Wizards 106, Mavericks 97: HIBACHI!

For three quarters, the Wizards played possibly the best game they played in the last two years. A subpar fourth quarter made the Wizards’ performance look a lot worse than it really was.

The Wizards did two things very well. First, they really moved the ball well offensively. When the Wizards struggle offensively, it’s because there is too much one-on-one play. With Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, the Wizards have two fantastic one-on-one guys they can depend on when the shot clock goes down, but it’s dangerous to think they can just go one-on-one every single possession. It really wasn’t surprising to see than Antawn Jamison, a guy whose production rises when he’s in the flow of the offense, had his best game of the season last night. Dallas is a tough defensive team, especially inside, so to get all those open looks was really encouraging.

The other thing the Wizards did unbelievably well was they pounded Dallas on the glass. That really shocked me when I looked at the numbers. The Wizards outrebounded a very good Dallas rebounding team 53-39! That’s really solid, especially considering Dallas’ incredible offensive rebounding ability. Etan Thomas was an absolute monster last night with 10 points, 11 boards, and that one block on Devin Harris. That block was a play that really set the tone for the entire game. The Wizards showed tons of energy on defense and locked down on a really explosive Dallas team. Jason Terry, Josh Howard, and Devin Harris shot a combined 5 for 23. If you do that, you’ll beat Dallas.

While Arenas was huge with 38 points and 8 assists, (you listening, Michael Redd! You can score a shitload of points and be a good playmaker. It’s possible) the key to this game was Jamison. Unsilent pointed out a couple days ago that the Wizards are a completely different team when Jamison is playing well, and tonight showed it. Jamison’s the one guy that really needs to get his points in the flow of the offense. If the offense becomes too much based on one-on-one play, Jamison ends up trying to overcompensate and jacks up bad 19 foot jumpers. This also prevents him from getting inside for rebounds. When the offense is moving the ball well, Jamison is much more successful, and when Jamison is successful offensively, he’ll get in there and grab key rebounds. The play he made to seal the game at the end was a prime example of this.

However, I hate to say it again, but this game didn’t really prove all that much. The Wizards are 7-2 at home and could very easily be 9-0. We know they can play up to their potential against anyone in the Verizon Center. Now, they have to prove it and play well on the road. The offense needs to keep moving the ball well instead of stagnating and watching Arenas or Butler go 1 on 5. With road games against the Knicks and the Sixers on the docket this week, the Wizards have a great chance to finally get a road win.

In other news, Gilbert Arenas is going to be signing autographs/discussing his new shoe over at the NBA store in New York City. This wouldn’t ordinarily be newsworthy, but, apparently, Dan Steinberg, Unsilent Majority, Will Leitch, SLAM, and With Leather are all going to be there. Steinberg is calling this event a “Blogocalypse.” If anyone else is planning on being there, I’d really like to hear about it.

Also, Steinberg pops the “what if you could pretend you guys are at home when you’re on the road” question, and gets a ton of player responses. In an earlier Bog entry, Post Wizards beat writer Ivan Carter wondered aloud, "Is there a Shakespeare tragedy about an army that was great on its own soil but couldn't win on the road?" Clearly, this road thing is getting old and the players really have to find a way to break through. It better come this week with the Knicks and Sixers on the docket.

Finally, if you were at the game yesterday, let me know and send me your postgame thoughts. I’ll put them up here on the blog when I get them. E-mail me at pradam@brandeis.edu.

Postgame thoughts? Please someone be positive for now!

A follow up to yesterday

A day has passed since yesterday's entry, and Gilbert Arenas has somewhat addressed the issue of his inconsistent start in his blog. The entry still gave me the feeling that he's overthinking a little too much, but he does bring up a couple interesting moments that lead me to think that he's going to be okay.

The first was his meeting with Ernie Grunfeld. Grunfeld correctly mentioned to Arenas that he's improved in many other facets of his game.

He felt I was down because he asked me, “How do you think you’re playing this year?” And I told him, “Oh, I’m not playing very well.” And he was like, “Numbers don’t lie.” So he showed me the numbers, he said besides the shooting percentage, everything is up. Steals is up, rebounds up, assists up…

The other was this seemingly offhand statement.

You know what’s funny? As much as I’m complaining about not getting to the free throw line, I’m having more free throws than I did last year.

I sometimes wonder whether Arenas is self-aware, but I've started to realize that he is more aware of his actions than it seems. His brain seems to function in a way where he understands that his complaints are sometimes unnecessary, but also truely believes that he's right. It's a subconscious inner conflict that can cloud his mind at times when it should be more open.

Again, this is mostly my personal theory. I'm no psychologist, but as a college student trying to involve himself in many causes, I get the same struggles to concentrate as Arenas seems to get.

A few bloggers have also responded to the situation. True Hoop had this to say.

This season everyone, especially Gilbert Arenas, had the idea that Arenas was going to be an MVP candidate. In years past he was seen as a good player, even a great player (especially for a second-round pick). Now he's supposed to be outdueling the likes of Dwyane, LeBron, and Kobe every night.

And that changes everything. Because it used to be that if he had an OK game, that was OK. Now if he has an OK game, everyone--especially Gilbert Arenas--needs someone to blame.

It also means that on nights when he's just not scoring effectively--which hasn't been all that rare--well, the system, driven by the expectation that he's this team's savior, still seems to be in place for him to keep firing away. Just in the month of November he has had games of 2-12, 6-20, 6-23, 5-19, 7-20, 9-25, 8-26, and 1-12. Ouch.

Brett Edwards of The Association and NBA Fanhouse takes Arenas' side and agrees that the officials, particularly Steve Javie, are giving Arenas a raw deal.

The real problem here isn't Arenas, or his alleged need to adjust to the officiating. It's the refereeing of one Steve Javie. Now unless you've been a close follower of the top teams in the league, you may not recognize this official as being any better or worse than the rest. But after sitting in person at several playoffs and Finals games where Javie was involved, I can assure you that this guy has it in for star players, especially in their home building.

DC Sports Bogger Dan Steinberg feels like this will all boil over and Arenas will be back to his sniping ways.

