'No I don't have a dog house, I have a Palace of Good Play.' I'm looking for someone who's playing well so I can put them in that palace."-Ed Tapscott
It was a week that saw the Wizards heavily involved in Lin-sanity, but ended on a positive notes as they team finally turned the tables on an opponent and ran up the score rather than finding themselves at the opposite end of a 20 point shellacking. And as much as it may seem strange to say, two wins out of a possible five games is a noticeable uptick for this team. So that leaves one with the question, who are the Wizards responsible for this increase in production?
Note that players are graded on a sliding scale as regards their importance to the team. Thus, it easier for Shelvin Mack or Kevin Seraphin to get into the Palace bases on their roles on the team, while it is harder for John Wall or JaVale McGee. Heavy is the the head that wears the crown.
Each week, we'll be handing out golden keys to the players who have earned them the right to stay in the Palace of Good Play.
Likewise, those who do not play well enough to enter the Palace of Good Play will receiver their own logo. Their scarlet letter will come in the form of the Red Lock of Shame.
After the jump, we'll take a look at each player on the roster to see who gets to stay in the Palace, and who will be forced to sleep in the cold.
Hurt. Sad. Is he worth Boris Diaw? Is he worth half of Boris Diaw?
Final Verdict
Boom. Trevor Booker hasn't made the "leap," but he continues to build upon his strong play from the previous week. The only game that Booker did not show up for was the blowout against the Clippers, and very few Wizards left a positive impression during that outing. Booker's jumpshot continues to improve and as long as he takes that shot with confidence and makes it with any frequency he should be assured a starting role. A further note should be made of Booker's both in the P&R and in screen setting, both of which have helped John Wall over the course of the past week.
Final Verdict
Oof. The honest answer is that Crawford will remain locked out until he learns to something about shot selection.
Final Verdict
Evan continues to confuse by sometimes providing stability when placed in rotation and then confabulating everything by drawing up his own iso play such as in the Detroit game. I'm not sure if its rust that he is shaking off, but to earn regular minutes he needs to prove to be a more valuable cog in the wheel.
Final Verdict
Lewis was dinged up for most of the week and then came during the Detroit game to score his 15,000 point and pour the dirt over the pistons. At this point, I would rather use Lewis as a situational relief pitcher and have him come in every couple of games to do his damage, rather than drag his knees around at 40% of his capability.
Final Verdict
So why can' t this guy get a little off-guard action in during games?
Final Verdict
Hits em in practice. Not so much in games.
Final Verdict
JaVale turned around what had been a terrible set of performances earlier in the week by putting in a sterling effort against the Heat and Pistons. Maybe his infamy earned due to running the wrong way woke him up, but I've seen a more committed player on both ends of the court. However, he is still doing things like attempting no look passes from the top of the key, initiating his own fast break, and again - running the wrong way. So JaVale gets locked out this week, but has a strong opportunity to return to the Palace, if only he can remember which way to run.
Final Verdict
Happy trails.
Final Verdict
The emergence of the Manbearpig was short lived. He possibly went back into hibernation.
Chris Singleton's timidity is going to earn him a long sit at the end of the bench. The player who was a defensive terror for the Wizards during the first week is a shell of himself and action may need to be taken to break down and rebuild his game. At this point, he is a starter by default, but this is due only to the lack of better options.
Final Verdict
Still hurt.
Final Verdict
Lost for most of the week, Vesely still did the little things, but the sliding scale demands more from the rookie. The Detroit game is what we should expect from Jan at least twice weekly, as it demonstrates his effectiveness when allowed proper space to operate.
Final Verdict
Mark down the Detroit game as the emergence of the "real" John Wall. Or if you prefer your PG as a primary scorer, you could mark down either the NY or Toronto game as your favorite. Either way, John sits on the throne this week.
Final Verdict
The statlines state that Young has been better as of late, but I'm more worried about his defensive intensity. He keep falling behind his man through screens and offensively is making poor decisions when not in a catch and shoot situation. Nick squeaks in this week (again), but the same type of play will see him locked out next week.