It's like watching Groundhog Day with shorts and tank tops. They keep playing the same game over and over. But at least in the movie, it played out a little differently each time.

Well, another similarity between Groundhog Day and this season is that both were very funny. You'd have to laugh, because otherwise, you'd cry, and I love to laugh!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Sorry, Ivan Carter, no humour in that story. Sounds like a lot of tension, stress and hatred within the Wizards. The life has been drained out of these guys. Unfortunately, Blatche is a young rookie & already he's not interested in going to work. Nobody wants to believe it but when you step into the world of million dollar salaries and business - things happen you would never beleive. its got little to do with winning & losing but everything to do w/management.

I'd bet money this team is a mess.

They playing hard, as they should. Need that playoff intensity. Heartbreaking to watch them come up empty time after time.

What did Stevenson have to say for himself after the two charges, the whiffing on a reverse lay in and making an elementary mistake against Wade (all of these errors came in the final minutes of the game)?

It's not hard to see what affect EJ has had on both Blatche and Haywood.

It's very real to suggest that anyone would have a worse attitude when their boss holds them to a tougher standard than the rest of the employees. It's management 101.

I'm not excusing either AB or BTH from working hard or not having the right attitude but EJ absolutely deserves to share in the blame for those situations.

I don't expect a 20 year old to be more mature than that. Good for Jamison being a leader.

EJ is just killing me. He makes it hard to watch. The fact that there is ZERO confidence and ZERO chemistry right now has to do with completely random substitution patterns going back to the Jamison injury.

Booth gets a double double and disappears for a few games. Blatche 5 minutes last night, dynamic tonight. BTH 0 minutes last night and a double double tonight.

No one knows their role or feels comfortable so of course there's tension.

And did Eddie Jordan really go out of his way to give the ball to a non-PG who is a career 21% 3pt shooter for the last play of the game?

I'll say it again...is he just guessing?

It is pretty easy to see what effect Jordan's treatment had on Haywood. He comes back after getting benched and damn near mothballed and plays with more energy, committment, and efficiency than we'd seen from him in weeks before he got benched. Eddie sent him a message and Haywood got it. Good for him. Here's hoping he can keep it up

Ivan,

You're story about Antawn and Blatche...

I read that, my 1st interpretation was Antawn took the 2nd bus in Dallas cause he wanted out of there.
I hope that's not why 'Dray's on the 2nd bus.

I think folks are reading too much into the Antawn/Blatche story. I just think it was a great example of Antawn being a leader in the locker room.

It's hard to win when your four best (available) players --AJ, DS, D-Song, and AD -- shoot a combined 27% from the field (9 for 33). I only saw the last part of the Heat game, but from all the other recent games I've seen, it's obvious that when you're depleted you're not going to win by putting up a bunch of quick, ill-considered shots.

BTH has been saying, and showing this for years. If you give the man the ball, he will have much success. I've been repeating this cliche all season, "you got to keep your big men happy."

BTH was all over the place yesterday. Zo made Etan look like a chump as he just elevated and blocked his little hook easily. BTH did the same move, and BTH had way too much length for Zo to even contest it. Then, BTH ran out and blocked Doleac who was trying to take a long jumper. Then BTH had a monster rebound and dunk over everyone.

Gotta keep your big men happy, and that means YOU Gilby!!!! How can you expect consistency out of BTH, when you don't give BTH any CONSISTENT minutes, EJ?

Why Does Everything I Say Fall On Deaf Ears, but Ends Up Coming True At the End?

Because I'm right, and apologists hate it.

The interesting part of the story is that Jamison wanted out of Dallas. That is the first time I've ever heard anything along those lines. Did he ask management for a trade? Was his pouting noticable? He went from Golden State, where he was the star and was losing, to Dallas, where he was 6th Man of the Year and winning, and he pouted in Dallas??
Jamison seems about as solid a guy as there is, so this is quite noteworthy. It seems a lot of people imagine that if/when the Wizards get really good, Jamison's role will as 6th man. Will he pout again, or has time brought some more maturity? Remember that he complained about coming off the bench when EJ took him out of the starting lineup for a couple games last season.
My take is that these guys have pride and are human. I think it's unrealistic when a coach benches someone like Jamison or Haywood or whoever to expect those guys to immediately be happy and say, "Whatever you say, coach. Cool with me!!" It is realistic, however, to expect that the benched player will not be too destructive when that happens, and after a couple of days, get it sorted out in his head and back with the team first mentality for the most part. When EJ pulled Haywood after 41 seconds in the 3rd quarter of a recent game, that's a humiliating move by EJ. Maybe deserved, maybe not, but it's humiliating. Haywood could have responded in two ways: with no emotion or anger, or getting really pissed. I would be more worried about him if it didn't bother him. I think it's fair to expect Haywood or whoever in that situation to have a bad attitude for a couple of days, but then get his head screwed on right and be ready to play whatever role is asked. I thought the reaction was incorrect. I'm obviously not there to see the Wizards day in and day out, but it seems Haywood did that, and it seems that every guy on the Wizards does that.

(By the way, I feel like "the second bus" is going to become a favorite phrase on this blog. So descriptive.)

Man, did I "love" that lineup of Haywood, Blatche, Songalia, Mason, & Taylor. I am glad to see EJ decided to put his ego to the side and give Haywood and Blatche some burn last night.

Haywood was hot in the first half and thought for sure EJ was going to stay true to form and not let him come back in (as he usually does) but EJ surprised me and he put Haywood back in the game.

Haywood was in a dog gone good "flow" and Jarvis was in for Songalia and that unit was "flowing". Jarvis looked more aggressive (I give him some credit for that because I have been often calling for the man's head) and looking more confident.

That's how the man looked in college, so I hope the dude can keep it up because he is a good dude but the reason we are always on his case so much is because he always settles for "jumpers" and never hits them. If he shows that aggressiveness more often and still misses, we can live with that.

But as fate has it, EJ could not resist himself to "mess with" that unit. First he takes Haywood out at about the 8:00 minute mark in the 4th quarter to insert Booth, who had not played for over two games and was stone cold (go figure again????). How could EJ expect the man to produce in those conditions in the 4th quarter where everyone is already warmend up and in the "flow"???