Seriously, you usually think of guys popping off about the officiating when they're still in the heat of the moment, but I see this more as Gil's very straight-faced ruminations on the changing whims of referees, which is why he's saying the same thing in the same words on his blog. I wouldn't worry, all you people worrying about his well-being and focus and distractions and all that. He'll go for 40 or 45 within the next week.

I realize that people probably got the wrong idea from the last line of yesterday's post. Looking back on it, I realize I came off a little too strongly against Arenas at the end. I don't necessarily believe he should explicitly stop blogging or stop sponsering his HALO as I seemed to suggest. I'm really just saying that I think Arenas has to prioritize more effectively. This is not to say that he believes outside endeavors are almost as important as basketball, but it does mean that he needs to realize the limits of his own mind and try to scale down to casues he truely believes are important.

As much as I love Gilbert Arenas the person, at the end of the day, he's paid to play basketball first. If he's playing below his potential, it's a problem. I believe he'll turn it around, but if Arenas continues this inconsistent act, the Wizards are going to continue to struggle.

How much of an issue is this latest controversy? Is it even an issue at all?

Quick Hits

SLAM is giving Wizards center Etan Thomas an opportunity to write a regular column for the online section of their website. In his first article, Thomas discusses an interaction he had with a referee and his reactions to the referee's surprise that Thomas writes poetry.

We were playing a home game against Cleveland, and after a timeout a referee with dark, slicked-back hair (who shall remain nameless) approached me. He said that he had heard that I write poetry, have a book, speak at universities, am into politics, etcetera, and he asked me if this was true.

I replied, Yes.

To my surprise, he responded: “You’re not as dumb as you look.”

I turned toward my teammate Antawn Jamison, who also heard the exchange, and we both looked back at this ref with eyes of bewilderment, as if to say that we couldn’t have possibly heard him right.

He saw that I was in no way amused, without even the slightest hint of a smile, and attempted to clean up his statement, saying, “Well I think it’s great, I could never do anything like that…” I simply nodded my head and returned to the game.

Sometimes someone can make a statement that is so unbelievably blatant that it renders you speechless, left without a response or reaction, until you think about it at a later date. This was one of those times for me.

The rest of the article is very interesting and it ends with one of Thomas' trademark poems. Thomas is incredibly articulate and I recommend this column to any NBA fan.

Also, on the latest "Daily Fix" podcast from The Basketball Jones, they address the Wizards' disappointing 4-9 start. Skeets and Tas mostly attribute the struggles of the team to defense. Tas brings up the loss of Jared Jeffries, while Skeets discussed the overall team mindset and the lack of rebounding. They also touch on the loss of Darius Songaila and wonder whether Gilbert Arenas and his antics are a distraction.

Speaking of TBJ, Lowpost's Jason Gurney interviewed Skeets in the latest of his "Meet the Blogger" series.

Personally, I don't think a lack of defense can explain why the Wizards seem worse than last year. It can explain why they aren't any better, but defense was a problem last year and the Wizards still were a 42 win team with a point differential of a 47 win one. The problem to me really seems to be the complete inability to put together a complete game. The defense has played well in some games, the offense has played well in some games, but neither have come at the same time much this year. This is a team that could really use a shot in the arm off the bench to put the pressure off their starters.

Also, let's wait to see how the Wizards perform with this easier stretch coming up. If they can't get back close to .500 by the turn of the calendar year, then we can honestly say that the problems are substantial. Right now, it's much more difficult to tell.

Open Thread: Game 10

Regular Season Game 10
Wizards (4-5) vs. Mavericks (6-4)
American Airlines Center
8:30
CSN and NBA League Pass

The Wizards embark on a crucial three game road trip against the Texas twosome of Dallas and Houston in the next two days and Memphis on Friday. Combined with the home game against Detroit on Saturday, and this 4-games-in-5-days stretch is potentially brutal. It seems odd to say it, but this may be the Wizards best chance to get a win, even if Dallas has won six games in a row.

Mavericks Blogs: Mavs Moneyball, who says the following on this game.

The Mavs will have to play a lot better than they did yesterday to beat the Wizards tonight. Not only is Washington significantly better than the Bobcats, they had the day off yesterday and Gilbert Arenas is coming off a 45 point game. If Devin Harris and Greg Buckner, who will probably have the job of guarding Agent Zero, look as tired as Anthony Johnson did last night the Mavs are in trouble. But if they win, it will be their 7th in a row and their fourth in five nights. They'll officially be back (they're back already, but I don't think it's official yet) with a win tonight.

I'm with Wes on this analysis. Dallas did not look good last night in their win over Charlotte, and now they have to travel halfway across the country to play a Wizards team that is coming off a big win and two full days of rest. The Mavericks guards looked hobbled last night with the exception of Devin Harris, and unless Dallas decides to put a big wing like Greg Bucker on Arenas, they should struggle to defend him. If there is any night that Arenas can break out of his road funk, it's tonight.

Of course, there are still two problems that remain. First, who do you put on Dirk Nowitzki. San Antonio had success a couple years ago with Bruce Bowen, but Dirk has learned to take that player down on the block and shoot over him. Antwan Jamison, as an anonymous commenter said, "could not guard a locked door," so he's probably not an option. That may leave the Wizards with no choice but to play Etan and Haywood together, which hurts the offense's output. The other option is to have Butler guard Dirk, but then Dirk will just shoot over him. It's a dilema, for sure.

The other is that Erick Dampier has been a monster recently. The Wizards pride themselves on attacking the rim, but with Dampier down there, it may be more difficult. If he has a big game, the Wizards are just going to be the same jump-shooting team they are always accused to being, and that's not going to bode well.

Still, I think Dallas will be tired and the Wizards will have enough to get a road win before getting spanked in Houston tomorrow night.

Prediction: Wizards 106, Mavericks 96

Sound off if you're watching!

Eddie Jordan Trying to Lose Weight

From the DC Sports Bog comes this video of Eddie Jordan running shirtless on a treadmill while talking to reporters.



Hillareous? Pointless? What's the reaction?

Gilbert Arenas says...

Gilbert Arenas' blog is definetly one of my favorite reads, but I don't get a chance to check it out all the time because it doesn't have an RSS feed. But, in spirit of his 45 point game and Hype's hillareous post, let's take a look at the best from his latest entry.

