Open Thread: Game 20

Regular Season Game 20
Rockets (13-6) vs. Wizards (9-10)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

Previous Matchups: Rockets 86, Wizards 82

Tonight, the Houston Rockets come into town to play the Wizards at 7 PM. A win would put the Wizards back at .500 for the first time since very early in the season.

Houston's a team I really like. They have two big stars and great surrounding role players. The key to their improvement this season has been defensively. Shane Battier has been a revelation on the defensive end all year, and Yao and T-Mac have stepped up their game on the defensive end. The Rockets are coming off games where they've held teams to 63 and 62 points, and they held the Wizards to only 82 points in the first matchup.

Offensively, the Wizards need to guard Tracy McGrady well. He's the one that makes the Rockets go, and he's really improved his offensive playmaking ability. Yao of course is the go-to-guy, but the Wizards have to be careful about doubling him because he's a great passer and will kick it out to open shooters. The Wizards have to make Yao and T-Mac beat them on their own. I would honestly suggest single covering Yao most of the game to take guys like Rafer Alston and Luther Head out of the game.

On the other end, Antawn Jamison remains the key. Last night's game was the first the Wizards won all year when he had under 18 points. The Rockets aren't going to give anything easily, so Jamison, Arenas, and Butler need to attack the tin. If the Rockets win the free throw battle tonight, it's a recipe for disaster.

Rockets Blogs: Rockets Blast, Clutch Fans.

The Wizards are at home, so I like their chances. Battier will probably stick to guarding Caron Butler, leaving Alston on Arenas. The Wizards stunk in the last game against the Rockets, and at home, I expect the offense to be much better. Guarding Yao will be key. He'll get his points, but you can't let him get his assists. The Wizards need to turn Houston into a two-man team to win this one.

Prediction: Wizards 94, Rockets 80

If you're online during the game, give a shout!

Open Thread: Game 18

Regular Season Game 18
Wizards (7-10) vs. Knicks (7-13)
Madison Square Garden
7:30 PM
CSN, MSG, and NBA League Pass

Previous Matchup: Knicks 102, Wizards 82

Not much time to preview this thing in depth, but clearly, we cannot have a repeat of last time. Everything went wrong in that game. They didn't run an offense, they missed every shot, they failed to get any real rebounds, and they let Renaldo Balkman have a huge game. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Knicks Blogs: Knickerblogger, Your New York Knicks

I'll let Eddie Jordan have the last word.

"You have to grasp the opportunity, you have to grasp the moment and say, 'Look this is it, New York City, a team that beat us, really probably started a bad feeling in us. And this is a great opportunity, where it began. Let's end it.' And I think that's what they'll do," he said. "If you're going to win on the road, what better place than in New York City? It's a great place to play, our guys feel good about themselves after that performance last night, and I don't think there is, as Al Maguire would say, a pink elephant in the back of our minds or anything like that, that's gonna disrupt us and distort our focus. I think we feel good, we're jacked up. I think we all believe, from the players to us, that it's the energy and the confidence and the aggressiveness and yet the discipline we need to win on the road that we got last night."

Let's hope you're right, Eddie. I also agree and think it will stop tonight, but this team has baffled me before. Let's just say I'm not guaranteeing anything.

Prediction: Wizards 104, Knicks 94

If you're online during the game, give a shout!

[edit]: In honor of the Knicks, here's the video of Nate Robinson's travel from last week.

Open Thread: Game 17

Regular Season Game 17
Mavericks (12-4) vs. Wizards (6-10)
Verizon Center
7 PM
NBA TV and CSN

This would be a great game to have.

The Mavericks, winners of 12 in a row, come into Verizon Center tonight. I’d say a little more about this game, but I think it’s obvious how big a win would be for the Wizards. It also doesn’t help that I’m in the middle of finals week.

On another note, thanks to the commenters that pointed out that Eddie Jordan signed an extension this summer. Total oversight on my part and I can’t believe I forgot about that. It doesn’t mean he can’t get fired, but it makes it unlikely in the first year.

