Bleacher Report - Articles by Shaun Ahmad

Allen Iverson's Retirement Leaves More Questions Than Answers

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:32:56 -0500

In sports, it is a rarity to witness the start-to-finish career of a hall of fame player with all the ups and the downs that come along with time. In most cases, the player's career is cut short by injuries or loss of talent, causing them to drop from superstar levels to mediocrity. Rare as ever is it to witness a legend make it from day one to the end of his career with still a little sparkle or flicker of what they once used to be.

When Michael Jordan retired from the Washington Wizards, those of us who had seen from his early days to his peak still saw some shades of his super stardom as he walked off into the sunset.

When Brett Favre retired, and when he retires again, we will surely see some of the magic in his eyes that helped him become one of the greatest to ever suit up.

Such was expected of 14 year veteran Allen Iverson.

When news broke of Allen Iverson announcing his plans to retire, I wasn't the least bit shocked. After all, the New York Knicks passing on A.I. was a sign that we may never see him perform on the biggest stage again.

There were rumors of him playing in Europe, but we all knew that would never be the same. Weeks of disgruntlement in Memphis preceded Iverson's decision to walk away from the game for good.

Though I wasn't surprised by the announcement when I initially heard it, a feeling of emptiness and confusion came over me hours later when it began to set in that this wasn't the way it was supposed to end for one of the best players in league history.

There was no farewell tour. There was no montage of interviews from various superstars, past and present, talking about how Iverson influenced them individually and the game as a whole. There was no Joe DiMaggio teary-eyed speech about how it was time to move on.

There was nothing.

For a player who ranks fifth all time in points scored per game, a ten time All-Star, and a guy who was second only to Michael Jordan in points scored per game in the playoffs, this is how it ends? A call to Stephen A. Smith and a halftime blurb on ESPN by Jalen Rose?

There is no question that Iverson's decision making over the past has been far from perfect. From the day he came into the league, his friction with Larry Brown to his qualms about "practice" and his off-the-court issues with his posse, to his refusal to come off the bench in Memphis, Iverson had made poor choices. But that is who he was.

We knew that from his college days and nothing about him changed in that respect. We hated how ridiculous he may have sounded at times, but loved how big the little man's heart was on the court. He wanted to win and he wanted to win badly. You could see it in his eyes, you could feel it with every slam his body took to the hardwood, and you could hear it in his voice when he would vent about the team's failures.

This is who Allen Iverson was. His passion was his gift and in the end, it was his curse.

There is no question in my mind that there is a place somewhere in the league for Iverson. But can you blame any General Managers who are weary of signing him after his departures in Detroit and Memphis? I can't.

What saddens me the most about Iverson retiring, prematurely in my mind, is that he still has at least two or three years left where he can contribute to a championship contending team. The only caveat being that he cannot dominate the ball and run the show like he used to.

I am 100 percent positive that Iverson could join a team, come off the bench, and immediately make them a threat. No question.

However, Iverson doesn't see it that way. Perhaps if he did, he would one day retire similar to David Robinson and the many other legends who walked away with slightly diminished skills, but a championship victory.

How different our last memories would be if A.I. could find it in himself to yield some of his ego for the betterment of his own legendary status—a status that is just as important to his fans, though he may not understand that.

Instead, we have an ESPN news ticker informing us that the greatest small guard has decided to retire.

I am not fortunate to have an insider link to Iverson where I could ask him why he chose to go the path he did. If I did, I would ask him what upset him about being a sixth man while potentially being a crucial piece of a championship team.

Manu Ginobili was not a starter for the Spurs when they won their title, but few remember, or care about that. All they commit to memory is his contributions to achieving the ultimate goal. Why could Allen Iverson not do the same?

Perhaps, we will never know.

There are many paths in life that we as individuals choose to take. All we can do is look at our options and make the decision that we deem the best possible for ourselves. It appears that Iverson has made up his mind, and retirement is what is best for him.

Allen Iverson doesn't owe anyone an explanation. That being said, the irony in all of this is the man known as the "Answer" is leaving us with so many unanswered questions.

Washington Wizards' Record, Optimism Fall as Losses Mount

Shaun Ahmad — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:41:21 -0500

There is a clear and distinct difference between being optimistic and being naive. Believing our economy will recover is being optimistic. Believing Lindsay Lohan's career will make a comeback as she sheds a life of partying and drugs...that's being naive (or high on whatever Lohan is smoking).

Through the first six games of the Washington Wizards' season, I was optimistic. I was hopeful. Picture me as the guy on Wall Street in 2006 nodding his head and convincing investors that the market will be fine, despite having 24,593 clear warning signs in front of me.

"So what if Arenas had more failed surgeries than successful ones over the past couple of years?

Who cares if the team is banking its success on three players who have spent more time injured together than healthy together?

Don't worry about how the Wizards didn't bring in any talent to improve on defense during the off-season.

They'll be fine! Relax!"

That was me about a month ago. How quickly times have changed.

Now I'm spending more time second-guessing my rationale than Bill Belichick did after his loss to Indianapolis. How did I overlook and miss the warning signs? What on God's green earth convinced me that this team would stay healthy?

Why did I believe that a Gilbert Arenas- and Antawn Jamison-led team would finally give a rat's ass on defense? WHY DID I...?

(Okay. Deep breaths, Shaun. Deep breaths.)

Here's the bottom line: Losing games by a couple of points due to your biggest offensive threat being rusty is one thing.

Getting run up and down the floor, out-hustled, out-rebounded, and thoroughly beaten by sub-.500 teams is a whole different story.

The game of basketball isn't complicated. Score more than the other team. That's it.

Unfortunately for Wizards fans, the team has done that just three times out of 12. They have given up over 100 points in eight games and (shocker), lost seven of them. They have scored over 100 points in five games and won three.

There is no need for me to go into a deep analysis or shower you with more statistics like I have in the past. Here's what you need to know at this point in the season:

The Washington Wizards stink. They are a bad team. Nothing more, nothing less.

Through 12 games, they have shown little life on offense, and not a thing to look forward to on defense. Not a single iota for a fan to grab onto and say, "Hey, at least they're leading the league in steals!"

At least if the team shows some grittiness on the defensive end of the ball, you know that they are trying and are playing with heart. Offensive woes can be overcome by strong defensive play, but when it comes to poor defensive outings due to lack of effort, it becomes impossible to surmount.

What's more troubling than the lack of enthusiasm on both sides of the ball is the finger pointing that is already beginning. You don't play the blame game after 15 percent of the season unless you are the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, or Terrell Owens.

Following the embarrassing loss to the San Antonio Spurs, guard Gilbert Arenas had the following remarks:

"Everyone's got their own individual goals, I guess. Hidden agendas. I guess when you start losing, everyone wants to start pointing fingers everywhere else.

I converted my game to try and get people involved. I think the only person who actually had to sacrifice [to win] was me."

Earth to Arenas: You hold the distinct honor of being the first Wizard to point any fingers in the media this season. Congratulations!

I'll address the post-game comments with the following two points:

Point No. 1: If you have ever read any of my articles relating to the Wizards, it doesn't take the I.Q. of a neurosurgeon to conclude that I am a Gilbert Arenas apologist. I like the guy.

I love what he did for the Washington organization and for the city when he arrived from Golden State. I love his passion, his work ethic, and how he is a completely different character than the cookie cut-outs that you see all across the league.

That being said, his postgame comments shouldn't have even crossed his mind, let alone come out of his mouth in the media. He is supposed to be one of the leaders on this team, but he came off like a whiny sixth man that is upset about not getting enough minutes.

The tone that he had would have made me think the Wizards were 3-19 instead of 3-9. Lead by example, especially when you know that the entire team watches how you carry yourself and feeds off your demeanor.

Quick example. Imagine that in his State of the Union Address, President Obama seemed completely dejected after his first year as Commander in Chief.

What if he sat at his desk in front of the camera, shrugged his shoulders and said, "This sucks. Things aren't going as I planned and...(sigh )...I don't know. I guess things will get better...(pause )...but probably not. Whatever."

Would that inspire anyone? Would that make any of the institutions that are pillars to this country get up and say, "We need to rise to the occasion and get our acts together"? No! The only ones who would benefit are liquor store owners.

Point No. 2: Yes, Arenas has taken a different approach to his game where he is trying to involve others more. But let's not pretend that his sacrifice is what's ailing this team. Look no further than Arenas' shooting as one of the reasons for the Wizards' woes.

His 39% field goal percentage and 38.6% three point percentage, coupled with over four turnovers a game, are doing Washington no good. While Arenas may believe he's sacrificing a ton, his field goal attempts per game (19.4) are the third highest in his career. So what exactly is being sacrificed?

I'm not trying to pile on Arenas and make him the scapegoat for Washington's problems. However, if you are going to make passive-aggressive comments about your teammates not getting the job done to the media, you open the door to having your performances openly questioned and critiqued.

While Brendan Haywood, Andray Blatche, and Mike Miller have excelled, Arenas, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson have hindered Washington's attack.

Antawn Jamison's return will help, but it will take more than his contributions to steer the team back in the right direction.

The Wizards' problems are both on and off the court right now. As I pointed out previously , they are fortunate that the season is still young.

After all, they are only six games out of .500. That being said, time to waste is no longer in abundance.

In a long 82-game season, it is difficult to decide when to really worry. My theory is, you should only fret when the season is near the point of being lost and some immediate, significant changes are needed.

While I don't think Washington is at that stage yet, each mounting loss carries more weight than the previous one.

As my optimism fades and reality begins to set in, I am inching closer towards pressing the panic button on the Washington Wizards' 2009-10 season.

NBA Landscape: Episode 1

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:13:38 -0500

A recap of the biggest stories and happenings across the NBA landscape throughout the season. Episode 1 looks at contenders off to quick starts, surprising Suns, rookie phenom Brandon Jennings, and LeBron James rumors.

Contenders Off to Quick Starts

Contenders from the prior season usually get off to good starts unless they make widespread changes. This year is no different as the Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics, Cavs, and Magic are all 7-3 or better through 10 games.

The balance of power among the elite teams seems to slowly be shifting east. It was just a couple of seasons ago when it could legitimately be argued that the seventh or eighth seed in the West was as good as the No. 2 or 3 seed in the East.

Now, the Western Conference seems wide open outside of the Nuggets and Lakers. Though the Blazers, Suns, and Mavericks are all off to impressive starts, none of them look good enough (yet) to unseat the top two teams from a season ago.

The Eastern Conference, on the other hand, seems to have more powerful teams. The Boston Celtics have added depth and are playing playoff tempo defense. The Orlando Magic have started hot and Rashard Lewis, coming off a suspension, has yet to join the party.

The Cavs are always in the conversation with LeBron James, and even Atlanta looks better than last year. The Hawks are 8-2, including a victory in Boston a few days back. Miami isn't on the level of the others yet, but they have shown a strong, young nucleus while winning seven of their first nine.

The contenders are all taking care of business early, and the balance of power may have shifted to the Eastern Conference.

Surprising Suns

Welcome back, Phoenix Suns! Did anyone really see this coming? I didn't. Despite their 46-36 record in 2008-09, they had all sorts of problems, starting with a missing identity.

After trading Boris Diaw and Raja Bell to Charlotte as well as sending Shaquille O'Neal east to Cleveland, it looked like the Suns were heading into a heavy rebuilding phase.

Head coach Alvin Gentry finished off the 2008-09 campaign, following Terry Porter's firing, with a 17-13 record. Still, no one thought that the Suns would begin the season with the best record in the league after 10 games.

While they are scoring just two points more per game than last year, the offensive flow has been much more fluid. Think about how relieved Steve Nash must feel, not having a 350 pound, slow, over-the-hill, egomaniac of a center in the middle.

It's as if general manager, Steve Kerr, took a plunger to the toilet and cleared the mess that he himself created. Better now than never.

Jason Richardson playing like it's 2007, and the emergence of Jared Dudley also helps. It's still early, but keep your eye on the Suns making some noise in the West.

Unexpected troubles in New Orleans and Washington

Early troubles in the Big Easy, though many probably haven't even noticed yet since the Saints' perfect start to the NFL season is the talk of the town.

Regardless, there will be plenty of concerned fans once they realize that the Hornets are only half a game from being tied with Memphis as the worst team in the Southwest Division, have fired their head coach Byron Scott, and are missing injured point guard Chris Paul.

The Hornets aren't getting any consistent production from anyone outside of Paul and Emeka Okafor. With Paul out for a couple of weeks and a new coaching staff, things could get ugly down south.

The Washington Wizards are also off to a rocky start. The injury bug hit the team early with several players being sidelined, including Antawn Jamison. Jamison should be returning any day, but the lack of consistency in the lineup has made it difficult for the team to gel under new head coach Flip Saunders.

Gilbert Arenas has returned from his several surgeries, but clearly has some rust. After winning two of their first three, the Wizards have dropped six straight contests.

While the season is still young, the team might be digging themselves into a hole that they can't climb out of.

Brandon Jennings

The Rookie of the Year award is a lock to go to Brandon Jennings. I don't care if it's only been 10 or 11 games. Jennings is a star.

For those who have still not heard, the rookie dropped double nickels (55 points) on the Golden State Warriors and had a 29-point third quarter!

He's averaging 25.6 ppg and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, and 56.7 percent from long distance. I repeat. 50 percent from the field and 56.7 percent from long distance!

Tack on his five assists and four rebounds per game. Forget the rookie of the year award; Jennings is heading for a starting position in the All-Star game at this rate.

Side note: What if the Knicks had drafted him? The LeBron James to New York deal would have looked a lot sexier than it does right now, wouldn't it? Somewhere, Spike Lee just threw up. Speaking of which...

LBJ-Wade-Bosh Rumor is Silly

Like most of you, I'm very over the story that has been going on for three years now about where LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will end up next season. The theories seem to have gotten more and more ridiculous.

Earlier this month, Sam Smith wrote about Kobe and LeBron joining forces in Los Angeles. Give me a break. Those two egos can't fit in the same time zone, let alone the same city.

The trendy rumor for this week is that James and Bosh will leave their respective cities and join Wade in Miami to create their version of the Olympic Team.

Right.

