Woohoo! Pro basketball in August! Thanks for the reminder Mike!

It makes me proud to be an American when I see that Carmelo Anthony is representing us to the rest of the world.

Praise the Lord! A post about basketball ! Any basketball anywhere is better than reading some of the social comentary of the last few days.
The addition of Kobe and Kidd along with some spot up shooters should make this a much more effective team in International rules. Coach K was supposed to be so smart but he took a team last year that lacked real shooters which is death in International play.
I'll make just one comment about the Stevenson situation. If Grace was for real, why didn't SHE press charges? If her house was hit by gun fire she could have pressed charges against all involved. Not to mention she could sue Stevenson for damages if some of the participents are coming and going from his house.
Until I see that she pressed charges against someone I'll highly doubt that was a real post.

" I'll make just one comment about the Stevenson situation. If Grace was for real, why didn't SHE press charges? If her house was hit by gun fire she could have pressed charges against all involved. Not to mention she could sue Stevenson for damages if some of the participents are coming and going from his house.
Until I see that she pressed charges against someone I'll highly doubt that was a real post.

Posted by: GM | August 22, 2007 08:02 AM "

I guess GM proves how gullible and naive he is. Pressing charges against DS or Ruff would mean harassment and possibly even more bullets to her house. This time though, caskets for her or her family may have to be ordered.

Get the practice in now, because the Olympics in China are not going to be easy. The world has caught up with us with bball.

Excuse, I meant to say Pro MEN'S Basketball. No offense to the mystics, who I'm sure are doing well this summer.

DEAD:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2985307

Nice to see the team has come togoether so well, but it won't be worth a thing if Kobe/Kidd aren't on the team next summer. Remember, the qualifying team coasted in '03, and by the time the '04 Olympics came around, everyone but Duncan and Iverson had bailed. If that happens again next year, the team will struggle.

Good line, juandixon. That one made me laugh.

I tend to think having a guy like Kobe on an international team is less important than having a guy like Kidd. (Actually, that probably applies to any type of team, high school to NBA.) These USA teams have had no shortage of scorers, but need someone to orchestrate and get others easy shots and shots in their comfort zones. Kidd does that as well as anyone.

But contrary to Michael's homerism, this quote bothers me: "Our confidence is sky high and we feel like we can't be beat," Carmelo Anthony said. It seems that mindset has been the undoing of the U.S. team in international competition for the last 10 years. The U.S. team gets in a tight game and tightens up, thinking, "We're not going to lose to Puerto Rico, are we??!!"

Thank you Michael for getting our attention back to the game. We need a break from game-fixing, soliciting and gunfire as well as Kobe drama. Let's take the next week or so to actually watch some basketball. Afterwards we should be talking about which USA team members should be going to Beijing next summer rather than how Ernie Grunfeld is going to make Etan and Brendan get along. For all of you who want to talk about the Wizards' rotation, training camp is only weeks away and there will be plenty of time to debate how Eddie will screw things up.

I don't agree with the idea that Kidd is more important than Kobe. I think it helps a bit to have the best player on the planet. True, Team USA has other scorers, but non who are as versatile as Kobe. Also, none of those other scorers can match Kobe defensively.

Just a small suggestion: Possibly put Michael or Ivan's name at the top of the post rather than at the end?

who cares? wiz blog

Damn Eddie G dead at the age of 25. Such a shame he should have lived a long full life. He had all the talent in the world. But in the end it takes a lot more then just talent to be sucessful in the NBA.

"This might be the summer that Americans can take some pride again in the game that was invented on this soil."

Statements like this shows the ignorance of some people. If it was the world championships or the Olympics I would agree. But winning a qualifying tournament where other teams do not even send their best players? Argentina won't have Ginobili, Oberto, and Nocioni. They decided to sit out this tournament cause it is not that important. You mention that the US should have won the game against Greece, but you fail to mention that Greece is the defending European Champions. I think we keep losing because we are ignorant and arrogant. Once we stop making excuses and take the competition seriously, then we can talk about pride.

