pau did get stronger
I don’t really care how Blatche looks, but he plays weak, especially inside. If anything, Pau’s upper-body strength is tremendous. Have you ever seen him bring a rebound down?
Have you ever seen a picture of Pau without a shirt?
Try Googling it. Google, then giggle.
He also doesn't play out of shape
Which Blatche does. He sweats like a Brown-n-serve sausage.
did you do that just to make me click on “hot shirtless basketball players?” Well, OK. Pau looked pretty ripped in that photo.
Right! lol
this has to be worse than like accidentally seeing your grandma naked…
Pau, Bosh, KG
are all skinny and have not been able to add a lot of muscle to their frames, however they know how to play big. They all can post up and go to work down low. Blatche’s frame/size may not get any bigger, that’s not the problem. The problem is the way he plays the game. If your jumper is not falling, post up and get some close range shots. The same can be said for any player in a slump, regardless of position. If a shooting guards jumper is not falling, they know to drive and attack the rim, either getting layups or free throw attempts. Then the jump shots will begin to fall.
by PhenomenalSwag on Jan 7, 2011 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
Most people would agree with you on that
In watching Blatche you see him watching people shoot and not going to the basket when the shot is in the air. He could get one or two more rebounds a game by going to the basket when the shot is in the air. Coaches should be on him every game about that.
Weak
How does this weak player lead the team in rebounds. Who you got on the bench or going to trade for that is better? You people are amazing!
Zach Randolph? He would rebound more. Memphis would pull the trigger, too. I mean, they would make the trade.
Weak
You want problems, trade for Zack Randolph. There is a reason teams don’;t want him. He is a head case.
He's much better now than he used to be
Kind of like Artest – he built the rep when he was a young kid. His rep now exceeds his level of crazy.
JaVale's a much better rebounder per minute
In fact, Blatche is actually fourth per-minute, behind Hilton, Seraphin and JaVale.
Talk about using stats to prove a point, Seraphin has no minutes to go by; Javale and Hilton’s minutes are way behind Blatche’s, so you are comparing apples to day old prunes. Heck, if you want to get esoteric, why don’t you see who is on the floor when the rebounding occurs and try and make a meaningful distinction. You know Blatche gets these minutes from the coaches, not from some online blog. To hear people talk these are some stupid coaches to give him these minutes. Truthfully, he is one of the few players on this team that can throw it in the ocean and rebound. Appreciate what he gives, it is pretty good and you do not have better on the bench.
I think per minute is fair
He gets a ton of minutes. Sure, there’s context to be added, but per minute is no more misleading than per game.
I don’t care about being ripped, Blatche should at least get rid of the doughnut from around his belly. He is, literally, “soft.” And, if he has a chef, then something is wrong with the way his body turned out. As I look down and my own belt buckle (and I eat pretty healthy, too), I suspect an answer: too much time at the bar.
by Tbonebullets on Jan 7, 2011 3:55 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
DING DING DING
Correct sir!
I rolled thorugh this thread wondering when someone would point out the obvious.
+1
Swish!
Let’s just say the soberminded and reflective ain’t gonna pick a fight with Javale McGee outside a club when you’ve already got some credibility and fanbase problems.
Hopefully Javale will now be able to channel his aggression to his new career as a Professional Dunker/Harlem Globetrotter.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
IS THIS THE PLAYER ERNIE ENVISIONED GIVING A 5 YEAR EXTENSION?
I sure hope not. I was wondering why Andray kept doing those photo ops with the little kids during the summer.
Andray and his agent can now turn to Ernie and say: “SUCKER”!
No Agent. Really?
High School kid with no college getting $35million on top of the $15 from his current contract is not too shabby. I will give him props for that. He needs an Agent and a mentor immediately.
Nah you can give God (or mother nature, whatever you believe in) the props.
Fact is, he’d have earned way more money if he would have been a hard worker from day one and kept his nose clean.
Andray obviously does things his own way
Well, he was smart enough to get the $35million. Had he played out his contract he might now not have gotten the money. Still, $50 million dollars for a kid out of high school that was only a 2nd round draft choice (very late 2nd round-almost undrafted) is really good. Say what you want about him, he is getting paid for doing things his own way. They might not be good. He wants to be a finesse player and Flip obviously is letting him play that way.
