Was at the game, and for the first time the loss of Arenas and Daniels was blatant.
The Bulls play in your face defense and really move the ball off of penetration on offense.
When the Wizards are making their jumpers they can compete, but they were hitting blanks from the first quarter on.
Stevenson reverted to his earlier inept form, and Young was a deer in the headlights.
There were way too many impossible pass turnovers, esp in the 4th quarter, and we just needed one of the guards with the ability to penetrate and kick, which we do not have right now.
This is a very revealing game for those that feel that trading Arenas would improve this team.
Even when playing well, they miss his spark and energy, not to mention his ability to take over a game. He is our path to the top rungs of the East, without him we remain what we have been, competitive but no cigars.

just finishing wattching the chicago game,,,,boy am i upset,,,first I had to calm down so as not to use profanity to express my utter disappointment at loosing to a chicago team that lost the night before,,what does it take to get a clue run the coaches offense not run down and put up jump shots. The utter lack of discipline is a constant curse with this team,,and Antwaan Jamison is the worse offender,,,I am known as a wizards fan but this lack of basketball intelligence is nonsense

Geez, Reggie. The Wiz have been playing very well lately. Won four straight. They are playing without Arenas, without Daniels, without Pech and both Antawn and Caron were sick this week. Every team has an off game. Give it a break.

Not to mention that the Bulls have been coming on strong lately and usually have our number anyway.

the lack of a true point guard showed in the second quarter, they had a double digit lead and couldnt slow it back down, kept chucking shots. amazing game from caron. haywood had a great start but only played the last 3 minutes of the 4th, what gives?

It's a shame to let a winnable home game slip through your fingers, but it happens sometimes in an 82 game season. Butler really made some beautiful passes, though--I didn't realize he was such a great playmaker.

I am like Reggie. frustrated when this team lapses into a no pass just fire it up offense. I know the Bulls have something to do with it, but this team knows the formula and I don't get why they fall out of it on some nights.

Like it or not, Jordan may to have to bite the bullet and start Mason. It's clear that Young isn't comfortable in the starting PG role. He's trying to do the right thing and keep the ball moving, but he's just not at the point where that comes naturally to him. He's playing tentatively and not only is it hurting the team's offensive flow, it's also killing his own offense. He's not shooting the ball with the same confidence he had before Daniels went out.

Why did BH only play 22? I thought they played very well with him in there. I thought they played like they expected DS to put up big #s. And it backfired on them in the 2nd Q. I agree that they really need to be disciplined and run Eddie's offense every game, if they hope to beat any decent teams.

The reason I got pulled is because I reverted to my old self; dropping the ball, missing easy put-aways right under the basket, and all-round poor athleticism.(Although I should
have been on Aaron Gray whenever he was in)

The Bulls obviously wanted badly to win this game and they did what they needed to do... They shut down everyone but Jamison and Butler (and what a super game Butler had). It is rare to see Antawn lose his poise but you can hardly blame him for his frustration and fatigue at the end.

Nick Young just does not seem ready yet. He had a complete stinker of a game but that is part of the learning process, I suspect.

Fans must keep the faith, though. This was just a bump in the road.

I was disappointed that Haywood did not step up against an inexperienced back-up center, but he is at a disadvantage when there is a point guard in the line-up who can deliver the ball to him where he needs it.

Wilbon got it right, you cannot get the job done witout a point guard and with two of them, one an all-star and the other a great team player, in civvies on the bench, there will be nights like this.

Although BTH did miss a layup (with a bunch of guys around him) he didn't play that poorly. I don't think we can pin this one on him despite the 'brenda' poster. mricklen hit the nail on the head. This is exactly the kind of game where GA would have made an obvious difference.
Also, I never understood the reasoning behind starting NY over Mason. This whole 'points off the bench' argument of EJ is ludicrous considering that NY is a better scorer than Mason and has a green light when he's in there with backups. Ny is better suited to coming in gunning while the veteran plays with the starters.

Frustrating game to watch, but that's what the Bulls do to you. Disrupt your game and keep you from getting into a flow. Add to that no real PG and no practices in - who knows how long? - and you can see the Bulls' job was made a bit easier. Also, after the great 1st qtr the Wiz first lowered the intensity then went into panic mode -> that's where they miss Daniels (not Gil, Daniels!) the most; he stays steady and keeps from panicking. Still, the Wiz had some nice runs in the 3rd and 4th qtrs; just wasn't their night.

I would have played Haywood a bit more as well, but seems like Eddie wants his young guys to rack up some PT. Probably a smart thing, long term.

After reading these comments from EJ, he gets my vote for coach of the year. He just validated the things that I said early this season that most people here called me out for....

"Everybody spent the offseason and the early season talking about defense, and I understand that," Jordan said. "I believe in defense to the bone. But we know the strengths and weaknesses of this personnel and how to play a certain way. "Yes, we have to have a commitment to defense, and in the preseason we talked defense, thought defense. Everybody knows it was defense, defense, defense. But at 0-5 it was time we got back to what we knew we could do well."

Thank you, Eddie.

After going on the road and standing toe to toe with NJ and Miami when they brought the physical play, the Wiz let Chicago change the game with their rough house style in the second quarter.

Watching Aaron Gray reminded me of another Chicago center from years ago, Tom Boerwinkle. Not a very memorable guy, just another hugh lug that never left the floor and made people bounce off his body, if that didn't work an elbow to the chops was his next calling card.

The Wiz had periods of the game last night where no one wanted any part of driving to the hoop. The second quarter, our reserves really got manhandled, most of the starters mixed it up with them pretty well except for Young. He must have been wondering why he went to a bar room brawl and somebody decide to play basketball.

Boy did that crew let them play, one of the rougher games I've seen all season. But the flu might have been the deciding factor in the end, Caron and Jamison got the Wiz back in it but seemed to run out of gas at the end.

It would have been a great win for the guys if they'd have pulled that one out, but missing both point guards did show up at times last night. They need to turn the attention to Atlanta and get another win streak going Friday night.

As a young man I could never understand the line from The Book of Revelations "Gnashing of Teeth", but since coming on here it is beginning to make sense.

Cheer up guys, it's only one game it's not like anybody was dumb enough to go out in bet the farm on it. Did they?

Momma said there'd be days like that.

Look at it this way. With the exception of Caron and maybe Roger, we stunk and were leading late, 80-79. (Antawn had early pts/reb #s but was not sharp down the stretch - Bad TOs, Matadoring, etc.) Seemed like the whole team was in a Nyquil funk during the Bulls 2nd qtr run. 30-13 run! The Bulls aren't that good.

BTW, I've gotta get one of those suits like Gilbert had on. Inactive Chic.

I always hate when struggling teams come to town. We somehow find a way to lose to them. But yesterday's game just shows how much this team misses all their injured players. Etan, Pech, Daniels and Arenas. That's a lot of players to overcome playing against a good defensive side like the Bulls.

Disappointing but not unexpected loss. bulls are feeling desperation. they are better than their record and always seem to start slow.

