Wizards in the Media Thread

[LyricalRico]

I MISS Arenas' blog. I've always looked forward to reading what he had to say.

I'm actually glad he's not blogging. Hopefully it's a sign that "Gilbertology" is a thing of the past and that he's going to be a better leader.

[JWizmentality]

I MISS Arenas' blog. I've always looked forward to reading what he had to say.

I'm actually glad he's not blogging. Hopefully it's a sign that "Gilbertology" is a thing of the past and that he's going to be a better leader.

Hater.

[fishercob]

Mike Lee is back and is doing nothing to make me think he's a huge downgrade from Agent Steinz:

I'm Back, With Some News


I also just got word that the Detroit Pistons have signed former Maryland forward Chris Wilcox, thus eliminating him from the Wizards' list of potential signees.

By Michael Lee | July 22, 2009; 2:24 PM ET

Pistons agree to deal with big man Chris Wilcox

By VINCE ELLIS • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • July 18, 2009

There's being scooped by a couple of hours and then there's being four days late with a minor news item. Bizarre? Pathetic?

[LyricalRico]

^

[mhd]

Draftexpress wrote a fairly long article evaluating N1 and Blatche.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NBA ... One--3295/

[closg00]

For these guys, next season is a proving ground
With the pressure being ratcheted up all over the league, we've come up with a list of players, coaches and teams most likely to perspire in the coming months.

Gilbert Arenas, Point Guard, Washington Wizards:
With five years and more than $96 million left on Gilbert's current contract, the serially tricky left knee of Agent Many Zeros will be one to watch this season.
Even when healthy, a volume-shooting point guard should be quite a hayride for first-year coach Flip Saunders. As long as the rest of us don't have to coach him, the NBA seems like a more interesting place when Arenas is playing well.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9865 ... ing-ground

[WizStorm]

How many "volume shooters" are there in the league with the efficiency of Gilbert Arenas, especially when he was healthy? When someone says volume shooter, I immediately think of Antoine Walker who actually boasted about being such a "volume shooter" with the number of shots he hoisted just to get his numbers. All you have to do is compare Antoine's and Gilbert's TS% to know just how much of a farce it is to label Gil in the same category.

[CaPtaiN eYeSaNo]

How many "volume shooters" are there in the league with the efficiency of Gilbert Arenas, especially when he was healthy? When someone says volume shooter, I immediately think of Antoine Walker who actually boasted about being such a "volume shooter" with the number of shots he hoisted just to get his numbers. All you have to do is compare Antoine's and Gilbert's TS% to know just how much of a farce it is to label Gil in the same category.

you don't expect the media to do that kind of research do ya? Even when the Wiz were in 1st place in the east, respect was something that we just did not receive...

[TheSecretWeapon]

How many "volume shooters" are there in the league with the efficiency of Gilbert Arenas, especially when he was healthy? When someone says volume shooter, I immediately think of Antoine Walker who actually boasted about being such a "volume shooter" with the number of shots he hoisted just to get his numbers. All you have to do is compare Antoine's and Gilbert's TS% to know just how much of a farce it is to label Gil in the same category.

Best measure of overall offensive efficiency is Dean Oliver's offensive rating (ortg). Ortg is points produced per 100 possessions, and it accounts for shooting efficiency (from the field and the FT line), assists, offensive rebounding and turnovers.

From 04-05 through 06-07 (3 seasons up until Gerald Wallace plowed into Gil's knee), Arenas had the 5th best offensive efficiency among high usage players (usage percentage of 25 or higher). Here's the top 5:

1. Dirk Nowitzki -- usage: 29.2; ortg: 121.3
2. Amare Stoudemire -- u: 27.1; ortg: 118.4
3. Manu Ginobili -- u: 25.5; ortg: 116.8
4. Ray Allen -- u: 28.2; ortg: 116.1
5. Arenas -- u: 29.7; ortg: 115.0

High usage players less efficient than Arenas include Garnett, Brand, Kobe, Lebron, Redd, Wade, Pierce, Yao.

Looking only at shooting from the floor (using efg, which accounts for the effect of the 3pt shot), Arenas ranks 18th among the 34 players who met the usage and minutes (at least 2500 total minutes over the 3 seasons) cutoffs I used. Guys who didn't shoot as well include Wade, Kobe, and Vince Carter.

