Andray Blatche - Resurgence Thread ( Merged )

[ErikChowbay023]

I think he can become a real star in this league... Do you guys share the same sentiment ?

[dlts20]

well he's definitely a different guy now with the 7 day stuff and he's acting way more mature in the post game like its his team now, lol

I was on the Raps board and before the game they felt ok about Blatche but after the game they all seemed to think that he was the 2nd coming or something, lol

He's just a different player when he starts, gets the minutes, gets to play his natural spot, and gets touches. He doesnt get any of that with AJ there and he's more likely to float on the perimiter but when he's the man like this he mixes it up perfectly with the inside/outside game and again, he has no problems passing the rock. In these 3 starts he's getting 25 & 10 and he's still only playing 32mpg. Thats alot for him but alot of star bigs play close to 40.

What also makes it even more impressive is he's doing it against very good comp. The 1st game was against Big Al & Love, then against K-Mart & Nene, this game against Bargs. Its not like fluke stuff where he's dominating scrubs or smaller men. Its very legit

[DaRealHibachi]

Dray with a rough start but he pulled it together.

Great sign

+1

Really a sign of finally "gettin it"... Not sulking b/c a bad half... Like a real pro, he just left that behind him and dominated in the 3rd... I know he scored atleast 14 points in the quarter...

His post moves are the ****... I've never seen anyone on this team even coming close to what he can do in the post... He also had some great passes out of double teams (Dray gettin double teamed, who would've thought???? )

Dude has a great future in front of him...

[hands11]

Ilgauskas isn't going to play for the Wizards.

Also, please correct the title of this thread -- the word is "Resurgence".

Although, just to nitpick a moment, a resurgence assumes that there was an initial surge and then a falling back. Blatche has been basically the same guy for the past 3 seasons. Better words might be "Growth" "Fulfillment" "Now With Playing Time."

But if you look at the game log and put that in the context of my post about the work he put in over the summer and how he started on a very nice three game start, then it makes sense.

The last 4 games are the best 4 games in a row we have seen from 7 Day.

He started the year with no AJ but was still coming off the bench

Game 1 35 min 8-14 7 rbs 2 blk 20 pts
Game 2 34 min 5-7 6 rbs 1 blk 13 pts
Game 3 28 min 15-18 6 rbs 1 blk 30 pts

We went 2-1

Of the first 9 game before AJ returned AB Averaged around 30 mins

Totals 54-104 18-22 FT 15 blks, 63 rebs 127 pts

Per Game 30 mins, 6-11.5 2.0-2.4 FT 1.67 blks, 7 rbs, 14 pts

No bad for coming off the bench and playing with God know who and entering the game God knows when.

But I can understand Flip wanted to establish him off the bench knowing AJ would return to starting PF. But then again, that was always the problem. AJ and CB. Both really SFs and with what we had one needed to come off the bench but coaching stones and salary never allowed that to happen so one or both had to go.

Thing I will always be most sad we never got to see was a steady diet of Haywood and Blatche as starters with a pass first Jason Kidd/Nash minded PG and a true SG ala Ray Allen.

The problem with this team was CB, AJ and Gil, not Haywood. And secondly, it was that we didn't have a deep enough bench to keep Dray playing PF.

I just wish Dray would have had a chance in a line up like that. For rebuilding I said the unmovable players were Haywood, Dray and McGee with us needing a vet back up center so McGee could float between center and power forward. The AJ to Cleveland trade got us that.

Haywood/Z
Blatche/McGee floating C/PF

But we have what we have and this is a Dray thread.

Hope the kid keeps it up.

[hands11]

Nothing can stop him.

Not a cut. Not a MM knee.

7 DAY DRAY IS MIP


Numbers for Last 5 Games 31.4 46-77 1-3 22-25 1.2 1.2 2.0 3.4 2.8 5.8 8.6 1.8 23.0

[no D in Hibachi]

When Jamison was traded Andray's PER was 15.0. After tonights game it is 16.3. That's a pretty big jump for 4 games out of 53.

[Hoopalotta]

When Jamison was traded Andray's PER was 15.0. After tonights game it is 16.3. That's a pretty big jump for 4 games out of 53.

Dude!

That's about as dramatic as it gets.

Curious though, what's DJ Augustine's PER after the last four games? Going up?

[dlts20]

CRAZY OVERSTATEMENT TIME






You ready? You ready? OK, here it comes. Drum roll please.................................


Blatche is either thee most, one of thee most, or top 5 most complete big men in the league. Time for me to go hide now, lol













































Seriously though, peep what Im saying. That dont make him one of the best but how many bigs can you name in the league right now that can literally do it all? Blatche can. He has size, he can play D, he has top notch handles for a big, he has a soft J with long range, is a great FT shooter, has a vast variety of post moves, can put the ball on the floor to go by you, is a great rebounder, has very underrated fundementals, is a great passer for a big, and is just a highly skilled inside/outside player. Even the guys in the league who we say are the best bigs have flaws. It doesnt hurt them in most cases but alot of the bigs dont have J's. Alot of them dont have handles. Alot of them dont have great post moves. There D sucks or they are average rebounders. They dont have the kind of quickness to beat a guy off the dribble.