As a clarification, I’m not necessarily saying the Wizards need to fire Eddie Jordan RIGHT NOW. It’s still really early in the season, and the Wizards got off to a similarly bad (12-18) start last year. There’s still a lot of time to turn things around. Instead, my main point was that I’m not sure Eddie is the best guy to get the Wizards to the next level. Eddie’s a fantastic offensive mind, and it’s no coincidence that the Wizards had the top scoring trio in the past two years with different personnel (Butler replacing Hughes last year). His in-game tactics, especially his substitution patterns, can be baffling at times, but I don’t think they’ve played a major role in costing the Wizards more than one game (the Cleveland one) this year. At the end of the day, the players have really struggled with late-game execution. There’s nothing Eddie could do about the team’s inability to score against Houston late in the game, for example. However, it’s clear so far that the defense is no better than last year, and it doesn’t even seem like its getting better. I wrote in my preview that the Wizards needed to get that ranking to 15^th to have a chance at 50 wins. It hasn’t happened so far, and for that reason, the Wizards may need to get someone on the bench (assistant or head coach notwithstanding) that can teach the team the discipline needed to play good defense.

Mavericks Blogs: Mavs Moneyball, Rebel Ballin

As a reminder, if you’re going to the game tonight (especially if you're the one I had a subtle dig at in the post yesterday) send me an e-mail at pradam@brandeis.edu with an eyewitness report. I’ll post it up tomorrow in a separate entry.

Prediction: Wizards 107, Mavericks 105 (I know, but it’s been a long week and I need to have some optimism here)

If you’re online during the game, give a shout!

Recap and Open Thread for Game 16

Regular Season Game 16
Wizards (6-9) vs. Bulls (6-9)
United Center
8:30 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

I'm going to be gone all day, so we're going to combine the recap and preview this time.

I have to say, I was more impressed by the win over Atlanta on Tuesday than the win last night. Obviously, the Wizards played a better game yesterday, but we knew the Wizards could win games like these. It's the games where they aren't scoring a ton of points and they need to rely on defensive stops that we weren't so sure about.

I expected Charlotte to try to grind it out and force the Wizards to win a low-scoring game, but their perimeter defense stunk, allowing way too many open shots. It also helped that the Big 3 were shooting the lights out, and Gilbert Arenas had arguably his most impressive all around game with 33 points and 11 assists. Still, the Wizards defense absolutely stunk last night. There's no other way around it. You can't let Charlotte shoot 59 percent in the first half and 54 for the game. It's not like Charlotte is an offensive powerhouse either: they rank in the bottom 5 in the league in points per game. In the end, the Wizards forced enough turnovers to win, but against a better team, that would have been a loss.

Moving ahead to tonight, the Wizards look to finally get a win on the road against the Bulls tonight. You'll probably remember my proposed wager with Matt at Blogabull about which team will win more games. So far, both teams are struggling, and I don't think either of us wishes we made the wager.

I love when these two teams play because they are complete opposites of each other. Scott Skiles preaches attention to detail, whether it be on or off the court. They run disciplined sets offensively and beat you with solid perimeter defense on the other end. The problem with the Bulls is that they're wound too tightly. Nobody on that team is a consistent difference maker on either end of the court. Ben Wallace was supposed to be that guy, but it simply hasn't happened. Chicago has nobody who can score consistently when their offensive sets break down, meaning that you see a lot of low-percentage contested long jump shots.

The Wizards, on the other hand, have a ton of offensive talent. They have guys who can score in any given situation, and they only struggle offensively when they get lazy. When the shot clock winds down, the Wizards have a pletora of players that can create their own shot. However, they don't pay much attention to detail, whether it be perimeter defense or offensive scheming. If you put the two teams together, you'd have the perfect team.

Bulls blogs: Blogabull

Whenever these two teams play, it's close. There was that epic matchup at the end of the year in the United Center that featured a red-hot Ben Gordon and the charging call on Jared Jeffries when the Wizards tried to tie it. I think this one will be close as well, but I'm not encouraged by the Wizards inability to defend the perimeter against Charlotte. The Bulls should get plenty of open looks and score enough to win this one at home.

Prediction: Bulls 96, Wizards 89

If you're online during the game, give a shout!

Open Thread: Game 15

Regular Season Game 15
Bobcats (4-11) vs. Wizards (5-9)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

Here's to falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon and waking up after the game starts! Post your game thoughts here. A win is essential.