Gil's free throw shooting moves him up to 14th when looking at TS%. A little better than Kobe, KG, Redd, Tony Parker, Lebron, Duncan, Vince, etc. over that time period.

And by the way -- among this high usage group, Gil ranked 12th in PER during those 3 seasons. Better than McGrady, Pierce, Vince, Boozer, Ray Allen, Redd, Tony Parker, etc.

[nate33]

An astonishingly ignorant analysis by Charlie Rosen:
NBA's Most Overrated Players

Gilbert Arenas:
He's on this particular list because of his numerous forced shots, his inability to run an offense and his miserable lack of both on- and off-the-ball defense. Also, don't forget the many times he's choked in the deciding moments of playoff games. Arenas' game is less than meets the eye.

WTF? It's amazing how this perception persists despite no evidence whatsoever!

Yeah, Arenas "forces shots" even though he's the 5th most efficient high usage player in the league. Yeah, he is "unable to run an offense" even though the Wizards finished 3rd and 6th in offensive efficiency in his last two healthy years. Yeah, he choked "many times" in the playoffs despite the Game 5 winner in Chicago, the 34 point scoring average in his last healthy series against Cleveland, and the ridiculous half-court 3-pointer to put it in overtime. Arenas misses two free throws once (when Lebron illegally put his hands on him) and that's all that is remembered.

This has to be one of the single worst basketball comments I have ever seen in a mainstream publication.

[Kanyewest]

Chris Paul is on that list; enough said.

[TheSecretWeapon]

I put a refutation of this nonsense on my blog. It's good to have a linkable resource to refute this stuff in the future.

Here's the thing -- If you want to call Arenas overrated, the way to do it is by trashing his defense. There's no argument that Arenas was a poor defender. Going after him on the offensive end is just stupid.

[closg00]

NBA injury comebacks to watch in 2009-10

These days, most NBA fans think of Gilbert Arenas as an overpaid blogger with a quirky personality and bad knees. That's what happens when you play just 15 games in two years. But in the three seasons before that, Agent Zero, or Hibachi, or whatever he was calling himself at the time, was one of the league's most prolific scorers and colorful personalities. Sure, he wasn't perfect — passing and defense were never his specialities — but he made the Wizards relevant and fun again. Because of that, they gave him a six-year, $111 million contract last summer despite his knee problems, which may go down as one of the dumbest deals in sports history. But if he regains his old form, Washington should be the league's most improved team after going a pathetic 19-63 last season.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/pgStory?co ... to=9864776

[Hoopalotta]

Oh dear, Stevenson is 'Back with a Bang"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/01/AR2009080101571.html?sub=AR

I dare not even read this article, someone will have to abstract it and post the 'highlights'. I have a feeling not unlike when a second cousin has been released from jail and comes home to Christmas with a trunk full of Schlitz and boosted car stereos.

I suppose if he is going to get traded though, he's got to show something. Maybe we could showcase him with a weekly halftime hog wrestling contest. Don't worry folks, he's insured for that.

[LyricalRico]

^ Here's a quote from the article:

In order to step up his game, Stevenson first has to get healthy, which is why he is in Vancouver, B.C., completing a week-long training session with renowned physical therapist Alex McKechnie, who is the athletic performance coordinator for the Los Angeles Lakers and has helped players such as Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill, Pau Gasol and Mo Williams come back from serious injuries.

Stevenson maintains an offseason home in Orlando, and his financial planner set up a meeting between the two when the Lakers were in central Florida for the NBA Finals. After a 45-minute conversation, Stevenson agreed to train with McKechnie, one-on-one, for a full week. Wizards head athletic trainer Eric Waters observed Stevenson in Vancouver, taking note of his routine so that Stevenson can continue the exercises when he returns to Washington.

So now our guys are being treated by other team's doctors, and our medical staff is there taking notes on what to do? How these guys still have jobs is beyond me.

[closg00]

Wiz didn't make this list of 10 most improved teams.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/pgStory?co ... to=9877748

[LyricalRico]

Wiz didn't make this list of 10 most improved teams.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/pgStory?co ... to=9877748

Detroit at #6? Geez, these people are idiots.

And the funniest part is that one reason for Detroit's improvement is supposed to be "addition by subtraction" because of losing AI and Sheed. But guess why Boston is listed at #5? Because of adding one Rasheed Wallace. It's like these guys don't remember what they write from page to page. Unbelievable.