Blatche is not the fastest guy in the world but if you put a 6'10 guy on him on the outside, he can take him off the dribble all day. His only 2 real flaws are that he lacks explosion, and some think he lacks the strength & power game. They think he needs to build more muscle in the offseason. Even with that he still is very good now at backing guys down and pushing guys out the way for boards. He can really work on his body in the offseason and he probably can somewhat build some explosion. We can clown and say thats its just Blatche or its only 4 games but I dont care who you are. You dont average 25, 10.25, 2.5, 2, & 1.5 per game if you are just lucky or riding a hot hand.

He definitely has alot to prove but those numbers and his game speaks for themselves. I heard some fans who havent watched him in these games thinks he's just putting up numbers on a bad team because we have nothing else but we know that isnt true. We're winning these games and he isnt gunning at all. He's taking a normal amount of shots if that and he's shooting a very high percentage in close, hard fought games. He's not stat padding at all and he's only playing 34mpg which makes it even more impressive. Add to that I thought he couldve had like 35 tonight if Flip ran more plays for him. He's actually playing very smart, is only averaging like 1 bad shot per game, and unlike AJ, he loves to pass and will eat a double team up. Again, none of that means he's 1st team all NBA or is elite but the simple fact is that he is a pretty complete big no matter how good you think he is or will be

[GhostsOfGil]

we all know how skilled he is. consistency is the thing in question.

[dlts20]

we all know how skilled he is. consistency is the thing in question.

True but I also think thats highly overrated on here from the standpoint that its hurt to be consistent if you dont get to start, get consistent minutes, or get a consistent role. Now that I think he's starting and more specifically that he's getting consistent minutes, a real role, and real touches, I think you will see him be more consistent

[dobrojim]

stop the presses, Glen Consor made an intelligent comment

'Andray is playing like an All-Star'

[likwitdesi]

Andray should go to the Athlete Performance Institute in Arizona this summer. They would help him to burn off bodyfat, add muscle, and, in the process, add explosion.

[nate33]

Andray should go to the Athlete Performance Institute in Arizona this summer. They would help him to burn off bodyfat, add muscle, and, in the process, add explosion.

Yeah, that or Tim Grover's camp. There's a handful of them out there. I'm hoping that this little taste of success for Blatche will really inspire him to become the best player he can be.

[cdouglas]

To think the Wiz were going to trade him to Charlotte!

[Donkey McDonkerton]

To think the Wiz were going to trade him to Charlotte!

I dont think the Wiz ever considered it to be honest.

[TheKingOfVa360]

Andray should go to the Athlete Performance Institute in Arizona this summer. They would help him to burn off bodyfat, add muscle, and, in the process, add explosion.

Yeah, that or Tim Grover's camp. There's a handful of them out there. I'm hoping that this little taste of success for Blatche will really inspire him to become the best player he can be.

I was thinking the same thing, Grover would whip Blatche into shape. He has NBA All-Star potential if he was just better conditioned. Looks like we have our franchise big man. Now all we need is John Wall.

[queridiculo]

I was thinking the same thing, Grover would whip Blatche into shape. He has NBA All-Star potential if he was just better conditioned. Looks like we have our franchise big man. Now all we need is John Wall.

Assuming we win the lottery, I'm not sure I wouldn't gamble on Cousins instead.

A frontcourt of Cousins and Blatche could cause teams some significant headaches, plus, we'd have to get rid of Arenas first for the Wall pick to make any sense.

I'd rather add somebody at a position of weakness than add redundancy at guard.

[Rafael122]

The next year or so will be very telling. No doubt he can produce if he gets minutes, but he's got 2 years left on his current contract. With all this talk about signing big free agents or taking on other team's crap, I'd save a little money for the future IN CASE Blatche suddenly explodes. Too far away to think about, I know, but all the teams think this way.

[MF23]

Noah really improved under Grover during the summer. Blatche and McGee would be interesting to see after a summer of working with that training staff. If McGee improved his balence, strength and explosion during the offseason he would be physically dominant over any bigman aside from Howard and Ibaka. Blatche would improve in his entire game because Grover's team works on improve conditioning and skills. I like that Idea but it would probably be someone like Gilbert to connect those dots and suggest that to Blatche.

[verbal8]

I was thinking the same thing, Grover would whip Blatche into shape. He has NBA All-Star potential if he was just better conditioned. Looks like we have our franchise big man. Now all we need is John Wall.

Assuming we win the lottery, I'm not sure I wouldn't gamble on Cousins instead.

A frontcourt of Cousins and Blatche could cause teams some significant headaches, plus, we'd have to get rid of Arenas first for the Wall pick to make any sense.

Cousins and Blatche would also give coaches headaches. Depending on what he does in NCAA play-offs I could be on board with taking Cousins, but I don't see taking him over Wall given significant red flags about his attitude.