The Night In Which Roger Mason Was Ruled Ineligible
by Sean Fagan on Dec 30, 2011 10:51 PM EST
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There are teams that live throughout history for all the wrong reasons. Teams like the 1962 Mets or the 1972 76ers are not remembered just because they are historically awful, but because they were awful in completely ridiculous ways. Tonight, the Wizards took one step closer to being "funny" awful rather than simply awful with the team's failure to note that Roger Mason was eligible for the game. According to Mike Lee from WaPo, the Bucks did not include Mason on the active player list prior to the game, but that still does not excuse the Wizards coaching staff for overlooking something so obvious. I have been watching basketball for a long time, but I have never seen something as ridiculous at what we witnessed tonight. There is a reason that Wizznutzz chose to return this season, there is simply too much gold to mine from this situation.
I don't want to sugarcoat this at all. These type of boneheaded mistakes make the organization look like a minor league franchise. We can't spell the names on our jerseys right, we misdiagnose injuries, and now we can't even register our players. This has gone beyond a simple "oops" and well into the realm of incompetency. The Wizards PR department can fall on the sword all they want, this is still a failure on the part of Flip.
Notes:
- The pick and roll defense in the first half was atrocious which is now three straight games in a row. Compounding this, the Wizards are still failing to rotate with any consistency on defense, leading to such brain locks as leaving Brandon Jennings wide open from three. Of course, this is the same team that can't even register all its active players.
- Nick Young had a lousy game tonight, due in large part to the gameplan of the Bucks to bump Young and force him to put the ball on the floor. Its only one game, but it still demonstrates some of the limitations in Young's game that may have given the Wizards management pause is signing long term. He still has difficulty extending his game past the catch and shoot, and those limitations prevent him from being worth 9 million a year. Of course, this is the same team that can't even register all its active players.
- At the half the Bucks were 66% from the field and over 60% from 3pt. To say that the Wizards defense was porous would be a bit of an understatement. Of course, this is the same team that can't even register all its active players.
- I'm sure some will say that Jordan Crawford had a decent game. I'll point out that he only got hot after the Wizards deficit was insurmountable and continues to show no conscience on the offensive end. At some point, one one think that Flip would use the hook, but this is the same team that can't even register all its active players.
- JaVale McGee had a nice solid game and continues to show that his improvement over the summer was not all talk. One continues to question whether if McGee was partnered with a defensive floor general at the PF we would see dividends paid off quicker. Of course, this is the same team that can't even register all its active players.
- Andray Blatche returned to the charred ruin of my bandwagon and peed on it.
That is all for tonight. Mike and I will be back with more fallout. Yikes.
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Maybe because i only caught the last 7 minutes
But Dray didn’t look that bad. I fear this team is full of looters in a riot and no one can actually provide meaningful scoring unless the game is out of hand (minus Young of course but even he is inconsistent)
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
you have no idea...
he’s turrble. a black cloud over this team. honestly i think something has to be done.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:00 PM EST up reply actions
you missed a lot of terrible terrible basketball
from everyone, not only blatche
by Alpha_Snail on Dec 30, 2011 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
are you serious?
Dray was horrendous tonight missing a easy layup, not getting back on D and still taking those 18 footers even after his rant about how he wants to be a post player. Please every time he gets it in the post he pump fakes because he’s scared of contact or he gets blocked he flat out sucks. Trade or or waive asap and take flip and ernie with him.
Blatche was bad but showed improvement.
I’d give him a C tonight (compared to a D in game 1 and an F in game 2).
He made a concerted effort to get inside— at least two of his long jumpers came when the shot clock was expiring. He showed a little life going for rebounds (especially that nice running follow-up jam!) and while still completely avoiding contact, he managed to set some effective picks via his lower-body movement.
Glimmer of hope…
Bullets fan stuck in CO.
by Krusty2 on Dec 31, 2011 12:48 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Don't forget he forced up at least one terrible..
Shot out of a double team and had it returned to sender, despite a wide open NY standing at the arc. Blatche looks high out there, as if he has no purpose or direction.
by TerroristFistJab on Dec 31, 2011 12:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
When you allow the Bucks triple figures,
You know your defense stunk.
Children, before you go to sleep check under your bed for the BOOGIE MAN!!
by kingme18 on Dec 31, 2011 12:36 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I look at their field goal percentage against ours
points given up is overrated as a defensive measure. A slow team gives up less points than a fast team. FG%age D and the differential there is the best measure to me.
Bucks mad 53.4% of their shots which is way too high. We got 35.3% of our shots which is too low. In other words, the Bucks made their shots at a 51.3% better rate (over 20 raw percentage points in differential) than we did. The D was bad, but I think the offense was even worse.
When a team that is alleged to be offensively deprived shoots over 60% on you...
You’ve got BIG trouble.
Beyond that, words fail me.
shows a lack of effort in my opinion
so does the rebounding disparity. Maybe im interpreting it wrong, but thats what i see.
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 2:22 AM EST up reply actions
points given up is overrated as a defensive measure
That is hilarious.
by MR on Dec 31, 2011 4:27 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
To Chad Dukes
If you read this, please…. PLEASE!!! give an epic rant on your next show!
by thewiz06 on Dec 30, 2011 10:56 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
In order to give a rant
You would have to understand the Wizards and Chad Dukes and most of 106.7 The Fan have proven they know nothing about the Wizards.
by Kuruption on Dec 31, 2011 5:18 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
106.7 Blows
There’s a reason they talk football 24/7 on 106.7, they know little about basketball or the Wizards.
that is the sad part.
our sports radio stations are all about the skins first second and third. the only true basketball guy with a radio show is john Thompson Jr and he wouldn’t rant. mike wise is a former NBA beat guy but he doesn’t have that personality.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 11:30 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Dukes knows jack about Basketball
I would rather hear him talk about MMA than NBA.
"You taught me a lesson, I was going to give someone the benefit of doubt, and I almost did, then something said, no don't, don't, its not for you, its not my thing" Larry David,
also WWE. dukes is huge on that.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 12:19 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
THERE ARE TWO OF THEM
IM SO CONFUSED
"Through your existence, become wealthy, knowledge is king"- Nasir Jones
"When you play for the Wizards, [Gilbert Arenas] is like Michael Jackson. He's playin with a lot of Tito Jacksons." - Charles Barkley
well done
THAT was a killer summary.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 10:59 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I think flip needs to be fired soon
He clearly is not disciplining or motivating the team well enough. This Wizards team has so much potential that i feel will be wasted if we move forward under Flips coaching in the future. the current starting lineup is not what it should be, and mistakes like Roger Mason’s being listed as inactive are simply inexcusable. If no If Ted really wants improvement, SOMETHING has to change. This something starts with Flip’s firing.
Agree
Flip isn’t consistent what so ever nor does he pay attention to detail. For example tonight the Roger Mason Scenario, the way the offense is structured, and he doesn’t seem to be able to find a way to put a cohesive unit together. For one as everyone can see besides the wizards brass and Flip Blatche has no business being in the starting line up. Also what happened to the defense that was supposed to be implimented this season. He can’t lead a young team its proven and the way the team comes out night in and night out is horrible, they come out as if they haven’t watched a bit of film on the other team no preparation. There is no progress being showed in this rebuild of year two with flip.
Sean, there was a typo
Corrected:
These type of boneheaded mistakes make the organization the minor league franchise that they are.
Instead of the back to the bullets, how about the Washington Generals?
"Through your existence, become wealthy, knowledge is king"- Nasir Jones
"When you play for the Wizards, [Gilbert Arenas] is like Michael Jackson. He's playin with a lot of Tito Jacksons." - Charles Barkley
I won't call any names ean but your Blatche take made me chuckle lol
I have never seen in all my time watching sports seen such a bonehead mistake like they did with Mason tonight. You can tell Flip overlooks even the smallest of details to not notice Mason was even on the active rsoter for the game. Then he signed it. are we sure Flip siged it. lol
Phil is waxing on how Mason didn’t miss a shot at practice, Mason hits his 1st shot and then the Bucks said who is that guy probably knew it all along just waited till he hit a shot or got in the game lol
Mason had that what kind of outfit are we look on his face LOL
You gotta remove Flip give Sam Cassell the job for the rest of the season.
Crawford was terrible
John wall looks confused there are no lanes for him to drive no player movement he’s like a thoroughbred being forced to walk around the track every race.
by jazzy1 on Dec 30, 2011 11:02 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Well....
The positives:
Crawford is a 6th man period. He has that mentality.
Singleton is cool to watch especially when he gets the point guard.
McGee had a decent performance.
Wall just needs to play within himself and not press.
Booker showed alot tonight.
The negatives:
Obviously the lack of getting Mason on our active roster…duh!
If we can’t score, then shouldn’t it be imperative to put our best defensive team out there?
Blatche is well……{sigh}. Frankly, if they cut him I would be ok with that.
Young had a bad night. He should continue to start.
What is with the substitutes? Hamady would have at least provided a presence in the middle……Turiaf also did not make an appearance later in the game…..
The starting lineup should be Wall, Young, Singleton/Vesely (though we have not seen him yet), Booker/Turiaf, and McGee.
There is no sense playing a system that does not work. We have defensive minded players, thus use them.
Finally, there really needs to be a coaching change soon especially since a coach may be trying to force a system on players not suited to them.
At least, the Wizards showed some fight tonight…..
by Aquamaneastfish on Dec 30, 2011 11:03 PM EST reply actions
Thats my biggest question
What are we (love to hear any answer)???
We dont score enough or have the pieces to be an offensive team and we let teams enjoy themselves against us too much to be a defensive team. Its one thing to not be able to score but when you can’t stop anyone either. This is a personnel/gameplan issue; clearly not fixable this year.
