jazzy1

Don't know where my old crew is in here. BCH, MikeDC, Northeast, and others I may have forgotten but how do you feel about this season.

I'm not as optimistic as the team is about a deep playoff run.

This is how I see each player affecting the team this season and the kind of year they could have.

Arenas- Glad to hear him say he's gonna take the challenge of guarding the other teams best player but come on Gilbert lets be real you can't guard anyone because you don't know how. I expect Arenas's scoring to drop 4 pts to about 25 a game, Hayes, Stevenson and Songaila will cut into his numbers. Another great season for Arenas

Jamison- I expect a pressured filled BAD YEAR for Jamison. He's playing for a contract, he's an older player who hasn't rested at all this summer playing on team USA and Blatche is pushing him for minutes as well as Songailla. Bad shooting and nagging injuries will make this a down year for him.

Butler- I expect a career year from him, closer to 20 ppg, clutch plays and some spectacular SLAMS. Will supplant jamison as teams 2nd best player. Toughness will keep him getting big minutes despite Hayes and Stevenson and he's gonna cherry pick his way into a ton of easy baskets Cmelo style.

Stevenson- I expect his best season as a pro. He'll expand his offensive game here with added possesions because of the overall recklessness of the Wizards offense. Not buying into the hype as a defensive stopper , he's a solid defender and developed into a solid mid range shooter, with Wizards transition game he will score alittle more here.

Hayes- I expect another injury plagued season. Jarvis could become an elite level scorer if he knew what the strength of his game is as a scorer and thats catch and shoot. He insists on playing in the post and shooting those horrid turnaround jumpers. When he's on the move catches and shoots he's deadly ala Glen Rice when he posts up loses balance and shoots its clang city. Sadly I expect a bad season with the added pressure of playing for an extension.

Blatche- Most intriguing player on the team. If he reaches his physical and mental potential he could become a very special player. BUT he won't this season although he'll get 2-3 chances to be a rotation guy. He's a reat ball handler, good passer and is a solid rebounder when focused on hitting the boads instead of leaking out. Sadly EJ doesn't have patience for young players and Blatche is still too prone to mental lapses to get EJ's trust just yet. He'll have flashes this season but he's not ready quite yet. A good 2nd season is the prediction though.

Haywood- will lose his starting job at some point this season and his name will be thrown about in trades near the deadline and he and EJ will have more problems and he will get less than 20 minutes per game. Haywood's problem is simple, he floats too far away from the basket in help defense and never recovers in time to rebound the ball. IF I were him I would worry less about covering a guard who Arenas has let come off a screen and actually track the ball for rebounds. He also wants to score with that painfully slow middle jump hook too much. It works against 50% of the Wizards opponents so EJ doesn't believe its a real weapon.

Etan- should be the starting headcase for the Bucks or the NAACP. But he's here nonetheless. He'll get his chance EJ likes him and he'll fumble the ball fail to rebound and work his spin moves for a few easy buckets.

Songailla- will be the new Popeye Jones, will hit a few pick and pops will get scored on at will in the block area and get in foul trouble and will be the center for the Wizards in the 4th quarter of every tight game.

Overall the Wizards will win 3 more games and make the playoffs in the 4-6 spot in the East. Losing JJ won't hurt at all the additions give them a slight bump and they will still be one of the top 5 offenses and one of the worst defenses in the league.

Gonna be some tough questions asked of EJ at season's end.

I have said this repeatedly the team needs to FIRE EJ because they won't take the next step with him as coach. He doesn't really care about defense at all. He consistently plays line-ups that feature offensive minded players. He shouldn't have been given the extension.

byrondarnell66

Not a bad review but you're missing Daniels. He's the only thing we had really going for us last year off the bench and our only other ballhandler besides Arenas. I think he will be just as important to the Wizards as Hayes if not more. Bottom line is Wizards needs to play better defense but I don't know how they will with EJ as the coach, they just don't seem to care about it. I think they will sneak in at 6, 7 or 8 seed and around 43-45 wins.

jazzy1

Actually I had to leave real quick why I didn't put Daniels in, but you're correct, Daniels is very important. I thought at the end in the playoffs he was their 3rd most valuable player behind Butler at number 2 moreso than jamison. I think he got comfortable playing in the system late and played really well. But his defense lagged which happens often when new players join the Wizards system. EJ rewards offense and the Wizards are like a buffet for players who have some scoring ability except for big guys who can score some.

The Wizards MAIN problem as preceived by local media is softness or lack of toughness inside, as I see it is a total lack of toughness on the perimeter. Its like a freeway to the basket. The bigs have no shot if the guards don't get their bodies on the guards as they drive.

I really think Haywood has been made scapegoat for the Wizards defensive problems too often just as Kwame was before being traded. Jamison is the softest piece of non defensive minded toughness I've ever seen for a guy his size he refuses to contest anything near the basket he won't even give a foul. This is why the Wizards lose so many leads because he plays big minutes and refuses to compete defensively in the paint. Its not a 1 man job protecting the paint. yet Jamison and EJ acts like its Brenda's sole job. If he gets puled out by the other teams bigs than its a freeway to the hoop. Also in the 4th quarter of games too often Haywood is off the floor which further increases the ease for which opponents get to the hoop.

adarsh1

starting lineup should be

arenas
daniels
butler
jamison
songaila

no defense
just offense

even if we try to play defense, we suck so it doesnt really matter

__________________

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Fight for old DC!

"I'm the Eastern Conference Assassin right now. It's a tour, from city to city. I just hope they all have a good game plan."
-Gilbert Arenas
"You can't arrest me. I'm a basketball player. I play for the Washington Wizards, and I'm not going to leave my teammate."
-Gilbert Arenas

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FIRE EDDIE JORDAN!

Big Mike

Songaila looks to be out for a while, and im hearing that Etan may start come season opener. Has EJ completely lost his mind?