Tag Archives: nba

Assorted Wizards Thoughts

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Your starting point guard for the foreseeable future

Friday night, I sat down to watch my first full Wizards game of the season, against the Milwaukee Bucks. I thought this was an interesting match-up because, entering the season, the optimistic Wizards fan would say that this Bucks team is the type of team that the Wizards would compete with for one of the last playoff spots. The two teams would slot somewhere in the 7-10 range in the Eastern Conference. Of course, this was before we learned that Nene and John Wall would be out indefinitely, but it was still an interesting match-up in my mind. That being said, I had a few take-aways from this game, as the Wizards continue their search for their first win of the season.

  1. This team plays hard- I know this is something of a cop-out: they’re a professional basketball team, they SHOULD play hard. That should be a given. Well, it certainly wasn’t last year. I know this is the baby step of all baby steps, but, as a fan, it’s an important one. The Wizards of last year would have completely fallen apart after they blew their early lead in the first quarter. This Wizards team continued to fight and try to chip away at the Bucks lead throughout the game. Even in the final two minutes, the Wizards staged a mini-rally when it appeared that hope was lost. And when hope WAS finally lost, the Wizards still battled: Bradley Beal committed a hard foul on Monta Ellis, preventing an easy lay-up. Brandon Jennings flipped out afterwards and a small melee ensued, but I couldn’t be happier about that foul. That says that, no matter what, this team is going to continue to scratch and claw. I really like that attitude from Beal and the entire team.
  2. A.J. Price doesn’t seem like a great fit for this team- I know that Price had a solid game the next night in Indiana, but I couldn’t help but think that Price was a square peg in a round hole Friday night. This team was built to play up-tempo, fast-break basketball with John Wall. Price is a shoot-first, half-court point guard. He doesn’t do a tremendous job of creating off the pick-and-roll and getting his teammates open looks. He has this floating tear-drop shot that is passable. He is a decent long-distance shooter. None of these things are what the Wizards need. Trevor Booker’s ability to beat everyone down the court is wasted if your point is guard is sauntering up the court. Please get back John Wall.  Quick sub-point: I don’t want to spend too much time on this, BUT, it has to be addressed. Jannero Pargo was absolutely AWFUL in relief of Price. He couldn’t run the offense (turnovers galore), couldn’t shoot and couldn’t play defense on the opposing point guard because he’s just too small (and it’s not like Milwaukee has the biggest guards in the league by any stretch). To repeat: Please get back John Wall.
  3. Emeka Okafor is a dainty center offensively- Okafor had his best game as a Wizard Friday night, which isn’t really saying much. He was force at the defensive end, and accumulated some points at the offensive end as well. However, I couldn’t help but notice that Okafor’s offensive game resembles something like that of Christian Laettner’s. He can pop out and hit a 15-footer, which is nice. But anytime the ball was dumped down to him on the block or underneath the hoop, Okafor’s shot was either errant or rejected. This is our starting center. It looks to me that Okafor doesn’t have the height/elevation to really be a force in the paint, which is disappointing.

Lightning-round thoughts:

  • Jan Vesely is still very much a work in progress (that’s the kindest way I could think of to say it. I should get a Christmas card from Vesely for that phrasing). Great work on that pick Ernie
  • Bradley Beal has been inconsistent this year, but when he has turned it on, he has been exciting. Remember that he is VERY young for a rookie.
  • Chris Singleton is a lot more active this year. He’s playing with more confidence and it shows in the results. He’s improving.
  • I wasn’t actively offended by Trevor Ariza’s game Friday night. From what I’ve read about the other Wizards games this season, that’s an improvement.

I don’t want to draw too many more conclusions based on just one real game, but those were the things that jumped out to me. Let me know what you guys think.

