Links: Kevin Seraphin Signs In Spain, John Wall Works On His Jumper
by Mike Prada on Sep 19, 2011 11:13 AM EDT
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Lots to catch up on today. Let's get right to it.
- Kevin Seraphin has signed to play with Caja Laboral Vitoria of Spain for next season, according to his agent. It's a different club team than the one he played for before coming to the NBA. Like most overseas deals, Seraphin will return to the Wizards when the lockout ends. [Michael Lee]
- Seraphin briefly got into the Eurobasket Gold Medal game, playing eight minutes in France's 98-85 loss to Spain. He had four points and three personal fouls in that time.
- John Wall is working on his jumper and he thinks it looks good, which is excellent news. [Lee]
- To me, though, the most interesting line in the above story is this one, when Wall was asked about Andray Blatche's players-only workouts last week. "I think it’s better to do it L.A., where everybody is at," said Wall, who trains at the Impact facility in Reseda, Calif., with Crawford and Nick Young. "Most of us are based in L.A. So I think it’d be great to go out there." This could be interpreted a whole number of ways, many of which concern me a bit. I'll let you all spell those out in the comments.
- A live-blog of Saturday's charity game at Coolidge High, featuring Wall. [SLAM]
- Wall calls on Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to do more to fix the lockout. [USA Today]
- A video compilation of Capital Punishment. [Truth About It]
- Nick Young talks to NBC Washington about his charity work preventing gun violence, which is also the subject of the next episode of the "Nick and JaVale Show" [Capital Games]
- The Wizards elicit negative feelings, but not as negative as the Redskins. [Washington Post]
- Hey, the Redskins are 2-0, you guys!
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Ok Mike - I'll start the discussion...
“I think it’s better to do it L.A., where everybody is at,” said Wall, who trains at the Impact facility in Reseda, Calif., with Crawford and Nick Young. “Most of us are based in L.A. So I think it’d be great to go out there.”
To me, that’s a direct challenge to Andray’s assertion that he wants to be a “leader”… John is saying – NO, I’m the leader of this team… We’ll practice where and when I say we will…. You want to help lead this team, you do it my way !
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
That's how I read it Rook.
Why would John follow someone who has been in trouble so many times in the past?
John Wall is the leader of the team.
I, personally, would not follow Andray’s lead, no matter how sincere he may be.
I don 't read it that way
Who are the starters? Wall, Young or Crawford, McGee, Blatche and unknown. 4 of the 5 of those people are in LA. Even Blatche doesn’t hang in DC. Why would they come to DC to practice?
by Izman on Sep 19, 2011 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
In other words...failed leadership
he was in Miami right…
So what it really says to me is he announced something and the location instead of talking with people and determining a convenient location…he could have also announced a partial team workout saying some may not be able to make it…
that is presumed leadership…John is getting his political capital the right way and deriving leadership responsibilities…
Ow please! I agree with what Stanicek said a view posts down
I don’t see the controversy (but then again, I’m not out looking for one.) Admittedly, if Blatche were a superstar, I’m sure more people would have come to DC to practice, but mostly it just seems like a matter of logistics. This is only a problem if Andray decides to take this "rejection" personally.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I wouldn't go that far
It’s also possible that Wall is being a little out of line here too – he could have easily just said “it’s a great idea, I’ll be there in future weeks, but just couldn’t make it this time.”
by Mike Prada on Sep 19, 2011 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Point here being
I’m pretty sure most dudes on the team know that Wall is the man to follow, so I don’t see how Wall should be threatened by Blatche’s well-meaning, if maybe misguided, gesture.
Why would you wanna think in terms of conflict?
There’s no bad guys here. Just a bunch of dudes already in LA and one in DC who needs to buy book a flight asap.
Sure, if AB was a superstar guys would come to him, but he’s not and so logistics say its more conveniant for the group if he comes to them instead of the other way around. No big deal.
Like Stanicek said this is only a problem if Andray’s ego decides it is
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Blatche is moving back to dc
and along with Singleton, N’Diaye, and McGee who goes in and out, is the big men in DC and the guards in LA.. So its a matter of getting them all together.
by hambonejackson on Sep 19, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You both may be right
I just worry a bit – like if Wall really had no opinion on it, I feel like he would have said something different.
I also agree with DCrez that if Wall has an opinion on it, he’s not afraid to speak up.
