NBA FanHouse

What Can the Wiz Get With Gil's Discount?

Tom Ziller — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:08:00 EST

Let me start off by saying I would never give anyone back $16 million. Also, I have no problem with Gilbert Arenas making more than $100 million over six years -- I was ecstatic when hearing a rumor my favorite team had offered him the max. Finally, Gil has shown to be one of the most generous NBA stars alive, giving away his jerseys, his shoes, and his time to fans constantly. He's a hero.

That said, his $16-million discount -- very warm, very generous for him -- does it even actually help the Wizards on the court? The surprising answer ... yes! (It's surprising because we're a cynical people.) The Washington Post's Ivan Carter reports the structure of the deal should allow the 'Zards to sign a player to the full mid-level and vet's exceptions. Had Arenas taken the max, the full mid-level would have thrust the team into luxury tax territory, which isn't going to happen. So the team can add a piece with this move.

What piece will it be? Carter offers up current 'Zard Roger Mason (he wouldn't technically take the mid-level, but would use up some of the luxury tax cushion) and roaming man James Posey. And Gil's got an extra pitch to make from whomever Washington targets.

"I want to win a championship here in D.C. I want to have a parade that goes right past the White House. Me and Barack Obama. How cool would that be? I really think that with the players we already have and with a couple of moves, we can do it."

Besides maybe Spencer Hawes, who wouldn't want to parade past President Obama? That might be a better pull than Baron Davis.

What Can the Wiz Get With Gil's Discount? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arenas Will Remain with the Wizards for the Low, Low Price of $111 Million

Will Brinson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Eastern, NBA Rumors, Washington, DC

Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards fan and bloggers everywhere can breathe easy: Gilbert Arenas has agreed to ink a lower-than-max deal which will reportedly pay him $111 million over six years.

Arenas told the Washington Times and Washington Post that he was offered a maximum deal in the neighborhood of $127 million on Tuesday, the first day of the free agency period.

"(The Wizards) offered me the max, and I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas told the Washington Times from China, where [he] is traveling as part of promotional tour for a shoe company. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it."

Jamison was putting the screws on Arenas to resign, Wizards fans were worried they would be mediocre and fail to entertain, and well, we bloggers just like Hibachi hanging out in the capitol. It makes for good news.

Arenas had two separate max deals on the table from the Wizards and the Warriors, but no one really thought he was going to do anything other than sign again with Washington.

Agent Zero also noted that he took less than the max, and that is true. So kudos to him, but remember, Jamison did the same thing so Gil could get paid, and without any additional cap space, this is a second round team. In other words, not taking the max actually benefits Arenas in the long run as well.

Arenas Will Remain with the Wizards for the Low, Low Price of $111 Million originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gilbert Arenas Is Apparently Popular; Gets Max Offers From Warriors and Wizards

Will Brinson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Warriors, NBA Gossip, NBA Rumors, Oakland, Washington, DC

Gilbert Arenas is quite arguably the top free agent option heading into the 2008-09 season. It has been assumed that once Antawn Jamison inked a new deal -- and Gil said as much himself -- that Arenas would sign on as well.

But things got a little more complicated Monday night/Tuesday morning as Baron Davis opted out, and the Warriors, in response, allegedly offered Agent Zero a max deal.

Then, according to my sources, the Warriors quickly burned the phones and offered former Warrior Gilbert Arenas a maximum-level contract, one that would pay him more than $100 million over five years. My source told me that Gilbert received a flurry of phone calls from the Warriors in the first 30 minutes of free agency.

After Gilbert drove to the Verizon Center for a late night workout and a meeting with Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards came strong with an offer of a maximum contract that covers six years for over $124 million (Not sure whether they knew about the Golden State offer or not. I hear they didn't. Ernie came strong but also laid it out for Gilbert that if he asked for the maximum, the team would be in a tough spot.)

As Ivan at the WaPo noted, Arenas is more inclined, according to sources, to take the Wizards deal. He has also, however, been approached by Sacramento with a "whatever it takes" credo.

Odds are good that he ends up returning to Washington, especially if the money is similar. On the other hand though, there are few spots in the NBA that would fully utilize his talents (some passing, mostly free reign to jack threes) more than Golden State. Actually, check that: the Warriors would be the perfect place to utilize Gil's talents. So, yes, there's some mulling going on here.

