If I’m a Cavs fan, I’m loving every bit of this.
No, not the 3-1 series lead over the Wizards; the way that the Wizards have gone about falling into that unfixable hole. Washington has decided to spend all of its time talking trash, and none of its time playing basketball.
Here’s the latest quote from center Brendan Haywood:
“Awww,” Haywood said, in a whiny, high-pitched voice to mock James following Monday’s practice. “They are trying to hurt me. I mean come on man, this is the playoffs.
"He wears 23, he wants to be Michael Jordan, I can respect that, he’s a great player. You saw what Mike went through. Mike got fouled way worse than this. No one is trying to hurt him, everybody is trying to play basketball, trying to play tough. Play basketball and leave it alone.”
First of all, LeBron never whined or pouted about the Wizards’ physical play. In fact, he pretty much welcomed the style, since it hasn’t helped Washington one bit during the series.
“I guess that’s what they want to do,” James said, “hurt LeBron James in this series. It’s not working.”
Here are five comments about how this just contributes to the reasons the Wiz will be sitting at home during the second round of the playoffs.
1. Plain and simple, please do not talk smack if you cannot back it up. Washington is down 3-1 in the best of seven series. Haywood, Stevenson, Arenas, do you not realize you are being embarrassed? Stop the tomfoolery and play basketball.
2. Haywood, LeBron wasn’t complaining or whining. I do remember you committing a dirty flagrant foul on "King James" in game two and getting ejected. I think if someone cheaply shoved you into the first row, you would be pretty pissed.
LeBron didn’t even whine about it though. He doesn’t have to, because he’s about to knock you out of the first round for the third straight season. How about your team reaches the Cavs’ level before all of the degrading talk continues.
3. If I’m a Washington fan, I want head coach Eddie Jordan fired, assuming the Wiz lose the series in five or six games. Not once has Jordan restrained a player from making an inane comment or trying to end LeBron’s career with a valiant throwdown.
Jordan has lost mental control of his players, and isn’t getting the best out of them during games. His “brilliant” plan to continuously knock LeBron down and play physical has led to a 3-1 series deficit.
4. Keep in mind that many people expected Washington to win the series in six or seven games. I, too, thought that the Wizards had decent odds at advancing. But they prioritized trash-talking ahead of playing basketball, and now have one or two games left in their disappointing season.
The Wizards would make an unbeatable team for the “street” courts with the metal nets. They love to play dirty, hit people, talk smack, and create stirs. Had they played like an NBA team instead of a "street" team, they could be staring the Celtics in the eye in the second round.
5. DeShawn Stevenson. What a freaking joke.
There are some people out there that just don’t get it, and Stevenson is one of them. He did not get it when he was charged with statutory rape of a 14-year-old back in 2002, and he doesn’t get it now when he calls LeBron “overrated” and takes a swing at his head.
Had it not been for Haywood and Arenas’ additional antics, Stevenson would have been single-handedly responsible for the Wizards implosion in this series.
While Washington accuses Cleveland of being “soft” and whining about physical play, Stevenson has completely avoided the paint area throughout the whole series. 65 percent of his shots during the series have been from three-point range, and he’s averaging just one rebound per game.
If I was a Wiz fan, I would be disgraced and embarrassed to have this thug representing my franchise. Is there a player more undeservedly cocky and arrogant than DeShawn?
Even NBA legend Reggie Miller showed his disgust towards Mr. Overrated during game two. With Washington down 20 points, Stevenson hit a three and did his patented hand-waving over his face. This routine is unnecessary, but acceptable IF YOUR TEAM IS WINNING.
After he hit another three later, with his team down 30, Reggie Miller said, “If he did it again there, I was out of here. I would have gotten up and left.”
The Wizards are faster than the Cavs. They’re more athletic. They have more talented players. They have more All-Stars. And they also can’t shut their enormous mouths.
As a Cavs fan, it makes me determined and riled up when they run their traps. But it makes me happy, because it drives the Cavs, and LeBron, to want to send Washington home even more.
LeBron said, “Following Game 4, James was asked if the Wizards can come back. He considered the question, repeated it and then answered it with all the subtlety of one of his ferocious slam dunks.
“Do I think they can do it?” James said. “No.”
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5 months ago
You wrote: "1. Plain and simple, please do not talk smack if you cannot back it up. Washington is down 3-1 in the best of seven series. Haywood, Stevenson, Arenas, do you not realize you are being embarrassed? Stop the tomfoolery and play basketball."
What am I missing here? Isn't the series 3-2 (not 3-1) in favor of Cleveland? Washington has nearly drawn even in the series, so I would say that they are far from being embarrassed and have been playing basketball.
Overall, who cares? The winner of this series is simply going to play whipping boy to my Celtics!
from 5 months ago
I write for a Columbus paper, and this was an article from the other day, after Game 4. I just wanted to get something up here and try it out since I'm new to the site.
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