Bobcats Blogs: Bobcat Bonfire

Prediction: Wizards 92, Bobcats 88

Open Thread: Game 14

Regular Season Game 14
Hawks (5-6) vs. Wizards (4-9)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

The Hawks haven't won at MCI/Verizon Center since 2003, and if that changes tonight, there will be serious problems. The Wizards desperately need wins this week against Atlanta and Charlotte at home to stop the bleeding. The Hawks started off 4-1, but have since lost 5 of 6, including a dreadful 98-79 loss to the Magic last Saturday that included an 11 point second quarter. Both teams are struggling right now and both could use wins tonight.

Hawks blogs: Impending Firestorm

The Hawks pose a lot of interesting problems on the defensive end of the court for the Wizards with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. Johnson's the type of guard that is difficult for any team to stop, and the Wizards are going to have to stick DeShawn Stevenson on him and take their chances. Smith is a demon on the offensive glass, meaning the big guys really need to make an effort to clean up the glass.

In a lot of ways, the Hawks are Wizards-lite. The difference is that the Wizards have more reliable second and third options alongside their alpha dogs. Other than Joe Johnson, the Hawks are full of inconsistent performers. Guys like Smith, Lue, Josh Childress, and Zaza Pachulia are even more inconsistent than Wizards guys, if that's even possible.

On the other end, keep an eye on Jamison tonight. Without Marvin Williams, the Hawks have been going small with Smith at power forward. Smith is a great shot blocker, but I'm not sure he's such a great man defender. Jamison should have a ton of open shots tonight, so we'll see whether he can knock them down.

In the end, it should be a Wiz win, but it'll be pretty close.

Prediction: Wizards 107, Hawks 100

If you're online during the game, give a shout!

Open Thread: Game 13

Regular Season Game 13
Pistons (8-5) vs. Wizards (4-8)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

Previous Matchup: Pistons 100, Wizards 91

Not much to say here...suffice to say this game is a must for the Wizards.

Pistons Blogs: Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed, Motoring

I have honestly no idea what will happen with this team tonight. Part of me says they'll come out with a renewed passion at home and blow out Detroit like they blew out Cleveland last weekend. Another part of me says that they'll show up flat again and allow Detroit to grind away at them like last matchup. Being in a relatively optimistic mood, I'll take the former. I can't really explain why, but then again, very little is explainable right now with this team.

Prediction: Wizards 100, Pistons 95

GO WIZ!!!

If you're here during the game, give a shout!

Open Thread: Game 12

Regular Season Game 12
Wizards (4-7) at Grizzlies (2-9)
Fed-Ex Forum
8 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

It's a must-win game tonight, as the struggling Wizards take on the even-worse Grizzlies tonight on the road. The Wizards have come close at Cleveland, Orlando, and Houston, but are still searching for their first road win. Tonight should be the best chance, as the Grizzlies are struggling and are among the worst teams in the league.

Grizzlies blogs: The Beale Street Beat

Memphis has really struggled this season after star Pau Gasol went down in the World Championships. Gasol is out until January, forcing the Grizzlies to rely on a lot of unproven youngsters, one of which, Kyle Lowry, is out for tonight and probably much longer.

That's not to say Memphis has not been competitive. They haven't been blown out of any game, with the 13 point loss to Charlotte being their largest margin of defeat. They have close losses to Cleveland, Houston, Dallas, and Sacramento, all of which are pretty good teams. Without Gasol, they've been forced to rely on youngsters like Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, and Lawrence Roberts and aging veterans like Eddie Jones and Chucky Atkins.

Essentially, the Wizards should win, but I don't think it will be easy. Memphis will hang around long enough to make this a game, and the Wizards can easily be defeated if they let Memphis hang around. The key, once again, will be getting everyone going. Arenas and Butler should be able to explode for a ton of points, but Arenas can't be coming down and jacking up threes every time. On the other side of the ball, the Grizzlies run a disciplined slow-down offense, relying on perimeter shots to succeed. This means the Wizards need to continue to do a good job of fighting through screens and contesting every shot.

Ultimately, I expect a Wizards victory, but it will be closer than you think.

