The Washington Wizards are hurting real bad in a way that only losing teams with talent can hurt.

Oklahoma City 127 Washington Wizards 108

The Wizards are not just losing, but looking very disoriented while they do it. It is every man for themselves in a constant free agent tryout. This situation has Coach Flip Saunders boiling.

Wizards coach Flip Saunders said changes in the lineup can be expected when the team plays its next game at home Tuesday against Philadelphia. The team is off Sunday and has a practice scheduled Monday.

“We have guys that are frustrated that they’re not playing and I’m sure they are sitting there wanting opportunities,” Saunders said. “And guys will get opportunities starting Monday because we’re not getting it done as it is right now.”
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The only real threat a NBA coach can bring to the table is the threat of playing time and even that is weak, because if the coach loses he will have to take the blame. That is the way it works in the NBA.

The Washington Wizards hit new lows with a loss to Oklahoma City. The defense for the Wizards completely disappeared.

In the final 15 minutes, the Thunder outscored the Wizards 45-27.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 35 points, while Russell Westbrook added 26 and James Harden recorded 25 points. Caron Butler led the Wizards with 24 points, Gilbert Arenas had 23, and Antawn Jamison posted 22 points and 12 assists. Brendan Haywood had 16 rebounds and 14 points.
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No one doubts the talents of Gilbert Arenas

The accusations are flying now with Gilbert Arenas claiming players are playing for themselves and not the team. Yes, Gilbert Arenas said that and yes that is pretty funny.

Gilbert Arenas said players on the team had “hidden agendas,” noting that eight players on the team are free agents following the season.

“I guess when you start losing everyone wants to start pointing fingers everywhere else,” Arenas said. “I converted my game to try to get people involved, but at the end of the day, to be honest, this is the same team since three years ago. We added a couple of pieces, but everybody else is basically the same player.

“I’m sitting here thinking ‘Do I have to go in attack mode like I was two years ago to get us over this hump?’ I hope not. I hope we’re strong enough mentally that we can get over this.”

Arenas leads the team in total points and assists. But heading into Saturday’s game he had taken 55 more shots than the next player.

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That only served to set off Brendan Heywood, who claimed that some players need to check their egos at the door in reference that a certain Agent Zero might just be playing for his points and not for his team.

Will the Wizards pull out of this downward spiral and establish some team chemistry? It seems highly unlikely, but at the same time they may start winning with all the offensive talent on this squad and winning can go a long ways in bringing a team back together.

Image: Zuma Press

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Wow, this is news. Coach meets players before season starts. Who would have thought about doing that?

Supposedly Flip Saunders has been travelling all over … all over, uh, America to meet his new players, uh, well, his old players or rather the current players for the Washington Wizards, where Flip will be coaching.

The big key was getting to know Gilbert Arenas, because now that he knows him, Gilbert will straighten up and give a full effort all the time. cough cough cough. Good luck on that one, Flip. This Washington Wizard team is driven by two players that like themselves more than they like to play defense and you should like yourself if you want to be loved, but maybe hate yourself if you want to play great defense, because it is hard!

But we digress. Agent Zero is not going to suddenly change into a complete player from an offensive talented entertaining player just because Gilbert and Flip Saunders met for a friendly chat. No, Washington is going to have all the same problems they have always had with that crew. Some nights they explode with offense and just beat you and other nights they take too many plays off and lose.

Gilbert Arenas realizes his wax image plays better defense

It seems Flip never introduced himself in Detroit and that is why he is gone.

Saunders didn’t forge a similar relationship with the Pistons. Despite helping guide Detroit to three consecutive Eastern Conference finals, Saunders never won much locker-room support. He quickly lost favor with Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace because the pair thought Saunders was emphasizing offense at the expense of defense – the foundation of the Pistons’ success when they won the 2004 championship under previous coach Larry Brown.

Saunders also wasn’t as strong a disciplinarian as Brown. When he tried to get tougher in his third season, it was too late. Early in the 2007-08 season, Rip Hamilton lashed out at Saunders from the bench without any rebuke from the coach. TNT analyst Chris Webber, who played for Detroit during the 2006-07 season, said during the 2008 playoffs that the Pistons didn’t listen to Saunders. Saunders was then fired after Detroit lost to Boston in the East finals.

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Yeah, 3 conference finals was a lousy job by Flip Saunders. What was he thinking? Eventually the Flip way was not the Detroit way and the players just tuned him out. Such is big time sports and big time egos.

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Former Coach Eddie Jordan explaining how to take a defense stance

Eddie Jordan was fired from being the coach of the Washington Wizards.

The excuse from GM Ernie Grunfeld was the lack of defense. Oh, and that 1 – 10 record probably did not help.

It just felt like we were going in the wrong direction,” Grunfeld said. “It felt a little stale.”

Jordan was in his sixth season with the Wizards and led the team to the playoffs each of the past four — the longest postseason streak for a Washington coach since Dick Motta did it from 1976-80. Under Jordan, though, the team made it past the first round only once.

In September, shortly before the start of training camp, the Wizards picked up a one-year option to keep Jordan under contract through the 2009-10 season. That, along with the injury-depleted roster, were reasons Jordan’s job was thought to be safe — and why Monday’s move came as something of a shock, despite the team’s record.