Wizards-Clippers Recap

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The Wizards failed in their attempt to win three straight road games last night, falling to the Clippers. The team showed heart, however. Maybe it was the momentum that they had from the previous two wins (what’s this, a Wizards team with confidence?!) or maybe it was the Clippers uncharacteristically sloppy play, but this was still a game into the early part of the fourth quarter. But in the end, the Wizards just weren’t able to make enough shots to stay competitive, and the Clippers put them away in the fourth. Some thoughts:

1. Bad Nick Young made an appearance last night- After I had just finished singing Young’s praises for his growth as a spot-up shooter, Young looked like he forgot everything that made him successful against the Blazers. Maybe it was because he was playing in front of a hometown crowd and he was trying to put on a show, but Young was back to his old ways of awful, contested, fall-away jumpers. Not surprisingly, this plan was unsuccessful. Who knew that an in-rhythm, spot-up three would be easier than some leaning heave of a shot? You can pretty much set your watch by it. Young actually found some success later in the game (after he hadn’t made a field goal all night) when he got back to this recipe. His stubbornness is maddening. I’m sure the coaches are explaining this to him, night in and night out. How many more years until Young finally picks up on it?

2. Trevor Booker provides a lot of value for his defense- The Wizards were a noticeably different team when Booker was on the floor last night, for the sole reason that he was the only player capable of shutting down Blake Griffin. And I’m not just talking about competent defense here. Booker was smothering Griffin, who is a physical beast and is aided by the fact that he can just bull over people at will without ever being called for a foul. There aren’t too many players in the league that can provide the strength and speed combination that Booker showcases. When this Wizards team finally gets to be a contender (ok, maybe it was a little optimistic to use “when” instead of “if”), that sort of skill will be invaluable and should separate them from other teams. This point was made even more clear when Booker got into foul trouble, and Jan Vesely tried to guard Griffin. Let’s just say young Jan needs to hit the weights…

3. Chris Singleton looks like he has hit a wall- The past two games, Singleton’s performance has been pretty consistent: start, pick up a couple quick fouls, head to the bench, resurface later to miss some open jumpers and then just kind of disappear into obscurity. It’s too bad because I really think Singleton is a talented player. I don’t know if it’s officiating or what, but he has picked up a lot of ticky-tack fouls recently. Maybe Singleton just needs to adjust his defensive style. Offensively, he’s still a great hustle player, but he’s going to be nothing more than a bench player if he can’t make an open jumper. He just HAS to add that to his arsenal. Otherwise, teams will continue to play off and it will continue to work. And for all of the acclaim about his defense, yes, he has played above average, but I would put Trevor Booker above him as a defender. And that whole business about him being able to guard four positions? Haven’t seen that yet. At this point it’s more like two and a half. Griffin dominated Singleton for the short stretch that they were matched up last night. Hopefully, he can use the upcoming All-Star break to get back in the rhythm he found early in the season.

Wizards-Blazers Recap

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That was SOOOO much fun. Seriously guys, that was the most I’ve had watching a Wizards game in like three years. Here’s the box score. The combination of Portland’s laughable inability to stop the Wizards offense and the fact that they were sticking it to the dbag Blazers’ announcers on NBATV made it a wonderful Valentine’s Day.  Some thoughts:

1. John Wall was the star of the game- Sure Nick Young had more points and Jordan Crawford was sensational off the bench. But, everything ran through Wall. He did a phenomenal job of walking that fine line between fast and too fast. He was at warp speed in the fast-breaks without being out of control. It’s a hard thing to describe, but every Wizards fan knows what I’m talking about. His ability to make great decisions on those breaks was the difference in this game. When the team needed a bucket, Wall made it happen. Portland had simply no answer. And it looked like Wall was having fun on the court again. Let’s hope he can keep it going.

