Wizards Insider

Morning brew

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:37:07 -0500

To borrow Michael Lee's phrase from his postgame thoughts, Friday night's game will be remembered for the Wrath of Tawn. Nothing pretty about the 102-86 loss to the Pacers in Indianapolis. Antawn Jamison, to his credit, spoke up and let his teammates have it. But other than that, there wasn't much in the way of highlights. Certainly not in the box score. Well, Brendan Haywood getting 19 rebounds looks impressive. The Washington Times was also on hand for this listless performance. Not a good way to end the week. And look, the Phoenix Suns are coming up. The same Phoenix Suns team that just knocked off the previously undefeated Celtics at home. As usual, the highlights courtesy of NBA.com, such as they are: Around the league... We had 13 games on Friday and plenty of highlights, from the Cavaliers' LeBron James dropping 33 on the Knicks at MSG to the

Pacers 102, Wizards 86

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:21:14 -0500

Simple question: What happened out there? Andray Blatche buttoned his shirt, pondered his answer, but the words couldn't come out. He threw on his black bubble-vest coat, still struggling to explain the most troubling loss of the season for a Washington Wizards team that entered this season with high expectations. "I don't know. I swear I don't know what to say after that one," Blatche said. "Tough one. This whole game, I'm just speechless. I can't say nothing about this game." Blatche was probably spooked by the Wrath of Tawn. Antawn Jamison isn't expected to be back in uniform for another week or so because of his sprained right shoulder, but that doesn't mean that he isn't passionate about the direction of his team. So, after watching his teammates lose their third in a row -- an embarrassing blowout to a struggling team that entered the game with just

Wizards (2-3) at Pacers (1-3)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:44:27 -0500

Wizards starters: Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, Caron Butler, Fabricio Oberto, Brendan Haywood Pacers: T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones, Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert Line: Pacers by 1.5. Shaquille O'Neal's hard foul on DeShawn Stevenson has officially been upgraded to a flagrant one penalty foul. O'Neal flattened Stevenson in the second quarter of the Wizards' 102-90 loss in Cleveland on Tuesday, delivering a body shot and a chop to the head that elicited cheers from Cavaliers fans. Stevenson said he landed on his surgically repaired back and received some treatment after developing a "knot" on his shoulder. "Part of basketball," Stevenson said. "He hit me and I fell straight on my back. I'm alright, though. I think it's just he's a big dude, small dude got fouled." At halftime, O'Neal apologized to Stevenson for nearly decapitating him. "I known Shaq since the summertime. We hung out a lot," Stevenson said. "Shaq's

The Other Side: Indiana Pacers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:07 -0500

Like the Wizards, Indiana (1-3) has been dealing with injuries early in the season, with Mike Dunleavy still recovering from right knee surgery and Troy Murphy going down on Tuesday with a bruised lower back. The Pacers are coming off their first win of the season, defeating the New York Knicks, 101-89, on Wednesday. Here's what else you need to know about the Pacers. Thanks for giving me a little space, little man. (AP Photo) 1. This is a special night in Indianapolis as the Pacers will have a special tribute to the late Mel Simon, who with his brother Herb bought the team in 1983 and made sure it didn't leave. Indiana will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of Conseco Fieldhouse, which is one of, if not the coziest basketball venues in the NBA. Unfortunately for the Wizards, it's also a place where they haven't had

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Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:07 -0500

Nick Young to start vs. Indiana

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:06:43 -0500

In a rather surprising move, Wizards Coach Flip Saunders has decided to insert Nick Young into the starting lineup against Indiana in place of the injured Mike Miller. Miller sprained his left shoulder during the Wizards' 93-89 loss against the Miami Heat on Wednesday and isn't expected to return until next week at the earliest. Young didn't play against Miami, receiving his second DNP-Coach's Decision of the season, and has been used sparingly in the other three games. Young, a third-year guard, has scored just nine points in 27 minutes this season, after averaging 10.9 points last season. He started the preseason opener against Memphis but his inability to grasp Saunders's system on both ends of the floor pushed him out of the rotation. He missed his first nine field goal attempts of the season. Randy Foye started at shooting guard against New Jersey on Saturday but Saunders said he