That's why I think it partially Flips fault
We are all coming down really hard on Dray, maybe deservedly so. But Flip is allowing him to play his finesse game the entire time. I think Flip needs to instill some toughness in Dray. I don’t think our offensive schemes are working with the power forward on the perimeter all game. Why can’t Dray start out on the post and either work the low or high post? Why does Flip allow him to dribble between the legs at the 3 point line every game?
by PhenomenalSwag on Jan 7, 2011 5:02 PM EST up reply actions
There you go. Flip lets him pound the rock on the wing and kill time on the shotclock and doesn’t hold him accountable.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
Wow, what a doofus
I read the column where Mike Wise has Flip clearly saying he actually tells these guys the things we’ve been yelling at the screen all year, and then Blatche says everybody is telling him its gravy as long as his shots fall, like he’s a shooting guard or something.
Get rid of him. He is really dumb and really immature. Immature you can fix, maybe. Stupid is as stupid does.
Pump your brakes...
Flip says he tells Dray to take it into the paint more on offense. Dray says that Flip tells him to take it into the paint more on offense.
Flip says nothing negative about Dray’s defense in the article. Dray says that Flip says nothing negative about his defense.
Don’t see where the conflict is…
and then Blatche says everybody is telling him its gravy as long as his shots fall
Well yeah… It is.
Maybe because they're in the business
of coaching players up. Encouraging players to get all they can from their skillsets.
If Flip is telling him to take it into the paint, and he isn't doing it...
either Flip isn’t saying it, or he’s not doing it. The fact remains that he’s been doing this all season! How long does it take to actually try to “take it into the paint???”
How often did Flip sit Nick when he screwed up?
How quick is he to yank Javale for not doing what he’s supposed to?
How often does he sit Dray?
For all any of us know, Blatche plays exactly how Flip wants him to aside from his jumpshot being so off this season as opposed to last.
He is taking it into the paint
The key word is ‘more’.
And also there’s the consideration that he’s trying to get his shooting touch back, because his J (when on) is a highly effective weapon (and it serves to open up driving lanes for him). And the fact that there are times when you have to take what the defense gives. And the fact that no one else on the team aside from Shard can stretch the floor to open up driving lanes for Blatche.
Dude
Wall takes the ball to the top of the key, Blatche pretends to set a pick, receives the pass, and shoots a clanker or passes it back to Wall, and then Wall shoots a 3 about 40 percent of the time. This happens over and over and over and over again. I just don’t see what the Blatche defenders are talking about.
How about the fact his shot selection profile is almost identical to KGs this year.
And he is actually getting fouled more than KG.
Is he KG? HELL NO
I just wouldnt assume he is acting so far outside what the coach wants in the way he plays.
I'm calling a duck a duck
I’m not saying he’s KG. And I’m not saying he’s not doing what the coach says. I’m saying that he is taking ill-advised jumpers and has absolutely no other moves. When ANY player’s jump shot isn’t falling, he needs to go to the rack. Dray just keeps chucking. I think this is pretty obvious to see. How many times each night do you see him get the pass and yell, “No jumper!” and he does it.
Is Flip yelling "No jumper!"?
Or thinking it, as it were?
Or is Flip thinking “Come on Dray, get your stroke back!”
They signed him to an extension, clearly the folks in charge do not share the fans pre-occupation with back-to-the-basket moves and bruising interior play.
Dray should probably not do interviews like this, it just doesnt look good…but I can appreciate the “I am what I am” sentiment from him as far as the type of game he has. No excuse for being chubby and soft tho
I actually think that its just
hard as hell to find good big men. I’m sure if they could find the prototypical player that everyone is here asking for, then they’d take him in a heartbeat. Heck, I’d LOVE to have a back to the basket beast…
But the fact is that there aren’t even enough good bigs to go around for every team to have one…
You are a power forward
When is Kevin Garnett the least effective? When he’s shooting jumpers from that same spot Dray loves. When is KG dominant? When he takes it to the hole.
Are you watching KG? 50% of his shots have been outside 16ft
pretty much his whole career.
The only problem is
that each player is an absolutely unique individual. Dray and KG also don’t share the same finger print or retina scan.
So that whole 7 Day Dray thing
Was this Blatche’s way of burying that. What happened to 5 year extension Dray.
Are we all watching the games?
I mean, really? Blatche has been seen standing around in slow motion and regular speed. He takes the same jumper from the same spot 90 percent of the time, or that behind the back dribble thing. He is awful on offense and defense.
That said, I repeat: Just have him come off the bench. He’s not a piece for a John Wall starting 5. Get more motion, passing and slashing, and that is where the Great Wall will prosper and thrive. Blatche is killing the offense with his stupid jumpers, and he is lazy. The end. If you don’t agree, you aren’t watching the games, and you haven’t been watching Blatche every year since we drafted him. He was good for like a month!
And others are attacking.
Isn’t that the point of this blog? To debate???
Disagreeable? No, I’d say equally as belligerent as the attackers.