Does this go back to a point one of the posters made yesterday about EJ's stubborness? Was he making himself look bad by giving Haywood all of those DNP's and then watching him do his thing as I always knew he could if he was ever given "steady minutes" in the second half of games? So, once again he "yanks him" out.

The reason I made that point yesterday about him just sitting on the pine and not getting any trade value buildup is not because I want him traded. I think with steady minutes (25 to 30) the man could be an asset to us.

I just figured it was best the Wiz go on and trade him so that he could be put with another team that would be more fair to him and EJ would not have to have this thing as a distraction anymore. Again, I prefer Haywood here and getting minutes.

That unit had a very nice flow going and then at the 4:00 minute mark EJ takes out Mason, Taylor and Blatche. In comes Jamison, AD and Steveson. Game over. One of my points yesterday, is when someone is "hot" other then one of the big three, Eddie yanks them out and they never come back in the game.

Did anyone notice how "slow" that first unit looked compared to the second unit? If EJ would have keep that second unit in he started in the 4th quarter we would have won that game.

Lastly, man did it look good or what to see Haywood and Blatche out there grabbing "re's" and tapping balls in and beating people to the ball because of their length?

I hope EJ can finally take the "blinders" off and see that Taylor, Haywood, Blatche, and Mason deserve some more "burn" because the Wiz are alot more quicker and defensive minded when he has them out there.

Good leadership by AJ.

Other than that, the most saddening and maddening part of this team is the lack of management and leadership skills of their coach, especially regarding their big men.

Haywood is a lost cause.

Blatche could turn out to be the answer to their problem in the hole (given that the team's stars are offensive-minded). He needs minutes now and in the playoffs at the 5.

p.s. The Wizards pay EJ millions of dollars to coach, but apparently provide him with no basic management training. That wouldn't happen in virtually any other type of organization. I thought Abe was a successful business man? What gives?

"One of my points yesterday, is when someone is "hot" other then one of the big three, Eddie yanks them out and they never come back in the game."

Henry, my point exactly. Evidently you have played some ball to and the average fan would not have noticed this type of stuff.

I remember in a game last year, when EJ was "teaching" Haywood a lesson again by giving him some DNP's, there was 3 seconds left in a game and he had not played Haywood for about two games. The opposing team were down 3 or 4 points and had the ball under their basket.

EJ then proceeds to call in Haywood (who had not played for two games or more, just like what is happening again now) to guard against the inbound pass. The pass goes in and the shot is missed and the game is over. Haywood then walks to the locker room. That was humuliating also. That is the little stuff that I am talking about that I have always noticed.

Now I know there are two sides to the story, so maybe Haywood did something to EJ that was uncalled for, who knows????

When EJ pulled Haywood after 41 seconds in the 3rd quarter of a recent game, that's a humiliating move by EJ. Maybe deserved, maybe not, but it's humiliating. Haywood could have responded in two ways: with no emotion or anger, or getting really pissed. I would be more worried about him if it didn't bother him.

Sorry, copied the wrong quote from Henry. This is the quote I was refering to.Henry, my point exactly. Evidently you have played some ball to and the average fan would not have noticed this type of stuff.

I remember in a game last year, when EJ was "teaching" Haywood a lesson again by giving him some DNP's, there was 3 seconds left in a game and he had not played Haywood for about two games. The opposing team were down 3 or 4 points and had the ball under their basket.

EJ then proceeds to call in Haywood (who had not played for two games or more, just like what is happening again now) to guard against the inbound pass. The pass goes in and the shot is missed and the game is over. Haywood then walks to the locker room. That was humuliating also

"p.s. The Wizards pay EJ millions of dollars to coach, but apparently provide him with no basic management training. That wouldn't happen in virtually any other type of organization. I thought Abe was a successful business man? What gives?

Posted by: Izman | April 12, 2007 08:42 AM "

Please reference the Juwan Howard, MJ, and Gar Heard debacles. It's best for this team if Dishonest Abe stayed way as much as possible. Unfortunately, Abe's a big fan of EJ, and made EG sign him to an extension, as reported by Ivan.

"When EJ pulled Haywood after 41 seconds in the 3rd quarter of a recent game, that's a humiliating move by EJ. Maybe deserved, maybe not, but it's humiliating. Haywood could have responded in two ways: with no emotion or anger, or getting really pissed. I would be more worried about him if it didn't bother him".

Henry's quote, not mine..

Mikie, couldn't agree more. The only thing you left out was EJ giving Stevenson the silver bullet to kill us at the end of the last 4 games.

Abe & management hired Eddie a defensive coach but Eddie not happy cuz it wasn't someone HE chose. He chooses his own staff. That's saying somthing.

Interesting article on ESPN about KG sitting out rest of season possible tendenitis.

An injury was news to his teammates.

The situation is similar to last season. With the Wolves eliminated from postseason contention, Garnett sat out the final six games with tendinitis in his right knee.

"I don't know if it's a similar problem, right leg," McHale said. "He's had problems off and on. As a player, when you go through chronic stuff after a while ... at least if you find out exactly what it is so you can take a course of action."

If Garnett does not return this season, there will be speculation that he has played his last game for the Timberwolves. He can opt out of his contract after the 2007-08 season, and the Wolves could entertain trade offers this summer, or through the trade deadline next season, to avoid losing him without compensation.

Garnett has never indicated that he would seek a trade, but he has expressed frustration through another disappointing season in which the Wolves will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

"Consistency, not being able to have an identity, we never established that from day one," Garnett said at the shootaround. "We always flirted with being a really good defensive team but never truly wanted to do that. Some nights we wanted to run and be an up-and-down team. We'd do that some nights but never really committed to that. You have to get some consistency in what you're doing."

KG sounds like everybody on this blog.
You have to get some consistency in what you're doing.

As you may recall - TMac sat out much of his final season in Orlando.

From Eddie Jordon:

"It was just another game where we didn't make the big stop or the big play at the end to win," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "The bottom line is we're playing with a fairly new team in a sense. We're building something from almost a foundation. We have to be patient."

"It's been the story the last three or four games," Hayes said. "We played good for 3 1/2 quarters and when it gets down to the last couple of minutes, the other team -- Miami tonight -- makes the stop and the key bucket at the end."

KG going out is not surprising. Why take a chance on your golden goose if the games don't matter anymore? Many other players have called it a season too, to enhance their team's draft position.....Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce (?), Zach Randolph, etc.