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Guess you can’t win for losing. Eddie Jordan gets this team into the playoffs 4 straight years, then he loses not only his best offensive player in Agent Zero to injury, but maybe his only real defensive player in Brendan Heywood to injury and they fire him?

They should fire Ernie Grundfeld for failing to find more players that have ever played defense.

Photo source Newscom

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The Wizards need Gilbert Arenas and maybe Brendan Haywood even more

Washington is 0 – 5. Now you would think they would be a little bothered by that, but that does not seem to be the case.

Whatever the reason, the Washington Wizards profess they are not worried, even if they are the only NBA team without a victory this season. Even if a loss to the Northwest Division-leading Utah Jazz on Wednesday night would drop Washington to 0-6 for the first time in franchise history.

“It’s early,” co-captain Antawn Jamison said after practice Tuesday. “Not even close to pushing the panic button.”

Really?

There isn’t any concern about the season slipping away?

“No. Never. There’s too many games. If we were at this point a month from now and I’m saying, ‘Hey, we’re 0-20,’ I would tell you, ‘Yeah.’ I couldn’t be as positive as I am right now,” said Caron Butler, Washington’s other captain and 2007-08 All-Star.

“But 0-5? We’re cool. (If we were) 0-20? Yeah, I’m in Tahiti right now, mentally. But we’re fine right now.”

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So what is up with the Wizards anyway?

Hmm, a missing Agent Zero does not help, but maybe the real problem is a missing Brendan Haywood.

The Wizards’ defense had taken a step forward last season under the tutelage of new assistant coach Randy Ayers, and much effort was made to funnel foes toward the 7-foot Haywood in the paint. But he is out four to six months after surgery on his right wrist.

“He was the anchor of the whole defense,” reserve forward Darius Songaila said. “He was right there at the back. Everybody knew he was there. He was always talking and pointing and affecting shots and changing shots.”

Photo source Newscom

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Gilbert Arenas can often beat you with just one finger

Gilbert Arenas is a big hoop star in the NBA.

Like a lot of big hoop stars, Gilbert can put the ball in the hoop. In fact, there are times he can put the ball in the hoop from almost anywhere on the court once he passes half court. Yes, on offense he is that good.

Unfortunately like a lot of big hoop stars there is not room for ‘team’. How do you let some other player do something when you can do it better?

That did not bother Ernie Grunfeld, the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. Maybe he looked at Gilbert and thought he would put a lot of butts in the seats, who knows?

Anyway they gave Gilbert Arenas a 111 million dollar contract. Ouch.

The surgery is the third on the knee in 17 months. Arenas missed 69 regular-season games last season and had to shut himself down during the playoffs. Still, Grunfeld expressed no regret about the decision to give Arenas a six-year, $111 million contract after the point guard opted for free agency during the offseason.

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At times, when Gilbert was out, the Wizards played great ball and that put doubt about the signing in all of our minds.

Again, who knows, Gilbert Arenas is only 26 years old and may have his best basketball ahead of him. The question remains if he can become the team player that produces championships and not just stats.

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Six years and 111 million bucks.

But Gilbert Arenas took less.

The Wizards offered Arenas a max contract — $127 million over six years — leaving it up to the unpredictable Agent Zero to decide whether he would live up to his previous statement that he would take a lesser amount if it would help the team sign other players and improve the prospects of contending for an NBA title. Arenas negotiated the deal without an agent while traveling in China on a promotional tour for a shoe company.

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The Wizards have resigned Antawn Jamison and now have enough money to add one more player.

Could it be Gilbert Arenas wants to win? Even more than posting stats?

Check out this YouTube on Arenas and what he has been thinking.

Now that you know his thoughts, watch his scoring ability in this mix.

Gilbert just seems to be able to walk right through defenses for layup after layup.

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Gilbert Arenas is thinking “Ok, got the money, now how to get the NBA title?”

Image details: Washington Wizards v Cleveland Cavaliers, Game 2 served by picapp.com

Ok, so it is a bad pun in the title. Who are we kidding here? Agent Zero should not be this expensive.

The unpredictable three-time All-Star point guard, in vintage Agent Zero fashion, told the Post and the Washington Times on Thursday that he has agreed to re-sign for $111 million over six years, considerably less than the maximum deal he said the Wizards offered him when the free agency period began on Tuesday.

Arenas negotiated the deal from China, where is traveling as part of promotional tour for a shoe company, and did so without an agent.

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Let’s see, the Washington Wizards with Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas will win how many titles with this twosome? Maybe that is what the Zero represents in his nickname.

Forgive me, but Gilbert is exciting to watch, but that does not always translate to victories.

Arenas has averaged 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in his seven-season NBA career. He was known as much for his tantrums as for on-court play when he came to Washington from Golden State in 2003, but he began to display more maturity as he developed into a take-over-the-game player with a knack for hitting buzzer-beating shots. Although he still has his many quirks— yelling “Hibachi!” after making a big shot is just one of many—he has helped the Wizards became a playoff regular.

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How can this be?

