The Washington Wizards Thread.

[dxjayrock2008]

Active Roster
No Player Pos Ht Wt Age Exp College 2010 Salary
24 Armstrong, Hilton FC/C 6-11 235 26 4 Connecticut $992,680
7 Blatche, Andray FC/PF 6-11 260 24 5 None $5,900,000
35 Booker, Trevor PF 6-8 240 23 R Clemson $1,240,560
15 Gee, Alonzo GF 6-6 219 23 1 Alabama $762,195
12 Hinrich, Kirk G/PG 6-4 190 29 7 Kansas $9,000,000
5 Howard, Josh GF 6-7 210 30 7 Wake Forest $3,000,000
3 Hudson, Lester G 6-3 190 26 1 Tennessee-Martin $762,195
31 Jianlian, Yi PF 7-0 250 23 3 None $4,050,500
9 Lewis, Rashard F/SF 6-10 230 31 12 None $20,514,000
20 Martin, Cartier GF/SG 6-7 220 26 2 Kansas State $854,369
34 McGee, JaVale FC/C 7-0 250 22 2 Nevada $1,601,040
55 N'diaye, Hamady C 7-0 235 23 R Rutgers $473,604
13 Seraphin, Kevin FC 6-9 275 21 R None $1,563,120
14 Thornton, Al F/SF 6-8 235 27 3 Florida State $2,814,196
2 Wall, John PG 6-4 195 20 R Kentucky $5,144,280
1 Young, Nick GF/SG 6-7 210 25 3 USC $2,630,503

[dxjayrock2008]

From Yahoo! Sports.

Wall struggles, but Wizards beat Blazers 83-79

By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer 38 minutes ago




WASHINGTON (AP)—Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan’s manner was calm, his voice steady.
He sounded more resigned than riled up after his club’s sixth consecutive setback, an 83-79 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday night, when the Trail Blazers made a season-worst 33.3 percent of their shots and were held to 10 points in the third quarter.
“Evidently, they’re not responding to me, because all these games look similar. We have a pretty decent first half, and in the second half, we struggle to score, to get stops,” McMillan said. “I’ve said that the last five, six games. I asked them, ‘Is it clear? What we’re asking you to do?’ They didn’t say anything. They don’t have to say anything. The games show that we’re not getting it done.”
Washington Wizards point guard…
AP - Dec 3, 8:46 pm EST







On a night that No. 1 overall draft pick John Wall(notes) struggled in his return to Washington’s starting lineup—3-for-13 shooting, 10 points, career-low two assists, four turnovers—and Gilbert Arenas(notes) moved into a reserve role at his own suggestion, the Wizards turned in their best defensive performance of the season.
In their previous game, the Wizards allowed a season-high 127 points in a loss Wednesday at Toronto, an effort coach Flip Saunders called “embarrassing” and “just very disappointing.”
“Go figure: Give up 131 two days ago, and give up 79 today,” Saunders said Friday, only slightly embellishing how bad his team was against the Raptors. “All we did yesterday was work on defense. Our offense kind of showed it. If you want to be good in this league, you’re going to have to learn how to play defense, so right now, that’s our point of emphasis.”
After shooting 5 for 21 in the third quarter—24 percent—Portland went through a fourth-quarter drought of more than 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal until LaMarcus Aldridge’s(notes) tip-in with less than 1 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.
So while the Blazers led 46-34 at halftime, they trailed 57-56 entering the fourth quarter and faded.
This is their longest losing streak since dropping eight games in a row to end the 2005-06 season.
“We’ve lost six in a row, and we still haven’t figured out what the problem is. It’s tough. I don’t really know—19 games in, and we’re losing the same way,” said Brandon Roy(notes), who scored 18 points but missed 12 of 21 shots. “Everybody is at a loss for words. Coach, he doesn’t know what to say to us. And we don’t know what to say to one another.”
Aldridge finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot only 6 for 17. Andre Miller’s(notes) 12 points came mostly from the foul line, because he was 2 for 12 on field goals. He was the only Portland player to take a free throw before the fourth quarter.
Arenas, meanwhile, started the previous nine games but wound up with 15 points and six assists in a reserve role. Both he and Saunders said it was Arenas’ idea to stay out of the starting unit, although the coach said with a smile: “When reality came for him to do that, I don’t know if he was so sold on it.”
Said Arenas: “I don’t mind right now. We’re trying to search for something that works for us. Tonight it worked. We still have plenty of games left, and we’ll see from there.”
Making his first start in more than a week, Wall was rusty. He missed two games with a bruised right knee, then played against Toronto on Wednesday but did not start. He didn’t gather his first assist until the third quarter.
“Just missing open shots. … I might be a little winded,” Wall said. “You’re going to have one of those. It was frustrating.”
That’s a word that was used plenty in the other locker room Friday.
“We have a lot of talent, and losing right now is kind of hard to deal with,” Aldridge said. “We haven’t figured it out and that’s the frustrating part. Everybody is pretty frustrated now.”
Notes: Washington’s Andray Blatche(notes) had 19 points and nine rebounds, while JaVale McGee(notes) added 13 points and 10 rebounds. … The Wizards ended a four-game losing streak. They improved to 6-3 at home, but are 0-9 on the road this season. “We’ve got to start winning on the road. We don’t want to go 0-41,” Wall said. … The first 10,000 fans in the announced crowd of 13,408 received a Wall bobblehead. … Portland C Joel Przybilla(notes) played for the first time since rupturing his right patella Dec. 22, 2009. He entered in the final minute of the first quarter and wound up with four points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes. … Wizards swingman Nick Young(notes) was inactive because of a bruised left thigh.