Sorry guys - This is the NBA. Eddie Jordan & Ernie are simply playing the guys they plan to deal or release. They want the players to show talents & skills so EG can decide trade value, salary cap, release or keep.

Its the business. Thus the strange substitutions, etc.

The die was cast - When their money man(GA)walked off the court. Mgmt considered this season over & are preparing for next year. They don't expect to win another game. going through the motions.

Jordan's quote above4/12 & on 4/10/07 says it all. You're dreamin if you think he's struggling to win. A blind man could see that. He's using this time to let these guys display their talent and skills no more no less.

Taylor, Mason, Haywood, Hall have to prove their worth. Eddie said it in print now & at start of season.

Marketing and managment 101 boys & girls BUT in the NBA.

Don't begin to think they'll wait til the season is over. you'd be dreamin.

Also - read the earlier post about KG.
disgusted w/Minn Mgmt & coaching. Deciding whether to return.

"You're dreamin if you think he's struggling to win. A blind man could see that. He's using this time to let these guys display their talent and skills no more no less."

If that's the case why was he playing AD and Jamison 42 minutes + per game until last night? You think any organization wants to lose 10 games in a row heading into the playoffs? Fact is, EJ is coaching the exact same way he has for the last 2 seasons,except for now he doesn't have Gilbert and Caron to cover up for all his mistakes.

"You're dreamin if you think he's struggling to win. A blind man could see that. He's using this time to let these guys display their talent and skills no more no less."

If that's the case why was he playing AD and Jamison 42 minutes + per game until last night? You think any organization wants to lose 10 games in a row heading into the playoffs? Fact is, EJ is coaching the exact same way he has for the last 2 seasons,except for now he doesn't have Gilbert and Caron to cover up for all his mistakes.

The team can't execute in closing game situations. Before it relied on the one on one ability of Arenas to either make the play or initiate it.

It looks like the coach will now need to step it up. Eddie Jordan, please show us why you got that extension and deserve to be the coach of the Wizards for a long time.

Man, I have seen Haywood play a lot of games, and I have not seen him show that he's really right about producing if he gets minutes. Yeah, SOMETIMES he has a good game when he gets solid minutes. But I've watched him play plenty of other games where he starts the game and has a pretty high number of minutes played, but never makes one good play on the court.

(His vaunted "shot altering" ability aside, when he isn't getting points *or* rebounds *or* blocks, I think he is probably not pulling his weight, even if he is costing the other team a couple percentage points on their shooting inside the 3-point arc.)

I'm by no means a Haywood-hater, and I do feel like he's been underused this season. (I don't know why he wouldn't be able to play more than 25 minutes a game even when he's playing well, for example - Shaq outweighs and out-ages him by a lot, but even now can play 35 minutes on occasion, without collapsing in a heap.) But it's not as simple as "if he gets the minutes, he'll have the game." I've seen him get the minutes and NOT have game. And if you've been watching, I think you've seen it too.

Rick Adelman for head coach next year.

Josh, the games you've seen where BTH was getting decent PT....did he get any touches or setups from Gilby? Probably not. When the big 3 are out there, BTH's role is just to play defense on his man, and to help out others when they "olay" their man. Not a glamorous job, but PT nonetheless. But given that you should expect low production on the offensive end when the big 3 are in there with him.

Rob, I'd have to agree with your post to a point. Winning games right now isn't as important as trying to figure out what we have and how to have the best chance in a playoff series.
Once Gil went down getting homecourt was out of the question. Those first few games EJ was trying to just get a win to assure a playoff position and not a complete free fall out. Now I'd say he's experimenting to see what he's got left without Gil and Butler and what his best strategy is to steal a series in the playoffs.
Last night it appeared to me that there were a few bench combinations that were just being put out there to see what might work. For all the talk on this site, I just don't see a group of guys that have quit on their coach. I've got the ticket and watch alot of different games, and beleive me there are alot of teams that have quit this year.
You would have a hard time convincing me that this team is worse off then some that were hoping to do well and are lottery bound this year. These guys are just trying to figure out how to finish out games without a finisher right now. And in case no one noticed, that finisher is the hardest thing to find in this sport.

I agree Dante, Adelman would be a great move.

Can someone tell me again why Dixon and Blake arent here anymore? Everynight I see hightlights of them ballin' for playoff teams. Good for them, bad for us. I'd take Blake over Taylor every day. And if this team needs a closer, Dixon is more cold blooded than anyone left on this team.

Love EG, but I thing he missed the boat of jetting these guys early in their careers.

"Winning games right now isn't as important as trying to figure out what we have and how to have the best chance in a playoff series."

Exactly, GM. Any suggesting that Eddie is trying to lose games for whatever reason is silly. But with a playoff spot assured, and knowing he's not going to get any extra help (in the form of all-stars returning from injury) in the first round, he has to figure out which of the guys deep on his bench can be counted on in tight situations and which ones will choke in the clutch. That's the reasoning behind Taylor's extended runs and putting the ball in his hands at the end of games. He's the closest thing they have to a backup PG if Daniels gets hurt or fouls out, so they need to get him ready. Same with Stevenson at the SG position. Continuing to play Daniels and Jamison 40+ mpg the last week of the season just to polish up the record does nothing for them if it leaves those guys drained or hurt for the playoffs.

Jordan's got four games to try and get these guys to start thinking about the game and their roles in a way that's completely different than they have all season. That's no easy task and the curve is steep.

From what I remember, Dixon and Blake both left basically because they wanted to be starting players, and they weren't going to get to start for the Wizards. Sure, they'd be starting *now*, but they would still have probably been third or fourth on the depth chart at guard on the Wizards most of this year.

They also would have cost a little more than Taylor (DT's at 663k this year, Blake at 1.3m, Dixon at 2.5m), but I believe they left mainly because they wanted to start playing starter minutes, and with Gil here, that just wasn't going to happen. I'm sure Grunfeld would've liked to keep them, but if they didn't want to stay...

Re what Eddie Jordan's doing now - I think that might be true, that he's trying to figure things out and get the current team in shape for playoffs, more than win games right now, but it does seem like there's a danger of the guys getting demoralized if they keep on losing. Hopefully that won't happen...