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
I agree
the coach (and GM) should be the one to recognize this, but apparently he has trouble knowing which players are active…..
by Aquamaneastfish on Dec 30, 2011 11:08 PM EST up reply actions
Turrible is what we are
This has got to be the least talented team in the league by miles. Bad offensively, bad defensively, bad effort, bad chemistry, bad coaching, bad gm’ing. Bad everything.
Team
These guys play like they have never met each other before. No Chemistry or trust. Crawford is down right awful….He’s a ball stopper unless he’s shooting, wich is most of the time. The team has no hustle and looks unprepared. The “Rebuild” may need to be rebuilt.
Andray Blatche returned to the charred ruin of my bandwagon and peed on it.
Best line of the night – I laughed so loud, my wife came in to see what was so funny.
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
by Rook6980 on Dec 30, 2011 11:05 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Hey here's a thought.
Let’s all not recognize that Blatche played hard all night.
Think I’m gonna take a break from this place. I’m sorry but if you all can’t recognize effort then you’re just seeing what you want to see and I don’t really wanna discuss the team or the games with you.
I have supported Andray Blatche throughout my time on BF
He had a bad game. He has had three bad games. He too, like Wall and others, has regressed from last year. I never call him fat. I never call him stupid. Because I don’t believe he was/is either of those thing. But he played terrible defense all night and took 8 ill advised jumpers. So I’m not sure what else you can say.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Dec 30, 2011 11:13 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
He absolutely did not play terrible defense all night.
I’m sorry but that’s bull.
And at least two of his J’s came as the clock was winding down. Besides that, he has to take J’s. Right?
by jones-y on Dec 30, 2011 11:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Actually, yes he did
He was a step slow in his rotations and was once again beaten repeatedly by his man to the boards. On offense, even if you discount the two shots he took when the clock wound down, he refused to pass out of the double team and hoisted up jumpers. Compare his shot chart to the guys he was guarding on the Bucks and rationalize that he had anything resembling a decent game.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
by Sean Fagan on Dec 30, 2011 11:22 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I don't need a shot chart. I watched the game.
I saw three shots he shouldn’t have taken. Two were on double teams, one was early in the clock.
A step slow? He’s not a fast player. You’re complaining that the leopard isn’t a tiger. And in addition, there are times when you recognize as a player that your teammate is already beaten, the other team already has two, and the only thing you’re going to do is send them to the line. Its the youngsters that run over there and do it anyway. And they get applauded for it.
And again, he has to put up shots. He has to get his touch back. I don’t see what’s so hard to fathom there. Its not like the team has an abundance of offense.
Right, and that swallows your argument right there
I watch the games too. I then go back to the stats and review the the DVR. I’m not sure what to tell you. I saw more effort last year from an Andray Blatche playing with one arm and on a bum knee that I have during the last few games. If he is pressing, he needs to be benched. He can’t keep going out there and breaking the offense.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
What offense? That's half of my point.
He needs to get back into a rhythm because he’s a large part of the offense. That means HE NEEDS TO SHOOT.
I saw more effort at times last season too. But again, that doesn’t have anything to do with the effort he put in tonight and the ‘fans’ reaction to it. You have to start somewhere. Zero recognition is simply not fair.
Right, so you and I both agree that saying
waive Blatche or cut Blatche ect is silly. However, I’m not going to agree that he had a good game. If we are going to continue to run him out there, Flip needs to seriously break down a part of his game, much like he did with Young, to get him back to being a nominally effective player.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
the thing is... if he's not playing smart
then “trying hard” doesn’t really count for much. it’s debatable whether you give a good effort if you take ill-advised shots and fail to do the little things on defense. wall is struggling too, but more is required and expected from blatche at this point in his career. (plus, wall is getting a lot of criticism here too in case you haven’t noticed)
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 30, 2011 11:58 PM EST up reply actions
Smart?
Can you put that into context for me please?
I noticed Wall’s criticism. Of course it’s different from Blatche’s, and like I said elsewhere, I can rationalize that difference. It doesn’t make it any more bearable.
by jones-y on Dec 31, 2011 12:33 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
when you don't play well, and blatche didn't, it's hard to say someone gave good effort.
this is the nba, not high school. it is NOT the case that blatche is doing most things well and is simply missing shots. believe that if you want, but it ain’t true. if you have problems with a professional athlete getting criticized when he plays extremely poorly, basically for years on end, then you might want to consider another hobby.
to quote sean:
I never call him stupid. Because I don’t believe he was/is either of those thing. But he played terrible defense all night and took 8 ill advised jumpers
if he’s giving good effort, yet playing terrible defense and taking ill advised jumpers (and i wholeheartedly agree with sean’s assessment), then it’s completely fair to say he’s not playing smart, ‘cause if he were, then he wouldn’t be doing those things. it’s not an effort issue. therefore it’s the nature of the way he’s playing.
and yes, our whole team for the most part isn’t playing smart, but people have run out of patience with blatche, as he’s been around much longer than everyone else.
i’m not trying to make it so that you can’t possibly argue what i’m saying, b/c one could, but i generally think i’m going to have to refrain from discussing blatche with you because you’re far from objective about the guy. it’s like you’re wired to protect him.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 31, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i wholeheartedly agree with sean’s assessment
I don’t. Not one bit.
you’re far from objective about the guy
Okay. Whatever.
if you have problems with a professional athlete getting criticized when he plays extremely poorly, basically for years on end, then you might want to consider another hobby.
Perhaps you should re-read my messages. Its not criticism I’m sick of. Hell, I criticize him myself… Its negativity. Piling on. Who has time for that in life? Perhaps you and they need a new past time? At the end of the day, if his contribution to your favorite team is really that important to you, then that’s a YOU problem.
As for my objectivity, I will say this. If people were piling on you, I’d react the same way. I could quote myself a million times up down left and right talking about his deficiencies as a player, but that would be too much like proving you wrong, and there’s really nothing to be gained from that… I’d be interested to know who you consider to be objective on the topic, except that I’m really not interested.
But anyway, you won’t have to worry about me trying to balance out the abuse he gets here anymore.
Rather than just giving up on it
Try ignoring the senseless, pointless, obnoxious piling on that you obviously don’t like.
Its easy as hitting z man.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
well said sean fagan
For Blatche to come out the first game and pop off at the mouth about how he needs the ball in the post and still takes these 18 footers with a hand in his, or get his shot blocked and jog down court, while his man goes down and scores is bad defense gotta call it how it is.
i have to disagree
your contrarian spirit here is always good and appreciated, but tonight, i saw so much from bad from him (everyone else too, obviously). but i DID see things, especially on defense, where he was slow to rotate, or not cut off the man with the ball, that looked to my eyes like lack of intensity and yes, effort.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
who knows -
i’m pretty detached from the team emotionally this year, and feel like i’m pretty objective. i was watching close in the 4th when blatche came in for booker, and i think shard for singleton, and things went down hill fast. i saw him not do things that others at least try to do.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:26 PM EST up reply actions
ok
i know it’s not all on blatche. but the drop in intensity was visible on a few plays. he may be trying as hard as he can, i have no idea. it looks like that is not good enough to me.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:30 PM EST up reply actions
And that's fair. Its the piling on that rally gets under my skin.
When he’s on, he’s good. Consistent effort will help him get on. Does he have weaknesses? Yes he does. But the least we can do is act like we’re fans of the jersey and applaud the man for trying.
by jones-y on Dec 30, 2011 11:35 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
he's been here the longest
had such and up and down career, looks a little doughy, is not playing well. hell, even when he plays well his game looks pretty ‘low effort’ just because of how he moves.
the team sucks, and fair or not, i don’t think there’s much he can do to avoid bearing the brunt of the criticism.
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:53 PM EST up reply actions
had such and up and down career, looks a little doughy, is not playing well.
I can agree with all the above.
hell, even when he plays well his game looks pretty ‘low effort’ just because of how he moves.
Bingo.
You know, I actually said that once here a couple years ago. I almost got laughed out of the place.
Look, I can rationalize the treatment he gets from wiz fans. I understand it, I really do. That doesn’t stop it from being off-putting. Especially when it doesn’t pass the eyeball test. When he doesn’t put up effort I can discuss it; when he doesn’t play well I can participate in that discussion too. But when he tries and fails and then gets the same treatment that he does when he doesn’t try, it just makes all his criticism and all his criticizers sound like a bunch of emo fans that beat their wives up when their team loses.
Perhaps it’s me. Perhaps constant negativity just doesnt float my boat. Maybe I just need to take a break from reading it for a while…
by jones-y on Dec 31, 2011 12:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
I think it's part of the sports commentary culture
Players are either “fantastic” or “terrible.” Hyperbole abounds.
I thought AB gave more effort tonight than last night, but I thought there were periods where his focus lapsed.
The problem with AB is that he’s made himself a target. A lot of players duck the media and stay silent when they struggle or when they say something stupid. After his “more post play” tweet, he should have done that. Or had a monster game.
It’s the general problem of sticking out your neck.
by GJennings on Dec 31, 2011 12:36 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This is a great post
I’m moving into the belief that Dray may never become the quality player we hoped for a few years back, but I seriously loath all the hate directed at him.
This team is bad and he’s part of that, but it’s because they play bad team basketball. At this point in the season, I’m really only OK with Javale, Singleton and Nick. EVERYBODY else has reverted.
Singling out Dray while ignoring the contributions of Wall or Crawford or Shard is just irrational. But it’s cool. There’s a place for that sort of NBA fan: Miami.
Pierre is the smooth operator. @JaValeMcGee34 is the monster you've grown to know on the court.
by Elvin_is_my_Elvis on Dec 31, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
just some friendly advice
maybe consider applying that thought to your own observations about dray?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 31, 2011 12:02 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Not to toot my own horn, but I'm a libra.
You don’t get much more objective than a libra. I don’t see how anybody can say low effort tonight. You could say it on Monday, and half of Wednesday’s game. But not tonight.
And I’ve recognized publicly on many occasions that he needs to give better effort.
