Washington Wizards Dismantle New Jersey Nets

by Sean Fagan on Jan 7, 2011 9:24 PM EST in Recaps

For once it was nice to see the opposition roll over for us rather than the other way around. The Wizards ran their own offense while the Nets seemed to forget that they are paid to professionally play basketball. They broke plays, freelanced, and blew defensive assignments. Frankly, it was terrible basketball from an aesthetic standpoint, but wins are always more fun than losses.

Credit should go to a solid Wizards defensive effort and the fact that the team didn't completely fall asleep during the 3rd quarter. They doubled Brook Lopez early and often and shut down Devin Harris off the dribble. Special credit should go to Coach Avery Johnson who inexplicably benched both Lopez and Harris and the end of the 1st Quarter. It is one thing to be a drill sergeant, it's another to be too rigid. Johnson is tilting dangerously to the latter.

Now before anyone gets too excited - the Nets played Sasha Vujacic for almost the entire. game. Sasha Vujacic. With large helpings of Quinton Ross on the side.

Mike and I will be back later with postgame interviews and a longer recap.

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Great win, really nice to see the defense play so well

But to nitpick, our offense looked very stagnent at times, and Jwall needs to attack the rim more so he is more of a scoring threat. Besides that, good game

by MadDog21 on Jan 7, 2011 9:28 PM EST reply actions

Playoffs here we come

Don’t fire the coach
Keep Blatche
EG is a genius
Bullets Fever!

by g zeller on Jan 7, 2011 9:32 PM EST via mobile reply actions

LMAO

My sentiments exactly…

by khrabb on Jan 7, 2011 9:49 PM EST up reply actions

There's another Wizards game tonight

Watch Hamady play for the Dakota Wizards live on nba.com/dleague.
Great win tonight

by Emmet O'Neal on Jan 7, 2011 9:38 PM EST reply actions

Oh and don't forget the "heatles" game

sigh what a stupid nickname.

by bassguy4 on Jan 7, 2011 9:54 PM EST up reply actions

Appropriately arrogant

by wjb1492 on Jan 7, 2011 10:02 PM EST up reply actions

They are however,

“bigger than Jesus” (I mean come on, they’re basketball players)

Aim for the head baby Jesus

by Doncosmic on Jan 7, 2011 10:19 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah Lebron and Wade not the sharpest tools in the shed

Especially after Wade’s Twin Towers analogy or Lebron not knowing what contraction meant and then admitting that to reporters………Yikes……..

by bassguy4 on Jan 7, 2011 10:23 PM EST up reply actions

Their heads are certainly bigger ;)

by wjb1492 on Jan 7, 2011 10:26 PM EST up reply actions

New Jersey has no business trying for Carmelo. They need to continue to be miserably bad and hope to draft well.

by Tbonebullets on Jan 7, 2011 10:08 PM EST reply actions

I know they might not "deserve it"

But I really wish all our backup big minutes went to Booker T and Seraphin. Not sure Yi or Armstrong are actually better than those 2 and the rookies are so much more fun and exciting to watch. If they each got 20 minutes a night I think by the end of the season everyone would be talking about how we got 3 of the most impactful rookies in the draft.

Also Shard is making me rethink my statement earlier in the year that Arenas is twice the player he is right now. Who woulda thought?

by BayAreaBullet on Jan 7, 2011 10:09 PM EST reply actions

Did Armstrong play? Is he injured?

You gotta give Yi a few minutes to play back out of his layoff.

Agree about Shard. He’s not as washed up as advertised.

by MR on Jan 8, 2011 12:05 AM EST up reply actions

Outlaw, Vujacic and Harris

Combined for 3-29 shooting, how often does that happen

by Emmet O'Neal on Jan 7, 2011 10:14 PM EST reply actions

What do you expect against our stifling defense? ;)

It is kind of funny, with the stuff before the game about how Harris’s stats against the Wiz are quite a bit better than his averages.

Vujacic, on the other hand, I think is totally the luck of the draw.

by wjb1492 on Jan 7, 2011 10:18 PM EST up reply actions

Sasha is just awful

But the type of lousy player that you worry may have a night against Nick in the past…so nice to see Nick leaving guys like that in his rearview this season, as he plays great D and does his thing offensively.

by DCrez on Jan 7, 2011 10:22 PM EST up reply actions

Rashard is starting to heat up

Those 3’s of his really put the Nets on their heels. If he can keep shooting like this, things could get interesting. It’s hard to judge from a game against the Nets, but Rashard looks more comfortable out there.

JaVale played inspired ball. I think they shorted him one block tonight, he should’ve had 7 total.

Dray didn’t shoot well, but he made some great plays on defense – good hands, especially, poking the ball away.

John – I wish he’d get comfortable with his outside shot. He gets wide open at times, but immediately passes them up.

Kirk had those 2 sweet 3’s later in the game to ice things. Veteran poise.

Nick’s defense is continually improving. He’s got a mean streak, too.. I saw him tie up his opponent’s arms on one occasion coming down the floor – he was trying to get into his head, I guess. Seemed to work.

We can win the next several games. Gotta get that road win out of the way.

by satchmore on Jan 7, 2011 11:47 PM EST reply actions