First off, let's remove Bosh from the equation because Marc Stein of ESPN has reported that it appears he will remain in Toronto as he likes the city, and (surprise) likes being the alpha male on the team.

That leaves the James-Wade possibility. Not going to happen for the following reasons:

1) Money . James will get more money staying in Cleveland than he would signing a max deal with Miami. Don't let anyone convince you that the "money doesn't matter" to James. It does.

2) Be like Mike. Though Michael Jordan wasn't from Chicago, he was revered for turning the franchise into a six time world champion. James is from Cleveland, and his ties with the city have been extensively chronicled.

For him to give up on the home team and leave to another city to win a title would diminish his stature.

Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and of course, Michael Jordan, all won with the teams that they started with. Winning a title in Cleveland is a challenge that James needs to overcome.

3) Legendary Status. Suppose James leaves Cleveland and joins Wade. Now suppose they win two or three titles together while both are in their prime. Keep in mind that Wade already had a title, in a season where he carried his squad.

James will be knocked for not being able to carry a team on his back as the lead guy, and having to take the assistance of another top three player in the game to reach the pinnacle.

He won't ever be considered among the best like Jordan or Bryant unless he wins a title as THE main guy.

Why do you think Kobe Bryant was obsessed (understatement of the year) with winning a title without another hall of fame player on his team? To show that you are the best, it is in a competitor's mindset that you have to lead a team to a championship win.

James will not be given credit for doing that and will forever be ridiculed if he joins Wade.

4) Egos . They may hug and speak each other's praises in the media, but make no mistake about it. Two athletes that each think they are the best in the sport, and whose careers are running parallel to each other cannot, under any circumstance , coexist on one team...especially in basketball.

Working together in the Summer Olympics is one thing. Working together for an 82 game season plus playoffs is another.

James and Wade both think they are better than each other, and as two alphas, they will never be able to achieve success while playing collectively because their mere shared existence takes away from each individual's opportunities for accolades.

So be prepared to see Bosh in Toronto, Wade in Miami, and James in Cleveland.

Wizards Find Themselves in Early Season Slump

Shaun Ahmad — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:52:17 -0500

Over the course of a grueling 82-game regular season, every team in the NBA is bound to hit a rough stretch of games. Murphy's Law of "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong" takes a firm grip of a team's psyche as it seems that every ball bounces the wrong way or rims out, and every whistle or break is in favor of the opposition. It happens to every single team.

However, it is a bit alarming when that stretch rears its ugly head in the first juncture of the season, as has been the case with the Washington Wizards. Following Sunday's home loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Wizards found themselves losers of four straight and bottom dwellers in the Southeast division with a 2-5 record.

There are several factors that need to be taken into account before pressing the panic button on Washington's season.

For one, they have had some early injuries to key players. Forward Caron Butler has missed a few games while fellow forward Antawn Jamison has yet to suit up for the 2009-10 season, as he recovers from a shoulder injury. At the earliest, Jamison will return to the lineup in a few weeks. Forward Mike Miller has also been sidelined for 7-10 days with a sprained shoulder.

Second, the Wizards are playing under a new head coach with a new system, much different than one they've had in years past. This Wizards ball club is supposed to stress defense while letting the offense flow through star guard, Gilbert Arenas—as opposed to the run-and-gun idea Washington fans had grown accustomed to.

Lastly, there are several new additions to the rotation, including newcomers Mike Miller and Randy Foye. There has to be an adjustment period for the team to mesh and hit stride together.

That being said, it is worrisome that a team that was routinely in the top five of scoring for the past several seasons suddenly finds itself breaking the century mark only twice thus far (both in victories). In fact, the Wizards are having trouble breaking the 90 point mark, as they have scored 90, 86, 89, 90, and 89 in five of their last six matchups. They currently rank 21st in the NBA in points per game.

It is difficult to figure how such a low offensive output is possible by looking at the statistics of the players with the most minutes per game. Arenas, Butler, Andray Blatche, Foye, and Brendan Haywood are all averaging double figures with Arenas leading the way at 25.2 ppg. Miller isn't far behind the bunch with 8.4 ppg. The issue of team scoring appears to be deeper than what meets the eye.

Many of the Wizards' possessions have started and ended with Arenas. There has not been consistent flow in the offense, leading to many one-on-one matchups with the shot clock down to single digits. Such possessions lead to bad shots. There have been some nice spurts here and there, but consistency on the offensive end has been a major issue. While Arenas has been the setup man, dishing out over five assists a game, the movement on offense has been stagnant.

So what gives?

The problem may be that Arenas is being asked to do too much. Coaches have always struggled to find the perfect fit for him between point guard and shooting guard, since he is such a scoring threat when he has the ball, but he has never relished as a traditional point guard in setting up teammates.

Similar to LeBron James in Cleveland, the Wizards offense struggles when Arenas is given the responsibility of bringing the ball up the court and being the primary scoring option while also having to keep teammates involved. It's simply too much to ask of one player.

Foye would be a better fit for the traditional point guard role, while allowing Arenas to be selective of when he will be in attack mode and when he will be a decoy, opening up opportunities for fellow teammates to score.

Defensively, the Wizards have been mediocre at best. While they are ranked 14th in the league in points allowed per game (99.1), they have given up over 100 in five games, four of which were losses. Until the Wizards' offense gets into a groove, spotting the opponent 100 points will be way too much to overcome. Factor in that each time the opposition has crossed the century mark and the Wizards have lost, it has been by double digits. Jamison's return will help, but in the time being, Washington needs to help themselves offensively by becoming a more stout team defensively.

All that being said, the Wizards need not hang their heads just yet. They can take solace in the fact that they have likely not played their best ball, have not had their optimal starting lineup or rotation, and have not gelled as a team yet. There are still 75 games left to be played, and plenty of time to make adjustments and improvements.

The key, however, will be to understand the problems now and adapt quickly. While there are many games left to go, it is much harder staring at a daunting 6-18 record than a manageable 12-12. Avenging a recent loss against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night would be a start.

Andray Blatche and Mike Miller Help Wizards Overcome Early Injuries

Shaun Ahmad — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:41:53 -0500

Despite early season injury woes to two of their "big three", the Washington Wizards have gotten off to a strong start to their 2009-10 season. The Wizards began their season by stunning the Dallas Mavericks on the road, 102-91, behind 29 points and nine assists from Gilbert Arenas. Returning east, Washington couldn't keep up with the young Atlanta Hawks squad, losing by 11, but rebounded nicely by impressing a lively Verizon Center home crowd with a dominating performance over the New Jersey Nets, 123-104.

Though the season is still very young, Wizards faithful can rest easy knowing that they won't have to rely on the output of Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison alone to have a legitimate shot at a successful campaign.

Forward Andray Blatche is off to the best start of his career, averaging 21 points, 6.3 boards and over a block per outing. In the Wizards' home debut, Blatche was a force to be reckoned with as he went 15-18 from the field en route to a 30 point performance. If Blatche can sustain anything remotely close to what he has shown through the first three games of the season for an extended stretch, the Wizards will leapfrog into the discussion from "average playoff team" to possible contender in the eastern conference.

Not to be overlooked are the performances of newcomers Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

Miller, a 10th year veteran, has brought consistency to the lineup. Playing an average of 30 minutes a game, Miller has contributed six, seven, and nine points to go with eight, 10, and 11 rebounds in each of the first three matchups. Throw in his two steals in each of the games and the Wizards have now found a solid contributor off the bench—something they have lacked for the past several seasons. (Note: Miller has started games thus far due to injuries in the starting lineup. His role, when the starters return, will likely be that of a sixth man.)

Randy Foye has also made the most of the time he has been on the floor, averaging 15 points to go along with five assists. Foye's emergence will likely take playing time away from veteran DeShawn Stevenson and Nick Young, but thus far, Foye has been a clear upgrade over the two.

The Wizards are sitting with a 2-1 record going into their second week of action, featuring matchups against three eastern conference foes (at Cleveland, Miami, and at Indiana). With Butler's status listed as day to day and Jamison out at least another month, the Washington coaching staff will have plenty of time to get a good look at who their contributors will be. While Blatche, Miller, and Foye have made an early impact, consistency will be the key to seeing time on the floor and earning coach Flip Saunders' trust.

Javal McGee, DeShawn Stevenson, Nick Young, and Dominic McGuire have yet to join the party. Whether they become imperative parts of the Wizards' season is yet to be seen, but each had better make their mark sooner rather than later. The Washington Wizards' train is leaving the station.

Washington Wizards Go All-In In 2009

Shaun Ahmad — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:18:44 -0400

All personnel decisions made in the NBA are nothing more than risky gambles, much like in a game of poker. The Washington Wizards took a $100 million-plus gamble on guard Gilbert Arenas, despite the bum knee. They took a $50 million-plus risk on forward Antawn Jamison, despite his age and mileage.

They assembled a team that, if healthy, could make some serious noise in the playoffs.

While their hand showed promise, the flop didn't give Washington anything. Last year served as the turn card, but still nothing. Yet the Wizards raised and are going all-in, taking one more leap of faith—waiting for that last chance, that last opportunity at success.

As the Wizards prepare to begin their 2009-10 campaign in less than five days, major questions about the team's overall durability loom large.

Gone are the days, few as they were, when Wizards' fans could count on Arenas and Jamison to carry the load for much of the season while getting sporadic help from different role players.

While Washington has done an excellent job in bringing in talented, youthful depth to their roster, there is no question that the difference between winning 55 games or 35 games rides on Arenas' knee and Jamison's shoulder.

Jamison suffered a dislocated shoulder in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers less than two weeks ago. The recovery process has taken longer than expected and he is now expected to miss anywhere from three to five weeks of the regular season. While the injury is not the way the Wizards hoped to start their season, their off-season acquisitions and development of young talent under new head coach Flip Saunders should put fans at ease—for now anyway.

Forward Andray Blatche has made significant strides in each of his first four seasons.

He will be vying for more playing time with Jamison out, looking to turn his fifth season with the club into his breakout year. He will likely compete with Fabricio Oberto, a savvy veteran who has spent all four of his seasons playing alongside the likes of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in San Antonio.

While injuries are a part of any season, one would be hard-pressed to find a team who has been hit with the injury bug more than the Washington Wizards over the past few seasons. It isn't just the sheer number injuries the team has had to deal with.

It is a matter of who has gotten injured. While the Wizards have one of the most talented starting five in the NBA on paper, they haven't been able to produce due to lack of playing time shared together.

The Gilbert Arenas era of the Washington Wizards began with a bang.

His arrival gave an instant shock to a dead basketball scene and brought excitement that hadn't been seen or felt since the young Bullets faced off against Michael Jordan's Bulls. But that excitement and enthusiasm has and been subdued for the past couple of years.

Despite the Wizards' key components being locked in with long term deals, the 2009-10 season will likely be the last of having the big three in peak form. Jamison isn't going to get any younger and Arenas' knee likely won't get any healthier.

If the Wizards are going to make a serious run, they are going to need their big three on the floor, for at least 90 percent of the regular season games. If not, don't be surprised to see the trio broken up as the NBA owners are not in the best position financially and with the salary cap being reduced each season.

Abe Pollin, Ernie Grunfeld, and Flip Saunders are taking a gamble with a shaky hand. While the odds of success began in their favor, things have not gone the Wizards' way.

For the 2009-10 season, the Washington Wizards are going all-in and fans are waiting eagerly for the dealer to show the river card. The next several years of the franchise depend on it.

Michael Vick Conditionally Reinstated by NFL, Goodell

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:18:19 -0400

Contrary to rumors for much of the past several days, Roger Goodell has announced his decision not to suspend Michael Vick and to conditionally reinstate him. The news comes as positive, but unexpected for Vick, who for much of the week was rumored to be facing a suspension of four games.

Vick will be allowed to participate in training camp, and the final two preseason games. He will be allowed to participate in all team activities, except the games, until week six. That's the catch.

Essentially, this is a five game suspension. Don't let the headlines of reinstatement fool you.

Some will greet the news of Vick being "conditionally reinstated" as some sort of favor or good deed by the commissioner. I disagree.

While Goodell reserves every right to set conditions on the reinstatement of Vick, the decision to not allow him to play until week six is troubling. Since he was incarcerated, Vick has done everything he was required to do and behaved as a good citizen. He faced and completed his 23 month sentence with excellent behavior.

The decision to withhold Vick from playing until the sixth game of the season doesn't make sense. It doesn't give him an adequate chance of seeking a starting role.

I fail to understand the need for the five game suspension.

Bear in mind that Vick was already serving a suspension while he was in jail; a suspension that lasted 23 months. It was not his fault that it ran congruent to his time behind bars. Either way, he was still suspended from employment by the league and lost all the money that he could have made during that time.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens, no stranger to controversy himself, felt that any additional sanction on Vick would be "unfair".

Former NFL Coach Tony Dungy agreed, saying on the Dan Patrick Show, "I tend to agree with Terrell Owens on this. I feel like he's missed 32 games already and missed a ton of money."

I am all for Goodell doing whatever is that he can do, within the limits of his power, to help the NFL achieve the goal of a cleaner image.

I am for him suspending players, such as Chris Henry and Adam "Pacman" Jones, who repeatedly break the law and show utter disregard for any rules or regulations placed upon them. But there has to be some line or distinction made between those types of repeat offenders and someone like Vick, who went to jail for the first time.

Up to the point of the dog-fighting scandal, Vick was the poster boy of the NFL and Nike. His face graced the likes of Madden, the popular video game, along with covers for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and several commercials.

What will be accomplished by the additional five game suspension?

Making an example out of people for the betterment of the entire league is a noble concept. But has Michael Vick not suffered enough in the eyes of the public? Has there ever been a person who has been more severely penalized for the crime that they committed than Vick has?

I challenge you to find an individual convicted of dog-fighting who has served more time, lost more money, and been more embarrassed in the eyes of the public than Vick has. Granted, he is a public figure, but that doesn't mean his penalty should be any greater, or any less, than any other citizen of this country.

Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams served less time for manslaughter stemming from driving under the influence. Donte Stallworth served 24 days in jail for killing a man while also driving under the influence.

The fact of the matter is that Vick committed an egregious and heinous act. He has since apologized for his acts. He was found guilty in the court of law and sentenced to serve time in prison. He completed his sentence.

