Washington Wizards Season Preview
The recent Kobe for Gilbert trade rumors (shot down yesterday by Ernie Grunfeld — not that that means anything) should give you an indication that the Washington Wizards are at a crossroads season in regards to the franchise's future. Gilbert Arenas has gone on record saying he will opt out of his contract at the end of the season and Antawn Jamison is in the final year of his deal. Something's got to give in order for the team everyone fell in love with last season to stay together. Say it with me now: Second round or bust.
But, you say, for a time last year the Wizards had the best record in the East. Won't more of the same be in order this year? Perhaps. But can the team stay healthy this year? Gilbert, Jamison and Caron Butler all went down at one point at the end of the season, leaving the team to finish their season with a whimper in a first round sweep at the hand of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Questions abound with this year's Wizards squad, but one issue hangs above everyone's head like no other. Defense. If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times from head coach Eddie Jordan. THIS will be the year they buckle down and concentrate on defense. We've heard similar sentiments from training camps past with little results, so I doubt anyone reading this is holding their breath. The Wiz figure to score plenty (they averaged just over 104 points per game last year, good for fourth in the NBA) but until they learn how to get some stops (they gave up over 104 points per game as well) it figures to be more of the same in the Phone Booth. It's hard to believe defense is at the fore of the gameplan, however, when Gilbert says the key to beating the newly revamped Boston Celtics isn't to man up, deny passing lanes and crash the boards. Nope. Gilbert just wants to run them ragged.
Photo by Kyle Gustafson
The offseason certainly didn't help things. To call it tumultuous would be an understatement. Agent Zero had his contract announcement, Andray Blatche was arrested for sexual solicitation (while in the middle of trying to re-negotiate his contract), there was that strange shooting at DeShawn Stevenson's house and Etan Thomas had heart surgery that will likely keep him off the court (and fighting with the local press) for most of the year. Yikes.
On the positive side, the team seemingly got a steal in Nick Young with the 16th pick in the draft. The same might be said for 2nd round pick Dominic McGuire. Stevenson was resigned to a longterm deal, same for Blatche. 2006 first round pick Oleksiy "Opec" Pecherov reported for duty and looked decent and, perhaps best of all, Jarvis Hayes now calls Detroit home.
Team trends to keep your eye on this season:
Will Gil go for his and his new contract? Can Caron improve on (or even repeat) a career-best year? With Etan out, how will Brenda respond in the middle? Can Opec and Darius Songaila hold the fort in the post? Can Nick Young provide some much needed scoring off the bench? Will Blatche grow up and become a contributor?
So what does it all mean? Hell if I know. Press predictions aren't overly optimistic. SI has the Wiz 7th in the Eastern Conference, same thing for ESPN. ESPN stat-guru John Hollinger is predicting doom, in the form of 13th place.
Luckily for the Wiz, and no matter what the experts say, the Southeast Division is theirs for the taking. Miami has a motivated Shaq but an injured Wade and no matter how much money Orlando throws at Rashard Lewis, they have some glaring holes at SG and on the bench. The Hawks will be improved, but are still mainly a collection of mid-grade small forwards. Charlotte can't stay healthy and weren't much of a threat when they were.
It all gets started tonight in Indiana; tip-off at 7 p.m. on Comcast Sportsnet. Let's enjoy the ride. The Wiz travel to Boston to take on the new-look Celtics on Friday (on ESPN) and open their home slate Saturday against Orlando at the Phone Booth. See you there.