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interesting quotes from mr stevenson. obviously he believes he's right and ya know what, more power to him. hes definitely put himself on notice if the two were to meet up again.

i dont think hes right, but thats another story. you can say whatever you want about lebron. but hes proven over and over again this season that if you make him mad, hes going to make life miserable on you (e.g. 24 point fourth quarter in toronto, comeback in portland). deshawns definitely got some backing up to do if the two were to meet in the playoffs and im sure both sides are fine with that.

it would kind of be like casey blake telling josh beckett that hes going deep off him - its not very smart, but its what he believes and you have to respect him for that

as for the wizards/cavs rivalry comments...why wouldnt cavs fans say they own the matchup? it clearly ruffles all wizards fans feathers to none other no matter how far the comment gets exaggerated. wizards fans have exemplified their ire to their topic by continually posting on here, so clearly something we are saying is getting under your skin. until the wizards show they are worth something in the playoffs, cavs fans can say whatever they want about the rivalry (or lack thereof in this case).

Well, I've been watching this back & Forth between Wizard fans and fans of the Cavaliers and haven't really had anything to add, as everyone else pretty-much summed-up how I felt.

However, staying quiet too long is against my principles


I think coach Jordan has done a awesome job this year, keeping his team in the running for a playoff spot - considering the injuries they have dealt with (185 player games).

I think a healthy Wizards team is a threat to win any game they play, against any team.

However, there is a difference in the playoffs. Adjustments are made, match-ups are taken advantage of, and 90% of the time, the better team will win the series. This is especially true in a seven game series.

The real problem with the Wizards is that they are so inconsistent. One game they play with a chip on their shoulder, and the next game, they play like a bunch of blind special-Olympic qualifiers.

Yeah the Wizards have talent. But the talent that they've done without has not really hurt them. Etan Thomas? Teams dream of Etan Thomas coming back and taking Haywood's minutes. Gilbert? Arenas shoots 42%. With him being gone, that allows for Antawn Jamison to play a more active role...which he should, because he is the best player on the Wizard's team.
Arenas would still help you guys out, but losing Arenas isn't that big of a deal.

Caron Butler will get his whether Arenas plays or not...so he was the one injury that really hurt you. It is good the Wiz got him back.

As for All-Stars.... Arenas is no all-star. I didn't see him in the all-star game this past year. If you mean FORMER all-star...then we can play that game too: Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Szczerbiak are all former all-stars.

As for the Wizards playing the Cavaliers in the playoffs this year.... it would be fun. However, I don't see why any Washington fan would want to play the Cavaliers in the first round.

By the way.... the Cavaliers have the second most missed games due to injury (player games)... second to the Wizards.

One last thing before I finish:

The Cavaliers have 16 games left. They are pretty-much guaranteed the 4th or 5th seed. So LeBron can take that shot (last night) and go for the win, as opposed to a tie. The Wizards on the other hand should be thanking LeBron for not driving and taking the game to overtime. If the Wizards lose that game then they allow other teams to catch them.

Peace.

This a general warning to everyone in this thread. Stay on topic and avoid trolling or you will get a formal warning.

This has gone way off topic and is no longer acceptable banter. This is to both the Cavs fans and the Wiz fans. There will not be another warning without ramifications.

heathmalc wrote:Yeah the Wizards have talent. But the talent that they've done without has not really hurt them. Etan Thomas? Teams dream of Etan Thomas coming back and taking Haywood's minutes. Gilbert? Arenas shoots 42%. With him being gone, that allows for Antawn Jamison to play a more active role...which he should, because he is the best player on the Wizard's team.
Arenas would still help you guys out, but losing Arenas isn't that big of a deal.

