After being ousted by the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, I thought I'd evaluate the Wizards this season and put in my two cents for next season. <u>Andray Blatche</u> Season Statistics: 2.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 0.3 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/andray_blatche.jpg[/imgl]Being billed the next Rashard Lewis, Andray Blatche started his rookie season off on the wrong foot. After attending a DC nightclub, Blatche was shot in the chest during an attempted car-jacking. It's incredible he made it alive. He's now cleaned his act up and stays at his house, his teammates house, or the bowling alley. He showed some brights spots this year for an 18 year old with raw talent and I expect things to be a little better next year. With a full off-season workout coming up, I expect Blatche to put up 5 PPG, 3 RPG, and 2 APG next year. He has the talent to score inside and out, rebound, and pass. I believe those talents will start peaking next year. Antawn Jamison told Blatche that he was the future of the ball club, the guy that replaces Jamison. That's a lot coming from an all-star, and Blatche will live up to it. GRADE: C <u>Gilbert Arenas</u> Season Statistics: 29.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.1 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/gilbert_arenas.jpg[/imgl]What is there to say? He had an incredible season. The 24 year old superstar made his second straight all-star appearance, was named co-captain of the Washington Wizards, awed fans around the nation, and got Washington into the play-offs for the 2nd straight year. This kid has one of the brightest futures in the NBA. He's in the superstar talent pool along with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and others. He is a gym rat, so expect his game to be even better next year. GRADE: A <u>Antawn Jamison</u> Season Statistics: 20.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.9 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/antawn_jamison.jpg[/imgl] I hate to say this, but I think Jamison has got to go. For a big man, he barely shot 44%. That's horrible. He had hot moments this season, and he had dud moments. We need a actual big man. We need a player that we can count on to dominate in the post. Antawn is a tweaner. His inside game isn't all that good, his outside game isn't all that good. The only thing I love about his game is his rebounding. His defense is attrocious. This might sound crazy, but if I'm Ernie Grunfeld...I'm shopping Antawn Jamison. GRADE: D <u>Caron Butler</u> Season Statistics: 17.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.5 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/caron_butler.jpg[/imgl]The Wizard swingman has found a home. He signed a contract extension with the Wizards, one he deserved. Caron quickly became a fan favorite after his hustle, dedication, and tough play. He can grab rebounds (grabbed 20 in a game this season) and he can score. He can also play tough defense. Caron is going to be here for awhile. I have a feeling he's part of the Wizards future they're building. If Blatche develops how he's expected to and Arenas doesn't change, Caron can be that player who does the dirty work for the Wizards. GRADE: B <u>Antonio Daniels</u> Season Statistics: 9.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.6 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/antonio_daniels.jpg[/imgl]After starting the season off horribly for the Wizards, Daniels came on strong. He was huge off of the bench in multiple games for the Wizards. Many fans gave up on him because he was struggling so bad, but once he got used to the game flow of Washington, things immediately changed for him. Next year should be even better. He's used to the offense. I'm looking for him to be a force off of the bench from game 1, he knows he can. GRADE: C+ <u>Jared Jeffries</u> Season Statistics: 6.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.9 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jared_jeffries.jpg[/imgl]The Wizards turned their season around when they inserted Jeffries as their starting SG. He wasn't offensively gifted for the Wizards, rather he had his impact on defense and the glass. He grabbed important rebounds, altered many shots, and locked down many great players for the Wizards all year long. I have been known to hate the guy, but I'm taking a liking to him. If he keeps it up for the Wizards, he can be their lockdown defender of the future. GRADE: B <u>Brendan Haywood</u> Season Statistics: 7.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.6 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/brendan_haywood.jpg[/imgl]Haywood was actually a huge let down this year. He got into many arguments with head coach Eddie Jordan about his playing time and it distracted the team, especially down the stretch. I don't think he has a future here in Washington, as the style of ball is all wrong. He's meant for a team like the Lakers, Spurs, or Pistons...not the Wizards. He has a lot of gifts. He has a nice baby hook and a little turnaround jumper that is always butter. He just needs a team that he can fully utilize his skills on. GRADE: D <u>Etan Thomas</u> Season Statistics: 4.