Book review: 'When the Game Was Ours'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are iconic figures in NBA history. Long-time Wizards fans are no strangers to their last-second heroics and impossible shots. Their story (singular, since they will always be tied together) is immensely familiar and has been told many, many times in print and on video. So 30 years after they entered the NBA and 25 years after their first epic Finals showdown, along comes "When the Game Was Ours," a book by Bird and Johnson co-authored by Jackie MacMullan. The book, out this week, has already drawn headlines for what Johnson said about Isiah Thomas. Many have weighed in on that aspect, including a thoughtful piece by our very own Michael Wilbon. Putting the juicy publicity aside, what does this book add to the Johnson-Bird conversation? "This is our story, from the two people who lived it," Bird writes in his introductory essay. This is kind

Morning brew

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:05:12 -0500

In this morning's newspaper, Michael Lee writes about how the Wizards' offense is not flowing. And here on the blog he asks if Mike Miller should have returned to Wednesday's game after hurting his shoulder. Also, DC Sports Bog notes that the Wizards' television ratings are up this season. In the Washington Times, Mike Fratto reports on Antawn Jamison's recovery from his shoulder injury. Here is further analysis of Wednesday's game from Bullets Forever's Mike Prada and Truth About It. Elsewhere in the league: Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix examines the New York Knicks' "dangerous" plan to save salary cap space in hopes of luring LeBron James, who makes his first trip this season to Madison Square Garden tonight. James, a front-running Yankees fan, will surely get Knicks fans excited when he arrives in his "NY" cap.

Mike Miller's return causes more pain

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:25:31 -0500

Oooh...ah. No, that really hurts. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) There were a number of troubling developments from the game last night, but the most glaring was the sight of Mike Miller cringing and grimacing as he sprinted off the floor with a left shoulder injury. Miller is the third Washington Wizard starter to go down with an injury, and he is expected to miss the next seven to 10 days. But did it have to come to that? Miller proved that he is one tough dude when he suffered a mild left shoulder sprain early in the third quarter and returned to play about seven more minutes. Miller got hurt when he attempted to run through a screen. His arm immediately went limp but he played for a few seconds more before Flip Saunders sent DeShawn Stevenson into the game. Miller groaned and grimaced as head athletic

Morning brew

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:57:03 -0500

We had a double dose of Michael on hand for Wednesday night's 93-89 loss to the Miami Heat. Lee not only wrote the game story, but he also gave us the big picture in his postgame blog post. Meantime, Wilbon writes about Dwyane Wade, who dropped 40, while also taking inventory of the Wizards' situation. The D.C. Sports Bog writes about the latest Wizards injury, this one to Mike Miller. Imagine that. It had been days since the last one. Here's how the Washington Times saw it, and here's the game story from The Miami Herald. The Herald also took note of Michael Beasley's homecoming, which he handled much differently than last season. NBA.com's highlights package:

Heat 93, Wizards 89

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:39:01 -0500

Flip Saunders thought the final minute of the game wasn't as important as the first nine minutes, when the Washington Wizards sleepwalked, turned into spectators to the Dwyane Wade show and found themselves down by 19 points. But even after that miserable start, the Wizards were in position to beat the Heat. Instead, they beat themselves. The final 90 seconds almost made the valiant comeback unnecessary, because it basically turned what could've been a more acceptable blowout loss on the second end of back-to-back games into an excruciatingly painful loss. After Gilbert Arenas dribbled down the clock, drove left around Heat point guard Mario Chalmers and made a difficult, hanging layup over Jermaine O'Neal, the Wizards led 89-87. The Heat responded with an O'Neal jumper to tie the game and it started to unravel for the Wizards from there. Wade blocked Caron Butler's drive to the basket, and when