We reverted back to shooting long, early shots when behind rather than ball movement. Need to take care of bussiness against and improved Hawk team now.

Wilbon's article scares me. Yes, EJ cleaned up the offensive principles but it is clear that Ayres (or somebody) convinced them to play DEFENSE as well. The article seems to underplay that reality.

It reminds me of people who say Skins need to throw more. Reality is that Gibbs is right you need balance to win. And Wizards need to play solid D as well as keep with their good ball movement and shot selection. It is distrrbing that EJ sees the turnaround as getting back to what they do well. That is only half of the story, in my humble opinion. And most of all, that is not the message that Gilbert needs to be hearing from Jordan.

Sloppy post above. Sorry for not proofreading...my bad.

BmoreRev, I think they praciced D to the exclusion of offense this offseason. You're right in that we had get better on D but we can't do it at the expense of offense, which is our strength. Re: last night's game...if we'd hit our shots, we'd have won. It's just one game. We should be able to rebound tomorrow night.
About our Skins...I think ppl kept getting tired of us trying to run against 8 man fronts when clearly a pas or two would loosen things up for Portis. I think the same applies in basketball in that you have to be able to do a couple of things well to score. We need GA or somebody to penetrate and draw fouls. As long as we remain strictly a jumpshooting team, we'll occasionally have nights like this. Also, CB needs to start shooting 3's again. When we were winning, he was opening things up with his 3's. Where'd that go?

The Wizards let Chicago disrupt their game, and itself had no defensive plan to stop Chicago. Where was Mcguire, and why was Songaila not spending time banging in there with their forwards? Why wasn't Butler at 2? Why weren't we creating mismatches? grrr

Sloppy typing, but good thinking. I'd agree B-Rev the change in the overall defensive mindset and the improvements of some of the finer points of defensive technique are the biggest reasons for the team's improvement.

Eddie sure didn't seem to be playing that up in Wilbon's article. Last night the Wiz sure missed Gil's firepower and the ability to finish down the stretch in a neck and neck game.

But the little things that this team has been doing on defense and on the boards that haven't been getting noticed by some(apparently including Wilbon) have gotten this team winning.

But the fact of the matter is without Arenas and now Daniels, this team will struggle to have enough firepower to beat playoff caliber teams. Take three guys off of any team's top 8 and they'll struggle to have enough talent to win certain nights.

But the improvements in defense do show up, on a night the Wiz played poorly for a quarter and a half, they were still in position to win the game last night.

If they can maintain the defensive intensity, run the offense and get back their closer they could really have something here.

Was at the game, my obsevations:

NY might be better off the bench. He was simply lost and couldn't hit the backside of a barn. Mason would probably be better in control of starting and knowing how to distribute the ball.

I was surprised to see the box score and realized that Jamison shot over 50%. Didn't seem like it last night.

rgz- Songalia was in there banging with their forwards ( I thought he was outplayed ). Songalia was in the game with both Brendan and Blatche, both of whom I thought played pretty well. Caron was dishing some pretty tough passes, so I don't blame BTH for those.

Wish we could have won, but its only one game. A good point would have made a difference with this one.

GM - the wiz were in great position becuase of a flawless execution of offense in the 1st periond. They lost it in the 2nd quarter ( if AJ and Caron are sick, then they just couldn't sustain the momemtum). No offense in the 3rd ( defense didn't help there), and in the 4th, only flashes of the offense, and some good defense, but not a lot.

I pin this loss on lack of playing/practice and Caron and AJ not feeling 100%.

BTW, CB is passing the ball better than I've ever seen. Don't know what got into him lately but he's a beast. Also, what happened to AB? He hasn't had a good game lately it seems. He was completely overmatched against Gray. Any center with a large body is gonna give him trouble. The Bulls isolated and gave the ball to Gray last night and we didn't reciprocate with BTH. It would have been nice to get them in some foul trouble. That's where we miss AD and GA. Those guys drive and create fouls.

When your starting guards have a combined 3 points total. midwat hrough the 4th quarter, you are in trouble.
Both ds and ny were missing by miles, and were not able to penetrate the bulls "d".
Defense waso/s until they started missing every shot in the 2nd Q.
Songalia can not run or get off the floor...he is a good man off the bench for a very talented team, not this one.
EJ did play cb at the 2 in the 4th, with Blatch and BH at the same time, like that lineup, and want to see more of it. CB was incredible in doing whatever he wanted out of the 2.
Hard to win with guards ds and ny , and to think mason is the answer is absurd.
Sad to say but jcn is lighting it up for a very mediocre Memphis team and they are even winning some game.
He would certainly look good here now, yes? And all for a very conditional ist round pick???

Like it or not, Jordan may to have to bite the bullet and start Mason. It's clear that Young isn't comfortable in the starting PG role. He's trying to do the right thing and keep the ball moving, but he's just not at the point where that comes naturally to him. He's playing tentatively and not only is it hurting the team's offensive flow, it's also killing his own offense. He's not shooting the ball with the same confidence he had before Daniels went out.

Posted by: kalorama | December 20, 2007 12:43 AM

Kal - I knew eventually we would finally find something to agree on, if not this year maybe next. Mark also made a good point too about NY starting. NY is not himself out there with the starters. He needs to come in with the 2nd unit to feel comfortable.

He does not want to offend the "vets" by coming in jacking up shots (which he does well to get himself in the flow) so he just stands out there to pass the ball around. His defense is still suspect (quick fouls) but improving, which in turn makes it really hard for him to find his rhythm offensively.

I too believe Mason should be starting instead, and then let Wilks and NY come in on the 2nd unit. NY would be more comfortable in that role. Wilks is a true point guard and I believe NY would thrive off of that combo better.

As Kal mentioned, NY misses not having AD there because AD is like a coach on the floor and is able to help NY be in the best position to succeed on the floor.

Was there... Missed the first qrt due to Tysons Corner traffic. We looked so passive. We only went to the line 13 times at home. Arenas could get to the line 13 times by himself (average 9.7 trips to line per game last year). I'm not surprised at how NY played, young kid trying to figure it out. I prefer him in his previous role, coming off of the bench for offensive punch, but with the injuries EJ has to shuffle things around. The player I'm really puzzled about is AB. He doesnt look to score at all, if he were half as aggressive on offense as he is on defense. He tries to block every shot, EVERY SHOT. Sometimes a hand in the face is more effective than getting into the air and either causing a foul or pump fake and dribble penetration. Jamison played poorly in the 4th, but he cant play great all the time (great for AJ I mean). DS was clearly frustrated with KH defense on him as I was frustrated with DS ball handling skills, but he isnt a PG and had to do it last night. Easy to complain about last nights game, but we are 13 - 11, and have missed a total of 1968 minutes from our injured players. Regroup and prepare for Atlanta.

Not sure why some people are so upset; the Wizards have been playing great lately and just had one really bad quarter than ruined the rest of the game.

Whoever said Jamison has no discipline must not watch that many games and understand the type of player he really is.

JSchon, shame you missed the first, that was the best basketball of the night. After that it got pretty rough, 13 foul shots on a game that was that physical, unbeleivable.

