afireinside

Since it's midseason almost, I thought I'd grade the performance of the Wizard players. I only graded the players that have played more than 20 games and are a part of the team's rotation.

Gilbert Arenas - Gil is on a roll right now. He started of very shaky in the beginning of the season, especially on the road, along with the team. Then December came and it Arenas spoiled up the turbo. He's averaging well over 30 a game in December, including a 60 point and 54 point outing. When he said this season was the "takeover" he wasn't kidding. He's even being considered a strong MVP candidate. But as long as there is a critic to put him down, he'll be dangerous. I expect him to make the All-Star team easily. If he continues his offensive bombard then he will be All-NBA Second Team at least.

Grade: A+

Caron Butler - Caron has been the most consistent Wizard all season. When the team was having troubles in the beginning of the season he was there putting in 20/8/3/2 every night. In my opinion, he is the co-MVP with Gil this season so far. Caron has improved in almost every category this year. His jumpshot is deadly almost anywhere on the court(although his 3P shot is not as deadly as last year). If I was a coach, he would be near the top of my candidates for the All-Star team this year (although he won't make it). He's starting to become a star this year and the Wizards are benefitting from his play. I'm sure Caron and the Wizards are now asking, "Larry who?"

Grade: A-

Antawn Jamison - I like to call Antawn "Softy." Why you ask? Because when he gets near the rim he has the softest touch of any player I've seen. He always knows where the rim is and is frequently making shots that make coaches squirm when it goes out of his hands. I also gave him that nickname because he's one of the softest players on defense in the league. I've never seen a forward get backed down by every player on the court like he does. He's constantly being bullied around the hoop by players much smaller than him. I think his defense has gotten worse since last season. I know he's getting older, but when you are 6'9 235 you shouldn't be giving up baskets to guards when they attack the rim everytime. Although he has been big in some games. Usually it's in the 3rd quarter when he gets his shot going. I've noticed in instances where the team is shooting poorly and Jamison starts to make some big threes and the team start to click and we end up with a win after putting ourselves in a whole. If he can improve his defense in the second half of the season then the Wizards will end with a lot more wins.

Grade: B-

DeShawn Stevenson - When I heard we signed this guy I was real excited. First off, we got him for the league minimum salary. That's a huge bargain for what DeShawn brings to the court. Second, he is a solid defender. He doesn't steal as much as Gil or Caron does because he is constently draped over his man making sure his guy gets no easy shots. This is definitely something that the Wizards have been missing since Larry Hughes left. Last year we had no player that could shut down a wing player consistently. Jared Jeffries' defense was overrated and he was a offensive liability. Stevenson not only brings defense, but a solid offensive game. His jumpshot isn't something opposing teams are going to try and shut down, but it's there when the Wiz need it. He hits open jumpers, drives to the hoop explosively, and makes smart passes. Ernie Grunfeld really looks smart after picking up this guy.

Grade: B-

Brendan Haywood - The progression that Brendan "StoneHands" Haywood has showed is drastic. He came off the bench in the beginning of the season in favor of Etan, but as a starter he is contributing nicely to the Wiz's recent success. He no longer drops 75% of the passes thrown at him. He also doesn't charge into the paint with his eyes closed like he did in the past years. His turnovers have gone down this year, which is always a plus. His post game has improved with more hook shots and spin moves and less fadeaway jumpers (although he still brings out that ugly thing every once and awhile). On defense he is blocking shots and taking charges a lot more this season. Although his numbers aren't impressive, his contributions are. I expect him to start the rest of the season, even when Etan and Ruffin return.

Grade: C+

Etan Thomas - It's unfortunate what happened to Etan. He earned the starting spot at center over training camp over the usual starter, Haywood. Critics and fans were weary at first, but Etan quickly proved to everyone why he was chosen to start. He got off to a fast start, but eventually cooled off, but stayed consistent. Etan is barely 6'10, but he plays like he's 7'5. He goes for rebounds like he has beef with the ball. His offensive game didn't really improve much, although he was aggressive on the offensive glass which led to a lot of put back dunks. He's averaging a career high in blocks, which was evident in the first half of the season. He seemed to always be somewhere near the basket to swat anyone who tried to throw up a shot. Although he got injured towards the beginning of December he should be welcomed back to the team with open arms.

Grade: C+

Antonio Daniels - AD has came off the bench every game this year for the team. His numbers have dropped a little (as expected) from last year. Although he hasn't been involved in the Wizards' success much this year, he hasn't been involved in their troubles either. He is one of the main reasons the team has averaged such few turnovers (3rd in the league with 13.7 per game). He has the largest assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA with about 4.2 assists per turnover. Although fans don't pay much attention to that statistic, it's one of the most important that you want someone on your team to have.

Grade: B-

Jarvis Hayes - Getting picked early in one of the deepest drafts in years, fans and the team alike had a lot of big expectations for Hayes. In his fourth year, Hayes is averaging career lows is every major statistic (except for 3P shooting--surprisingly). His field goal percentage is a dismal 38%. He hasn't really caught a grove all season. After averaging around 26-27 minutes per game his first three seasons, he is now averaging 17 minutes per game this season off the bench. It seems like he is getting worse rather than improving. One positive outlook on Hayes this season is that he has played in all 30 games this year for the Wiz. He has yet to play a full season in his young career with 70 games being a career high (in his rookie season).

Grade: D+

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Big Mike

Not bad But Arenas and Butler should have the same grade, A. Im sure you meant Daniels was C- because he sure didn't play any better than that. Yes he has a great asst/to ratio but thats the only thing worth noting about Daniels. Every thing else looks good. Blatch, Booth, Mason Jr., Lang and Taylor all didn't play enough to get grades.

afireinside

Well, I was going to grade Arenas and Butler the same like you said. But I had to factor in who's had the bigger impact on the team this season. When Arenas score a lot, we win probably 80-90% of the time. When Butler score a lot we probably win around 50% of the time. Those aren't exact, just estimates from what I've seen. But they aren't far off from each other grade-wise.

I gave Daniels a B- because he is coming off the bench. His numbers have dropped because of that and I didn't want to factor that into his play. When he's on the court he runs the defense efficiently and I have no gripes with him.

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Premier

I think you're underrating Etan Thomas, who has provided great rebounding and efficiency. His rebound rate and eFG% are among the best in the league and his PER almost matches Caron Butler's.

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byrondarnell66

I think Brendan and Etan should be a little higher maybe b-. Theres no way Daniels is playing at b level. The guy cant make a jump shot to save his life and overdribbles way too much. The offense becomes flat when hes in the game he just dribbles and dribbles and every body just stands there and watches when he decides to do something, theres only 2 seconds left on the clock. His ast/to ratio is good, but his on/off court numbers can't be too impressive.