Well give me something
What have you from seen from Blatche this season that would clear his name of being lazy and soft.
Okay.
His quickness is reduced. that’s an indication that he’s still recovering from his foot (and possibly other minor dings like a sore knee). Here’s why: if it were an indication of him being hopelessly out of shape, then he would at least start the game off with a quicker first step when he’s fresh. He doesn’t.
That means its more difficult for him to make a quick defensive rotation, or to get past his man on offense.
He is taking it to the hole. I don’t have the stats (and I don’t know where to look), but he doesn’t have the hops or athleticism (other than quickness when he’s healthy) to finish strong. Its not all in his mentality (although that’s part of it), part of it is in his physical limitations.
When he does it a lot, the defense adjusts and then you start to see his shot blocked a lot more from the weakside or his driving lanes cut off. The reason it worked at the end of last season was because teams had to respect his jumper. Because it was going in. Do you see, then, why its vital he gets his shooting touch back (and thus must continue shooting)??? It enables his interior moves and makes them more effective.
But he’s certainly taking it to the hole. As much as you and I want? Probably not. But what is he supposed to do, grow antlers and go in head first? If its not there its not there.
According to the numbers at hoopdata.com
Andray is taking the exact same shots he has always taken. The glaring difference this year is that his FG% on shots from <10 feet, but not at the rim, is way, way down (to a pathetic 29%, compared to 46% last year). His percentage on long twos is also down a lot (29% this year, 39% last year).
I think the reason is spacing. JaVale doesn’t do anything to spread the defense, so Dray ends up getting met by a help defender close to the basket. That also allows his primary defender to play him tighter on the perimeter. He is missing because he is not getting good looks this year, and the reason he can’t get good looks is because of JaVale.
Plus/minus data backs this up. For the last two years, Andray’s plus/minus numbers are much better with Yi or Oberto than they are with McGee or Haywood. Think about that. The team did better with either Yi or Oberto at C than Haywood or McGee. That’s a pretty striking stat, since most of us would think that McGee and Haywood are much better players than Yi or Oberto.
The simplest explanation is not that Blatche has regressed. The simplest explanation is that Blatche needs to be paired with a front court mate who has at least some rudimentary offensive skills. With space to operate, Andray can be very effective.
To my eye he is finishing much worse than in the past and his passing, which was always a strong point for him, has gone into the toilet.
I don’t think this contradicts what you’re saying.
His defensive concentration seems terrible right now.
by MR on Jan 7, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions
No
I’m frustrated with people saying we should stop picking on poor Andray, the millionaire who doesn’t care, and never has, and never will.
The same conversation was happening around Arenas. Now he’s gone, and we’re playing better defense, and very few are now saying, “man, I wish we had that Knucklehead back.” Fans just tend to be very protective of their players.
by Tbonebullets on Jan 7, 2011 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think they should trade Blatche
But I see him as a product of this organization, not a thorn in its side. He was drafted as an 18yr old kid, probably could have been molded into anything- at least as far as work ethic goes. Now he doesnt even know how to lift weights after being with the organization 5yrs and it’s all his fault? You’ll never build a winner counting on kids to self-motivate themselves to greatness
Actually, I think the great ones ARE motivated to be great. There was a reason Blatche was in second round pool, and it wasn’t just his age. Remember, as soon as he got here he was cruising the streets with Party John Ramos. As a general matter, I think it’s hard for an outside organization to mold character traits.
I think guys like Pops and Sloan mold players all the time.
Blatche was an 18yr old kid, the military molds them all the time. Not that it’s the exact same thing, but an organization can go a long way towards forcing a kid like that into a certain regiment. Or make sure he isnt running the streets.
On the other hand, he was a throwaway pick at 54th (or wherever) so maybe they had more important stuff to think about
Well... there are as many types of people as there are people
But as for motivation, its the differentiator between reaching/exceeding your potential and not. Whether the motivation is internal or external.
Its well known that Blatche had a work ethic problem for the first 4 years of his career. That has two side effects: 1. He essentially retards his own development. 2. He builds up ill will within the organization and in the fanbase.
Now, all reports i’ve seen on the subject say that his work ethic improved last year, and has remained the same this year. I hope that’s the case; that’s the only reason I’m not on the trade-him bandwagon. However, he’s behind any curve he would have been on if he’d been that way from day one. You can’t blame anyone but him. And in that sense, I can certainly understand the bashing. I really can. You didn’t see this sort of bashing (although there was some) when Jamison had shooting slumps, or shot too many J’s, or because of his matador D, in part because he built up good will in the franchise and fanbase and in part because he produced 20 and 10 day in and day out (and sometimes inefficiently…). Dray produces 16 and 8 day in and day out, (and sometimes inefficiently…). He just doesn’t have the good will that AJ did.