It is a reach even for 7′ 6″ Yao Ming to win 11 in a row.

Tracy McGrady playing consistently good?

Houston even trades two players away, do not suit up the guy they get and still keep winning!

How can this be?

Well, admittedly, most of the teams they beat were pretty bad teams, but they did just knock off Chris Paul and the Hornets (sounds like a 60’s rock group) and there were a couple of close scrapes with the Cleveland PreWallace LeBrons led by Cavalier LeBron James, which the Rockets managed to pull out.

Still… They are winning!

And get this, they have not lost in February and finish the month with games against the Big Ben-less Bulls, the Wizards minus Agent Zero, and the Pau-less Grizzlies (get it, paw-less Grizzlies, ok, bad joke).

Sounds like 3 more wins and an undefeated month to me.

Side Note: Your intrepid author was pretty harsh on Houston a while back and is currently flogging himself.

It seems the Rockets are worthy.

When both Yao and T-Mac are on, they are pretty hard to beat. In fact, they will kill you from inside and out.

But there is a new element developing and we will have to see if it stays when they play the better clubs.

The Rockets have held eight of their last nine opponents under 90 points. source

Coach Rick Adelman is trying to get this team to take small steps towards being a top team. Right now they are in a dog fight to just make the playoffs.

“I told the team, ‘You put yourself in position to make a move,’ ” coach Rick Adelman said. “It’s our season to make what we want to make of it. Are we going to take advantage of what we’ve done to get to this point? We’ve gotten back into the whole thing. Or are we going to go up and down?” source

Hard to complain right now. Winning can breed a certain level of confidence that will improve your play once the big boys come into town.

Learning to defend your home court is almost essential.

These are the lessons the Rockets learn as they feed off of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Do the Rockets make the playoffs?

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Dwight Howard has tremendous upside

Normally the All Star game is not a big ticket with your intrepid author.

A game with little or no defense has a hard time holding my interest.

In fact, today’s basketball with all the rule changes towards offense has really bothered me in recent years.

But this year may be an exception. The league is just so filled with exceptional talent.

One starter in particular could become a dominant force in the NBA sooner than we think. That man would be Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Hmm, may just have to tune in after all. Here are your vote getters.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the second returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,186,690; LeBron James (Clev) 1,005,733; Chris Bosh (Tor) 313,983; Paul Pierce (Bos) 268,926; Yi Jianlian (Mil) 192,828; Caron Butler (Was) 150,042; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 121,991; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 120,783; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 116,168; Antawn Jamison (Was) 106,370.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764; Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333; Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051; Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463; Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125; Michael Redd (Mil) 183,309; Richard Hamilton (Det) 121,663; Joe Johnson (Atl) 109,443; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 109,345.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 970,778; Shaquille O’Neal (Mia) 466,292; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 124,348; Ben Wallace (Chi) 114,245; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 100,622; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 89,900; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 55,217; Emeka Okafor (Cha) 51,490; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 43,036; Eddy Curry (NY) 37,252.

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 767,722; Tim Duncan (SA) 722,059; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 686,853; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 281,299; Josh Howard (Dal) 251,756; Shawn Marion (Pho) 240,752; Shane Battier (Hou) 227,112; Luis Scola (Hou) 222,896; Kevin Durant (Sea) 191,542; Grant Hill (Pho) 152,898.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 941,716; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 663,141; Steve Nash (Pho) 526,493; Allen Iverson (Den) 514,291; Manu Ginobili (SA) 220,620; Jason Terry (Dal) 200,693; Baron Davis (GS) 194,048; Chris Paul (NO) 189,646; Tony Parker (SA) 183,173; Jerry Stackhouse (Dal) 178,152.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 813,305;Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 463,916; Erick Dampier (Dal) 171,386; Marcus Camby (Den) 161,807; Pau Gasol (Mem) 118,759; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 85,715; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 69,691; Tyson Chandler (NO) 69,083; Andris Biedrins (GS) 67,862; Chris Kaman (LAC) 66,315.  source

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite player make the cut?

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By Guest Blogger, Kori Ellis

Gilbert Arenas, star point guard for the Washington Wizards and star blogger for NBA.com, got some more bad news about his ailing knee. After missing the end of last season due to injury, Arenas had to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the same knee.

Although there isn’t a definite time table for the return of Arenas, initial indications point to a return in about three months. During the knee operation, Arenas also had a microfracture surgery on a bone in his knee. Luckily for Arenas, since the microfracture surgery was on a non-weight barring bone, it isn’t the season-ending injury that ended Greg Oden’s rookie campaign.

Obviously, this is devastating news for the Washington Wizards. Without their point guard, the Wizards won’t be nearly as explosive as they are with Arenas filling up the stat sheet. However, the good news is the Wizards are at 6-5 and since they are in the weaker Eastern Conference, they very well could be in the playoff race when Arenas is ready to return.

To pass the time while Arenas is out, here’s great mix . . .

Read more about Gilbert Arenas and the fantasy impact of his injury at Hoops Fantasy.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are NBA Obsessed. I also wanted to tell James Edwards, the regular writer of this blog, that we are all thinking about him and praying for his speedy recovery.

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