That is the one thing about not having Gil and Daniels, they'd have both drove that lane and got some contact and got to the line.

I'd agree Young seems to be struggling a little as a starter. Hey, but when you get dealt a bad hand in poker, there's only so much you can do. Eddie's only got a limited number of moves to make.

Oh yeah. That first quarter as like a passing clinic. We had cutters moving and getting layups. It looked like we were gonna blow these guys out. Somehow we stopped moving the ball and it baceame a one on one show. The slump seemed to coincid with AJ coming out of the game. By the time he came back in, we had lost the momentum. Maybe not coincidentally, the Bulls started playing well when Gray asserted himself.

Okay, how many minutes will the new kid get against Hotlanta on Friday? I could see him playing 15.

In theory, I like NY's trial by fire, but in reality it was very painful - at least last night.

If we miss the playoffs by one game, we'll have to remember last night. Caron and AJ were pimps, but we didn't have much else.

We sure could use another player or two...not stars, just options when guys like DS, NY, and RMjr just don't have it. Hopefully, the new kid provides a decent option.

"We sure could use another player or two...not stars, just options when guys like DS, NY, and RMjr just don't have it. Hopefully, the new kid provides a decent option."

When you say option you mean like a guy who can pump in I don't know 23-26 points per night and shoot 40% from 3?

kalorama,

Don't know which game are you watching. Young did not start as PG, it was clear that it was Stevenson who handled the PG duty, Young started as SG. But I do agree with your point. EJ may give Young one more chance (simply because rotation-wise, Mason can spare Stevenson as PG, Young can't), but if Young continues like that, he will have to start Mason.

These are the types of games, and more down the road, especially west teams, where Arenas is needed. He would have scored 30 points probably last night.

Put me in the group of people who are troubled by EJ's comments in Wilbon's column. He seems to blame the 0-5 start on somebody (Grunfeld?) forcing him to adopt a different approach to coaching his team than he wanted. He comes right out and says he said to his assistants, "Listen, we have to do what I really believe in." And he implies that once he was allowed to coach his way, the team started to perform really well. How's that one going over at Verizon?

Ivan, I'd be interested in hearing from Eddie what he was doing in the first 5 games that he was not comfortable doing, why he was doing it, and what he changed since those first 5 games. Methinks there is a juicy story underlying these quotes. Thanks.

Just my opinion but...I think he's been listening to critics telling him that in order to take the next step we need to focus more on defense and less on offense. Fortunately, he realized after only 5 games that this team is comprised of scorers and is best suited to scoring lots of points. Our O is our D. There's nothing like drawing fouls on a team to get them to play tentatively. Where we were probably focusing most of our energy on D at first, I think the pendulum has swung the other way. We're not ignoring D like we have in the past, at least. But it appears that EJ kows where his bread is buttered. Our best 3 players are primarily scorers. Let them score.
I'm still of the opinion that BTH and AB back there blocking shots is why we're better defensively but I think I'm in the minority in this forum. I can't see that much else has changed. We're finally able to guard open guys now since we're not doubling down..

Oh yeah, I forgot how badly DS played ( a very forgettable night for him ).

Also think Blatche's foot still bothers him.

NY could aslo be approaching the rookie wall. He has played in all but 3 games. Getting close to the total number of games he played all of last year.

Mark - I agree with you on BTH and AB cloggin the middle has improved the defense, but I also feel that one less liability on the floor makes a big difference. With both Gil and Antawn on the floor, its hard for the other guy to cover the deficiencies. Not so hard with just one ( who at least tries ).

Hey gang, I'm back! Just needed a respite; I didn't like the nasty edge I was developing toward some people on here, so hopefully some time away has mellowed me a bit.

As for last night's game, I chalk it up mostly to being out of players. DS simply isn't a PG, and trying to be one takes too much out of him. He was playing well lately, but his game is playing off the ball.

I agree with those who bemoan the lack of driving to the hole. It's hard to do that when the two best players at doing it, GA and AD, are watching from the bench. A hidden factor in the The Wiz' success is that they get a lot of their points at the line, and they're going to struggle when they don't get consistent penetration. To me, that's what caused so much of the jump-shooting we saw last night. Caron was great at passing in the first quarter; maybe he can handle the ball more and be more of a point forward.

I hope Wilks can get up to speed soon. One other possibility as well: Penny Hardaway, recently released by Miami. Penny certainly is no long-range answer, but as a 10-day emergency pickup, he might work. He's been in the league a long time, and has great size at the point. I didn't see what he did with Miami, but he might be worth investigating. Given how we're scraping now, I'd consider almost anyone.

And mark and BF#1, I am absolutely convinced that Eddie still misuses Haywood. He was out for very long stretches last night, including much of the second half. Gray abused Blatche, and Haywood should have been in every second that Gray was.

Did it lose the game? No. The keys were bad shooting and horrific PG play. But once again, Eddie gives lip service to how well Brendan's doing, but still refuses to give him the minutes he deserves. He's still averaging MUCH fewer than 30 minutes a game (26.6), but has a high PER (Hollinger's analysis of a player's per-minute effectiveness). In fact, he's ranked third in PER among Eastern Conference centers, behind Howard and Bosh (who isn't really a center anyway). How is it he can be so effective, but get such limited minutes?

Eddie's doing better than last year in that regard (and overall, the best he's done since he came here), but still has that gigantic blind spot, IMO.

Keithinator - I don't want to argue with any of your points, but please, Hollinger. I'd rather consult a palm reader.

Holy Cow... We're already talking about Penny at the point? We're in big trouble if we need Penny to solve our point problem. Wasnt he just cut in favor of Mark Blount?

As for the Wilbon column, I think all the Wizards are capable of doing on defense is playing better crunch time d. Allowing 97ppg as opposed to 100ppg is a pretty big deal, thats only two stops a game which is very doable.

The first 5 games were really bad. Coaches didnt have it together as well as the players. Rotation wasnt set, CB had over 20 turnovers in the first 5. DS's shooting percentage was in the teens. AJ and GA both were jacking up a ton of shot but only at a .333 clip. GA wasnt ready to play intense NBA ball.

As soon as we get over the first 5 games and chalk them up as 5 bad games where we didnt have it together from top to bottom the better we are. People saying that the first 5 games indicate that we dont need GA or draw any conclusion is laughable.

The following 3 games actually mean more to me than the 1st 5.

The injuries have hurt and have helped us. I've always said that the current squad is capable of being a .500 team, obviously they are playing better than that. When GA comes back this team will be much better. We were on pace for almost 50 wins last year folks with GA at the PG and absolutely 0 bench!

2cents -- yes, you have to consider them in context. But one advantage of stats is that they're largely impersonal.

If you look at the PER, the conclusion is that, for the most part, they're pretty accurate. The top players for each position are usually the same ones that those of us who follow the game would agree are at or near the top. Same with his team power rankings. There will be some differences, but I find that it generally does a pretty decent job.

The PER and rankings are not Hollinger's opinion, remember; it's based on a statistical formula. You could argue that he might weigh one or another category differently, but it's pretty hard for personal bias to enter into it.