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.2 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/etan_thomas.jpg[/imgl]Etan Thomas was nuetral this year. He didn't have a positive effect, nor a negative effect. Sometimes his energy hurt the team and sometimes it helped. He's not going to get any better than he is, but Eddie Jordan loves him. He'll continue to see playing time as long as Eddie is there. I'm not a fan of him, I think he does more harm than good. He doesn't look to pass when he starts working in the post. Sometimes he'll make the shot, but more than likely it'll be a brick. GRADE: C <u>Billy Thomas</u> Season Statistics: 2.2 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.5 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/billy_thomas.jpg[/imgl]There is a reason why Billy Thomas isn't such a popular player, and Eddie Jordan fails to realize that. Sure, he had some bright spots for the Wizards this year, but he isn't meant for the league. He didn't have a lasting effect on the team, he didn't change the course of the season, all he did was take minutes away from developing players. I don't expect him back next year. GRADE: F <u>Michael Ruffin</u> Season Statistics: 1.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.4 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/michael_ruffin.jpg[/imgl]Michael Ruffin does what Etan Thomas should do. He comes in to be a defense post presence. He knows he doesn't have offensive game, he doesn't try...like Etan. All he does is rebound, alter shots, block shots, and defend. He'll keep the opposing teams best driver out of the lane. The fans love him so does the organization. He's not going anywhere. GRADE: B <u>Donell Taylor</u> Season Statistics: 2.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.9 APG [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/donell_taylor.jpg[/imgl]Donell Taylor had a nice rookie year. His stats are misleading, because at the end of the year he was pretty effective for the Wizards. I have a feeling this kid could develop into the perfect role player. He has the drive and the determination to do it, and his skills aren't that bad. With some development, the Wizards could keep this kid to put around Blatche, Arenas, and Butler for the future. GRADE: C <u>Next Year</u> [imgl]http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sp/v/nba/teams/1/80x60/was.gif[/imgl]After a some-what disappointing 2005/2006 season, the Wizards should have a good season next year. They'll definitely be in the playoffs, I think as a 4th or 5th seed, again, but their experience will be much better. Their understanding of the game will be better. Their leader will be better. With the offseason now upon them, they'll fill in their holes and come back strong to prove that they an up and coming franchise in this league full of up and comers.
lol @ the ruffin jokes. anyways, really nicely written. i agree that jamison has been somewhat of a disappointment this season. i saw him in the playoffs, and to be honest, he didnt do as much as i expected. also, big props to my man caron for finally finding a home. he is a solid player and was one of my favorites last season with the lakers. the wizards are still a young team, and if it wasnt for a couple of defensive lapses, they could still be playing today. anyways, i expect to see the wizards back in the playoff hunt next season.
I never got around to reply in this, but nice write-up. I still don't see why Jamison is like a virus to the team to you. Sure, he isn't consistant and should be doing a lot better, but still, he can end droughts, end streaks with his shooting, espicially when Caron Butler or Gilbert Arenas has off nights, you can count of Jamison to pick-up the slack. Either way, bringing in Darius Songoila was a good pick-up, he can do a lot inside. On the positive side though, trading for Caron Butler couldn't have been better an he's proven to be part of the future on this team. Arenas has been flawless, can't wait to see him next season. Jared Jeffries has been a key for us on the defensive side and I hope to see him next year.
Woa, D for Jamison? Why do you hate Jamison so much? There's no way Jamison's play from last season deserved a D. Whether he defends or not, he tries, the guy increased his rebounding average to a career high to help the team, he put up ~21 PPG, and was not bad in his efficiency. To end the year his shooting was on fire. You can't look at his FG% and judge him. Jamison plays PF, but his offensive game is that of a SF, he's a jumpshooter. 75% of his FGA's were jumpers, he also shot 39.4% from downtown while taking 4.5 three's per. Jamison at the least had a B season. You can't rate a player on what it's not. We can't rate Shaq on how many three's or how well he shoot's from the line, similarly, we can't rate Jamison on things like his FG% or how much of a PF he is. Also I disagree about Jefferies turning around the season. His insertion at SG was only for offensive purposes, but really he was playing more PF and SF on the defensive end. I think the actual turnaround though was caused by Caron Butler's insertion into the starting lineup as opposed to the Jeffries move.