Gilbert Arenas Is Apparently Popular; Gets Max Offers From Warriors and Wizards originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Antawn Jamison Inks New Deal with Wizards; Your Move, Gilbert

Will Brinson — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Eastern, Washington, DC

Antawn Jamison did his part to keep the current core of Washington Wizards players together for next season, signing a four year, $50 million deal with his current team. There is no huge surprise here (except for how freaking much they are giving the former Tarheel) and now we all wait with semi-baited breath to find out what Gilbert Arenas will do. And yes, I do include Jamison in "we".

"He said he'd take less money if he got me, and they got me," Jamison said. "So I think everything will get worked out with Gilbert."

[...]"There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I'd be back," said Jamison, 32, who has been a strong locker room leader during his four seasons with the Wizards.

[...]"Once he heard that I had reached a deal, he congratulated me," said Jamison, repeating a text message conversation he had with Arenas. "And I said 'I can't wait to congratulate you tomorrow."'

I get the impression from Jamison's response that if Agent Zero played games about signing on, then Antawn would probably throw a tremendous hissy, or at the very least, exert his influence on Gil, whatever that may be, to make sure the Wizards locked him up.

Jamison has now called Gil out to take less money right off the bat, and given Arenas' chip-on-the-block mentality, I'm not sure I am totally sold on him doing just that. If he's true to his word, then he'll ink for low money tomorrow after he opts out. But the bigger problem may be that the Wizards are paying Jamison $12+ million a year until he's 36.

The Wizards want Jamison and Jamison wants to be a Wizard, but this deal and the likely deal pending for Arenas just let us know that not much about the Wiz will be changing for the next few years, both good and bad.

Antawn Jamison Inks New Deal with Wizards; Your Move, Gilbert originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Draft Crystal Ballin': Washington Wizards

Matt Watson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, NBA Draft, Washington, DC

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

Can a team win without defense? The "success" of teams like the Suns, Nuggets and Warriors the last several years says no, as does this year's success (no sarcastic quotation marks needed this time) of the Celtics. The Wizards have been slow to get the memo, though, instead hoping their failures have been the result of untimely injuries.

Picks: #18, #47

Needs: What the Wizards really need is to re-sign Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. As for the draft, it'll be tough for a rookie to crack the rotation regardless of position. Since the draft is so deep with big man, I'm guessing that's what they'll end up.

Best case scenario: How about Roy Hibbert? After playing four years at Georgetown, he wouldn't even have to leave the District. Plus, he's a bit more polished than some of the other big man and stands the best chance of contributing meaningful minutes as a rookie. Alternatively, if a point guard like Mario Chalmers falls in their lap, he'd be hard to pass up.

More likely scenario: Hibbert is definitely a realistic option, but so is Darrell Arthur, who worked out for the team Wednesday and whose game has been compared to Jamison's.

Please don't take: Robin Lopez. The Wizards already have a pair of scoring-deficient centers in Etan Thomas (who's returning from heart surgery) and Brendan Haywood. The only big men this team should be going after are ones with offensive know-how in the paint.

Trade possibilities: Don't be surprised if the Wizards trade out of the draft. This team needs to win today, and they can't find a rookie ready to contribute immediately, they may shop the pick to a team that can afford to be more patient.

NBA Draft Crystal Ballin': Washington Wizards originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Draft: What Future Players Need to Know

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Magic, Wizards, Lakers, Suns, NBA Draft, NBA Videos, Jazz, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Washington, DC, The Word, FanHouse TV

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive NBA reporting to FanHouse. Check back here regularly for more videos.

In this video we ask Stanford star Brook Lopez about the NBA Draft. We also find out from Shaquille O'Neal, the number one pick of the 1992 draft, about his law enforcement career and his efforts to catch online predators. Also find out from Gilbert Arenas, a late second draft pick in 2001, what he would be doing if he was not an NBA All-Star. Around 1:45 into the video hear what Ira Newble, a long time NBA veteran, has to say about making to the NBA without being drafted.

AOL Video link. Youtube link.

NBA Draft: What Future Players Need to Know originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Agent Zero Has a Secret Deal With Wizards?

Tom Ziller — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, NBA Media Watch, NBA Rumors, Washington, DC

Oh, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News ... you and your nuggets o' Sunday fun:

Gilbert Arenas isn't leaving Washington, despite opting out of the last year of his contract, which would have paid him around $13 million next season. Arenas and the Wizards have secretly agreed on a new multi-year deal, according to a GM friend of Washington executive Ernie Grunfeld.

