DeShawn Stevenson and youtube Are Not Compatible
August 15, 2008
Courtesy of Mr. Irrelevant, (Congratulations to J. Mottram on the new baby) here’s DeShawn Stevenson of the Washington Wizards dancing around and lip syncing Usher:
Did you ever notice when DeShawn winds up on youtube, it’s usually not a good thing? It’s usually him losing in a shooting contest, drunkenly awkward in a D.C. club, or something like that.
Maybe when Chris Bosh gets back from the Olympics, he can put Stevenson onto some youtube production tips.
Gilbert Arenas is Popular in Beijing
August 11, 2008
Our sports blog hero, Dan Steinberg, has the luxury of blogging from Beijing for the 2008 Olympics as a credentialed Washington Post sports reporter. And in his efforts to make the paper seem “cool,” he’s wondered via post how popular Washington Wizards’ guard Gilbert Arenas is in the city.
Not only did he find Gilbert in corner magazine stands, but he also found pictures of him posed as the NBA’s version of Morpheus.
Steinz does it again.
Kwame Brown is the King of Detroit
August 8, 2008
Without having played one minute of basketball for the Detroit Pistons, with all of the history of cake throwing, injuries and extremely sub-par play, Kwame Brown will wake up this morning the most popular man named Kwame in the City of Detroit.
Thanks to Kwame Kilpatrick.
Kwame Brown trip and fall into Chauncey Billups and rupture his Achilles tendon and it wouldn’t matter. He can challenge Rasheed Wallace on the government’s plot to undermine minority populations in metropolitan areas and it would be like debating the chicken or the egg principle.
He could wear a Larry Bird throwback and vow to shoot threes every time he touches the ball this season, and he still could not fall out of favor as much as the embattled mayor of Detroit has. Where Brown has been clownish and a waste of potential throughout his career, Kilpatrick has wasted money, time and patience through his extramarital and financial exploits.
And because of the fiasco the city’s mayor has created, there’s nothing Kwame can do that can ever turn Pistons fans against him.
In fact, he should start wearing and marketing T-Shirts that read, “My Last Name is NOT Kilpatrick.”
When asked by reporters about his next four-point, six-rebound, three-turnover night in 18 minutes, he should simply respond, “Listen, I’m just out here trying to help the team. Now Kwame Kilpatrick? THAT’S somebody you gotta look out for.”
So congratulations, Kwame Brown. You just might have found your paradise in the mess another Kwame made out of Detroit.
Andray Blatche Is Slighted By Wizards Fans
July 25, 2008
Prior to the 2008 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards sent forward Andray Blatche out into the streets of D.C. to find out what kind of player Wizards fans wanted with the 18th pick.
Needless to say, the cry for a big man was loud and clear. The interesting part? A couple of years ago, Blatche was supposed TO BE that big man.
The Wizards did eventually go with big man JaVale McGee, but not before Blatche put his “Bulletproof” nickname to work on the streets of Chocolate City.
Why Nick Young is the Key to the Washington Wizards’ Playoff Hopes
July 24, 2008
My stance on the Washington Wizards future is primarily staked on their lack of a scoring or defensive post presence. Not that every team in the league but the Wizards has a big man, but their need for a banger is just more apparent than with other squads.
But when analyzing what has taken the Wizards from cellar-dweller to playoff sureshot, the truth is that the team’s success has been built on perimeter play. Their guards for the last several years have been dribble drive threats, that will occasionally kill you from the three-point line.
It’s for that reason that the Wizards playoff success or failure in 2008-09 will rest on Nick Young, the second-year shooting guard who must become the instant offense that will wear teams down in third and fourth quarters late in the season and beyond.
Young was drafted for shooting prowess and athletic versatility that made him a standout guard at USC. There was no expectation for him to become more than an understudy to Gilbert Arenas last season, but injuries thrust him into several games of prominent ball-handling and decision making.
This season will have to be different for Young, as he will likely be called upon to be a shooter to spell DeShawn Stevenson, a scorer to spell Arenas, and a defender to spell Caron Butler. His gifts demand that level of responsibility, and even in his inexperience, a year under the belt is quickly closing the window on any excuses.
There’s a lot of James Posey love around the league right now, because of his ability to fill whatever gap a team is missing on the floor at any given time. That’s what New Orleans got via free agency, and that’s what the Wizards have to get out of Nick Young this season.
Who Gets Gilbert Arenas’ Money?
July 22, 2008
Now that Gil has gotten his grown man on and signed for less money, who could be the most logical free agent signing for the Washington Wizards?
Draft pick JaVale McGee, who has looked solid in summer league but not dominant, should be their primary post signing, but one more couldn’t hurt. They could also use a back up for Caron Butler, but that would be asking for a lot to get both.
