GT #42: WAS (20-21) in PHX (24-17), Fri Jan 24th 9pm, CSN+

[jivelikenice]

I didn't see non-aggression from Wall tonight. He played a very balanced game. Beal stepping up at the end was big. He let things come to him at the end and made the game simpler.

[hands11]

I agree, hands. Maybe Nene has taken up yoga. He had two great dropstep moves tonight that led to some sick dunks. That reverse dunk was awesome. Didn't know he could still do that.

I commented a few weeks ago after I read they had him on a new program when he went out last time and missed games. I think part of it was working him hard in cardio. He is looking leaner.

[Wizardspride]

I didn't see non-aggression from Wall tonight. He played a very balanced game. Beal stepping up at the end was big. He let things come to him at the end and made the game simpler.

This.

[stevemcqueen1]

We can't go out and lay an egg against Utah tomorrow night.

Gotta try and get a win there because the next five games are brutal.

[dckingsfan]

Go back and read my post at the end of the Boston thread. I called it. I said he wouldnt be aggressive after the idiot Witt talked to him. Why would you have a sit down about taking too many shots with one of the most pass 1st guys in the league who after the game said himself that he shot too much and didnt run the offense. You dont need to have a talk with him. Its just going to take away his aggression. He's a pass 1st guy anyways, He has one game like this and Witt makes a big deal even when the guy already was upset himself. Idiot coach

I thought he played a muuuuuuuch better game tonight, he actually spent some effort on the defensive end. If Wittman "talked" him into playing muuuuuuuch better basketball - then so be it.

you cant make it sound like it is as simple as that. He played better tonight because he's a good player. That dont have anything to do with Witt. You think he was going to suck tonight if Witt said nothing? Witt is the reason he was passive to start the season and we were 2-7. Wall can win us games on this West Coast trip if he's agressive. Nearly every team we play is that wide open style he thrives in. He can average an efficient 25 & 10 and win or keep us in these games. I dont want Witt to take that aggression away from him

Yep, simple as that - he was selfish and out of control 2 nights ago... turrible. He really should have been benched - but we don't have a backup PG. There is a difference between being aggressive and out of control and he crossed the line. Where he really needs to be aggressive is on the defensive end of the court.

If Witt got through to him, terrific. If he got through to himself - terrific. Doesn't matter, he didn't play out of control and the team won.

Let's hope we never see the John Wall of two nights ago.

[Illmatic21]

Frye:

“Ariza is the Channing killer. We basically carried on a conversation from the second quarter on, he never left my side [except to float off Frye to steal passes out of the post]. Any team he’s ever been on, that’s been his role. They decided to go 4 on 4 and we didn’t capitalize.”

[NapoleonII]

Great win, you guys definitely took it.

Your perimeter defense looked better than Indy. We started hot from 3, but you guys really disrupted our passing and took us away from what we wanted to do. I don't watch a lot of Wall, but he doesn't look like the raw/out of control specimen I saw a few years ago. He's really put it all together...his jumpshot/passing/athleticism.

Good luck on your playoff run.

[Kanyewest]

We can't go out and lay an egg against Utah tomorrow night.

Gotta try and get a win there because the next five games are brutal.

I agree it will be a good opportunity to win a game. Utah shouldn't be taken lightly though- at times they shown they can compete- they recently beat Denver OKC and played San Antonio close. They also got blown out by a few teams like Minnesota. Hopefully the Wizards can go to Utah and come out with a win but the win against Phoenix was pretty good.

[dckingsfan]

We can't go out and lay an egg against Utah tomorrow night.

Gotta try and get a win there because the next five games are brutal.

I agree it will be a good opportunity to win a game. Utah shouldn't be taken lightly though- at times they shown they can compete- they recently beat Denver OKC and played San Antonio close. They also got blown out by a few teams like Minnesota. Hopefully the Wizards can go to Utah and come out with a win but the win against Phoenix was pretty good.

Wall needs to play some kickass D on the rookie...

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Great win, you guys definitely took it.

Your perimeter defense looked better than Indy. We started hot from 3, but you guys really disrupted our passing and took us away from what we wanted to do. I don't watch a lot of Wall, but he doesn't look like the raw/out of control specimen I saw a few years ago. He's really put it all together...his jumpshot/passing/athleticism.