On his Halo team:

My Halo team, the Halo team I sponsor, “Final Boss,” they play in Las Vegas on the 17th for the championship round. And they have their own television show on, what is it? USA Network, I think. I don’t even have my own TV show! But I’m on their show Dec. 9.

It’s just amazing. I’m just trying to get my hands into different things that people are interested in. You know, see how we can get the young video game minds into basketball courts and vice versa.

Of course, what invariably ends up happening is that it's a one-way street with Gilbert simply playing Halo with them. I'd love to see these Halo players come to Verizon Center and maybe shoot some shots at halftime. Maybe the crowd can watch the guys play Halo against each other on the big screen. The possibilities are endless.

On the stigma that he's a ball-hog.

To me, I don’t even pay attention to that anymore. Because, if I was a two, a 2-guard, you know, I’d just be a great scorer. But, since I’m playing the point position, you know, I’m a guy who shoots a lot. It’s easy to pick on me for some reason, but, every team I’ve played with I might average 29-28, but I’ll also have two players that average 20 and 20. So, for some guy who is jacking it up, how come I’m always with two other players that score that much? I’ve never seen anybody else in this league that have two players on their team that are scorers like mine.

Very true. I'm not sure where this comes from, honestly. How many people think Arenas is a ball hog? Raise your hand if you do.

On the Knicks.

If they decide to play basketball, they’ll be a dangerous team.

I guess Arenas should inform Isaiah Thomas that Stephon Marbury throws a wicked gyroball.

Finally, on the all-star ballot.

I know ballots are out. I know Puffy had the Vote or Die, you know, with them shirts. You know, I want to have, “If no one votes for me, I’m not going to do anymore blogs.”

I'm just going to refer you over to Hype's post for more on this. It's pure comedic gold.

Gilbert Wants You to Vote, For Him [The Hype]
Gaining In the Race [Gilbert Arenas' NBA.com Blog]

How hillareous is Gilbert Arenas' blog? Does it do his character justice?

Nets 105, Wizards 93: Ideal Wizards Hit Miracle Three, Survive Real Wizards in OT

I'll get to the explanation of that title in a minute, but first, I need to get something off my chest.

My opinion of Bill Simmons has wavered, and readers of my old blog probably remember my classic takedown of this column he wrote after being knocked out of the 2006 World Series of Poker. However, after watching Vince Carter's game tying three hit the back of the rim and somehow drop in, I'm thinking he may be on to something about this new ball.

Take it from somebody who's been watching NBA games since he was still peeing on himself and calling P-B-and-J's the ideal meal: Something's up with the new ball. During Friday's Detroit-Boston game, Rip Hamilton dribbled full-speed toward the basket at the end of the first half, planted his feet at the top of the 3-point line with his momentum still going forward, then launched a 28-foot line drive that rammed off the back of the rim ... only that it stopped like it had been gunned down by a sniper and dropped through the basket.

Watching the game while running on the treadmill, I almost thought I'd blacked out for a second. How the hell did that brick go in? It seemed like an optical illusion, as if Fox Sports Net had CGI'd the shot (like MJ missing against the Cavs in the Gatorade commercial). Intrigued, I replayed the shot on TiVo ... and sure enough, the ball seemingly hit a dead spot on the rim and fell through like a bean bag.

One problem: There are no dead spots on metal rims. Wanna know why? THEY'RE MADE OF METAL!!!

I didn't see that shot, so I shook it off as classic Bill Simmons column filler. I felt like he was making a big deal out of nothing. But after watching that shot go in, I'm inclined to believe his claim that there's something up with the ball. I've honestly never seen a shot go in like that Carter shot did, and while my friends claimed that a ball shot with backspin can do that, I still was confused as to why we never saw that with the old ball.

But this loss was not about the ball, and I don't want to make it seem that way. Both teams played with it, meaning that both teams should have benefited from it equally. The Wizards had one great stretch in the third and fourth quarters, but were held in check in the first half and in overtime. Their inability to play a consistent game doomed them in the loss.

If the Wizards are ever going to take the next step as a defensive unit, the one team they should try to emulate is New Jersey. When you think of the Nets, defense doesn't usually come to mind right away. With Kidd, Carter, injured Richard Jefferson, and Nenad Kristic, this seems like the type of team with tons of offensive firepower, but the reality is that the New Jersey Nets win tons of games with their defense. Last year, they were third in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing only 102 points per 100 possessions, or about 1.02 points per possession. The Nets didn't have anyone ranked in the top 40 in blocked shots last year, and were only in the middle of the pack (16) when it came to forced turnovers.

What gives? The Nets simply defend the perimeter extremely well, as evidenced by the Wizards' 35 percent shooting tonight. What makes this even more shocking is that nobody on the team is known as a defensive stopper. Kidd was a few years ago, but he's too old to be that guy now. Jefferson probably comes closest, but he didn't even play today.

Basically, the Nets are a team that outworks their opponents defensively. By focusing on limiting open looks, the Nets are a remarkably better defensive unit. This proves for the millionth time that defense is not about your personnel, but about your approach and your effort. Nothing about the Nets team on paper screams defensive proficiency, but through hard work and an emphasis on the simple task of giving up fewer open shots, the Nets have become a strong defensive team.


Now you know why I titled this post the way I did. Isn't this exactly what the Wizards are trying to do? More accurately, isn't this exactly what the Wizards should be trying to do? They correctly didn't spend the house on an overrated "defensive presence" that wouldn't have actually done much, but they also still haven't totally figured out how to prevent open looks. The Wizards had their moments today, but Carter was way too open on that last three and Bostjan Nachbar had way too many open three point looks. When it mattered, the inability to defend the perimeter let the Wizards down again.

However, if anything, the message the Wizards should take from this game is a positive one. They played a team that is full of offensive-minded players, but still manages to finish in the top 10 of defensive efficiency year after year. Becoming a strong defensive team is not a futile goal, and with the right coaching, even offensive-minded guys that gamble in passing lanes can come together to be a solid defensive unit.

Postgame thoughts? What did you take away from the loss?

As a final message, I usually run a blogosphere links of the weekend thing on Sunday, but thanks to the 37th edition of the Carnival of the NBA at Phoenix Suns Rising, there's no need to do that. Be sure to check out Brian's Carl-Evil, as it is full of Awe-Some links from the NBA blogosphere.