<div align="center"><u>Washington Wizards 2006-2007 Season Preview</u> <u>The 05-06 Recap</u></div> The Washington Wizards had a rough start of the season with the injury of Jarvis Hayes, lack of chemistry new additions, and lack of defense. They came off finishing strong in the season with Antonio Daniels coming off the bench strong with 15 points per game since the all-star break, Antawn Jamison shooting for 20 points a game with 9 rebounds per game, Caron Butler with career high 17 points, and Arenas leading the team with nearly 30 points per game, which led to a team record of 42-40 by the end of the season. [imgl]http://www.nba.com/media/wizards/arenas_200_031024.jpg[/imgl] Unfortunately though in the postseason, the Wizards were stopped short by the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James with questionable official ruling on the floor, not capitalizing near the end of the games, and perhaps lack of experience. They left game game 6 with a heart-breaker in overtime where Gilbert Arenas missed 2 critical free throws and Flip Murray hitting a daggering three pointer, which ended their season, and left the Wizards disappointed, but more hope for the Wizards in the 06-07 season. <div align="center">2006 Off-season Outlook</div> After the comments made by Gilbert Arenas stating for Ernie Grunfeld to ensemble a championship-caliber team, the general manager went out and made some decent off-season moves. Going out the draft, the Wizards selected 19th overall Oleksiy Pecherov and 2nd round draft pick Vladimir Veremeenko. Heading into the free-agency period, teams had interest in restricted free agent Jared Jeffries. Isiah Thomas of the Knicks made a big offer for him which made him sign and pleaded the Wizards not to match the offer, which they didn’t after they went signing DeShawn Stevenson to a minimum deal in replacement of him. Ernie Grunfeld has also surprised us with the signing of Darius Songaila who can be a presence down-low on offense and is already familiar with the Princeton offense back in Sacramento, so our eyes are focused, if he can benefit for this team. <div align="center"><u>Players Lost</u></div> <u>Jared Jeffries via Free Agency</u>: 6.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 1.9 apg Total Loss: 6.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 1.9 apg <div align="center"><u>Players Gained</u></div> <u>Darius Songaila via Free Agency</u>: 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 1.2 apg <u>DeShawn Stevenson via Free Agency</u>: 11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 2.0 apg <u>Oleksiy Pecherov via NBA Draft</u> <u>Vladimir Veremeenko via NBA Draft</u> Total Gain: 20.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 3.2 apg With Ernie Grunfeld showing how ruthless he is when it comes to losing players, he went out to retaliate and it looks like it’s going to benefit for the Wizards, so let’s see how the final roster looks. Breakdown: Starting Lineup [IMGL]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/gilbert_arenas.jpg[/IMGL]G Gilbert Arenas 6’4”, 215 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 29.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.1 apg, 42.3 mpg There’s no doubt you can see Gilbert’s desire to win an NBA Championship, which he’s gunning for one by the next couple of years and if Ernie Grunfeld does not do a lot to improve the roster, Gilbert may be gone by off season 2008. Gilbert Arenas has shown from since his rookie year that he’s a great leader, explosive, a great shooter, a playmaker, and very passionate. He’s leapfrogged in his second year with the Wizards playing 25 more games and scoring 6 more points and again last year scoring 29 points with 44% shooting. The last two years, the Wizards were sent home from the playoffs because their lack of containing key players, such as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and there has been roster moves from here and there and with the new additions. He’s also quite attracted the media over the summer claiming that he got a foul call during the FIBA Championships. He’s going to have a lot more on his back this season and now it’s time for the two-straight year 3rd All-NBA teamer Gilbert Arenas to prove them wrong. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/deshawn_stevenson.jpg[/IMGL]DeShawn Stevenson 6’5”, 210 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 32.3 mpg Deshawn Stevenson’s been brought to fill in the role of Jared Jeffries who’s job was to make a presence on the defensive end. Deshawn Stevenson has been known for his perimeter defense and the Wizards hope it will help the 36% the Wizards let from the perimeter last year. Last year, he’s been able to start all 82 games and score a solid 11 points to help the Orlando Magic, but he did have recent history with Orlando’s front office being frustrated by the lack of playing time in Winter of 2004 that he requested a trade out of Orlando. But recently this past off season, Deshawn opted out of the third and final year of his contract with Orlando and signed a two year minimum contract with the Washington Wizards looking to raise his stock values for a bigger contract in the future. For now, he’s looking to become a fan favorite in DC and help the Wizards get further into the playoffs. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/caron_butler.jpg[/IMGL]Caron Butler 6’7”, 228 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 17.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 36.1 mpg When Larry Hughes left Washington to join the Cavaliers, the Wizards knew they were missing a huge part of their lineup. Ernie Grunfeld went out and traded 1st pick overall bust Kwame Brown for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins. For Caron Butler quickly made a presence and replaced Larry Hughes with career high stats 17 points and 6 rebounds in 36 minutes. He quickly became a crowd favorite and worked his way up to the starting lineup creating chemistry between him, Arenas and Jamison becoming the new “Big 3”. Caron soon earned the nickname “tough juice” for his aggressive and passionate play. He earned his nickname after playing against the Cavaliers last year in the playoffs averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds. With his strength and athleticism, he’s able to drive to the hole, post up and set for rebounds. Caron Butler is going to be entering his 5th NBA season and look to improve his career numbers, become an all-star, and help lead this team far into the playoffs this season. