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We will win the next 8 games in a row... noone of them have winning records as we play toronto , chicago, cahrlotte, milwuakee, new york twice, golden state, and finish up with the sacramento Kings.... i see us playing inspired ball and winning all 8 of these games

I say we win two of them. There's been just a smidge too much optimism around here lately, so I'm fully expecting this easy-looking stretch to put us all back in place.

Hmmm.. I didn't realize I had 2 SNs.


OK, 7-1 was the prediction. The prophecy from weeks ago is in my Sig.

It should be fun to see what we can do against a normal team now that we have washed a lot of the EJ dirt off our heals and stabilized our starting line up to something usable until Haywood and GA return.

The test now will be for them to get up for a regular game. I expect to see more McGee again and more Blatche going off against easier match ups.

I think we will actually see the Wiz blow some body out in this stretch.

Hopefully NY can find his game.

thats not possible, but even if it did happen whats the point? we will miss the playoffs and our chances of getting a better lottery pick will be diminished.

To be fair, we're only 7 games out of the playoffs (god the east sucks)

I think the best we'll do is .500 over the next 8 games. Don't forget that the Wiz have the history of playing better against tougher competition and playing worse against sub .500 teams.

dandridge 10 wrote:I think the best we'll do is .500 over the next 8 games. Don't forget that the Wiz have the history of playing better against tougher competition and playing worse against sub .500 teams.

Ugh, don't remind me. I always figured that may have had something to do with Eddie's coaching, I can only hope that's the case and Tapscott won't let them lose focus. But I'm a realist, I don't see us doing much better than 5-3 if that.

And lottery be darned, Miami practically had their coach go on vacation midseason in their attempt to tank and didn't land the top pick, Chicago came from a few spots back to take it. I'm not tanking with all these young guys on the roster, go hard or go home game in & game out. It's because people don't have that mindset that they play down to their competition in the first place!

I'm calling 5-3 also. The team is definitely better with Mike James, DMac and Blatche in the lineup. We're basically a .500 ballclub since Stevenson was benched. There's no reason we can't play slightly above .500 ball against a bunch of sub .500 teams. But 8 in a row ain't gonna happen. There is too little margin for error on this ballclub.

I'll be happy with a record above .500 over the next 8 games.

easy teams? are you kidding me. they are licking their chops to play a team that loses 3 of every 4 games. we will lose big to the kings, nyk twice, charlotte, and milwaukee. no optomism until all cylinders firing. bring on 2010 season

NbdyBeatsTheWiz wrote:

dandridge 10 wrote:I think the best we'll do is .500 over the next 8 games. Don't forget that the Wiz have the history of playing better against tougher competition and playing worse against sub .500 teams.

Ugh, don't remind me. I always figured that may have had something to do with Eddie's coaching, I can only hope that's the case and Tapscott won't let them lose focus. But I'm a realist, I don't see us doing much better than 5-3 if that.

And lottery be darned, Miami practically had their coach go on vacation midseason in their attempt to tank and didn't land the top pick, Chicago came from a few spots back to take it. I'm not tanking with all these young guys on the roster, go hard or go home game in & game out. It's because people don't have that mindset that they play down to their competition in the first place!

I agree. I think that had something to do with EFJ. Tapps is being evaluated. Lets see if he can produce a different result in this area. I already think he has done a ton of good things differently then EFJ. Now we have to see if he can show something here.

Man it would be nice to actually blow a team out. Not sure we are there just yet. This team still has a lot of growing to do individually and as a team before you can predict them having enough pieces on any given night.

We simply need individuals to grow their games as a laid our somewhere recently.

CB - settle in at SG and show range. More of what he showed the second half in Orlando.
NY - needs to find a 3 ball and consistency
DMAC - he is improving all the time. Just keep it up.
DSong - need to expand his range
Crit - needs to be able to hit a 3 ball but any shoot will work for now.
Blatche - needs to get past this last little bump he had with Tapps
Mcgee - needs to get better at post D and going strong to the hoop
James - again, we need some 3 ball shooter and consistency

AJ is pretty much the only starter who is settled in at his position and a vet.

This team still has lots of upside. Players need to step it up individually and grow their games.

malan331 wrote:easy teams? are you kidding me. they are licking their chops to play a team that loses 3 of every 4 games. we will lose big to the kings, nyk twice, charlotte, and milwaukee. no optomism until all cylinders firing. bring on 2010 season

I don't think so but it could happen but ya, you just don't know what you will get with this group yet. It's all still very new.

We simply need more then 2 quality shooter. Actually, I think we have 3 if you count DSong but he needs more range. He shoots .532 and he isn't dunking every shot though he does get some close shots.

We need more shooters.

Right now, that means NY and Blatche need to step it up. They are the closest be being able to do that.

While DMAC is showing progress and is easily the most focused and productive at improving his game.

DMAC hitting would help a lot. He has looked for his shot the last 2 games which is good. If he can just get more confident in that outside shot, that will start to open things up more.

Blatche, DSong, AJ, CB and Dixon should be effective. That's probably our best offensive line up.

We are just so hurting for a PG who can either drive or hit a 3. Right now, Dixon is our best producer at doing that. James, you don't know what you will get from night to night and Crit has shown very little so far with his shot.

The funny or not so funny thing is that AD is hitting at .450 clip 9-20 from 3 this season.

James is .352 19-54
Critt .000 0-1
Dixon .391 18-46

Crit really needs to get it going. Hopefully he is working with the hoop man.

He played in 5 games in a row and 3 games in a row with 12 minutes or more. Time to start shooting a few three balls Crit. He has shot 0 in those 5 games.

No!!! Tank tank tank. Except win tonights game because I'll be there. But tank the rest.