I didn't say he threatened him...that is the difference
leading by example…I didn’t imply he was throwing a shot at dray, just that he is inherently gaining trust through his actions…
but on dray…there is no need to sugarcoat it…when you call for a team workout, and 2 people show up, that is a failure of leadership…tell me this..if JW would have asked people to work out in DC, do you think 2 people would have shown up?
That isn’t really a knock per se…it is just the truth. So clearly Dray did something wrong, so maybe he can learn from it.
I stand by my statement that the best leadership is derived as opposed to presumed..
Well, call me crazy but I just don't see the issue here
Within a few weeks everyone will be in DC anyway and they’ll have practices togehter. End good, all good.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I didn't say it was an issue...quite frankly it could be a good
thing…
No matter what, John Wall is going to be the leader of this team if we go far…getting Dray to understand that leading by example on the court is his best way to the hearts of his teammates, even if he is a vet is a positive.
Too many chefs in the kitchen ruins the meal…
Wall is a cocky S.O.B. (good thing)
i dont think he cares about stepping on some toes now and again, hell he was calling guys out as a ROOKIE
They should come to DC
Everyone who can leaves DC in July and August, but now that it’s cooling down, the guys should come back here. Sure, you can work on the on-court stuff in LA or Vegas, but for everything else, it’s best to get everyone to DC. Especially true for the rookies.
Why?
what do you mean with everything else? If the goal is to work out together, why would they be better of in DC? There’s good facilities and coaches to be hired in both places, no? If anything the climate suggests LA is the preferred place. Plus the majority is already there.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Stuff like connecting with the fans and the community. Helping the rookies get settled in the city, telling them what areas to avoid, where the good clubs and restaurants are, etc. In general, I’d hope that the habits of spending time and communicating with their teammates that they build now will carry over into the season. Carry over is more likely if the habits are formed here.
by yop32 on Sep 19, 2011 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I think all the big men
are slowly coagulating in DC. Vesely will be in the US soon. I am sure he will be in DC. So its just a matter of time before the guards come to DC. Big men don’t go to guards in LA. The guards will have to come to them in dc when they are ready. Its just a matter of time.
by hambonejackson on Sep 19, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
When I read your interpretation...some part of me thinks
it’s possible Wall sees Andray as competing voice in the locker room. But at the same time, I am more inclined to support Andray in this instance. If I’m going to be completely honest, L.A. has more distractions, and I really like the idea of Dray taking the teammates to have dinner at his Ma’s place down in Bowie. That kind of interaction seems to really recommend that team atmosphere.
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Sep 19, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
unfortunately for Dray it won't be much of a competition.
at least 4 of our guys have been out in LA for months now, hopefully are pretty good friends at this point and most likely scoff at the idea all of them should fly to DC to meet up with Dray when he hasnt set foot in LA once for any of the workouts, scrimmages, or games that all of them have been involved in. I say again….Dray is going to have to be cool with the fact these guys don’t care what he says or asks them to do.
Wall is an aggressive dude with a brash attitude….i have a feeling their first practice for next season is going to be an eye-opener for Blatche, there won’t be any question who the Man is
Here's footage of Wall showing out at "Clash of the Superstars"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03M0IsSrZsM
Looks D-Wade-ish. Looks like he’s regained all hs explosiveness.
I watched the stream online. It cost $0.99. He was the best player in the game, even though there was no defense being played.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
So Wall doesn't have a problem with traveling across the country to play in pickup games...
…but he can’t fly to D.C. to practice with the team that pays him.
hmm.
by Alpha_Snail on Sep 19, 2011 12:31 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
he doesnt think 5 guys should fly back to DC to practice with Dray
when Dray could just as easily fly out to LA instead
by DCrez on Sep 19, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wall can fly to D.C. to play pick up game but can't join workout.
maybe the workout is scheduled at a bad time (conflict with Impact League). Or the other way round, guys back out the workout in order to play Impact League? In that case, we can’t blame Dray.
My other concern: Wall said: “L.A. where everybody is at”. I don’t know who he considers as everybody. He could have said “L.A. where most people are”. As a leader of the team, i hope he is not excluding certain team members there.
by isum on Sep 19, 2011 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don't see the controversy
(but then again, I’m not out looking for one.) Admittedly, if Blatche were a superstar, I’m sure more people would have come to DC to practice, but mostly it just seems like a matter of logistics. This is only a problem if Andray decides to take this “rejection” personally.
by Stanicek on Sep 19, 2011 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Just wait til Wise asks him about it on-air and he says something he'll regret
you know that’s coming
Caja Laboral
signed Reggie Williams last month, and they have T-Wolves’ Nemanja Bjelica and France’s Thomas Heurtel on the roster. It will be a good team to follow.