Prediction: Wizards 97, Grizzlies 89

If you're watching or listening, drop a comment with your thoughts.

[editor's note: The Basketball Jones apparently agrees with my prediction, as they've made this game their "Book it!" of the night.]

Open Thread: Game 11

Regular Season Game 11
Wizards (4-6) vs. Rockets (7-4)
Toyota Center
8:30 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

Not much time to post. Traveling was tough today and I have limited internet access until Sunday, so I'll post a full recap of Dallas and Houston in tandem tomorrow. Wizards are looking for their first road win, but coming off last night's performance, I don't like their chances. They're going to struggle to deal with Yao more than the Rockets guards are going to struggle with Arenas, even with Kirk Snyder out. Don't be surprised if Houston puts Shane Battier on Agent Zero to bother jump shots.

Rockets Blogs: Clutch Fans, Rockets Blast, Globetrotter

For the Wizards to win, Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler need to help Arenas with scoring. Both have been focusing on other things recently (defense for Jamison, rebounding for Butler), but Arenas needs help with scoring. They also have to stay close with Houston for three quarters, because the Rockets have struggled to finish games this year. Avoid the lapses and runs they've given up in previous road games, and the Wizards have a chance in the fourth quarter to pull this one out.

I still don't see it happening. Houston is rested and Yao is going to have a field day inside.

Prediction: Rockets 108, Wizards 95

If you're watching, feel free to post some thoughts.

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!

Open Thread: Game 8

Regular Season Game 8
Wizards (3-4) vs. Pistons (3-5)
The Palace at Auburn Hills
8 PM
ESPN

Despite winning 64 games last year, the Pistons curiously struggled with the Wizards last year. Of their 18 losses, 3 came against Les Bullez. Granted, one of those games was a late-season contest where Detroit rested all their starters, but it's still very interesting that the Pistons struggled so much against the Wizards last season. There was that double overtime thriller early in the year where Gilbert Arenas scored 39 and Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins had 27 and 20 each. Hopefully, the success carries over this time around.

Pistons Blogs: Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed, Motoring, The Detroit Pistons Today

Last year, the Wizards had success against Detroit because they were able to turn the contests into perimeter battles. Without a real inside threat to play against, Ben Wallace wasn't his usual self last year in the three games. He fouled out of the first one, was rendered useless in the second matchup, and barely played in the third one. Wallace, obviously, is gone, and Nazr Mohammad is there in his place, meaning conventional wisdom should dictate that the Wizards are going to have similar success.

Of course, conventional wisdom doesn't always work with this team. The Wizards outshot Detroit from the line in every game last year, and that should continue again. This means that as long as the Wizards make some shots, they should have at least a fighting chance. Arenas has to have a big game tonight from the field if the Wizards are going to win.

On the other side, the Wizards need to keep Detroit in jump-shooting mode and focus on contesting every shot. Richard Hamilton is back in the lineup tonight, and he has the ability to work off screens for open shots. Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson have to be able to fight through the picks and prevent open jumpers. That's not an easy task, but the Wizards did hold Hamilton in check last year. On the ball defense on Chauncey Billups is key as well.

The other major problem is that Detroit is going to be desperate and they're playing at home. The Wizards have the ability to win this game, but they must match Detroit's desperation. This is a major game for the Wizards too. They have to play like it.

Go Wizards!

Prediction: Wizards 102, Pistons 99

If you're here during the game, post your thoughts!

Open Thread: Game 7

Regular Season Game 7
Wizards (3-3) vs. Knicks (2-6)
Madison Square Garden
7:30 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

The game has already started, so this will be short and quick. Wizards need a win, Knicks stink, therefore, a win is expected.

If you are here from SI.COM, welcome to Bullets Fever, your community site for the Washington Wizards. If you are a regular reader, the big news is that Sports Illustrated writer Andy Gray mentioned Bullets Fever in his 3-Pointers column, specifically the open thread for Brendan Haywood trade offers. Be sure to check out the column.

Knicks Blogs: Knickerblogger, Your New York Knicks, Father Knickerbocker

There's more major site news coming soon, so stay tuned, whether you are an old reader or a new one. That's all I'll say about that.