Blogosphere Links of the Week

The NBA blogosphere is full of awesome material, so every week, I'll try to give you a few of my favorite blog entries of the week. Here's what I got this weekend.

-First off, cheers to two new blogs on the sidebar, TWolves Blog and Indy Cornrows. Welcome to the blogosphere guys! It's a fun place to be.

-Les Bullez is going crazy already over this Wizards team. I'd have to agree...there are going to be a lot of ups and downs this year.

-The Basketball Jones gives you a sneak peak into what some players are saying on their websites. My personal favorite, of course.

“As starships explode majestically in the distance, I ask myself… am I alive? Am I the real Master Chief? I believe I am.” – zerotwohero.com"

-Michael Redd is a very spiritual man. Too spiritual for Bucks Diary, however.

-There's nothing like Pistons bloggers in a disagreement. Natalie at Need4Sheed is calling for signatures for a petition to get David Stern to "Save Sheed" and crack down on the no tolerance policy. However, Detroit Bad Boys disagrees, throwing support to the policy despite it's ramifications on Sheed.

I'm with DBB on this one. We're at the point where the referees have to call things overly tightly to show that they're serious about the policy. Once the players start to understand, things will calm down.

-The Opening Day Fiasco, curtesy Detroit Pistons Today. And oh yeah, my late piece for the thing is here.

-Free Darko on Gilbert Arenas' performance against Cleveland.

"I don't believe this was a moment of weakness or failure. And I don’t think this is all that interesting, having followed Gilbert madly since his rookie campaign. It’s Gilbert being Gilbert—kind of a nuisance, a set-up for drama, and the source of some fundamental questions about the order of the sport. I have no clue why he couldn’t get a shot to fall until the fourth, why he suddenly appeared fit to exchange three’s with LeBron, or why he then opted to give it to Jarvis Hayes twelve times in a row immediately after that. Most of all, I don’t get how an offensive-minded hellion responds to a scoring slump with some of the soundest distributing I’ve ever seen from him. I have learned to not look for explanations, and instead assume it’s like a bunch of crazy snowflakes that melt on top of a piece of paper that needs moisture."

-I can't believe I didn't pimp this earlier, but the inagural issue of the Hoops Addict Magazine is a must read. Major props to Ryan for putting this together.

-Phoenix Suns Rising on the new Jalen Rose signing. Clips Nation has their own take, as does Rose himself.

-And finally, one of the many mixes of Gilbert Arenas that will be posted during the year.



If you have another interesting link to mention, shout it out in the comments section!

The Full Blog Preview List and Superlatives

The NBA Blog Previews are done, and we're all ready to start the year. Here's a complete list of the team previews. Major, major kudos go out to Jeff at Celtics Blog for organizing this huge project. Collective action like this is one of the reasons I'm proud to run an NBA blog.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics (presented by Celticsstuff Live, Celtics Blog, and LOY's Palace) 48-34, 42-40, 40-42 respectively
New Jersey Nets (presented by Nets Daily) 51-31
New York Knicks (presented by Bench Renaldo) 41-41
Philadelphia 76ers (presented by Passion and Pride) 47-35
Toronto Raptors (presented by Hoops Addict) 42-40

Central Division

Chicago Bulls (presented by Blog a Bull) 55-27
Cleveland Cavaliers (presented by Yay! Sports) 58-24
Detroit Pistons (presented by Detroit Bad Boys and Need4Sheed) 55-27, 57-25
Indiana Pacers (presented by Donning Craig Sager's Suit) 43-39
Milwaukee Bucks (presented by 5 Point Bucks) 44-39

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks (presented by Impending Firestorm) 37-45
Charlotte Bobcats (presented by Bobcat Bonfire) 42-40
Miami Heat (presented by Crazy From the Heat) 54-28
Orlando Magic (presented by Believing in Magic) 45-37
Washington Wizards (presented by Some Wierdo) 50-32

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks (presented by Mavs Moneyball) 59-23
Houston Rockets (presented by Rockets Blast) 57-25
Memphis Grizzlies (presented by The Beale Street Beat) 45-37
New Orleans Hornets (presented by Hornets 24/7) 48-34
San Antonio Spurs (presented by Pounding the Rock) 58-24

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets (presented by The Nugg Doctor) 51-31
Minnesota Timberwolves (presented by I Heart KG) 42-40
Portland Trailblazers (presented by True Hoop) 25-30 wins
Seattle Supersonics (presented by Sonics Central) 44-46 wins
Utah Jazz (presented by Lowpost.net) 43-39

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors (presented by Lowpost.net and Golden State of Mind) 35-47, 41-41
Los Angeles Clippers (presented by Clips Nation) 52-30
Los Angeles Lakers (presented by Jones on the NBA, Forum Blue and Gold, and Showtime) 48-34, 49-33, and 49-33 respectively
Phoenix Suns (presented by Phoenix Suns Rising and Suns Gossip) 60-22, 82-0
Sacramento Kings (presented by Sactown Royalty) 50-32

All these previews were really great, but I can't help but hand out a few superlatives.

Most Valuable Preview: It's no secret that the NBA blogosphere looks up to Henry Abbott at True Hoop, and for anyone who read his Portland Trailblazers preview, it's easy to see why. Abbott's comprehensive and realistic preview shed new light into a team that many have misinterpreted over the years. Abbott's preview was among the longer ones, but it never felt like a bore. Blog A Bull's Chicago preview takes a distant second.

The Dick Vitale Award for Most Optimistic Preview: Wow, there are so many to choose from here. Passion and Pride confused many with his prediction of 47 wins for the Sixers, and Bobcat Bonfire's 42 win prediction prompted Detroit Bad Boys' Ian Cameron to say "If the Bobcats win 42 games next year, I'll buy Detroit Shock season tickets." In the end, Bench Renaldo takes the cake for predicting 41 wins for the New York Knicks. Somewhere, Larry Brown is poking his eyes out.

The Bill Walton Award for Most Pessimistic Preview: Honestly, no preview was overly pessimistic, hardly a suprise when you ask a bunch of team bloggers to preview their teams. If someone pointed a gun at my head, I'd probably say Crazy From the Heat's Miami preview takes this one. While Vivek predicts an improvement in wins, he goes into great length describing his worry that the Heat will become complacent after winnng a title.