However, what that four years of laziness also means is that 1. with a continued work ethic, he will continue to improve (and probably has more ceiling left than we think), and 2. as good as he was at the end of last season, that was after only one year of hard work.
(Pops and Sloan didn’t draft him. I have no idea why, but perhaps the word was out??? As much as they mold, they also select mold-able players.)
it's not just "good will"
jamison was a much better player, a solid professional, and an intense, focused competitor. heck, in spite of all this, and everything you said, i’d argue over the last 4 years blatche had more “good will” around this site than jamison did!!!!
i will say that jamison was in his prime while he was a wizard and blatche isn’t there yet, but i wouldn’t bet on blatche becoming as good as jamison was on a consistent basis.
i also think you’re still behind blatche because you’ve been saying he’s a future all-star for a while now.
and comparing blatche’s current 16 and 8 shooting 42% to anything jamison ever did here, i just can’t even respond to that.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 8, 2011 8:58 AM EST up reply actions
This.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
Finesse is fine, but
I have no problem with Dray calling himself a finesse player, but his finesse game is pretty sorry. Several commenters have invoked other finesse power forwards such as Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Gasol, but Dray’s finesse game is light years away from theirs. He’s ridiculously inefficient — in fact downright sloppy. Both those guys are shooting well over 50 percent from the field while Dray is at 42 percent. Both are much better foul shooters, and Dirk’s 3-point percentage is way higher (Pau hasn’t shot them this season). Both Dirk and Pau have solid assist-to-turnover numbers as well, while Dray hands out way more turnovers than he does assists.
I realize it’s unfair to compare a young guy like him to two all-stars, but my point is that it’s OK to be a finesse player as long as you can do so efficiently. Dray is far from that.
I’m perplexed by his comments about weightlifting. I haven’t been watching him work out, so maybe he’s really busting his tail to no gain, but I have a hard time believing a professional training staff can’t help him to achieve serious gains in strength and conditioning if he’s willing to put in the work.
As for his defense, I have a hard time buying that as well. Again, I don’t know what the coaches are saying to him, but I have a hard time believeing they encourage him to stand idly nearby as opposing players drive to the basket for layups and dunks.
"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."
One thing I dont like about zone defenses
They allow for a certain level of laziness….“my job was to be standing over there”
Really?
If someone’s job is to be “standing over there” in a zone defense, then we would seem to have a serious coaching problem. Zone or man-to-man, I’m not sure what scheme calls for players to stand around as opponents drive within arm’s reach to the basket.
"Now, obviously individual production does not unilaterally equal better team production, but there's a high level of causation."
by Vanilla Gorilla on Jan 7, 2011 4:54 PM EST up reply actions
Remember the infamous Rondo layup play?
Blatche claimed his assignment was to protect one side and he did the correct thing, even as Rondo strolled by him. After the play, Flip didnt yell or bench AB.
What exactly are we supposed to make of that?
Blatche Rookie Year
Dude has put on pudge and that’s about it. Blatche came to the league as a kid 18 fresh out of HS. No one expects you to have definition then. Also it can be understood ala Durant that maybe his body type is just meant to be skinny.
Blatche though has just gotten pudgier by the year. You see it in his play. Dude is plain lazy.
PLAYERS WHO WE SHOULD NEVER COMPARE ANDRAY TO:
Dirk Nowitzski
Tim Duncan
Paul Gasol
Hakeem Olajuwon
Chris Bosh
Kevin Durant
Kevin Garnett
These are the players I read in all these comments that were called FINESSE PLAYERS. Far from the truth. The people on this list can actually play Basketball at the highest level that can be played. Andray should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as these players.
Let’s compare Andray to players more on his level:
Taj Giibson
Charlie Villanueva
Channing Frye
I wouldn't put Taj on that list
He’s skinny, and can shoot from outside, but he’s in no way soft. That dude has a tough, just this side of dirty side to his game.
wow that was irrational
reminds me of a lot of posts on this site!
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 7, 2011 5:19 PM EST reply actions
The Nets are about to be chewed out by The Country Midget.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
Whoops, wrong thread.
John Carlson: A real American hero taking names and settling scores.
Souldrummer: A regular guy trying to join Adam Dunn, Jordan Zimmermann, and Garrett Mock as one of RobBobS' guys.
This is sad
and confirms everything I’ve thought about the kid and more. The organization was in no way ready to turn him into a professional when he got here. i don’t think we’re much better at it now. not that I believe Dray has it in him to make necessary changes anyway.
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