In the meantime, a prediction. Wizards 118, Knicks 107. And yes, I know Jamison is sucking so far today, and the Knicks have the early lead. Take it to the hole!

Go Wizards!

Open Thread: Game 6

Regular Season Game 6
Nets (2-2) vs. Wizards (3-2)
Verizon Center
6 PM
News Channel 8, NBA League Pass
Sports Talk 980

The Wizards close their three game homestand against the New Jersey Nets tonight at 6 PM. After sweeping the first two games, the Wizards look to capitalize and go to 3-0 on their homestand tonight.

I apologize for not recapping last night's game, as I've been really busy with college newspaper stuff. Essentially, the Milwaukee Bucks are the Wizards lite, except that they don't have a certified #2 and #3 options at this point. Their frontcourt has promise, but has been soft as a donut all season. They give Washington problems offensively because Michael Redd is the single most underrated player in basketball. Now that he scored 57 points to just keep his team in the game yesterday, people will understand. He only had 28 against the Wizards, but his drives allowed a guy like Dan Gadzuric to get 6 offensive rebounds and score 15 points. It speaks to Milwaukee's terribly inept perimeter defense that the Wizards were able to get back into this game and win it. In the end, the Bucks were only 4 of 18 from three-point range, which allowed the Wizards to escape with a win.

Nets blogs: Nothin' But Nets, Joe Nets Fan, Matt McQueen's Nothin' But Nets

The big news for this game is that the Nets will be without Richard Jefferson for a significant amount of time after he sprained his ankle against Miami on Friday. They are saying 2-4 weeks right now, but it's a Grade 2 sprain, meaning RJ could miss as much as 7 or 8 weeks. No matter how severe the injury is, he won't play tonight, which robs the Nets of a key offensive threat.

Without Jefferson, the Nets become infinently easier to defend. Throw two defenders at Vince Carter, stop Jason Kidd on the fast break, and force them to beat you with a million Nenad Kristic jumpers, and the Nets can be stopped. Marcus Williams has been very solid so far, but he's not the type of guy you have to desperately worry about. The Nets will start Antoine Wright tonight, and I don't expect him to be such a big threat in the offense.

On the other side of the ball, New Jersey actually had a pretty solid defense last year, although much of that has to do with Jefferson's perimeter quickness. Jason Kidd used to be a great defender, but he's lost a lot of his quickness. The Nets have an underrated interior defense, but they are still prone to quick guards like Dwayne Wade, who consistently torches them when the Heat and Nets play. Gilbert Arenas and company are exactly the type of players the Nets hate to defend.

In the end, I expect another Wizards win in a game that should be their best all-around performance of the season.

Prediction: Wizards 98, Nets 86

And, as a final reminder, I'm giving you guys until tomorrow to send in your Brendan Haywood trade proposals. Keep 'em coming.

Open Thread: Game 5

Regular Season Game 5
Bucks (2-3) at Wizards (2-2)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

Coming off a shelacking of the Pacers two nights ago, the Wizards now host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at home. The Bucks have lost three in a row after starting 2-0, with the latest being a 97-93 loss at home to the Rockets. On the bright side, the Bucks' young frontcourt of Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut has been solid, although both have been extremely inconsistent. On the dark side, Mo Williams has been up and down stepping in for T.J. Ford, and you have to wonder whether he's the best guy to develop their young frontcourt. Michael Redd has been their only consistent threat thus far in the season.

Bucks Blogs: Bucks Diary, 5 Point Bucks

The Bucks and Wizards are incredibly similar teams, with the only different being Milwaukee's youth up front. The Wizards have a clear advantage in the backcourt offensively, as neither Williams nor Redd are strong defenders. However, Milwaukee gave the Wizards problems last year on the other end because of Redd's perimeter shooting ability. He provides the Wizards a really tough matchup because of his ability to shoot and slash to the rim.

The Wizards did a great job of shutting down the perimeter against Indiana, but this will be a true test of their perimeter defense. I'm guessing that DeShawn Stevenson will draw the defensive assignment against Redd, and his performance will determine whether they can come away with a win. This is exactly why the Wizards got Stevenson in the offseason, but through 4 games, he hasn't really been told to guard the opponent's top threat. Tonight is his chance to show that he's a strong defender.