But thanks for the advice.
by jones-y on Dec 31, 2011 12:39 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111 (May-June 1974),1 where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This is the funniest thing in history
Period
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 3:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I saw 3 times Blatche gave less than poor effort
There was probably more and there were more players that did the same… and they all can be and should be called out for it on here.
Wall, NY, McGee, Crawford aren't being critized?
I think everyone has been called out at some point… I was livid when I watched Wall let Jennings blow by him and just threw his hand out there w/ a half ass attempt to reach for the ball and Dray was there to help but didn’t do much to stop him. Wall has been by far the most disappointing to me but everyone deserves some blame and I think the reason Dray gets more than his fair share is because he is the one tweeting all the time and calling out his coach through the media saying “he’s sorry to the fans and is going to go hard and give effort every single play” I’m sick of hearing that garbage… waiting to see it
Just lack of production. Which is fair.
Which is my point.
Not with you there
Wall’s being called out… McGee always gets called out… my point is if Dray would just “shutup” and play he wouldn’t be the center of the blame game.
Oh that isn't true either.
He doesn’t have to say a single word to be all sorts of cheeseburgers, ham sandwiches, cancerous growths and rotting flesh.
Rotting flesh...
Gets me every time. That and brains.
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on Jan 1, 2012 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
Yes ppl on here are going to attack him regardless
I agree with what I think you are saying overall, that he at times gets blamed for little to no reason b/c of reputation, image, etc. I’ve seen it happen on here and have gave Blatche some credit when deserved.. but Dray has done plenty to bring that on himself.. claiming that he has changed and going to be a leader and all this talk doesn’t help him at all. Its really all irrelevant b/c effort or not he is just playing TERRIBLE basketball and I don’t see him resurrecting his career anytime soon.. atleast not here.
Your moving the goal posts here
That’s because he doesn’t work out like ANY other Wizard. Everybody is in better shape than him. I don’t mean disrespect to you jazzy, but you’re the one being dense and stubborn, and seeing what you want to see, if you wonder why he gets prodded for his conditioning or presumable eating habits.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 1:58 AM EST via Android app up reply actions 1 recs
Exactly!
don’t you think its strange that everyone sees one thing and you see another? Whats more likely: we are ALL imagining poor performances from blatche because we are somehow tainted and want to; or you are failing to see his poor play? I think its pretty clear.
And please don’t use astrology and
Im a libra, you dont get much more objective than a libraas a qualifier for your opinion somehow being worth more than ours. It’s ridiculous. We all want Blatche to be good, we’re all Wizards fans, a good Blatche would be great for the wizards. But he just isn’t and its his 7th year. Rule # 71 No Excuses, Play like Champion.
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 2:11 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't say a word about poor play.
Effort. That’s all. I saw poor play. I saw effort. Didn’t know I was confusing people.
Someone suggested I apply my own criticism of others’ opinion to my opinion. Have you ever met a libra? That’s the definition of a libra. I know your argument as well as you, and could plead your argument more passionately and more convincingly than you.
At least one other person saw what I saw. see above towards the beginning of the thread
Yeah Dray was at least trying most of the game
His offense wasn’t very good, and there were a few times he got beat on D, but it was nowhere near as bad as the first game.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
Sounds like you should debate yourself on this and just let us know how it turns out.
by koop1122 on Dec 31, 2011 3:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Hahaha
Yeah really,
Apparently unless every world leader is a libra were doomed. No one else is capable of understanding both sides of an argument. Noooo! Doomsday is coming!!
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 3:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
if you wonder why he gets prodded for his conditioning or presumable eating habits.
That’s not what I wonder.
What I wonder is why ppl can't turn off the emo fan thing for five minutes
and recognize that the man put up effort. Its the least ppl can do is be a fan of the jersey and commend the man for trying. I’m out. Not really digging it around here anymore if that’s gonna be the case.
And I didn’t move the goalposts. I responded to an assertion koop made.
a lot of Dray's harshest critics were his biggest fans
he needed to show effort over the summer, if he did, he’d be lean and mean right now instead of what we see….a guy who can’t get it done no matter how hard he tries because he’s not properly conditioned. Sorry, but there’s no excuse for that. None.
We've seen him give effort and it works
He’d be better off if he never gave effort at all, one and a half seasons ago, when he blew up the end of that year.
But giving effort and succeeding, and then just letting your effort get in the way will make fans hate you.
And if he did give effort and sucked every single night then fine. But what he does is unacceptable in the eyes of the paying fan. People don’t want to see him occasionally try.
Because trying one out of every five games is like saying, “Hey I could help the team that you guys pay to see and love, but I don’t feel like it tonight. Maybe next time. Ohh yeah and I’ll be a dick to you if you don’t like it… either by directing sarcastic comments at you or just rubbing your money that you give me in your face.”
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 3:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i think blatche gave good effort as compared with the backcourt today.
by thewiz06 on Dec 30, 2011 11:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
There's a difference
Between playing and playing well. Lamar Odom rarely plays hard, but often plays well. Michael Ruffin always plays hard, but rarely plays well.
Wall played hard. Young gave average, but not exceptional effort.
AB’s effort level was up and down. I actually think it’s a conditioning thing. He may be better in the Odom style role in the future.
This is my theory on the Blatche thing
It doesn’t look like its 100% on effort, it does look like a conditioning thing. When i see the games and some of the playback it looks like he just doesnt have it at times
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
So do you think its something he can fix?
Whether its effort or conditioning I really don’t think it matters to me personally. We are 7 years into this with Dray… nothings going to change.
ding-ding-ding
Dray has turned into an old man at age 25. His shooting touch isnt coming back and neither is anything else so long as he considers himself to currently be in nba shape. The game just goes right by him, he’s steps slow and has no explosiveness at all.
And there’s no way his teamates dont see it and disdain it every day.
by DCrez on Dec 31, 2011 8:25 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
turning into an old man at 25 is scary
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 11:32 AM EST via Android app up reply actions 1 recs
I haven't seen Odom not play hard for 3-4 years now
Which goes back to that reputation thing. As well as that appearances thing.
by jones-y on Dec 31, 2011 12:45 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not to come off rude...
But “effort” isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe Blatche, tonight or any night.
by TerroristFistJab on Dec 31, 2011 12:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I don't live in Washington
Is the media all over Flip and how he should be fired?
in washington dc we do not vote out for non-performance
by les boulez bomber on Dec 30, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions
media has generally stopped giving a shit about the wiz
so no
"hindsight is 50-50" - Steve Spurrier
by little stevie colter on Dec 30, 2011 11:10 PM EST up reply actions
Lets get this straight
The Wizzards did not have Mason listed as a player for the team- as in not on the 15 man roster
So of course, he was not circled as an active player
So even worse then not active, he was not present
by les boulez bomber on Dec 30, 2011 11:07 PM EST reply actions
I don't blame Flip - seriously.
This is how things are done. The boss always assumes the list presented to him is correct in first place (complete). SAD.
by isum on Dec 30, 2011 11:30 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
One Young comment - then I'll quit...
Obviously he had a terrible shooting night with the Bucks throwing double teams at him… and his limited floor game was exposed.
He did however have 2 assists in only 22 minutes… and it’s becoming more and more apparent that he’s at least trying to take Flip’s instructions to pass more.
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
to be fair
that’s probably going to be the best defense he’s going to see all season.
by Alpha_Snail on Dec 30, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions
Unless we make the playoffs
and see the Bulls or the Heat in playoff mode…I’m aware we’re more likely to sign Kevin Garnett to a four year max deal next off season than make the playoffs
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Dec 31, 2011 8:50 AM EST up reply actions
yes...he is our best player and has only done what has been asked of him on the court
least of our problems except he might sign away because we failed twice to resign him
by les boulez bomber on Dec 30, 2011 11:11 PM EST up reply actions
not buying it Rook he still forced a ton of shots and missed open men. but he should continue to start and be given a chance because crawford is playing terrible
by jazzy1 on Dec 30, 2011 11:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
not buying it Rook
Not buying what? That I said he had a bad game? That the Bucks exposed his limited floor game?
Or that he is trying to pass more?
Small sample size, but he’s averaging about 3.1 assists per 36 minutes….. Even with the small sample size, by watching the games you can see that he’s at least looking at the floor… looking for teammates…. Either you acknowledge the fact that it looks like he’s trying to pass more… or you don’t believe your eyes, and discount the stats as an aberration.
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
by Rook6980 on Dec 30, 2011 11:16 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
You promise 1 NY Comment
Just saying.
I actually think he’s looking to move the ball more. He’s still a bit of a blackhole. But, compared to McGee, he’s moving the ball well.
by GJennings on Dec 30, 2011 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
how is he not gna reply to that comment?
whats up with all this nonsense. Rook is supplying stats and reasoning to back up his arguments, can others please do the same
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 2:13 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
lol sorry getting a little too heated here
but unfounded claims on this blog are like andray blatche pounds, just way too many
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 4:31 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Honestly
It seems that both Crawford and Young are better going against another team’s second unit and providing offense.
But, it’s only one game. Hopefully, Nick gets his stroke back and Crawford improves his shot selection. He made some great shots tonight.
You know what makes this sad
Is that they are our 2 best scorers arguably.
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
He said this summer he worked on making plays for others and defensive rotations
something I love hearing… really think he’s matured the last couple years. Only wish that Wall and Blatche would catch on. I know Blatche is pretty much a lost cause but i’m still trying to figure out what Wall worked on this summer.. I heard he played a lot of pick up games… that seems to of done a lot for his game.
by koop1122 on Dec 30, 2011 11:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
is it only me?
Am i the only one who notices that other teams know exactly where or what we wanna do as an offense but we look lie we have no preperation dunleavy sat out side the three point line all night and over the age of30 jackson looked 25 again.
I noticed that too
First, I thought that it was just good defensive rotations but the problem is this:
We basically only have 3 sets:
1. A quick 1-2 where the 1 is holding the ball at the corner or in the middle, waiting for the SG to curl. Everybody else is standing still.