Caron Butler will get his whether Arenas plays or not...so he was the one injury that really hurt you. It is good the Wiz got him back.

haha so true. it will be a sad day when etan returns. note: gilbert was the only reason we kept the series close with u guys in 05-06. if u remember he outplayed lebron and averaged 34ppg 5.5 apg 5.5 rbg with 3.3 tos. lebron had 31 7 and 6 with 5.5 tos. gil also shot 46% from the field and 43% from 3. if gilbert is healthy i would love to play u guys in the playoffs. i think it would be a great series. imo i love this rivalry and will just make the games more enjoyable to watch. gl with the rest of the season i hope to see u guys in round 1.

zaRdsAndZeRos wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



haha so true. it will be a sad day when etan returns. note: gilbert was the only reason we kept the series close with u guys in 05-06. if u remember he outplayed lebron and averaged 34ppg 5.5 apg 5.5 rbg with 3.3 tos. lebron had 31 7 and 6 with 5.5 tos. gil also shot 46% from the field and 43% from 3. if gilbert is healthy i would love to play u guys in the playoffs. i think it would be a great series. imo i love this rivalry and will just make the games more enjoyable to watch. gl with the rest of the season i hope to see u guys in round 1.

Gilbert is a damn good player when healthy - no doubt about that. When he's hot he will drop numbers on anybody.

I agree it would be a good series with both teams at full strength

zaRdsAndZeRos wrote:
if u remember he outplayed lebron and averaged 34ppg 5.5 apg 5.5 rbg with 3.3 tos. lebron had 31 7 and 6 with 5.5 tos. gil also shot 46% from the field and 43% from 3. .

LeBron scored 32, 26, 41, 38, 45 and 32 points (no, that's not 31 points average) on 51% shooting, he had one triple double and two game winners...ok, I'll give the second game which was really bad. Who outplayed who again??

What really hurt us was Gilbert consistantly getting to the line. He got there quite a bit more than LeBron if I remember correctly. That was why it was so odd for all of us to hear Wiz fans complaining about foul calls.

heathmalc wrote:Well, I've been watching this back & Forth between Wizard fans and fans of the Cavaliers and haven't really had anything to add, as everyone else pretty-much summed-up how I felt.

However, staying quiet too long is against my principles


I think coach Jordan has done a awesome job this year, keeping his team in the running for a playoff spot - considering the injuries they have dealt with (185 player games).

I think a healthy Wizards team is a threat to win any game they play, against any team.

However, there is a difference in the playoffs. Adjustments are made, match-ups are taken advantage of, and 90% of the time, the better team will win the series. This is especially true in a seven game series.

The real problem with the Wizards is that they are so inconsistent. One game they play with a chip on their shoulder, and the next game, they play like a bunch of blind special-Olympic qualifiers.

Yeah the Wizards have talent. But the talent that they've done without has not really hurt them. Etan Thomas? Teams dream of Etan Thomas coming back and taking Haywood's minutes. Gilbert? Arenas shoots 42%. With him being gone, that allows for Antawn Jamison to play a more active role...which he should, because he is the best player on the Wizard's team.
Arenas would still help you guys out, but losing Arenas isn't that big of a deal.

Caron Butler will get his whether Arenas plays or not...so he was the one injury that really hurt you. It is good the Wiz got him back.

As for All-Stars.... Arenas is no all-star. I didn't see him in the all-star game this past year. If you mean FORMER all-star...then we can play that game too: Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Szczerbiak are all former all-stars.

As for the Wizards playing the Cavaliers in the playoffs this year.... it would be fun. However, I don't see why any Washington fan would want to play the Cavaliers in the first round.

By the way.... the Cavaliers have the second most missed games due to injury (player games)... second to the Wizards.

One last thing before I finish:

The Cavaliers have 16 games left. They are pretty-much guaranteed the 4th or 5th seed. So LeBron can take that shot (last night) and go for the win, as opposed to a tie. The Wizards on the other hand should be thanking LeBron for not driving and taking the game to overtime. If the Wizards lose that game then they allow other teams to catch them.

Peace.

As a Wiz fan,I agree with a lot of your post. However, I'd like to answer your question on "why a Wizards fan would want to play the Cavs in the first round." First, I actually think we match up well against the CAVS when we are fully healthy. Haywood always plays well against Igauskas. If Wallace starts, Jamison's outside shooting can pull Wallace away from the basket where he is more dominating. Sasha and Butler match up well, and I think Arenas would be tough for West to handle. I also think Stevenson can play LeBron as well as anyone.