Of course, on the other end, I don't think the Bucks have anyone who can stop Arenas. Charlie Bell may have to play heavy minutes, but then the Bucks lose something on the other end. I don't know if Arenas will get his third straight 40 point game at home, but I think he'll come close. I also expect Jamison to have a big game, because Villanueva is not a very good defender. The Wizards should have more easy buckets than Milwaukee because of the Bucks' lack of a shot blocking presence, but they'll give it all back if they get lazy defending the perimeter.

In the end, I expect a really high scoring affair, with the Wizards coming away with a tight win.

Prediction: Wizards 122, Bucks 116

As a reminder, keep sending those Brendan Haywood trade proposals. I'm giving people the weekend before I decide which one is best. I also probably should have clarified, but try to make it only one or two per person, if possible. There are still a number of trades I thought of that nobody has mentioned, so there's still plenty of possibilities out there. Keep sending them in!

Open Thread: Game 4

Regular Season Game 4
Pacers (3-1) at Wizards (1-2)
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN and NBA League Pass

The Wizards return home today to face an Indiana Pacers team that has been playing solid basketball so far, with wins over Charlotte, New York, and Philadelphia, with only a loss to undefeated New Orleans. My biggest worry with Indiana was guard play, but Darrell Armstrong and Maryland alum Sarunas Jasikavicius have been solid in that regard. Jermaine O'Neal is having another strong season and has added nearly 4 blocks a game to his arsenal.

The Wizards are coming off a tough loss to Orlando, but they played well in most aspects of the game, with the huge exception being perimeter defense. The good news is that the Pacers don't exactly have a boatload of shooters, instead relying on slashers like Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Danny Granger.

Pacers Blogs: Indy Cornrows

Indy has started 3-1, but considering they've beaten Charlotte, New York, and Philadelphia, I don't see it as so impressive. Nobody on this team wows me, but Rick Carlisle is proving why he's such a good coach. In their only loss, they played a New Orleans team that can expose their backcourt defensive weaknesses. The Wizards don't have Chris Paul, but I expect Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler to have big games tonight against a Pacers team that doesn't really have a big perimeter defender just yet. In addition, Indiana is on the second game of a back-to-back, and the Wizards are really strong at home. I don't expect this one to be too close.

Prediction: Wizards 110, Pacers 95

And, as a reminder, keep sending in your Brendan Haywood trade proposals, even if you don't think they'll happen. So far, we only have one offer, but I haven't even checked the trade tracker to see if it works. Keep sending them in!

Open Thread: Game 3

(My fault: The logos aren't working for some reason. You'll have to live without them)

Regular Season Game 3
Wizards (1-1) at Magic (1-2)
TD Waterhouse Center
7 PM
CSN? (DC residents, throw me a bone here)

It's about time we saw exactly how good this Magic team really is for ourselves. I've said before that they scare the crap out of me, but I don't think they are quite good enough to pass Washington yet. They still don't have any reliable options on the wing, which will kill them when teams double Dwight Howard. Howard and Jameer Nelson have tons of potential, but both are still relatively inconsistent.

The Wizards are coming off a game where they scored often, but didn't play great defense. Eddie Jordan said once again that the defensive effort needs to improve, but it's about time we see it actually happen.

Magic blogs: Believing in Magic

The Wizards desperately need to force turnovers, because Howard is going to dominate them on the glass. With Howard and Darko, this is a team the Wizards don't match up with well. It will take at least 75 points combined from the Big 3 to beat this team, and with Orlando coming home after struggling the past two games, I don't see it happening. I'd feel really good if Washington won this one, because if past experience tells me anything, it's that they will fold on the road to a big team like Orlando.

Prediction: Magic 109, Wizards 98

Open Thread: Game 2

Regular Season Game 2
Celtics (0-2) at Wizards (0-1)
Verizon Center
7 PM
NBA TV

It may be hard to believe, but one of the Wizards' most difficult opponents last season were the Celtics. The Wizards won the season series 2-1, but each game went down to the wire. Gilbert Arenas hit game-winning free throws twice--once with 3.5 seconds left and the other time with 1.7 seconds left--to lead the Wizards to two close wins over Boston in January. On March 7, the Celtics returned the favor, as Paul Pierce hit a game-winning three-pointer to give Boston a 116-115 victory. If thise year is any indication, this game will be pretty close.

