Official Game thread. Wiz vs Philly

[Donkey McDonkerton]

But maybe not about basketball right now. Lets turn this thing around.

Game: Tuesday Nov 24th @ 7pm Comcast HD
Keys to the game: Mountain Dew, Hibachi shooting



As bad as this season has been, here are a few things that we dont have to watch






I'm not giving up on this season so im starting the game thread, but I have been VERY Disappointed in the last few games (except against the Cavs).


Eddie didnt want Gil, so maybe gil can have his "you disrespected me" game 25/11/5

[miller31time]

So now, Mike Miller is out 4-5 weeks. There goes another member of our starting lineup for a prolonged period of time.

I have no idea how we'll play today. We seem to do well when we have some sort of vendetta against our competition (see: Cavaliers, Cleveland) so we'll probably put it together for a game and win. Then go back to being wildly inconsistent and non-cohesive the next game.

[LyricalRico]

DESTROY EJ!

:

[JWizmentality]

Atleast Flip finally said he'll play the young guys. F**k the vets!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

This is a big game. A real mixed bag game, too.

Both coaches are dealing with grumbling in the ranks. EJ would like to stick it to his old team. Flip's guys look like a bunch of quitters. Philly's offense is not clicking. Washington's defense is not clicking. I believe if the Wizards lose big they're going to start tuning Flip out if they already haven't. I think the 76ers, aside from Williams, already have big problems with EJ. His team's not getting blown out like the Wizards but they're bad at both ends of the court. They were a good defensive team last season with the same personnel.

Both EJ and Flip have just signed lucrative deals, so, they're smiling at the bank line. Grumbling or bumbling, the coaches will be around a while.

No matter how bad either team or coach is, one team must win. Who wins is the question.

[closg00]

Atleast Flip finally said he'll play the young guys. F**k the vets!

Where did Flip say this?

[DaRealHibachi]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/11/22/wiza ... index.html

Wizards coach Flip Saunders said changes in the lineup can be expected when the team plays its next game at home Tuesday against Philadelphia. The team is off Sunday and has a practice scheduled Monday.

"We have guys that are frustrated that they're not playing and I'm sure they are sitting there wanting opportunities," Saunders said. "And guys will get opportunities starting Monday because we're not getting it done as it is right now."

[closg00]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/11/22/wizards.changes/index.html

Wizards coach Flip Saunders said changes in the lineup can be expected when the team plays its next game at home Tuesday against Philadelphia. The team is off Sunday and has a practice scheduled Monday.

"We have guys that are frustrated that they're not playing and I'm sure they are sitting there wanting opportunities," Saunders said. "And guys will get opportunities starting Monday because we're not getting it done as it is right now."

Good, Flip isn't going to beat his head against the wall and trot-out the same line-up that's not getting it done. Personally, I'd like to see Boyk start or play heavy minutes, we need a real PG to help right the ship.

[MJG]

Bench Caron for Blatche, that's all I ask.

[Shanghai Kid]

Bench Caron for Blatche, that's all I ask.

It's going to be this, or starting Boykins.

I think if you start Boykins it will probably get the Wizards off to a faster start.

This core really doesn't have the mental capacity to focus on both offense and defense, so I would go ahead and abandon all defensive philosphies and go for broke as a run and guning team.

Boykins
Arenas
Butler
Jamison
Haywood

[Hoopalotta]

Well, I knew that if the 'Zards won the Antonio game, I'd be posting another game thread, so I actually already worked out another play diagram to try and exploit the intricacies of the 'Sixers, uhh, "defense".

[mohammed10]

All I know is that if we lose this one (especially to Eddie F'n Jordan), the ship will become less crowded as more rats will flee!

Come. Join me and Ji in the deep end...

[no D in Hibachi]

Two years ago the Wiz played the 76ers two days before Thanksgiving. It happened to be Blatche's best game of his career by a mile at that point. I think he put up 26/8/4/3 on like 10 for 11. Maybe the Wiz should start Blatche to see if he can recapture his tuesday before Thanksgiving magic. Afterall he is playing against EJ and will have something to prove. Further, if my memory is correct the Wiz played GSW's on the Tuesday before Thankgiving last year and Blatche ripped that game too. He had 25/12/5/5. Something like the best game off the bench since Barkley in 85'

[TheKingOfVa360]

All I know is that if we lose this one (especially to Eddie F'n Jordan), the ship will become less crowded as more rats will flee!

Come. Join me and Ji in the deep end...

I agree, What's baffling to me is Arenas. He thinks he isn't the problem and pointing the blame to the impending free agents. The thing is all the free agents have played very selfless. Guys like Mike Miller, Haywood, Foye, Oberto, D-Mac, etc...