2. Nick Young, the set shooter- Nick finally decided to do what a shooting guard does: find your spot and knock down shots. While it was an inauspicious start when he threw one of his patented fadeaway, long 2-pointers that makes me want to throw something at the television, Young quickly remedied that ailment. Young spaced the floor and played off of Wall tremendously, reigning three’s down on the Blazers. This set up his driving game, as he was able to throw a pump-fake in there to get by his defender and into the lane for an open midrange jumper. Young’s game works so much better when he’s playing like this, rather than the other way around. And I’m not totally against that weird shotgun celebration that he has going in (sorry guys, couldn’t find anything on YouTube, but just look for it next time out).

3. Kevin Seraphin, the bust- Sorry to end on a little bit of a down note, but this has to be said, and it’s stuck out to me for the last few games: For as encouraging as Trevor Booker’s progress has been (although last night was NOT one of his better performances), Kevin Seraphin’s has been as disappointing. And I’m the guy who picked him as my breakout Wizard big man this year. Whoops. Seraphin is still totally inept at everything involving offense, except for setting moving screens which are, you know, illegal. So that’s not real helpful. Seraphin didn’t even make an appearance in last night’s game. And it worked out great for the Wiz. Jan Vesely was extremely competent as the back-up center. The Wizards were extraordinarily effective going small with Wall, Young, Crawford, Lewis and Vesely (or JaVale McGee when he wasn’t huffing and puffing or attempting ridiculous hook shots). Seraphin: nowhere to be found. His biggest role on this team is now as the, as Simmons termed it, chemist. That’s just a stellar investment of a top pick, Ernie.

Wizards-Knicks Recap

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Here’s the box score from Wednesday night’s loss to the Knicks. Flat out, this was a bad loss. It might not seem as bad when compared to some of the blowouts this year, or the losses to bad teams, but when you consider how decimated the Knicks were, this was a game where the Wizards should have been competitive. And they weren’t. The Knicks ran ONE FREAKING PLAY the entire game, and carved apart the Wizards defense. Would someone please explain how to defend a pick and roll to the Wizards? Will this team ever learn? Some thoughts:

1. Mo Evans is taking Rashard Lewis’ role- That is, he spaces the floor, doesn’t take dumb shots, can knock down an open look with decent regularity and provides an example for some of the younger knuckleheads to follow. I don’t really know why it’s taken so long for Evans to work his way into the rotation, but it’s good to see him out there, if only because it reminds Wizards fans what it’s like to have someone who really understands the game out there. Lewis continues to disappointment. I mean, it wasn’t like I was expecting him to have him some sort of career renaissance and suddenly return to playing like he did with the Sonics. But would it be too much to ask to just do something? Hit threes, rebound, veteran leadership, just pick one and do that. It’s very telling that when the game is on the line, Lewis is almost never on the floor. At this point, I don’t think you can consider him anything more than a spare part. A very expensive spare part.

2. John Wall needs to quit it with the point guard pissing matches- Don’t get me wrong, I love Wall’s competitiveness. I love that he wants to prove to everyone that he is better than the guy opposite him. But he needs to find a more constructive way to do it. You could tell Wednesday night that as soon as the cheers started to rise for sensation Jeremy Lin, Wall took it personally and made it his mission to “one-up” Lin at every turn. Unfortunately, this caused Wall to play wildly outside of his game. He would race up the court and throw up wild shots against four defenders, while Lin continued to stay within himself and, even though he was outscored by Wall, Lin had the better game in my humble opinion. There are lots of good point guards in this league and Wall can be one of the best. However, he has GOT to control himself in these matchups and stick to his game. Otherwise he’s going to have a nice stat line, but his team will be no better off.