2. High post 1-4 Iso or a low post 2-5 iso, clearing out the floor. Everybody else is standing still at the weakside.
3. A high 1-3 (corner) screen for penetration to either attack the rim, a 13 ft pull up or a dish out to the corner and occasionally a cutter
Most of the times, the ball movement stops after this and players are iso-ing into a ill advised fg attempt or akwardly passing the ball around with no purpose.
It’s quite easy to see what is going to happen for a defensive coordinator and game plan to take away lanes for penetration and double-down hard on the SG (See Young versus Bucks defense). You don’t have to worry about a McGee low post Iso as he isn’t good enough to make it at a high percentage. If Blatche gets possession deep, double team, seal off the lane for cutters and make sure you stick somebody at Lewis.
We, of course, have no defensive coordinator and it’s clear as hell our players have no idea what our opponent is going to do next. This makes rotations look bad and slow as they are trying to figure out where the heck their opponent is going next.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 9:53 AM EST up reply actions
I should also add that the team is looks like it's not instructed to run after a stop.
Really a head scratcher to me.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 10:08 AM EST up reply actions
Lockout
I think we’re seeing the results of a lot of our Wiz kids not doing their homework over the summer.
No Summer League and an ultra compressed training camp, it’s no surprise that our rookies and new free agents are a little lost. I’m actually impressed with how well they’re playing. Singleton, Mack, and Turiaf are proving to be real basketball players who actually know how to play the game.
More disappointing are some of our returning players. JaVale last year was in the right places, but he was doing it by rote without any real understanding. This year, he seems to have forgotten where to be, and his feel for the game still stinks. (Pop quiz: Wall and Dray are running a pick and pop at the top of the key that is intended to spring Wall free down the left side of the paint. Where do you think JaVale should be? If you chose the left side low block, you are as much of an idiot as JaVale, because the poor spacing surprised both Wall and Dray and forced Wall to pull up short, give up his dribble, and look for a bail out pass.)
Crawford is another disappointment. He played by the seat of his pants last year, and that was understandable, but this year, he’s still doing it, even though he had plenty of time to learn the playbook over the summer. The turnover last night, where Singleton threw the ball into the stands? I think that was on Crawford.
It was
The turnover last night, where Singleton threw the ball into the stands? I think that was on Crawford.
I think it's simpler than that
Dutch, those are some excellent points and there’s clearly room for huge improvement and better coaching. But the basic problem is that the Wizards lack inside-the-paint bangers. No team in the NBA is going to be strong defensively without that. Until the Wizards acquire players who can dominate under the basket, they’ll never be a top team. And the blame for this failure lies with Ernie who year after year refuses to draft or acquire tough interior big men.
I agree
I touched on the offensive predictability of the Wizz and the seemingly unpreparedness (is that a word?!) at the other end but the poor roster construction full of missfits and lacking essential qualities is a big part of our problems.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 12:34 PM EST up reply actions
agree
we have a set of the princeton offense which consist of picks and ball rotation. The problem for one is it doesn’t fit our team or the players we have. When the ball starts to move and it hit blatche or mcgee it no longer rotates. Then at times they over rotate the ball i.e. Rashard lewis and then were forced to take a bad shot due to shot clock. If Flip can’t notice this as a head coach then theres a major problem. Wall looks like he’s regressed in year two which has to be a major concern. The direction is looking positive at this point but its still early and will stay optimistic they can get it together.
I think the Crawford showing was hogwash too
Until he does this in a game where this team is winning a significant game, I can’t put much in his performance.
by ThePGPhenomenon on Dec 30, 2011 11:11 PM EST reply actions
yes…this is a losing team that was never in this game. down 26, we narrowed it to 13 with 5mins left and lost by like 19 or whatever
by les boulez bomber on Dec 30, 2011 11:12 PM EST up reply actions
The most significant game i can recall
Is that outburst against the Heat and one other I can’t remember. It isn’t on him though, this entire team isn’t doing enough to even be in close game situations
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
Significant game
If we’re only going to commend our players when the team wins a significant game, we won’t be commending anyone this season. Last season, our only significant game was when we avoided breaking the all-time road losing streak. And at the rate we’re going this year, we may not even have that highlight!
Well then our whole team is hogwash
Can’t judge anybody for anything, or give them credit for it either. But hey, maybe other GM’s will think that of Javale’s season and just let us have on the cheap.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
Crawford had a good game...
and let’s not degrade it by making excuses (“deficit was insurmountable”)
On those nights he is shooting well , he shouldn’t have a “conscience”… I just hope that just because he hit 3-7 three pointers, he doesn’t start cranking them up every game… He’s much better shooting from inside the arc.
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
But he took some bad shots
If the game was closer, those are the type of plays that hurt your team. But since the game was virtually over it didn’t matter.
by ThePGPhenomenon on Dec 30, 2011 11:17 PM EST up reply actions
He took some bad shots
Who didn’t take bad shots last night? Do you really think this team’s problems stem from Jordan Crawford’s shot selection? During the third quarter wnen Crawford played extensive minutes, the team went from 24 down to 9 down. And Crawford was a major reason for that comeback. To say that “the game was virtually over” is inaccurate and unfair to Crawford, Booker, McGee and the other players who contributed to that effort. The team lost in the end because it’s simply less talented that Milwaukee, particularly in its interior defense. And, given the Wizards’ present roster, that plain fact is not going to change no matter how Crawford shoots.
when singleton and booker are in the game, the other team sometimes has trouble scoring
groundbreaking concept i know, but perhaps that’s a direction to consider going in? Obviously you cant make much of what happens when a big lead is chiseled down….but it perplexes me that Flip subbed Booker out for Rashard early in the 4th. We’d gotten the lead down to 9 or so, Lewis comes in and Bucks go on a run, game over. Not that it’s Lewis’ fault per se….but I dont get why Flip didnt stick with the lineup that was working
by DCrez on Dec 31, 2011 12:17 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I thought the same
I didn’t understand Flip’s decision to pull Booker and I haven’t understood the minimal minutes he’s given him so far this season. The goal should be to maximize the minutes for those players who represent our future so that they can develop and so that management can determine who has the talent to become long-term fixtures on the team. Rashard had already gotten plenty of minutes so it made no sense to reinsert him at that point. And why is Seraphin getting no time at all? Is he that awful at practice that he doesn’t even merit 5 or 10 minutes a game? I still think Ernie’s blindness to the need for acquiring front court interior players is the prime reason for the Wizards’ haplessness but Flip’s management of court time for our young forwards is certainly suspect too.
Somebody has to take 3s
Our floor spacing will collapse without it. I didn’t mind the open 3s as much as some of the crazier contested shots.
He took a lot of bad shots, was a vacuum on offense and was mostly awful on defense
just looks like he had a good game relative to our other scrubs
by Max Zamphirescu on Dec 30, 2011 11:26 PM EST up reply actions
Given he took 7 3's
It’s not a terrible EFG%. It wasn’t a great game, but let’s hope it’s the beginning of him getting out of his shooting funk.
He worked better as the back-up PG than he did as the starting shoot guard. He needs to develop the shot if he’s going to be more than a high volume combo guard.
If we just look at raw numbers
45% shooting isn’t terrible (not great either, but still not bad). 3-7 on 3’s is 42.8%, which would also be good if sustained (although I don’t think Crawford has a prayer of shooting this % on 3’s for the season). I think the big problem is that Crawford seeks out way too many shots for his supposed role on the team, or at least the role many on this site see as the role that best fits him.
Yeah I was just thinking how he shot 39% for us last year and ppl loved him on here
So 45% we should be thrilled… but agree it’s no bueno if we have Crawford shooting 20 times
Thought he ran the point better than Wall.
On the first lob to JaVale, I thought it was Wall who threw and said to myself, “finally! that’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
Still waiting…
Bullets fan stuck in CO.
agreed
granted i was many beers into the night and a bit hazy….but my impression from last night was that JCraw shows more court vision than John and gets Mcgee involved better
Crawford should be a backup point. His playmaking is better used from the point than when he plays off the ball. He needs the ball in his hands and then he can create for his self and others.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
oops, didn't mean to put that in a box.....
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions
totally agree....
he and Wall are not complementary for long periods of time…both are too impatient at this point…
i mean but we have made the playoffs a few yrs ago
by KurisuDevil on Dec 30, 2011 11:14 PM EST up reply actions
true. aside from the 2005-08 playoff runs and a few other seasons, we kept missing the playoffs year after year
like the Clippers. though we didn’t have too many truly abysmal of abysmal seasons, missing the playoffs for very long stretches put us in the cellar.
What does it take to be abysmal??
If you adjust the projected wins/losses for this year to 82, I think we’re looking at a 4-year average of over 60 losses. That seems pretty abysmal to me.
Over the last 10 years outside of the MJ era and Gilbert playoff runs, we were bad..
and for the 90’s, we were real bad too….. I almost had to cry after looking at wikipedia…
our post game show is surprisingly very civil
maybe Glenn’s offer of a $50 gift certificate to Carmine’s in DC is why.
McGuire and Songalia
It can’t get any worse than Songalia jumping the tip and McGuire bringing the ball up…right? How is it that the seem worse than that?
if I recall correctly
We eventually had dmac doing the tip off
"The Wizards won thanks to John Wall JohnWalling to John Wall for the bucket for John Wall. If not for John Wall, the Washington JohnWalls would never have JohnWall’d the Utah NotJohnWalls."-mike prada
by MadDog21 on Dec 30, 2011 11:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
that is correct.
Mac did the tip off and Songaila played center. he actually wasn’t too bad considering the circumstance.
Javale
Did win all his jump ball tonight. Do you think that counts for anything?