I have no doubt that this could be true. I do, however, find it incredibly unlikely that Mitch Lawrence from NYC would find out about it before the stars at the Washington Post, Ivan Carter and Michael Lee.

The anatomy behind a rumor like this is fascinating. Not to besmirch the good name of Mitch Lawrence, but it's possible he could have created this from steam and lil' smokies: Gilbert's probably going to sign with D.C. anyway, so what's the harm in earning a freebie by making up a source who says it's happening? Or: some "GM friend" of Grunfeld heard the Wizards really do want to keep Gil, so this rumor gets floated.

I know the draft/trade/free agent season is full of misdirection and purposeful lies. I'm on board with all that. But seeing a throwaway line like this in a Sunday notes column really puts the silly season in perspective. It makes me wish Gil hadn't retired from the blog game so he could clear all this up.

Via HoopsHype, which I think makes me some sort of hypocrite.

Agent Zero Has a Secret Deal With Wizards? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gilbert Arenas Would Like to See What's Out There. You Know, for Kicks.

Matt Moore — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:07:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Eastern, Washington, DC

After a great amount of discussion about Gilbert Arenas and his contract status, Agent Zero has gone ahead and pulled the trigger. According to Arenas, in a Washington Post article, he filed to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Washington Wizards on Friday and will test the free agent market.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld has stated numerous times that the team plans to resign both Arenas and Antawn Jamison, and Arenas has stated that resigning Jamison is a requirement for his return to DC. With Arenas going and ahead and opting out, according to him to "get it out of the way," the Wizards are going to be doling out some cash this summer.

Particularly interesting is the fact that Arenas is going through this process without an agent. Take a second and imagine what those conversations must be like. With Gilbert Arenas untethered, it's entirely possible his contract demands could include a flamethrower or something.

Gilbert Arenas Would Like to See What's Out There. You Know, for Kicks. originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grunfeld Hopes to Keep the Band Together

Matt Watson — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Eastern, Washington, DC

Yesterday in his blog, Gilbert Arenas made it clear that he considered he and teammate Antawn Jamison a package deal:

If Antawn is not back, then there's no point in me coming back because he's part of my success, too. When you're doing pick and roll with a player like him, they can't double you, they can't trap you because you have a pick and pop guy who can shoot the three at your four position. My success is because of him too. If he doesn't come back, I'm not coming back.

During his end of season press conference, GM Ernie Grunfeld indicated he had no problem with Gilbert's ultimatum:

"We're on the same page, then. Because we want to sign Antawn. We want to sign Gilbert," Grunfeld said. "I kind of liked it. He's supportive of his teammate. And he enjoys playing with Antawn. And that's been our plan all along. I'm glad to see everyone in the organization is on the same page."

All in all it's hard to argue with Grunfeld's desire to keep the team together. My colleague Brett Edwards argued earlier this week that Washington's lack of defense will always haunt them in the end. That may be true, but they're also an extremely dangerous (and entertaining) team when everybody is healthy.

Between Arenas missing most of the year, Etan Thomas missing the entire year and Caron Butler missing a quarter of the season, the Wizards never had a chance to get into a rhythm. If those guys can come back strong and youngsters like Nick Young and Andray Blatche continue to develop, the Wizards could easily be a 50-win team next year. And when that's an option, it's difficult for any GM to make the decision to blow the team up and start from scratch.

Grunfeld Hopes to Keep the Band Together originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 08 May 2008 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Papa John's Hates LeBron, Angers Cleveland

Tom Ziller — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, NBA Fans, Cleveland, Washington, DC

... in which a national pizza chain of dubious quality lashes out at an NBA superstar and then faces the wrath of the entire state of Ohio.

D.C. food blog So Good reports t-shirts bearing the number 23, the name "Crybaby" and a Papa John's logo were handed out at Game 6 of Cavs-Wizards in Washington. Yep, that's the 3rd largest pizza chain the United States (according to Wikipedia, at least) making fun of LeBron James, The Global Icon. And hey! there it is on the right!

In the comments at So Good, someone purporting to be a Papa John's GM in northeast Ohio says they've received several calls threatening a boycott. I have no clue why Papa John's would do this, considering (as So Good notes) the chain has a ton of locations in Ohio, and furthermore isn't even based in D.C. Is the chain a Wizards sponsor or something?

