Bleacher Report - Washington Wizards

Antawn Jamison's Return Makes Wizards Contenders

Courtzide Seatz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:05:33 -0500

Antawn Jamison made his season debut tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Wizards looked like a rejuvenated team with him in the lineup.

Many preseason prognostications had the Wizards finishing as high as fourth in the Eastern Conference and as a definite playoff team. Through nine and a half games, however, they looked like anything but.

Their 2-7 start, though somewhat surprising, can be attributed to two major factors.

First, the reintegration of Gilbert Arenas into the Wizards offense was bound to take some time. Remember, Arenas has been mostly inactive from live basketball action for the better part of two years. It should not be surprising that incorporating himself back into the offense alongside three new players would involve some growing pains.

Second, the success of this team rests squarely on the shoulders of Antawn Jamison, and Wizards fans now realize how important those shoulders are. The injury he sustained during the preseason was a devastating loss, even for a short duration. Jaminson's importance to this team was made painfully obvious in his absence.

With Jamison's return to the Wizards lineup Wednesday night, this would be the first chance we have had all season to see this team at full strength.

And they didn't disappoint.

Cleveland looked strong in the first half and held a 51-44 lead heading into halftime. LeBron James led the way with 13 points and seven assists.

But Washington started out the second half strong, and took the lead 60-57 on an Antawn Jamison jumper midway through the third quarter. LeBron James then went into kill mode and made three straight three pointers, retaking the lead 66-60.

From that point forward, it was all Washington. With Caron Butler and Andray Blatche leading the way, the Wizards went on a 16-2 run that put them ahead of the Cavs for good.

Jamison ended the game with 31 points and 10 rebounds. He looked like he was in midseason form out of the gate, scoring 13 points in the first quarter alone. But it wasn't just the tangible value that he added to the game that made the Wizards look like a re-energized team. The intangibles were just as obvious.

You could just feel the difference in this team with his presence on the court. Jamison not only opened up numerous opportunities for other players by drawing double teams, but he also brought with him the confidence of a winner. And his demeanor was contagious.

The "big three" of Jamison, Arenas, and Butler were on the court for the first time together this year, and they showed their fans why they were a dark-horse pick as a surprise team in the East. The trio combined for 68 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists. Throw in Mike Miller's 17 points and you had yourself a near unbeatable team on this night.

This is exactly the type of signature win that can ignite a team and catapult them back into contention. The next two games on the road against the Thunder and the Spurs should tell us a lot, but I feel like this is a Wizards team that has all the pieces to be an elite team in the Eastern Conference.

Don't look now, but the Wizards could be back in contention by this time next week.

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Lebron James Comes To Washington: The Fact and The Fantasy

Matthew Brown — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:06:01 -0500

The Washington Wizards are set to "welcome" LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Verizon Center for their second meeting of the season. The outcome will not be as one-sided as the first, as Antawn Jamison makes his season debut against the Cavs.

With LeBron coming to town now, and his impending free agency next summer, it is difficult to overlook the potential impact on the Wizards.

The Fact

James and the Cavaliers have had the Wizards' number in recent memory. In the playoffs, Cleveland with LeBron has won 12 of 16 against the Wizards. But in the regular season, the Cavs with LeBron are 11-11 against Washington.

Cleveland already owns a 12 point victory over Washington this season, but the score does little justice to how badly the Wizards played.

Good thing this isn't the playoffs.

In their first meeting of this season, the Wizards shot 39 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc. In comparison, the Cavaliers shot 41 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc.

The big difference in this next meeting is the Wizards get Jamison back and the Cavs may be without Shaquille O'Neal and Anderson Varejao. Even with Zydrunas Ilgauskas still playing, the size advantage lies with Washington this time.

There are very few things the Wizards need to do in order to win, but overlooking just one could spell disaster.

LeBron is going to get his no matter what. Caron Butler is a capable defender, but LeBron has so many weapons he can utilize it is nearly impossible to keep him from scoring, unless he has an off night.

What the Wizards can do is make sure he doesn't get his teammates involved. Don't let LeBron get any easy assists by overplaying him. It will mean playing straight man, but a zone is too dangerous with the slashing abilities of LeBron and Mo Williams.