While serving his sentence, he was also suspended by the his employer, lost any salary and benefits that he could have received during that span, and has essentially gone bankrupt (reportedly, over $20 million in debt).

His name is forever linked to the sick act that he participated in and no matter how much public service or outreach he participates in, Vick and "dog-killer" will always be synonymous, until the day of his death.

Is that not enough of a penalty? Will an additional five games really make anyone say, "Yes. NOW I really feel like he has gotten what he deserves."

The answer is "No." And that is why I am disappointed with the conditions that Goodell has set for Vick's reinstatement.

After all, even a steroid using Shawne Merriman got to play more games that season than Vick will in 2009-10. What does that say about league priorities?

Egos Stand in Way Of Lakers' Jerry Buss and Lamar Odom

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:45:39 -0400

Jerry Buss, Lamar Odom, we get it.

We understand how both of you have bruised egos at this point and are upset about how each of you feels "spurned" by the opposite party.

Get over it.

Odom feels that the Lakers did not show enough interest in him, that they did not pursue him hard enough, and that they didn't offer enough years in the contract offer that they presented.

It was reported that the first deal offered was for three years and $27 million, and the subsequent deal was a four-year offer, roughly around $36 million.

When Odom's agent didn't respond in what Jerry Buss, owner of the champion Lakers, felt was a timely fashion, Los Angeles pulled the deal off the table. Buss wanted Odom to come crawling back after testing the market, essentially apologizing for spiting him, and plead for the offer to be put back on the table.

That didn't happen. (Odom reportedly called Buss, but it is apparent that little progress was made.)

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat entered the picture and have made a huge push to sign Odom. The lead recruiter for the Heat has been Dwyane Wade, who wrote on his Twitter page that it was time for Odom to "come home."

It's an interesting sentiment by Wade to ask Odom to sign on with Miami for a long-term deal while he himself is as non-committal as any to the Heat at this juncture. But that's neither here nor there.

Now we sit, Monday, July 27, with Odom still pondering his future. As of yesterday, the Miami Heat have an offer of four years, $34 million compared to the Lakers' offer of four years, $36 million—the catch being the fourth year is a team option, and if the Lakers choose not to exercise it, Odom would be paid $3 million.

Basically, both teams have offered the same deal. It's essentially the same money.

The problem is the egos, the personalities, and the drama.

Here's what needs to happen.

Odom needs to get over himself and stop expecting the Lakers to roll out the red carpet for him, because let's face it, he's now a sixth man on the squad.

Granted, he is a very important player for the defending champions. But even so, he should understand that his best chance at success (which, as you get older, is defined by the number of titles you have) is with the L.A. Lakers.

If he wants to be a part of a team that will be a legitimate title contender for at least the next three years, he should sign his name on the dotted line on the contract that has the Lakers' letterhead embedded on it.

Buss needs to realize that he acted too quickly and too harshly by pulling the offer off the table.

Let's not forget that the Lakers are the best team in the league, bar none, when Odom is playing well and contributing. Without Odom, the Lakers drop from a clear favorite to win the title next year to second place behind the retooled Boston Celtics.

Buss should understand that this notion of "playing with the Lakers is a privilege" is nonsense. If you want to win another title, or two, your best shot is to have Odom playing with you rather than against you.

It's time for both sides to wake up and realize that all parties maximize their potential when they are together. They are as mutually beneficial as they come. Odom plays for championships while living in Los Angeles, while Buss keeps a contending team as the favorite year after year.

It would be devastating for Lakers fans throughout Los Angeles and across the world to wonder years from now "what could have been" had both Buss and Odom swallowed their pride and teamed up for a title run that could span several more years. It's a feeling that L.A. fans have suffered for much of the past decade.

Memo to Buss and Odom: Grow up.

The Washington Redskins' Lack of Fundamentals Starts with Daniel Snyder

Shaun Ahmad — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:10:03 -0400

The Washington Redskins will not have a successful season in 2009-10.

(This is the point where 65-percent of the audience has either cursed me or closed the article. For the remaining 35-percent, I will enlighten you as to why the Redskins will be laughable, again).

We can sit here and do all the analysis on every position that we want. We can exhaust ourselves—as we do year after year, offseason after offseason—looking at the draft choices, looking at the free agent signings, and studying the position battles.

We can find reasons as to why this season will be different from the previous decade-plus of failure under the current Daniel Snyder regime.

We can find glimmers of hope as to why Jason Campbell will become a Pro Bowler, how the two rookie duds of wide receivers from last year will suddenly combine with Santana Moss and Antawn Randle El to become a quartet of options like the NFL has rarely seen, and how the defense will put fear into opponents from kickoff to the final whistle.

And then the first game of the season will come, and it will go.

So too will the first four games, then the next four, and then the next four.

Winter will come, and by that time the Redskins will either be out of the playoff hunt, or sitting in the middle of a pack of mediocre teams. Eventually, they will find a way to lose, and we will start the cycle all over again.

Been there, done that, and did it again.

But I have finally had the epiphany that I hope many loyal Redskins fans have—an epiphany that the rest of the nation had maybe five games into the Daniel Snyder era.

If only I had known back then what I know now I wouldn't have eaten so much consoling food on Sunday evenings as I cried myself to sleep, and my blood pressure would be 30 points lower.

You cannot win in this league without basic fundamentals, and that starts at the top. Winning is a culture. It is why teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles are in the hunt every year.

(I realize that the Eagles haven't won the Super Bowl, but be realistic, Skins fans would kill for that kind of success as opposed to what they've had since 1991).

The reason those teams win is because they have owners who understand the importance of structure. They understand when to step in, and when to watch from a distance and let the team operate the way it was meant to.

Do you want to know why Google is successful and Dogpile.com isn't? They originally started doing the same thing, had the same computer geeks writing the same programs. But one developed a culture and structure of exceeding the norm while the other didn't.

The difference was billions of dollars and champagne on a yacht, as opposed to, well, mastering the Legend of Zelda, or whatever those other guys are doing.

When you teach your child to ride a bike, you set them up for success and then you let them go. You don't hold their hand constantly, or give them excessive pointers. Sure, there are bumps and bruises in the beginning, but if you set them up for success, they will succeed—or at least get close.

The lack of a general manager is not only a sign of stubbornness from Snyder (as everyone has suggested he hire one), but a clear sign of his personality.

He is a dominant ego maniac, who wants to build this team and win by his rules. He's the idiot you see struggling for five minutes to open a bottle with his car key, and pushes you away when you offer him a bottle opener.

That's why you'll never see the likes of a Bill Parcells or a Bill Polian in D.C. What self respecting general manager would want to deal with a snotty child with lots of cash?

The reason that the lack of a general manager hurts the team isn't just because of the moronic roster decisions that have been made. It's because all the players know that the guy in charge isn't Jim Zorn, and it's not Vinny Cerrato—it's the guy who signs the checks.

There is a basis for Clinton Portis mouthing off the way he did about Zorn last season. He knew, as did everyone else, that Snyder loved him more than he would ever love Zorn. Did Portis get in trouble? Of course not!

You can't expect a coach to be a leader if he isn't the leader.

There are some who will argue that Al Davis managed to win (before he went completely senile), and that Jerry Jones has had success (though none before Jimmy Johnson put together a dynasty)—but in both of those cases, Davis and Jones had some abstract knowledge of how to build a team.

At least they understood the value of offensive and defensive lines.

Snyder is still struggling to understand the simple concept that everyone who has ever watched football knows: The game is won, and lost, in the trenches.

Give me Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, and Randy Moss, but a garbage offensive line, and that team will not win a championship...I guarantee it.

Obviously there is a lack of fundamental knowledge of the game which is leading to the Redskins trading away draft picks year after year, or wasting them on position players instead of linemen.

Think about this: is there any other team in the league that would draft a tight end in the first three rounds when they already have a fan-favorite pro bowl tight end, with a long term contract, on the roster?

I could go on and on about the poor decisions and the reasons why the Redskins won't achieve any sort of success outside of maybe a 9-7 season, at best. But to be short and concise, the simple and accurate answer is Daniel Snyder.

He hinders this team...he hurts this team...he is the biggest reason for its failed seasons. Until he understands his shortcomings, this team will never experience the kind of success that the diehard fans of Washington want, and deserve.

So do what you have to do to cope with utter stupidity and mediocrity. Continue to read and analyze the players and the coaches and the strategies. I've done that for years, but I won't be doing that anymore.

Here's to the 2009-10 season.

The Underlying Hypocrisy In Sports Journalism

Shaun Ahmad — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:50:13 -0500

The Culture

American sports presents a dynamic for which I struggle to find a parallel in any avenue of life. There is no other subject matter or topic that captivates the minds and hearts of so many people on complete opposite ends of demographic spectrums.

What other medium is there that draws the same attention from an 11-year-old boy in Omaha, Nebraska as a Wall Street Executive in New York, New York?

What other medium is there that elicits such passion—love, fear, anger, disappointment—from people who would otherwise have no commonalities?

I suppose one could argue religion fits the bill, but that may even be a stretch.

With this cult-like following of sports teams and their players from town to town, city to city comes an interesting dynamic.

For better or for worse, America is full of people who jump on—and off—bandwagons at the blink of an eye. Note that I didn’t say the majority of American people. I said that people who are fond of jumping on bandwagons are plentiful.

There are fans who don a New York Yankees hat one year, only to switch to a Chicago Cubs hat a few years later.

There are fans who have never lived a day in Dallas, Texas but pledge their allegiance to the Cowboys franchise ever since their much heralded run in the 90s. I know a few.

Whether bandwagon jumping is a good thing or bad is neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is it happens.

But bare in mind, it is not just limited to sports fans. It also encompasses the media—specifically the sports media.

As a sports enthusiast, I scour articles from different writers all over the country each and every morning to gain perspective and see what the general consensus is on a variety of topics.

I used to take advantage of the internet to get a feel for how a topic or issue is viewed on the Midwest as opposed to the DC Metropolitan area. It was a nice change up. I say this in the past-tense for a reason.

As of late, a new trend has emerged in sports journalism. That trend is hopping on the bandwagon. This was never more apparent than in the fiasco of February that was the Alex Rodriguez Steroid Saga.

Locked and Loaded: A-Rod

When the news first broke that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids in 2003, I was a little surprised but not taken completely aback. It was, after all, the most tainted era in baseball history. We had seen each of the homerun “kings” fall from grace in the face of allegations. Why would A-Rod be any different?

The news of A-Rod’s positive test immediately led the analysts on ESPN, among other sports networks, to go on a 24/7 binge of basically forewarning Rodriguez that he had better come out with the truth and admit his wrong doing or else. Sure enough, Rodriguez scheduled an interview with ESPN’s very own Peter Gammons.

What did the media expect from the interview? An admission of guilt and an apology.

Rewind to the Past

Looking back at Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire, the media got anything but that. They got the following:

Bonds—Metaphorically put his finger in the air and gave the media nothing. Lips sealed. Broke the most heralded record in baseball and watched writers and purists cringe.

Sosa—Suddenly forgot how to speak English in front of Congress, an insult to everyone involved.

McGwire—Famously, was not in the mood to speak about the past. Cleverly, he neither admitted or lied about using steroids and weaseled his way into retirement and relative obscurity.

Back to the Present

Based on the previous experiences, one would think that an apology and admission of using a banned substance would suffice for the media.

In the Gammons interview, Rodriguez did both. He said he was sorry, called himself stupid, and admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001-2003—a time when there was no penalty for testing positive for the substances.

I thought the media had what they wanted. Rodriguez’s career would be tainted, but the end all would be that we move on and get back to 2009 and onward.

Wrong.

The media, led by Jayson Stark of ESPN, unleashed a vindictive attack on A-Rod accusing him of “crimes against the sport” and alleging that he ruined baseball. As Stark wrote, “So weep not for what A-rod has done to himself. Weep what he has done for the sport.”

Give me a break!

Why the fury? Why the anger? Said accused admitted crime accused of and faced his penalty—a lifetime of question regarding his legacy and public humiliation. Is that not what we wanted when this story first broke?

Apparently not. What Stark and others want to know is how were the steroids taken (injected or oral), what dates were they taken, what was the frequency, who administered them, where did they get them, how did they get them into the States, how much did they cost, what were the exact effects, and so on and so on and so on.

If this was an investigation led by Congress, I would be in favor of hearing the details. However, this is anything but that.

The hope was for Rodriguez to admit to his wrongdoing and apologize. It would then be up for the public to decide if they wanted to forgive him or not.

Nowhere was it mentioned that he has to give out all the details because the details do not matter. The guy cheated; simple as that. He took an illegal substance. The why and the how don’t matter.

(On a sidenote that I won’t divulge too much into until a later time, Stark and the rest of the baseball analysts are paid to follow everything there is about the sport.

It really tells me a lot about how intuitive they are if they could not figure out that steroids were the root of the homerun boom when McGwire and Sosa were knocking balls out of the park like it was nobody’s business.

They are guilty of protecting the sport that they cover by not bringing the cheating to the forefront when it was actually happening because at the time, it was helping the ratings that suffered due to the lockout.)

If someone admits to armed robbery, it makes no difference if his gun was black or gray. He used a gun to rob a store—that is all that matters. The little details are not of significance—especially if the accused is not trying to defend himself.

Responsibility of Journalists

After Stark unleashed on Rodriguez, the rest of the posse that is the sports media followed suit. Stephen A. Smith rips A-rod in his latest column for not coming out about his steroid use on his own.

Really?

Maybe it’s just me and the rest of the world has suddenly become morally correct and follow the WWJD mentality, but if I did something wrong and got away with it—knowing the consequences—I highly, highly doubt I would volunteer and turn myself in.

What’s in it for me? If I get away with cheating, then I got away. The whole point of cheating is to get extra help on something and succeed because of it. If you’re going to turn yourself in for cheating before getting caught, then you shouldn’t have cheated in the first place!

I was in 9th grade and an honor student and guess what? I cheated on a math quiz once. I got an A. I probably would have gotten a B otherwise.

Now if I had gone to the teacher afterwards and said, Ms. Burleson, I cheated on this test, she wouldn’t give me a pat on the back and say, “Okay Shaun, we’ll give you a makeup quiz after school because you’re a good person.”