Curious: What has Andray been doing to get his game ready during this lockout?
I see John Wall, Jordan Crawford and Nick Young balling. I’ve kept up with our next Rick Mahorn, Kevin Seraphin, playing for the French National Team.
What has Andray been doing?
I know he is not injured like he was last year.
Ok. So he did an overseas charity games. He's been working out in Miami.
I do not see anything competitive that he has done. Does working out in Miami mean 2 days a week or 5 days a week?
He said he wants to organize a team workout. He says he “expects” John Wall to be there, but obviously he did not talk to John Wall.
Andray is a great talker. I would love to see Andray take it to the next level.
I, frankly, think it’s all talk. I loved his picture last summer with all the kids. Great PR move. Then Christmas comes and he screws up again at the night club.
I just think he just needs to prove it on the court.
Give me 18 points and 12 rebounds a game like his athletic ability screams that he can provide and then Andray can be a leader. Until then……………………..
If you expect 18 and 12, you're going to be incredibly disappointed
Did anyone actually do 18 and 12 last year?
Wait
Are you saying Blatche isn’t of that caliber?
You know what. I will settle for 8 points and 10 rebounds a game from Andray
If it means they run zero Isos for him and he plays down low.
8 points from 3 offensive rebound baskets and a couple of free throws.
So now he has to play pick-up games to prove that he's working?
These meaningless pick-up games guys like Wall, Young, Crawford, etc are playing in mean nothing. That saying they shouldn’t do it. You have to test out your skills in game-situations, but just because you don’t see Dray working, doesn’t mean he’s not doing it.
The only thing these pick-up games around the country do is provide highlights. Most of these games have no defense, and even NBA no-names can average 40, 50, 60, or more in a game.
And Dray has said that he’s been playing with some other NBA players during the lockout. I guess that answers you question.
Formerly know as iNFamous SWaGG
by DMVLeGenD on Sep 19, 2011 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Blatche went through knee, foot, and shoulder injuries
and he knows he will be banging around this season, so I think his focus is to avoid injuries and strengthen his body.
by hambonejackson on Sep 19, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't see Dray ever turning into even a Sheed type of player.
but I can see him playing more aggressively at least.
sheed
was the final piece of a championship caliber team…lots of PFs wont reach his level.
by Meraj Chowdhury on Sep 21, 2011 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
if he's not going to play much defense he at least has to shoot 48%
and whether we like it or not, by the nature of both Dray and Flip’s offense, he is going to take a ton of 16’-23’ FGAs….has to hit much better than 32% (last season) at that range or he’ll have the feel of a liability on the floor as much as an asset
Last years stats were fine.
It’s how he got got them that was the problem. Shoot in the high 40s and cut down on the turnovers. I’d take 16 and 8 again in a heartbeat.
AverageBro.com - @AverageBro
by averagebro on Sep 19, 2011 9:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't think getting together is a great idea in the 1st place
Blatche shoulda never made it known in the public he was trying to get guys together just do it behind the scenes and feel everyone out. Seemed like a grandstand to begin with to appear more mature to try and swing his image some.
I don’t think those work outs woulda done much good anyway the Wizards are so young and have no real leadership on the team so its not like they coulda functionally worked on anything. Blatche trying to impose leadership on guys who don’t wanna follow might have gotten messy anyway.
I say guys keep doing what they are doing to get or stay in shape and when its over get together and start ballin.
Wall’s response not a real surprise basically guys not wanting to spend the money to be in an area they don’t have to be in until things get real.
by jazzy1 on Sep 19, 2011 1:44 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Rec'd
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I see the Wall comment as:
A guy who speaks his mind speaking his mind. Wall just has that type of attitude imo, and he’s getting more and more comfortable being in the lime light, so he’s gonna start speaking his mind more than ever probably. Probably not anything meant specifically towards Dray, just him saying his true opinion (which just happens to collide with Blatche’s idea).