Actually, I think Papa John has been framed. The suspect is obvious: it's the Noid!

Papa John's Hates LeBron, Angers Cleveland originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 03 May 2008 19:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cavaliers - Wizards Live Blog Game 6

Will Brinson — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, Cleveland, Washington, DC

Look out, Cleveland! Storm is coming through ... and it's runnin' right up on yoooooooouuuu. Sorry. I've been itching to quote the Band ever since the playoffs started. Unfortunately, we're in D.C. tonight, so the song isn't entirely applicable. But with Darius Songaila no longer around, some kind of storm on Cleveland is going to be necessary to keep LeBron James down. Okay, so Songaila isn't that important. It's the jersey poppin' fella above that matters most.

Actually, with Gilbert Arenas now done for the season, and Caron Butler stepping his game up, I think it's somehow more likely that the Wizards send this one back to Cleveland. And I think a lot of people actually agree with that too. Or at least the notion that the Wizards are better off without Gil. Anyway, we'll be doing the live blog thing here tonight, and we want you -- yes, you! -- to come join in the collective FanHouse jersey popping.

Cavaliers - Wizards Live Blog Game 6 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 May 2008 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 Things to Keep an Eye on: Cavaliers at Wizards, Game 6

Matt Moore — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, Cleveland, Washington, DC

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Cavaliers-Wizards game tonight.

1. The Agent Elephant In The Room: I understand folks not wanting to talk about it. But, we're going to talk about it. Two Washington wins? 10 minutes and 2 points combined for Gilbert Arenas. Three losses? Close to 85 minutes for Agent Zero. On the surface, it makes pretty simple sense. Injured player, can't effectively perform, drags down the team. However, it's more than that. The Wizards seem to revel in being without their star. Caron Butler was spectacular in Gilbert's first night back ... out. They seem more cohesive, and more importantly, they're winning more often. Even Zero admitted they're better without him right now. This series had the distinct look of a mismatch after Game 4, and all of a sudden, losing their "best" player may end up being exactly what the Wizards need to get over the hump.

2. Oh, THERE's The Wally I Know And Love: Wally Szczerbiak was apparently walking into Quicken Loans Arena when he passed a vehicle. And in the window of this vehicle, he saw a dreadful sight. Himself. And then he remember who he is. And promptly shot 1 of 6 from the field. Szczerbiak is undeniably the inconsistent thread that leavs the Cavaliers hanging in the wind. Sometimes he snaps, sometimes he holds. So you could say that if you want to destroy the Cavaliers, just hold this Wally while you walk away (while you walk away). The Cavs need supporting three-point shooting to win, unless LeBron has one of, you know, those nights.

3. Imperceptible. Imperceptibly Awesome. : The Cavaliers have an 8.4 rebound per game advantage in this series. LeBron James leads all rebounders for the Cavs with 8.8 rebounds per game. Now, I'm from Arkansas, and even I can do that kind of math. (I'll now pause for your jokes in the comments. Shall we continue?) Let's all take a second and remember he's a freaking small forward (technically). The problem is that the Wizards have stretched themselves too thin. You can't put a body on James without sacrificing box-out coverage on Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao, or Zydrunas Ilgauskus. There may not be an answer to this quandry, and it may be the separation.

4. The Butler Did It: With Arenas out, I pointed out that Butler needed to produce in order for the Wizards to win. 32 points later, it's pretty evident that theory holds true. Butler has an inconsistent track record in big games, but he needs to put together a solid back to back effort tonight or the Wizards are going to be without a primary scorer. Antawn Jamison is consistent, but his ceiling is lower. DeShawn Stevenson, even in the friendly confines of D.C., isn't the type of scorer to plug in 30 plus. Tough Juice needs to squeeze the fruit, or whatever less disturbing euphemism you want to use.

5. Darius Songaila Waits In the Shadows!: Punch or no punch, looks like the entire incident has blown over. But that's several hard, hard fouls on LeBron in this series, and either it's starting to get to him, or he's going to rise above it. The other option is for the refs to start protecting him, which isn't beyond belief. The Cavs do not want this thing going back to Cleveland with the Wizards on a win streak. And the odds of anyone else coming up big for the Cavs offensively are worse than Cleveland chanting "MVP" at DeShawn Stevenson. It's LeBron or bust tonight.

