Tag Archives: Andray Blatche

Entertainment, Sports Fix, The Features
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Should DC Really “Shut Up” About Andray Blatche?

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison
Nick Young and Andray Blatche
courtesy of Keith Allison

For most of the country the main headline coming out of the Washington Wizards’ first game of the season was the boos directed towards ex-Kardashian Kris Humphries. I feel bad for NBA fans and coaches who probably have no idea why Humphries is the most hated person in the league.

For DC and the rest of Wizards Nation, they saw yet another game slip through Washington’s hands as the Wiz went from a 37-16 lead over the Nets to a 84-90 defeat Monday night. The main Wizards headlines consisted of Andray Blatche being Andray Blatche in the locker room. After kicking off the game by addressing the crowd as the team’s “captain”, he ended the night addressing reporters in the locker room with complaints about the play-calling, telling reporters and Twitter that he needs the ball in the paint.

This isn’t the start the Wizards were looking for. Not only are fans already writing off the team as the one that hasn’t won more than 26 games in the past three years- but they are also growing tired of Blatche, who the team signed to a five-year extension back in September 2010. As for Blatche, he has one thing to say to the fans and media: shut up.

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Sports Fix, The Features
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What’s next for the Wizards?


‘Wizards v Jazz – 01.17.11’
courtesy of ‘MudflapDC’

The 2010-11 Washington Wizards season, which ended Wednesday night with a 100-93 loss at Cleveland, will largely be remembered for the sparkling play of rookie point guard John Wall, who averaged 16.4 points and and 8.3 assists per game and would be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year if it weren’t for the stunning emergence of Blake Griffin. Apart from that, however, most of the positives of this past season could only be seen on paper, rather than on the court.

To wit, in December, General Manager Ernie Grunfeld traded Gilbert Arenas and his horrendous contract to the Orlando Magic for the slightly less odious commitment made to Rashard Lewis. Two months later, with the NBA’s trade deadline approaching, Grunfeld swung a deal with the Atlanta Hawks that brought Mike Bibby and two promising young players to D.C. in the persons of Jordan Crawford and Mo Evans. Grunfeld then became even more fortunate when Bibby became so desperate to play for a contending team (eventually settling in Miami with the Heat) that he passed on all of the $6.2 million the Wizards would have owed him in 2011-12. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Delayed Gratification Edition

DSCN0905
DSCN0905 by bhrome

Capitals
Record: 23-12-5, 51 points
Last Two Weeks: 4-0-1
Place: Tied for first in the Southeast, Fifth in the East

We’re pretty much at the halfway point of the 2010-2011 Season, and the Caps have settled into a winning groove after their brutal losing streak in early December. They’re about to be tested, though, as January looks to be a defining month for the season. Two games against co-leader of the Southeast Tampa Bay, tough games in Philly and Atlanta, and home matchups against the Rangers and Senators, with just a few matches against teams they should beat.

Looking back on the Winter Classic, we saw a Caps team that continued their first period struggles, their second period explosion, and a third period full of fight. That’s been this Capitals team all season long, and until they can figure out their first period struggles, I think they’re not going to be strong contender for Lord Stanley’s Cup. There’s much to work on this season, and still a good amount of time to see it happen. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Wizards dig for ways to lose, dropped by Heat in final seconds

Photo courtesy of
‘Kirk Hinrich’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Drama of the magnitude seen on Saturday at Verizon Center does not often happen when the Wizards are involved.

First, Gilbert Arenas, the enigmatic scorer and chaotic former face of the franchise (hello John Wall) gets traded to Orlando. Then the feel-good story of beating LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the Heat after the histrionics of the afternoon gets snapped away in the final seconds as Washington blows a five-point lead with 18.4 seconds left to lose to Miami 95-94.

What it boils down to is that the young Wizards really have no idea how to close out a game.

And the Heat do.

“Get down the stretch and we did just about everything that you have to do wrong to lose a game and they did everything right,” head coach Flip Saunders said.

That just about sums it up.

Washington was in tenuous control over Miami for much of the game. The game was a see-saw that the Heat were never able to quite balance in their favor until the final seconds. The Wizards would go up by six or eight only to have Miami climb back to tie it before Washington would do it again. It looked like Washington had finally gotten the better of the Heat in the fourth period, jumping out to an 80-72 lead, a margin they would hold more or less until the final two minutes or so.

Then, as it so often is in the NBA, the drama started.

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