Andray Blatche - Resurgence Thread ( Merged )

[Donkey McDonkerton]

The crystal ball says... there will be more ping pong balls in your future... and an amazingly sucky Blanche thread (This crystal ball is prone to typos.).

LOL..that's all

[ErikChowbay023]

I think Blatche needed confidence. A reassurance that he was going to play and not come out as soon as he made a mistake.

He`s getting consistent minutes and consistent touches. Just listen to his interviews, he sounds like a real leader.

After the Memphis loss - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hHfkrPPZbg

[keynote]

Just for giggles, here's a Blatche thread from two years ago. A few choice quotes (I didn't bother including the names of the posters):

I don't think Blatche will ever be a star. I'd put his ceiling as a 15 and 8 starter with average defense, which isn't bad at all. (Think Donyell Marshall without the range.)

I think Blatches probable ceiling is "Rasheed Wallace" - highly talented, somewhat enigmatic, may disappear at times.
I think his absolute ceiling is KG.

Blatche will blossom once he plays for a real coach. His ceiling is a better Rasheed Wallace, his basement is what he is right now.

[montestewart]

Just for giggles, here's a Blatche thread from two years ago. A few choice quotes (I didn't bother including the names of the posters):

I don't think Blatche will ever be a star. I'd put his ceiling as a 15 and 8 starter with average defense, which isn't bad at all. (Think Donyell Marshall without the range.)

I think Blatches probable ceiling is "Rasheed Wallace" - highly talented, somewhat enigmatic, may disappear at times.
I think his absolute ceiling is KG.

Blatche will blossom once he plays for a real coach. His ceiling is a better Rasheed Wallace, his basement is what he is right now.

Looking at the range of recent quotes, it doesn't seem to be that much different now, from "a 15 and 8 starter" (his numbers even out against top competition, he comes down from the high of starting, and teams start planning to defend him) to "his absolute ceiling is KG," and that's not a bad range. Blatche changed minds beginning with his summer regimen, showed glimmers of what he could do early in the season, and from then it was a waiting game to see if jamison was either moved or adjusted in the lineup to make more space for Blatche. I wasn't posting two years ago, but I might have happily taken 15 and 8 then and hoped more that his defense and rebounding got stronger.

[ErikChowbay023]

I think everybody right now is somewhat afraid to get excited about Blatche. Probably afraid of a let down. But I dont care, this guy is gonna be great.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

Part of me wants Blatche to blow up next week on ESPN when we play the Celtics. Get a little national attention, maybe land a vote or two for MIP, keep the game close so we don't get embarrassed as a team on national TV...

The other part wants Blatche to get schooled by his teen idol KG- outhustled, outworked, outplayed, and outclassed- with KG pulling him aside at the end to give him props regardless and encourage him to keep on putting in work. To me that would do as much to help Dray as anything, one hiccup that puts him back in tune with reality and what it'll take to get to an all-pro level.

maybe I can get both in medium doses?

[keynote]

^ I hear you.

Blatche is playing the best ball of his career, but he still has plenty of regard for human life at this point. A nice pep talk from KG might kick him into overdrive this offseason.

[ErikChowbay023]

I think Blatche is gonna keep going, I dont see his production coming down much from here on out. Some of you on here are too pessimistic.

I think all the work that he put in during the off season is really paying off, I really think Blatche was just as frustrated as all of us were about Jamison getting 40 minutes a night no matter what, and it came out in his play sometimes thats why he would struggle.

I cant help but see maturity in the guy, its like he is really enjoying his role and enjoying being looked at as a leader and go to guy.

[queridiculo]

Part of me wants Blatche to blow up next week on ESPN when we play the Celtics. Get a little national attention, maybe land a vote or two for MIP, keep the game close so we don't get embarrassed as a team on national TV...

The other part wants Blatche to get schooled by his teen idol KG- outhustled, outworked, outplayed, and outclassed- with KG pulling him aside at the end to give him props regardless and encourage him to keep on putting in work. To me that would do as much to help Dray as anything, one hiccup that puts him back in tune with reality and what it'll take to get to an all-pro level.

maybe I can get both in medium doses?

I remember a home game 2/3 years back when Blatche just completely owned Garnett in every facet of the game.

I want to see that same guy, not some useless lesson in humility.

The offseason will be his litmus test, but for now, I just want him to continue to have success and build his confidence.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

Part of me wants Blatche to blow up next week on ESPN when we play the Celtics. Get a little national attention, maybe land a vote or two for MIP, keep the game close so we don't get embarrassed as a team on national TV...