Tom,

I'd take Blake over Taylor too. But they didn't replace Blake with Taylor, they replaced him with Daniels. They wanted a veteran backup PG with proven credentials, and Daniels has a ring. There was no chance that Blake was going to re-sign with the Wizards to be their third-string backup PG.

As I predicted the other night, we played tough and lost against Miami. The problems with poor defense, poor substitutions and relying on outside shooting are foundational problems to the team all year and have not gone away. What has gone away is "Gilbert, the closer." A great closer on a team can "cover a multitude of sins." I was as usual shocked that Coach again drew up an iso play for Stevenson, that Taylor took the last shot, etc., etc. Yet without 2/3 of the big 3 I gave Coach a pass. They have had a week's grace period. But the pass has expired now. NOW THEY BETTER BEAT THE HAWKS. The tempo change has been the successful formula and I give Ernie credit for it. But they gotta figure out how to finish these games now. MO MORE EXCUSES.

"When the big 3 are out there, BTH's role is just to play defense on his man, and to help out others when they "olay" their man. Not a glamorous job, but PT nonetheless".

Correct DC Man88. And after they usually "olay" their man Haywood has to step over and try to cover for them (after EJ had him "flashing" at the top of the key and trying to then get back down to the paint) which most of the time takes him out of the paint or prime rebounding position.

Thus, you see the low rebound total which EJ, Phil Chenier and all the other media types translate to not "showing up" and not producing. Add in the low amount of minutes he gets in the second half of most games, no matter how good he is playing (i.e. yesterday's game where he was not in the final 5 minutes of another game deciding game again) he will be "yanked" and then you will have people saying he has been slipping so he should be benched.

If your "head" is played with all time by your supervisor, how in the heck will you probably end up acting?

Why was it Haywood was able to get so many rebounds in a small amount of time yesterday? Better primeter defense with Taylor, Blatche and Mason out there "manning up" on their men, thus not creating that dang "switching crap" they are terrible at which then translates to an "uneven court" on defense.

As for the earlier story by Ivan on Jamison and Blatche. Blatche was probably on the second bus because his "head" is also being messed with when it comes to minutes so he probably said what's the use if I am not going to get in anyway (5 minutes in NJ game when EJ said he would be playing major minutes).

Blatche sees Haywood working hard at practice and getting to the games early working on his game with Harvey Grant playing good in some games and then being "yanked" and having things "twisted" like he isn't playing well and then getting unwarrented DNP's and watching dudes getting his minutes that don't deserve it. And you wonder why the dude rode the second bus??????????

I hear ya...

I'll hold off my criticism of EJ until after the playoffs. There may be some validity to the idea that the strange rotation is to get the team ready for the playoffs. But if EJ continues to befuddle the fans with weird rotations, subs, and in-game strategy in the playoffs there will be a firestorm of "EJ must go!"

DCMan, I'm not going back and rewatching the games now to verify, but sure, Gil (and anyone else handling) didn't put the ball in Haywood's hands real often. (At least, not successfully! I'm sure you also saw a fair number of passes bounce off Haywood in the post this year.) That's not just the fault of the guys with the rock, of course. For one, the Wizards offense is mostly built on motion around the outside, and because their centers aren't very good at working with that, they don't touch the ball too much on offense. (Yeah, there's some chicken/egg there; maybe Haywood would be better at catching passes and making something out of them if he tried to do it more often.)

Then, besides that, neither Haywood nor Thomas is able to create good shots all that consistently. Haywood did at least make pretty good decisions with the ball when he had it, for most of the season. He has more games in the books this season shooting over 50% than under 50%, but he had his share of cold games too (about 12 out of the 45 he's appeared in since Jan 1, it looks like), and a fair number of games where he played 20+ minutes and had only a few rebounds (often none offensive), or played something like 9 minutes, looked bad, and was pulled.

Again, he's not a terrible player overall. But when he's not good, he's not good. And I hate to see him (apparently) feuding with the coach, since it just hurts the team no matter who's in the wrong (which is hard to tell from the outside).

The trouble with Haywood and Etan is that just plain and simple their skill sets on offense don't mesh with the Princeton offense.
Booth doesn't have trouble getting the ball where he can do something with it. Neither does Songalia. Most don't remember Jahadi White was here the first year and they tried to teach him the Princeton in camp. Their not as bad at it as White, but guys they've been trying to learn this thing for three years and we've still got some shaving of corners to do for either one to play 5 in the Princeton.
In less than 40 games look at Songalia in this offense. The problem with intergrating Ruffin, Haywood and Etan into this offense is not our gaurds.

As "not good" as BTH is, he's the best option for this team at the 5. I think when this cat leaves this team, he's going to blossom elsewhere. Just hope Les BouleS get something of value in return, not someone like Ike Austin for Ben Wallace + picks.

It's clear to me that EJ doesn't know what he wants and what he's doing. Gilby, AJ, and Caron have been his crutch all year, playing outside of the Princeton Offense because if they did actually play within the Princetown Offense, it would expose how flawed this team and the coaching staff really is.

Without the Big 3 crutch, what you get is what you see when you open up a baby's fresh diaper. A steaming heap of poop.

When he plays with energy and motivation, Haywood does some good things. But too often he doesn't play that way. He's not a good enough player that he can skate by on sheer talent without ramping up the effort. He came out last night motivated by his benching and the bad press. We'll see how long it lasts.

I wouldn't play with the Wiz if I was a big man. Big 3 are just going to jack up most of the shots anyway that's why it makes sense for Ruffin to be in the game because his game is pure hussle, rebounding & defense. EJ, prolly doesn't hear any complain from him for the most part.

I think EJ likes his role players to be deaf mutes.

I can't believe that this is the "Princeton" offense in any recognizable form. It's more like put up the quick shot and pray for the best. And the shots go up regardless of whether there's anyone under the boards, regardless of time left on the 24 sec. clock, etc.

Unfortunately it goes back to the idea that they have given Gil total carte blanche to put up any shot at any time. When that's the philosophy with the team's best player, how can you expect the team as a whole to be disciplined? Now of course Gil isn't playing, but as EJ said he's basically reprogramming the team on the run. It can't be done once discipline is already lost.

We don't miss you in Dallas one bit Jamison. Who would have thunk that Stackhouse (notorious for being a malcontent in Washington, Philly, Detroit, Chapel Hill) would be more beloved by us than you? You weren't deserving of a max contract from the Warriors and not now either. Good luck ever reaching the Finals with the Wiz. That'll never happen.