3. The Wizards need a gunner (read: white guy who shoots three-pointers)- Is this too much to ask? You have a ton of quick, athletic players who can get into the lane and draw the defense. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some guy they could kick the ball to just hit an open three? Right now, the best they have is Mo Evans/Rashard Lewis, who are both shooting under 30% from behind the arc for the season. I wish that Nick Young and Jordan Crawford could hit a set shot, but that’s just not their game (even though they would be infinitely better players if they made that their game). How hard is it to find some white guy who can hit three-pointers? They make them EVERYWHERE in college basketball. The Knicks had some guy named Steve Novak come in and just bury the Wizards in an avalanche of three-pointers (sidenote: did NO Wizards read the scouting report? Don’t let the white guy shoot three-pointers. How hard is that?). How about J.J. Redick? Too pricey? Fine, what’s Trajan Langdon doing these days? Sign him up (Yes, I did just advocate for signing a Duke player. I’m surprised I haven’t burst into flames yet). What’s Kevin Pittsnogle up to? Or any of those gunners on that West Virginia team? Would it really be that troublesome to use the Hamady Ndiaye Memorial Roster Spot on White Guy X? Please just do it. If nothing else, it would give the Wizards fans something to cheer about while they’re watching this misery.

Wizards-Bulls recap

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Here’s the box score to a game that was never really close, but wasn’t the 40-point blowout that I was expecting. So the Wizards got that going for them. Which is nice. A few postgame thoughts:

  1. I think part of JaVale McGee’s problem is he’s out of shape- JaVale plays in spurts. That’s not really news to anyone, but it is interesting to watch as he will try for a highlight dunk on one end, then saunter back on the other. Every time he comes out of the game (which is far too often considering the Wizards other options at center), he has his hands over his head and is gasping for air. He’s only good for really one “try” at each end of the court. For example, if he doesn’t get the block, there is NO way that he’s going to try to, I don’t know, grab a defensive rebound (much to the delight of Joakim Noah last night). His body language on the court is some of the worst I’ve ever seen. He seems to always be in agony aside from those few occasions when he has a highlight slam. To be out of shape at this point is pretty unfathomable to me. This is a guy who has never been known for his offseason regimen, and clearly he didn’t ramp it up during the lockout. Maybe it’s the shortened training camp or the rigors of this demanding schedule. But for someone who is now in his fourth season in the league to be out of shape just screams poor character, in my opinion. I hope I’m wrong.
  2. The Wizards biggest weakness is at the shooting guard position- I didn’t really expect it to be this way either, coming into the season. Nick Young had a decent enough year last season, and when Young got hurt, Jordan Crawford was able to fill up the stat sheet. Fast forward to this season, and the two are a plague on this team. I’m not sure Young would pass the ball to his mother, if she were open for a layup under the hoop. Young just wanders around the court when he doesn’t have the ball, and then forces awful shots when he does get the ball. Of course, none of this is especially groundbreaking. I guess I’m just shocked that one of his teammates doesn’t go up to him and shake him at some point. If it were me, I would have trouble not screaming at him for being such a ballhog. And then when Young does finally get demoted to the bench, Jordan Crawford comes in and does his best Nick Young impersonation. Randy Wittman even tried Roger Mason at one point last night, but Mason was clearly pressing, given how sporadic his minutes have been. Bless his heart, Mason knows how to play and is a consummate professional, but he just isn’t getting it done. It’s sad for me, because if he could just hit some shots, he would be SUCH an upgrade over the clueless duo  currently occupying the position. This spot HAS to be addressed in the offseason. It’s like the Rex-Beck situation, only worse. Yes, I said it. Continue reading →

Wishing for the Wizards

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These days, it seems I can’t post a blog item without beginning with a shameless plug. So here it is: go pick up SLAM #153, which contains my feature story on John Wall, including the above art. With that outta the way, let’s get to it…

Recently, my esteemed partner in bloggery offered the opinion that as Wizards fans, we ought to thank the NBAPA and the NBA’s Owners for mercilessly cutting part or all of a clearly doomed Washington basketball season. And while I wrote something vaguely similar over the summer, now that the lockout is in effect, I’m backtracking. As the resident hoops expert and noted John Wall apologist in the room, allow me to take a moment to provide a rebuttal. Let’s start here:

What is there really to gain from this season of Wizards basketball? Besides us as fans having to watch this team gets its brains bashed in on a nightly basis. 