I would get an F and have to deal with my parents and a damaged final grade. So I didn’t admit to cheating. Shoot me.

To call Rodriguez names for not coming out about his cheating on his own is not only an unrealistic expectation by Smith, but extremely hypocritical.

I would love to have Stephen A. Smith look me, or anyone in the eye, and admit that he never did anything wrong for which he got an unfair advantage that he otherwise would not have had. If he can do that, with a clear conscience, then more power to him. I, however, have a strong feeling that he wouldn’t be able to.

Which leads me to the root of my annoyance. It’s not about Rodriguez taking steroids. I don’t care one way or the other. It’s not about the homerun record. It’s not about me liking the New York Yankees.

It’s about what’s right and wrong in journalism. If you want to shred someone in your article based on their wrongdoings in the sport, by all means, do it. But be fair and be just.

It may not be a requirement in today’s age of continuous media reporting, but it is certainly a responsibility that should not be taken lightly, no matter how unlikeable the character being prosecuted may be.

Wizards Cap West Coast Trip with Loss to Portland

Shaun Ahmad — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:58:28 -0500

The Washington Wizards will be relieved as they travel back east after a four game west coast trip that left them three losses worse than when they arrived. After getting humiliated by the Los Angeles Lakers just two nights before, the Wizards were thoroughly handled by the young Portland TrailBlazers who improved to 26-17 with the victory. Washington fell to 9-34 by means of a 100-87 loss.

It seemed that only one of the ten players that got playing time showed up; Caron Butler. Butler scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished five assists in 38 minutes. He also led the team in free throws and attempts (10-11). The rest of the Wizards seemed to have no gas in the tank.

Antawn Jamison had a quiet 19 points with only four rebounds while fellow forward Dominic McGuire was awful in 35 minutes of play, scoring no points and mustering only eight rebounds with five turnovers. Andray Blatche was not much better on the night, scoring 11 points but collecting just five rebounds (only one offensive). Point guard Mike James was a no-show as he scored zero points in 28 minutes of play.

On the flip side, the Blazers came with a well balanced attack highlighted by the interior domination. Center Greg Oden and forward LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 18 points while Oden had 14 rebounds to go with Aldridge’s eight. Oden ended up with more rebounds that Washington’s McGuire and Blatche combined.

Brandon Roy outshined everyone by nearly having a triple double with 22 points, seven assists, and nine steals to go with six rebounds and only one turnover. He played one of the most efficient games of anyone in the NBA all season, while the Wizards dabbled on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Making matters worse was Washington’s inability to get to the free throw line. Butler made it to the stripe eleven times, while the rest of the team combined to attempt only six free throws all game; a clear symptom of lack of aggression. Conversely, Portland shot 23-31 from the charity stripe.

The only positive note from the game for Washington is that the trip to the west is over. Now it’s on to face the Phoenix Suns, who are on a slide of their own, on Monday night at the Verizon Center.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

The Future of the Washington Wizards' Point Guards

Shaun Ahmad — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:09:33 -0500

There comes a point in time for every franchise in every sport where decisions have to be made about the future.

For some, those decisions are made in a short span of time as they gear up for more important things like the postseason or a championship. But for the 2008-2009 Washington Wizards, like many others, that time is in great supply.

While they may be in a battle with regard to their record, it’s not the fight you want to be in. The Wizards are looking to not finish last in the league as far as the win column goes. Quite the contrast from last season.

Over the next several days, I will take a look at each position on the Wizards' roster and analyze who should stay, who should go, and the like. Today, we start with arguably the most important position on the floor—the position many call the quarterback or the floor general of basketball—the point guard.

Gilbert Arenas

The Good: There is no question that, when healthy, Gilbert Arenas is among the top 10-15 players in the league. His ability to get to the basket while providing deep scoring theatrics are nothing short of amazing.

He has shown he is comfortable with the ball in the closing moments of a game and has delivered when called upon. On the floor, he has matured and become a leader.

The Bad: As of late, his biggest knock has been his health. His second biggest knock has been his salary. It’s not very often that people remain patient with a player who plays zero minutes all season but makes $14.6 million.

But even if Arenas is healthy, the consensus is he is not a true point guard. He doesn’t create for teammates and looks for his own shot too much, often causing teammates to become complacent as they tend to “watch the show."

Moving Arenas to the shooting guard spot doesn’t really help either because he likes to create off the dribble. What makes him great also can be seen as a liability—much like Allen Iverson in his Philadelphia, and even Denver days.

The Ugly…?: Regardless of how much he costs or how much he controls the ball, one thing is for certain. Gilbert Arenas has made the Washington Wizards a relevant franchise in the eyes of the public and in the standings. They have experienced more success with him than without him.

Though he has areas that he can improve on, he is still a franchise player who when healthy, almost every team in the league would want to sign on for his services.

Javaris Crittenton

The Good: He's young and full of potential. I know Wizards’ fans don’t want to hear that talk anymore because they’ve been burned by it before.

Enter Kwame Brown, Jarvis Hayes, to name a few.

But Crittenton was touted by many coming out of Georgia Tech as an intelligent, athletic point guard who can defend with the best of them.

Though defense has not been the motto in Washington for years, Crittenton has shown effort and enthusiasm in his playing time this season, working hard on both sides of the ball.

It’s too early to tell how good Crittenton will be, but for at least the next two seasons, he is a solid point guard coming off the bench.

The Bad: His potential could be misleading, as it usually is with young players. His jump shot is weak, hitting just 40 percent from the field. He hasn’t shown much offensively and will need to learn to control the ball better. However, these are all flaws most commonly seen in young guards.

The Ugly…?: The Wizards should keep him around for at least another two seasons just to see how he develops. Point guards who want to play defense are hard to find, and if Crittenton can find a consistent role on the team, he could be a valuable asset off the bench.

Mike James

The Good: He can score. He can run an offense. He can play the point guard position. Mike James immediately won over Washington fans (the ones who are still watching games anyway) by showing his versatility on offense.

He can just as easily get close to double-digit assists as he can score 20-plus points a game. He is the truest point guard the Wizards have, and if he can mesh with Gilbert Arenas—perhaps at the tail end of this season—Washington might want to keep him around, even despite his $6.2 million dollar tag.

The Bad: He is pricey for a 33-year-old veteran and his field goal percentage has not been great (just under 39 percent). Furthermore, he has been pretty inconsistent as of late.

But, what Wizard hasn't been inconsistently lately?

The Ugly…?: This is a tough one. It all depends on how he gets along with Arenas, who obviously is not going anywhere. If James can be the point guard that Washington needs in running the floor and feeding Arenas while also providing an alternative shooting option, then he should be kept around.

However, if he is going to come off the bench behind Arenas and do nothing but gun from deep, then his salary is clearly not worth it.

Next: Shooting Guards

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Looking Back at the Washington Wizards' Week and Peeking Into the Future

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:04:00 -0500

I am back and better than ever. Well, probably not better than ever, but at least I am back after a 10-day hiatus, courtesy of one of the worst flu bugs I have ever had to encounter. I guess my arrogance when shunning away the idea of a flu shot came back to get me after all.

Regardless, I kept up with the Wizards and here’s a quick recap of all the excitement that took place while I was out. Brace yourself.

Jan. 9: Wizards lose to Chicago, drop to 7-28.

Jan. 10: Wizards lose to Charlotte, drop to 7-29.

Jan. 12: Wizards lose to Milwaukee, drop to 7-30.

Jan. 14: Wizards lose to New York, drop to 7-31, tied for lowest win total in the league.

Jan. 16: Wizards defeat New York, improve to 8-31.

Okay, so the Wizards continued to lose, reached a new bottom, and find themselves with no place to look but up. I guess not much has changed after all.

But while I lay there in a daze for much of the week and came to know about the Wizards hitting rock bottom in the standings, I began to run through the roster player by player in looking forward to 2009-'10.

I looked at each position to see what players were expendable, valuable, or would be determined in the upcoming months.

Before I knew it, I came up with a position-by-position breakdown with analysis on each player. So while I suffered most of the week, something good came out of it.

Beginning tomorrow, I will write a five part breakdown of the Wizards’ roster. Each day for the next week will look at a different position, what players currently play that position, how they have performed, and who will be available in the offseason/draft.

In the meanwhile, enjoy today’s Inauguration festivities and of course, the remembrance of one Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Where the Washington Wizards Went Wrong

Shaun Ahmad — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:04:08 -0500

Sitting in the cellar of the Eastern Conference with a 7-27 record, I tried to come up with reasons (or excuses) as to why the Washington Wizards could be so dismal just a year removed from a playoff appearance.

“Well, they’re missing their superstar guard, Gilbert Arenas.”

Wrong. They were without him for the vast majority of the season last year and did just fine.

“They’ve been hit by injuries to key role players.”

Wrong. Brendan Haywood’s absence is significant, but Etan Thomas plays the same position and is back this year after having a heart ailment last year. DeShawn Stevenson is out now with a back issue, but he started 25 of the 30 games he played through this season. And let’s be honest, neither is a game changer.

“They simply don’t have enough talent.”

Really? Two All Star forwards in the starting lineup means there is no way you can use the excuse of missing talent.

Okay, so if it’s not the absence of Arenas, it’s not injuries, it’s not a lack of talent, then what is it? What has caused the Wizards to be so awful? What has caused them to become the laughing stock of the conference, and arguably the league, after having consecutive years of success?

The answer is a lack of direction.

With former head coach Eddie Jordan, the Wizards had an identity. They had an understanding of what was to be accomplished by each individual on the court. They had a formula for winning—maybe not championships, but a hell of a lot more than seven games in their first 34.

“What are you talking about? Eddie Jordan got fired because of the Wizards' record of 1-10.”

Spare me.

The guy was off to a rough start; there is no secret about it. But realize that Jordan had led the Wizards to four playoff appearances in five seasons. That doesn’t mean much in, say, Los Angeles (Lakers that is) or in San Antonio, but it sure does in Washington—or so I thought. The roster that was in place was assembled to continue in Jordan’s style of play.

Current head coach Ed Tapscott preaches defense. I respect that. The Wizards had been lacking in that department but you can’t play defense if you don’t have guys who are skilled in that area. Would you ask a plumber to make do with kitchen utensils? Would you ask an airplane pilot to steer a boat?

Remember the theory that Phoenix Suns General Manager thought would work by bringing Shaquille O’Neal into a fast paced offense and how all would continue without a glitch? How’d that work out? This is the same deal. The Wizards are emphasizing defense with a team full of scorers. Won’t work.

I’m not going to sit here and bash Tapscott, or even the players. I hope this team can somehow get it together and make the rest of the season at least a bit more entertaining. But when anyone wonders how the Wizards could become this bad this fast, think back to Nov. 24, 2008, when the Wizards pushed the architect of the current team out the door.

Maybe 1-10 is really bad, but would you rather have that with 71 games remaining and a proven head coach in the lead—or a 7-27 experiment with a team that is, and will remain, in disarray for the foreseeable future?

Looking back, 1-10 wasn’t so bad after all, now was it?

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

January Forecast Gloomy for Washington Wizards

Shaun Ahmad — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:43:06 -0500

The start of 2009 will not likely be any better for the Washington Wizards than the last half of 2008. The Wizards already dropped their first game of the New Year to the Celtics on January 2nd in embarrassing fashion, getting dominated on offense and defense en route to a 25 point loss. Next up are the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that has been as big a thorn in the sides of Wizards’ players and fans as any team in recent memory.

After a frustrating loss on Christmas day, Washington will try to harness the emotions of aggravation from the futility of the season along with the outright hatred they have for the Cavaliers. It should make for an interesting Sunday afternoon to say the least; for those not watching the NFL Playoffs, of course, which conveniently coincide with the tip off time of 1:00PM.

The rest of the January schedule isn’t very forgiving. After the home contest against Cleveland, the Wizards travel to an emerging contender Orlando Magic squad followed by a quick turnaround hosting the Chicago Bulls the next night.

Following back to back games against the New York Knicks, Washington will pack its bags for a five day west coast road trip and face off against the Warriors, Kings, Lakers and Blazers. They will return home to matchup against the Phoenix Suns and close out with games against the Heat, Sixers, and Clippers.

Okay, so maybe the Clippers game won’t be so bad.

With the playoffs pretty much out of the question, January, and the remainder of the season for that matter, will provide Wizards’ management and coaches with a chance to see deep into their players.

Of course, talent and skill will be important. But losing brings out a lot in players—often negative. It will give the movers and shakers up top a chance to see the character of the younger players on the team and discover if they have the mettle to fit in with the direction Washington is trying to go in.

It’s easy to smile and be a good teammate when the ball is moving around, points are being scored and wins are racking up. However, being the joke of the league with a 6-25 record takes a different type of resilience.

Will Andray Blatche take advantage of his increased minutes by blossoming into a forward that the Wizards can count on next season? Will Nick Young grow in the remaining months into a high percentage shooter or will he blend into the background as so many do when fans stop showing up and the interest on the team dwindles.

January has been a good month for the Washington in seasons past, as they geared up for the playoff runs, but January 2009 will serve as a year in which the Wizards are gearing up for a different goal. It will be interesting to see whose character shines through and who fades away into monotony.

Don’t be surprised if the very players you see hustling for loose balls in a “meaningless game” are the ones starting for a playoff contender in 2009-10.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Washington Wizards Should Trade Now Or Forever Hold Their Peace

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:13:13 -0500

There comes a point in time when one has to realize that a mistake has been made. The sooner this realization is made, the quicker the damage control can begin and corrective actions put into motion.

2008 served to be a year in which the Washington Wizards’ management made a mistake. The blunder was to tie up all future money in Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

Both are All Star players that have put the Wizards back into the realm of respectability. However, Arenas is coming off of extensive knee surgeries while Jamison is a 32 year old forward that is likely in his final season of “prime” basketball. That's not championship team building material.

There is no question that Arenas is a top ten NBA player when he is on the court. The problem is he hasn’t been on the court (13 games played since the 2006-07 season to be exact).

Antawn Jamison is the best player currently on the 2008-09 squad. Despite his consistent output of points and effort, the Wizards are awful. The team is in complete disarray with no clear direction for the future. The roster is shuffled so often that it is nearly impossible to know who is on the court for tip off if you don’t watch night in and night out—a complete turn of events from recent years.