Celtics Blogs: Celticsblog, Celtics 17, Celticsstuff Live, LOY's Palace, and many more.

I'm a bit conflicted on this one. On the one hand, the Celtics are in the second night of a back-to-back. On the other hand, they may be playing much harder to redeem themselves from an embarrasing 17 point loss to Detroit. In addition, last year's games were all close ones, and the Celtics arguably have more pieces this year. Still, with the Wizards at home, where they've dominated the past couple years, I can't see them losing.

Keep an eye on: Antawn Jamison. He's a tough matchup for either Al Jefferson or Ryan Gomes, because he's quick enough to beat Jefferson off the dribble, but big enough to get plenty of rebounds on Gomes. I expect him to have a big game tonight.

As a sidenote, I'm going to see Borat tonight, so I don't think I'll be watching. If you are watching, let's get a discussion going up here. In the meantime, you'll get a Borat recap along with a game recap.

Prediction: Wizards 106, Celtics 92

Open Thread: Game 1

Regular Season Game 1
Wizards (0-0) vs. Cavaliers (0-0)
Quicken-Loans Arena
7 PM
ESPN

4 months and 26 days after Damon Jones knocked the Wiz out of the playoffs, they get a chance at the Cavaliers again in the season opener.

To say that I'm excited for this game is a real understatement. It may not be the playoffs, but what better way to start off the season than a win over the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers blogs: Yay Sports!, Cavalier Attitude

I'm curious to see who gets most of the minutes on LeBron and whether Etan Thomas can stay in the game guarding Big Z. Also, will the Wizards be able to get out and run past the subpar Cleveland wing defenders? It should be interesting.

Prediction: Wizards 108, Cavaliers 100

Preseason Game 3 Open Thread

Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Preseason Game 3
Quicken Loans Arena
7:30 PM

It may not be the regular season, but it would be mighty nice for the Wiz to get their first win ofthe preseason against the Cavs tonight. Word is that Antonio Daniels will play despite hurting his ankle in practice on Friday, but Darius Songalia will miss his third straight preseason game with the back injury.

Wiz are going with Arenas, Stevenson, Butler, Jamison, and Haywood today. So much for Jordan's promise to rest a starter every game in the preseason. Haywood will start tonight at center, but the center spot is still reportedly up for grabs between Haywood and Thomas. I'm not sure who the Cavs are starting, but if they go with their regular lineup, look for Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, Queen James, Drew Gooden, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. LeBron and Gooden sat in yesterday's win over Boston, so they should probably play tonight.

Since the preseason is so mundane, I'm opening this up to the readers. How many wins do you think the Wizards will have this year, and what makes you think so? I'm not going to disclose my prediction until it's my turn in the NBA Blog Previews on October 25, but I'm curious as to what you guys think.

Let the predictions fly!

Preseason Game 2 Open Thread

Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls
Preseason Game 2
United Center
8:30 PM

Before you go here, be sure to check out the post below this on the new Wizards slogan.

This will act as your official Wizards Preseason Game 2 open thread. If you're online, comment away on what you're looking forward to see.

I have a bet with my roomate, a huge Chicago Bulls fan, on who will win more regular season games this season. I'm obviously taking the Wiz, and he's obviously taking Chicago. If we're going by blog previews, Matt over at Blog A Bull predicts 55 wins for his team, which (sneak preview) is more than I'm predicting when I do the Wizards preview later this month. So, score one notch for Chicago, I guess.

Also, be sure to head over to the Blog A Bull open thread if you have the chance. If you all go there, we can overwhelm the Bulls thread with Wizards fans! Okay, maybe not, but still, head on over there.

[edit]: Wiz are starting Arenas, Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes, Jamison, and Etan Thomas. Butler is not dressing because of a thigh injury, but according to Eddie Jordan, each starter will have one game off during the preseason. I guess he doesn't want his starters to get injured, but this still seems like a curious decision. I don't know the Bulls' starting lineup as of now.

After the Toronto game, what are you looking for from the Wizards in this game?