I'm behind on my Wizards reading. Hopefully, I can catch up with you guys here. Here's what's out there on this Monday:
- ESPN's Summer Forecast series began today with a look at the Eastern Conference. ESPN's panel of experts predicts the Wizards will finish 32-50 and be ninth in the East. Right now, that's about where I'm at too.
- Here's a nice article on the team from Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn talks to Ernie Grunfeld about the "instant excitement" the team has coming into next year.
- Andray Blatche did an interview with Wizards.com, and says he thinks the Wizards "are going to shock a lot of people." I hope so too, Dray.
- Truth About It talked to David Thorpe, who had Yi Jianlian for about five weeks this summer. Thorpe talks up Yi a lot, which is nice, but keep in mind that a) Thorpe, while one of the best trainers out there, does hype up his clients a bit, and b) Yi's issue has never been how he performs in the gym, it's how he performs in a game setting.
- JaVale McGee makes this DIME Magazine list of top five big men poised to break out next season.
- Mike James may be (sort of) long gone, but Wizznutzz is still giving him music advice on Twitter.
- Former Wizard Etan Thomas found his way into Barack Obama's special pickup hoops game on Sunday. John Wall did not.
- Trevor Booker got his degree in parks, recreation and tourism management this weekend. Hey, D.C. is a good place for that kind of degree, right?
- Finally, I've expressed by distaste for ESPN's Future Power Rankings, but here's the full list for you to enjoy. The Wizards rank 20th, behind great up and coming teams teams like Indiana, New Jersey and the Clippers. Um, yeah.