Though it is true that Arenas-Jamison-Butler along with former Head Coach Eddie Jordan lead the Wizards to the most success that they’ve experienced in over 20 years, the fact remains that the furthest they got was one second round appearance. They have been eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers three times in a row.

In essence, the mix of Arenas-Jamison-Butler peaked. They could, possibly, improve if they signed better talent. Only problem is they spent all their money so what you see is what you get. You can't make your car faster if you don't have money for new parts. Unfortunately, with many teams in the east getting better, the Wizards haven’t been able to keep up. The light is green but they're still at the starting line.

The one glimmer of hope that they have going for them in their potential for fixing a major mistake is the play of Antawn Jamison. He has performed at a very high level, averaging nearly 21 points per game and 9.4 rebounds (both numbers a slight drop off from last season). His value is high—higher than any other Wizard, including Caron Butler.

Note to Washington Wizards' Management: Trade Antawn Jamison while you still can.

The window to make the move is short. One injury or an extended dropoff in performance the rest of the season, with it goes any chance for the Wizards to remedy their situation. There are teams that would love to have Jamison’s services.

He is a valuable commodity as he brings versatility and instant offense at the small and power forward positions. The Wizards need to understand that their current mix will not work and should be wise enough to move Jamison, try to free up cap space to make a run at free agents in 2009-10, and once again become competitive.

An example of a trade that works financially and for both teams would involve the New York Knicks. Head Coach Mike D’Antoni is fond of a fast-paced, offensive oriented team much like the one he put together in Phoenix. He has already begun to put the wheels in motion and has a blueprint for success. Of course, New York will be gearing up to free up as much cap space as possible to acquire LeBron James or Dwayne Wade in 2010, but they need to have a competitive roster—not just cash.

There has been word that Shawn Marion would be interested in reuniting with D’Antoni in New York, but his price tag would likely be too high, and definitely greater than Jamison’s. Jamison is similar, and in depending on who you ask, a better overall player than Marion.

A trade that would work for both teams:

Antawn Jamison - $9.92 Million, four Years Remaining - 20.8ppg, 9.4 reb
DeShawn Stevenson - $3.6 Million, two Years Remaning - 6.9 ppg, 2.3 reb
Juan Dixon - $797 Thousand, one Year Remaining - 6.9 ppg, 1.8 reb

for

Nate Robinson - $2.02 Million, one Year Remaining - 16.6 ppg, 4.3 reb
Malik Rose - $7.64 Million, one Year Remaining - 1.6 ppg, 2.0 reb
Jerome James - $6.2 Million, one Year Remaining - 3 ppg, 1.5 reb

How exactly does this benefit both teams?

The Wizards acquire three expiring contracts from the Knicks that would free up cap space for the upcoming 2009-10 season and beyond. The basis for having Nate Robinson in the trade is that he would likely walk at the end of the 2008-09 season, as New York will be unwilling to dish out the big bucks to sign him (Resigning David Lee is the first priority).

Malik Rose and Jerome James both have expiring contracts. Washington would send an All Star forward, Jamison, along with DeShawn Stevenson and Juan Dixon (expiring contract) to New York. Stevenson has shown that in a fast paced, high octane offense, he can be effective (Averaged 11 ppg in last three seasons). His ability to play decent defense when motivated is like getting a poor man’s Raja Bell—another parallel to the successful D’Antoni Phoenix teams.

To recap, Washington gets expiring contracts while New York gets a close replica of the Phoenix Marion-Bell combo by acquiring Jamison-Stevenson.

Of course, this is just one of many possibilities. This is a simple combination a bystander can put together on the ESPN NBA Trade Machine in less than five minutes.

The point is that a trade is possible. The point is a correction to a mistake is possible. The point is that Washington has to make some sort of move with Jamison while they still have the chance, or be prepared for the worst.

2008 was a year to forget. Here’s to hoping the Wizards don’t give us another decade, or two, of the same.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Washington Wizards Try for Back-to-Back Wins

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:28:38 -0500

Tonight the Washington Wizards travel to Houston, Texas to take on the Rockets, who are winners of eight straight at home. Washington will try to win two games in a row for the first time all season after defeating the equally bad Oklahoma City Thunder 104-95 on Saturday night.

A positive note for the Wizards, and they have been as seldom as they come, is the fact that they are starting to get bigger contributions from their younger players as well as consistent outputs from the veterans.

Mike James didn’t have the best shooting night (4-14) after his showing in Cleveland, but was only a point away from a double-double with nine points and 11 assists.

Antawn Jamison scored 29 points on an efficient 12-22 shooting, while the young emerging forward Andray Blatche had one of the best games of his career with 19 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and a block.

Dominic McGuire also had an impressive showing with 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. The Wizards resembled the team we had become accustomed to seeing over the past few seasons, and did it without All-Star forward Caron Butler who was sidelined with an injury.

Washington will need a similar showing against a Houston team that plays gritty defense led by Ron Artest. The Rockets are giving up less than 95 points per game, while winning seven of their past 10 contests.

Washington might catch a break as both Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest are listed as day-to-day. Artest has indicated that he will likely play, but head coach Rick Adelman was less forthcoming.

The two teams met earlier this season in Washington as Houston walked away with a 103-91 victory. This will be the final time the teams meet for the season. Game tip off is at 8:30 PM.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

NFL MVP Race 2008

Shaun Ahmad — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:36:31 -0500

The 2008-09 NFL Season has been filled with surprise performances by teams and individual players. This isn’t more apparent than in the NFL MVP Race, which is filled of players that at one point were labeled “busts”, “washed up”, or simply “bench players”. With one game remaining in the 2008 regular season, MVP candidates will have one last chance to make a case for why they should win the award. Shaun Ahmad gives you his top ten MVP countdown.

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Cleveland Cavs Late Run Too Much for Washington Wizards

Shaun Ahmad — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:25:42 -0500

As if the 2008-09 season hasn’t already been a long series of nightmares for the Washington Wizards and their fans, Thursday night in Cleveland just added to the misery. The Cleveland Cavaliers snatched away a 93-89 victory in the final minute of regulation leaving the Wizards feeling like a child that had candy taken from his grasp.

Washington outscored Cleveland in the first quarter and trailed by only two at the halftime break. Recently acquired guard Mike James exploded for 26 points with pinpoint accuracy from beyond the arc (five of eight) while Antawn Jamison chipped in 28 points and Caron Butler added ten rebounds. Taking the lead in the third quarter and putting together a late 7-0 run in the fourth quarter didn’t turn out to be enough for the reeling Wizards.

After a three point bucket with 1:39 from Antawn Jamison gave Washington a commanding 89-82 lead, they would fail to score another point. LeBron James cut the lead to four by hitting three free throws, courtesy of a very questionable foul call on the attempt by Caron Butler. On the following possession, Jamison was called for an offensive foul on James, giving Cleveland the possession with 1:15 to play. The Cavaliers did not hesitate to take advantage.

Mo Williams buried a 24 foot three point jumper off of a James assist, narrowing the deficit to a single point, 89-88 with 1:01 to play. After a pair of missed shots by both teams, Anderson Varejao drew a loose ball foul on none other than Antawn Jamison, his sixth and final foul of the game, sending the forward to the bench while Varejao calmly put the Cavaliers up for good with two free throws.

Following a Butler turnover, Mo Williams sunk two more free throws giving the Cavaliers a three point lead with less than 10 seconds remaining. Though Mike James had been hot all night, his errant three point attempt fell short. The Cavaliers came away with the rebound and a Delonte West free throw ended the contest, sending the Wizards home with a 93-89 loss.

The loss was undoubtebly one of the most frustrating of the season, especially given the circumstances and questionable officiating at the end. LeBron James scored a bucket and got the foul call on Jamison, despite replays showing very little contact on the part of the Wizards’ forward. Further damage was caused when James attempted a three point shot, and was again given the benefit of the foul call despite minor contact—after the shot was attempted—by the defending Caron Butler.

Both calls came back to haunt Washington as Jamison’s presence was missed in the final minute of the game on offense and the easy three points with the clock stopped seemed to kill any momentum that Washington had gathered.

To add to the disappointment and frustration was the fact that Cleveland always seems to get the benefit of officiating in contests with Washington, dating back over the three years the two teams have squared off in the playoffs. Thursday night was no different as Cleveland attempted 26 free throws to just seven by Washington; more than triple the count.

The Wizards dropped to 4-23, but hope to have an easier time on Saturday with the 3-26 Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Nation’s Capital. Despite the loss, Washington came away knowing that they were a few bad calls away from knocking off one of the best teams in the league, on the road, on national television.

To add to the glass half full mentality, Mike James had a breakout game as the starting point guard and showed that he is still capable of scoring bursts that he displayed in Toronto when he averaged over 20 points per game.

Christmas came and went for the Wizards with nothing but overall disappointment and an empty feeling—quite fitting for the way things have gone in a year the team would love to forget.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Wizards' Christmas List

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:01:09 -0500

The holiday cheer and joy found in the month of December has done little to lift the spirits of the lowly Washington Wizards. Through twelve games played thus far in the final month of 2008, Washington has lost ten contests by an average of 12 points. Further to their disappointing season comes a matchup on Christmas night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that has brought more pain and agony to the Wizards than perhaps anyone else over the last several seasons.

As if the Grinch hasn’t already stolen Christmas away from Washington, the Wizards will not be bringing in the New Year with much change as their five of their next six opponents are Cleveland (twice), Houston, New Orleans and Boston.

Though the playoffs are no longer a realistic possibility, the Wizards can still salvage some pride and build for the 2009-10 season if some of the items on their Christmas Wish List come true.

Success hinges on the health of star guard Gilbert Arenas

Health

Washington has been marred by injuries to their star players for years, most notably Gilbert Arenas. When the trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler has been on the floor – healthy – Washington has had success in a fast paced style of offense. However, health has not been on their side. Arenas has played in just 13 games over the past two years. Jamison has been relatively injury free, but Butler has missed a surprising 43 games in the past two seasons.

Not having the three All Stars on the court has done its damage and therefore, the Gift of Health is tops on this year’s list.

Understanding the Importance of Defense

The biggest flaw in former head coach Eddie Jordan’s coaching was the lack of emphasis and accountability on defense. Under new head coach, Ed Tapscott, the Wizards have begun to play tougher in spurts. But still, we have not seen complete games on the defensive side of the ball consistently enough to win. As Kobe Bryant learned the hard way last year, a great defense can stop a great offense nine times out of ten.

The Wizards will not win anything of consequence until they learn to play 48 minutes of defense.

Consistent Interior Presence

Etan Thomas suffered from a heart condition last year, Brendan Haywood has missed all of the season thus far, Javal McGee is a rookie and Andray Blatche is still too raw. Translation?

The Wizards still do not have a consistent interior presence. Jamison and Butler have had to spend too much time and effort assisting the interior offense and defense rather than playing to their skill set, which requires them to move around outside of the paint.

Until Washington develops a solid rotation of dependable and healthy interior players, teams will be able to attack the paint at will. This goes hand in hand with the need of defense as well as staying healthy.

Injuries have hampered both Washington Centers

Backcourt Scoring

A little surprising that this made the list, considering how this would be the last item in years past. But with no Arenas and the departure of Antonio Daniels, the Wizards have had to rely too much on DeShawn Stevenson and Nick Young to provide scoring from the guard positions. They’re not getting it done and there isn’t any way around the fact that currently, the team lacks backcourt talent. Bench players never make good starters.

Hoping for the Wizards’ Christmas List to be fulfilled this season might be asking for too much, but having at least a couple of the items worked on would be a positive step going into the New Year.

Come on Santa, throw the Wizards a bone.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Wizards' Glimmer of Hope Fading Fast

Shaun Ahmad — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:37:14 -0500

Turmoil in Washington Extends Beyond Capitol Hill

With more than a quarter of the season on the books, the Washington Wizards have limped to a 4-19 start, changed coaches, and spent the season without their superstar point guard.

With 59 games remaining, the Wizards would need to win nearly 65 percent of their games just to finish at .500. The task may not sound daunting for some teams, but when you consider how dismal the Wizards have been so far this season, losing 65 percent of their remaining games would be a much more realistic expectation.

Under new head coach Ed Tapscott, Washington has stressed defense more than ever before. The effort has been present, especially from the younger players. Unfortunately, the results have not been as pleasing. Washington has given up more than 100 points in six of their last 10 contests. To no one's surprise, they have lost each time.

With three of their next five games coming against teams with a combined record of 21-56, the opportunity to reel off some victories and build confidence will be available. It all starts with the suddenly-vulnerable Philadelphia 76ers.

All in the same week, the Sixers fired their head coach—Maurice Cheeks—and lost their biggest star—Elton Brand—to a dislocated shoulder for at least a month.

Like the Wizards, the Sixers are less than stellar on offense, averaging a mere 93.7 points per game. However, their defense ranks ninth in the league in opponents’ scoring, giving up 94.6 points per outing.

Washington on the other hand, ranks 26th in the league while giving up 103.5 points per contest.

Following the matchup against Philadelphia, the Wizards will take on Dallas, go on the road for games against Charlotte and Cleveland, and finish the Christmas weekend with a game against the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though winning 65 percent of their remaining games may be setting the bar a little too high, the Wizards can take a positive step forward by taking three of their next five matchups, and hopefully build some momentum to carry them into the New Year.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

The NBA's Top Role Players

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:06:29 -0500

In order to have a championship caliber team, or a competitive one at the very least, there are certain elements that are necessary to success. A team has to have at least one star player, a head coach with above average knowledge of the game and strategy, and team chemistry from the first player to the last on the bench. Even despite having all of the aforementioned, there is one more aspect that can push a team over the top from a playoff contender to a championship winner. That critical element? Role players. Role players understand what is expected of them and they stay within their bounds. They bring unselfishness to the table and always put forth a team-first mentality. They are willing to do whatever is asked of them and are willing to forgo the glamour and publicity for the sake of the entire team benefiting. There are quite a few role players in the league today, but it no surprise that the top teams in the league today have some of the best role players available.