Heat (3-1) at Wizards (2-2)

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:47:06 -0500

Wizards starters: Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, Caron Butler, Fabricio Oberto, Brendan Haywood Heat: Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal Line: Wizards by 2.5. According to two league sources, the NBA will upgrade Shaquille O'Neal's crushing personal foul against DeShawn Stevenson to a flagrant foul. With the Wizards leading 41-28 with about seven minutes left in the second period, Stevenson was driving to the basket when O'Neal stepped up and knocked Stevenson on his back. Stevenson was on the ground for several seconds, writhing in pain, before eventually getting up and making both free throws. Coach Flip Saunders again talked about the importance of his players maintaining their composure in difficult situations. The Wizards built an 18-point lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers but fell apart after several calls went against them, with Shaquille O'Neal putting all of their big men in foul trouble. "I talked to them

The Other Side: Miami Heat

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:04:12 -0500

If you want me to inspire you, Wizards, I will. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) The Miami Heat is a walking billboard for what the Washington Wizards want to accomplish: Want to go from putrid to the playoffs? Follow these steps. First, hire a new coach. Next, have your all-star guard with a history of knee troubles spend an entire summer in Chicago with renowned trainer Tim Grover. Play hard, and hello postseason. The Heat made a dramatic turnaround last season, going from 15 wins to 43 wins, a 28-game turnaround that ranks among the best in NBA history. After two injury-plagued seasons, Dwyane Wade spent a summer with Grover and was reborn as a league's most valuable player candidate. Problem for Miami was that Wade was a one-man show with little to no help and it led to a first-round exit against the Hawks. Miami didn't make any major

Going to tonight's game?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:33:21 -0500

Please submit photos to our Wizards Fan Gallery. There are some pretty funny ones on there from Halloween's home opener. Also, the "NBA on ESPN RV Tour," a promotion for ABC and ESPN, will be at Verizon Center today. Maybe you can get some free stuff. From the news release: The RV will be located outside of the Verizon Center, from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday, November 4. The RV will open its doors at 4:00 PM, allowing fans to tour the RV, as well as participate in activities such as free throw contests, vertical jump challenges, souvenir photo stations, and more. NBA on ESPN branded premiums, such as mini-basketballs, T-shirts, backpacks and rally towels will also be given away at the RV.

Morning brew [Updated]

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:57:38 -0500

Well, then... As Mike Miller said in Michael Lee's game story, "it's a 48-minute game. They played all 48." They, of course, are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who absorbed a massive haymaker from the Wizards and completed a 30-point turnaround to win, 102-90. Plenty to chew on as the Wizards fell to 2-2, and Mr. Lee lays it all out, the good and the bad, in his postgame blog post, which features another video closeup by our intrepid reporter. Dan Steinberg of our very own D.C. Sports Bog posted late last night proof that the Cavaliers really DO care about this rivalry. And we're certain this is not going to make Wizards fans feel better, not after he scored 27 points. Here's how the Washington Times saw it, and over in Cleveland, suddenly things don't seem so bad. The Cavaliers have won three straight, and LeBron is happy. For now. Before

Cavaliers 102, Wizards 90 [UPDATED]

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:16:22 -0500

The Washington Wizards had a number of places where they wanted to affix the blame after a disappointing loss in Cleveland. Brendan Haywood targeted the referees, who put the Wizards in a compromising position after they allowed Shaquille O'Neal to turn back the clock, clock the Wizards and send big man after big man to the bench in foul trouble. Gilbert Arenas pointed at a lack of ball movement and offensive continuity after the Wizards watched an early 18-point lead rapidly turn into a surprising 16-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. But Mike Miller perhaps put placed the blame where it lied most: on the Wizards' own lack of composure and their quickness to surrender to adversity. The Wizards had to know that they weren't going to just walk into the Quicken Loans Arena and stomp all over the Cavaliers. Not with so much history between these two