Give Dray A Break

[dlts20]

I cant beleive all these people are ripping him so much. Its bad enogh hearing it from the other fans around the league but for our own fans to be doing it is crazy. The other fans dont know about his injury & dont care but our fans do know about it and should care. I get on Dray alot during the games also but I also temper it by knowing that he missed nearly 3 months. Its like throwing a Toyota out there with a race car. Think about yourself. Think about you being able to basically do nothing for 3 months vs yourself who was working out every day for 3 months and then you have to go against eachother. Its a big deal.

If you remember, I made a couple of threads on here before the season talking about it because I knew this would happened. I talked about how hard everyone said Dray was working and how I thought that he could be as good as any 4 in the league without the injury. I talked about how Amare got the Max deal but if we played them 4 times this year that Dray would easily outplay him in 3 of the 4 but now he will outplay Dray in 3 of the 4 because of this setback. I said that Dray couldve had 3 months of running, lifting weights, and working on his game. Now he's had the exact opposite. He couldnt do anything and couldnt expand his game at all. I said that he would probably actually be worst than he was last year at the end of the year instead of better.

Everyone said not to worry and that its in the Offseason so its not a big deal. I said that he's skilled so he still will put up solid numbers but he wont be the real Dray until probably the new year in Janurary and that no matter how well he ends up playing, he wouldve been alot better if he didnt get that injury. Now its coming to fruition and everyone is killing him. Ive seen Superstar players come back from injuries and look like crap when they are just starting off. The problem is that if youre on the court then people judge you like youre 100% but thats just not the case. Shoot, Gil has only missed a little bit of time and he may start off a little shaky, let alone Dray who missed nearly 3 months.

Baron Davis is being ripped by his coach right now for coming into camp out of shape. Baron said its true and everyone said he worked mad hard since August to get back into shape but you can tell he's stinking the joint up right now and he's been going full speed since August without an injury. Dray just started going full speed less than a month ago and people act like he's suppose to be the same guy. Ive been there myself just playing regular ball. Looking like the slowest crappiest player on the floor when I was out of shape and a couple of months later looking like the best guy on the floor when I was in shape & had the rust knocked off. Your timing and everything is off. Everyone is faster because theyve been doing it full go all Summer. He has to catchup and we have to cut him some slack.

Add to that he doesnt have the benefit of easing into things because Gil got hurt & Howard isnt back so we need him to be a go to guy. He'll get better every game. Calm down. He's not a bum. We saw that late last year and he will be even better with Wall. He just needs to get in shape & knock off the rust. He's not going to jump higher or move faster than his opponent who has done nothing but ran, worked out, and worked in his game for the last 6 months. Its not realistic. It takes time. Remember, that he is one of the most skilled bigs in the league if not the most skilled. Right now he looks like a junky street ball player. Thats the difference between being in shape & non rusty. It will come back. Thats really the great thing about us because Dray, Gil, and Howard will all be peaking late in the season

[Nivek]

I disagree that Blatche could do "nothing" to maintain conditioning. He had a broken foot, he wasn't paralyzed. No doubt he couldn't run, but there are a zillion other things he could have done. No matter the break, he could have been lifting. No sign of that in his physique. Depending on the break, he likely would have been able to do some cardio on an exercise bike, elliptical, pool, some other creative thing that a good trainer could have come up with.

Second, one big reason he's getting criticism is the shot selection and indifferent body language. I'm personally not bothered by the body language -- I figure it's just frustration, and I try not to read too much into that stuff anyway. It's tough to interpret. Nobody had more indifferent body language than Sam Perkins, and he was a good player. Tim Duncan usually looks bored, but he's killing people.

I agree with you that Blatche will come around as he gets in better shape. I am disappointed, though that he didn't do a better job staying in shape when he was injured.

[doclinkin]

I disagree that Blatche could do "nothing" to maintain conditioning. He had a broken foot, he wasn't paralyzed. No doubt he couldn't run, but there are a zillion other things he could have done. No matter the break, he could have been lifting. No sign of that in his physique. Depending on the break, he likely would have been able to do some cardio on an exercise bike, elliptical, pool, some other creative thing that a good trainer could have come up with.

Second, one big reason he's getting criticism is the shot selection and indifferent body language. I'm personally not bothered by the body language -- I figure it's just frustration, and I try not to read too much into that stuff anyway. It's tough to interpret. Nobody had more indifferent body language than Sam Perkins, and he was a good player. Tim Duncan usually looks bored, but he's killing people.

I agree with you that Blatche will come around as he gets in better shape. I am disappointed, though that he didn't do a better job staying in shape when he was injured.

For what it's worth a Wiz ticket sales rep said Dray was the one player they most consistently saw in the building hitting the weight room and working in the gym etc. Dray himself said he was working on his cardio in the pool alot, and lifting more than he ever had in his life.

On the other hand he'd set himself such a low bar in other years that even a slight uptick multiplies his work a thousandfold.

[Ji]

Dray looks slow as hell right now...its taking him forever to get anywhere on the basketball court. The foot injury was a killer this offeseason.