JSchon, please read what I said more carefully. We have *no* PGs other than Wilks on the roster. Given our desperate situation, we're looking at desperate stop-gap measures.

I knew someone would overreact to what I suggested, which is why I made it a point to say "as a 10-day emergency pickup, he might work." We're in an emergency situation right now with our PGs. Not as a team, but at that position. No one is saying he's the answer; but he might be able to tide us over better than DS or Mason playing out of position. That's all I'm saying.

Sad to say but jcn is lighting it up for a very mediocre Memphis team and they are even winning some game.
He would certainly look good here now, yes? And all for a very conditional ist round pick???

Posted by: mricklen | December 20, 2007 09:06 AM

Yeah - if JCN had wanted to play for the Wizards, Ernie would have signed him. But he didn't negotiate in good faith with the Wizards - saying he needed $2-3M per year, then signed with Memphis for $500K

Is Nick Young healthy - I saw him grab his right shoulder during the game and act like he was in pain.

"Don't know which game are you watching. Young did not start as PG, it was clear that it was Stevenson who handled the PG duty, Young started as SG."

Don't know what game you were watching. I was watching the game that was on Comcast SportsNet Wednesday at 7:00. In that game, Young was bringing the ball upcourt much (but not all ) of the time he was on the floor. It was clear that he was doing a lot more ballhandling than he normally does and that he was uncomfortable in the role.

I shouldve elaborated on my response. Its not likely that you find anyone not on a gameday roster that will help you. These guys arent in the nba for a reason, they arent good enough. Wilks was signed, but it appears to me that he is there for practice reasons and since he wasnt given a guaranteed contract, he will be released back to the D-league when AD comes back.

The Wiz have played 2 games without AD, last night we looked bad and against Sacremento we looked good. The team we have without Wilks is the team we are going to live and die with until AD gets back in 2 weeks. Finding a B.Carroll to help you from the D-League is very rare.

I don't think the Wizards can sign anybody until the 10 day contracts start Jan. 5th.

Hopefully Daniels won't be out alot longer then that, if he is it could get ugly for awhile because the schedule gets rougher in Jan.

And I'd agree with Jschon, it's rare to find a D leaguer that's going to come in and contribute to the rotation.

"that's where they miss Daniels (not Gil, Daniels!)"

I'm happy someone see's it was Daniels we missed not GIL.

Also nick young might have been slotted at PG last night but Saliguba or whatever is right Stevenson was clearly the one running the point.

Was also there, also missed much of the first quarter, end of which I was told was big for the Wizards. Through much of the 2nd and 3rd, my nephew's constant comment was, "Why are you taking _that_ shot?" The scoreboard at halftime would have made you think it was a two-man team. Caron was looking like the only point guard on the floor. Young did look _way_ out of his league, as did Blatche whose defense was outshone by his offensive sloppiness. To my great surprise, what I was yelling during the last ten minutes, was, "where's Haywood?" Big minus night for Blatche and Young in my estimation. Slight minuses for Songaila and Stevenson, who were better late than early. Since I'm not in the locker room or on the bench, I've got no answer for Haywood's absence, but it really did hurt last night.

we missed daniels badly. Nick isn't ready for the big games/big teams. Neither nick or stevenson can run the point and that was clear last night. We need Daniels back and all will be fine. All you GIL lovers it was daniels we needed not GIL. Gil would have been right there with everyone else chucking up 3's. Daniels is a real PG....Gil is a SG playing PG. Gil will never be a true PG...Gil is all about himself!

I am the #1 Brenda hater but last night I was wondering the same thing. Where was he down the stretch and why wasn't he in the game everytime Gray came on the court. He didn't play great last night in his limited minutes but I was very disappointed with Eddie's rotation last night.

Ivan, I'd be interested in hearing from Eddie what he was doing in the first 5 games that he was not comfortable doing, why he was doing it, and what he changed since those first 5 games. Methinks there is a juicy story underlying these quotes. Thanks.

Posted by: Sean
-------------------------------------------

Yeah, I like to know that too! Nobody is expecting this team to be a great defensive team, but they need to be an "average" defensive team, not a "bad" defensive team. This year, they are an "average" defensive team, while in previous year, they are a "bad" defensive team!

the change on defense is no GILBRT ARENAS. Wait until he comes back and we will be back to giving up 104 or 105 a game.

Caron is better than Gil! Sign and trade GIL at the end of the season and we will be much better. Just need somebody else to back up daniels and another post scorer would be nice.

Don't know what game you were watching. I was watching the game that was on Comcast SportsNet Wednesday at 7:00. In that game, Young was bringing the ball upcourt much (but not all ) of the time he was on the floor. It was clear that he was doing a lot more ballhandling than he normally does and that he was uncomfortable in the role.
Posted by: kalorama
--------------------------------------

Yeah, and Haywood is a "better" defensive rebounder because he has more defensive rebounds than offensive! LOL, I guess that is what I should have expected from someone who does not even understand "better" is an evaluation on "quality" not "quantity" (that would be "more").

Young may have handled the ball more than he used to, but he is not running the point. (Do you think Ej would not let a rookie do that?) Have you noticed that either Stevenson or Mason is ALWAYS on the court, while you cannot say the same thing about Yang. Pay more attention to the game before shout your mouth off, OK?

yeah stevenson was clearly the PG last night even though Young was slotted at the position.......kalamora or whatever his name is clueless even if he did watch the game. Just b/c young walked the ball up the court a few times and handed it to stevenson the 2nd he got over half court doesn't mean he was running the offense.

I love how all these people who went to the game think they have some kind of inside scoop or something. You see more watching the game at home on tv. Especially now with HDTV

i'll take my 61 inch HD silly over being at the game anyday

You see more on TV at home because of HD? Ha...

Right I can now see that AJ is limited defensively but on my parents old black and white I wouldnt be able to...

well if ur watching a black and white you are pathetic and you need to upgrade like beyonce son. I have sat 3 rows off the floor and there is no doubt that on tv with anouncers perspective/replays and HD you clearly see more.

"LOL, I guess that is what I should have expected from someone who does not even understand "better" is an evaluation on "quality" not "quantity" (that would be "more")."

You realize that no matter how many times you type this incoherent nonsense, it remains just that. Nonsense. I'm guessing English is your third language.

"Have you noticed that either Stevenson or Mason is ALWAYS on the court, while you cannot say the same thing about Yang. Pay more attention to the game before shout your mouth off, OK?"

The irony of being told to pay attention by someone who can't even get the names of the players right amuses me to no end. Who the hell is "Yang"? Stand behind what you say by identifying yourself and maybe I'll have more to offer you than a dismissive wave of my hand (*waves hand dismissively*)

My point stands as stated. Young was given more of the ballhandling duties in the absence of Daniels and he was uncomfortable in the role. You can split all the hairs you like about who had which "title," it doesn't change the facts of what happened on the floor.

The only thing about watching the game on TV is sometimes it's hard to pickup the off the ball action.