5 Things to Keep an Eye on: Cavaliers at Wizards, Game 6 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 May 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darius Songaila Suspended for Game 6

Will Brinson — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, Cleveland, Washington, DC

Well, who is going to allegedly punch or not punch LeBron James now? Darius Songaila is being suspended because his hand hit LeBron's face in Game 5 of the Wizards - Cavaliers series. I use that phrasing because depending on who you listen to, Songaila didn't mean to slap/hit James at all. Of course, usually those people are Wizards fans.

I watched it go down and saw it several times on replay, and I'm willing to concede that it wasn't totally purposeful and that Songaila might have just been wrapped up with LeBron, causing the contact that ensued.

Of course, if I was Darius, I would probably want to know what all of those Celtics were still doing at the [New] Garden for Game 5 of their series. Lesson: Don't harass the King, please.

Darius Songaila Suspended for Game 6 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 02 May 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caron Butler Takes Over the Wizards

Tom Ziller — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, NBA Playoffs, NBA Videos, NBA Last Night, Cleveland, Washington, DC

Caron Butler, taking over on the court. (The game-winner, right down LeBron James's throat, comes at the 1:27 mark.)

Caron Butler, taking over the yapping duties, as reported by Dan Steinberg of The Bog:

"Don't judge this team from comments," he said. "LeBron made a statement saying 'These guys are talkers,' but unless you hear something from the captains--which would be myself and Antawn [Jamison]--don't label that as the team. You know what I'm saying? I'm the voice of this team, 'Twan is the spiritual and emotional leader, and unless you hear it from us, just keep it moving."

And ...

"I just told [LeBron] 'Make the season interesting, let's take it back to D.C.," Caron told us. "And he started laughing. You know, I had to get him back for what he did to Gilbert a couple years ago at the foul line."

If Gilbert Arenas does opt out this summer, it's not necessarily terrible, terrible news for Washington. It'd be bad news, sure; but Tough Juice can be your leader, on the court and off. What a great game from Butler.

Caron Butler Takes Over the Wizards originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 01 May 2008 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darius Songaila Unaware of His Position in Life, Punches LeBron James

Matt Moore — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:28:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, NBA Videos, Cleveland, Washington, DC

So apparently someone forgot to tell Darius Songaila that a. no one punches LeBron James, and b. if someone were able to punch LeBron James, it's certainly not him. But that's just what the 6-8 Lithuanian forward did tonight. While Songaila was only given a technical foul for this, it's likely (read: certain) that he'll be suspended for Game 6 in Washington. And a series that has already been brutally dirty just got nastier. Except for the fact that it's pretty clear Songaila just got tangled up with him. It's not like Songaila was actually thinking "Who do you think you are? I'm Songaila!" It would be a shame for Songaila to be suspended for this, but still ... dude, it's LeBron. What do you think is going to happen?

(Video HT: Odenized)

Darius Songaila Unaware of His Position in Life, Punches LeBron James originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gilbert Arenas Out Tonight, For Season and Maybe Done as a Blogger

Will Brinson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, Eastern, NBA Injuries, NBA Media Watch, Washington, DC

The Washington Wizards were already pinned into a corner heading into tonight's elimination game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now it appears that they will be without their most visible superstar as Gilbert Arenas is being shut down for the remainder of the season. DC Sports Bog's Dan Steinberg drops the sadness on the Washington area:

Gilbert Arenas will not play in Game 5 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, and said his injured left knee will not permit him to play again this season. 'I'm done,' he said.

'My leg wasn't recovering fast enough each game,' he said before tonight's game. 'It still wasn't recovering. The nerve pinch just came out of the blue; you know, the swelling and the achiness, it hadn't affected that, but the nerve pain, each step feels like you're hitting my funny bone. Eventually that was wearing and tearing, and it's not going anywhere.'

It has been kind of obvious -- the first game of the series excepting -- that Gil is struggling out on the court. And this seems like one of those cases where regardless of his effort to pump up the crowd and fight to stay on the court, he is just not helping the team in the long run. That's not to insult Arenas, especially considering he is throwing the rest of his career on the line every time he opts to suffer through the injury instead of sitting on the pine.

Arenas would not discuss the possibility of opting out but did point out that he felt like a "drug addict" just discussing all of the things he was taking in an attempt to get back out on the court. And even more disconcertingly, Steinz dropped a hint at the end of the article that Gilbert might be done blogging, saying that "... do one more blog, and then end that part of his career as well."