The main thing I saw and liked was Wall saying he wants to end his career here. Of course, any player would say that, but he didn’t have to say that either, so it’s very nice to hear, shows some loyalty for sure.
And second, really love he is getting his confidence. I was watching some mixes of his high school days, and I was wondering why he looked so much better then. Of course lack of talent plays a part, but I believe he has the talent to do the same in this league, so imo it had to be confidence. He felt like he ran the world then, and he feels like that now, so his game is most likely going to elevate quite significantly this year.
I’m really glad he’s bonding and playing with the guys so much though, because he’s gonna be ready to take off from here, and we need the players around him to know him, what he likes to do, how he likes to express things, and to know what he’s thinking at the same time he’s thinking it. The better the players around him know him, the better he and the team will look.
by gray16 on Sep 19, 2011 4:13 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Yeah
my literature instructor always told me most students want to look three levels of meaning into anything on the page, and it’s best to look three levels the other way. Agree that’s the best way to look at it.
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Sep 19, 2011 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions
You can respect a guy that speaks his mind
But you respect the guy that is good at picking his words and being his team’s diplomat even more.
Its one of the differences between Kobe and Lebron. People hate Lebron because he doesn’t have a filter sometimes. I like Kobe because I think he is good at deflecting criticism from his team and he says the right things usually. I would prefer the guy who is deliberate with his words and doesn’t always say what he feels, rather than the guy that says what is on his mind at whoever’s expense.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
by returnofswagger on Sep 20, 2011 1:22 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Kobe historically has not minced words about his teammates
I actually think you have the two backwards.
by Mike Prada on Sep 20, 2011 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't have a problem with Kobe when he calls out his team
Because apparently it motivates them… They have won A LOT. But I don’t recall him publicly killing any of his guys. Just saying that Pao needs to be a star or Ron needs to play the D he is capable of.
Going off of history, Lebron’s teammates get blamed for his failures as much as he has(looks like that is changing now though) while Kobe has been able to motivate guys to step up when they need to for the most part(with the aid of Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson) .
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
by returnofswagger on Sep 20, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 19, 2011 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Wall ending his career here?
I think it’s too early to say, but I like the fact that he is committed to our team and our owners who will do what they can to keep us competitive over the long haul.
If Wall wants to make comments like that
It means one thing, he needs to go ahead and schedule those West Coast workouts. I don’t think the comment was necessary but if he is going to sell Blatche’s leadership short(intentionally or otherwise), then he better fill the role.
I'm a Wizards fan. We've been trying to tell you about Lebron for years. Hated the man before it was cool.
by returnofswagger on Sep 19, 2011 10:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I think trying to create a schism
is stupid because Blatche is the 1 moving back to DC. Blatche is going in to his 7th season in the NBA. Wall is in his 1st off season. My feeling is that the organization would prefer Blatche to stay in the city and work with the big men and that is what he is doing. I think the organization is happy that McGee is working out with Wall. I am sure they are happy that Wall and Crawford and Young are working out. my feeling is, Blatche will stay in the city and McGee will join in and the guards will come to town eventually.
by hambonejackson on Sep 19, 2011 11:42 PM EDT reply actions
Kevin Durant, John Wall, Jeff Green In Clash of The Superstars
Shout out to Ball is Life for those awesome video’s they make for all of us starving basketball fans
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
Good for Kevin...
He will get some excellent game experience for Caja playing against teams like Real Madrid, Regal Barcelona and Valencia. His team is not in the Euroleague though, so he wont be going up against other top squads.
I also thought he looked fairly decent in Eurobasket. He is much more physical than Ali Traore (whom Seraphin initially replaced on the Bleu Team but who got a slot anyway when Ronny Turiaf went down). That said, Traore has some very cute moves around the basket, a nice soft baby hook and a little swoopy dipper that works pretty well. If Kevin picked up some of that stuff to go with his short jumper, it would make for a nice repetroire of garbage scoring potential off the offensive glass.
Let's not forget that Kevin was the #17 pick in the first round.
He should get major minutes this year. Progression.
He was projected as a late 1st round pick though
He was a bit of a reach, just like Booker was projected late 1st to mid 2nd. Dudes like Whiteside, Damion James, DJones and Ebanks really slipped.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
by Dutch Hoopfan on Sep 20, 2011 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
challenge is Fenerbahce
maybe their will be some KS vs. Kanter action.
by hambonejackson on Sep 21, 2011 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
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