[dxjayrock2008]

From Twitter Page of Washington Wizards. Gilbert's Christmas Dream. Lol.


WashWizards Washington Wizards



Gilbert's Christmas Dream photos from earlier this week http://on.nba.com/eKQtNE

[GustavoGanso]

hey bro

could you create Denver Nuggets thread??

[Delibasic]

the moment wizards get rid of the most overrated and most arrogant and most selfish player currently in the league, they will get heaps better.

yes we're talking about gilbert arenas.

as a wizards fan i say it is time to say goodbye to arenas.

[CKR13]

The Washington Wizards made a great showing against the defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers; despite losing 115-108.

Nick Young scored a career high 30 points, including 6 three pointers. Rookie John Wall scored 22 points and had 14 assists. Gilbert Arenas had 23 points while another rookie, Trevor Booker had 14 points.

[dxjayrock2008]

From Yahoo! Sports.

Arenas nears troubling anniversary

By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports 3 hours, 13 minutes ago






It’s been nearly a year since Gilbert Arenas(notes) brought guns into the Washington Wizards’ locker room, a decision that ultimately led to him receiving a 50-game suspension from the NBA and 30 days in a halfway house and two years probation from Washington’s legal system. Arenas lost nearly $7.5 million in salary, a lucrative shoe contract with Adidas and who-knows-how-much in legal fees. The incident prompted the Wizards to dismantle their roster and trade, among others, former All-Stars Caron Butler(notes) and Antawn Jamison(notes).
And even now with the one-year anniversary of the incident approaching, Arenas insists – in spite of details gleaned from the prosecution’s 61-page sentencing memo – that the public still doesn’t know exactly what happened between him and guard Javaris Crittenton(notes) in the Wizards’ locker room on Dec. 21, 2009, a confrontation that began after the two players argued over a card game on a charter flight two days earlier.
More From Marc J. Spears.

Gilbert Arenas has split time between coming off the bench and starting this season.
(NBAE/Getty Images)