But with the wider view of HDTV it has improved that greatly.

"(*waves hand dismissively*)"

This is the gayest thing I have ever read in my life!

I wasn't the one arguing with you but you are wrong Kalamora.

This person put it perfectly.......I agree with the guy above don't know what game you were watching.

"yeah stevenson was clearly the PG last night even though Young was slotted at the position.......kalamora or whatever his name is clueless even if he did watch the game. Just b/c young walked the ball up the court a few times and handed it to stevenson the 2nd he got over half court doesn't mean he was running the offense."

kalorama=clueless

I thought we established that a long time ago. He has always been clueless nothing has changed

Boy, you guys are getting testy today. Things are getting edgy and people can't even blame it on 88'er.

hahahah I like it when it gets testy

Welcome back, Keithinator. Bullet Fever #1 and I have been holding down the pro-BTH fort for you while you've been out. 2cents is right, though. Hollinger is a boob. I give him credit for saying a couple years ago that BTH was vastly underrated and that when he was in the game, we were a better team. But his predictions are absolutes and often wrong.

Oh I am here GM, I'm just not posting my handle anymore.

DC Man88

"Just b/c young walked the ball up the court a few times and handed it to stevenson the 2nd he got over half court doesn't mean he was running the offense.

Which might mean something if I'd ever said he was running the offense. I didn't. So, not surprisingly, your point has zero relevance.

Young was slotted as the starting PG (a fact which even the idiot who wrote the original post conceded). As part of that "slot" he got more ballhandling duties. Sorry to burst your bubble, but getting the ball over halfcourt against pressure is, in fact, one of the PG's primary duties.

"well if ur watching a black and white you are pathetic and you need to upgrade like beyonce son. I have sat 3 rows off the floor and there is no doubt that on tv with anouncers perspective/replays and HD you clearly see more."

HAHAHAH funny and true. You can see every inch off the court with a huge HDTV and its perfect clarity.

also enjoyed this one

"i'll take my 61 inch HD silly over being at the game anyday"

and this one

"(*waves hand dismissively*)"

"This is the gayest thing I have ever read in my life!"

Hi mark,

Good to be back. Hollinger may be a boob (I disagree, but it can be argued), but I'm not speaking specifically of Hollinger's opinions here. I'm talking about his statistical analysis.

If the PER numbers showed, for instance, Larry Hughes or Eddie Curry as top players, or the Knicks or Nets as a top team, I'd wonder about their validity. But they seem to mirror reality for the most part. Gotta separate the man from the numbers. Again, they're not the be-all and end all, but they are one factor that needs to be considered.

I think, actually, that both Kal and those who disagree about Young are right. Nick was handling the ball more than he usually does, and initiating the offense a number of times last night. It was clear he's not ready for that responsibility. But Stevenson, it appeared to me, was running the team more than anyone else last night.

And that's the problem. Both Young and DS are shooters, who don't think like distributors. That's why I hope Wilks picks up the system in a hurry, or Abe decides to bust the cap this year and sign Boykins (yeah, he think to shoot first, like Gil, but he does also pass and can run a team).

It's true that guys from D-league leave a lot to be desired, but I might rather have a D-league point than an NBA two guard running the show. First, though, it's probably worth finding out if Mason can hold down the fort at PG.

BTW, anyone else notice that Young seems almost afraid to penetrate nowadays? He either spots up or does a stop-and-pop. I'm trying to remember the last time he took it hard all the way to the rack.

"Which might mean something if I'd ever said he was running the offense. I didn't. So, not surprisingly, your point has zero relevance."

Hey douche if you are the point guard that means you are running the offense. Also they weren't running full court pressure when young was walking the ball up the court.

Hey douche if you are the point guard that means you are running the offense. Also they weren't running full court pressure when young was walking the ball up the court.

so it seems ur point has zero relevance.

like I said multiple times earlier

KALAMORA=CLUELESS

I agree keithinator I have been praying for boykins since GIL went down

"Hey douche if you are the point guard that means you are running the offense."

Lindsey Hunter, BJ Armstrong, Derek Fisher, John Paxson, and many many others would tell you differently. not that it matters, because you're clearly to stupid to listen.

"Hey douche if you are the point guard that means you are running the offense."

Hahahah he got you there KAL

and I agree with him stevenson was running the majority of the PG

Lindsey Hunter, BJ Armstrong, Derek Fisher, John Paxson

John Paxson is a SG!! Lindsay Hunter is a career backup.

As for fisher and armstrong of course the offense didn't run through them they had 2 of the greatest players in history on their team. If you are going to try to refute my point at least come up with some good examples.

anyways pippen was more of a point then BJ armstrong and fisher pretty much played SG as well

nice try though kalorama still think you are a douche!

such hostility today. LOL
Keithinator, it should be clear that I think Hollinger is a genius whenever he says something good about the team and a boob when he says something bad. I'm still smarting from the comments he made about NY being a probable bust and the Wiz finishing out of the playoffs (with Gil healthy).
To his credit, his system gave AD a high rating and said that he was one of the most efficient guys in the league at his position. It also gave BTH high marks. Funny thing is, if I remember correctly, Ruffin was the worst offensive player in the league based on his system. Maybe he's onto something after all.

Lindsay Hunter is a career backup

(A) Wrong and (B) irrelevant. Backup or not (and he started almost half of the games he's played in his 15 year career) he's a PG whose primary duty was to get ball upcourt then pass it off to playmakers (Hill, Kobe, etc.) while he looked for his shot.

"As for fisher and armstrong of course the offense didn't run through them ..."

Exactly my point. They were PGs who didn't have primary duty for running the offense. I'll take that as a concession on your part.

What else ya' got?

Kalorama do you need a definition of the position PG or is it just the whole game you need to be taught?

Once again I wasn't the one arguing earlier but whoever is taking shots at you is right.

You are clearly wrong on this one

"if I remember correctly, Ruffin was the worst offensive player in the league based on his system"

Ruffin was the worst offensive player in the NBA based on any system.

"Once again I wasn't the one arguing earlier...

Suuuuure you're not.

Kal the point guard is supposed to be the leader of the offense. that is why he is called the PG b/c he is supposed to be the point of the offense. In some cases when you have a superstar like jordan or Kobe on the squad obviously they would be the point of the offense despite being the SG. You could also use lebron in this situation. If you need me to explain anything clearer just let me know. I can give you a whole class on the game of basketball if you wish KAL.

Ruffin was the worst offensive player in the NBA based on any system.

Which makes me wonder why Eddie played him so much last year. 4-on-5 is no fun to watch, when you root for the team with 4!

And that's the problem. Both Young and DS are shooters, who don't think like distributors. That's why I hope Wilks picks up the system in a hurry, or Abe decides to bust the cap this year and sign Boykins (yeah, he think to shoot first, like Gil, but he does also pass and can run a team).