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Mike James, Jarvis Crittenton Acquired by Washington Wizards in Three-Team Deal

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:15:09 -0500

Sitting in the cellar of the Eastern Conference with a dismal 4-15 record, and with a backcourt producing next to nothing through nearly a quarter of the regular season, Washington Wizards’ President Ernie Grunfeld decided it was time to start wheeling and dealing.

The Wizards acquired two guards in a three-team trade involving the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets. By sending point guard Antonio Daniels to New Orleans, the Wizards acquired Mike James from the Hornets and Javaris Crittenton from the Grizzlies.

A summary of the trade terms is as follows:

Washington

Sends Antonio Daniels to New Orleans and future first-round pick to Memphis.

Receives Mike James (New Orleans) and Javaris Crittenton (Memphis).

New Orleans

Sends Mike James to Washington.

Receives Antonio Daniels (Washington) and conditional second-round pick (Memphis).

Memphis

Sends Javaris Crittenton to Washington and conditional second-round pick to New Orleans

Receives future first-round pick (Washington).

In order for the Wizards to make salary cap room, they released seldom-used point guard Dee Brown.

The move was made due to the lack of scoring and playmaking by guards DeShawn Stevenson and Nick Young. Thus far, the burden of carrying the team has been solely on the shoulders of All-Star forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

Combined, the duo has averaged 42.7 points per game, over 16 rebounds, just under seven assists and 3.11 steals per outing. However, the void created in the backcourt by the absence of injured Gilbert Arenas has proven to be too much for the Wizards to overcome.

While Nick Young has shown improvement from last year, his 11.3 points per game (ppg), combined with DeShawn Stevenson’s mediocre eight ppg, were not enough to alleviate the pressure from Butler and Jamison. Young and Stevenson could make for excellent contributors off the bench, but the Wizards need a point guard capable of starting as well as providing a scoring threat night in and night out.

Enter Mike James. James, a seven-year veteran, has always been a dangerous gunner out of the backcourt. Though his career average is a hardly-intimidating 10.6 ppg, he gave a glimpse of what he is capable of in the 2005-06 season with the Toronto Raptors, when he scored 20 ppg and dished out six assists in 79 games. The Wizards would be thrilled if James could provide anything close to his performance with the Raptors.

James’ role will be primarily to set up Butler and Jamison for easy looks, while helping to avoid defenses collapsing on the forwards by being a legitimate outside presence. If James can keep defenses honest while running the offense smoothly, the Wizards will have found the stopgap that they need to keep their season from sinking.

Looking slightly ahead into the future, the return of Arenas would diminish James’ minutes per game, but keeping a shooter coming off the bench could prove valuable in the stretch run—assuming the Wizards can stay afloat long enough for it.

Javaris Crittenton’s immediate impact won’t be much, given that he is still a very young and raw player. However, for the purposes of building depth at the point guard position, Crittenton was a steal. The 19th-overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 draft provides athleticism and leadership qualities. Head coach Ed Tapscott’s emphasis on defense could be means for Crittenton to earn more playing time.

Tapscott has shown in his short stint as head coach that defense will be the priority. The younger players seem to be responding, and Crittenton will fit right in—as long as he plays hard on both ends of the court, an aspect the Wizards have been talking about but not delivering on for years.

In the short term, look for a shuffling lineup with a merry-go-round at the guard positions between Nick Young, DeShawn Stevenson, Mike James, Javaris Crittenton, and Juan Dixon. Common logic points to the likeliness of Tapscott going with an offensive and defensive lineup.

For example, when he feels the need for more scoring, look for James to get heavy minutes.

In a game where better defense is needed, look for Crittenton and Stevenson to be on the court for longer stretches.

Though the Wizards have a steep mountain to climb, they have begun to take steps in the right direction. Finally putting emphasis on defense and addressing specific needs could help steer them in the right direction. Whenever Gilbert Arenas is healthy enough to come back, the Wizards will find themselves with a plethora of guards—each with specific skill sets that can be used at different points in the game.

It’s hard to be optimistic at 4-15, but at least a step in the right direction has been taken.

Shaun Ahmad covers the Washington Wizards for Examiner.com.

Pause Before Blaming Clinton Portis for Feud with Jim Zorn

Shaun Ahmad — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:45:35 -0500

Rarely is there a time where I take the side of a player who chooses to publicly lash out at his coach or manager through the public media.

I find it to be disrespectful, selfish, and indicative the lack of team character present in that individual.

This is why I have never—and will never—be a Terrell Owens fan, despite his often amazing on-the-field contributions.

If a player has something to say to the coach about strategy, lack of playing time or any other issues, I firmly believe that it should be done in the confines of the team office. Don’t write on a blog, do a television interview, or go off on a radio show.

That being said, I am giving Clinton Portis a free pass.

For those who have not yet heard, Portis blasted head coach Jim Zorn on his weekly radio interview slot with John Thompson on WTEM Radio. With the team in the middle of a playoff hunt, this will quite possibly be the one time I defend a star player losing his composure at such a critical juncture.

Why? Because Jim Zorn stuck it to Portis on national television and then in his press conference, offering phrases like “not prepared” to describe the most important player on the Washington Redskins, and certainly a top-five candidate for league MVP.

Clinton Portis has gone through the season fighting injury after injury. Yet he has managed to suit up and play at an MVP level week in and week out. His on-the-field performance defines the term "team player."

Unlike many running backs in the league, Portis sacrifices his body and takes on defensive linemen or linebackers who are mammoth in size compared to him. He makes the blocks in pass protection that other University of Miami showboating running backs—Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, etc.—have failed to make their entire careers. The Washington area fans know what Portis contributes, as do his teammates.

He is the leader of the offense—and quite frankly, the most important asset on a team that was 6-2 through the first eight games of the season. For Jim Zorn to essentially bench Portis after the first half in a nationally-televised game in favor of Ladell Betts—who has produced close to nothing all season—was a slap in the face.

To go on and cite that Portis was not as prepared as Betts due to missed practices was just salt in the wound.

Portis responded with fury by saying, “Outside of Jim Zorn and the coaches on that team and maybe the quarterbacks, I guarantee you I know our system better than anybody else. I guarantee you when we go into blitz pickup, I don't miss my man.” Few of those familiar with the Redskins can argue that notion. Game tape is the evidence.

Portis went on to suggest that he is being made the scapegoat for the offensive line and Jason Campbell’s inability to get rid of the ball and avoid sacks, “Jason on his (butt) all game long, you try to stay in and help, then it's 'Aw, you should have gone out...' If he's over there and can't breathe and unconscious where he done got the wind knocked out of him from being sacked, then it's 'Aw you got to help out, you've got to chip.' So I don't think they know what they want me to do.”

When prompted with the question as to whether opponents ha d figured out Zorn’s offense, Portis responded, “We got a genius for a head coach, I don't know, so I'm sure he's on top of things. He's got everything figured out. All I can do is when he calls the plays is to try and execute to the best of my ability.”

Perhaps using sarcasm to describe Zorn’s intelligence level was a bit much, but I cannot argue with anything else he said in the interview. The fact of the matter is the Redskins have had success when they have consistently given the ball to Clinton Portis.

The passing game has had success when Portis has done his part to make blocks in protection schemes, and when Campbell has found receivers (a rarity as of late). It is not Portis’ job to make the passing game work. He has done his part—and no one can argue that.

Jim Zorn on the other hand, has not yet earned his stripes to be able to characterize players who have a career resume of playing at a high level and leaving it out on the field. Clinton Portis has a history of being a team player who is respected by everyone in the locker room. Jim Zorn does not.

Let’s look at the facts.

Jim Zorn took over for Joe Gibbs and has had great success, despite the recent string of losses. Going 7-6 in the brutal NFC East is an accomplishment. However, the running scheme is the same as it was under Gibbs. Zorn decided to keep it, since it worked in previous seasons.

The defensive strategy is the same under Greg Blache, as it has been for the past couple of seasons. Those are the two most powerful assets on the Redskins—the running game and the defense.

The only areas of weakness are the areas where Zorn has meddled in—passing offense and special teams.

Washington ranks 25th in the NFL in passing touchdowns. The Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants all rank in the top ten. The Redskins ranked 23rd in sacks allowed. The Giants, Eagles and Cowboys rank sixth, eighth, and 12th respectively. To summarize, the Redskins don’t score in the air, and give up a lot of yardage in sacks.

The special teams? Currently, the yards per punt average is 30th in the league. They rank 26th in percentage of punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and dead last in percentage of field goals made—by a long shot. Antawn Randle-El, who Zorn has stubbornly stuck with (much like Plackemeier and Suisham in the kicking game) has a dismal punt-return average of 6.3 yards.

Zorn has been inflexible to a fault in the two areas where he has had the most influence. The result is that those are the two areas which hamper the Redskins the most week in and week out.

Look, I’m no advocate for players lashing out at coaches or teammates. I’m the last person who would be in favor of that. However, for Zorn to question Portis’ preparedness and give him one carry in the second half of the Ravens game was a clear sign that there is a rift between the two.

Zorn responded to the radio interview with, "He's a big part of our offense, and he's sitting on the bench. He's going to feel like he's benched. I don't blame him for that...He's an every-down back, that's the way he sees himself and that's the way we see him. He needs to be on the field. I felt the same way when I played."

While Zorn has said the right things, his actions have spoken louder than his words can now ever come close to covering up.

Before we make Portis the scapegoat and label him with terms that he does not deserve, let’s make sure we look at who started the public feud. It didn’t start on Tuesday’s John Thompson radio show. It started Sunday night in Baltimore.

This one is on Zorn.

Learning the Lessons Sean Taylor Left Behind

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:15:47 -0500

ONE OF US

I didn’t know Sean Taylor personally. I never met the guy. I saw him play a few times in person and caught a few of his seldom given interviews. I knew little about him as a person other than he was a quiet guy who seemed to keep to himself.

As far as Sean Taylor the football player goes, I knew everything there was to know about him. I had seen his high school videos on YouTube, kept track of his stats at the University of Miami, and never missed a game of his while he was a Washington Redskin.

I watched him unleash absolute fear in the eyes and hearts of opponents as he would throw himself recklessly like a car thrown off a truck barreling 100 miles per hour down the freeway. To say the collisions he had on the field were severe would be an understatement.

Washington DC area fans became enamored with Taylor for many of the same reasons that I did. We would collectively cheer for No. 21 and swap high fives after he would make a big play. As fans, we became so emotionally involved with many of the players that we would refer to them by their first name; a bit of an oddity in sports.

Clinton Portis was “CP”, Santana Moss was always referred to as Santana, and the same held true for Sean.

I wondered why we spoke of these players as if we knew them; as if we were in the Mark Wahlberg movie, Invincible, where a common friend from the neighborhood makes the hometown football team as a complete walk on. Why was it that we felt like each of the players were part of our crew or group?

ESCAPE

I came to the realization that for the vast majority of fans, the 60 minutes of football that we watch each week is our escape from everything. We get away from the stresses of work, marital issues, health, or money problems, and an array of others.

During those 60 minutes, we step into a dimension where it’s just us, our fellow fans, and our football team. It is no wonder that even during a victory, a bit of me would feel sad that the game was winding to a close. I didn’t want games to end, win or loss, because it meant that I had to snap back to reality.

However, last year I learned that I was wrong. We only fool ourselves when we think we have escaped life and its ordeals when we watch a game of football. You see, I thought that for that one hour, I was in a sports world where the everyday matters don’t exist.

I wasn’t alone in this thought. But that all changed on Nov. 26, 2007 when death reared its ugly head in sports and showed me how foolish I was; the day it showed me that we may think we’ve temporarily fled the problems, but the problems haven’t left us.

THE EVENING NEWS

The news of Sean Taylor being shot in his Florida home spread like wildfire. Every local news station in my area of Northern Virginia was carrying the story. I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but for this town, nothing was more important at the time. I remember my Blackberry buzzing non-stop from friends and family, asking if I had heard.

Of course I had.

As coverage rolled on about Taylor’s condition worsening, the thought of death was far from my head. In my mind, Taylor had been shot, was going to have surgery, would recover and all would be normal again. While it was true that Taylor’s condition was dire, the possibility of him dying was foreign to me. He was too powerful to die. Wasn’t going to happen.

Ironically, just nine months and seven days earlier, my thought process was parallel. As I watched medics perform CPR on my father, unsuccessfully, I kept thinking that any minute, things were to return to normal. He would be revived and all would continue; the world would be right again.

I was wrong then, and on Nov. 27, 2008, I was wrong about Sean Taylor.

EMOTIONS

I still vividly remember seeing Gregg Williams, the defensive coordinator at the time, choke up as he spoke of Taylor. Word was that Williams was especially close to Taylor and had an integral part in helping him mature as he grew older as a man. Various other players were interviewed, all solemn and with little to say.

While I never knew Taylor in person, I remember feeling nauseous and sick to my stomach as I read the line, “Sean Taylor Pronounced Dead” along the bottom of the screen as the news anchor reported.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say with some certainty that you—reading this article—have at one point or another dealt with someone’s passing; whether it be a parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt, or friend. We all know the feeling, and it is one that cannot be described in words. It is an emotion for which there is no definition.

The city of Washington DC and its surrounding areas, millions of households, felt that emotion on Nov. 27 when the news of Sean Taylor’s death broke. Millions of households felt the pain of knowing a man’s life was senselessly taken, leaving his wife a widow and his daughter without a father, over something as petty as monetary belongings that a few young men decided were more worthwhile than life itself.

The death of Sean Taylor defined the word tragedy.

NEVER THE SAME

Like things always have and always will, life continues on. The Washington Redskins came together to heal their wounds as a team and play out the rest of the season with the grit and determination that No. 21 would have. Joe Gibbs later described the remainder of the season as the toughest coaching job he had ever had.

The Redskins went on to make the playoffs, only to lose to the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round, putting an end to a 2007 season that won’t be remembered for on the field accomplishments, but for an off the field loss.

Almost a full year later, we are more than halfway through another NFL season. The Washington Redskins are a surprising 7-4 with playoff aspirations. Fans still pack restaurants, bars, and FedEx Field to show their unwavering support for the current team.

Though time has flown by for the rest of the NFL, ask any Washington Redskin fan what the team is missing and the answer will immediately be “No. 21”.