However, his terrible shot selection has nothing to do with his foot

[GhostsOfGil]

Dray looks slow as hell right now...its taking him forever to get anywhere on the basketball court. The foot injury was a killer this offeseason.

However, his terrible shot selection has nothing to do with his foot

this

[Rafael122]

I'll give him a month. He needs to get back in game shape. If you saw him in the preseason, he has a fat ass. You know the ass Gilbert had a couple of years back? And he's pudgy. Give him a month and he should round back into game shape form.

[MJG]

He doesn't need any more Kit Kat bars.

[dobrojim]

man, the guy sitting btw me and BP is absolutely vituperative
in his criticism of dray. I don't know how I going to survive the
season if things keep up this way.

BP, he splits the tickets right? Maybe at least half the games
won't be too bad.

[WizarDynasty]

you can't be a dominant post player without a powerful gluteus maximus. Anyone that knows weight training knows that you can't push 500lbs around without using your gluteus maximus. Its the most powerful explosive muscle needed for basketball, especially for explosive movements that require raw power...aka battling other 270lbs players in a five foot radius.
let's hope Dre has pure muscle--gluteus max--not Fat.
gil was the most explosive player in the league because he probably had the most muscle in his gluteus maximus power base.

[Wizards2Lottery]

I like his mid range game but it irritates the hell out of me when he tries to beat his man off the dribble, fails and does a stupid stutter step move and shoots a fade away. He needs to forever abandon that move no matter what type of conditioning he's in.

[dlts20]

you guys are crazy if you think an injury has no effect on shot selection. Thats the biggest thing it has an effect on. You get tired & you settle. You dont have your timing down so you look crappy and throw up something dumb. Your out of rythm so all your moves look like garbage. Thats all because of that. Now dont get it twisted. This is not his only problem as he is just doing some dumb things and not hustling alot of times but Im just saying that he isnt a garbage player like everyone is making it seem. He's not. He's realizing some of his mistakes and with his putrid play, he got to the line 11 times last game after realizing he needed to be more aggressive.

Bottom line is this. If you see somewhat just coming back, they will look slower than everyone else, lose the ball alot, and get stripped all the time. Even Gil looked that way last year early after missing all those years off. Forget Gil's regular turnovers, he couldnt even handle the ball no more. Everytime he tried a crossover he lost control of the ball. He couldnt get out his own way. Its the same for Dray. He's not going to be getting picked like that or losing the ball in a month or 2 and his shot selection will look alot better, espically with other weapons on the floor

[nate33]

Much of Dray's game is dependent on his midrange touch. I think the problem isn't so much conditioning, it's that he is out of rhythm. He is no longer making jumpers unless he is square and has a good look. Last year, he was able to hit them when off balance and contested.

His jumper should improve as he plays more. I think he'll be fine in a few weeks.

[Ruzious]

We have to wait and see, but this isn't just about his injury. As I've been saying for a long time, he's in - and will continue to be - in a very different role than in the one he "excelled" in last season. The offense was built around him, and he controlled the ball far more than he is now and... forever, if he stays here. He can't be holding onto the ball and dribble around for 10 seconds looking for a way to take his man off the dribble. He's got to get to do something fairly quickly with the ball and not bog down the offense - which too often leads to low percentage shots and turnovers. He's got a long way to go to show he can be an efficient part of this offense - even when he's 100% healthy. Assuming he's going to get there takes quite a leap in faith, imo.

[Nivek]

you guys are crazy if you think an injury has no effect on shot selection. Thats the biggest thing it has an effect on. You get tired & you settle. You dont have your timing down so you look crappy and throw up something dumb. Your out of rythm so all your moves look like garbage. Thats all because of that. Now dont get it twisted. This is not his only problem as he is just doing some dumb things and not hustling alot of times but Im just saying that he isnt a garbage player like everyone is making it seem. He's not. He's realizing some of his mistakes and with his putrid play, he got to the line 11 times last game after realizing he needed to be more aggressive.

Bottom line is this. If you see somewhat just coming back, they will look slower than everyone else, lose the ball alot, and get stripped all the time. Even Gil looked that way last year early after missing all those years off. Forget Gil's regular turnovers, he couldnt even handle the ball no more. Everytime he tried a crossover he lost control of the ball. He couldnt get out his own way. Its the same for Dray. He's not going to be getting picked like that or losing the ball in a month or 2 and his shot selection will look alot better, espically with other weapons on the floor

If a player has pre-decided that he's going to shoot the ball, the injury and not being in top shape can lead to settling. If a player is being smart as he works his way back into top form, he shoots a bit less, passes a bit more and tries to make intelligent basketball plays. Dray isn't doing things the smart way. He wants to shoot the ball, so he shoots the ball -- no matter what kind of shot he can get.

[WizarDynasty]

i disagree. Watching the game against the sixers, Dre is a match up nighmare and he literally has moves that are unguardable almost close to hakeem's moves. its going to be nearly impossible for a powerforward to guard him when he takes them off the dribble and into the paint. His handles and foot coordination are elite. He may not get off the ground but his meat and potatoe to his game is taking his man off the dribble straight to the paint and executing a highly coordinated foot coordination move that gets the defender to foul him. That and the pick and pop game where he catches a pass while moving, takes a tiny hop and strokes the mid range jumper. obviously if he gets more gluteus maximus muscle he will be able to power his way in the paint even more.