Kieth, your points about Young and Stevenson are spot on, but I doubt Wilkes or Boykins will solve the problem because neither of them are true playmakers either. Boykins is a stone cold gunner not a playmaker, and Wilks, in his previous NBA stops, always came across more as a guy looking to score as well. And even if the Wiz were willing to vault over the tax threshold to sign him, it's unlikely he'd agree to come here knowing that as soon as Areans and Daniels are healthy he'll get pushed back to third string.

kal I wasn't the one arguing with you but I have commented against you a few times now. I don't have time to argue online with little kids all day. Please understand the game and the statements you make before you start posting.

Oh, dear, Slurp has either disappeared or abandoned his handle. I miss the butt-munching little dip already.

"Kal the point guard is supposed to be the leader of the offense."

And Cs are supposed to be back to the basket scorers, and SGs are supposed to be able to hit from long rang, and PFs are supposed to rebound. Ahhh, life in the world of ideals.

I know what they're supposed to be. I'm talking about what how things actually are. Lots of players classified as PGs are not and have not been the primary offensive initiator for their teams. Simple, stone cold fact. So saying a player didn't "run the offense" in a particular game (notwithstanding the question of it's truth) is not inherent proof that the player wasn't performing a PGs duties. Because there's more than one duty on the list.

"I don't have time to argue online with little kids all day."

If I run across any little kids interested in arguing with someone lacking the backbone to stand by what they say by attaching a name (even a fake one) to their comments, I'll be sure to pass that little message along.

In the meantime, lacking any actual evidence (other than your word which clearly isn't worth much) I will simply assume that all of the anonymous posts come from the same source and that, by pretending they don't, anything that source has to say lacks credibility.

Kal, points well taken, and correct. That's why Daniels getting hurt was so costly. The only way we could get a pass-first PG would be for a trade for a guy like Andre Miller. But who would we give up? I think the Wiz have a really good team right now, with parts that fit together well and compliment each other -- including the backups. We'll probably just have to suck it up and hope we can stay afloat until AD and then Gil are back.

Who'd have ever thought AD would be so very important to this team? At times last year, it seemed he was an afterthought. Another great pickup by Ernie, who's made precious few mistakes on the job.

Kieth,

Although I wasn't nearly as persistent about it as some of the Haywood boosters are, I thought Eddie made a mistake last season not playing Daniels more prior to Arenas getting hurt. I've thought for a while that he's one of the top backup PGS in the league (and clearly pretty handy as a starter).

Its rather blockheadish to state that PG's are suppose to run the team, and SG are suppose to shoot, and SF are suppose to be the combination between SG and PF... yada, yada, yada...

Everything doesnt fit into a nice little package with a bow on it. In fact, more often than not, players wear multiple hats for many reasons. Its what people call "interchangeable players". Coaches love interchangeable players, why? Coach it gives them flexibility, which is another word coaches love.

Also, the Princeton Offense doesnt need a true PG running it to be successful. What you do need are players that all can pass and move without the ball, which would mean your C would have to break the stereotypes of the C position in order to make it work.

Keith, welcome back...!! Always great to have another BTH Club member back in the fold. As I said earlier, I hope EJ moves NY back to the bench for now and let him come in the game with Wilks.

I think that will serve NY better and the team as a whole. The youngsta has crazy upside and I can not wait to see him in two to three years put it all together.

By the way, anyone notice AB's game seems like it has been in decline these past 10 to 12 games? It must be his foot really bothering him. He is not moving the same as he did earlier in the season.

Young was slotted as the starting PG (a fact which even the idiot who wrote the original post conceded). As part of that "slot" he got more ballhandling duties. Sorry to burst your bubble, but getting the ball over halfcourt against pressure is, in fact, one of the PG's primary duties.

Posted by: kalorama
-------------------------------------------
Who "slotted" Young as PG? Did EJ ever say that?

And BTW who is this idiot? Did kalorama just invented an idiot, and then agree with his own invention? Amazing!

Don't feed the trolls...even the anonymous ones...

I have a 20 game package (being forced to full season tickets next year to keep my seats), so I watch half of the games at home, and half at the VC. I see much more of the game in person. I see everything, not just what the camera decides to point to, (off ball action, the coaches, the benches, beginning of plays instead of mid-play because a replay was on).

You do miss the commentary, but half of the time I disagree with the Comcast crew anyhow. If only Buch could get a name right, or Phil not be afraid to correct him. You also miss the replays. They will not replay a controversal call.

And if HD is so great, whose got one bigger than the one hanging in VC?

everyone on this site is pathetic. You all fight like a bunch of 3rd grade little girls. Go get a job or a life and quit acting like you know anything about basketball.

I like HD better...no I like the game better......I like gil...no trade gil

Everyone on this blog is sad I pray for all of you

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

Two reasons why Les BouleS lost last night.

1. AD was not playing. He would have controlled the tempo of the game and the guys would have been more organized.

2. Gilby opened up his blowhole just like he did right before the Boston game, even though it was to a lesser extent. If Gilby wants to help this team while he's out nursing his boo boo, he should just serve gatorade, water, and hand out towels during the game. Not open up his stupid yap.

Tarence Kinsey is who the wiz should pick up. He is cheap and will be a solid backup. Wouldn't mind picking up hakim warrick while were at it and giving that pathetic draft pick ernie got for navarro back to the grizz.

I agree with DCMANN88 for once main reason was daniels though

If EG could have convinced that tightwad Abe to open up his wallet earlier, then Les BouleS would have had a PG in place to help out AD. Instead, the new guy got a crash course and didn't have any PT. Too little, too late.

Thanks to the DC taxpayers, Fenty and his cronies can enjoy games and concerts off the backs of the DC taxpayers. I'm glad Abe the grinch was able to offer this up for just 50 mil, to make the Fenty and Rhee kids dreams come true.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902241.html

Notice DCTroll is continually trashing Abe but I want to ask...what the hell has DCTroll done for the city of DC? Answer: not one damn thing!

"Notice DCTroll is continually trashing Abe but I want to ask...what the hell has DCTroll done for the city of DC? Answer: not one damn thing!

Posted by: | December 20, 2007 07:06 PM "

And?

It won't stop me from continuing to post. Abe is a cheap bastard, like it or not. That's why this franchise is known around the league to be cheap.

------------------------------------------

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

------------------------------------------

Go tell all the sportswriters out there that they have no right to judge either, since most of them never played pro sports, going by your warped logic.

And DCTroll is simply a bastard...with no life.....never played basketball....does not live in DC so truly has nerve calling himself DC anything....all he does is cut and paste...cut and paste...cut and paste....rehashing articles from ages ago..and bash. What a sad life.

Slurp. Mmm. Slurp.

Don't you read? He's got a 61", make that 71", make that 91" HDTV. (Funny, I thought 7" or 8" would be more his style . . .

"And DCTroll is simply a bastard...with no life.....never played basketball....does not live in DC so truly has nerve calling himself DC anything....all he does is cut and paste...cut and paste...cut and paste....rehashing articles from ages ago..and bash. What a sad life.

Posted by: | December 20, 2007 07:31 PM "

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

-------------------------------------------

On a larger scale, Jordan wants to win now. Like any coach who signed a two-year extension with a team option for the third year last summer, the continuity line gets old.

