Welcome back Snakey links:

• Why do I get the feeling that the words "encouraging effort" will be a repeated mantra this season? The Wizards certainly got an "encouraging effort" last night in their home opener against the Celtics, but a couple turnovers and some poor offensive execution down the stretch were their undoing in a close 89-86 loss. In his first game back from a nagging calf injury, Kevin Seraphin helped carry the team on both ends of the court. Jordan Crawford had a solid game; Bradley Beal, not so much. It's impossible to project these kinds of things, but it's hard to imagine that a healthy John Wall and Nene wouldn't have made enough of a difference to give the Wizards a victory in this one. Recaps: [Us (recap, postgame quotes) | SB Nation DC | Washington Post (gamer, blog) | Washington Times | CSN Washington (gamer, blog) | Truth About It | Wizards Extreme | Celtics Blog | Boston Globe | Boston Herald | ESPN Boston | Hardwood Houdini | Highlights | Postgame interviews | Box score | Popcorn Machine]
• Of course, the difference in the game might have been some of the inside info Doc Rivers had on the Wiz. [Truth About It]
• With his top two 'go-to' guys sidelined with injuries, Randy Wittman is looking for someone he can go to in crunchtime. [CSN Washington]
• Beal didn't have the greatest debut against the Cavaliers, and promised to be more aggressive against the Celtics. He didn't exactly follow through on that promise. It'sstillearlyIt'sstillearlyIt'sstillearlyIt'sstillearlyIt'sstillearly. [CSN Washington]
• Mike Wise likes the Wizards' heart, but can't help feeling that they'll once again be consistently outmanned this season. [Washington Post]
• Ditto for Jason Reid. [Washington Post]
• This 'Abbreviated History of Steez' is anything but brief. I'm officially on Steez overload, and it's glorious. [Truth About It]
• Jake breaks down which Wizards are on Team Steez and which make up Team Swag, because some things are just more important than the games.
• So the Wizards put Bradley Beal on an online ad for a special buy-one-ticket, get-cheap-beer deal, and people cared because Beal is 19. Silly. [DC Sports Bog | Ball Don't Lie]
• Randy Wittman has said the Wizards don't have a slogan for this season, but screw that noise. What's your #WizardsSlogan?
• Derek explains why the Wizards will effectively determine their own playing time if Wittman sticks to the meritocracy he established last season.
• Thomas has some reasons why you could be a bit more optimistic about Jan Vesely. Liking Vesely seems akin to wearing a scarlet letter among Wizards fans, so I feel I should point out that I'm actually high on his game (or more to the point, what I think his game could become once he learns what the heck he's doing).
• We're approaching the home stretch of #WizardsRank, and Brendan Haywood comes in at No. 7. [Truth About It]
• Recap of yesterday's NBA action. [SB Nation]
• Steve Nash is out at least a week with a fibula fracture. Yuh-oh. [SB Nation | ESPN]
• Eric Gordon is injured again. Shocker. [Yahoo! Sports]
• Has the emergence of the NBA's super teams led to the dawn of its second Golden Age? [SB Nation]
• We hear that LeBron James is a pretty good basketball player. Now Warren Buffet likes his business chops, as well. We fully expect to hear any day now that Daniel Day-Lewis admires LeBron's method acting in The LeBrons. [Miami Herald]