I'd like to weigh in on the Brendan posters.
One of Haywood's primary problem is his small hands (he can barely palm the basketball). That's why you see him so often not be able to get the ball back in the hoop on a tip or offensive rebound and why some of his shots 6-8' away from the hoop don't go in. That being said, by far,his main problem is mental. Earlier this year, when Etan was injured, Brendan played the best ball of his career while the team was winning. It was not because he was getting any more touches in the paint, it was because he was motivated to show EJ he should be the man. He was rebounding, playing D and getting some putbacks. He was a major contributor to many of those Dec.-Jan. wins. But that's not the same player we saw in the few weeks before EJ benched him when his numbers were closer to a 5' player than a 7' player. On a team with 3 highly skilled offensive players, he does not need nor should he get many plays called for him...he just needs to be a physical presence in the paint on both offense and defense. Until Brendan can develop the mental toughness that the 82 game NBA schedule requires, his inconsistency will drive the coaches and fans crazy...occasionally playing like he did last night in Miami and then disappearing under a rock. He is too young to give up on but he's running out of rope with EJ and maybe EG.

I buy what some are saying about Eddie Jordan trying to figure out what he has for the playoffs, but my question is this: How many damn times is he going to let Stevenson screw up on an iso near the end of the ball game before he stops it. Secondly, if he really wants to win these games then you have to play Haywood and Blatche 20+ minutes.
Thirdly, if the Princeton offense is such a heap of poop, then how come New Jersey went to two NBA Finals using it. Not only that, the Princeton offense made Chris Webber (a lot of talent with no heart) an elite NBA player and took the Kings to the brink of the NBA Finals?

"He was a major contributor to many of those Dec.-Jan. wins. But that's not the same player we saw in the few weeks before EJ benched him when his numbers were closer to a 5' player than a 7' player".

Artie - The stats you are mentioning is during a time when Etan was hurt and EJ "HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PLAY" him. With that said, as I have said before; with 25 to 30 minutes played Haywood's line is pretty good, along with the teams winning percentage.

If you notice, when Etan came back; Haywood's minutes starting dipping slowly but surely. Was he starting to play badly? No. It was what another poster said about EJ and his stubborness and not wanting to look bad if he kept Haywood in to long.

EJ has been "looking" for chances to get Etan back in the starting line up since he came back, but Haywood was playing so well he couldn't just "up and do it" right then.

He had to let it play out by gradually dropping Haywood's minutes and leaving him out of the 4th quarter of games even when he was playing well. He knew that would fustrate him and he would end up doing something stupid, like what he did at the home game and Toronto.

That incident with Haywood after the game then gave EJ the reason to get Etan back in the lineup. If you are playing well and the coach jerks you out on a every game basis and you were still playing well; guess what, you are going to get fustrated and start to lose confidence. I thought the coach was supposed to motivate his marginal players, not smash their confidence?

Watch the next Wizards game and see when Haywood gets in and after two to three minutes when the "horn" blows for substitions he instantly looks up to see if the sub is for him. That right there says a lot about how shakey his minutes are. How can you play well when you have that over your head every game.

Don't be surprised if he gets a DNP in the Atlanta game. He was playing to well and EJ has to keep him in "check". Although, I hope I am wrong on my assumption.

Quoting per 48 minute stats refering to Haywood is useless because he is so maddeningly inconsistant. If we could only have a crystal ball to know which Brendan will show up, trying to be a fan of him or his team wouldn't be so frustrating.
And you know I don't think that his inconsistancy is directly related to his being a head case. I think he loses focus, and has the tendacy when benched to think the world is against him. But I see him have games that he disappears during a game while he's on the floor.
I've wrote here many times this year supporting Haywood, he was a big part of our winning surge in Dec. and Jan. He was working hard to improve his game and was not the same "Brenda" that some fans still mocked.
Big men take time to develop, but Brendan and Etan are carry overs from the MJ years. They don't fit this offense and their frustration and inability to find a comfort zone in it are painful to watch.
As I posted earlier today, I read here where some posters blame our gaurds or the big 3 for not getting the ball to our bigs and keeping them happy. But Songalia or Booth don't have that problem in the Princeton.
The only thing that stinks about this offense is having three guys(Haywood, Ruffin, and Etan) that are next to useless in it. EJ has varied the Princeton to work around it and try and utilize the players he has to work with.
To run this offense and get this team to play better team offense we need bigs who have the skills to run the Princeton or junk it for a more conventional NBA set,

All this talk abut offense is interestng but our achiles heel all year has been defense and now that we are without Gil and Caron to out score teams this deficiency will be more evident. We have now been slowing the tempo and so scores are lower. But teams are still getting any shot they want against us. Haywood, as has been said all year, needs to focus on protecting the rim. We should not expect the additional ofeense that is now need to come from him.

I do think that Eddie is doing some experimenting now that they have this new style and I think it is good. But unless his end game coaching improves it will be for naught. As I see it Jamison and Songalia are the end game options now: not Taylor or Hayes or Stevenson or Mason. Songalia is of course dependent on the offense to get loose. Jamison also to a lesser degree. But I believe that if they make that decision and stick with it they may win some of these games down the stretch.

If we lose against the Hawks then it is a real possibility that we may not win another game all year. I mean next week and a sweep in round one. This game Friday is the phsychological hinge game for Eddie's new style game plan which is a good plan. But they may stop believeing in it. WE GOTTA WIN THIS ONE!!!

I think Les BouleS may beat Atlanta b/c Atlanta has no reason to win the game. Their reason now is the lottery. Does anyone know what is the stipulation for Phoenix getting Atlanta's first lottery pick?

If they lose out and get swept in the playoffs.....I would hope that would cost EJ his job, despite the fact that I already think he should lose it.

B-Rev, defense has been a problem, but the failure to secure the ball after a defensive stop has been the stake through the heart in way to many games.
If guys want touches, go get the ball when the other team puts up a shot. Everybody, including our gaurds need to bang the boards and scrap for the ball.
We are blowing games from far too many second or third shots given up late in the 4th.
And B-Rev is right we really need a win to get this monkey off our back.

Roger Mason is capable of scoring a lot of points, and his low production is disappointing.