The Charles Barkley Award for Most Entertaining Preview: So many to choose from again, but the clear answer has to be the joint Phoenix Suns preview by Phoenix Suns Rising and Suns Gossip. The two played off each other like Kornheiser and Wilbon, with Brian providing the hard analysis and Suns Gossip providing the commentary.

Most Creative Preview: Hands down, Jason Gurney at Lowpost.net takes this with his interactive Golden State Warriors preview. A distant second is the Utah Jazz preview.

Most Unique Preview: Tom over at SacTown Royalty takes this one for his 93 question preview of the Sacramento Kings to close things off. Talk about leaving nothing to be unanswered.

6th Man Award: This goes out to Skeets and Tas at The Basketball Jones and Howie at NBA Basketball and Other Unrelatedness for keeping up with the previews despite not writing one themselves. TBJ's podcasts were another great way to start the season, and Howie's doodles were an entertaining break from the hard coverage.

Rookie Previewer of the Month: I hope that I can say that I at least shared this award after only blogging for a month and a half. Also, big props to newcomers Donning Craig Sager's Suit, Clips Nation, The Beale Street Beat, and Bobcat Bonfire.

Coach Preview of the Month: Again, one last chance to give Jeff some mad props on this project. Like I said before, it makes me proud to run an NBA blog when I can work with other team bloggers to produce a collective project like this. This was all Jeff's creation, so he deserves a lot of credit for putting it all together.

With all the previews done, it's time to get the season started!

What was your favorite NBA Blog Preview?

My Fantasy Team

I'm participating in the Hoops Addict Fantasy Basketball league with other blogs like Yay! Sports, Give Me the Rock, Need4Sheed, Rising Suns, NBA Basketball and Other Unrelatedness, and Celtics Blog. It's an all-points league with 24 owners and 10 players per team. We drafted Sunday morning and this is who I came up with.

Team Gheorghe's Giants


1-17: Tim Duncan
2-32: Rasheed Wallace
3-65: Rafer Alston
4-80: Caron Butler
5-113: Channing Frye
6-128: Kevin Martin
7-161: Al Jefferson
8-176: Devin Harris
9-209: Salim Stoudamire
10-224: Sean May

(Stoudamire has since been dropped and Mikhael Pietrus has been added)

I screwed up by taking too much time on my second and third round picks, as I definetly didn't want Sheed or Alston that early. Other than that, I like my draft. I expect Duncan to have a huge year, and his percentage problems don't exist in this league. I love Butler in the 4th and I love my 6-8 picks of Martin, Jefferson, and Harris. One of those three will be a fantasy stud this year. I just wish I had Jermaine O'Neal and Tony Parker instead of Alston and Sheed.

What do you think of my fantasy team? Keep in mind there are 24 owners.

Weekend Links

It's been a busy weekend for me, so it's probably a good time to dump some links on you guys.

• The DC Sports Bog has a video of Wizards players showing off the new road unis. We know Gilbert Arenas is not a fan of the new unis, and it appears other members of the blogosphere aren't so high on them either. I think it's really funny how so many Wizards fans are looking to embrace their past in their uniforms. It's not like Washington basketball has a tradition of excellence. Still, I think the uniforms are a little excessive.

• Via True Hoop, the official Gilbert Arenas blog. A must read for Wizards fans, as Arenas' "quirkiness" is definitely visible between the lines.

• The Basketball Jones dropped their Southeast Division preview podcast earlier in the week, with Dan Steinberg as the Wizards' guest of honor. His prediction is 47 wins. On Wednesday, you'll see if I'm above or below that number.
  

• Speaking of NBA Blog Previews, Impending Firestorm looked at the Hawks and Bobcat Bonfire looked at the Bobcats. Chase obviously read my preview of the Hawks, because he predicts the exact same amount of wins (Just kidding, Chase). Serena from Bobcat Bonfire predicts 42 wins for Charlotte this season, a whopping 16 game improvement.

• ClipperBlog and Bench Renaldo rip on Isaiah Thomas for ripping on Greg Anthony.
  

• The Hype reminisces about Dennis Rodman. I have to admit that this entry and this Youtube clip reminded me that there will never be anyone, not even Ron Artest, that is as crazy as Dennis Rodman.
  

• Daily Basketball ranks their top 10 NBA blogs on the net right now. Sadly, Bullets Fever didn't make the list. Also absent were Yay! Sports, The Basketball Jones, Free Darko, and Wizznutzz. Clearly, there is a ton of talented writing out there in the NBA blogosphere.

• Finally, I found this video of the team having fun in the airport terminal. The video may center around Jared Jeffries, but the unintentional (and intentional) comedy is pure gold.

How entertaining is Gilbert Arenas' blog?

Blog Preview Roundup

I've been really slow keeping up with these, which is not a good thing. Initially, I was going to do what lowpost.net has been doing and post a preview along with the one on the NBA Blog Preview site, but it just hasn't worked out. Anyway, a roundup of the latest previews.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls [Blog-A-Bull]: 55-27
Cleveland Cavaliers [Yay! Sports]: 58-24
Detroit Pistons [Detroit Bad Boys]: 55-27
Detroit Pistons [Need4Sheed]: 57-25
Indiana Pacers [Donning Craig Sager's Suit]: 43-39
Milwaukee Bucks [5 Point Bucks]: 44-38

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets [The Nugg Doctor]: 51-31
Minnesota Timberwolves [I Heart KG]: 42-40
Portland Trailblazers [True Hoop]: 25-30 wins
Seattle Supersonics [Sonics Central]: 45-37
Utah Jazz [Lowpost.net]: 43-39

So here we go. That's 23 bloggers and only 2 losing records predicted. Hardly surprising, but still interesting nonetheless.

Upcoming are the Southeast Teams, and you know who that includes. My preview is dropping next Thursday, so stay tuned for that.

Anything I should keep in mind for my preview? What needs to be mentioned?