To that end, here’s a list of potential free agents that could improve the Wizards chances at advancing through the 2008-09 NBA Playoffs.
Kurt Thomas - Way past his prime, but still is a step above being a big body in the post. Can shoot free throws well and provide veteran leadership.
C.J. Miles - Could be the spot up shooter the Wizards are looking for.
Carlos Arroyo - Might be a better long term solution for the Wizards than Dee Brown.
Randolph Morris - Could be another big body to fill in well with the seven-footers.
Is It Time To Worry About JaVale McGee Yet?
July 17, 2008
Two games into the Las Vegas summer league, and JaVale McGee still hasn’t become more than what we knew about him previously, which is nothing.
He and Andray Blatche have been dominated through two games, with the worst of the beatings coming last night against the Philadelphia 76ers and their first rounder, Marreese Speights. Speights finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while McGee looked turned in nine points, eight rebounds and a couple of blocks.
You figure that a rookie is going to struggle in his first NBA-level games, but Washington needs this guy. Badly. They are a legitimate post presence away from challenging the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic for the Eastern conference title. He’s not needed to be solid in summer league, because that will translate to unused in the regular season.
He’s needed to be dominant now to be surprising in the regular season and possibly the playoffs. No, he hasn’t completely sucked, but JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche need to be much more than basket supports in the next few games if they hope to be Washington’s chances for league-wide relevance.
It’s Not All On Gilbert Arenas
July 14, 2008
Just because the Washington Wizards and Gilbert Arenas made his new contract official yesterday, doesn’t mean that the entire future of the franchise rests squarely on his shoulders. There’s a lot of other things he can’t control that greatly affect how the Wizards will fare in the coming years.
Here’s a few things that weren’t written into the scope of Gilbert Arenas’ contract, and shouldn’t be his responsibility if they fall apart.
Washington Wizards in da’ club - If some of the Wizards core players or rookies decide that particularly awkward moments in a local club after being bounced from the playoffs are okay, that’s not Gil’s fault.
The ‘N’ Factor - If Brendan Haywood decides to renounce the second ‘N’ in his first name that he worked so hard to re-earn last season, also not on Gil.
The Jim Zorn Effect - If the Washington Redskins are nothing to talk about in the late stages of the season, thereby putting more attention on the Wizards, don’t blame Hibachi. Blame the Zorn.
The Fiasco that is Big Tigger - Hey, Gil didn’t hire the guy. So if you are clueless as to why he’s there, treating the Verizon center like it’s Da Bassment full of 17,000 ‘cousins,’ that’s not on Gil.
Young Wizards - It’s year two for Nick Young, who needs to bring Andray Blatche and Oleksiy Pecherov with him if the team is to have a chance at contention this season.
Soulja Boi’s Allegiance - It was fun while it lasted in the playoff’s but don’t blame Gil if he’s not crankin’ it in Washington anytime soon.
What Can Dee Brown Do for the Washington Wizards?
July 11, 2008
He can provide emergency point guard insurance and speed in transition, but other than that, the pending signing of Dee Brown doesn’t heighten the Washington Wizards’ chances of playoff success.
Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld has saved the squad a couple of 10-day contracts in case Gilbert Arenas’ knee acts up and Antonio Daniels’ age continues to creep up on him, but not much else on the floor. However, Dee Brown does add bloggability to the Washington Wizards. He maintains his own blog, (which can be a gift or a curse in a town with Gilbert Arenas and Chris Cooley among its residential blog stars), and is a pretty outgoing guy from his days at Illinois.
He’s built to be a Washington Wizard, but whether he builds the Wizards ability to contend remains to be seen.
Five Things Awaiting Javale McGee’s NBA Debut
July 10, 2008
The Washington Wizards have signed their first round draft pick Javale McGee to a two-year deal worth about $2.4 million. McGee must think that his NBA dreams are absolutely coming true.
Little does he know that the Wizards rookie experience can be among the best in the league. Or the worst, depending on how Gilbert feels that day.
Here’s five things McGee can look forward to this upcoming season.
5. The K Street Welcoming Committee - Andray Blatche broke the ice, and its a sure bet the members have their eyes on another tender young seven footer.
4. Being at the heart of the sports blog universe - The Washington-Metropolitan area is a hotbed for regionally-themed sports blogs. If he’s smart, McGee will try to get down with Yardbarker and head us off at the pass.
3. 18 jams in a row…or not - I have NEVER heard WPGC play 18 jams in a row. They may get to 12 on a good day, but if you figure each jam is at least three minutes, their promise 54 minutes of uninterrupted music is ludicrous… So, yeah, that’s what he has to look forward to on the local radio scene.
2. Expected allegiance to the Washington Redskins - This, the Dead Tree Crew will ensure.
1. A trip to Eastern Motors - If not to film a commercial, when Gilbert Arenas steals his car.
