Washington Wizards « 202SportsBlog

Third straight for Wiz over Celtics

April 10, 2008 at 10:43 pm | In Boston Celtics, Celtics, Kevin Garnett, NBA, Washington Wizards, Wizards | Leave a Comment

The Wizard’s season is nearly over and I am disappointed that I have not been able to write about it. Work, school, life and more life have prevented me from commenting this season. But, enough about my troubles.

I was in Las Vegas this week on business, but I was able to catch the end of the Wizards – Celtics game. It was a pleasure to watch the Wiz beat the NBA’s “best” team for the third time. Some could argue that the Celtics, who wrapped up first place in the East, did not have anything to play for. I would suggest that argument is hollow. Kevin Garnett and the Celtics have pride, they had lost the previous two games to the Wizards – back-to-back I might add – and they did not want to lose three straight. In fact, Doc Rivers suggested that his starters would not play as much in this game, but yet late in the fourth quarter there they were. This was definitely not a game the Celtics were content to lose, the Wizards won this game.

Games like this for the Wizards are encouraging, they show that they can, when focused and healthy, play with any team in the NBA. However, they have games like this every season, at least over the last four seasons. But, they don’t seem to capitalize off of these experiences. They often follow them up by playing distractedly, or at least with what appears to be less effort. It would be nice, if they could finally take an experience like this and use it to finally push their game to that next level. As players, they don’t seem to want to do the things that they need to do on a nightly basis. This team, in the Eastern conference, has the ability to be as good as any. Injuries aside, they have not stepped up to become one of those teams.

And while they have been troubled with injuries throughout this season, it appears that they will now have the opportunity to exercise their Cleveland Cavalier demons. If the Wizards are going to take that next step, what better team to do that to then Cleveland – a team that has had their number in the past two playoffs.

Arenas takes the season’s first shot… at Haywood

September 25, 2007 at 10:28 pm | In Brendan Haywood, Gilbert Arenas, NBA, USA Today, Washington Wizards, Wizards | Leave a Comment

Picture yourself on business travel, sitting in a restaurant having breakfast. You open up the USA Today that was left outside your hotel room door. Flip open to the sports section and begin reading the story about Gil talking about the Wiz’s chances this season and BOOM!!! The first shot is fired across the bow:

“No matter if Etan is the starter or the backup, he’s going to give you the same kind of energy and the same kind of play,” Arenas explained. “Brendan will give you three-four (strong) games (off the bench) because he’s mad, then he’s going to tank it.”

While the content of the quote does not surprise me, the timing does. Maybe this was a way for Gil to remind Wiz management to do everything in their power to get rid of him. And if they are unsuccessful, it could serve as a verbal kick to Brendan’s pants. What also surprised me was that the quote was buried deep in the story, I would have thought that the writer would have lead with the quote. I am also a bit surprised that it has not gotten much play in the local media as well.

Maybe the issue is that Gil only said what we all knew. We can see Brendan quit on his team nearly every year. For someone who is as consistently inconsistent as him, he – like a number of athletes – feels as if he is owed some respect, for under performing. I do give Gilbert credit for saying publicly what we all see. Often it is rare for an athlete to call out another athlete. But, there comes a time when you have tried all other methods that you are left with “spanking that ass” publicly. If the Wiz cannot successfully move Haywood, maybe Gil’s comments will serve to light a fire inside Brendan that lasts beyond December 31. Oh, never mind I am talking about Brendan Haywood. Sorry, I forgot.

Close call at DeShawn’s house

August 21, 2007 at 4:20 pm | In DeShawn Stevenson, Ivan Carter, NBA, Tim Lemke, Washington Post, Washington Times, Washington Wizards, Wizards | Leave a Comment

I’ve been reading Ivan Carter’s and Tim Lemke’s versions of the shooting in front of DeShawn’s house. First, let me point out that it is good that no one got injured – with the exception of the person who, reportedly, started all of the drama. Depending on which version you believe there is some doubt between whether DeShawn was sleep when the shots began at his house. The reality is who cares whether he was sleep or not. The fact so far is that he is not being accused of doing anything illegal. The reality is no one involved is talking – at least not on record. If he was up at 4 AM and returning from a nightclub, with a bunch of women, instead of being at home sleep… again who cares? The last I checked he is a 26 year old man who is capable of coming home in the off-season whenever he feels like coming home. Unless he is being accused of or being charged with something criminal – which he his not – I could care less.

What I do have a problem with is the fact that Tim Lemke felt it was necessary to point out a misdemeanor statutory rape charge from DeShawn’s past. One in which he served the punishment that the courts handed down, and to the best of our knowledge has never repeated. More importantly what does that situation from 5 years ago have to do with this incident? In a word…nothing. I would understand if DeShawn had gun charges in his past, then that might be relevant to point out. It would have been relevant if the ladies that were reportedly at his house were underage, then that fact would have been relevant. But as the facts currently stand, that information did not contribute at all to his story. I would love to hear what Tim expected the reader to gain from that fact?

What this story clearly points out is that as a celebrity, you need to be extremely careful. Even when it appears that you did nothing wrong, a story like this can take on a life of its own. From the facts that we know a man (Curtis Ruff) with a criminal past (and present) gained illegal access into DeShawn’s gated community. He then began arguing with a woman who was in the company of DeShawn and/or his friends. That man, who again was on the property illegally, then reportedly fired his weapon damaging private property. Finally, the man who reportedly conducted all of these crimes was the only person to sustain an injury. While I am not a newspaper reporter like Tim Lemke, it appears to be fairly easy to point out the facts without linking someone’s past to the present – especially when there does not appear to be a good reason to do so.

Can we go back to focusing on basketball now?