I remember a few games into the season, my friend Peter sent me a text message during a Redskins game in which they were winning, “Can you imagine if we had Taylor back there?!” I am sure those exact words have been uttered thousands of times in the past couple of months.

Unfortunately, things will never be the same.

A LIFE LESSON LEFT BEHIND

While it was not my intention to make this article into a pompous, “let me tell you what to do with your life” type of piece in which I offer advice on how to go about your business, I wanted to make sure that we do not let the lessons we learned from Sean Taylor’s passing go in vane.

On Sundays, we look to get our release and our escape from the monotony of everyday life. The fact of the matter is, we shouldn’t look to do that because we can’t. It’s impossible. I’ve tried for all 25 years that are my existence and it’s not possible to do.

The reality is our time on earth is valuable and precious. Some of us that are here today won’t be here tomorrow. Without going into a sermon, let me just remind you that sometimes we live our life too fast—doing too many things at once and lose sight of things that matter.

I myself am guilty as any of doing this. With my constant eye on the stock market ticker or my annoying habit of clicking through emails on my Blackberry—even at dinner—I lose sight of the important things in life.

I don’t think it’s a mere coincidence that the one year anniversary of Sean Taylor’s death is on Thanksgiving Day. I really don’t.

It was less than two seasons ago that my father and I were slapping fives, hooting and hollering in our family room as Sean Taylor laid out some wide receiver. Now, in a scenario I never predicted, both are gone.

So, as we sit down on this once a year occasion that is Thanksgiving, let’s not let the life education left behind by the tragedy of last year, along with the many others we have all experienced, go to waste.

Just like we make sure to remember our favorite football team’s season schedule or our favorite player’s stat line, we should make sure to also remember what’s important to those that are close to us. While football seasons start fresh every year, we only get one shot at life.

None of us are Superman. None of us are perfect. Don’t let the trivial things get you hung up. Life’s too short. Life’s too fragile.

That’s what 21 taught us.

Taking the Leap: Sports to Politics

Shaun Ahmad — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:07:40 -0500

As the election season has come to a close, a new and somewhat groundbreaking trend can be seen emerging. No, it doesn’t have to do with the race of President-Elect Barack Obama or the sex of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Actually, it couldn’t be less related.

More and more, we are seeing former athletes thrown into the political arena and doing quite well.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Especially given the fact that so much of the news we hear about athletes off the field is through stories such as Michael Vick and dogfighting or Adam “Pacman” Jones getting into trouble for the umpteenth time.

But like anything in life, there is always more than meets the eye, and examining past the knuckleheads of sports, one can find a talented crop of individuals with minds that flourish outside of the arena or stadium that they called home for so many years.

Recently, former NBA guard Kevin Johnson was elected as Mayor of his hometown city of Sacramento. Johnson had been a community leader by volunteering hours of his time throughout his career to bring positive change to rough neighborhoods. Rather than spending time driving $250,000 cars or hanging in clubs, Johnson found other areas of motivation for his life after basketball. Gradually, he climbed the political ladder to become Mayor, much like he climbed up depth charts his entire basketball career.

Though most don’t know about Johnson, given his quiet demeanor, there is another big name that might make a huge splash (no pun intended) a couple of years down the road. Can you imagine switching over from TNT to C-SPAN and seeing Charles Barkley voicing his loud and imposing opinion on someone a third of his size on the issue of taxes, instead of traveling violations in the NBA?

It could happen, as the former NBA All-Star has been adamant about the possibility of running for Governor in Alabama. Though it may seem unrealistic at first, it has become clear that people today care more about stances on issues that affect them than someone’s race, ethnicity, or past. If Sir Charles can win people over with his blue-collar approach to issues that matter, don’t be surprised if we replace “Sir” with “Governor."

Further back in time, a time most kids of this generation haven’t even read about, NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley made the switch over from the basketball court to United States Senator. Granted, his mind was leaning towards politics well before he became an NBA legend, the transition was still unprecedented.

It’s not just basketball players who are making the switch. Quarterback Heath Shuler was drafted third overall by the Washington Redskins out of the University of Tennessee. While he didn’t find a home for long, wearing the burgundy and gold, he managed to stay in the area by earning a position in the House of Representatives out of his home state.

The most successful politician with a history in sports was none other than the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford. Most of those in the current generation don't know that Ford played center and linebacker with the University of Michigan's undefeated title teams of 1932 and 1933. Perhaps his decision to become President and lead an entire country overshadowed his athletic accomplishments - just a bit.

Steve Largent, a hall of fame wide recevier for the Seattle Seahawks, had a successful run as a congressman and held a seat in the House of Representatives for nearly a decade. Though he was unsuccessful in his bid to become Governor of the state of Oklahoma, his political career is far from over. Known as a leader by example, Largent carried over many of the same qualities that made him an NFL Star along with him to Washington D.C.

The most recent NFL player to throw his name into the ring is former Florida State star, Peter Boulware. Boulware was a standout linebacker who went on to be drafted in the first round (fourth overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. After eight years in the pros, Boulware made the move over to politics. He recently ran for a position in the United States House of Representatives. His younger brother, Michael Boulware, currently plays strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings.

So how is it that all of these athletes are finding their ways into positions of power; positions that are worthy of envy from Harvard and Yale grads who sometimes fail to reach their pinnacle? How is it that someone can go from a career revolving around some form of a ball to making decisions that affect masses of people on important issues, from taxes to health care to Social Security?

The answer is surprisingly simple. Athletes go into the political world with three clear and distinct advantages.

First, they know how to handle the spotlight. If you look back at some of the most politically gifted minds who couldn’t make it, the vast majority have a common denominator. They were unable to handle the pressures of having the camera lights of the public on them at all hours of the day.

Since we live in a world where perception is reality, one slip up or sign of weakness when everyone is watching is all it takes to undermine everything that you’ve accomplished. One flare up or angry outburst and you’re out. Google “Howard Dean Angry” and you’ll find thousands of hits on his one outburst that took away any chance he had for the Presidency in 2004.

Athletes are used to this; they’re immune to a certain extent. Throughout their careers, they played under the spotlight of anywhere between 15,000-100,000 fans live in attendance and millions of others on television. They know what it’s like to have people watching your every single step, your every single move. They know that each facial expression or sign of body language can cause you to look like a bad team player, which leads to a bad reputation, which leads to less endorsements, which leads to less money.

The athlete knows what’s at stake when under the limelight, and they know how to handle themselves accordingly—the successful ones, anyway. You can’t replace 10 or 20 years of that sort of experience by any amount of public-speaking books or courses.

The second reason athletes turn up in positions of leadership is because, to play at a professional level, they have had to be leaders for most of their careers. These players are the cream of the crop. To get to the professional level, they had to lead their high-school teams or their college teams to success. They know what it takes to make believers out of their peers.

Athletes who have been successful have the same leadership qualities as politicians. Whether a person of political prominence is rallying a group of supporters before an election or a quarterback is rallying his entire football team going into the fourth quarter, the message is the same: “Follow me and I will lead us to success. I will lead us to victory."

The third reason is their drive and determination. Remember, to achieve their career accolades, they had to differentiate themselves from millionsof others who attempted to accomplish the same goals that they did. When someone like Charles Barkley ends up a Hall of Famer, it is not by accident. It is through years and years of nonstop effort, determination, and resilience to achieve their goal. Being in political office is no different.

These athletes found a way to work from the ground up, doing charitable community events, volunteer work, and so forth to get their foot in the door. Once they did that, their competitive drive kicked in to push them to find new ways, more effective ways, to help their community or city.

Slowly but surely, they inched their way up the totem pole, much like anything else they have attempted in life. Their drive and competitiveness to do things their own way for the betterment of the team—or in this case, their community—is what has helped them conquer the stereotypes of “dumb jock."

Given the three advantages athletes have, it is not surprising that they are becoming more and more involved in politics, and it is a good thing that they are, granted that they are knowledgeable on the issues. I believe the notion that an athlete gets elected here and there because of their former standing in sports is not giving the American public enough credit. We, as a people, can separate athletic achievements and prowess with political knowledge and capabilities.

The more athletes that continue to break down the barrier of being seen as jocks rather than intellects, the more we will see them leading our community and city causes the way they once lead our teams on game-winning drives. At the end of the day, that’s a good thing.

Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings: Week Eight

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:12:01 -0400

Bleacher Report writers come together each week for the NFL season and decide on who belongs where for the “Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings.” Writers vote teams up or down to come up with an unbiased, no-bull, to-the-point ranking system.

The four-digit numbers beside each team are computed based on votes and show readers just how strong each team’s position is. Want to know how close your team was to being ranked in the top five, or how far ahead they are of the next guy? Simply look at the difference in the numbers to find out.

WEEK EIGHT

Not too much changed in the top 10 this week, other than Dallas and Denver getting the boot down to the lower teens and 20s. It’s becoming clear that both teams were overrated and that their offenses cannot consistently make up for what their defenses’ lack.

The Giants and Steelers square off on Sunday for what is, hands down, the game of the week, and perhaps the game of the year, up to this point.

ESPN and Fox Sports don’t like each other very much and at this point, it’s starting look like the Packer faithful and Brett Favre don’t like each other much either. For those who don’t know, Fox’s Jay Glazer came out with a report that Favre spent time going over signals and calls with the Lions before their game against the Packers.

ESPN refused to report on the story, citing it as a false report. Fox was miffed and stands by their report. Now they hate each other more than before.

I saw some articles today talking about how Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is participating in character assassination of Brett Favre and ruining his legacy.

Wrong.

Brett Favre has single-handedly decided to stomp away whatever good was in the hearts of Packer fans by everything he has done/said over the past 10 or so months. This is just, potentially, icing on the cake. Whether the allegations are true or not, and keep in mind—Jay Glazer is USUALLY right—it will be interesting to see if that Favre Jersey Retirement ceremony ever happens. This ESPN vs. FOX battle is also entertaining.

To the rankings!

1 (1) Tennessee Titans (.9737) – People need to stop knocking the Titans’ because of their schedule. Yes, they have played relatively easy teams thus far, but they’ve done what they needed to do; win. That’s more than I can say about other teams…ahem…Dallas, San Diego, Minnesota…..Dallas. (Shaun Ahmad)

2 (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (.9018) - They are pretty much in cruise mode with their only loss coming outside the division—outside the conference for that matter. (James Senbeta)

3 (3) New York Giants (.9002) – As you can see, the Giants narrowly finished third to the Steelers. I predict the gap between the two teams will be much greater—one way or the other—after they square off Sunday in Pittsburgh. (Shaun Ahmad)

4 (5) Tampa Bay Bucs (.8564) - The NFC South and NFC North are waging a civil war to see who can be more inconsistent. (Alex McVeigh)

5 (4) Buffalo Bills (.8319) - Due to a power outage, I am unable to bring you coverage of this ranking. (Ray Bogusz)

6 (6) Washington Redskins (.7993) – The 'Skins’ offense seems to be suffering from a hangover after the big wins in Dallas and Philly. Fortunately, Detroit awaits. (Shaun Ahmad)

7 (7) Arizona Cardinals (.7215) - They are expected to get Bolden back after the bye, so look for all cylinders to fire in Phoenix. (James Senbeta)

8 (10) Carolina Panthers (.7187) - Another enigma. Stinking up the joint one weekend, holding Brees to almost nothing the next. (Alex McVeigh)

9 (20) New England Patriots (.7033) – Predicting where the Pats will be ranked is like guessing how the stock market will do on any given day. Last week, the Pats were dead and Belichick was overrated. This week, they are a top 10 team and “back in the hunt.” Find a middle ground people! (Shaun Ahmad)

10 (18) Green Bay Packers (.6811) - Who would have thought, seven weeks in the season, Aaron Rodgers would be the No. 1 quarterback in fantasy leagues everywhere? I don't see any hands up. (James Senbeta)

11 (17) Jacksonville Jaguars (.6519) – To make the playoffs, you have to score more than your opponents throughout the season. Last year, not a single team made it without having a positive differential. The Jags are down four points through six games. Just a thought. (Shaun Ahmad)

12 (14) Philadelphia Eagles (.6132) - McNabb can say they should win as many games as they want, but a 3-3 record (including 0-2 against the NFC East) speaks for itself. (Alex McVeigh)

13 (19) Chicago Bears (.5770) - Four interceptions by the Bears' defense led to an offensive explosion. This team is eight points away from being 7-0. (Jordan Schwartz)

14 (13) Atlanta Falcons (.5352) – The fun part of the season is probably over for the Falcons. Reality will likely set in with games against the Eagles, Saints, Broncos, Chargers, Bucs, and Vikings all in store. (Shaun Ahmad)

15 (8) Dallas Cowboys (.5218) - Why don't they just call this the Cowboys Football League? After the spotlight on the ESPN and Fox Sports NFL pages, the halftime of both Sunday and Monday Night Football halftime shows, just make it official already. (Alex McVeigh)

16 (11) Indianapolis Colts (.5113) - The Colts' offense better get things together in a hurry, unless they want to be the second straight team to embarrass itself on Monday Night Football. (Jordan Schwartz)

17 (15) New Orleans Saints (.4877) – Three must win games in a row await the Saints (Chargers, at Falcons and at Chiefs). They have to win those games and get to 6-4 if they want a shot at the playoffs. (Shaun Ahmad)

18 (23) Baltimore Ravens (.4719) - The Ravens are solid, and with Joe Flacco having arguably his best performance yet, this team may start to climb the rankings. (Ken Sheehan)

19 (12) San Diego Chargers (.4387) - Too much talent to be this far down, but when the Bills make you look like a MAC team, that's what you get. (Alex McVeigh)

20 (15) New York Jets (.4246) - Quick stat: The Jets are 1-3 in their regular uniforms but 2-0 in their throwback jerseys. (James Senbeta)

21 (9) Denver Broncos (.3990) - That was kind of embarrassing. With a bye this week, look for Shanahan to get his team to rebound against Miami after the bye. (Ken Sheehan)

22 (21) Minnesota Vikings (.3698) - It's time to think about which quarterback you'll draft. (Ray Bogusz)

23 (28) St. Louis Rams (.3002) – Never in my life have I cheered harder for the Rams than I did last week. Haslett has this team focused, and after beating the 'Skins and Cowboys two weeks in a row, confidence is looming large in St. Louis. Watch out. (Shaun Ahmad)

24 (25) Houston Texans (.2598) - Well, maybe they cracked the top 25, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. (Alex McVeigh)

25 (24) Miami Dolphins (.2415) – It’s official; the Wildcat offense has been tamed. (Shane Howard)

26 (22) Cleveland Browns (.1982) - Apparently Derek Anderson and the Browns' offense haven't turned the corner just yet. (Jordan Schwartz)

27 (29) Oakland Raiders (.1904) - Could JaMarcus Russell finally be ready to be a big name QB? I didn't think so either. (Alex McVeigh)

28 (26) San Francisco 49ers (.1490) - Mike Nolan is now the best dressed unemployed coach. (Shane Howard)

29 (30) Kansas City Chiefs (.1108) - That was an embarrassing loss, and with Larry Johnson deactivated and two quarterbacks injured, this team is about to enter a free fall. (Ken Sheehan)

30 (27) Seattle Seahawks (.0877) - They can’t travel to the East Coast and they can’t win without Hasselbeck. This team’s defense needs to man up and start carrying them. (Ken Sheehan)

31 (31) Cincinnati Bengals (.0613) - If the Bengals and the Lions had to faceoff, I'm picking the stripes over the mane, nine times out of 10. (James Senbeta)

32 (32) Detroit Lions (.0216) - In this crazy season, it's nice to know some things never change. The Lions are always horrible. (Alex McVeigh)

Biggest Jump: The Patriots are UP 11 spots (20th last week to ninth this week).