Thank you, Michael, for giving us some b-ball news to talk about. Its a welcome break from the recent wizards news.

Any info on dates, times, and TV coverage for this tournament?

Dominance in odd-numbered years is nice and all, but these guys better be ready to come back NEXT Summer for the real deal.

The 2003-4 thing is still amazing to me--Team USA totally dominated the Tournament of the Americas in 2003 (including 2004 gold medalists Argentina and X-factor Puerto Rico). Chris Sheridan wrote that it was the best incarnation of Team USA he'd ever seen. And then when the real Olympics roll around they lose interest? Totally bizarre to me. It would be like a baseball player buckling down and totally killing it in batting practice, then deciding he has better things to do than show up for the game that night.

from the fiba website:
USA: ESPN2, Fox Sports and NBA TV

First game tonight:
USA vs Venezuela
8 PM (local time I assume)

if stevenson didn't press any charges that's mean that he might be hiding something, maybe he wasn't sleeping like his friends were saying, maybe his friends were trying to protect him from this mess, i doubt that he is sleeping! i mean sleeping during party!, stevenson is a guy who love to party.

The game is at 11PM EST, Ouch!

Hey with me being on the team, I better get 25 shots off a game or I quit and will go shack up with a hotel clerk. So just give me the damn ball.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan should be the USA Basketball unofficial mascot.

Gotta feed my kids!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2986158

Here's the problem: they are prepping versus other young NBA players. I thought this was the Team USA (Colangelo/K) that learned their lesson?

I see a preparatory system which is replicating the same mistakes. What players on the prep team run the pick and pop like Argentina or Lithuania? Which have played together for years?

Prepping these younger guys to play INTL ball does not prepare Team USA for the Olympics or Worlds.

My idea:
If Reggie Miller wants to make himself useful he should be working against this team. Team USA should have a group of former players (healthy ones) working out together for extended periods.

Get these guys playing like a team. That way we can re-create the skill level AND give them an opponent who doesn't care how big Lebron is in China, just like the rest of the world doesn't care.

Get shooters like Reggie/Houston etc on the wings. Replicate the way these teams play using skilled bigs, not just the next great NBA bigs, or even foreign players no longer on their national teams.

I see no attempt to mimic their competition whatsoever. Its so basic they completely forgot to bother.

Why aren't there any Wizards on this team?

Philip hit the nail on the head. When you see who is not here, does this tourney really mean anything. If they find a way to lose any game it would be a terrible indictment of everyone (and in Coach K's case, I would enjoy that). It sounds like the best players on a lot of these teams are saving it for the pre-Olympic qualifying. Hope we get to see Mexico since Nolan Richardson is coaching. I bet they will be fun to watch.

"Why aren't there any Wizards on this team?

Posted by: hmmmmm | August 22, 2007 05:34 PM"

Because no one on Les BouleS is considered an elite player.

I wonder if anyone has told AB the Eddie Griffin story? He may not have the same problem with alcohol but it seems an appropriate moral about choices we make. Eddie had all the talent in the world.

Just read Ivan's piece on the new coaches. Part of Ed Tapscott's job is aiding in "life skills training" among other things. Good for the Wiz. With all the young guys coming into the league and all the money thrown at them they need help adjusting. Its not as simple as it sounds. I don't know if other clubs provide these services but its nice to see them be proactive. Seems they are learning from the Kwame/AB experiences?

Everything the NBA stands for is the polar opposite of everything Duke Bball stands for. So why are they together? I would love it if one of the players punches Coach K in the face. I think all of White-bread America would have a heart attack, which would also be great. I'm a VCU alum and I almost cried when we spanked Duke in the first round. Fact: if the Wiz coaching staff took over USA basketball, we would take the gold in China no problem next year.

hmmmmm, I believe Jamison could have played but decided to rest this offseason.

grrreeaat post sucks... really insightful.