I hate the teams body language
Especially Wall. I know the kid is frustrated, but you can tell he hates his teammates and thinks he’s better than them. He probably is but by having that attitude it rubs the team the wrong way and they won’t play for him. Yes they do suck, but as a PG and the supposed leader of the team you can’t show your emotions, everyone can tell Wall thinks his team sucks but you can’t exude that, it brings the whole morale of the team down knowing your supposed best player thinks he’s better than everyone. He’s being just as much of a cancer as those guys.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
by DMVLeGenD on Dec 30, 2011 11:14 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
I think it's the effort of some of his teammates
Do you remember how excited he was when he played in the NBA rookie game? He looked happy.
I think he gets along with Mack and Crawford. I think he respects Singleton and Booker. I think he wants to shoot AB and McGee every single play.
I think he picks up on the coach's tendencies as well...
At 21, he obviously is still impressionable. Heck, at 30 players will tend to take on the personality of the coach. That isn’t to blame Wall….my point is Flip also would need to have a change of heart. It is even possible Flip asked Wall to hold his teammates more accountable.
Jus a hunch…nothing really to back up this point of view…
But isn't it a problem that the guy who is supposed to be our emotional leader can only lead good players?
At some point he has to realize that pouting isn’t going to make Dray any better around the basket, or help JaVales basketball IQ
by Alpha_Snail on Dec 31, 2011 9:03 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agree. D Will does not have better teammates and see what he is doing and so many more great PGs
John still needs to mature and learn as a player and leader. Way to go.
Great players fight through adversity, they don't sulk.
I’m losing patience with Wall because of this. He doesn’t have to play great but he can’t play the spoiled kid either.
Yes you’re teammates are awful, yes you are the superior talent. NOW SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT.
baby.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 10:03 AM EST up reply actions
yep
sure looks that way. Also I think it was in the Hawks game (might have been the Nets) where none of his teammates ran to help Wall off the ground after another one of his head-down drive and tumbles to the basket. It might have been nothing, but it might also have been a sign that some of his team mates are getting a bit sick of his attitude as well. You can take losing if there’s progress, ibut It’s hard to build chemistry when you lose with the same old faces…
he's too angry
being mad won’t win any game nor make anybody play better. By all means, call out teamates who arent trying hard enough….but don’t scowl at everybody all the time for their mistakes, especially when you’re struggling as well. Does not look like John is trying to establish ANYTHING with Mcgee whereas JCraw comes in and looks for oops, immediately finds him. That’s what we need right now, energy plays like steals, breaks, and dunks that threaten to run the other team off the floor.
Is Wall healthy?
I know there was some rumors that were posted on truthaboutit.net that he had a groin pull going into camp.
As bad as the team is, John Wall should not be struggling and almost invisible at times the way he has- he is too good for that. The fact that he has makes me worried that he is hurt.
by goober nackulum on Dec 30, 2011 11:15 PM EST reply actions
He actually looks more explosive than he did last yr
by KurisuDevil on Dec 30, 2011 11:16 PM EST up reply actions
Stii has no plan though
Just straight brute force/quickness, no COD or speed. He’s never gonna get calls
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
Wall is NOT as good as people think
all you had to do is flip channels between the TWolves and Wizard games to see the difference between a true PG, and someone pretending to be one.
I’m telling you Wall did not look impressive in the 2 preseason games, and it has carried over to the regular season.
He did not develop a jumper in the offseason.
He doesn’t see the floor as well as Rubio ( granted, he probably sees only terrible players that he doesn’t want to pass the ball to)
He isn’t a good defender (witness Jennings torching him all night)
by HeyHeyDoctorJ on Dec 30, 2011 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
true PG, combo guard doesn't matter to me
I saw a team playing with energy and with a can do attitude in Minny, and a team that didn’t know what it was doing in DC. Rubio played like he’s been here before, and Wall I dunno.
You heard it here first: Evan Turner will make it to the AllStar game before Wall
And will end up playing in more of them than Wall
by HeyHeyDoctorJ on Dec 30, 2011 11:37 PM EST up reply actions
bold prediction man.
My bold prediction is the same thing, except that it’s Rubio!
The Target Center was wild at one point where everyone screamed “Rubio! Rubio! Rubio! Rubio!”
I said last year and in the preseason that I would take
Holiday and Turner over Wall and Crawford… got laughing as a response from more than one
Still think we should of drafted Wall over Turner at the time
But I really like Turner’s all around game and love Holiday as a young pg. Wall def. has the much higher ceiling but there is so much to worry about Wall’s game at this point in his career.. defense, shooting, turnovers… Wall probably has to hit 75% of his potential to be better than Holiday but Turner would make up for that over Crawford.
the defense is a concern
But, I think it’s more the fact that the team isn’t the right fit for him.
Wall needs to play in transition. The key to transition is defensive rebounding and turnovers. Our starting bigs are so-so defensive rebounders. We don’t pressure to force more turnovers.
Wall is also a PG that doesn’t have 3 point range. The problem with a PG that lacks 3 point range is that at least of your remaining players on the court have to be good 3 point shooters. Right now, the Wizards don’t have that. Young is normally a good 3 point shooter, but didn’t shoot well tonight. Lewiss’ 3 point shot has regressed significantly. Defenses are packing the paint. Wall could pass it, but part of him worries that his teammates are just going to miss it. He’s tryigng to force things, which compounds his problems.
If you’re really doubting Wall, rewatch his first game as a Wizard. The talent and skill exist. The team is just a bad fit.
I just check
Lewis is 3 of 7 on 3s in these 3 games. =42.8%. I hope some teammates know how to get him the ball when driving into 3 defenders in the paint.
Who hasn't shot an airball on this team so far?
But saying his 3 point shot has regressed significantly is not correct.
His last two games
have been better. He started the season 0-2. He was 0-1 in both preseason games. A sample size of 7 or 9 shots isn’t great. You’re right to say “signficantly” is an overstatement at this point.
And since i didnt get a chance before the game
Fuck you Drew Gooden
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
last two callers were really pissed
this guy on now is saying flip doesn’t care enough and wants ernie fired now.
Ted is supposed to go Godzilla on all Wiz employee/coaches and stomp and blast everything away in sight
lol no really tho i duno what he should do, he DEF SHOULDNT just stand idle and say his ‘stay the course/young’ thing tho. This has reached a whole new lvl of badness. some kind of action is needed
by KurisuDevil on Dec 30, 2011 11:29 PM EST up reply actions
At this point
Nothing. If the Wizards go 0-12, he should make a coaching change. Sam Cassel was a head coaching candidate. If Flip can’t get these guys to play well, you take a shot.
I think you give Ernie one more year. He’s had a great string of trades. If he can move Young and AB, get back 2 more 1st round picks, and convert Lewis’s contract into a winfall of talented players, this team could be the 8th seed next year.
i believe this the last year of Ernie's contract?
Ted has to decide if Ernie is the right person to handle the next draft or not, we are going to have a great pick
Don't get your hopes up on Ted bringing in new blood.
Tommy Sheppard(VP of Basketball Relations) and Greg Bibb(Executive VP of Business Operations) have Georgetown connections.
sheppard is a pollin holdover i believe.
Greg Bibb is a Ted Leonsis lieutenant though, because he led the Mystics business staff’s takeover of the wizards last year. I would give him the benefit and he does not have decision-making authority on players, only the benefits surrounding our fan experience.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 12:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Blatche tweet
andray blatche @drayblatche 5m
I’m sorry to are fans I’m n a funk and fightin to get out I’m jus gonna work hard as I can on def\reb please don’t give up on us its early
11:21 PM – 30 Dec 11 via Twitter for BlackBerry® · Details
Dray's daily tweet!
@drayblatche: I’m sorry to are fans I’m n a funk and fightin to get out I’m jus gonna work hard as I can on def\reb please don’t give up on us its early
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
it may have been a speech to text flub up
but that tweet better not be copied and pasted after every bad loss this year…….
I'm not giving up on either until its over
I like the positive attitude from him and the season is young. Nowhere to go but up from here
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
That was fake optomism
I dont see us winning a game in the near future but I still can’t bring myself to give up on Dray
I'm not going to think of something extra witty or clever to say, I don't want to convince you to see things my way, I just have 2 words for you: JEREMY LAMB
by qthaballa on Dec 30, 2011 11:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
League pass
This free trial thing is reminding me what NBA basketball actually looks like. For less than the cost of a few beers at the Verizon center, you can see real bbal every night!
Just such a giant difference vs a wizards game.
Hope the improve soon. Makes me sad.
to hell with john wall!
Give me Gilbert in his prime! Fire flip! Fire everyone! Sell the team! I can’t watch anymore of this! I’m getting nauseous!
by Objdadon on Dec 30, 2011 11:37 PM EST via mobile reply actions
6 wins
I honestly think this will be how many wins we’ll get this season.
"The Wizards won thanks to John Wall JohnWalling to John Wall for the bucket for John Wall. If not for John Wall, the Washington JohnWalls would never have JohnWall’d the Utah NotJohnWalls."-mike prada
by MadDog21 on Dec 30, 2011 11:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I think more likely 14
We’re more or less the same team as last year, and will probably have a similar wining percentage.
I said 15 before the preseason but I might have been too optimistic.
I feel sorry for the fans who thought we were legitimately going for 25 to 35 out of 66 this yr. The roster wasn’t good to begin with. Now it’s performing even worse than I thought they would.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
I think people are overreacting a little about John
He’ll be great. He just needs a better lineup around him. Saying he has no court vision when he averaged 10 assists per game as a rookie is pretty absurd. It seems to me like the kid hates his teammates, in my opinion…
And also, you guys can quote me: I think Jan is going to help this team out a lot when he plays on both ends of the court, even more than Booker.
by DCeee on Dec 30, 2011 11:59 PM EST via mobile reply actions
**Even more than Singleton want to say Singleton)**
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:00 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
**meant**...stupid auto correct...
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:01 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Enough whining about Blatche, talk about Wall
Blatche isn’t playing well (as he admits), but Wall has been awful and his inability to get easy shots for Blatche and McGee is the biggest problem right now.