The problem isn't them, the problem is the big 3 minus Jamison. Butler has turned into an undersized chucker who ruins the teams flow on both sides of the floor. He goes one on 3 and makes zero plays.
Arenas has turned into one of the most inefficient players in NBA history. He has a sky high usage rate, leads the league in turnovers, shoots under 40 % from the field, and has yet to have a signature big game. Plus his assist total is the same as it use to be.

Thank god for players like Haywood, Mike Miller, Blatche, Jamison, and even Stevenson. They are buying into the team concept but when your best player is chucking shots 5 seconds into the clock its hard to get into an offensive rhythm.


This is a must win game. We are playing a mediocre 76ers team with a bone head coach. I'm confident the Wizards will come out guns blazing and beat the 76ers thanks to our bench and Jamison/Haywood. Arenas needs to check his ego, his contract is turning into a disaster. In hindsight we shouldn't of resigned him and drafted Brandon Jennings with our 5th overall pick. Hopefully he turns the corner because he use to be a very exciting player to watch play and a like-able guy.

[closg00]

Very curious to see what the line-up is going to be for this game. Flip is going to half to serve-up some tough-love.

[nate33]

I really think Blatche has earned the opportunity to start. He has played hard and unselfishly. Furthermore, he has played better as a major-minute player than as a role player off the bench.

But if he starts, who gets benched? Does Flip have the cajones to bench Butler? Will Butler move to SG? That could work against Philly because they play a SF (Iggy) at SG a well. If Butler is benched, he'll have to start Stevenson because Foye can't defend Iggy.

I don't think Arenas deserves to be benched. I actually don't think he's playing all that selfishly. He's just struggling with his role. Benching him will not help in the long run. He needs to figure things out.

Arenas needs to learn to react to the defense rather than cross half court with a preconceived notion of what to do. Try to run the offense, if Philly overplays the first pass, then make them pay by attacking the basket. Also, I wouldn't mind the occassional 3-pointer early in the shot clock as long as it's an open shot. I think Arenas fears shooting too early and it has screwed up his confidence.

[LyricalRico]

I really think Blatche has earned the opportunity to start. He has played hard and unselfishly. Furthermore, he has played better as a major-minute player than as a role player off the bench.

But if he starts, who gets benched? Does Flip have the cajones to bench Butler? Will Butler move to SG? That could work against Philly because they play a SF (Iggy) at SG a well. If Butler is benched, he'll have to start Stevenson because Foye can't defend Iggy.

I think the bigger question is "can Jamison play SF"? Knowing the answer to that would help a lot. If he can, then starting Blatche and trading Butler are the next two logical steps. If he can't, then we've got a whole other set of problems.

[nate33]

I think the bigger question is "can Jamison play SF"? Knowing the answer to that would help a lot. If he can, then starting Blatche and trading Butler are the next two logical steps. If he can't, then we've got a whole other set of problems.

Or more specifically, "can Jamison guard SF's"?

If Jamison plays SF, I think we can hold our own defensively against many of the SF's in this league. Lots of teams employ defensive specialists and jumpshooters at SF - guys like Battier, Kirilenko, M.Williams, QRich etc. The problem comes when we go against the handful of top notch SF's - the guys who are as skilled as SG's only bigger. We are toast if ask Jamison to guard Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Danny Granger, etc.

[DaRealHibachi]

I think the bigger question is "can Jamison play SF"? Knowing the answer to that would help a lot. If he can, then starting Blatche and trading Butler are the next two logical steps. If he can't, then we've got a whole other set of problems.

Or more specifically, "can Jamison guard SF's"?

If Jamison plays SF, I think we can hold our own defensively against many of the SF's in this league. Lots of teams employ defensive specialists and jumpshooters at SF - guys like Battier, Kirilenko, M.Williams, QRich etc. The problem comes when we go against the handful of top notch SF's - the guys who are as skilled as SG's only bigger. We are toast if ask Jamison to guard Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Danny Granger, etc.

True, but they'll roast whoever we put on them anyways, whether it be Butler, Miller or AJ... I'd put AJ on them, atleast he's a lil harder to shoot over... Plus we'll have better help defense at the 4 with Andray starting...

[LyricalRico]

We are toast if ask Jamison to guard Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Danny Granger, etc.

But is that markedly worse that what we're getting from Butler right now? Probably not IMO. You also have to consider that moving Jamison to SF and starting Blatche gives us another solid defender at the rim. If you ask me, Haywood+Blatche cleaning up for Jamison is much better than Haywood alone having to clean up for Jamison+Butler.

Let's see if Flip agrees.