"Why aren't there any Wizards on this team?

Posted by: hmmmmm | August 22, 2007 05:34 PM"

Because no one on Les BouleS is considered an elite player.
Posted by: DC Man88 | August 22, 2007 06:25 PM

Gil is rehabbing his knee. Otherwise, you know the third highest scorer in the NBA would be there. Fool=DC woMan88

Interesting to see that it looks like the Wizards created two positions to replace Harvey Grant. With the group of youngsters that are coming in it's smart to be proactive with these guys.
The Bullets/Wiz have had some failures with some young guys in the past, but I'm not sure that it's ever been at a rate that's higher than the rest of the league. Years ago I remember Wes Unseld talking about the number of guys that eat their way out of the league because they don't know how to get a balanced diet on the road. They'd eat a burger and fries every meal because they didn't know any better.
I'm still wondering, Ivan has never made any comment about Ayers hiring that I can recall. Has he been working with the guys as they work out this off season? Will he be a front row coach? Or can I expect that he'll be as far away from the huddle as those of us who sit in the cheap seats. Sometimes last year I thought I had as good of chance of hollering out defensive instructions as Harter did.
Somebody said on here that Ayers needed to come in and "rock the boat", hell I just want to see that he's in the boat and got an oar. Last year a couple of times I noticed we had a timeout when we needed a defensive stop and our "defensive coach" 30' from the huddle.
I'm wondering Ivan, is Randy going to be an active assistant? Or is he going to be a back row guy, seen but not heard?

I am going to piggy back on the GM's comments. Ivan/Mike, we never saw a "post" from you on the Ayers hiring. We also never got anything on why Harvey Grant was not retained.

On your next post, could either one of you give us some "background" information on what I mentioned above, and also on the new hires you mentioned today in your article.

Keep up the good job fellas (Ivan/Mike), I know it has been a "slow period" with basketball stuff. So that is why I am throwing this idea out at you for a future post. I hope you guys can give us something.

""Why aren't there any Wizards on this team?

Posted by: hmmmmm | August 22, 2007 05:34 PM"

Because no one on Les BouleS is considered an elite player.
Posted by: DC Man88 | August 22, 2007 06:25 PM

Gil is rehabbing his knee. Otherwise, you know the third highest scorer in the NBA would be there. Fool=DC woMan88

Posted by: | August 23, 2007 01:42 AM "

Dummy with a bad memory. Last I checked, your boy Gilby was cut from the team. That caused him to cry like a baby, and promise to drop 50 pts on all the coaches responsible. He did this against the Suns (D'antoni) during triple overtime. He fell on his face against McMillian (Portland), and he said he would give up 1 year of his nba career just to have 1 game against Duke where he would try to score 80 pts all by himself.

Gilby is a fool and so are you.

No need for name calling here. Go back and check, Arenas withdrew from the USA Basketball team with an injury. May have been a face saving way of him leaving the team, but he wasn't cut.
He had been invited back for this summer before his knee injury and Jamison elected to not try out again and rest his legs this summer after spending last summer with the team. So there were two Wizards players that were with USA Basketball last summer and nobody got cut.
Not a one of the police reports cited other homes being shot up in the incident outside of Stevenson's house. Ivan said he was trying to verify if it was true or not and has not posted a verification here. Until I see one some where I'd tend to discount that post as false, somebody just trying to add drama to the story. I useally verify things I read on the internet, otherwise you could waste time beleiving in alien landings and things of that sort.
Before posting and calling other posters names it would be nice if you'd at least verify a few facts, otherwise you might tend to look somewhat foolish yourself.

"lebronze"... puhahaha, this is why i love your writing, neither wilbon, wise, or any other post writer would put this stuff in. keep up the good work.

Strange, if Gilby was not cut, then why would he have a grudge against Nate McMillian, Mike D'Antoni, and Coach K? Why throw the hissy fit? Strange...hmmmmmm....