Antawn - Hello Spare - didn't like Dallas? Glad you're gone. Glad to have a WINNER like Stackhouse who has the heart of a champion and is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Goodbye loser, one round and out. ENJOY!!

A winner like Stackhouse. What a laugh that guy was a big fat loser until he got on the Dallas bandwagon. He won't show when you need his sorry butt in the playoffs. Give me a freaking break.

I don't blame Jamison. The Dallas team he left was nothing like the one they've got now.

Quizzical, who you been watching?

The Wizards are "making due" with these subpar bench players. Neither, including Mason is consistent. He hits a 3 every now and then? Thats not quality basketball.
ask yourself - If he can score so many points why didn't Toronto, Chitown, Orl or Israel or Germany want him? He's been in & around the league as long as Gilbert. Still streaky, inconsistent and def NOT that reported height. (I'm a former Cav)
more D League quality. Then again, I shouldn't say that cuz Randy Livingston, DLeague MVP puts up more points than Mason, Taylor, Hall altogether plus 488 assists for the yr. Wiz might consider takin a peek.

No doubt you Wiz bloggers know what time it is. You need to drop this sub par bench and get a good low post player - enough with shaky streaky guards who after 4 & 5 yrs still can't figure out what the heck their doin.

I bet they had Stackhouse planning the victory celebration in Dallas last year after they won THREE games! He was going to turn it into a week long event.
You know, EIGHT days of celebration!

Speaking of Mason, Taylor and Hall, maybe they can get a group discount at Berlitz. They could learn some useful stuff, such as how to say "how do I get to the stadium?" in Urdu.

"Big men take time to develop, but Brendan and Etan are carry overs from the MJ years. They don't fit this offense and their frustration and inability to find a comfort zone in it are painful to watch."

GM you are right on your assestment about Haywood, Ruffin and Thomas not being good fits in "this" offense. But all I have been trying to relay through all of my posts is out of these three, Haywood should be the one getting 25 to 30 minutes at the "5"; because you have to use one of the three there because EG deemed it not necessary to upgrade this year because he probably could not find any takers for Etan's "crazy" contract and he probably thought Haywood could work there until he found an upgrade at the 5 this offseason.

I am finally starting to realize there must be some kind of power struggle going on between EJ and EG just by some of EJ's crazy rotational calls and especially at the "5".

Now, I know I have been blasting EJ about his usage of Haywood, but I still think the guy is a very good coach and I would like for him to stay with the Wizards. His offense has made the "big three" what they are today, so EJ deserves all the credit for that one, as a poster yesterday stated.

However, EJ needs to understand he has to make some managerial changes on the way he calls games at the end with his questionable substitions, get a real defensive assistant in here (somebody from the Spurs, Bulls, Pistons or Miami), let the Haywood "tit for tat" thing go and just play the man 25 to 30 every game (especially in the last 5 to 6 minutes in 4th quarter games) and see if he plays himself out/in of rotation or better yet drive up his trade value, play Etan and Ruffin at only the "4" spot and not the "5" and stop the dang "small ball" lineups in the end of crucial 4th quarters.

As I have said before, I know why he is not playing Blanche (his value is going up every minute he is on the floor to the point they might have to use most of the 5 million exemption on him and in turn not be able to sign Steveson).

Why do you think before Butler got hurt again, they were already shuting down Blatche for the rest of the year? Can anyone say "stash"???? But they were forced to bring him back. They were also hoping Jarvis showed something where they would not have to play Blatche, but it has not happened. So EJ is forced to play Blanche more which is making EG and EJ very nervous (because of the contract coming up next year) because you can see the kid "about to blow uppppp"!!!

To summarize, I think EJ is not happy with what he has to work with as far as the bench is concerned, especially at the "5". So maybe this is one of his ways of trying to force EG's hand at making some changes on the bench next year, by making so many questionable substitutions ???

Mikie, I'm with you on that.

Lets watch tonite. Like I said, I don't think he cares about winning becuse of the way he's playing these guys. One basic & very clear example is what everybody on here has said: The way he has handled Blatche & Haywood.

At a minimum, A MINIMUM! he could use Haywood like LA & Miami do Shaq - NY does Curry - Houston, Yao - get that big tall body in the paint in position under the basket and "pass it in." LA won championships with that method. Haywood should be blocking shots,controlling the paint. Blatche & Etan could be used at PF.

Instead, he's drawing up plays for Stevenson & Taylor to "practice" closing out games?

Lets hope he's read these posts & takes a few of the suggestions.

Sorry Mikie and Rob, EJ is obviously fair game as far as his coaching decisions, but in suggesting he's trying to "hide" AB and/or not trying to win, I think you're questioning EJ's integrity, and I'm not buying it. After observing him for the last few years, why I may not be a fan of "smallball" and other coaching quirks of his, I believe he is always trying to win and always putting the best team on the court according to his judgment.

GM and Mikie and many others have made the point that Haywood and Thomas are not good fits in the Princeton offense, at least as EJ runs it. And EJ's use of them fluctuates wildly as a result, especially at the ends of games. But that reveals much about EJ. You only play offense on one half of the court, and Haywood and Thomas are very good fits on the defensive end, especially as to EJ's stated goal of protecting the rim. So it reveals (no surprise) that offense comes first in EJ's mind, and defense is secondary. That's why he goes small, that's why Haywood, the team's best defender, often doesn't see the court in the 4th quarter, etc., etc.

By the way, great quote from Haywood in Ivan's piece this morning.

It should really go without saying that Haywood has nowhere near the talent or ability of Shaq or Yao (or even Curry on the offensive end) so any talk of "using Haywood like" those guys is pure fannish wishful thinking.

To borrow from another local team and their rivalry:

Dallas sucks.

Bullets/Wiz - one ring, three appearances.

Mavs - no rings, one appearance.

Come on back when you have a ring.

"Sorry Mikie and Rob, EJ is obviously fair game as far as his coaching decisions, but in suggesting he's trying to "hide" AB and/or not trying to win, I think you're questioning EJ's integrity, and I'm not buying it".

Mitch - I don't agree on EJ is trying to throw games. I know he trying to win them all. I never agreed with that post about him throwing games.

However, I can't help to think the Wiz are in an indirect way "hiding" AB because the more he plays, the more he is going to show "other" teams, thus driving up his value when it comes time to negotiate a new contract.

