Gamethread: Wizards vs. Cavaliers - Sunday, Jan 4th

[WizStorm]

Further explanation on his one-of-kind, "special" move from LeBron:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcspor ... ravel.html

"I don't know what he said I did," James said. "I was trying to get an explanation from him but he ended up running to the other side of the floor. It was a bad call. Like I said, I watched it in the [locker] room. I took a crab dribble, which is a hesitation dribble, and then two steps. Everybody, you call guys can watch it. The bad part about it was I was able to finish at the rim with contact, so it would have been a three-point play. So it's tough."

"I mean, it's a play that you don't see in this league much but myself," LeBron explained. "One of those plays where you have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. You know, it kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of like high steps. But it's a one-two, just as flowing as any other one-two in this league. I was on the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it again and need to understand that that's not a travel.

"What happens is when you take a crab dribble and you hesitate, that is not one step, because you still basically have a live ball. And then when you go into your one-two that's when the steps get counted. So if you look at the play, I take a crab dribble and find a crease and then I take my one-two. So it's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done and always been successful with."

Sign by a fan at the game:

[Scabs304]

I +1 Caron's comments on the travel call. It's nice to see him actually get called some on the offensie end.

[rockymac52]

wonder if lecrybaby gets a fine for questioning the officiating. highly doubtful lol

[Wizards2Lottery]

LeBron has his head so high up his own ass. STFU already dude.

I hope by some miracle he moves to the Western Conference in 2010.

[P'Oed]

Further explanation on his one-of-kind, "special" move from LeBron:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcspor ... ravel.html

"I don't know what he said I did," James said. "I was trying to get an explanation from him but he ended up running to the other side of the floor. It was a bad call. Like I said, I watched it in the [locker] room. I took a crab dribble, which is a hesitation dribble, and then two steps. Everybody, you call guys can watch it. The bad part about it was I was able to finish at the rim with contact, so it would have been a three-point play. So it's tough."

"I mean, it's a play that you don't see in this league much but myself," LeBron explained. "One of those plays where you have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. You know, it kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of like high steps. But it's a one-two, just as flowing as any other one-two in this league. I was on the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it again and need to understand that that's not a travel.

"What happens is when you take a crab dribble and you hesitate, that is not one step, because you still basically have a live ball. And then when you go into your one-two that's when the steps get counted. So if you look at the play, I take a crab dribble and find a crease and then I take my one-two. So it's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done and always been successful with."

Sign by a fan at the game:

WOW...I mean that is just some INCREDIBLY funny stuff. He's basically saying it's his trademark play to travel.

"Yeah, like, what I do is, you know, start to do a crab walk and while doing a sideways lobster crossover I dribble into a salmon seafood layup. They usually don't count the steps until I've taken like 12 or so, I don't know what went wrong."

[mhd]

I would like to applaud the rebounding improvement. With the addition of size and athleticism from the backcourt (James, Critt, and of course DMAC), we are becoming a good rebounding team. I love the way DMAC goes up and grabs rebounds. Critt is a very good defender when I watch him. He's also blazing fast with the ball and an excellent rebounder.

[pancakes3]

Nobody doubts it's his signature move, especially anyone on this board - it's just not a legal one. Crab step all you want, but you've gotta keep bouncing that ball. The prohop/bunny hop/ jump step/ etc. is the worst exploitation of refs in the game today. It has way more of an impact on the game than palming and it's harder to call than charges/flopping especially if you do it all the time. The ref's not going to blow the whistle every time Lebron travels. It just won't be practical. I"m glad that one ref had the cajones to stand up to Lebron and make a statement late in the game about it. We'll just see if the lesson sticks.

[hands11]

Blatche may well be the best passer on the team. We've got to try to get him into the high post more often to initiate the offense. Screw the Princeton hybrid. With Blatche in the game, we might be able to run the actual Princeton Offense. - Nate

Funny you said that because I was looking for a place to post that. Actually from a different angle.

I just found it funny the way things ended with EJ. You know, the whole our offense is designed about Haywood thing after everything had put Haywood through. Then it was Haywood being injured that lead to his demise.

