Will Brendan Play? Will Bodies Fly?

Two more themes from today's practice. I've given up on trying to ask original questions. This series feels like it's been going for several fortnights, and we haven't even gotten to Game 2. Also, my beard is filling in nicely. I'm beginning to look like Baron Davis, I believe. Or maybe a Geico caveman.

Anyhow, the themes, pretty much sans commentary

1) Will Brendan Haywood play more?

Eddie Jordan: "If you can get it done you get it done, if you don't have a high rate of success then we're going somewhere else, it's as simple as that."

Eddie Jordan, when a writer returned to this same issue: "You got a big man thing today? Brendan's been the first big off the bench, and we want him to play with a lot of energy, intelligently, and let's see what happens. That's how it goes. You make your own minutes."

[Seriously, just hire a mediator and get it over with, put the dude on the court.]

Eddie Jordan, on whether he''ll see enough for Brendan to make his own minutes: "I hope I am. I think he's practiced well the last two days, he's upbeat and let's see if it carries over to the game."

Brendan Haywood, in prime diplomatic mode, on his PT: "If the coach feels that's the best lineup to play then he has to play that lineup. I can't do anything to change that situation....We're not practicing that much right now, so if there's gonna be a lineup change it's gonna be because he feels there should be. If not, he's gonna play the guys he thinks are going to help him win the game."

Brendan Haywood, in prime diplomatic mode, on whether he's frustrated to be out of the rotation: "Well, like I said, only coach can answer if I've fallen out of the loop or not. Well I guess I can answer that. I mean, just by watching the games, obviously I have fallen out of that loop. It's definitely frustrating, you want to play. But like I said it's not up to me, it's not really about me. We have to go out there and get things done, and if that doesn't include me so be it."

[There are actually a lot of peace scholars in this town. Plus all those foreign interventionists. I don't see why it wouldn't at least be worth the effort. Or maybe they could read some Colman McCarthy together.]

Brendan Haywood, on whether he expects to see more time tomorrow: "Life's like a court of law, man: You can't run around speculating. I can't come in here and speculate about who's gonna play and who's not gonna play. Like I said, it's not my role. I'd love to play me, but I can't play and coach. So it's not up to me, it's up to him, and I'm gonna ride whatever decision he goes with."

2) Will the Wizards play a more physical game?

DeShawn Stevenson: "We need our centers to go out there and at least give some hard fouls, let 'em know that we're here, go out there and try to be a beast. I think [for] the whole team it's time to send a message. You know, I'm not saying hurt nobody, because you don't want to do that, but at the same time it is the playoffs, and you've got to go out there and send a message. I think there was too many layups. LeBron going in doing reverses? You see a lot of that stuff in the regular season, you don't see that in the playoffs."

Jarvis Hayes, on whether that time has come: "It's always been that time.... It's something that we should have been doing. They shouldn't get easy layups or easy baskets. It's about time we toughen up a little bit."

Brendan Haywood, on whether that time has come: "I don't think we have to Russian Sickle anybody out of the air or anything like that. We just have to play good defense. You don't know the Russian Sickle? Nikolai Volkoff. It was like a clothesline."

Although through the use of Google, other hacks are now sensing that maybe what Haywood meant was Nikita Koloff. Any wrestling fans out there care to chime in? Russ Thaler, can you hear me? And who's gonna be the first media member to ask Ira Newble about the Camel Clutch tomorrow?

By Dan Steinberg |  April 24, 2007; 2:16 PM ET  | Category:  Wizards
Previous: Orioles Mustaches | Next: Jarvis's Ride

Posted by: MFFL | April 24, 2007 2:39 PM

Posted by: WaPoLiveFan16 | April 24, 2007 2:56 PM

Posted by: MDT | April 24, 2007 3:10 PM

Posted by: MDT | April 24, 2007 3:11 PM

Posted by: N | April 24, 2007 3:41 PM

Posted by: N | April 24, 2007 3:42 PM

Posted by: bob | April 24, 2007 3:42 PM

Posted by: Anonymous | April 24, 2007 3:56 PM

Posted by: odessa steps magazine | April 24, 2007 4:32 PM

Posted by: WGDC- | April 24, 2007 11:51 PM

Posted by: kid | April 25, 2007 10:34 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.