Wizards are apparently less sleepy than Bobcats

The Wizards and the Bobcats played a preseason game at 10 AM (seriously, 10 AM!) this morning, with the Wizards coming out on top 100-91 despite turning the ball over 26 times. Apparently, the two teams needed to play for the local-area Charlotte schools, and the only time that would work was 10 AM. Naturally, I wonder what those kids were doing watching a basketball game at 10 AM instead of being in school, but the question apparently never was considered by the organizers of the game.

Other than Antwan Jamison having a monster game with 22 points, there's not much to report here. Etan Thomas got the start at center, but neither he nor Brendan Haywood played much during the game. Caron Butler had his strongest game of the preseason with 17 points in 18 minutes. Donnell Taylor turned the ball over an astounding 8 times, hurting his quest to earn the backup point guard spot. Gilbert Arenas and Jarvis Hayes didn't play, with Hayes sitting out because of a sprained ankle. Hayes' injured ankle certainly doesn't sound good considering his past history, but I think he'll end up being okay.

Now that 4 games have been played, what's been good and bad at Bullets training camp?

The Good:

-Starting Lineup: As Michael Lee and Ivan Carter note, the Wizards have outscored their opponents by 14 points in the first and third quarter of games, the time when starters are usually on the floor. The Big 3 in particular have had really strong showings this preseason. Gilbert Arenas opened the preseason by dropping 29 in 29 minutes against the Raptors and has been very strong when on the floor. More importantly, the Black President has showed a willingness to improve his defense, as evident by his insistence on guarding LeBron James in the Wizards' win over the Cavs on Friday. Antwan Jamison, featured in this article, had a big game today and seems to be carrying the momentum from his Team USA performance over to the preseason. Caron Butler, when playing, has been a solid third scorer, and has proven to be one of the team's most consistent options. As for newcomer DeShaun Stevenson, wait until the next point.

-The shooting guards: This was point #1 for me on my list of things to watch in the preseason, and the results so far have been more than encouraging. I'm becoming more and more convinced that signing DeShawn Stevenson for the veterans minimum may prove to be the steal of the offseason. Stevenson seems to be exactly what this team needs. With Arenas, Jamison, and Butler providing more than enough scoring on their own, the Wizards didn't need more offense. When Stevenson is out there, he is a tough, physical, lock-down defender in the Bruce Bowen mold, and is a much better fit for this team than Jared Jeffries ever was. He's even shown a solid outside touch, hitting on over 50 percent of his shots in the preseason.

Jarvis Hayes, meanwhile, has also had a big preseason. He nearly led the Wizards to a win over Toronto in the fourth quarter of the preseason opener and has averaged a solid 8 points in only 16 minutes per game. We've been down this path before with Hayes, and every time he seems to gain momentum, he gets hurt or shows inconsistency. With that being said, he's still very young and, if he can stay healthy, he will provide really strong scoring punch off the bench.

With Stevenson blending in easily with the starters and Hayes showing that he could be a potential 6th man candidate, the shooting guard spot, which seemed unsettled entering training camp, has now become a potential strength.

-The defense: Granted, it's preseason, but the Wizards have held each of their opponents below 95 points and 45 percent shooting from the field. That's a good sign no matter how you slice it.

The bad:

-Andray Blatche-Granted, the youngster had a very good game today, shooting 4-7 from the field and scoring 8 points in limited minutes. Prior to today's game, however, Blatche has been struggling. His stats prior to today's game have been ugly to say the least. He's shooting under 20 percent (5-28) from the field, committing turnovers at an ungodly rate (3 per game), and averaging nearly as many fouls (4) as rebounds (5). With the injury to Darius Songalia, the Wizards have given Blatche many opportunities to succeed, but he just hasn't been able to carry over his strong summer league performances to the preseason. Hopefully, today's game can be a turnaround, because he may find himself back in the D-League with more poor performances.

-Darius Songalia-The Wizards' top free agent signing continues to be out of action with his back injury. On the first day of camp, the team expected this to be a day-to-day thing, but here we sit over two weeks later and Songalia is still injured. There's no denying that Songalia's offensive game is tailor-made for Eddie Jordan's system, but unlike fellow newcomer Stevenson, Songalia hasn't gotten the opportunity to get used to the system. If Songalia's back continues to bother him, the Wizards may be forced to play more of Michael Ruffin, who should not ever be playing more than 5 minutes a game. With Blatche's poor preseason and Songalia's injury, the Wizards haven't really had the chance to develop the frontcourt depth they desperately need.

Overall, I'm liking this preseason so far. Despite the problems of Blatche and Songalia, the Wizards are proving to be a much deeper team than they were last year. Gilbert's dedication to defense also is incredibly encouraging, and the starting lineup looks to be clicking already. Barring a serious injury to a top player, the Wizards will enter the 2006/07 season with their best team in 25 years.

Bonus stuff...The NBA Blog Previews keep rolling along. Be sure to check out these awesome previews for Detroit (Need4Sheed and Detroit Bad Boys), Indiana (Donning Craig Sager's Suit), Milwaukee (5 Point Bucks), and Denver (The Nugg Doctor). Each of them predicted an over .500 record for their teams, which, at this point, is hardly shocking to me.....Blog-A-Bull is still in limbo with the decision to accept my wager. I'm eagerly waiting for Matt to stand up for his team and pull the trigger. There's nothing like a little friendly blog rivalry between two fanatic team bloggers. Well, maybe if we were actual professional athletes...

What's your feeling on Bullets training camp thus far?

A Quick Blog Preview Roundup

I've been buried in the depths of midterm studying land the past two days, so I feel like it's a good time to update everyone on the NBA Blog Previews project as it stands now.

I've been giving quick links in many of my "Analyzing the Competiton" posts, but now's a good time for a full roundup.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics [LOY's Place]: 40-42
Boston Celtics [Celtics 17]: 48-34
Boston Celtics [CelticsBlog]: 42-40
New Jersey Nets [NetsDaily]: 51-31
New York Knicks [Bench Renaldo]: 41-41
Philadelphia 76ers [Passion and Pride]: 47-35
Toronto Raptors [Hoops Addict]: 42-40

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks [Mavs Moneyball]: 59-23
Houston Rockets [Rockets Blast]: ?
Memphis Grizzlies [The Beale Street Beat]: 45-37
New Orleans Hornets [Hornets 24/7]: 48-34
San Antonio Spurs [Pounding the Rock]: 58-24

In case you're keeping score, that's 12 bloggers, 10 winning records, and only one losing record. Hope and optimism clearly are the operative words here. Somehow, I feel like we're probably going to have a lot of disappointed bloggers by the end of the season.