Well I was watching Blatche this game and the same kind of thing come to mind. Here EJ wanted so badly to run the Princeton offense which works best with a passing big man - LMAO

Then add Haywood and you get even nicer line ups.

Can't wait to see Haywood and Blatche at Center and PF.

Still waiting after all these year.......

I have little doubt Tapps will play them together given the chance.

We have a nice roster and a great head coach. We just need to get a few players back and we will rock.

[pancakes3]

we could stand to trim the fat. i'm going to keep pushing for a shooting guard that can actually shoot until we get one. Until we have a shooter to bail out our big three from a drive to the basket gone awry we're going to live and die by how well the big three performs. Haywood is insurance down low for misses in his offensive rebounding, but a shooter would be insurance before the shot, as a safety valve for contested, off balanced floaters. It works so well for cleveland, they built their roster almost entirely of safety valves. They'd be scary good if they got their hands on Haywood.

[closg00]

I second yungal07. STFU closg00. It's your kind of commentary that is dragging this board down. It's fine to point out that the team didn't execute well down the stretch, but to call the team a disgrace is hyperbole.

We just beat one of the best teams in the league. And we did it by playing harder than the opposition and executing as a team (at both ends) rather than merely by riding the hot hand of an individual player. This was easily the most satisfying win of the season. Tapscott coached a very good game except for the odd substitution of Songaila for Blatche down the stretch.

With the exception of the Boston game, this team has played rock solid basketball ever since DMac was inserted into the starting lineup. Suddenly, we're big, we're dominating on the glass, the ball moves on offense, and we play better D. I also thought Blatche had a great first half. Good things happened whenever he touched the ball in the high post. Overall, we played a damn fine ball game except for a string of unforced turnovers down the stretch.

Nate - I will assume that you did not intentionally mis-quote what I posted. I said that our play in the 4th quarter was a disgrace, omitting the 4th quarter part changes the entire meaning of my post.

It is your brand of political correctness that is "dragging this board down" . No-one is allowed to be pissed during games anymore? One can disagree with in-game strategies only if done-so to Nate's liking? Chill dude.

[dobrojim]

I second yungal07. STFU closg00. It's your kind of commentary that is dragging this board down. It's fine to point out that the team didn't execute well down the stretch, but to call the team a disgrace is hyperbole.

We just beat one of the best teams in the league. And we did it by playing harder than the opposition and executing as a team (at both ends) rather than merely by riding the hot hand of an individual player. This was easily the most satisfying win of the season. Tapscott coached a very good game except for the odd substitution of Songaila for Blatche down the stretch.

With the exception of the Boston game, this team has played rock solid basketball ever since DMac was inserted into the starting lineup. Suddenly, we're big, we're dominating on the glass, the ball moves on offense, and we play better D. I also thought Blatche had a great first half. Good things happened whenever he touched the ball in the high post. Overall, we played a damn fine ball game except for a string of unforced turnovers down the stretch.

I think the reason AB sat down the stretch was the fouls (5, IIRC). Tapps probably didn't
want a guy in their who couldn't defend because he would foul out. AB DID have a very
nice first half and I thought Tapps was smart to let him sit towards the end (1st H) so as not
to pick up his 3rd foul and hopefully allow him to play more in the 2nd half. But when
he picked up 2 quick ones in the 3rdQ, it backfired. But that was AB's fault not Tapps'.

Love DMac in spite of the TOs and I think your point is spot on. He's solidified
the starting lineup and the rotation in a way that EJ was deluded into believing
DeBrick could/was. Too bad DeBrick isn't 0.25 the rebounder DMac is. Or the shot
blocker. Love DMac's energy. DMac's shot selection is pretty solid and he even
makes some now and then which is more than you could say about our Non-shooting SG
who couldn't hit from outside or finish at the rim.

This was by far the best win of the year IMO so I'm not down with all the
negativity. We won. We forced LeTravel into 6 TOs. He bricked the potential
game tying 3. All the nuthuggers, jockriders and bandwagon jumpers went
home unhappy. We won a grind it out game against a grind it out team allowing
only 77 points. And some people want to complain that it wasn't pretty enough?!?
That's puts you on probation in my book for potential ignore.