Nor does Arenas plan to offer much more insight into the events. What is clear is that Arenas is still struggling to cope with the fallout from the incident and the subsequent criticism of his character.
“Everyone is going to have their judgments about everything,” Arenas told Yahoo! Sports. “I never told the real story. Javaris never told the real story. But everybody had a story out there, and that’s the problem. You’re judging me off a story that somebody else made up. And that was the part that hurt. That’s not fair.
“I look at people different now. I try not to attach myself to people anymore as much because if people heard the real story … ”
So what is the “real story?” Arenas said only that there was more to the incident than has been reported. Those close to Arenas said he remains upset that some early media reports inferred he and Crittenton pointed the guns at each other, which he thinks inflamed subsequent coverage of the incident. The prosecution’s memo details how Arenas displayed three or four guns in Crittenton’s locker and left a note asking his teammate to “Pick 1.” Crittenton then threw one of the guns across the locker room and showed his own weapon, prosecutors said, but no one witnessed how the confrontation ended.
But after serving his punishment, Arenas doesn’t think it’s worth explaining his version.
“It’s pointless now,” he said. “I already got in trouble.
“If I looked at a newspaper, I became this evil guy. Now wait a minute, what did I do that was actually evil? I don’t know. It was frustrating, but … it’s in the past now, so hopefully I can just move on.”
Moving on hasn’t been easy for Arenas. A year ago, he was working his way back from a series of knee operations that had limited him to just 15 games over the previous two seasons. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports just days before his locker room incident with Crittenton, Arenas vowed to return to the Agent Zero of old – the high-scoring guard who could seemingly drop 40 points on a whim.
“I’m controlled chaos,” Arenas said then.
Within a week, the Wizards notified the league of the locker-room confrontation. Two weeks after that, NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Arenas for the remainder of the season. The suspension reminded Arenas of just how much he missed the sport.
“That’s all I know to do,” Arenas said. “Basketball is my life. Entertainment is my job. When I lost my life it was depressing.
“I was willing to play in pickup games. I was getting in an adult men’s league. I just wanted to play basketball again.”
When Arenas did return for the start of this season, the Wizards had overhauled their roster. Butler and Jamison were gone. No longer was Arenas the face of the franchise. That distinction belonged to John Wall(notes), the 20-year-old rookie guard the Wizards took with the No. 1 pick of the draft.
Arenas began the season on the bench, but has started 11 of the past 13 games. He’s averaged 17.4 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.5 minutes per game.
“I’m a different player,” he said. “Then I was an assassin. Now I’m just a guy trying to play the game the right way.”
Gilbert Arenas (right) says he has no problem turning over the Wizards' reins to rookie John Wall. "I know my time here is over," Arenas says.
(NBAE/Getty Images)

Wizards officials have applauded Arenas’ work ethic and competitiveness as he adjusts to playing off the ball. “The intensity is there from his part, the motivation is there and it’s going to be a process as we go along,” Washington general manager Ernie Grunfeld said.
Coming off the bench also was a transition. Arenas hadn’t been used primarily as a reserve since he was a rookie with the Golden State Warriors in the 2001-02 season. He knew this much: He couldn’t complain. Not after watching Allen Iverson(notes) resist a bench role with the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies – a stance that led to Iverson now playing in Turkey because no NBA team wanted to sign him.
“It’s still basketball,” Arenas said. “The rules don’t change for the bench players. I learned a lot from the whole Iverson experience. Not get a job because I can’t adapt to my environment? I’m sure I can adapt to any environment.
“I probably would have had an ego in 2006, 2007, but I’ve been hurt for three or four years now. When I came back [last season] it was Caron’s team, Antawn’s team, and I was adjusting to them. It’s not like I’ve been playing a whole year of basketball where I’m the man. I haven’t been the man since 2006, 2007.”
Arenas also seems to have accepted that the Wizards are now building around Wall. While Wall has been slowed by injuries – he’s missed seven of the Wizards’ 21 games – he has been productive when on the court, averaging 17.4 points, 9.1 assists and 2.4 steals. Wall, in turn, says Arenas has mentored him like a “brother” as the two guards try to improve their chemistry.
“When a young guy is coming in, the older guy never wants to move over,” Arenas said. “But I know my time here is over [as the face of the franchise]. I messed up my legacy here.”
How much longer Arenas plays for the Wizards is the question no one seems to be able to answer. New Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has repeatedly said he’s not interested in trading Arenas, and Arenas’ contract, which has three years and more than $60 million left after this season, will be hard to move anyway. Still, when Arenas is asked if he can envision himself playing out his contract in Washington, he sounds like he’d prefer a change of scenery.
“In this league there is no such thing as long-term anymore,” Arenas said. “Players are getting shipped out and shipped out. I’m looking at the Kings like, when I first came [into the league], none of those players were here. The Lakers team, the only person that was there was Kobe [Bryant], and Derek Fisher(notes) came back.
“There is a young team here [in Washington] and they’re trying to build some chemistry. I guess until they find the right deal that’s going to get me out of here, you know … I’m here.”