We have to watch the Redskins, given the fact that an NFL season is 16 games long. If you’re a casual basketball fan, no one’s forcing you to hunker down and watch all 82 games. That said, as a Wizards fan, how can you not love watching Wall? If we ever get back on the court, this could be a big year for the kid. And it’s crucial in his development, working toward the all-important year three for a point guard. Which leads me to my next point.

Oh, you thought the additions of Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack were suddenly going to turn this team into a contender? 

Of course not. No sane Wizards fan would make that argument. But I sure as hell would rather see what we’ve got in those guys than watch them do drills for 18 months. And I’d rather they take their lumps while they’re a year younger, not a year older and farther away from an organized basketball court. Next:

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John Wall at #25 on SLAMOnline’s Top 50

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I know it’s Redskins season, but since shameless promotion has never been beneath me, I have to send you over to SLAMOnline to read my write-up of John Wall as part of the site’s Top 50 series. Wall ranked at #25 heading into this season—I think a good spot for him, with room to jump even higher in the years to come. From the lucky chances I’ve had to see Wall in person this summer, he looks very, very impressive.

As for the write-up, I wrote it from the heart of a DC sports fan, so many of you should be able to appreciate. Click on the picture above to read, or click here. And hit the comments section to let me know what you think of the write-up, Wall’s ranking, how you’re going to deal with the NBA’s impending lockout, or whatever else.

A closer, lockout-style look at John Wall’s progress

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I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive event at Reebok headquarters in Boston earlier in the week hosted by John Wall. You can check out my write-up for SLAM Magazine here. Shameless self-promotion aside, as a Wizards fan, I couldn’t help but take a closer look at Wall, trying to figure out what he’s been working on, how he looks physically, and what kind of attitude he brought to the event.

Seeing Wall in person, his physical gifts are striking. He’s taller and more solidly built than he looks on a TV broadcast. His arms are long and defined, and his hands are huge. His speed is breathtaking. Yes, I’m fawning over this dude, but when he went coast-to-coast multiple times against top high school and NBA talent in a full court game, I was impressed. He got to the rim so easily and finished with such creativity that he looked to be two gears ahead of every other player on the court (which included Jason Terry and Jameer Nelson). Wall flew up the court and refused to let anything stop him on the way to the cup.

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Would the Wiz benefit from a season-long lockout?

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With the news that the NFL lockout has been lifted, we’re left with just one league whose season remains in doubt: the NBA. And trust me, no one is more nervous about pro hoops disappearing than me. Yes, I am one of those sad sacks that attempts to watch every Wizards game, and clings to the annual crazy belief that Flip can turn a crap roster into a sneaky 8th seed in the East. More to the point, the 2011 NBA playoffs were nothing short of, well, “amazing,” and to see that momentum die with a lost year would be a dagger.

But. There’s always a “but.” The but here is that in a weird, twisted way, I actually think that if the NBA went dormant for all of 2011-2012, the Washington Wizards would stand to benefit as much as any other team in the league. Before you freak out, let me repeat: I desperately want the NBA to play all 82 games this year. I’ll be crushed and depressed if that does not happen. All I’m saying is if, god forbid, there is no season, I think the Wizards could stand to gain more than a lot of teams in the league. (Except for, you know, the whole new jerseys thing.) Behold, the main points of this argument:

As currently constructed, the Wizards are terrible. In the grand scheme of things, the Wiz ain’t winning anything this season. The Celtics, Spurs and Lakers would lose a crucial year of their “window” for winning titles. The Wizards have no window, or for that matter, even a view of a window. A year to let Jordan Crawford, Nick Young, Trevor Booker and the rest of the young gang develop their skills and get their heads straight wouldn’t hurt. And while they couldn’t do so on the court, neither could the youngsters from any other NBA team. Get in the gym, get better, get ready for next year.

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