"But I understand Mr. Pollin's standpoint," Jordan said. "We want to stay within a certain budget for the Washington Wizards. We're not going to be like four or five or six other teams that can do anything it takes to win. Those are decisions we made within the organization. It doesn't bother me. There are times when you say, 'How come we can't get this guy?' But then you say, 'These are the parameters the organization has set.' "

The only thing keeping DC "Man"88 from suicide is this blog.

The troll lost a huge bet when Gil missed two free throws in a playoff game, he said, and so now he spends every waking moment bashing Gil. That way he can try to cope with losing all that money. Anyone notice he NEVER denies this? That's because several of us remember his posts here complaining about the $7,000 bet he lost.

That's right. DC Man88 never bashed Gil until he missed those two free throws and the troll lost that bet. Before that happened, no Gil bashing. Now, he bashes him more than ever. He must be contemplating suicide again, but he vents here instead to soothe his pain.

How do you explain that, DC Fool88?

Gilby better watch out. Laura might pull a Susan Smith and even commit suicide while taking the kids with her. Then, Gilby will be truly sorry and have an even quieter home. At least his walls will be permanently clean. It'll probably work out for Gilby either way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Smith

----------------------------------------------

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

-------------------------------------------

On a larger scale, Jordan wants to win now. Like any coach who signed a two-year extension with a team option for the third year last summer, the continuity line gets old.

"But I understand Mr. Pollin's standpoint," Jordan said. "We want to stay within a certain budget for the Washington Wizards. We're not going to be like four or five or six other teams that can do anything it takes to win. Those are decisions we made within the organization. It doesn't bother me. There are times when you say, 'How come we can't get this guy?' But then you say, 'These are the parameters the organization has set.' "

Why won't you try to deny that your hateful posts about Gil are solely the result of Gil missing two free throws which caused you to lose a huge bet, DC Fool88?

Owned.

2cents, I had season tickets before this year and now I watch the HD games via NBA ticket. You're right in that you can definitely see and hear things in person that you won't see and hear on tv. It's a completely different experience if you're close enough to hear players. This game is extremely physical when you watch up close. There's a whole other game going on off the ball that tv doesn't show. You're right about that!

"Why won't you try to deny that your hateful posts about Gil are solely the result of Gil missing two free throws which caused you to lose a huge bet, DC Fool88?

Owned.

Posted by: | December 20, 2007 09:55 PM "

-----------------------------------------------

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

-------------------------------------------

On a larger scale, Jordan wants to win now. Like any coach who signed a two-year extension with a team option for the third year last summer, the continuity line gets old.

"But I understand Mr. Pollin's standpoint," Jordan said. "We want to stay within a certain budget for the Washington Wizards. We're not going to be like four or five or six other teams that can do anything it takes to win. Those are decisions we made within the organization. It doesn't bother me. There are times when you say, 'How come we can't get this guy?' But then you say, 'These are the parameters the organization has set.' "

There is a cool story about Caron giving out bikes to kids in his hometown on Dan Steinberg's blog. Check it out.

Truth is: Wizards haven't played a descent team in weeks. Nets were in a funk - not playing up to par. Miami? There is no Miami-who'd they win against? the beat a bunch of mediocre teams - period. Yes - a win is a win..but don't go selling the ranch over this team.

"Arenas going down was probably the best thing that could have happened for the Wizards. It brought about better chemistry, ball movement, and commitment to the offense."

They're a tired team who will be going "no where." Fellas, just keep enjoying their "wins" over dysfunctional teams.

This is the article quote re: the Wiz.

Who would name a team - The Wizards- anyway.

I don't think anyone is "selling the ranch." Everyone is pumped because we finally have a team that has heart instead of the fragile, whiny teams that we were used to seeing here for years. Miami & NJ are not the elite teams of the NBA, but they were teams that had the Wizards number the past couple of years. Finally the Wizards have players that don't quit when they hit adversity.

"Who would name a team - The Wizards- anyway."

I'm gonna assume that is a question, even though there is no question mark to identify it as such.

The team was named by the local fans though a contest. It was either "Wizards" or "Sea Dogs" if I remember correctly.

Why does the Idiot/troll keep posting the same paragraph repeatedly? Is someone debating with him ? Talking sense to him/her is like trying to catch a fart in your hand. It's impossible but even if it were possible, do you REALLY want to do it?

Someone is having multiple personality issues...

...and then Gilby and Laura fought and then made up and then made some cookies. Gilby is a deadbeat dad and Gilby is selfish. Gilby cares about only Gilby and talks and shoots too much and makes the team worse. Gilby's team is better without Gilby. Gilby owes me $7000.
Both Gilby and Bo know your sister.
Gilby 'knows' me.
I love Gilby.

"Why does the Idiot/troll keep posting the same paragraph repeatedly? Is someone debating with him ? Talking sense to him/her is like trying to catch a fart in your hand. It's impossible but even if it were possible, do you REALLY want to do it?

Posted by: | December 21, 2007 08:58 AM "

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

-------------------------------------------

On a larger scale, Jordan wants to win now. Like any coach who signed a two-year extension with a team option for the third year last summer, the continuity line gets old.

"But I understand Mr. Pollin's standpoint," Jordan said. "We want to stay within a certain budget for the Washington Wizards. We're not going to be like four or five or six other teams that can do anything it takes to win. Those are decisions we made within the organization. It doesn't bother me. There are times when you say, 'How come we can't get this guy?' But then you say, 'These are the parameters the organization has set.' "

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

-------------------------------------------

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Well I just read Ivan's article, and it looks like I was totally wrong. It says that Les BouleS lost to the Bulls because both of their point guards are hurt, and they could not hit any shots. All along I have been blaming the loss on Gilby's blog and Abe Polin being cheap. Wow, do I look stupid or what???!!!! I am leaving the blog forever now to do something constructive with my time, like volunteer at a homeless shelter or give to Toys for Tots. I will be leaving this Les BouleS blog for people, that you know, actually like Les BouleS. Crazy idea, but I think it may work. I am sorry to everyone on the blog that I have offended. Sorry to Gilbert, Caron, and the Wizards for giving them stupid, demeaning nicknames. Most of all I am sorry to Gilbert for my bizarre attacks on his personal life. Gilbert, I realize now that even though I do not like you as a player and I think you are a loudmouth, that your family is off limits. Goodbye forever everybody! I am off to find fulfillment in my life by being happy with myself, instead of crudely insulting others. Farewell!

Kalorama is another one of those douche bags (like DCMoron) who can never admit they have ever been wrong in anything they've done or said. When caught in the wrong, they are always trying to spin their lies one way or another until it becomes so vague that there isn't a point to pin them on.

Before I go, Merry BWAHAHA to everyone.

And Gilby, if you're reading this I hope you like the present I got you. BTW, those kneepads are for ME, not you.

I second the comment re: Kalorama.
Dbag.

Armstrong, Paxson, and Fisher all play in the triangle offense. There is no true PG in that offense, even less so than the Princeton offense. Remember Ron Harper? He started for the Bulls too as the so called PG for that offense. Did he ever play any PG for a regular offense? N-O!