In the absence of Shaq and Varejao, the Wizards need to own the boards.

Ilgauskas is still a good rebounder, but he is up in years and doesn't match up well with the youth and athleticism of the Wizards big men.

Lastly, don't get beat by role players. The Wizards allowed Chris Douglas-Roberts to score a career high and Rafer Alston to score 20 points in their game against the Nets. They let Tyler Hansbrough score 13 in his season debut.

Allowing role players to gain a level of comfort is a dangerous habit. Although, so is letting Dwayne Wade average 40.5 points per game doesn't help either.

With the Cavs short on big men and the Wizards returning some players, there is no reason why Washington can't pull out a win at home. Don't expect fireworks from Jamison, but his presence will do wonders for the chemistry on the floor.

The Fantasy

LeBron James is almost guaranteed to opt out of the final year of his contract and hit the free agent market after this season.

There are more than a few teams interested in bringing King James to their cities, but who could possibly benefit more than the Wizards?

Washington has cap problems and two giant contracts in Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. But Ernie Grunfeld has shown in the past that he has no problem moving fan favorites or good players to bring in a big name or two.

With the Knicks, Grunfeld shipped out Charles Oakley and John Starks for the likes of Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell. If anyone is capable of bring in LeBron, it is Ernie.

While still very unlikely to occur, it is impossible to overlook what LeBron would mean for Washington. The Wizards would have a massive draw, which would make basketball relevant again and they wouldn't have to go through the Cavaliers in the playoffs anymore.

No more dreading trips to Cleveland to face the "Chosen One." No more whispering in Arenas' ear, costing the team a playoff win, and ultimately the series. No more hating the crab dribble.

LeBron has sported some ugly uniforms with the Cavaliers. Their red/blue standards are alright, but the gross yellow throwbacks should have stayed thrownback. There is a reason teams update their uniforms, and the Cavaliers represent a prime example.

So why not have LeBron sport some blue and gold? Washington fans may hate him now, but it would be nearly impossible to hate him when he's dropping 30 a night in the nations capitol with the Wizards winning because of it.

Washington Wizards fans haven't started a site taking in donations to sweeten the deal for LeBron. New York Knicks fans have, but what do they really know about basketball?

But wasn't it Ernie Grunfeld, the current GM for the Wizards, that started the Knicks fall from grace with a gigantic move away from the formula that brought the team success?

It may be safe to say that LeBron will not be sporting a Wizards uniform anytime soon, but with the Wizards failing to live up to expectations what would be the harm of bringing in the biggest name in the sport today?

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Washington Wizards Get Antawn Jamison Back; Winning To Follow?

Matthew Brown — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:24:19 -0500

In the long list of things missing from the Washington Wizards this season, Antawn Jamison is at the top. Come Wednesday, he will be scratched off that list.

Coach Flip Saunders said Jamison will make his season debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a must-win situation for the Wizards. It isn't a must-win because time is short on the season, but because the Wizards need something to end the six game skid they're on.

With his return imminent, it is impossible to overlook what the Wizards are getting with Jamison.

His career averages of 19.9 points and eight rebounds per game don't do justice to his tenure with the Wizards. Beyond his statistics, Jamison has been a leader for the Wizards through tough stretches. In the absence of Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood, Jamison maintained his level of play and played a big part in what few wins the Wizards could manage.

There is some skepticism that comes with Jamison's return.

It isn't a foregone conclusion that he will see a heavy load of minutes, or that he will be in top shape. It is also impossible to predict the impact he will have on the Wizards as a whole.

In his absence, the Wizards have lost seven of their nine games to open the season and have looked far from promising beyond a few individual efforts. But individuals are not capable of winning titles in this day and age. Just ask Kobe after the 2008 NBA Finals loss to Boston.

Jamison is the heart and soul the Wizards have failed to show or even search for since the beginning of the season. With Jamison, Arenas and Caron Butler are able to score more freely, which has been an issue this season.

Arenas and Butler are the Wizards' leading scorers (outside of Earl Boykins' 20 season debut), but neither is shooting particularly well. Their season percentages are deceptively average, but their shot selection tells a different story.

