<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> RICHMOND -- Perhaps it all became clearer to Andray Blatche after his brush with a faux prostitute that resulted in an embarrassing charge of solicitation in early August.</p> </p> Perhaps in the days that followed, with his contract negotiations hanging in the balance and with teammates offering their unsparing perspective, Blatche came to realize that there was no place to hide, no one to blame but himself.</p> </p> Perhaps it all crystallized for Blatche during that period, as those in his midst challenged him to reflect on who he was and what he wanted to be in the NBA.</p> </p> You see, Blatche also had to confront the charges that did not concern the faux prostitute: that he was rudderless, that he loved the NBA lifestyle but not necessarily the game, that he burned all his money in nightclubs and barely knew his way to the weight room, that all he had shown so far in the NBA was the ability to recover from a gunshot wound.</p> </p> "At first, when I came to the team, I didn't give it my all," the third-year forward said yesterday following practice at Siegel Center.</p> </p> That public admission, of course, is the first step to becoming an essential part of the Wizards.</p> </p> Ernie Grunfeld, Eddie Jordan and the rest of the staff entrusted with guiding the Wizards to the top of the Eastern Conference this season see signs of maturity in Blatche. They see a more confident player, a more committed one and, hopefully, one who finally accepts the responsibilities of being a professional athlete.</div></p> Source: Washington Times</p>
This is terrific news, with Etan Thomas out and Antawn Jamison getting older, Blatche will have to be ready to take on a bigger role day by day. I think it was clear that he could've put more out on the floor the past 2 years but he still was a solid contributer off the bench at points in the season. Blatche is very talented and I could see him putting up big numbers in the years to come but his attitude was always a problem, now that this is changed the sky's the limit.</p>
If he only woulda gone to Syracuse...Beoheim mighta been able to slap him into shape. He's always had great talent and potential, but didn't show it enough.</p> Still, as always, I'll be pulling for him. After seeing him play in high school, I always hoped i could enjoy seein him play again.</p>
I remember Jamison last season talking about him taking the second bus as a young player, and getting on him about it. It would be nice if he had the same work ethic as Opec.</p>