Check the facts he wasn't cut, players get grudges with coaches all the time for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes even with the coaches that helped them have the best years of their careers, doubt it check out the Tiki Barber vs. the Giants tift going on now.
Fact is there were two Wizards players on the USA team last summer, fact is you shot your mouth off that there wasn't a Wizards player that was considered "Elite".
Fact is, you almost never get the facts correct. Matter of fact there's nothing strange about that at all...

Dude/Woman 88 let it go. Nobody's even talking about last year. Gil, has moved on, you should too! Besides, who cares whether a Wizard is on the team or not or whether Gil got cut or not. That is old news. Stick with the present.

Personally its better for us that none of the wiz are on the team. Means our players are resting and not getting injuries while players from other teams are. A healthy wiz team is our number one priority

I agree with you Dante.

Gilbert was not officially cut, but he was headed in that direction from the Post articles I read at the time.

Leaving because of the little injury he had was apparently a face saving gesture on everyone's part.

Gilbert was mad because he in effect was "cut" by the team but it was not officially stated as such. At least this is the way I remember it.

"Check the facts he wasn't cut, players get grudges with coaches all the time for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes even with the coaches that helped them have the best years of their careers, doubt it check out the Tiki Barber vs. the Giants tift going on now.
Fact is there were two Wizards players on the USA team last summer, fact is you shot your mouth off that there wasn't a Wizards player that was considered "Elite".
Fact is, you almost never get the facts correct. Matter of fact there's nothing strange about that at all...

Posted by: GM | August 23, 2007 11:31 AM "

It was quite funny how upset Gilby was after he cut himself from the team. "I did everything they wanted.." I couldn't help but laugh when he threw his hissy fit, but then couldn't back it up against the blazers.

There are no elite ballers on Les BouleS. If there were any, Les BouleS wouldn't have been eliminated in the first round of the last few playoffs with "two" elite players on Les BouleS. As reported during the playoffs, the real elite players in the NBA consider Caron the rock of this team. Gilby is a clown.

"Dude/Woman 88 let it go. Nobody's even talking about last year. Gil, has moved on, you should too! Besides, who cares whether a Wizard is on the team or not or whether Gil got cut or not. That is old news. Stick with the present.

Posted by: | August 23, 2007 11:42 AM "

Boy/girl, let it go. Leave me alone. You're not the moderator on this blog.

Of course Gilber was mad as was the other players who were let go. Who wouldn't be? I am just trying to undestand why it even matters anymore, that happened last year. I thought we were past that. On another note, great pickup of Tapscott and Hopla to the Wiz staff. Young gun should be able to flourish under Hopla and Tapscott may be able to get Blatche straight.

Heck, I'd be mad too if I thought I was an elite NBA player, but was going to get cut off the 2nd rate American team that wasn't even getting some of the top stars. I would be mad that I'd throw myself another coming out party his season.

i had hoped we were done pointlessly arguing about gil, apparantly not.

yawn

Just ignore dc woman/man88, he/she seems to have a fixation with Gilbert and no matter what the topic is he/she finds a way to take a jab at him. On that note.......... What do you thing about the staff additions to the Wizards coaching staff. I hear Toronto fans are not happy that Hopla was not made an assistant coach there.

Hopla is a bunch of Hoopla.

Is that sarcasm or is he a good addtion? I don't know anything about the guy and was just asking a question.

No I am not the moderator but you are an idiot! On that note, I am out because I don't have time to banter with simpletons!

DC Woman88 is a d***!

Go Wizards!

I love it when I'm able to get the peanut gallery, gilby apologizing, starstruck sucking, Les BouleS fans upset.

Mission success, but beyond that, Gilby is still a whining, elite star wannabe, and blatant hypocrite..

"Believe what you want,
I have seen Gil out recently with the mother of his children and his kids and his (or her) mom. They were out on a nice day enjoying themselves. I'm not saying they don't have problems, but I think a lot of people know very little and say too much.