The Wizards are real strapped dollar wise right now going into the offseason. They will have to sign OPEC along with this years number 1 and 2 pick along with AB, Stevenson, Booth, Taylor and maybe Jarvis (if they are looking that way).

Don't forget Narvardo over in Spain. He makes about 3 mill over there so he is going to want to come over here making the same amount if not more. How far can a 5 mill. exemption cover? AB might end up taking all of it, if he gets more minutes. See my drift now.....??????

That is why I said they are probably trying to "hide" AB, not because EJ is not trying to win. I never thought that about EJ for a minute.

Abe Pollin has already made it know he is not paying the luxury tax. If the Wiz are unable to dump Etan's 8 mill against the cap contract next year (this is why he is getting minutes now), they are going to be in some serious trouble trying to resign all of those guys.

"If the Wiz are unable to dump Etan's 8 mill against the cap contract next year (this is why he is getting minutes now)"

What kind of conspiracy theory spin is that? He's getting minutes because Jordan is more comfortable with/has more confidence in him than Haywood. That was made pretty clear going all the way back to the season's start.

I just really don't understand what is so difficult about this. Eddie acts like he's seeing these guys for the 1st time! I think he needs to drink some coffee and wake up!

The starting 5 should be Haywood, Blatche, Jamison, Stevenson and Daniels.

Bench should be Etan, Songaila, Hayes, Mason and Taylor.

What is so difficult about this? It's common sense if you just look at the personel and what they have done throughout the year. It's called evaluating your players.

We lost our 2 Allstars. So we have to use the best talent we have and the advantages we have. One advantage we actually have compared to alot of teams is size. If Eddie would wake up and get off his smallball and Micheal Ruffin wet dreams he would see this! Haywood and Blatche play VERY well together and have all year. Jamison is all-star caliber, and playing him at sf creates mismatches and utilizes his size, ability to rebound, and allows him to be the focus of our offense. Stevenson and Daniels give us a backcourt with good size and D, and can contibute offensively. Overall this front 5 is still very athletic, with size and scoring ability.

Bring Etan off the bench to add a spark with physical play, Songaila with his heady all-around game, Hayes and Mason bring in some perimeter shooters, with Donell to rest AD and come in with energy, speed and defense.

End of bench is Booth and Ruffin to come in here and there and give us some hard fouls and bang the other team when we need it.

My main point is this. Eddie has been coaching this team all year and practicing with them. This is not the time of year he should be evaluating and learning his players. If he hasn't done that by now I don't know what he's been doing all year! Instead of playing chemist and mixing and matching and experimenting, he needs to set a starting 5 and a 2nd string, and he needs to do it now so these guys can set into their roles! Give these guys a chance to develop as a unit and build chemistry down the stretch and into the playoffs. All of his mixing and matching, bringing guys in and out, starting someone here then not playing them there etc is only delaying the process.

Injuries happen, that is why you have a roster. That is why you have starters and BACKUPS. It is why you set rotations and roles throughout the year. This is a concept Eddie has never been able to grasp as a head coach, and it is a flaw that is now being exposed.

"The starting 5 should be Haywood, Blatche, Jamison, Stevenson and Daniels.

Bench should be Etan, Songaila, Hayes, Mason and Taylor". - Darnell

Darnell - That's my starting five and 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter five too. I'm glad you see that too.

"Instead of playing chemist and mixing and matching and experimenting, he needs to set a starting 5 and a 2nd string, and he needs to do it now so these guys can set into their roles! Give these guys a chance to develop as a unit and build chemistry down the stretch and into the playoffs. All of his mixing and matching, bringing guys in and out, starting someone here then not playing them there etc is only delaying the process". - Darnell

Darnell - Another excellent point.

I think Kalorama makes an important point, although the term "conspiracy theories" is kind of strong. The point is that when people speculate or assume things about ulterior motives they're going to be wrong more often than not. You'll be right more often by accepting peoples' motives for what they say they are, as opposed to reading ulterior motives into their actions. Of course, when a person's past actions have planted strong suspicion, then it makes more sense to look for the ulterior motive.

Bottom line, I agree with kalorama that if EJ is playing player X instead of player Y in a given situation, it's because he thinks player X will do a better job in that particular situation.

H'wood is an ok player with a questionable work ethic, attitude, and game. DCMANN and everyone else just please stop the bandwagon. You act like if we played H'wood 35 mins a night we are going to the championship game. There are some nights he probably should have played more and others he should have played less.

EJ's poor coaching is old news!

Yes, I would take Rick Adelman over EJ!!! -good call

Keep up the good effort Wiz! Better than coasting with your better players on the court.

Oh, why do people still lament Dixon and Blake being gone? They are as big a defensive liability as anyone on this team. Plus, the roster situation just didn't work. I would take them over Taylor, but not over Stevenson, Arenas, or Daniels. Good luck with your careers fellas!

Darnell, Your statement is the same as what I've said previously.

Its the same players from training camp that started the season. If they don't know what so do by now - then when?

What coach waits til the playoffs to try to figure out a line up or who has the ability to do what?

Its not a conspiracy theory at all - simply thinking, observing and using common sense. Basketball 101 BUT in the NBA. Its what happens this time of the year.

His integrity isn't in question because what he is doing is common knowledge in the NBA. He's doing his job. He does what he does at EG & Abe's request. So long as he complies with his contract his job is fine. Regardless of what we think.

"The bottom line is we're playing with a fairly new team in a sense. We're building something from almost a foundation. We have to be patient."
Eddie Jordan

I guess 70 games wasn't a foundation?
Where have all these new players been?

I echo previous comments about EJ's claims that this is a new team without Arenas and Caron, and he now needs to figure out how to make it work. But this isn't a new problem. Look at Arenas' +/- numbers this year:

-When on the court, the Wizards outscore the opponent by 3.3 points per 48 minutes.
- When not on the court, the Wizards are outscored by 13.2 points per 48 minutes.

By contrast, when Kobe isn't on the court, the Lakers are outscored by 7.1 points per 48; without LeBron, the Cavs are outscored by 4.4 per 48.

What this means is that all season Jordan hasn't figured out a way to succeed without Gilbert on the court. So, this isn't a new problem that Jordan suddenly needs to solve. It is an old problem that Jordan hasn't solved and suddenly cannot be ignored.