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/antawn_jamison.jpg[/IMGL]Antawn Jamison 6’9”, 235 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 20.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 40.1 mpg Antawn Jamison is coming out of his best year as a Wizard scoring twenty points, grabbing 9 rebounds a game, and shooting career high 39% behind the arc, which puts the Wizards fifteenth in the league when it comes to three point shooting. Throughout his whole career, Antawn Jamison has been looked as a weak power forward not being able to guard the bigger men in this league, which has been part of the 11-32 record that happens when the opponent scores 100 or more, 25th in blocks, and 21st in defense overall last year. Antawn will need to bulk up and become a bigger threat on the defensive end if they want to improve these stats, 9 rebounds are impressive, but he still lacks behind the bigger power forwards in this league. The Wizards are lucky to have a combo forward like Antawn that can score behind the arc or down-low, but would become more noticeable if he was more aggressive. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/brendan_haywood.jpg[/IMGL]Brendan Haywood 7’0”, 263 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 7.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.6 apg, 23.8 mpg After a season in 04-05 that left fans hoping that he would breakout and become an elite center in this game, he’s become a let down the previous years. Brendan was disturbed of how he was involved with the offense, which led to arguments with head coach Eddie Jordan and it certainly wasn’t a positive. He’s going to have to know that his offense will come out of getting the offensive rebounds and that he will need to play his game and be a threat on the defensive end. Brendan will be a guy that will play noticeably decent every now and then, but he’s going to have to take advantage of every opportunity of what’s coming his way this season, or he’s out of Washington. Breakdown: Bench [IMGL]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/darius_songaila.jpg[/IMGL]Darius Songalia 6’8”, 248 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.6 apg, 23.8 mpg A veteran presence, defense and a 6’8” power forward who is already familiar with shooting in the Princeton offense and bodying up on big men in the league. That’s what the Wizards will expect from off-season pickup Darius Songalia. After Arenas’ made his comments about opting to leave in 2008, Ernie Grunfeld quickly attacked to improve on the front-court who can pick and pop, shoot, and know the system. This signing will sure add stability and consistency to the Wizards lineup at both forward positions. Darius is great talent to have and he plays with a lot of energy. Looking to establish a presence off the bench, he should he a breakout year. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/antonio_daniels.jpg[/IMGL] Antonio Daniels 6’4”, 205 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 28.8 mpg He had started off the first half of the season badly only shooting 35% percent for seven points before the all-star break, but afterwards, he dramatically improved with thirteen points, four rebounds and 48% shooting on the floor and came up big during the stretch near the end of the season where they needed him. Antonio has shown that he is a tough defender, quickness, slasher, and key player off the bench this season, over the course of last season. With his fans’ support and understanding of the offense, Antonio should have a better season this year and he is a player everybody should be keeping an eye on throughout the season. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/etan_thomas.jpg[/IMGL] Etan Thomas 6’10”, 260 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.2 apg, 15.8 mpg Eddie Jordan enjoys having Etan Thomas come off the bench and and have his energy and aggressiveness play for him. His stats aren’t all of that compared to the last couple of years, but he does go out, post on defenders, block shots and become aggressive on the glass, which is something the Wizards need. He’s had a neutral season to the fans, but this upcoming season, if he becomes a bigger threat off the bench with his post play, he’ll see a lot more playing time and fans. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jarvis_hayes.jpg[/IMGL] Jarvis Hayes 6’8”, 228 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 9.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 24.6 mpg Anybody remember Jarvis Hayes? Well, I did until now when I was breaking down who I needed to write for. Jarvis has suffered major knee injuries in the past two years that has sidelined him for most of the season and not returning until the next. With the stats and athleticism he’s bringing to the court when he’s healthy, he could become a key player this team, but that’s all going to count on if he can stay healthy for at least 60 games this season. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/michael_ruffin.jpg[/IMGL] Jarvis Hayes 6’8”, 248 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 1.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 13.6 mpg Now Michael Ruffin is another guy like Etan Thomas that goes out and do a lot of dirty work in the paint, no questions asked. That’s what gets him out on the court every night and become recognized. Over the past two years, Michael Ruffin has gotten used to the offense, extend plays by getting the offensive rebounds and a lot of hustling to show his dirty work. Now it’s only gotten him a point a game and three rebounds, but with depending with how many minutes he gets, you should see the stats improve this season. [IMGL] http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/donell_taylor.jpg[/IMGL] Donell Taylor 6’5”, 193 lbs 2005-2006 Stats: 2.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 9.1 mpg Donell Taylor had a decent rookie season with the Wizards, but the stats don’t show it. If you give him a couple of years, you will probably see him develop some play making skills in DC and become a key role player for this team. He’s going to need determination to count every minute out there and he certainly has the skills to do it, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he has to offer this season.