Any and all discussions need to be around how bad Wall has been so far. Everything else is secondary.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:05 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
We have slammed Wall pretty hard too in the game thread.
Blatche gets a lot of blame and since he was on this team the longest, he ends up being a big target for the vitriol. I think Wall needs to get Dray and JaVale in easier positions to score, but they also need to open up the floor for him too for an open jump shot, or a drive toward the rack.
Do you disagree?
All the whining about Blatche (and much of it has moved from criticism to whining) is a distraction from how bad Wall has been. Not just disappointing but really really bad. Like bad enough to wonder if the word “bust” is appropriate. #1 picks are not supposed to struggle like this in their second year, and Wall was supposed to be much better than the average #1 pick.
Discuss.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:29 AM EST up reply actions
Honestly
I can’t think if a currently successful no. 1 pick that had a team as bad around them as Walm does in their second year.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not true
of the #1 overall picks over the past 20 years, Wall had one of the smallest impacts on W/L of any of them.
Even less than Bargniani on a bad Toronto team. Facts don’t support your argument.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:34 AM EST up reply actions
The are too many chicken little here Wall will be fine the sky is not falling when Wall has a great game then people will be calling him MVP chill out everyone. lol
Its game 3 no one is playing well.
Deron Williams
Chris Paul, I could go on.
Good PGs make those around them better. Wall has done nothing of the sort.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:30 AM EST up reply actions
Deron Williams
Would have failed terribly in his second year with this roster.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:33 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
nonsense
In DW’s 2nd season he averaged 16/3/9 on a team that won 51 games with a roster where the top 5 scorers (besides DW) were Boozer, Mehmet Okur, AK47, Matt Harpring and Gordon Giriceck.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:39 AM EST up reply actions
A far, far, infinitely better roster than what Wall currently has
You’re proving my point here pretty firmly.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:41 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Really?
So the talent difference is enough to explain 51 wins to a team that cannot compete with mediore NBA teams? I don’t think so.
Just so we’re clear, the 2nd best player was Carlos Boozer who’s career is comparable to Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison. 2 time all stars.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:51 AM EST up reply actions
Take out giriceck and add in Derek Fisher
That team had two all stars in Boozer and Okur.
And Derek fisher played a big role in their playoff run to the Western Finals.
No to mention
AK47 does a little bit of everything very well. And don’t get me started on how much better all of those players are at shooting. Okur? Wet jumper. Boozer? Great midrange shot? Kerilenko? Can shoot from everywhere.
So who can John pass to that will reliably knock down jumpers?
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:50 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
So...
a 2 time all star and a 1 time all star were enough of a supporting cast to win 51 games?
As an point of comparison, the Arenas/Jamison/Butler trio produced more all star appearances than DW/Boozer/Okur and never won 51 games.
Not really making the point.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:53 AM EST up reply actions
With Deron Williams
Plus good Players, yes, they won 51 games.
You’re missing the part where Deron had very good players, while John never has.
What isn’t making sense here.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:56 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'm not suggesting this roster is able to win 51 games
I’m just suggesting that DW has proven that he makes the players around him better while Wall has not. That Jazz roster wasn’t good enough to win 51 games and this Wiz roster isn’t so bad that it shouldn’t be competitive in NBA games.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:59 AM EST up reply actions
Deron Williams is great enough to make a good roster great
But John doesn’t even have a good roster; it’s much harder to make an awful roster good.
Seems like you think our players are better than I do.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 1:02 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
No
I just see one PG (DW) who can make players around him better and Wall who has proven no such thing.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 1:04 AM EST up reply actions
I don't know if williams made anyone on the Nets truly better, though he hasn't been there that long yet
I still think Derek Fisher played a role like Hinrich did for Derrick Rose and both players together along with the rest of the core (Boozer, Okur, AK47, etc) made each other better with time and chemistry.
The players around Wall have to help make him better too, and it’s possible that they aren’t doing that as well as Wall not making them better. These things go both ways.
If John had a roster of Okur, Kerilenko, boozer, and fisher
He would make them all look great.
There are no Okurs or kerilenkos or boozers on this team. I’ve shot your points (really bad points) down pretty handily. You’re comparing a pg who had very good shooters around him in his second year to a player who has one streaky shooter, a headcase, a washed up veteran, and a guy who panicks when he gets touches in the post around him.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 1:12 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Also
Hope I don’t sound hostile. Friendly argument, bf love :D
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 1:15 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
not if Flip was coaching
Sloan made those guys eat, drink, and sleep the P&R both running it and defending it…..I guarantee Wall and everyone else would look better if Sloan had been coaching here the past 3yrs AND the lineups would look a lot different.
A Sloan sees the value of a player like Booker whereas Flip is going to trot Dray out there forever because theoretically he might start hitting his Js one day. And you can bet a Turiaf would gobble up Dray and Javale’s PT with a quickness if they didnt play well defensively under a coach like Thibs or Doc or Sloan. Starts at the top!
Deron Williams is not going to do a whole lot better than JW...
with the Nets current roster… Sadly, the Wiz may be the only team they can beat.
Btw, I think Jan can be our Kerilenko
On some nights he’ll be able to score very well, but I’m most excited about him being the glue for our team. I think Jan will rebound, be a tremendous passer, and a great defender on the perimeter as well as an energy guy that gets everyone going.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I sure hope so
watching team play like this is painfull.
Jeez, don't put the weight of the world on Jan V...
when he gets up the will to come back… If I were him I might consider taking a fall in the shower at this point :-)
Don't think being like AK47 is putting the weight of the world on him
I think that’s a decent comparision and we should except being our 6th pick that he can work and develop into a very solid starter in the league..
Yea
Sort of over the top lol…one man can’t win alone, and in this case, everyone is playing poorly. John is our best player, but we can’t expect him to carry a load not even Derrick Rose could deal with.
This team is bad, guys. When John kicks it to people, he needs those people to make shots. When no one is hitting shuts, John can’t get into the lane.
This isn’t on him. It’s not him that’s the problem, it’s the team in general.
And seriously, I feel like Flip’s lost his players, which only makes all of this worse.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
but Wall isn't kicking it to players
he’s repeatedly making out-of-control 1-on-5 drives to the basket that end with him on the floor or a turnover or free throws. That’s not going to win in the NBA.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:32 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Which he does
After Lewis bricks one, or JaVale drives from the 3 point line, or jcraw launches an out of control shot, or drays jumper isn’t on.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 12:35 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
thank you
short training camp after a long lockout and it has only been 3 games. Fans need to chill a bit but I get the frustration.
"You taught me a lesson, I was going to give someone the benefit of doubt, and I almost did, then something said, no don't, don't, its not for you, its not my thing" Larry David,
It was a long lockout and short TC for every one
we have a team that is mostly in tact and has young legs. If anything, we should have been looking good relatively to other teams
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
Also, Javale McGee
Improved in some areas, but becoming clear that he is not smart enough to become a winning NBA player.
Discuss.
by JonathanJoseph on Dec 31, 2011 12:33 AM EST reply actions
he needs to play with other players on the court with very high IQ all around to improve his.
and there aren’t too many guys who have that
what about mcgee says he's not smart enough to be a winning nba player winning teams make winning players.
Mcgee is playing some good ball. problem is he’s the only deterrent defensively his pf will not take a charge, rotate over or block a shot so he’s all alone to try and defend the middle.
and on offense he gets it in the post Twice a game otherwise its bombs away from low percentage shooters.
by jazzy1 on Dec 31, 2011 1:26 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
so first you say blatche gives great effort
Let’s all not recognize that Blatche played hard all night.
now you say McGee’s PF (which I assume is Blatche right? or are we in some alternate universe?) will not take a charge, rotate, or block a shot. Which one is it? You cant say things like
You’re just seeing what you want to seeto us and then not make any sense yourself. Once again, its ridiculous. And i don’t mean any of this to be personal, i don’t even know you, just basing it off of your own words.
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 2:18 AM EST up reply actions
You're quoting the wrong guy, brother
Your beef is with jones-y
by imperialme on Dec 31, 2011 4:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
wish i could delete posts right about now
agree with you 100# jazzy1, his PF is screwing him
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 5:16 AM EST up reply actions
I am worried avout Wall
he just doesn’t look right to me and hasn’t since the preseason. The dysfunction and negativity surrounding the Wizards isn’t helping.
One thing i didn’t really think about before the season was how poor a jump-shooting team this is. If Nick or Crawford aren’t feeling it the offense becomes totally stagnant. We need Blatche to wake up and for McGee to master some post-offense asap.
I still think this team can win 20 games but it won’t be easy getting there — that’s for sure.
I think Wall has a lack of confidence right now for some reason.
It’s definitely something mental because he is healthy. There was a play tonight where Wall made a nice crossover and drove to the rim and should have been able to finish or at least draw a foul, but instead he looked confused in the air and ended up airballing a layup. He looks very indecisive right now.
"Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesely" - Jan Vesely
by PhenomenalSwag on Dec 31, 2011 12:57 AM EST up reply actions
I just cringe
everytime I see Wall put his head down and drive like a bull to the basket. His speed should be his greatest strength — but it’s ironically turning into his greatest weakness. It reminds me a lot of how D-Wade would drive to the hoop in his younger days. Just go balls out and hope for contact. Wade struggled with these “reckless” drives his rookie year when Shaq wasn’t there and he isn’t wasn’t established enough to get calls from the refs. However, once Shaq arrived (to draw double teams) and Wade’s stardom rose, he was able to maximize his speed (and of course became nicknamed “Flash”).
Unfortunately, this strategy clearly isn’t working for Wall because a.) McGee isn’t much of an offensive threat thus isn’t attracting the ideal amount of defensive attention away from Wall c.) Wall isn’t getting many calls from the refs; and c.) Wall is missing an alarming number of lay-ups. It’s scary because Wall is flirting with serious injury the way he is trying to initiate contact and awkwardly falling to the floor. Flip needs to corral him and probably play him less minutes. IMO, Wall needs to focus on slowing things down and try to work through Blatche and McGee in the post. The lay-ups for Wall will come naturally once defenses start respecting our half-court offense.
by Uknowit2309 on Dec 31, 2011 1:20 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Isn't it wierd though?...