Biggset Drop: The Broncos are DOWN 12 spots (ninth last week to 21st this week).

A special thanks to all those who participated, and will continue to participate in the future. Also, a sincere thank you to Angel Navedo for providing the picture used in this article.

Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings: Week Seven

Shaun Ahmad — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:16:06 -0400

WEEK SEVEN

Just when everyone gets on the bandwagon about the NFC East being so far superior to everyone else, we have the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys both fall to NFC West teams, and the undefeated New York Giants lose to a one-win Cleveland Brown team. This is the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys are clearly in dangerous waters now. Tony Romo is out for a month, Adam Jones is out forever (probably), Jerry Jones traded 27 draft choices for a wide receiver that he didn’t need and failed to get a corner–which he did need-Terrell Owens is holding his anger in to the point where every time I see him, I think that he is literally going to combust, and Wade Phillips has the leadership ability of—well, Wade Philips.

Old-timers like Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, and Jeff Garcia continue to impress, as each has their team in the top seven. The Falcons are a young, confident, and dangerous team. The Dolphins are a scrappy squad that fights till the end, and the Detroit Lions are the Detroit Lions.

Word has it that Cincinnati Bengals fans are openly selling their tickets on places like Stubhub for well below the face value. Can’t say that I blame them.

The New England Patriots are not very good, and Matt Cassel is not going to live out the fairy tale of “career backup to NFL superstar” after all, despite the optimistic hopes of many in the Boston area.

Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison have resurrected their potent connection–at least for a week, and last but not least...Las Vegas owns my soul thanks to the ridiculous upsets from last week’s games.

On to the rankings!

1 (2) Tennessee Titans (.9688) – The lone undefeated team gets the first-place nod. (Alex McVeigh)

2 (5) Pittsburgh Steelers (.9241) – The week off came at the right time. Some good rest and relaxation, followed by a practice game against the Bengals. (Angel Navedo)

3 (1) New York Giants (.8929) – The ghost of Eli Manning’s past happened to rear its ugly head Monday Night in Cleveland. (Shane Howard)

4 (7) Buffalo Bills (.8482) – Buffalo’s season hopes clearly hinge on Trent Edwards. We’ll see how he and the Bills stand after a visit from San Diego this week. (Eric Gomez)

5 (11) Tampa Bay Bucs (.8125) – Memo to Jon Gruden: Keep Jeff Garcia in. This Bucs team could very well be 7-2 come Nov. 3. (Eric Gomez)

6 (3) Washington Redskins (.7679) – Pete Kendall really shoved it in Casey Rabach's face, showing that he's not the only O-Lineman who can blow a game. (Alex McVeigh)

7 (15) Arizona Cardinals (.7188) – Raise your hand if you thought a Kurt Warner-led team would be 4-2 at this juncture. Now lower your hand if you forgot this was 2008 and not 2001. (Eric Gomez)

8 (4) Dallas Cowboys (.7098) – Picking up Roy Williams might prove helpful on offense, but last I checked, that wasn’t the problem. With Adam Jones suspended indefinitely, who is going to play corner? Oh yeah, two rookies. Good trade, Jerry Jones. (Shaun Ahmad)

9 (8) Denver Broncos (.7054) – There are signs that the Broncos are evening out as a team, and a win on Monday night will help them. (Alex McVeigh)

10 (6) Carolina Panthers (.6696) – A week after getting everyone’s attention, the Panthers disappoint with a no-show performance against Tampa Bay. My wallet didn’t appreciate that loss very much. (Shaun Ahmad)

11 (13) Indianapolis Colts (.6473) – They looked like the Colts of old; completely handling a Ravens' defense that's shut everyone down. (Angel Navedo)

12 (18) San Diego Chargers (.6295) – The Chargers are as inconsistent as they are talented. That’s not a good thing. (Shaun Ahmad)

13 (17) Atlanta Falcons (.6205) – Matt Ryan continues to amaze and the Falcons are a shocking 4-2. They are up there with Buffalo, Tennessee, and Washington as surprise teams of the season. (Shaun Ahmad)

14 (12) Philadelphia Eagles (.5714) – When the highlight of your division games is a win over San Fran, it's safe to say that the NFC East didn't have a great weekend. (Alex McVeigh)

T-15 (22) New Orleans Saints (.5446) – The first ever tie on Bleacher Report’s NFL Power Rankings. Reggie Bush continues to amaze and bring back memories of his days at USC. (Shaun Ahmad)

T-15 (16) New York Jets (.5446) – Raiders, Chiefs, and Rams are three of the next four opponents. The Jets could easily be 6-3, maybe even 7-2. (Shaun Ahmad)

17 (23) Jacksonville Jaguars (.5000) – A convincing win on the road proves the Jags are better than they've shown. (Angel Navedo)

18 (20) Green Bay Packers (.4732) – Every time I see Aaron Rodgers wearing a coat, it looks like he borrowed it from one of his offensive linemen. It's not that cold in Wisconsin yet, Aaron. (Eric Gomez)

19 (9) Chicago Bears (.4196) – The mediocrity in the NFC North is so prevalent, that it might be a tighter race then the NFC East. (Alex McVeigh)

20 (10) New England Patriots (.4152) – At least they have the Red Sox to watch. Oh, wait... (Shaun Ahmad)

21 (21) Minnesota Vikings (.3527) – A win's a win, right? Even when you don't deserve it. (Angel Navedo)

22 (25) Cleveland Browns (.2946) – Not so fast, Brady Quinn. (Shane Howard)

23 (14) Baltimore Ravens (.2857) – We know the offense is lackluster, but what happened to the defense? (Shane Howard)

24 (19) Miami Dolphins (.2813) – So you beat New England, then the Chargers...and the next week you lose to a previously winless team? Dude, you guys are like—tripping Ricky Williams out. (Eric Gomez)

25 (29) Houston Texans (.2277) – Guts. The quarterback draw on the last play of the game to win is pure guts. But then again, what did they have to lose? (Shaun Ahmad)

26 (24) San Francisco 49ers (.1964) – Plenty of offense, not enough defense. That’s on you, Mike Nolan. (Shaun Ahmad)

27 (27) Seattle Seahawks (.1205) – Did the 12th Man ask for a trade before the Tuesday deadline? (Shane Howard)

28 (32) St. Louis Rams (.1027) – Next three games: Dallas, @ New England, Arizona. Who says things got easier for the Rams once Jim Haslett took over? (Eric Gomez)

29 (26) Oakland Raiders (.0938) – It’s clear why Lane Kiffin didn’t like or want to draft JaMarcus Russell—an Al Davis pick. 13/35 for 159 yards and no touchdowns against a New Orleans defense that is full of holes? Like I said back when he was selected, Russell has BUST written on his forehead. (Shaun Ahmad)

30 (28) Kansas City Chiefs (.0804) – Good news! They didn't lose this week. (Angel Navedo)

31 (30) Cincinnati Bengals (.0670) – The good news? They have Carson Palmer instead of Dan Orlovsky/Jon Kitna. The bad news? They've won the same amount of games. (Alex McVeigh)

32 (31) Detroit Lions (.0134) – Believe it or not, trading Roy Williams was a good move. They get a first, third, and sixth-round pick out of it, and with Williams’ contract expiring this season, it wasn’t like they were going to be able to re-sign him anyway. Number of smart things Detroit has done this season: Two (firing Matt Millen was the other). (Shaun Ahmad)

Biggest Jump: Arizona Cardinals are UP seven spots (15th last week to 8th this week)

Biggest Drop: New England Patriots are DOWN 10 spots (10th last week to 20th this week)

A special thanks to all those who participated, and will continue to participate in the future. Also, a sincere thank you to Angel Navedo for providing the picture used in this article.

Dallas Cowboys Acquire WR Roy Williams from Detroit Lions

Shaun Ahmad — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:08:57 -0400

4:08 PM EDT The Detroit Lions have traded wide receiver Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the trade was made today, just before the NFL trade deadline.

It is not clear exactly what compensation the Lions got from the Cowboys, but Schefter reported that Detroit received “at least one first-round pick.”

Source: Michael David Smith

UPDATE 4:54 PM EST Dallas sent a first, third, and sixth-round draft choice in 2009 for Roy Williams and a seventh-round draft choice in 2009.

A Quarterback's Most Important Tool

Shaun Ahmad — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:37:14 -0400

One of the things that differentiates the NFL from other major sports is the diversity that can be found at the most important position of quarterback.

In basketball, one can find point guards to have many of the same capabilities. They are quick to see lanes, excellent at setting up teammates, and have the ability to score when needed.

In baseball, the starting pitchers can be relied on for consistent outings, smart and quick decision making, and a perfected repertoire of successful pitches.

However, in football, you find many different types of quarterbacks. You have those that are elusive and give defenses fits while creating valuable extra time to find an open receiver. There are some who have a sense of calm in the pocket, as they wait until the last possible millisecond to make a throw, as if the three hundred pound linemen about to collapse on them didn’t even exist.

Then you have the guys who have a little bit of everything, but beat you most notably with their minds. They know where defenses are going to be, what packages are going to be present at what points in the game, and use that data to go to work like a surgeon does on a patient.

Despite all the differences in qualities that quarterbacks possess, there is one common element necessary to substantially increase the chances of success; that element being a strong arm. The chances of a quarterback reaching the pinnacles of success while lacking a strong and powerful arm are very, very slim.

There are those who feel that having a strong arm is overrated and not necessary for a quarterback to be successful. Take Chad Pennington for example. He’s been able to overcome an arm lacking in strength over his career.

But has he? Pennington has never won anything of significance in his career.

Still, many are quick to shoot down the notion of a strong arm being essential to the growth and dominance of a quarterback. Look at Ryan Leaf, Patrick Ramsey, and David Carr. Each had a rocket arm but never kept a starting role for more than a couple of seasons.

While it is true that each of the aforementioned had more than capable arms, their problems were unique and unrelated to the strength that they possessed. Ryan Leaf didn’t have the intelligence, patience, or commitment to improve in order to succeed.

Patrick Ramsey lacked the ability to make sound decisions in an instant, which lead to many of his interceptions. David Carr spent half of his time on his back due to an incapable offensive line. His constant beating arguably led to his forever lost confidence in the pocket.

To be fair, the concept that a strong arm always leads to a successful quarterback is also insubstantial. However, having a strong arm in addition to possessing the other compulsory qualities (awareness, intelligence, accuracy, etc.) is more than just a leg up on the competition.

Reading coverages can be taught by hours of film room work. Understanding and developing the mental time clock to know when the pressure is on comes with practice and game repetition. Being able to perfect a seven-yard out can be done through practice. However, teaching a quarterback how to throw it deep is like teaching a running back how to run fast.

Either you have it, or you don’t.

Assuming that a quarterback is smart, understands the defense, and sees the holes to exploit, he still has to be able to deliver the ball. It serves no purpose if you see a crease in the secondary and want to hit a wideout in stride if you cannot deliver the ball in a tight spot.

It serves you no purpose if you see the safety bite on a play action and have Santana Moss running open on a flare 50 yards down the field if you can’t put the ball in his hands like bread in a basket. It serves you no purpose if you know the defense is playing a cover two and find a hole over the middle but can’t thread the ball over the linebacker’s outstretched arms into the tight end's chest.

Get the idea?

Looking at some of today’s most successful quarterbacks, one can mention Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton and Eli Manning, and Tony Romo. Each has a knack of knowing what the defenses are going to be doing, where certain players will be, and what options they will have. Each has a good sense of awareness in the pocket. Yet none of them would be as successful as they are could they not make some of the strong throws that they make.

Consider some of the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks of the past 15 years. You come across names like Tom Brady, Eli and Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Steve Young, Kurt Warner, and Doug Williams. Sure, there are a few with arms that are a little suspect, like Brad Johnson or maybe even Trent Dilfer (maybe), but the common trend is smart quarterbacks that can make any throw on the field.

Someone not on the list; Again, Chad Pennington.

Much gets made of quarterbacks who are successful and how they are “very smart” or “students of the game.” However, it gets forgotten that they also pack quite a bit of heat in their arms.

When a quarterback comes out of college, touted for his ability to throw it 60-plus yards on a two-step drop, but fails in the NFL, critics jump on the bandwagon of saying “You don’t need a strong arm, you need a strong mind.”

The answer is that you need both, along with a long list of other intangibles. A little bit of luck in avoiding injuries is also helpful. Having the right system and a capable coach along with suitable talent is yet another factor.

But at the end of the day, a quarterback’s job is to throw just like a pitcher’s job is to pitch and a sprinter’s job is to sprint. Each athlete requires physical superiority to achieve success and an NFL quarterback is no different.

It all starts with a strong arm.