Game Thread: GAME 3: Washington vs. Cleveland 4/24/08

[RickRoll_inDC]

vs.
WHERE:The Verizon Center- Washington, D.C
WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 8:00p.m ET


STARTERS
WIZARDS

Gilbert Arenas****DeShawn Stevenson****Caron Butler****Antawn Jamison****Haywood

Cavaliers

Delonte West****Wally Szczerbiak****LeBron James****Ben Wallace****Ilgauskas

KEYS TO THE GAME
MATCHUP: Caron Butler vs. LeBron James


OFFENSE:Gilbert needs to go to the hole. Clearly his wrist isn't 100%, so his jumper won't fall. It's much easier to make a layup than a jumper regardless of how your wrist is.


DEFENSIVE:Dominic McGuire. McGuire is probably our best defensive player and knows his role well. He matches up size-wise wit LeBron, and hustles more than anyone on the court. Have him face-guard LeBron every time he doesn't have the ball.


ROLE PLAYER:Brendan Haywood. With the possibility of suspension for a flagrant foul, it is necessary for Brendan to not merit that suspension if we want to contend with the Cavaliers when LeBron drives to the lane.


It's time to change the Ju-Ju. The Ball is back in DC and King James has been invited. Let's Dance.

[newslowsad]

You think Gil will start?

[RickRoll_inDC]

I'm hoping he starts. I'm the GT starter...I'm supposed to be optimistic

[tkunit]

Wizz need to get back to playing there game. Stop this of we are physical crap and do what they have done all year. Stop trying to be something they are not and get it done.

IF haywood is gone, Big Z is going to make it a long night.

But Arenas should not start!!!! He shouldn't even play.

[RickRoll_inDC]

is it just me, or do the cav's starters look really ugly.

Does Delonte West have cancer or something?

[ZonkertheBrainless]

the wizards are worthless and weak, gutless and heartless. I'm done with them. Go caps!

[omarvelous]

I'm saying that the Wiz win the next 4. We have 2 at home and when we win those it'll get our confidence up and we'll be able to win in Cleveland again and then we'll be back in D.C. for the last game.
Don't hang your heads yet!

[Wizards2Lottery]

EJ needs to grill stingy consistent defense and team play. But I don't think he has the balls to speak out loud to any one on this team so I'm not putting my money on it.

Our only hope is that our shots start falling because no one on this team besides Haywood plays consistent defense.

[closg00]

Unless EJ abandons his small-ball strategy, we will be swept.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

is it just me, or do the cav's starters look really ugly.

Does Delonte West have cancer or something?

I was just joking last night when they showed their lineup that half their starters look like they're going through chemo. It was so out of taste that I was punished with having to watch the Wizards play, in comparison, like a bunch of symptomatic aids patients.

I hope the Verizon Center is rocking tonight, if any of ya'll are going make enough noise for the both of us!

[Donkey McDonkerton]

Where is the Pearl Harbor speach? I know it's coming!!

[mzaretsk]

if im souljah boy, im returning debrick's tickets.

[miller31time]

Now see, this really IS a time you can say "biggest game of the season".

If we win this game, I expect us to win our next home game, meaning a tie series.

A loss here is the end of the 2007-2008 Washington Wizards.

[NbdyBeatsTheWiz]

if im souljah boy, im returning debrick's tickets.

you think he's sick of being affiliated with DS yet? every time (about 50 times a game) the announcers want to rip DS they have to explain the Jay-Z comparison and call Souljah Boy a one hit wonder. Yes, his music sucks, but he hasn't even dropped a second album. Has he even had time to release a second single?? Good job Lebron, you jerk.

[newslowsad]

If Haywood is suspended, we're done.

[newslowsad]

If Haywood is suspended, we're done.

[GilbertisNice72]

Wizz need to get back to playing there game. Stop this of we are physical crap and do what they have done all year. Stop trying to be something they are not and get it done.

IF haywood is gone, Big Z is going to make it a long night.

But Arenas should not start!!!! He shouldn't even play.

I second that emotion!

Ever since his return, these guys have reverted to their shot-jackin', no defense playing selves. No ball movement. No selflessness. No heart.

Who are these guys? And what have they done with the team who scrapped so vigorously to get us to the postseason.

If i had my way, Gil wouldn't even be in the locker room. LeBron has whored him one time too many, IMHO. On national TV, and when it really counts. He needs to forget about that shot he hit against the Bulls an ion ago. And focus on becoming a REAL superstar worth the kind of money he wants. He's just a shooter! All he can do is score. And once that aspect of his game is muted... he's useless.

I'm sorry to be so down on him (and the whole team, for that matter), but I'm sick of these guys showing no grit, no heart, and no pride when it matters most.

Somebody get me Bob Sugar on the phone! Where's Juan Dixon?!?


As for this coming game...? I honestly dont care anymore. It's prolonging the inevitable. This Wiz team is psychologically (Please Use More Appropriate Word)... and that wont change overnight.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Here's what needs to happen in game 3:

1st- DeShawn needs to publicly say he was wrong, Lebron's not overrated. The guy's play says otherwise and it always has.

2nd-Gil needs to apologize for comments that have added fuel to Cleveland's fire, for putting needless stress on the rest of the team, and for making the Wizards' organization appear to be less than classy. Pollin deserves better than that and so do teammates like Jamison.

Throw those two under the bus, right off the top just to get monkey (media, refs, public opinion, and dissension within the organization) off the Wizards' back. Get some respect back for DeShawn and Gilbert.

3rd- Whether or not Brendan's back, the Wizards need to do what the Wizards do. Score some points and just play basketball. Roger and DeShawn hit double figures in Cleveland. So did Darius. Who cares if they were in garbage time?

Start the big three with Blatche and Stevenson and just go for broke and try to run Cleveland into the ground. Probably won't work if the Cav's defend, but the Wizards will have home cooking and maybe the refs will take some pity if the Wiz are agressive.

Maybe, if they come out and make some shots early they get the Cavs down and some of the good anger can allow them to keep the Cavs down.

So, I say publically come off the talk and admit the Wizards look like ass right now. Admit the comments were offensive.

EJ has manned up about his coaching.

What needs to happen is DeShawn needs to man up and Gil needs to shut up and play.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Another thing, the Wizards need to PLAY FREE.

Stop trying to play as if there's a bunch of continuity out there. Simplify things and just PASS THE BALL TO THE OPEN MAN, CUT TOWARD THE BASKET, DO THE BASICS WELL.

The Wizards need to stop looking scared and confused and play with the confidence of professionals.

Score the basketball. The defense will automatically get better as confidence and energy soar.

The stuff in my previous post was more karma/mojo stuff. Come off the comments and the dirty play to get the refs, media, etc off their backs.

Then just start jacking shots with confidence.

[miller31time]

I will be majorly pissed if Haywood is suspended. Hell, he shouldn't have even gotten a flagrant 2. It should have been a 1, and no ejection.

He commits the same foul on any other player and it's a flagrant 1.