[JWizmentality]

Wiz didn't make this list of 10 most improved teams.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/pgStory?co ... to=9877748

Detroit at #6? Geez, these people are idiots.

And the funniest part is that one reason for Detroit's improvement is supposed to be "addition by subtraction" because of losing AI and Sheed. But guess why Boston is listed at #5? Because of adding one Rasheed Wallace. It's like these guys don't remember what they write from page to page. Unbelievable.

All you need to do is look at #1. I suppose the Cavs are winning 82 games this year.

[fishercob]

Nice Mike Lee piece on Deshawn, what went down last year, and his mindframe:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01571.html

Of note:

His reaction to the trade:

"My reaction was, 'Step your game up,' " Stevenson said in a recent telephone interview. "You can't get mad. It's a business. We had the same team for three years and didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. They had to make a move.

"I feel that they felt that they wasn't strong at the 2-guard spot. I've been in the league for 10 years. When people make moves like that, I understand what you got to do. I don't take it as disrespect."

On last year:

Ed Tapscott, the Wizards' interim coach after Eddie Jordan was fired 11 games into the season, noticed Stevenson's struggles and sat down with him in late December. Stevenson said Tapscott gave him three options: to simply rest, take some time off to get his back checked out or accept a role coming off the bench. Stevenson agreed to the latter and said Tapscott told him he would cover up the benching by telling reporters it was Stevenson who suggested the move.

Class move by Tap.

On this year:

"Everybody that knows DeShawn knows I'm going to compete. I'm going to be -- I don't want to say arrogant -- but I'm not one of those people that's going to let my job go," Stevenson said. "In life, you get pushed and I just think I'm getting pushed right now. If I don't start, I'm going to be a helluva backup and if I start, I'm going to be a helluva starter. It's all about winning."

The article as a whole really makes me want to like the guy. I would, were it not for his gesticulations after making a shot down 20 in Cleveland to go with the incessant yapping two years ago. And while I don't see him getting much time with Miller, Foye, Young and possibly D-Mac in front of him, the fact is that he does bring a unique element to this team if healthy. Here's hoping that he stays ready and is a good locker room guy this year. We could probably use him harassing Kobe for 10 MPG in the FInals.

[keynote]

I'm sure many of you were loving Steinz' latest Bog entry, chock full of Haywood quotables.

Apparently, Brendan will be hosting a weekly radio show(!) on The FAN in DC. To get some practice in, he dropped some science on Mike Wise's show as a teaser.

"I think running more traditional sets will help our team, especially our young guys," he said. "That Princeton Offense alienated a lot of guys on our team and it didn't allow us to use everybody and all their skills. I think Flip's offense is gonna really help us out a lot."

Haywood later said that he wants the Wiz to return to the glory days of the second-round playoff appearance in '05, which included a few rotations of the Princeton Offense, but no matter. Professional agitator Wise asked Haywood to reflect on that time when he took his nameplate down after a season-ending playoff loss, and Haywood obliged.

"Let me ask you a question though," he said. "If a coach and a player aren't seeing eye to eye, why is it always the player's fault? I never ever said anything negative about Eddie Jordan, but why is it always the player's fault? At some point you've got to look at who's he playing. Hey, if I'm not playing behind Yao Ming or Dwight Howard, I'm gonna sit down and be quiet. My thing is this: you've got to play your horses. I felt I was the best center we had on the team, I think I got a chance to show that.

"And I've always said one thing, if you give me consistent minutes I'll be consistent. Even before that, when Etan and Kwame were both hurt, I had a great year then. But when they came back, my minutes were scattered again, and as a player I couldn't understand that, and I didn't want to accept that role."

It's easier, Bill Rohland pointed out, to move a player than a coach if the two are feuding.

"I totally agree," Haywood answered, "but at the same time, I feel there has to be a level of accountability on both ends. You know, if you're not playing your best players, then you're doing your team a disservice, especially when you're doing it to try to make a point, when you're trying to spite somebody. You know, you can't go out there and play against Ilgauskas with guys that are 6-8, 6-9. You're hurting the team. You're hurting D.C. It's not about you; it's about the team."

Did BTH hire someone from RealGM to be his ghostwriter or something?