JaVale McGee Showboat Dunk an Embarrassment for the Wizards and the NBA

JaVale McGee has been heavily criticized at times during his tenure in Washington, and it certainly doesn't help his case when he performs acts like the one he chose to do in Monday's 114-106 loss to the Houston Rockets.

McGee played 25 minutes, scoring eight points (4-of-7 shooting), grabbing 10 rebounds and swatting three shots, a very serviceable contribution given the limited playing time.

For the season, McGee is averaging a double-double with 12.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and a healthy 3.2 blocks in approximately 30 minutes per game.

Flip Saunders called McGee's slam dunk "unacceptable."

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"We’ve got to get to where those plays, you know we identify with meat and potato basketball, playing hard, setting screens, playing the right way and not highlight type things and we’ve been saying that many times. You know we have some players that look for highlights rather than substance."

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It's not hard to figure out what Saunders was alluding to, and it's impossible to blame him for the comments.

McGee has been the subject of conversation previously.

An absolute freak of an athlete, he has serious potential to be an impact center that has gone unfulfilled to this point.

Don't take that the wrong way. McGee has been a very solid player for the Wizards this season, and he currently leads the league in blocks per game.

However, he could be that much better if he started playing the brand of basketball that is being asked of him.

This isn't summer league, this isn't the McGee mixtape for scouts to watch and it certainly doesn't send a good message to a team that is attempting to create a team-first atmosphere when McGee goes off glass to himself for the slam dunk.

Washington has lost 12 of 13 games, and there is no reason for anyone on the team to be celebrating in any fashion given the start to the season.

Here is what McGee had to say following Monday's game:

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“Apparently, if you get a fast break and throw it off the backboard in the third quarter, and you’re 1-11, you’re not supposed to do stuff like that."

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Was that really something that had to be clarified?

Nick Young didn't have a problem with it.

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"Good for him, being that brave to even think of doing that. That’s JaVale McGee. He can jump out the gym. That’s a good way to get him going by dunking. That gets his offense going, makes him start blocking shots.”

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Veteran Maurice Evans said that it was "a little disappointing" when asked about McGee's play.

It might be time for a long talk between teammates when players in the same locker room are on very different pages.