Good luck on your playoff run.

Thanks for the compliment. Freudian slip in the last sentence before you edited it, though. I believe you had written, "good luck on you playoff run this is it." Sad but true... This likely is 'it' for us. This may be our ceiling.

Love where the Suns are headed though. We loved Len at UMD. What do folks think of him out there in the valley of the sun? Would your front office consider swapping Len for Otto given Plumlee's development?

[Mickstix]

So glad Bradley stepped up at the end and put it away... I could just see them all tryin to turn into dummies but he wouldn't have it!! Nice road win.. Don't look now Wiz but you have another chance to get ahead of the curve tomorrow night!! Ewwwww scary scary hush hush!! lol

[TGW]

Teague got hurt tonight vs. the Spurs.

Looks like the Wizards may get that third seed by default.

[Hypnotizer]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/caseyreporting/status/426934449524441088[/tweet]
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Ariza nailed all eight of his free throws. That mark was his career best without a miss.

[dobrojim]

Beal is so clutch, 7 points in the final 2 minutes. We are such a good team on the road. Now if only we could take care of our home court.

exactly

quality win, I mean quality ROAD win. As a season tix holder dang I wish they
would play consistently like this at home. Maybe being on the road is what
we need to actually go over .500 with a winnable game at Utah tonight (Sat).

nice game from Beal for the finishing touches and from Ariza most of the game.
Wall played pretty well overall.

Frye was scary at the start but we ended up keeping him down enough.

[dobrojim]

Our starters dominated their starters.

I understand defensive pessimism. And I kept silent with predictions before the game for the same reason. But I was surprised when so many thought Phoenix was just going walk all over us before the game because our starters are better than theirs.

Our starters can hang with most starters...it was the bench disparity that frightened me..but Our starters crushed theirs.

**** the state of Arizona.

correction - eff the political leaders of AZ. Maybe someday the people wake
up and do a better job in who they decide to vote for (I know, wrong thread).

[dobrojim]

So I didn't watch the first half, but why wasn't Webster playing?

sick

[dobrojim]

Dragic is good, but the flopping and whining get tired....

Gutty win by the team and good job by Wittman today w/ the minutes for Beal. I'm not entirely sure why Vesely didn't get a few minutes tonight. He could have helped with the stretch 4s and running the floor. I would have played him over Seraphin for sure. The ball found Nene a little too much for my liking. The backup pg play was horrendous. Temple was having a real hard time getting them into the offense. I don't know why its taking so long to upgrade here.

Otto shot poorly but I liked what I saw out of him today. He missed a few that at least on TV looked to be on-line w/ a smooth release. He was doing a lot of little things today that was reminiscent of his Georgetown days. I hope Webster is back ASAP but I'd like to see Otto get some run regardless.

agree with pretty much everything you said -
thought it might have been the type of game to play Ves some
Temple was struggling.
OP looked solid even though he didn't shoot very well.

[dobrojim]

I didn't see non-aggression from Wall tonight. He played a very balanced game. Beal stepping up at the end was big. He let things come to him at the end and made the game simpler.

This.

I think folks on both sides of this 'controversy', if that's what it is, need to recognize
how hard it is to find the balance AND that the opp team often dictates to you
what that balance is. Opp defenses know that John is a pass first guy and play
him that way. They know he wants to find our 3 pt guys in the corner. Add in
the fact that I thought vs BOS John was partially motivated to take more shots
because teammates were not hitting their own. It's complicated. There is
no simple answer.

[dobrojim]

I can't be the only one who is confused about Wall's non aggression right?

Wall is fine. He's still not a great shooter so as a result, he's not a great closer. Teams go under the screen and force him to take a long 2.

I've got no problem with Beal running pick-and-rolls in clutch situations. He's so much better as a shooting threat.

Agree with what you said, but feel compelled to add that I don't like the intent
if that's what it is, in the little 2 man game (hide/seek behind pick) BB will play with
either Nene/Tat where he invariably takes a long 2. They should tweak that so he shoots more
3s. This might have the added benefit of creating more/better spacing close to
the basket.

[crackhed]

beal will need to get a bit better at ball handling to fulfill that role against better teams. i imagine that around this time next year - with better ball handling by beal, and better shooting by john - either one of them will be a very good option at the PnR