A recap of tonight's game is coming, but first, some quick thoughts from Hilton Armstrong, who I caught up with at halftime:
- Armstrong said the Wizards first noticed him when he came in for a workout a little while ago. He couldn't remember the exact date (at first, he said a month and a half, but then he said "maybe not that long ago"), but he said he really liked the whole atmosphere. "The work out went real well," he said. "I talked to a couple guys there, and there was just a really good vibe."
- Armstrong said he also talked to Toronto, Milwaukee, New York and Detroit before deciding to sign with the Wizards. Ultimately, though, he decided on the Wizards because they had a core of good young players that he could join.
- I asked him how he'd try to distinguish himself from the rest of the Wizards' young bigs. "You just have to play hard. No matter where you go, you just have to compete. It's the game within the game. Even when you're playing against your own team, you have to play hard also. You're going to get your time based on how you're playing and how your teammates are playing."
- He said the Wizards have brought him in to rebound, play defense and block shots. About what you expected. Unfortunately, these are things he has not done well in the NBA thus far (well, except for blocked shots).
- Armstrong said his contract is for one year, guaranteed. I tried to ask him what the terms were, and he joked "20 million." In general, he's a pretty funny dude - when asked what position he might play, he said he would try to be John Wall's backup.
Ultimately, I'm a bit skeptical of this signing, if only because Armstrong's worn out his welcome at several stops. But without knowing the terms, it's hard to really judge this. I'm guessing he's going to come pretty cheap, in which case there's really not much I can really get upset about. I wish the Wizards found someone better, but I realize that was pretty much impossible at the veterans' minimum (assuming that's what it is).