Eight in a row? Aren't we 7-26? What in the world are you guys looking at?

Honestly, I'm not thrilled about what's happening. Unless we are simply showcasing James, Thomas & Songaila, I'm worried that we are sacrificing long term development for short term attempt to be somewhat competitive.

Javale McGee getting DNP-CDs makes absolutely no sense. The suggestion that EG may be hiding him just seems ludicrious. That would be a case of EG outsmarting himself. Why keep Javale's trade value down when you have no intention of trading him anyways? So what if a team asks about him? What's the point? All I know is that the kid has regressed since E-Tap has been coach.

Same for Nick Young. He's not playing with any sort of confidence after starting the year as our 3rd or 4th best player.

J-Critt, the guy EG traded Memphis' pick back for and the only reason we acquired Mike James has done absolutely nothing in very limited minutes.

I do give E-Tap credit for a willingness to play McGuire and he's beginning to show that he may be a worthy rotation player. I also give him credit for letting Blatche play through mistakes and show his wares although Andray is still wildly inconsistent.

So in my book E-Tap's record is 2-3. Two young guys that have been helped by the coaching change, two guys that have regressed and a fifth guy that hasn't gotten a chance even though we gave up something of relative value for him.

I couldn't give a damn about our win-loss record. We may be only 8.5 games out of a playoff spot but we are still only 33 games into the season. And not only are we dead last in the East, but were 5 games behind in the win column from the 14th place team!

Let it go people. Mike Wise had it right, we need to be playing for the future. It does us no good for James to play 38 minutes a night when Young & J-Critt don't get much time and are struggling or for Thomas & Songaila combine for 40 minutes, when McGee is rotting away on the bench.

Dat2U wrote:Eight in a row? Aren't we 7-26? What in the world are you guys looking at?

Honestly, I'm not thrilled about what's happening. Unless we are simply showcasing James, Thomas & Songaila, I'm worried that we are sacrificing long term development for short term attempt to be somewhat competitive.

Javale McGee getting DNP-CDs makes absolutely no sense. The suggestion that EG may be hiding him just seems ludicrious. That would be a case of EG outsmarting himself. Why keep Javale's trade value down when you have no intention of trading him anyways? So what if a team asks about him? What's the point? All I know is that the kid has regressed since E-Tap has been coach.

Same for Nick Young. He's not playing with any sort of confidence after starting the year as our 3rd or 4th best player.

J-Critt, the guy EG traded Memphis' pick back for and the only reason we acquired Mike James has done absolutely nothing in very limited minutes.

I do give E-Tap credit for a willingness to play McGuire and he's beginning to show that he may be a worthy rotation player. I also give him credit for letting Blatche play through mistakes and show his wares although Andray is still wildly inconsistent.

So in my book E-Tap's record is 2-3. Two young guys that have been helped by the coaching change, two guys that have regressed and a fifth guy that hasn't gotten a chance even though we gave up something of relative value for him.

I couldn't give a damn about our win-loss record. We may be only 8.5 games out of a playoff spot but we are still only 33 games into the season. And not only are we dead last in the East, but were 5 games behind in the win column from the 14th place team!

Let it go people. Mike Wise had it right, we need to be playing for the future. It does us no good for James to play 38 minutes a night when Young & J-Critt don't get much time and are struggling or for Thomas & Songaila combine for 40 minutes, when McGee is rotting away on the bench.

Yup. I've expressed my view on the McGee situation many times before so I don't think it needs to be repeated, but suffice to say, I'm with you.

I think Etan and Songaila are partially at fault with McGee's lack of PT. Both are at the top of their game, and playing them might give the Wiz a shot at trading them for expirings. But I concur with the sentiment to f that and just find a way to get McGee 15 minutes a game. Make Butler a fulltime 2, and use Jamison more at the 3 (there's still plenty of PT for Dom.), and Blatche at the 4. If any of the kids have to be the odd man out, let it be Young.

McGee should be getting about 10-15 minutes, at least.

That said if the end justifies the means, and Etan gets traded while McGee works very hard in practice to improve, I'll be elated by the way the minutes are going right now.

McGee is 20 years old. It's only 33 games into his rookie season. Yeah, he's very talented. It really could be a confidence killer to start the kid one minute and treat him like a mushroom with crap on him in a dark room the next. Even if it is, he's on a rookie contract and has time to get over it. Could be he's not emotionally fragile at all, however, and realizes the team's playing better with AB, the guy who put three more years in with the team than he has, starting.

So, I'm not so worried about McGee, even though I've called Tapscott a moron for benching him.

I think the Wizards are showcasing Thomas and maybe Blatche, too.

Regardless, the combination of AB and DMac with James has this team playing very well. Etan and Darius both are at the top of their games of late. Sorry Javale.

I think the Wizards will go 5-3 or maybe 6-2 over the next 8 games. I really want to say 6-2, but 5-3 is the safe bet.

I agree with CCJ. If McGee's lack of playing time now opens up more than he would've had later with us unloading Etan or Darius, then so be it.

but if Etan or Darius don't go bye bye by the trade deadline, then we are completely inept and have our head up our arses.

NbdyBeatsTheWiz wrote:I agree with CCJ. If McGee's lack of playing time now opens up more than he would've had later with us unloading Etan or Darius, then so be it.

but if Etan or Darius don't go bye bye by the trade deadline, then we are completely inept and have our head up our arses.

Why do people want to get ride of DSong? The guy is a warrior, has a sweet shot, he is mature, he passes well, he rebounds, and he seems like a solid teammate. 4,526,000 isn't to much for a guy like that. Specially if he can add some range.

I don't even really hate on Etan but his 7,350,000 is to much for him. I'd pay 3-4 gladly.