The other part wants Blatche to get schooled by his teen idol KG- outhustled, outworked, outplayed, and outclassed- with KG pulling him aside at the end to give him props regardless and encourage him to keep on putting in work. To me that would do as much to help Dray as anything, one hiccup that puts him back in tune with reality and what it'll take to get to an all-pro level.

maybe I can get both in medium doses?

I remember a home game 2/3 years back when Blatche just completely owned Garnett in every facet of the game.

I want to see that same guy, not some useless lesson in humility.

The offseason will be his litmus test, but for now, I just want him to continue to have success and build his confidence.

I dont see it as a lesson in humility as much as a one game return to reality. IF it does happen I wouldn't see it as a bad thing. This is Andray Blatche, the same guy who was naive enough to let success go to his head so much early in his career that he blew enough money he apparently had to live at the Verizon Center because he couldn't front the rent. Who went out the night before games on road trips. Epic level naivite.

You can see the guys confidence growing with every basket, and I love it! But if he still has growing to do mentally by golly let it be this year when we have so little to play for.

Let's just say if he's spending the night at Verizon Center again I want it to be on the court shooting jumpers, not in a sleeping bag.

[ErikChowbay023]

They said Gil use to sleep in the offices at the practice facility, right on the couch. Just so whenever he would wake up he would be able to walk down the steps and workout.

[hands11]

What I absolutely adore about Blatche's game right now is how smoothly he fits into a *team* offense. He barely ever holds on to the ball unless he thinks the play will develop a pass for him to make a few seconds down the line... and if it doesn't, he gives it up or makes a quick, decisive move right then.

I have very, very rarely seen a player both resonate alpha-dog status and a fluid sense of team ball the way Andray is right now. I get shivers thinking about it.

True and a great compliment. A quality that the really good players all have.

I'm sticking with my comparison though it's easy to throw in other names like McHale.

To me, Duncan means Mr Fundamental. It would also include using the back board from mid range. That is signature Duncan. But Duncan is calm and matter of fact most the time. Dray is some what melo like that so far so that is something similar about them. But Dray has better range then Duncan and can shoot FTs.

McHale may be the best comparison for his game around the rim. Lack of leaps and long arms with good size. Lots of fakes to get people off balance. But Dray has better handles and better range and better passing. As for McHales, a good as he was, I don't think he had the skills to be a first line scorer on a team like Dray is showing. Drays game is wider then McHale's was.

KG - for how he looks running the floor and his stroke from outside and his all around game. Less power and leaps then KG for sure. Also, KG is all chest thumping and very intense. Dray is more melo.

Dirk - Like McHale, a less athletic non-leaping big PF. Dirk is defined by his clutch shooting and getting people off balance but Dirk does it on the outside more then McHale who did it on the inside more. Dray is more athletic than Dirke and has better handles. He would become more Dirk like if he adds a 3 ball which I expect to see later this year or after he get in another summer of work.

Of all of them, I would say he is mostly like KG/McHale/Dirk

But like it was mentioned before, Dray is his own unique player. Some combination of these players.

That is a great compliment. But his game can be expanded still so we will have to see. More range and more FTs attempts would be nice.

This got lost in the merge.

I do find is kind of funny how many are now ok with the KG comparison now. I remember the outrage of day past when I would say that.

As for McHale, Dray has a wider game set then McHale did. Post game is similar. Yes. But Dray has more as a detailed above.

[hands11]

If all goes well in court, I have no doubt that Gil will come back a better player. In many ways this the incident will be a life changer for Gil. I'm praying that Gil will be in a Wizards uniform. I always thought Gil didn't have that killer's instinct and I believe he had mentioned that himself in an article not too long ago. Gil's coming back with a vegenance and VERY serious about his career! People don't know how I'm feeling this right now!! The guy is going to be a different player. MARK MY WORDS! I'm praying he will be in a Wiz uniform when this happens! After reading articles on what Jamison and Butler said about the Wiz's offense for the past 4 years! Who do you think they were talking about? Ater reading this, I couldn't help but wonder what Gil was thinking.

God I hate to muddy up a good Dray thread with talk of GI Agent Brown.. I can only hope that soon enough people will realize what they are asking for. Even if GI comes back as everything we really need from him, he won't be worth the money.

But we have a thread for that I believe.

[hands11]

Part of me wants Blatche to blow up next week on ESPN when we play the Celtics. Get a little national attention, maybe land a vote or two for MIP, keep the game close so we don't get embarrassed as a team on national TV...