Also, here are links to my "Analyzing the Competition" series:

Atlanta
New Jersey
New York
Philadelphia
Houston

Back tomorrow for the preseason tilt in the Windy City!

Training Camp Roundup

Lots and lots is happening in Richmond at Wizards (Bullets) training camp. Here is some of the latest.

-According to multiple news sources, the Wizards have extended the contract of general manager Ernie Grunfeld. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is a multi-year extension. While the Wizards probably didn't have to worry about Grunfeld going anywhere, signing him to an extension was a must. Grunfeld is completely responsible for the Wizards turnaround, having orchestrated the signing of Gilbert Arenas and the trades for Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler. For an organization who has been through many failed regimes (*cough Wes Unseld, Michael Jordan*cough), Grunfeld has been a breath of fresh air. It's about time the Wizards rewarded his success with an extension. Great, great news for Wizards fans.

-In lighter news, Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Blog has been all over Gilbert Arenas these last couple days, providing updates on his new tattoos, his nickname (Agent Zero or The Stealth...I personally like Agent Zero), and his views on the new ball. It's really cool that Steinberg is giving us a look at the other side of the Wizards training camp, especially because Arenas is such a character. While it's much easier to be entertaining when we're talking about a personality like Arenas, it's still really impressive for a newspaper reporter to have a type of relationship with the players where they'll tell him anything. That type of trust is hard to build, and I commend Steinberg and the DC Sports Blog for building it.

-Not to be outdone, Ivan Carter has been hard at work as the Wizards beat writer for the Post. He has a great article on Andray Blatche, a player he and I both see as an X-Factor this season. If Blatche can give the Wizards 10-20 solid minutes off the bench this season, the Wizards frontcourt issues will be much less glaring. Blatche's versatility was one of the main factors in letting Jared Jeffries go, and if he can have a good training camp, it will springboard him into the rotation, where he can finally show off that versatility.

Eddie Jordan has this to say about Blatche so far (via the Post's Wizards Insider).

"Right now, I'd give him an incomplete. Everyone is jacked up at the start of training camp. Let's see how he is when he's a little soar, a little beat up, a little bruised...when he gets tired. Let's see if he stays in it."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it's probably accurate. Let's wait and see on Blatche throughout training camp.

-In more concerning news regarding the frontcourt depth, new free-agent acquisition Darius Songalia missed his second straight practice with a sore back. While the injury does not appear to be too serious, back issues are never something to be treated lightly (just ask Tracy McGrady). Add that to the fact that Songalia hasn't exactly been mister durability in his NBA career, and there is some concern. Hopefully, we will see a healthy Songalia before the Wizards preseason opener against the Raptors on Monday.

-This Ivan Carter post on the Wizards Insider is a must-read. I haven't really seen much commentary from Carter in most beat articles, but through the medium of a blog, we see some real constructive commentary.

A portion of last night's practice gave me an idea of what to look for. The Wizards were working in a half-court set walking through a few basic defensive rotations. A visiting coach -- Kevin O'Neill, who is known for his defensive philosophies -- walked the fellas through a series of situations they will see in just about any game. A player drives from the wing to the baseline and is cut off by a rotating big man. Now what? O'Neill concentrated on the back side guys, in this case instructing Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson on how the coaches want them to react to a play that is going away from them.

To me, this is key because it is precisely how the Wizards were often hurt last season. Gilbert, Caron Butler, Jamison and other wing players would sometimes get caught shooting for a steal or sagging into the paint off of a weak-side shooter and that player would break the defense down either with an open shot with dribble penetration. Remember that late season night in Chicago when Ben Gordon made all of those threes off of skip passes or dribble penetration and kick-outs?

The area where Gilbert has struggled is not necessarily with on-the-ball defense though he hasn't exactly been Joe Dumars. The bigger issues have been when he's off the ball or has to get through screens while chasing his man (remember Jose Calderon running him off screen after screen in Toronto last season and gettting whatever he wanted?). Gil tends to turn his head, stop his feet and follow the ball with his eyes when it goes away from him and he tends to drop his hands and runs shoulder smack into a screener instead of using his upper body to slide around the screen. Caron got better at getting over and through screens as the season went on but also gets caught either che hiating to get into passing lanes or sagging off when the ball went away from him.

-Former George Washington star Mike Hall has impressed so far with his defense and may have a chance to stick with the team as a backup small forward.

In other NBA stuff...

-The Atlantic Division previews are officially done, as Jon from Passion and Pride posted his 76ers preview and Ryan from Hoops Addict posted his Raptors preview. Both guys are very optimistic about their team's chances. Jon predicts 47 wins from Phily this season, while Ryan predicts 42 for the Raptors. This means that every single Atlantic Division blogger has predicted their team to win at least 40 games. Either the Atlantic Divison is even more wide open than we thought, or there's a slight overdose of preseason optimism on the part of Atlantic Division bloggers. Personally, I'm leaning towards the latter, with a side dish of the former.

-The interview I had with Ryan at Hoops Addict for his Training Camp Rundown should be up soon. In the meantime, check out Ryan's interviews with ClipperBlog, Bobcats Bonfire, and The Nugg Doctor.

-With nothing more to say, I leave you with this old classic Sports Center commercial.

Sunday Links

Some quick Sunday links for your reading pleasure.

-Gilbert Arenas has apparently left his agent, according to this Washington Post article.

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas plans to part ways with longtime agent Dan Fegan , an NBA source confirmed yesterday. A story saying Arenas had left Fegan was first reported on http://www.realgm.com . Fegan negotiated the six-year, $65 million contract that Arenas signed with the Wizards in August 2003.

Arenas declined to comment when reached by phone yesterday. However, a league source close to Arenas said the two-time all-star is in the process of filing paperwork to sever ties with Fegan and planned to wait "at least a year" before selecting new representation.