The notion that Agent Zero wouldn't ever blog again is pretty saddening. Arenas' posts, entries and general quirkiness make his writing one of the most -- if not the most -- entertaining athlete prose out there. Obviously it's more important that he get healthy then worry about putting up blog entries, but the situation is depressing at the same time.

Now, as to tonight's game ... I hate to say that Gilbert being on the floor necessarily is a bad thing, especially when he came back early from injury, desperate to help his team advance in the playoffs. But if he's turning the ball over and failing to score, well, unfortunately he might not be helping the Wizards. And while I think that Cleveland ultimately wins this series, I think the Wizards take the game tonight, based on some weird and ironic direct and indirect effect of Gilbert being out of the game.

Gilbert Arenas Out Tonight, For Season and Maybe Done as a Blogger originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 Things to Keep an Eye on: Wizards at Cavaliers, Game 5

Matt Moore — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Playoffs, Cleveland, Washington, DC

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Wizards-Cavaliers game tonight. We'll also be live-blogging the game here at FanHouse, come on by and bring your Vick jersey!*

*Don't actually. If you still have them. Which you probably don't. Unless you're DeShawn. In which case, you should probably be guarding West.

1. The West Is Strong, Allright: Delonte West, that is. West is averaging 11.3 points per game in this series, including 16 points in Game 4, propelled by some huge shots down the stretch. The big problem with the Cavs during a pretty mediocre (at best) regular season was the lack of an auxiliary scorer. If you reduce this team to just LeBron, you have a much better chance at beating them, though even that's shady depending on how the King feels. The Wizards have to lock down on the perimeter shooting in this game. They allowed 13 three-pointers on 46% shooting, including five from West, in Game 4.

2. It's The Boards, Stupid!: The Wizards are getting murdered on the glass. Not surprising, given Cleveland's army of bulky power forwards and the Wizards gaggle of slender gunners. But to be outrebounded by an average of 10 in the series. Their shooting percentages are the same, the Wizards are actually turning the ball over less, and their defense has been solid. But Cleveland is getting 5 more offensive rebounds per game. That is huge for this series. Andray Blatche needs to step it up, and Brendan Haywood needs to focus less on LeBron being weak and more on getting double digit rebounds and shoring off the Cavs on the offensive glass.

3. We're All Waiting For It: At some point, LeBron James is going to go above and beyond. It may not even be this round. This round he seems perfectly content to just stay quiet with all the jibber-jabber going on and beat the Wizards, averaging 30 points per game. Again I have to point out how ridiculous it is that I consider 30 points per game pedestrian from the King. But it is. We're waiting on one of those Nova nights. We're waiting for the one where he single-handedly demolishes the Wizards from the start to the finish. But for now, at least, James is just cooling his heels and trying to win.

4. Race Car In The Red: "I'm just sayin', Jules. Right now, I'm a race car in the red." That's pretty much where the Wizards are at this point. They just keep escalating the fouls and smack talk, all while actually, you know, losing the games. We've had referee-shoving, headbutting, near-decapitations, and yet no real fights so far in this first round. Game 5 sounds like as good a place as any for our first one. Any unnecessary contact and both teams are going to be ready to trade blows.

5. Tough Juice Needs Sweetening: Caron Butler is struggling. His scoring, rebounding, assists, and field goal % are down in this series from his season average, though not extensively. The Wizards need an offensive leader, and it's going to have to be Butler with Gilbert Arenas down for the count,. It's fine to get contributions from Roger Mason, DeShawn Stevenson, and have Antawn Jamison be the anchor, but somebody's going to have to be The Man, or these guys will be The Eliminated.

5 Things to Keep an Eye on: Wizards at Cavaliers, Game 5 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeShawn Stevenson Aggressively Wears Michael Vick Jerseys

Will Brinson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, Eastern, NBA Media Watch, NBA Playoffs, Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington, DC

DeShawn Stevenson is arguably the most popular NBA non-superstar in the entire free world right now. He has millionaire rappers taking time out of their (busy?) lives to drop beats dedicated solely to smearing him. His decision, whether smart or not, to call LeBron James overrated and the subsequent physical war that has nearly broken out between Cleveland and Washington is obviously well documented.