Believe this, after he was served they reconciled and have had another child together. There are a number of reasons beyond avoiding taking care of his children, why a person might not want to be served legal papers.

Take your rumors elsewhere.

Posted by: greg | August 22, 2007 12:24 AM"

I guess it was a quasi Gilbert family coming out party. Did he at least pretend to be interested?

Did he throw his jersey at the kids in the playground to see if they'd kick each other off the monkey bars or the teeter totter to grab at it?

I don't know alot about Hopla besides that he was well regarded and liked by the Raptors. Don't know why he wasn't retained or promoted to assistant coach.
Tapscott has a decent track record in the league and I guess him and Grunfeld worked together back in the Knick days. Of course he's familar with the team and many of the players know him from his color work for Comcast, so it should be easy for him to establish a working relationship with the guys back from last year.
The other guy that spends alot of time working with players individually is Wes jr. I've heard players talk about the time he puts in with them and working on individual things.
That's why I've wondered if Ayers is at Verizon working with these younger guys and their defensive technique. The summer's the time that the good players work at stepping up their game. I just hope our defensive coach is starting that thought process in the summer instead of waiting til mid season.
Can't wait til then to get your A game going. No matter what your goal in life is you got to work at it all year long.

I've heard of Hopla, he is considered, no lie, to be one of the best shooting coaches in the world. Google him, there's probably all kinds of stuff. I think he's a Gil guy as well, believe he also was Kobe's shooting coach. So yeah, that's a good hire. Maybe now, we won't just have guy with "pretty" jumpers (Jarvis) but more people who can put the ball in the basket.

DC Mann88, does the fact that Gilbert is hardworking, committed, talented and not a jerk threaten you? Is that really what the rub is?

Les BouleS make me sick. I'm about to stop posting now and go get me some d*** with some n*** on the side.

I just hate that Gilby never throw his sweaty jersey at me when I was in the front of the stands. Man I love it when men sweat.

I see where Gilbert was working out with the newly hired coaches, along with Nick Young and Donell Taylor, getting ready for training camp, a little over a month away.

I LOVE IT!!! I offended someone so badly that they have to resort to using my name to make fake comments! Too bad for you that you got offended, but I'm glad that I got to you so EASILY!!! Weak minded!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Oh, BTW, I couldn't care less if Gilby blows both of his knees this season. If he does do it, I hope he does it after he opts out of his current contract.

DC Man88, so you're basically admitting you're just trolling here, right? That all you're here for is a reaction from the fans? Because all I've seen you write are derogatory comments that don't add ANYTHING to the topic.

Gil is rehabbing his knee. Otherwise, you know the third highest scorer in the NBA would be there. Fool=DC woMan88

Posted by: | August 23, 2007 01:42 AM "

"Dummy with a bad memory. Last I checked, your boy Gilby was cut from the team. That caused him to cry like a baby, and promise to drop 50 pts on all the coaches responsible. He did this against the Suns (D'antoni) during triple overtime. He fell on his face against McMillian (Portland), and he said he would give up 1 year of his nba career just to have 1 game against Duke where he would try to score 80 pts all by himself."

DC woMan88 /Clewiston88 / CluelessOne:

Get off this board. This is the Washington Wizards board. Wizards fans post here, not wizards bashers. Go back to your farm town, Clewiston, Florida, where you can watch the cattle shows.

Retart! Retart!
Retart! Retart!
Retart! Retart!
Retart! Retart!

F*** off this board nerd!!!!

Hell hath no fury like a scorned DC woMan88.

See, here's what happened. DC woMan88 (Clewiston88 /ClueLessOne) had a thing for Gil, but Gil ignored him. So, DC woMan88 felt spurned, and you know what they say:

"Hell hath no fury like a scorned DC woMan88."

The power of the keyboard to elicit such a venomous reaction.

I love my Les BouleS team (minus Gilby).