And as much as I respect Dat, I love me some Captawn AJ; 26-13 including the
game clinching shot. I don't know about trading this guy. Who are we gonna
get that'll give us what he does even with his flawed, generally ineffective D?
I'm not sure I don't like the team as constructed right now IF they were healthy.

Blatche is getting better and more consistent. He had a nice game today in
spite of the foul trouble. I remember a couple nice passes as well as a nice block.
N1 had a decent game even though he didn't score much. Our perimeter D is
suddenly much better. Critter got some run and is starting to look more comfy
out there. A guard rotation that includes GA, Caron, N1 and Critter could be
very solid down the road for us. A fwd rotation that features AJ, Caron, Blatche, DMac
and Songaila is solid. A C rotation of Wood, Blatche, McGee is also solid. Etan
even played half decent getting a few blocks even if he blocked one straight
to Wally so nicely it could have been an assist. He's starting to play his way
to trade-ability.

Caron started the game on fire but couldn't buy a thing in the 2nd half.
And we still won.

But it was still sweetest to send all those LeTravelier fans home unhappy.
And it ain't like they can complain about missing Z looking at who were missing.
The late traveling call was the frosting on the cake although to be honest, it
was so loud, I thought the refs had allowed the basket and called a foul. Mostly
it wasn't that loud a crowd though. I think our fans have become so used to seeing
those 4th Q collapses that they couldn't make themselves really believe it was
possible.

After watching the last few games, I have renewed faith that things will work
out for the best in the fullness of time. I no longer think they'll lose basically
every night. That said, I don't expect a win in DisneyTown, but a bunch of the
other games coming up are now winnable in my mind (for the moment at least).

[dobrojim]

Any win for a 7-25 team is a great win in my book. But the fact that Ji the Tankster has nothing negative to say about a win against the Cavs should explain everything you need to know about this being a great win.

+1 on all that

'proof, were you there?

[hands11]

Wow, I totally forgot this was a day game. I also admit to being slightly disappointed that the team won (I'm still in tank mode) but when it's the Cavs, I'll take it!

Well you know I have not once stuck my big toe in that water. I think that we are fully focused on turning things around this season, not waiting for next.

One more tough game on the road against another top NBA team and then our schedule get a whole lot easier. You may be disappointed even more when we continue to rack up wins.

We have been playing well against the best teams. I still say we got some terrible refing in the looses. We could have easily went 5-1 and that was withuut CB 3 games and AB 1/2 of Boston game.

@cle - was really a win for us except refs
OK - win
@ Houstin - win
@NO - should have been a win except for the refs
@BOS - AB went down. Refs sucked in first quarter. We played a lot better then it looked
CLE - win

We went 3-3 over that stretch. Would you have predicted that ?
Most would agree we rightfully should have been 4-2.

I and some would say 5-1 because we were robbed in the NO game also.

Think about that for a sec. 4-2 or 5-1 with that schedule and one of those games AB went done and 3 were without CB. Two of those wins being against Cleveland the 3rd ranked team in the NBA and we should have been the first team to beat them at home this year.

But even as it is 3-3 for a team that lost as much as we have says a lot. They have turned the corner. This isn't your daddies 1-10 or 4-22 wizards. We are now 7-25 and on a 3-2 run.

YO GA. Get your shoes on buddy. Time to play some ball.

3-2 over the last 5 games with an way easier schedule and a new roster and line ups that are settling in and under a much better coach. That is who this team is now.

As is, I think we have a playoff team.
Add GA to this crew and you have a solid playoff team.
Add Haywood and GA and you have a team that can get out the first round. Even by going threw Boston.

[dobrojim]

couple other things from someone who was there

I LOVED it when they pie'd the Traveliers nuthuuger during a timeout.

Pine's fav Wiz dancer (Myra?) is one of the few really hot ones left. This
year's crop is not as solid as last years IMO.

funniest thing of the day...our seats are behind the basket
at the Wiz bench end. On one shot in the first half one of
CLE's guards airballed a 3 but from our angle it appeared
at first to be a make. So of course they were whooping
it up before they realized it was an airball. That was so nice.