Second, our bench is way better this year than the years past. Mason and Young give us great scoring off the bench, Blatche has really improved both on the defensive and offensive end, and Sangalia has been playing well as of late.

Third, we want revenge and sending Cavs packing for the playoffs would taste sweet. As Wiz fans, we still remember LeBron whispering in the ears of Gilert during those free throws, Jones making that winning basket and dancing on our floor, and the Cavs basically using a depleted Wiz roster last year as a punching bag. We wouldn't be normal or true fans if we didn't want a little revenge. If the situation was reversed and the Wiz knocked out the Cavs the last two years, I'm sure you would feel the same way.

Fourth, I think most people who are not Cavs fans can't stand LeBron (I guess it is the same as non-Wiz fans not liking Arenas). Yes, LeBron is an awesome player and could be one of the greatest of all time. And yes, we probably would welcome him with open arms if he ever got dealt to Washington just because he is that good. However, as an outside person looking in, all we see is a pouty, arrogant superstar that gets way too many favorable calls by the refs. Nothing would be sweeter to send him home.

In sum, I don't know if the Wiz would beat the Cavs in the playoffs because your Cavs have a very good team and yes, LeBron is virtually unstoppable. However, I do know that the Wizards have a good enough, and probably even better chance than most other team, of beating the Cavs if the Wizards are fully healthy. And nothing would be sweeter for a Wizards fan than sending the Cavs and LeBron home based on our prior history.

dandridge 10 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



However, I do know that the Wizards have a good enough, and probably even better chance than most other team, of beating the Cavs if the Wizards are fully healthy. And nothing would be sweeter for a Wizards fan than sending the Cavs and LeBron home based on our prior history.

Yeah, I have been saying all along that we should tank the rest of the season to get the 8th spot and play the Boston Celtics, lest we play the Wizards and get destroyed again.

I am wondering if I was in a coma the past couple of months and missed the part where the Wizards suddenly became a team that can compete in the playoffs. It is like, one day the Cavs have just beaten Washington for the second straight time in the playoffs, and the next thing I remember the Wizards are just as good or better than the Cavs. LeBron is going to make Stevenson look like Bosh's girlfriend for what he said if they meet up in the playoffs.

CzBron wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



LeBron scored 32, 26, 41, 38, 45 and 32 points (no, that's not 31 points average) on 51% shooting, he had one triple double and two game winners...ok, I'll give the second game which was really bad. Who outplayed who again??

my mistake. he actully averaged around 35ppg in that series. i'll say lebron did out play gil but its still close. i say that because there wasnt one game where lbj didnt have less then 4tos. he also comited 7+ tos in 2 of the 6s games including 1 game where he had 10.

zaRdsAndZeRos wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



my mistake. he actully averaged around 35ppg in that series. i'll say lebron did out play gil but its still close. i say that because there wasnt one game where lbj didnt have less then 4tos. he also comited 7+ tos in 2 of the 6s games including 1 game where he had 10.

That was actually LBJ's 1st playoff series. Also remember alot of those turnovers were from questionable charge calls (Jeffries...ahh he got a ridiculous contract from the Knicks based on that series)

Benedict_Boozer wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



That was actually LBJ's 1st playoff series. Also remember alot of those turnovers were from questionable charge calls (Jeffries...ahh he got a ridiculous contract from the Knicks based on that series)

Thank you, BB...

The offensive foul calls (especially in game 5 of that series) was absolutely ridiculous and one sided

Gilbert is a player that likes to run into people to get to the line... He does that thing Chauncey does where he jerks his head back like he was hit by a UPS truck, and just tries to draw fouls.. Yet, for some reason there wasn't many offensive foul calls on his end...

They were calling offensive fouls on LBJ at halfcourt..

Please do not get Wiz fans talking about calls in that series. They seem to think they got the short end of the stick.