Friends, Morons, and countrymen....

I'm not going anywhere! Surprise!

People can continue to post using my name, but the DC Man88 handle will continue to exist. Either celebrate, or go hide under your beds.

I don't care either way.

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You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2007/11/29/gilbert-arenas-is-lonely-for-now/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121000006.html

WOW! I like the new DC88'er already! Too bad we still have the one douche bag left in Kalorama.

At Princeton last year, the leading assists guy got 3 a game. every one else that got minutes was between 1 and 2 per game. That says to me that there is no true PG in that offense. I'm not the same poster as above, either.

Wishful thinking Anon! Oh well, troubled douche bags like these will eventually do something to kill themselves sooner rather than later. When that happens, surely they won't be missed! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Please ignore the post labeled with my handle at 10:56 AM. That was not me. BTW GO Wizards GO! GO Wizards GO!

You're right. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear news that Gilby drowned himself in his new pool and his body was found in the grotto.

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2007/11/29/gilbert-arenas-is-lonely-for-now/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/10/AR2007121000006.html

Before he drowned himself he will probally off his mom, kids, and Laura first.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Just like Susan Smith!

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

***PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO DCMAN88. HE IS CRUDE, VULGAR AND HIS COMMENTS ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THIS FORUM****

HS ALSO HAS A DISTURBING FIXATION ON GILBERT ARENAS (GILBY IN HIS WORLD) AND IS CONCERNED WITH GILBERT'S PERSONAL LIFE IN A WAY THAT IS UNNATURAL...UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO BE 'HAPPY'....NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

Someone perform the Heimlich on DCTroll. No sound coming out except 'BWAHAHA'. Sounds like he has something stuck in his throat. Probably a Gilbert Arenas bobblehead. That's what u get for putting GA's head in your mouth.
MUAHAHAHA !

Gilby also mentioned Kevin Everett in his blog. Way to go Gilby, now when Les BouleS play the Bills, they will lose just like the Boston and Chicago games. Gilby congratulated Kevin for being able to walk again after his terrible injury. Gilby was obviously being sarcastic, as I have documented in the past with hyperlinks, how Gilby only thinks of himself. Hey Gilby, shut your blowhole, you hunk! When Les BouleS get beaten by the Bills it will be because of Gilby's blog and Abe Polin being to cheap to buy good special teams.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

DERP!

http://my.nba.com/forum.jspa?forumID=400032200

"I asked Arenas last month what he thought the Wizards had to do to appease his wishes. He wouldn't campaign for the Wizards to acquire certain players, but he did say, "If you want a championship, you got to get a championship team."

He added: "I know this might not sound right, but the championship teams treat themselves like champions. You go into Miami's locker room, I'm like, 'Wow, what the hell is this?' Everything from their game-day meals for their players to every state-of-the-art thing you can imagine. As a player, why would you want to leave the locker room? I could sit there all day.

"We've been doing a better job, but it comes down to this: You treat your players like champions, they want to be champions," he added. "All the best teams in the league treat themselves first-class every day. Other players come over and think, 'They got this, they got that. Oh, I want to be here.' "

Whether Arenas was telling Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld to upgrade the Wizards' facilities is up for debate. But he was clearly illustrating how the defending champions take care of their players. How the Wizards interpret Arenas's words gets to the issue of how much leverage stars have in this league."

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On a larger scale, Jordan wants to win now. Like any coach who signed a two-year extension with a team option for the third year last summer, the continuity line gets old.

"But I understand Mr. Pollin's standpoint," Jordan said. "We want to stay within a certain budget for the Washington Wizards. We're not going to be like four or five or six other teams that can do anything it takes to win. Those are decisions we made within the organization. It doesn't bother me. There are times when you say, 'How come we can't get this guy?' But then you say, 'These are the parameters the organization has set.' "

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You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

-------------------------------------------

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

What an idiotic remark! The Bills are a FOOTBALL team...not an NBA team. Wizards will never play the Bills.

What an IDIOT!!!!!

Whoever mentioned Tarence Kinsey got props, the guy has good talent - just needs a chance. He is a wing player though, not that much of a ball handler type PG we desperately need.

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

-------------------------------------------

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

-------------------------------------------

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Slurp!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

DCMan88 drinks his own pee.

*ahem* *ahem* *ahem*
mii, mii, mii, miiiiiiiiii

On the 12th day of Christmas
my hero Gilby gave to me:

12 40pt games

11 Happy teammates

10 Hot hibachis

9 Halo titles

8 Sweet Gil Zeros

7 Reasons to live

6 Assists per game

5 Funny quotes

4 Point play

3 Time All-Star

2 League records

and memories of a game winning 3!

BHA HA HA!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays bloggers!
And to all a win over the Hawks!
BWA HA HA!

I hope the Wizards do well tonight. They should. They have a lot more experience than the Hawks, and they should do good. That would prove to ernie that we don't need Gil after all. We should spend that max money on another player who's more team oriented and actually cares for the team, not just himself and his agenda.

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

That sound you hear is DC Man88 having a psychotic break. I still luv him though!

If DC Man88 has a psychotic break, but no one cares, does he make a sound?

Let's go Wizards!!

"I second the comment re: Kalorama. "

Of course you second it, because you wrote it the first time. Please, give it a rest, already. Nobody's buying it.

"If DC Man88 has a psychotic break, but no one cares, does he make a sound?

Posted by: Confucius | December 21, 2007 05:17 PM "

Not as sweet as when Gilby broke the tendon in his knee. Now that was a sweet break.

HALLELUJAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell!!!

Did DC88 loose his mind or something. What is up with those posts. They have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Who is this person and why SO MANY disparaging tasteless remarks about Gilbert and other posters. Can the host of this forum not ban this person from the sight? Everyone else comments seem to stay on topic and are relevant, but this person.........Can somebody say, psycho or deranged because that is how this person posts sound.

When called a psycho sometimes is better to be quiet, than open mouth and remove all doubt.

Man, the Wiz have started flat. What happened to the improved defense?

Man, the Wiz have started flat. What happened to the improved defense?

"When called a psycho sometimes is better to be quiet, than open mouth and remove all doubt.

Posted by: Confucius | December 21, 2007 06:49 PM "

You know what? When stuff goes bad it goes bad. I just broke up with my girlfriend and I don't get to see my kids for a while because of the breakup.

That happened right before those two games last week. I was so happy, went out and performed well with 30 and 11 and came back the next night with 28 and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, it was her that was bringing my spirits down..."

Now she's back in California. You ask for space, you know, because everything feels closed in ... the house is dirty, the kids are drawing on the walls and on the couches and you're thinking, "Oh man, I can't do this. I'm not playing well and I'm coming home to all this."

So you ask for space and now you got clean walls, clean furniture and you're lonely.

And now you got to sit out three months. Oh man. I guess it has to get bad so it can get good.

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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

When called a psycho sometimes is better to be quiet, than open mouth and remove all doubt.

Yet again.