[montestewart]

^
WizarDynasty , the above might be when he he gets in shape, trims the fat, and gets in rhythm (well, maybe not the Hakeem part) but I wish he'd recall that he's one of the better passers on the team, and his Hakeem the Drayme moves draw defenders. If teammates know he's still also looking to pass, they'll work harder to get open and bail him out when his moves have boxed him into a bad shot corner. He's got the tools to be an all-star, but he's still got some work to do.

[WizarDynasty]

^
WizarDynasty , the above might be when he he gets in shape, trims the fat, and gets in rhythm (well, maybe not the Hakeem part) but I wish he'd recall that he's one of the better passers on the team, and his Hakeem the Drayme moves draw defenders. If teammates know he's still also looking to pass, they'll work harder to get open and bail him out when his moves have boxed him into a bad shot corner. He's got the tools to be an all-star, but he's still got some work to do.

i agree i think hinrich teaches everyone how to respond to dre's double teams. I have no doubt that hinrich teaches everyone where they are suppose to be in advances sets...even the sets where dre has his man beat and a help defender is cutting dre off.
That's the bread and butter of this offense. Dre can get into the paint at will. If you put a quick powerfoward on Dre, Dre usually has the size advantage..ala josh smith...if you put a big powerforward on dre' dre has the ball handling skills to get into the paint. No matter what, Dre always gets into the paint and creates a double team, automatically weakening the defense and forcing them to recover after Dre's pass. Once that machine is well oiled, we should see Dre' at his best.
of course john wall--getting into the paint at will..basically Gilbert Arenas 2.0 with better handles.
You just have to let blatche transform into a duncan in terms of creating break down in the defense for a high percentage shot.
i also think its just a confidence thing. Dre is now facing defenses designed to stop his game and he gets the opportunity to evolve after the game with the coach to counter what the defenses are doing. Eventually it gets to the point where Dre has seen every defense and him and flip have strategically conquered them all with highly intelligent plays so that Dre and the entire team are on the same page as to what to do to attack.
We have the pieces, just need to time to produce highly orchestrated counter plays based on what the scouting reports say.

[dlts20]

you guys are crazy if you think an injury has no effect on shot selection. Thats the biggest thing it has an effect on. You get tired & you settle. You dont have your timing down so you look crappy and throw up something dumb. Your out of rythm so all your moves look like garbage. Thats all because of that. Now dont get it twisted. This is not his only problem as he is just doing some dumb things and not hustling alot of times but Im just saying that he isnt a garbage player like everyone is making it seem. He's not. He's realizing some of his mistakes and with his putrid play, he got to the line 11 times last game after realizing he needed to be more aggressive.

Bottom line is this. If you see somewhat just coming back, they will look slower than everyone else, lose the ball alot, and get stripped all the time. Even Gil looked that way last year early after missing all those years off. Forget Gil's regular turnovers, he couldnt even handle the ball no more. Everytime he tried a crossover he lost control of the ball. He couldnt get out his own way. Its the same for Dray. He's not going to be getting picked like that or losing the ball in a month or 2 and his shot selection will look alot better, espically with other weapons on the floor

If a player has pre-decided that he's going to shoot the ball, the injury and not being in top shape can lead to settling. If a player is being smart as he works his way back into top form, he shoots a bit less, passes a bit more and tries to make intelligent basketball plays. Dray isn't doing things the smart way. He wants to shoot the ball, so he shoots the ball -- no matter what kind of shot he can get.

Thats not all the way fair. You act like we have a million weapons. Without Gil & Howard he has to score. Also, he has mad talent and the way the guys are playing him I think he feels he can score every single time. Brand was too slow and sometimes they would back off so he felt every time he could drive or hit the pull up J but its just not working for him right now. I dont think he forces it against great defenders and I dont think he will when we have more weapons

[keynote]

Dray was highly motivated last year. He was finally getting a chance to step out from Jamison's shadow. And, if he had a savvy agent, he may have realized that he had an opportunity to negotiate an extension/renegotiate his contract this past offseason (remember, he started publicly grumbling about being underpaid before the season ended - the initial salvo for his contract haggling, perhaps?).

In any event, Blatche is now fat and happy. Comfy and well-paid, all things considering. We all hope that he can maintain the level of motivation and intensity that produced those gaudy #s at the end of last year, but I think we all recognize the risk of offering an extension to a guy with a mediocre work ethic.

[LyricalRico]

In any event, Blatche is now fat and happy. Comfy and well-paid, all things considering. We all hope that he can maintain the level of motivation and intensity that produced those gaudy #s at the end of last year, but I think we all recognize the risk of offering an extension to a guy with a mediocre work ethic.

He's absolutely regressing, and it doesn't have anything to do with his foot. The timing of the extension was a surprise to me because he only had a track record of a few months, and if he keeps this up it'll prove that it was a mistake.

(Man, the number of legit prospects on this team is really dwindling. Pretty soon it'll be John Wall and a bunch of trade bait. )