Henry is right on point in his post. EJ is faced with a team that's style of play gave them the best chance at success when they were fully healthy. When Jamison went down teams altered their defensive sets to limit Gilbert and Butler.
Fatigue and aches and pains(remember the trip from Chicago to Milwaukee) set in and then Butler went down. You could argue that EJ maybe needed to alter the team's pace back then, but he didn't. Now with Butler and Gil out,and I still think Jamison will have that knee scoped right after the season, he's got to come up with a new strategy or style to get some wins with the group we have left.
Truth of the matter is that this was not a deep team, we've carried three development guys all year. EJ's got to get some important minutes from some guys that have registered a number of DNP's all year. As much as he's been critized, and I don't agree with many of his moves, these guys haven't quit on him, yet.
But, B-Rev was right, we really need a win tonight to keep these guys pulling together.

I am so confused about the Wizards.
I don't understand why they can't put together 1 solid game?

And this must be Eddie Jordan's mantra. its the same after each loss or is the Post reprinting it?

This is todays quote:Washington Post, Fri. 4/13/07 but it was the same earlier this week. I don't understand?

"We're playing with a fairly new team and we're building something from almost the foundation," Jordan said. "We have to be patient with it, but at the same time, we are correcting our mistakes. We are improving and hopefully, when the bright lights come on, we are a little bit sounder and a little bit more effective coming down the stretch."

Why didn't these players understand basic basketball fundamentals til now?

Is it really difficult to understand how to get a stop? I do it & I'm a girl

Can't believe he played under Riley 82.

"What this means is that all season Jordan hasn't figured out a way to succeed without Gilbert on the court. So, this isn't a new problem that Jordan suddenly needs to solve. It is an old problem that Jordan hasn't solved and suddenly cannot be ignored.

Posted by: Henry | April 13, 2007 02:38 PM"

You're heaping way too much praise on Gilby. Surely, Gilby was successful early on and got a lot of the credit because he jumped into the limelight and the other two of the big 3 were healthy for the first 1/3 of the season. This forced the opposition to play Gilby straight up and honest.

Then, right before the all star game,
Gilby started losing his mojo with the sore shoulder issue. After the all star game, he couldn't do what he did during the first 1/3 of the season anymore, and the team went on a downward spiral, especially without Caron in the lineup.

As good as Gilby is, he can't carry the team by himself, and the other 2 powers on this team have forced the opposition to play honest and thus gives Gilby more open looks. But when Caron and/or AJ went out, we saw the results. Losses and blowouts to sub.500 teams that were without their all stars.

We all saw that this team has been 2-8 the last 10 games, losing 6 in a row with or without Gilby, and Gilby has been gone for only 5 games. Les BouleS are actually 6-14 in last 20 games (.300). The good thing for Gilby is that his knee injury put his subpar final 2/3 (comparatively speaking to his first 1/3) of his season out of misery.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=was

DC you know that post is gonna irritate the Gilbert apologists but it sounds fairly sound BUT it still doesn't equate for Jordan talking about playing a fairly new team.
This is it:

"Hello Mr. Jordan, our names are Mr Stevenson, Booth, Taylor, Blatche, Mason Songalia and Mr. Hall. Can I(we) play with the Wizards but only in the the last 10 games?

We've been hiding in the verizon center & gym all year just waiting for our chance to play. Oh gosh golly gee, Mr. Jordan, its April 12th!! Do you think you can make us as good as your other players over night? Did we practice? huh!! are we athletic? huh?? What's that mean attack the rim? pass t-h-e ball?

Oh wow!! Its okay? We can learn on the FLYYY!!! yipee!!! We goin to the playoff!!

Ugh, Mr. Jordan? Where's the playoffs?

Sorry! Whats the playoffs?

DC you know that post is gonna irritate the Gilbert apologists but it sounds fairly sound BUT it still doesn't equate for Jordan talking about playing a fairly new team.
This is it:

"Hello Mr. Jordan, our names are Mr Stevenson, Booth, Taylor, Blatche, Mason Songalia and Mr. Hall. Can I(we) play with the Wizards but only in the the last 10 games?

We've been hiding in the verizon center & gym all year just waiting for our chance to play. Oh gosh golly gee, Mr. Jordan, its April 12th!! Do you think you can make us as good as your other players over night? Did we practice? huh!! are we athletic? huh?? What's that mean attack the rim? pass t-h-e ball?

Oh wow!! Its okay? We can learn on the FLYYY!!! yipee!!! We goin to the playoff!!

Ugh, Mr. Jordan? Where's the playoffs?

Sorry! Whats the playoffs?

DC you know that post is gonna irritate the Gilbert apologists but it sounds fairly sound BUT it still doesn't equate for Jordan talking about playing a fairly new team.
This is it:

"Hello Mr. Jordan, our names are Mr Stevenson, Booth, Taylor, Blatche, Mason Songalia and Mr. Hall. Can I(we) play with the Wizards but only in the the last 10 games?

We've been hiding in the verizon center & gym all year just waiting for our chance to play. Oh gosh golly gee, Mr. Jordan, its April 12th!! Do you think you can make us as good as your other players over night? Did we practice? huh!! are we athletic? huh?? What's that mean attack the rim? pass t-h-e ball?

Oh wow!! Its okay? We can learn on the FLYYY!!! yipee!!! We goin to the playoff!!

Ugh, Mr. Jordan? Where's the playoffs?

Sorry! Whats the playoffs?

If Gilbert is getting too much credit, what are the plus minuses of Antawn and Caron. If they are higher, then you might be right, if not, then maybe Henry is giving Gilbert the credit he deserves.

"Fairly new team" = EJ's excuse to cover his own @ss for his inability to coach.

George, I don't think the "pluses and minuses" factor in the intangibles that a guy like Caron brings to the table. A scorer like Gilby is always going to have a nice number.

A coach of a team with a weak bench that loses his two best players within a couple of days of each other with about 2 weeks to go in the regular season.

hey guys. Visit the biggest site for wizards fans.
www.clubwizardshoops.com

Brenda Todette Haywood is absolutely pathetic. The last few weeks he had a stretch of four games averaging something like one point and zero rebounds and zero blocks. He has the nicknames "Sloth" and "Brenda" and "Todette" for a reason: He is lethargic out there on the court. He should be the one player we try to trade to some fool of a team next season.