[CKR13]

Injured forward Josh Howard practiced with the team yesterday. The first full-practice in a long while for Howard.

[CKR13]

A heavily depleted Washington Wizards losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 103-89. JaVale McGee had 12 points and 9 rebounds. The Wizards were missing starters Andray Blatche and John Wall.

Gilbert Arenas had a terrible shooting night by being 5-15 overall from the field and was 1-7 from the three point area. Arenas scored 11 points in the game.

[CKR13]

Forward Yi Jianlian is stated to miss 2-4 weeks depending on his rate of recovery from a right knee sprain. Starter Andray Blatche is nursing a bruised right hip and could see limited minutes.

That leaves the Wizards with a depleted frontcourt and I am expecting forwards Kevin Seraphin, Hilton Armstrong and Trevor Booker to see minutes alongside JaVale McGee.

[CKR13]

Orlando and Washington re-open Gilbert Arenas potential trade

Source: Yahoo!Sports

The Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic have re-opened talks about the potential trade of star Gilbert Arenas from Washington to Orlando.

[Delibasic]

Source: Yahoo!Sports

The Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic have re-opened talks about the potential trade of star Gilbert Arenas from Washington to Orlando.

finally. can't wait to see him piss off. the team should be built around wall, young and blatche

[Khalid80]

Breaking News: Magic, Wizards closing in on Lewis-for-Arenas deal

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/12/18/magic-wizards-trade-rumors/index.html

[Khalid80]

Wizards trade Gilbert Arenas to Magic for Rashard Lewis

The Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic are close to a trade that will send guard Gilbert Arenas to Orlando in exchange for forward Rashard Lewis, a league source tells TNT's David Aldridge.

The proposed trade was expected to be completed Saturday, perhaps before the Wizards played the Miami Heat Saturday evening in Washington and the Magic host the 76ers in Orlando.

The deal would rid the Wizards of one of their biggest public relations headaches in years. While Arenas helped Washington make the playoffs for the first time in a decade and became an All-Star playing alongside Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, his infamous suspension for bringing guns into the Verizon Center locker room last December as part of a prank and/or confrontation with then-teammate Javaris Crittenton cast a shadow over the franchise. Arenas was suspended by Commissioner David Stern for the final 50 games of last season and served time in a halfway house in the D.C. suburbs after pleading guilty to one felony count of carrying a pistol without a license.

Arenas returned to the Wizards this season and has played reasonably well, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists for Washington. He would give Orlando someone who can create for himself and others off the dribble, something the Magic have sorely lacked this season as they has struggled at times against the league's better teams. And Arenas' close relationship with Orlando GM Otis Smith, who mentored Arenas while the two were in Golden State, has been well-documented.

Lewis is averaging his lowest point total in a decade for Orlando this season, scoring just 12.2 points a night on 41 percent shooting from the floor. He has struggled at times making the adjustment to playing more small forward this season than he has for the Magic; he thrived as a "stretch four" power forward playing next to center Dwight Howard in previous seasons, but the Magic has opted to give emerging forward Brandon Bass more minutes at that position this season.

The deal could save Washington at least $24 million; Arenas has four years and $80 million remaining on his $111 million deal signed two years ago, while Lewis has three years and $63 million left on the $124 million deal he signed as a free agent in 2007. But only $10 million of the $22.6 million he is owed in the final year of the contract, in 2012-13, is fully guaranteed. Lewis can increase the guarantee if he meets certain performance criteria between now and then.

Though rumors about an Orlando acquisition of Arenas have been circulating for weeks, the increase in intensity in trade discussions between the two teams was first reported Friday night by Yahoo! Sports.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/12/18//magic-wizards-trade-rumors/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

[dxjayrock2008]

Quote To Note:
"Gilbert wants to win. He's going to a situation where he can win, have an opportunity to go to a conference final and win a championship, so I feel good about that."
—Wizards coach Flip Saunders, on trading guard Gilbert Arenas to Orlando.


Hibachi has taken his talents to Orlando Magic. Lol.