Jamison's return means an increased comfort in the offense because neither Arenas, nor Butler will feel as much pressure to replace Jamison's production.

But does better scoring automatically mean more wins?

In a word, no. But Jamison's impact the Wizards is impossible to measure by mere statistics. He averages almost 40 valuable minutes a night, and in his return, will thrive off of Haywood's stellar return and take pressure off of the overachieving Andray Blatche.

Jamison's debut has been delayed for far too long, and has left the fans and the team in a lurch. We may not see the best Jamison show up against Cleveland, but a lot of Jamison is better than no Jamison at all.

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Washington Wizards Holding Out For a Hero, Or a Miracle

Matthew Brown — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:20:51 -0500

After starting the season 2-1, the Washington Wizards have lost six straight games. To make matters worse, several players are already battling injuries, making the absence of Antawn Jamison that much more devastating.

Despite all the hard work the Wizards put in over the offseason, their tendency towards frailty haunts them.

With Jamison's return pending, the Wizards have had to turn to Andray Blatche to fill the void. Though Blatche has performed admirably, he doesn't hold a candle to Jamison in any phase of the game.

Especially leadership.

If there is one thing that is apparent, it is that the Wizards are lost without Jamison. Not only does he give them 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, but he is the heart and soul of the team.

Jamison is the conduit through which the success of the Wizards flows. He also has a hand in keeping Gilbert Arenas in check on the floor. It is apparent that Arenas is not the same player he was prior to his injury, but perhaps it is a mere consequence of existing without Jamison.

As if the 2-7 start wasn't bad enough, it has to come in the wake of Brendan Haywood's spectacular return.

Haywood has picked up the slack in the dirty work department for the Wizards. He is rebounding and scoring at career high levels, as well as blocking more than two shots per game. His totals may be inflated because of Jamison's absence, but he deserves more credit than he is being given thus far.

In an effort to bring in some leadership and maybe a spark, the Wizards signed pint-size point guard Earl Boykins earlier in the week.

Boykins played Euro-league ball last season but wanted to return to the NBA. He got his wish and responded in kind, producing 20 points in his debut against the Detroit Pistons.

The only problem with his excellent play is that his 20 points matched the team high for the Wizards and outdid Arenas' 19-point night.

A player who has been out of the NBA for a year should not be outdoing an entire NBA roster in his season debut, no matter how well he takes care of his body or how good his conditioning is.

Boykins' impressive season debut sheds light on the real problem the Wizards are facing. They flat out don't have an identity.

Flip Saunders is in his first year as head coach for the Wizards, and stands in stark contrast to former coaches Eddie Jordan and Ed Tapscott. After so many years in the Princeton offense, Arenas and Butler have yet to find their place in Saunders' system.

The initial prognosis on Arenas is that he is still adjusting to the game after missing the better part of the last three seasons.

Arenas looks like he doesn't have the same fire he once had. The fire that saw him talk the talk on his blog and walk the walk with a game winning "HIBACHI!" He has opted to keep his mouth shut and play, but there are far too many questions facing the Wizards to clam up now.

Saunders has tried to re-emphasize defense, but in the process the offense has fallen flat at crucial points in games. Not to mention the alleged best defensive player for the Wizards, DeShawn Stevenson, has cost the team a few games by failing to lock-down the likes of Dwyane Wade and Ben Gordon.

Is it too much to ask to keep Wade from averaging 40 points against the Wizards?

Excluding Saturday's loss to Detroit, most of the Wizards' losses have come via double digits. Injuries aside, how can they expect to win when Jamison returns if they can hardly compete without him?

If the Wizards do anymore waiting around for Jamison to come and save the day they will be hard-pressed to regain a winning attitude.

What if Jamison's return doesn't give the Wizards the boost they expect? The Wizards aren't built for the long run, and it looks like they aren't built for this season either. Arenas needs to show something to signal to the fans and the NBA that he still an elite player, and the Wizards need someone to step up and breathe some life back into the team.

If the Wizards don't start winning games or learning how to win with their backs against the wall, this season will surpass the level of futility exhibited last year.

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