But even if none of this had stuck him squarely in the scrutiny of the public eye, walking around in public in Michael Vick jerseys (images courtesty of Dan Steinberg at DCSB) is still a very, very bad idea. There's no realistic justification for backing Vick at this point. Roddy White's gesture was cute, sure, but it was his quarterback, he's from Atlanta, etc., etc. DeShawn, insofar as I understand, has no legitimate excuse for wearing Vick jerseys around town.

Perhaps if there was some sort of ATL solidarity-thing going on here, but this is Washington -- Cleveland, man. Unless DeShawn is trying to strike fear into LeBron's dogs, I see no reason for this ultimate, as Steinberg called it, "crowning gesture" in DeShawn's already insane public display of craziness.

Latest NBA Photos

Cleveland Cavaliers' Devin Brown (33) puts up a shot against Washington Wizards' DeShawn Stevenson, left, during the second quarter of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown calls a play during the first quarter of Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, center, complains to referee Joe DeRosa after an altercation produced technical fouls to Cleveland Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao and Wizards' Darius Songaila during the first quarter of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Washington Wizards' Antawn Jamison, right, reacts as referee Mike Callahan (24) calls a technical foul as referee Joe DeRosa points to DeShawn Stevenson after an altercation during the first quarter of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. The Wizards' Darius Songaila was called for a foul and a technical foul and Cleveland Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao also received a technical. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James shoots against Washington Wizards' Brendan Haywood (33) during the first quarter of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Washington Wizards' Gilbert Arenas looks on from the bench during Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Washington Wizards' Caron Butler (3) puts up a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers' Wally Szczerbiak during the first quarter of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2008, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson watches his team's 99-94 loss to the New Orleans Hornets in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, in New Orleans on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. The Hornets won the series 4-1. Johnson was fired by the Mavericks on Wednesday, April 30. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd comments during a news conference regarding the firing of the NBA basketball team's coach, Avery Johnson, in Dallas on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. The Mavericks fired Johnson on Wednesday, the first of what's likely to be many offseason moves after the league's highest payroll produced a second straight first-round knockout from the playoffs. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) scores as Phoenix Suns guard Raja Bell (19) and forward Boris Diaw, of France, left, look on during the fourth quarter of Game 5 of an NBA Western Conference basketball playoff series in San Antonio, Tuesday, April 29, 2008. San Antonio won 92-87. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

DeShawn Stevenson Aggressively Wears Michael Vick Jerseys originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Damon Jones Menaces No One, Apparently

Tom Ziller — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Wizards, NBA Videos, Cleveland, Washington, DC

The illustrious Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog offers up the following evidence of a late-regular season throat slash gesture from Cavalier Damon Jones. You'll find it at the one-minute mark.

Wizard DeShawn Stevenson, of course, just got fined $25,000 for the old throat slash (seen in a pretty perfect animated gif at Mr. Irrelevant), an act labeled a "menacing gesture" by the NBA. So do we have a double standard here? Is the league just looking to crack down on any extracurricular activity in the quite testy Wizards-Cavs series?

I think the explanation's more simple than that: No one is menaced by anything Damon Jones does. I think Damon Jones could stand in front of me with a bloody machete and I might shrug. (And machetes freak me out!) Jones would have to simulate human castration on Eddie Jordan to get fined for a "menacing gesture."

Damon Jones Menaces No One, Apparently originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Fines Paul Pierce, DeShawn Stevenson for 'Menacing Gestures'

Matt Watson — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:47:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Hawks, Wizards, Eastern, Boston, Washington, DC

Al Horford caught a lot of flack this weekend for taunting a fallen Paul Pierce after making a shot, but what generally went unreported was Pierce's reaction: he actually got up and followed Horford past the halfcourt line until Brian Scalabrine retrieved him.

Red's Army has the video, and if you didn't know better (and I'm not sure I do), it kind of looks like Pierce throws a gang sign at the end. Whatever he was doing, the NBA decided they didn't like it:

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson have each been fined $25,000 for making menacing gestures during games played this weekend, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident involving Pierce occurred in the fourth period of the Celtics' 102-93 Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 26. The incident involving Stevenson occurred in the first period of the Wizards' 100-97 Game 4 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 27.

I'm not exactly sure what menacing gesture Stevenson made, but there's a good chance it's this one, in which he makes ~~Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter~~ Jay-Z's Roc hand gesture followed by the always classy throat slashing motion.

(via CelticsBlog)

NBA Fines Paul Pierce, DeShawn Stevenson for 'Menacing Gestures' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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