Finally, Comcast is re-broadcasting the game tomorrow morning,
11:30? Check your schedule! This one is worth recording.

[hands11]

Funny seeing the 2 different viewpoints on the travel call...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadi ... EWWfEq-iKA

Lebron James POV:

"You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high-step, but it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it - and they need to understand that's not a travel," James said. "It's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done."

Caron Butler POV:

"I definitely knew he travelled, but I didn't know they were going to call it," Butler said about what happened Sunday. "That was one of them situations in which a great player made a move, good officiating, and they called the call. And I was like, 'Oh, man, there is a God."'

Did CB really say that... LMAO.. That's a great quote.

LeBron obviously needs to review the tape and the rules and then he will understand what we have been saying for years. To funny. He has gotten away with it for so long he actually believes it's not a travel. Hey Lebron. It's a travel. Just like that hop .. skip .. jump thing they let Shaq and others get away with all those years but now they are calling it.

But yeah CB, it was sweet to see him called for it finally.

[miller31time]

I knew the game was in the afternoon, but my Ravens were playing at the exact same time. Baltimore playoff team takes precedent over lovable but sucky Wizards team.

Nice to see we beat LaQueen and the Traveliers. How embarrassing for them.

BTW - that LeBron late-game traveling call would have been nice a few years ago.....UGH.

[bulletproof_32]

Any win for a 7-25 team is a great win in my book. But the fact that Ji the Tankster has nothing negative to say about a win against the Cavs should explain everything you need to know about this being a great win.

+1 on all that

'proof, were you there?

Funny you ask.

I've gone to all but 3 home games prior to today and I only missed those because I had legitimate conflicts (out of town, work etc), but I just couldn't bring myself to go to this game when I knew my section would be littered with all the LeBron lovers.

So, I told the guy I split tickets with to go ahead and go with his wife. I’m regretting that decision now but the amount of fans for the opposition at recent games has been way too much for my liking and I just felt like I needed a break from attending games.

The Portland and Lakers games, in particular, were just impossible for me to sit through. I nearly lost it at the Portland game when the clueless bandwagon fan next to me just wouldn't shut up about how great Portland is and how much the Wizards suck. I mean every single play he reminded everyone in the section. And he was sitting right next to me.

At one point (he was going on to no one in particular that the Wiz should've signed Brand and Baron instead of Gilbert and AJ) I asked him to sit down because he clearly didn't know what he was talking about. It just became awkward and uncomfortable after that.

The thought of reliving that with a Cavs “fan” was too much for me to bear so I opted to watch it on TV today.

I’m sorry I missed it live though.

[MJG]

I didn't think it was possible to like James less, but his comments about the travel call have taken him to a new low. It'd be one thing if he was wishy-washy on the subject, avoiding answering the questions. Guys do that kind of thing all the time. But of course, he couldn't do that. He plainly states that he watched the replay and there was absolutely no travel. Was he so smug and up his own ass that he actually watched the replay and couldn't see the blatantly obvious? Or was he just plain dumb, and doesn't understand what the traveling rules are? Or did he completely understand the situation and just felt like flat-out lying? All I know is that I will do my best to not underestimate how little I can like the guy going forward.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

LeBron has his head so high up his own ass. STFU already dude.

I hope by some miracle he moves to the Western Conference in 2010.

I have a better hope.

I hope by some miracle Cleveland is the one seed in the playoffs and the Wizards win 36 games or more to make it as the lowest-win-totalled eight seed.

Cleveland will not beat this team in the playoffs if guys like McGuire are rebounding and Blatche is making solid plays. Washington has sufficient confidence (and hate) to beat the Cavs in the playoffs now. As far as I'm concerned they won in Cleveland, too.

My miracle would be to see the Wizards get revenge in a series just like they finally got revenge on the traveling call.

I'd love for Washington to provide impetus for Lebron to leave the Cavs.

I dream big.

[xJUICEx25]

Hey...
Anyone know a website where i can find accurate player salaries?