The other part wants Blatche to get schooled by his teen idol KG- outhustled, outworked, outplayed, and outclassed- with KG pulling him aside at the end to give him props regardless and encourage him to keep on putting in work. To me that would do as much to help Dray as anything, one hiccup that puts him back in tune with reality and what it'll take to get to an all-pro level.

maybe I can get both in medium doses?

Schooled by KG? In the past we had threads on this. Blatche went head and head with KG in the past and schooled him. KG was out of his mind about it.

What Blatche is showing is not brand new. I remember past posts over years of talking about this chicken and the egg stuff. I said if they relied on him more, he would get it going sooner. I said he is the one player on this team with the most upside at a position that could make a different and that this team should be investing in his minutes to see if he was what I thought he was. Others said, he needs to prove he can be relied on before he gets the minutes or I give up move him and that it was laughable.

Everything about this team was against Dray developing sooner. We had a big three so he got limited touches. We never had enough centers for him to play PF. We never moved AJ from PF so he could start. We had a coach who didn't care for him or Haywood. The only two players I said year after year that this team should be building around were the ones not getting attention or props.

We had Haywood and Dray on the same team for 5 years. You know the first time I saw them play together move then 5 minutes in an entire year.... THIS YEAR.

Well, sadly Haywood is gone but at least we still have Dray.

I'm going to try to just look forward because looking back is to frustrating.

[hands11]

I think Blatche is gonna keep going, I dont see his production coming down much from here on out. Some of you on here are too pessimistic.

I think all the work that he put in during the off season is really paying off, I really think Blatche was just as frustrated as all of us were about Jamison getting 40 minutes a night no matter what, and it came out in his play sometimes thats why he would struggle.

I cant help but see maturity in the guy, its like he is really enjoying his role and enjoying being looked at as a leader and go to guy.

Same deal that was happening to Haywood when it looked like Haywood was the problem.

[Silvie Lysandra]

Remember, Haywood is a FA this year. Could high pick, a new regime, and a boatload of cash may be enough to convince Big Wood to come home?

[DaRealHibachi]

If all goes well in court, I have no doubt that Gil will come back a better player. In many ways this the incident will be a life changer for Gil. I'm praying that Gil will be in a Wizards uniform. I always thought Gil didn't have that killer's instinct and I believe he had mentioned that himself in an article not too long ago. Gil's coming back with a vegenance and VERY serious about his career! People don't know how I'm feeling this right now!! The guy is going to be a different player. MARK MY WORDS! I'm praying he will be in a Wiz uniform when this happens! After reading articles on what Jamison and Butler said about the Wiz's offense for the past 4 years! Who do you think they were talking about? Ater reading this, I couldn't help but wonder what Gil was thinking.

God I hate to muddy up a good Dray thread with talk of GI Agent Brown.. I can only hope that soon enough people will realize what they are asking for. Even if GI comes back as everything we really need from him, he won't be worth the money.

But we have a thread for that I believe.

FWIW, I still think Gil is the closest thing to a elite scorer this team will see anytime soon... Unless you want Blatche to be that guy and us not going further than a 1st round exit... We need Gil (or some other elite scorer) if we want to go deep into the playoffs...

[hands11]

If all goes well in court, I have no doubt that Gil will come back a better player. In many ways this the incident will be a life changer for Gil. I'm praying that Gil will be in a Wizards uniform. I always thought Gil didn't have that killer's instinct and I believe he had mentioned that himself in an article not too long ago. Gil's coming back with a vegenance and VERY serious about his career! People don't know how I'm feeling this right now!! The guy is going to be a different player. MARK MY WORDS! I'm praying he will be in a Wiz uniform when this happens! After reading articles on what Jamison and Butler said about the Wiz's offense for the past 4 years! Who do you think they were talking about? Ater reading this, I couldn't help but wonder what Gil was thinking.

God I hate to muddy up a good Dray thread with talk of GI Agent Brown.. I can only hope that soon enough people will realize what they are asking for. Even if GI comes back as everything we really need from him, he won't be worth the money.

But we have a thread for that I believe.

FWIW, I still think Gil is the closest thing to a elite scorer this team will see anytime soon... Unless you want Blatche to be that guy and us not going further than a 1st round exit... We need Gil (or some other elite scorer) if we want to go deep into the playoffs...

Read your sig

[hands11]

Remember, Haywood is a FA this year. Could high pick, a new regime, and a boatload of cash may be enough to convince Big Wood to come home?

Wood did like it here. We will have to see what happens in the playoffs and what TED does when he takes over.

I'm holding out hope.

[hands11]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... rdsinsider

Blatche is also the only NBA player to score 36 or more points, with 15 or more rebounds, four or more assists, two or more steals and two or more blocked shots in a game this season.