It's certainly interesting that Gilbert is going to play out the year without an agent. I honestly think this is another reason to expect a fully focused Gilbert Arenas all season. Since his bad experience with the US National Team, he has seemed fully focused on having the very best season of his career. I'll take the over on 30 points per game, please.

More intriguing was this part of the article.

"Also yesterday, the Wizards announced that a 60-by-20 billboard featuring Arenas's likeness will be unveiled this morning on New York Avenue in Northwest Washington."

Suh-weet! I can't wait to see what that looks like. We are all witnesses to Agent Zero.

-Michael Lee of the Post also has an interesting article on Jarvis Hayes and his struggle coming back from injury. The Wizards missed Hayes' instant offense at the end of last year and could really use a full recovery from him. I personally wouldn't give him the starting shooting guard spot, however. Start Stevenson and his defense and use Hayes for his instant offense off the bench. The Wizards wasted so much time starting Hayes and bringing Caron Butler off the bench last year. Hayes is good for that spark, but I think he's not really suited for starting.

-Glad to see that Wizznutzz is back with regular posting. We've all missed their humor and hillareous writing over the offseason. Also, notice how they linked to the very same video that is this blog's namesake. Interesting, don't you think?

-Jeff over at CelticsBlog.com is running a great series of NBA previews featuring team blogs and general NBA blogs from all over the internet. It is still up in the air as to whether you will see a Bullets Fever Wizards preview on the site ([edit] see the end of this entry), but you will definetly see a Wiz preview from Gilbert's Arena and a series of fantastic NBA previews from the people that know their teams the best. The previews started today with a look at the Boston Celtics. Check out previews there from CelticsBlog.com, Celtics 17, and LOY's Palace.

-Hoops Addict takes a look at current Wizard Juan Carlos Navarro. Honestly, the Wizards have to decide soon whether they want to bring Navarro onto the team. After his performance in the FIBA World Championships, now would be a good time, even with the Wizards' depth on the wing.

-Basketbawful discusses Phil Jackson "sticking by" former Wizards #1 draft pick Kwame Brown. Whatever. He's their problem now.

-Happy one year anniversary to Chris Clarke at End of the Bench. He also has a funny post on Dwight Howard's ridiculous claim that the Magic will win the NBA Title.

That's all. Have an easy fast if you're observing Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.

What do you think is the effect of Gilbert Arenas leaving his agent? Does it mean anything in the grand scheme of things?

[EDIT] I'll be posting the official Washington Wizards 2006/07 preview here on October 24, and you should also see it on the NBA Blog Previews site that day with Gilbert's Arena's preview.

A couple things I forgot...

• Jim over at The Detroit Pistons Today is doing a big Opening Day Fiasco for the beginning of the NBA season and still needs some writers for specific teams. Essentially, he's having one person for each team write a piece previewing the team and previewing the first game they play during the season. If you're a Bulls, Mavericks, Warriors, Pacers, Lakers, Heat, Magic, 76ers, Kings, Spurs, or Sonics fan, be sure to e-mail Jim at bigmaninthepost@aol.com, because those teams are not taken yet.

• Speaking of season previews, I'll be talking Wizards with Ryan McNeil on his Hoops Addict Podcast at some point before the beginning of the season. The actual date is still up in the air, but stay posted.
  

Wiz Links

Shanah Tovah to everyone celebrating Rosh HaShana, the Jewish new year! I probably shouldn't be on the computer posting, considering this and being ill, but I'm here anyway for some Wiz links.


-The Washington Post reported Friday that first-round pick Oleksiy Pecherov is likely to be left overseas to play for his Ukranian team.

"The Washington Wizards have less than two weeks before they open training camp in Richmond, and while they have yet to make an official decision regarding first-round pick Oleksiy Pecherov , it is becoming more likely that the 7-footer will remain overseas for the upcoming season.

Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said yesterday that the team is "debating the best thing to do" in regards to Pecherov, who averaged 12.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent in five games with the Wizards' summer league team in Las Vegas in July."

I think the move makes a lot of sense. With Darius Songalia and Andray Blache expected to be the primary backups to Antwan Jamison, there's no need for Pecherov to be brought over only to rot on the bench. Give him another year of seasoning and bring him back next year. With Jamison being a free agent at the end of the season, Pecherov may be an extremely important part of the Wizards plans next year.

-ESPN's Marc Stein rated the Wizards as having the 9th best offseason in the Eastern Conference.

"On the surface, it looks as though the Wiz absorbed a significant free-agent defection for the second successive offseason.

On this scorecard, they've responded to Jared Jeffries' exit smartly, reminiscent of their counter to Hughes' big-money move to Cleveland. The Wiz decided they were better off replacing Hughes with two more affordable players (Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels) and have swung a similar two-for-one by using some of the money earmarked for Jeffries to bring in forward Darius Songaila (a good fit for Eddie Jordan's offense) and swingman DeShawn Stevenson.

They also extended Jordan's contract and, in perhaps the biggest development, should benefit from a Team USA snub that figures to have Gilbert Arenas starting the season at his chip-on-the-shoulder best. The Wiz still have to get bigger up front and drastically improve their defense -- chores that likely will require some creative (and lucky) trading -- but I see a better team than the one that lost three playoff games to the Cavs at the buzzer."

Considering all the praise that Stein gives the Wizards, 9th is an odd ranking to me, but then again, this is the same guy who said Miami had the best offseason despite not adding a single player.

-Kelly Dwyer of CNNSI puts the pressure on Gilbert Arenas for this upcoming season.

In spite of his recent pronouncements, we still think Gilbert has his head in the right place. He should have been on Team USA's latest incarnation, and while he could have handled his dismissal a little better, he also could have brought home the gold medal. Either way, with Washington having made precious few moves outside of adding Darius Songaila (a great find, especially for its Princeton offense) and DeShawn Stevenson, Arenas will find the onus on himself to lead his team closer to 50 wins.

Finally, this is very old news, but it appears that former Bullets super (evil) fan Robin Ficker is running as an independent for the county executive. In the old US Air Arena, Ficker used to sit behind the opposing team's bench and spend the entire game berating and insulting them. Apparently, he is a very active anti-tax advocate and now apparantly wants to get his views out to the public in politics.

By the way, in case anyone was wondering, this is where the blog gets its name.



What do you think the Wizards should do with Oleksiy Pecherov?