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Speights: Wizards "start arguing with each other and quit" when opposing team gets stops

In today's Wake-Up Call, we take a look at Marreese Speight's comments on how to beat the Wizards, more troubles for Gilbert Arenas, and look ahead to tonight's game vs. Indiana.

By Jake Whitacre
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

1. Key to beating the Wizards? Make them argue.

Watching the Wizards fall apart in the second half vs. the Warriors on Monday night was troublesome, but the most troubling thing to come out of the loss may have been what Speights said after the game, via CSN Washington:

"We knew if we hit them, if we got a couple stops they would start arguing with each other and quit. We went out there with a good mindset in the second half and we did it."

There's a few things that should be concerning about what Speights said here:

  • The playoffs start in less than a month. This isn't the time Wizards need to be arguing with one another. If they haven't figured things out yet, it's probably not going to get better any time soon.
  • It should take more than "a couple stops" to break a team's resolve.
  • If that's really the case, it's an awful look for Randy Wittman. Through the highs and lows of his tenure, he's always been able to keep teams unified. If that's not the case anymore, it's going to be extremely hard for him to stick around beyond this season.
  • As J. Michael points out in his piece today, the players, especially the starters, share a significant portion of the blame here, and it's ultimately on them to disprove Speights' comments.

    Perception and reality aren't the same, but in sports (like politics, unfortunately) that perception becomes reality. This onion has many layers and Speights touched on what by far is the much bigger issue externally: Teams no longer have a healthy respect for the Wizards and treat them accordingly.

2. Non-shocking Gilbert Arenas news

According to TMZ, he's in the middle of a nasty split with his on-again-off-again spouse, Laura Govan, and the split includes this interesting nugget:

Now, Laura says she wants her cut of the Arenas fortune -- which she says includes profits from a number of marijuana clinics which she says Gilbert owns.

3. Kevin Seraphin relapses on Instagram

Remember when Kevin Seraphin talked about how getting off Instagram made him a better player this season? Well, he's back on Instagram, so there goes the season.

4. Wizards finally getting ready to invest in the D-League?

Let's hope so.

5. Wizards face Pacers tonight

The Wizards (40-31) are back home to start a five game homestand against the Pacers (30-40) who are still fighting for a playoff spot, but have dropped six straight. Which team will start the other team to start arguing and quit first?

Tip off is set for 7:00 pm at the Verizon Center. You can watch on Comcast SportsNet or listen live on 99.1 WNEW.

BONUS: Pierce being sued for wrecking Brooklyn apartment

Really weird story from the New York Daily News here. The owners of the apartment Paul Pierce rented when he played for the Nets are suing PIerce for leaving without notice and doing some unapproved renovations to the apartment.

Maybe Pierce should have hired his Tribeca neighbor Bob Vila of "This Old House" fame to remodel the digs because the condo owners say whomever he hired to do the job left it looking like it was trashed by wrecking ball.

The only thing left in place of the original wooden floors in all four bedrooms was a pink carpet, the papers said.