WIZ @ ATL 11/19/2008

[80sballboy]

I can't watch the NBA if it's not the Wiz when there is college on. Sure, Phx/LAL is intriguing but you won't see my set my DVR for that incredible OK City/Milwaukee battle or San Antonio against anybody.

I'll just stick with the team and hope the youngsters improve. I'm not expecting a drastic change because of who's in charge. I think you can talk EJ and Princeton offense all you want, but when you have a point guard like Juan Dixon, Dee Brown or DSTeve running the offense, it really doesn't matter. That can't get the ball to guys like Butler and Jamison in crunch time against a tough defense. AD with a bad knee is worthless as well. So if I'm looking to trade, I package what I can for a real point guard but not Tinsley-too much baggage there.

[WizarDynasty]

i think this lost goes squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Blatche. The rookie has 100 times more stamina that blatche. Blatche has a horrible jumper, shows low energy on the boards, has explosiveness in his step and leaping and body control. Other than the few post up moves that he had, he is absolutely horrible. He wants to play as a small forward, but not like jamison has no foot speed and his his vertical is probably just as bad as jamisons. when you compare how javale chases perimeter shots, it just magnifies how terrible and how both blatche and jamison are low energy players. Jamison has the few scoops shots he makes in the lane and he hits one of out 4 wide open three point shots...i mean jamison sucks--when he shoots his threes, they aren't contested shots like a dirk..they are freakin' wide open three point shots. when the crunch time comes..jamison can rarely be relied on to score for you. His scoring comes from standing at the three point line and wanting for the dish out because most powerforwards are protecting the paint and securing defensive boards for their team...this fraud style of play is the basis jamison existence and yet he is treated as though he is one of the most important players on the team. Jamison on defense isn't getting the loose rebounds out hustling the other bigman which is why we give up a ton of offensive rebounds. Blatche..is almost as bad as kwame was when it comes to how poor his stamina is and how little energy he plays with...and after 4 season still doesn't play with high energy which means he never will. Lets just hope that Javale eventually makes blatches permanent position to be a bench warmer pretty soon after we get mcmullen and athletic smart point guard in the offseason.
We all know that eventually the entire offense will be run through mcgee he has the skill set to get off a decent shot each possession no matter what defense is being played. Caron is a jumpshooter who can't create his shot and every time he drives, he is so slow and no acrobactic and bulky that he gets called for the charge, and undersized carmello anthony...just as bad on defense and worse rebounder. Nick is still trying to work on his explosive burst to get past his defender but is improving. Juan has no power in his legs to stop his momentum when trying to play d..almost any player can burst by him and force out bigmen to foul. Dee brown is basically on roller skates out there, we have no athletes at the point guard spot.

truth is, ernie has a poor eye for evaluating defensive athletes at the guard positions when it comes to free agent signings and second round draft picks. I don't see blatche all of sudden turning into a high energy player. His best roll was to try and spell haywood, and not try and turn blatche into an offensive player because he is too slow to create off the dribble..just like caron...and not only that...i dont' think blatche even has the body coordination to execute high percentage shots while dribbling in one motion, same as caron, and jamison. It seems like the only person who use to be able to excute a shot of the dribble was jamison with his floaters...but i have yet to even see him hit any of those now...as his athleticism has deteriorated that badly. He pretty muched lucked up with mcgee as he didn't make any draft day deals to move up and select him...we could just as easily be watching the big stiff roy hibbert right now

He picks oleksy pecherov when we needed a defensive back up point guard--lowry, rondo, farmar..all players he passed up even though we had no perimeter defense, lets steve blake walk.
most of the blame should go on Grunfeld not being able to secure a smart defensive back up point guard and not being able to secure a defensive back up small forward.
I would say that grunfeld biggest short coming is that he has no concept of recognizing lateral acceleration and agility in point guards...its almost like this dimension does not exist when he is making personnel decisions..all of his big acquisitions lack this dimension which shows a lack of basketball defensive IQ on by grunfeld and which is why he should be fired.