Uncooked wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Yeah, I have been saying all along that we should tank the rest of the season to get the 8th spot and play the Boston Celtics, lest we play the Wizards and get destroyed again.

I am wondering if I was in a coma the past couple of months and missed the part where the Wizards suddenly became a team that can compete in the playoffs. It is like, one day the Cavs have just beaten Washington for the second straight time in the playoffs, and the next thing I remember the Wizards are just as good or better than the Cavs. LeBron is going to make Stevenson look like Bosh's girlfriend for what he said if they meet up in the playoffs.

You must have been in a coma the past couple of months and during last years playoffs. Because if you were around, you would know that the Wizards have been without Arenas, Butler and Thomas for a good chunk of this season and without Arenas and Butler for the playoffs last year. So, I don't understand your point about the last couple of months and last years playoffs. I wonder how your Cavs team would have looked the last couple of months and last years playoffs without LeBron?

I also never said the Wizards were better than the Cavs. I just said I think we match up well with you guys...as demonstrated during the first playoff series when we were healthy and just about every game went down to a wire... and that I believe the Wizards could beat the Cavs with a healthy Arenas, Butler and Jamison, an improved Haywood, and a better bench.

But, to each there own... I am glad that you are so confident that the Cavs would wipe the floor with the Wizards even if the Wizards are healthy. I just hope that the Wiz have an opportunity to prove you wrong.

Look, this post is stupid. So what Deshawn stood up to Lebron? He's supposed to do that. He's a competitor, right? The thing that is dumb are his postgame comments. Overrated? Really? Why give one of the top 2 players in the NBA any added ammunition? Thats just dumb. Its not like the Wizards are the bad boy Pistons or something. Their defense has been terrible since Eddie Jordan took the helm. Now you want to challenge the most imposing offensive player in basketball to take your on porous defense head-on? Get out of here. Play basketball. If you think your team is better, then hopefully they'll have a chance to prove it in the playoffs. We shall see. When it comes down to it, you can have a team 12 deep (which you guys dont), but if you dont have that one game changing force (which you guys dont) you're screwed in the playoffs. Superstars take over playoff series', superstars will their teams to championships, and if you think you'll beat the Cavs now that Deshawn fired up Lebron, you're crazy. I love this newfound competition in the NBA right now, as I hated when everyone was as super-friendly as they had been in recent years. If you had to compile a list of NBA players NOT to piss off, I think it would look like this 1.Lebron 2.Kobe 3.KG. So good luck, and godspeed.

It's not like he was calling LeBron overrated before the game. It was likely the last game of the year between the two teams and it's clear that he was talking to try to get into LeBron head. It might be interesting if Washington ends up in the 4th spot but overall I consider it a non story except to those of us that realize that scrubs shouldn't talke mess.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/

Lebron responds to DeShawn, butchers English language in the process:

With DeShawn Stevenson, it is kind of funny," James told reporters in Cleveland. "It's almost like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy. There's no comparison. Enough said."

You shouldn't need to go to college to use an analogy properly. Lebron's best off letting his play do the talking, because his SVSM education isn't going to win him any war of words.

fishercob wrote:http://blog.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/

Lebron responds to DeShawn, butchers English language in the process:

With DeShawn Stevenson, it is kind of funny," James told reporters in Cleveland. "It's almost like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy. There's no comparison. Enough said."

You shouldn't need to go to college to use an analogy properly. Lebron's best off letting his play do the talking, because his SVSM education isn't going to win him any war of words.

Right well Lebron has averaged something like 27/10/8 on 49% shooting against Stevenson and the Wiz this year and destroyed him in last years playoffs so I think LBJ will be just fine

Actually what he is saying is that him coming back at Stevenson would be like Jay-Z coming back at Soulja Boy. Makes perfect sense to me.

Well the Wiz-Cavs might just be a first round matchup again this year. Props to Stevenson for having the gonads. Not sure it's a wise decision to call out LeBron like that. Maybe he'll get the opportunity on the big stage to show us how overated. Good luck with that.