<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">On a night when the Washington Wizards should have been celebrating their 103-72 home rout of Atlanta, center Brendan Haywood stole the spotlight by criticizing coach Eddie Jordan's decision to bench him. "There isn't really anything to say," Haywood said after the team's second-biggest margin of victory this season. "I didn't find out until right before the game. Eddie didn't say anything to me about it. I probably would have liked to have it done in a different way. Come talk to me, sit down and tell me why that's happening. "He still hasn't said anything about it to me, and he probably won't. That's just his M.O.," Haywood continued. "I don't really know why I'm not starting. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you because I'm not really happy about it. But if he says that helps the team, so be it." Jordan started Calvin Booth at center and also removed All-Star Antawn Jamison from the starting lineup in favor of forward Michael Ruffin. With the strange lineup, Washington won for the first time this season when Gilbert Arenas didn't score at least 20. And rookies Andray Blatche and Donell Taylor had the best games of their young careers to give the Wizards a glimpse of what the future could hold. And while Jamison made the prudent decision to accept the temporary demotion with grace and class, the decision did not sit well with Haywood, who ripped into his coach. Jordan said Jamison hurt his knee and went down for about five minutes in practice on Tuesday. He said he called Jamison and suggested he was going to bring him off the bench. Jordan did not call Haywood with the same news, but Jordan said he played Booth with the starters for stretches during practice. Booth finished with two points and two rebounds in 14 minutes last night. "I guess he didn't feel he needed to call me," said Haywood, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds. "I talked to Antawn, and he said he knew sometime yesterday. But I guess I wasn't important enough on this team for him to call me and let me know that since I've been starting for the last couple of years for him that I wasn't going to start tonight. "That's the move he made, so be it, roll with it. I'm going to be here whenever the team needs me. But I'm not going to sit here and lie to y'all and give you the speech that I'm really happy about this. This is disappointing. I'm really disappointed with the way the team has played so far, I'm disappointed in myself and I'm disappointed in the way coach handled the situation." </div> Source
Well his desicion worked. i think he wanted jamison and haywood to wakeup and start to play inspired basketball. They will be inserted back into the lineup when they play harder that their less talented counterparts. guys have lost their work ethic and its important for players to know that if your on my team your gonna have to work for a starting position. Considering the wizards lineup thay have alot of talent but there is a lack of workethic and chemistry. GL Washington
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting michiganave17:</div><div class="quote_post">Well his desicion worked. i think he wanted jamison and haywood to wakeup and start to play inspired basketball. They will be inserted back into the lineup when they play harder that their less talented counterparts. guys have lost their work ethic and its important for players to know that if your on my team your gonna have to work for a starting position. Considering the wizards lineup thay have alot of talent but there is a lack of workethic and chemistry. GL Washington</div> You can't say if it worked or not, they played the worst team in the league. I don't get Eddie Jordan. Haywood has every right to be pissed. Jordan is imfamous for his horrible lineups. As for the Jamison benching, there's a sheer, slight hope in me that it's because he's on his way out in a deal about to be broken to the league, and the Wizards didn't want to risk injury. But I doubt it.
haywood has every right to criticize jordan, he didn't even talk to him... i mean hes the coach come on man talk to your players when this kinda stuff happens, and it probably wont work against indiana in the next game cuz they played the hawks, one of the worst and horriblest in the league, the wizards would have won with the line up before and gilbert arenas needs to go back to taking 25 shots
I'm not sure if I agree with it working. Haywood did not deserve to start though, Etan has been playing better than him, but I would've left Jamison as a starter.
The Lakers need to start making phone calls about Haywood. We have the other unhappy former big man, it's time to get the other one. Eddie Jordan seems to love coaching guards. Brian Cook is a 6'10 guard, Chris Mihm is a 7'1 guard, and then there's a buffet to choose from between Smush, Sasha, Green, and Von Wafer.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">The Lakers need to start making phone calls about Haywood. We have the other unhappy former big man, it's time to get the other one. Eddie Jordan seems to love coaching guards. Brian Cook is a 6'10 guard, Chris Mihm is a 7'1 guard, and then there's a buffet to choose from between <strike>Smush</strike>, Sasha, Green, and Von Wafer.</div> Now, it's perfect.