That he made a lot of those shots last year? Why miss them now? Did being injured last year force John to slow down and pick and choose when to attack or something.
by DCeee on Dec 31, 2011 1:26 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hard to say Dceee
But I think Wall felt less pressure last year and was playing “looser.” Maybe all the hype from his lockout league performances and websites annointing him the next “break-out star” have bred some overconfidence in him. What is clear is that he’s putting too much on his shoulders right now and needs to trust his teammates more (despite their struggles thus far).
The injury slowing him down and forcing him to play a less reckless style last year is an interesting point I hadn’t really thought about — it makes some sense though. I think the missed layups where he encounters minimal resistance are primarily a mental thing (with Blatche as well) that should start to fall as the season progresses. Where the resistance is heavier, however, Wall needs to realize that the refs aren’t gonna give him a free ticket to the free throw line and that he is better off dishing to NY or JC.
His eyes are closed!
I was watching the Milwaukee broadcast. They showed a super-slo-mo replay from under the basket of one of his blown layups. He was bracing for contact (didn’t get the call) and his eyes were completely shut!
Bullets fan stuck in CO.
watched the Clippers game after Wiz
CP3s handles are so advanced, he makes Wall look like a guy playing out of position. John’s gotta a lot to work on, I would say he may have as much development in front of him as Javale
by DCrez on Dec 31, 2011 8:32 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I felt like I was cheating on my girlfriend last night watching that game
but it was so nice and felt so good to watch real basketball being played!
Rose went a combined 13 for 35 (37%) with 4.6 assist per game in his first three games as a sophomore.
Wall has had very similar numbers so we just need to be a little patient!!!
by spanishfalcon on Dec 31, 2011 1:56 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
Thanks for the prespective
Probably nice to remember good players struggle.
yeah thats true
he needs some time before we judge him so drastically. But the development curve/trend is not looking good RIGHT NOW. Doesn’t mean it can’t change though, im keeping my own personal hope alive.
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 2:20 AM EST up reply actions
seriously
That’s comforting to hear. I love john but was beginning to question his stardom but that made me a little more comfortable … thanks
by no more kwame's in dc on Dec 31, 2011 4:33 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Rose
was able to turn it around and put on some good games after lets hope John can do the same!! We also have to take into consideration there has hardly been a preseason this year.
by spanishfalcon on Dec 31, 2011 5:36 AM EST up reply actions
I do think these points are important
Pointing out Rose’s struggles, the Thunders 3-29 start in Durant’s second year and the general thinking that it takes about 3 years to get acquainted to the league (I think this was a statement from Magic Johnson).
Wasn't Rose injured though?
He was coming off an offseason injury if I recall correctly. When he healed up, he dominated.
Same situation with Tyreke Evans last season.
John doesn’t have that excuse. But 3 games isn’t enough to make me give up on him. I just hate his body language right now.
But John had an extended layoff from the NBA
And much fewer veterans around him.
There are always excuses to be made.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
I thought of looking this up
But laziness stopped me.
It’s such a good point. People have bad streaks. People have hot streaks. Wall has a TON to learn.
But also, he has already shown us he can perform on an NBA level. Shown us he can pass the rock effectively. But his weaknesses need to worked on and he needs to get his mind right for all that to come back.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 3:20 PM EST up reply actions
Andray Blatche with some inspiring words...seriously!
I’m sorry to are fans I’m n a funk and fightin to get out I’m jus gonna work hard as I can on def\reb please don’t give up on us its early
taken from his twitter. Grammatical errors aside, this is exactly what i want to hear from him. But i don’t even know if im happy about it, because it just injects more (of what is most likely false) hope into me. I’ve had my heart broken too many times dray! Don’t do me wrong again! please!
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 4:48 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
He's been saying stuff like this for a couple years now
I don’t want to hear all this Dray being a “leader” talk if he’s not going to back it up… Play better basketball!
I've watched a lot of bad basketball.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many bad shots as I see when this team plays.
Every shot by McGee that isn’t a lob or a putback looks terrible, like he’s making it up on the spot.
Crawford’s shot selection is horrible (sorry, just because you make a shot doesn’t mean it’s a good shot). I honestly think he doesn’t know the difference between a good and a bad shot. The guy as he currently plays is a team killer.
Wall is a poor finisher in traffic, which he tries to do every time he gets frustrated, which is a lot.
Blatche shrinks from contact. Any time he has a defender between him and the basket he fades as far away as he can.
Young and Lewis are the only players who seem to know what they’re doing. One is too old to be able to help much and the other is too streaky to be depended on and too one dimensional to carry a team or build an offense around.
Honestly our guys look like they’ve never played together before. No chemistry whatsoever. We played against one of the worst offensive teams in the league and they passed the ball, got each other open shots, worked themselves open and looked like an actual team. I had a hard time recognizing any offensive sets from the Wizards.
We have no offensive presence within 15 feet of the basket, which is pretty important in the NBA.
Any of you who know me may be shocked to hear me say this, but perhaps it’s time to start looking at the coach. The team is not responding to him. I know that 3 games into the season is absurdly early, but really the team has regressed and I don’t really see where the discipline to move forward is going to come from. I don’t know if players like Blatche, McGee, Crawford can excel with a coach like Flip if they can be coached at all.
I don’t see this turning around anytime soon. I guess it all only makes sense if you toss out the win-loss record altogether and just treat this year like a bunch of pre-season developmental games.
Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy season.
by MR on Dec 31, 2011 5:06 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Changing the Coach - the same thought came up to me as well
Do you think it will help with a group of talent (character) like this? I have no idea what kind of coach / who can help this group.
jt3 or mike prada
Time to get crazy with it
by Wizards Khalifa on Dec 31, 2011 5:19 AM EST up reply actions
Flip has to be fired, it's that simple.
There is certainly a chance that Mcgee et al simply suck and nothing can be done with them….but we’ll never know until Flip is long gone because as you say- it’s clear he cannot coach this group. He’s gotta go or the season is wasted and the rebuild loses a year.
Having Mason escorted off the court because he didnt sign the card has to be the low point of Flip’s career, maybe it’s a cry for help- get him outta here.
by DCrez on Dec 31, 2011 8:29 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I'd bet he's the first coach fired this season
and I’d bet he’d be happy about it.
I'm with you
I think he’d be perfectly happy to not have to deal with this nonsense anymore.
Oh I don't disagree
I never wanted Flip in the first place and have been eagerly awaiting his departure, but I’m still pretty sure he’ll a nice big sigh of relief with him on his way out the door.
look at it this way..we will find out once an for all Ernie's
evaluation capabilities…because he is about to have the pick of the litter in a stacked draft…no excuses…
One kudo to Flip
he finally went with a bunch of different lineups, guess because it was a blow out.
Was I the only one who just felt better with Booker and Singleton together on the floor? At least those guys hustle all the time and make defensive plays……I’d like to see a defensive unit with those two, Mcgee, Nick, and John/Jordan. See if we can stop some scoring since Lord knows we arent going to score no matter who is out there
Also does anyone believe Jan has the flu?
Seems like some nonsense going on
To be fair...
He didn’t make the trip. Not saying there isn’t something else there, but just wanted to make that point. It will be interesting to see if he plays against Boston at home.
Was he out with the flu or hip problem?
someone told me he had the flu as the reason he didnt make the trip….any update on his injury?
Instant classic
Andray Blatche returned to the charred ruin of my bandwagon and peed on it
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
One thing I feel compelled to say:
I’ve seen endless comments that call for John Wall’s head and say they want him gone for someone else. Stick by it and please don’t act like he’s the best thing that ever happened when he has a good game. Fine, “so and so will be better,” everyone’s entitled to their opinion but if you are gonna say it, stay with it. It’s the kid’s second year in the league! It’s three games into the season! He averaged 16-8 last year! Just cause Rubio or whoever looked good in one game doesn’t mean that they’re automatically better, in fact, they’re 0-3. So to sum up my rant: if you’re gonna crucify Wall, please don’t stop when he starts playing well.
Follow me on Twitter: @adamvolo
by adamvolo on Dec 31, 2011 9:12 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
not calling for his head but he has some major red flags my friend
We have no choice but to stick with him. He is the center (and only true building block) of our rebuild. If he doesn’t pan out, we have nothing.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
agree 100%
I have my opinions on who I think will be better… but I absolutely hope I’m wrong and Wall maxes out on his potential. I’ve been skeptical of Wall since I saw him in college although I still thought we had to take him number 1 and as long as he is a wizard I’m sticking with him and hopeful he develops into an all-star pg… most importantly is a key to get us contending in the East.
That's fine
I have no problem with people voicing their opinions, sorry if I came as a jerk in that sense. But I really hate uninformed judgements from someone who acts like they know what they’re talking about when they clearly don’t (not anyone in particular).
Follow me on Twitter: @adamvolo
I haven't seen any calls for his head
Some people are concerned, but I think that’s based on expectations that he was going to become a top 5 player in the league. That seems a lot less likely now than it did on draft night…
I have to say this
I am a big Wizards supporter. But I have to say this. For whatever reason, right now, I can watch all the NBA games played each night on TV. (I have Comcast cable and somehow get all the games free).
I’ve been watching all the games each night for the past week. I’ve seen them all. AND BY FAR, each time I watch portions of the Wizards game…IT IS GLARING that the Wizards enthusiasm and effort is the worst of ALL teams. It almost makes me sick watching them play. I cannot take watching J McGee anymore. He has to have the worst on the court worth ethic I have seen in any players thus far.