[Dat2U]

Regarding Blatche, I mentioned this back during the summer. In Vegas, I heard from someone who directly talked to Eddie about Blatche when I was in Vegas. He said Blatche was in horrible shape. Blatche had gained alot of weight, told the media & coaches he worked out to build up his upperbody. In reality the extra weight was from just eating more. Eddie called it "dead weight".

The kid just doesn't get it. He was in Vegas to get drunk, mess with hoochies and party his ass off. Basketball was just an afterthought. It looks like it still is. If getting shot and nearly dying after a night of partying doesn't wake you up. If getting arrested and publicly embarrased for soliciting a undercover police offer doesn't wake you up, I doubt that anything will.

The coaching staff did make a terrible mistake by allowing him to believe he could play some SF and be a point forward but honestly Blatche is what he is. An immature dude who simply doesn't realize how lucky he is and doesn't care how good a basketball player he could be.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

I

I'll complain about EJ when I see stuff worth complaining about. But one loses credibility when they complain about every little thing with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

EXACTLY...main reason Im rarely on here anymore.

Miss you, Donks. Where are you, Pine, Kev, JRo, etc., hanging out these days? Are you guys smoking pipes somewhere having civilized Wizards discussions?

Yeah, i miss this place too, but it's just not the same. I'll be back more after EJ is fired, that is until its "FIRE THE NEW COACH" over and over.

I

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Regarding Blatche, I mentioned this back during the summer. In Vegas, I heard from someone who directly talked to Eddie about Blatche when I was in Vegas. He said Blatche was in horrible shape. Blatche had gained alot of weight, told the media & coaches he worked out to build up his upperbody. In reality the extra weight was from just eating more. Eddie called it "dead weight".

The kid just doesn't get it. He was in Vegas to get drunk, mess with hoochies and party his ass off. Basketball was just an afterthought. It looks like it still is. If getting shot and nearly dying after a night of partying doesn't wake you up. If getting arrested and publicly embarrased for soliciting a undercover police offer doesn't wake you up, I doubt that anything will.

The coaching staff did make a terrible mistake by allowing him to believe he could play some SF and be a point forward but honestly Blatche is what he is. An immature dude who simply doesn't realize how lucky he is and doesn't care how good a basketball player he could be.

I would in light of those revelations begin to seek to trade Andray for a more valuable asset to the team.

Bottom line is even if all that's true, he's 22, darn near seven feet tall, fairly highly skilled, put up good numbers in rebounds, blocks, and PER for an entire season last year, AND he's signed to a very good deal.

If you hate the dude's work ethic, doubt he'll ever get it, and want to see him traded ... make sure you get value in return for what you're giving up.

Personally, I say get his ass in shape and stick with him a while. He might grow up quicker than you think. He seems like a guy whose moms sheltered him. Of course he's going crazy now with money and liquor and all the hoochies he can afford in Vegas. (I probably would have been living in the brothel at that age! I can't really say he's a total profligate waste of space. Just young and horny and undisciplined and not that smart.) Any way, this kid could still have something change him that getting shot didn't.

Wait til he gets some baby momma drama ...

Any way, I'd get Blatche's weight down and just deal with him from an "it is what it is" standpoint. Use him like EJ used Dixon before. Ride him if he's playing well, sit him otherwise.

[pancakes3]

get his ass in shape and see that he grows up quicker...

of course that would be the best option, but i think the detractors of Blatche seem to think that ship has sailed, and i for one think that ship was never in harbor. we drafted this guy out of prep school. That means he passed on college for a 5th year at a basketball academy. This means he was either too dumb, too immature, or too sucky to play college ball. Well, it would make him functionally (Please Use More Appropriate Word) if he couldn't cut it intellectually at a D1 sports program much less make an attempt to, which as much as i dislike him, i'll give him the benefit of the doubt for not being a moron. As for being too sucky... he's on an NBA roster right now so how sucky could he have been? Thusly... immature. That's a tough thing to overcome. You cite his age, but how many other 17-22 year olds out there are in school, making good life decisions, and having purpose in their lives? Millions? A billion? Immaturity isn't a signal of age, it's a personality trait. I don't see Blatche growing out of lacking motivation, and dumping Blatche right now may be the best option for both parties.