The Wizards as a whole look pathetic right now. And I am PISSED that the way the team is heading, it will stunt the growth of our rookies this year. Blatch and McGee and Youngs desire to win is pathetic. I’m sad to be a Wizards fan right now, and I hope that they can turn it around.
I’ve been saying this for awhile, but I think Flip is not the guy for our team. And last night, was another reason why he could be out of a job next year. He needs to bring that fire to practice and to his coaching each night to change the culture of this team. I am not sure where we are headed in the next few years now, and I’m beginning to expect things like this.
I’ll continue to watch the games, but, it will be hard for me. I’ll no doubt yell at my T.V. more times than I’ll cheer for the team effort, on the court.
Am I going crazy?
by Joe Kobos on Dec 31, 2011 9:12 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Final thing
I’ll say this. And I’m done with the Wiz for a while. But, do you think that Leonsis and Ernie are putting pressure already on Flip to step it up? In my experience, if that happens, you’ll see the coach take on a new form most of the time because they do not want to be fired.
Right now I don’t see that. I wonder when Flip’s job will be on the chopping block, doesn’t seem like it is now. But it could be only in a few weeks.
Ernie should be feeling pressure himself and therefore pushing Flip
of course Flip is probably like “You’ve given me a ship of fools to pilot”
by DCrez on Dec 31, 2011 9:27 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Leonsis is clueless!
Blame Leonsis. You don’t buy a sad sack franchise and not clean house. He’s kept everything the same for fear of offending Grammy Pollin. He needed to get rid of Flip and Grunfled and others in the front office. He did nothing beyond putting a beer shelf above the urinals. He just doesn’t get it. He now joins a long list of clueless owners of DC sports franchises.
by Bups on Dec 31, 2011 9:35 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
If you are right,
this started with the inexplicable firing of the mystics head coach and GM after the 2010 season when the team got a 1 seed in the playoffs. this led to players wanting out and the current coach/gm sucks but she has to get the benefit right now.
then the caps started to screw up in the playoffs last season and this year they have been really inconsistent. we change colors.and lose our ability to play. I guess it is bad karma coming back to haunt all of Ted’s teams, and it started with the mystics, or the team no one cares about.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 11:40 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
this is the most dangerous angle and one we have to truly hope is not true.
If Ted thought he could sit back and just let this season play out however it may while he preached “process” he made a critical error and he’s actually going to have to do some work for the team in the next 1-2 weeks. The team simply cannot be left in Flip’s hands if we’re 0-10 and getting blown out every night. Another season like that will destroy these players AND only cements every FAs desire to avoid DC like the plague
Wall is still very young
The guy played one yr in Kentucky and had a great team around him, give the kid some time…he had a good rookie year and is still learning, one thing I do like he is still competing and the only one who plays with fire.
Defensive floor general
Sean makes an excellent point about how McGee would be aided enormously if he had a defensive floor general at PF playing beside him. Even if Blatche played up to his abilities, he could not be a defensive floor general. He’s just not strong or tough enough for that role. But who’s fault is it that the Wizards don’t have a defensive force controlling the paint? Ernie Grunfeld has made some good acquisitions in the draft and through trades in his eight years as GM but, not once, has he looked to bring in a Ben Wallace-type defensive monster. And in those eight years, the Wizards have been consistently outrebounded and outplayed in the paint with all due respect to the solid players we’ve occasionally had, and have, manning the perimeter. And knowing this glaring need, Grunfeld elects to draft Jan Vesely who is clearly not a defensive floor general. The plain fact is that Grunfeld does not, and perhaps never will, understand the importance of interior defense and the need for players who can dominate in the paint. Until he’s replaced by a GM who does, the Wizards will never be a top-tier team no matter how many high draft picks they acquire.
by Koperro on Dec 31, 2011 10:11 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Somebody who creates their own space down low
And doesn’t give up post position. And knows how to defend a P&R. That isn’t a TON to ask for.
That’s why “Blatche sux” is so prominent right now. We just want somebody to do the little things. But he ignores those things and then isn’t even doing what he does well.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
Follow @Dylan___V
by returnofswagger on Dec 31, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
If this team plays together the whole year, it will probably have historically bad win percentage. Thankfully it’s a shortened season, so the stats nerds will ignore it.
But the eventual win percentage is not be the problem. It’s player development. We’ve got to do more to protect Wall, an elite talent, or he’s going to despise this place.
So a change must be made now, before any of this happens. IMO, start with Blatche. His earnestness aside, he sucks. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t believe it. Trade him and wait 5 games to see what happens. If then we still look historically bad, then you have to look at the coach. AND if Ernie is unable to trade Blatche or make some kind of immediate change, then you have to look at showing him the door, too.
by Tbonebullets on Dec 31, 2011 10:14 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
The pick and roll defense in the first half was atrocious
They shot 60%+ from 3ville.
Is this deja vue.
Didn’t these things plague us last year????
so tired of this organization
STRAIGHT CASH HOMIE
by everybodylookin on Dec 31, 2011 10:54 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
We
Go from one of, if not the most dysfunctional football organizations, to the most dysfunctional basketball organization. Not to mention the caps are pretty dysfunctional, and our baseball owner is pretty cheap. For some reason the DC teams like to take after our government…. Yes as a DC sports fan, I am feelin sorry for myself today.
the nats have opened up their wallets now.
next yr looks promising for now.. but the lerners are minority owners for monumental sports too.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 11:42 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
The Bucks played aggressively, and the calls tended to go their way
Teams realize that defensively, all they need to do to throw this team off its game is to bump, push and hack. Maybe a foul will be called, but probably not, and as soon as things get physical, the Wizards resort to taking contested fade-away jumpers. It was the same thing last season, and we know how that panned out.
expectations could be the problem
i have little to no expectations for our veteran core of young, blatche, and mcgee. so this is about what i thought we’d see. i don’t think we’ll get blown out the entire season, nor do i think we’ll be any good.
i want to see improvement from wall and maybe mcgee, and those are my goals for the team this year. that, and to see what vesely can do.
trying lowering your expectations for this team, you might feel better about things.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 31, 2011 12:10 PM EST reply actions
i think it's safe to say Wizard fans are used to seeing very bad basketball.
This is something else entirely as it’s Flips 3rd year but the teams looks like it was put together yesterday. It’s one thing to correctly accept the team isnt going to win much, but being a utterly disorganized debacle in the process is not an acceptable part of a rebuild….key there being BUILD. There has to be a clear direction with key players showing some progress, if that’s not happening then we’re backsliding
How much of this is on Flip and how much is on the individual players?
Some of our returning players look more confused than the new guys, even the rookies. If we had had a normal off season, I’d blame the coaching staff, but since the coaches weren’t allowed to have any contact with the players until just a couple of weeks ago, I think the blame has to fall on the individual players.
oh, if it's like this 10-15 games in
some kind of drastic change will be made. but i don’t think it will be. unlike when eddie jordan got fired, flip has some guys on his bench that he can play and we’ll at least be competitive.
as to expectations, many folks here were talking playoffs this year… yeah… i made that mistake before last season and quickly came to my senses, but that realization was pretty upsetting, particularly since it meant the rebuild was going to take years.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Dec 31, 2011 1:04 PM EST up reply actions
I lower expectations but it's still frustrating
For the bucks game I said I wanted to see: Wall and NY play well together, McGee to match or outplay Bogut, Singleton keep impressing and Booker to get some PT…. Wall and Nick were awful… McGee wasn’t great. I don’t feel better about anything
Wall's play concerns me.
I expected much more from JW.
He should be raising the rest of the team up but he’s playing down to their level.
Sometimes all it takes is for one guy to play with energy and focus and it becomes contagious.
He might have played in too many summer games where there wasn’t any “D” being played and now he can’t get used to guys contesting his play.
He sure doesn’t look like he did last year.
Wall's performance has been puzzling. We know he has an outstanding work ethic and
wants to be great and last year he was great at times, but there is no denying that he has looked awful more times than not this year (preseason included). I don’t know what the problem is but there is a problem. Have Wall’s personal goals gotten in the way? Is he miscast in Flip’s tweaked system. Is there friction with one or more players on the team? Is playing with an undisclosed injury? Has the losing, dysfunctional culture of the team sapped his spirit? Just what the hell is going on???
The Orange portal represents the team last yr, the Blue portal is this yr's team
by KurisuDevil on Dec 31, 2011 12:31 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Ha! if they regressed as pretty as Michael did his moonwalk, I'd enjoy watching it!
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Dec 31, 2011 7:22 PM EST up reply actions
Trade coming if this continues for about a month or so ?
TNT should've treated Lebron's return to Cleveland game like 2k11 and cut the game off after the Cavs were down by 30. lol
We need to offer Jeff Van Gundy a head coach job.
Although he would probably decline.
TNT should've treated Lebron's return to Cleveland game like 2k11 and cut the game off after the Cavs were down by 30. lol
Brutal
That was about as miserable a showing as i can remember last night. It almost seems like these guys don’t want to win. Andre Blatche is terrible! Why does he continue to launch shots from 18 feet? Why does he continue to play sorry defense? Most of the time he doesn’t even have his hands up. At some point the Wiz got to give up on this guy. Its clear to me that he will never get any better. What the hell happened to Wall? He can’t hit the broad side of a barn! The Roger Mason Jr. oversight is inexcusable! At some point I got to start blaming this kind of crap on Flip. I’m sick of this excuse that the team is rebuilding. This team has been rebuilding for 10 years! At some point you gotta put all your chips on the table and go for it! The fans cannot support this kind of garbage year after year. The next 3 games are BOS X2, then ORL. So, its pretty safe to say the Wiz will be 0-6 to start the season. Here we go again.
by ABOVETHELAW on Dec 31, 2011 1:41 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
no team can rebuild ten years straight.
that is called meddling.
by thewiz06 on Dec 31, 2011 2:49 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
assuming minny wins tonight
We will be the only winless team in the NBA… That could spell flip’s doom then.
by thewiz06 on Jan 1, 2012 8:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions
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