Arenas and Butler

[blakesta]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3261180

Man, this team just cannot catch a break. :(

Hopefully, they will have a fully healthy team come playoff time and they can make a run for their money when it counts.

[Camden_yardbird]

I think the lack of a dominating big man will always mean this team will be unlucky when it comes to injuries. The guards and forwards just take to much abuse.

They talk about Shaq protecting Nash. Well, the Wiz need a big man who can protect their marquis players.

[bryanman8]

I think the lack of a dominating big man will always mean this team will be unlucky when it comes to injuries. The guards and forwards just take to much abuse.

They talk about Shaq protecting Nash. Well, the Wiz need a big man who can protect their marquis players.
That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

None of the Wizards' injuries were a result of anything a more dominating big man could have prevented.

Gilbert hurt his knee last year in a fluke crash with Gerald Wallace, and then rushed back too quickly from surgery and thus the repair sort of became un-done. Caron tweaked his hip and came back too soon from that as well which has made him have to miss more time. AD takes hits at his own discretion--he's always been a player that hits the floor hard and attacks the rim hard.

Besides, Brendan Haywood has been terrific this year. 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 76% from the line (4th best in the NBA for a center, just amazing). Their injuries are just bad luck, really, not anything worth blaming on anybody.

Hopefully Gil and Caron are 100% for the playoffs because that's obviously the only way we can do any damage there.

[blakesta]

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

None of the Wizards' injuries were a result of anything a more dominating big man could have prevented.

Gilbert hurt his knee last year in a fluke crash with Gerald Wallace, and then rushed back too quickly from surgery and thus the repair sort of became un-done. Caron tweaked his hip and came back too soon from that as well which has made him have to miss more time. AD takes hits at his own discretion--he's always been a player that hits the floor hard and attacks the rim hard.

Besides, Brendan Haywood has been terrific this year. 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 76% from the line (4th best in the NBA for a center, just amazing). Their injuries are just bad luck, really, not anything worth blaming on anybody.

Hopefully Gil and Caron are 100% for the playoffs because that's obviously the only way we can do any damage there.


Brendan has been TERRIFIC this year and I still think thats an understatement. His FT % has increased drastically and his defense is much better.

If the Big 3 are back for the playoffs, this team could really make some noise IMO.

[Camden_yardbird]

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

None of the Wizards' injuries were a result of anything a more dominating big man could have prevented.

Gilbert hurt his knee last year in a fluke crash with Gerald Wallace, and then rushed back too quickly from surgery and thus the repair sort of became un-done. Caron tweaked his hip and came back too soon from that as well which has made him have to miss more time. AD takes hits at his own discretion--he's always been a player that hits the floor hard and attacks the rim hard.

Besides, Brendan Haywood has been terrific this year. 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 76% from the line (4th best in the NBA for a center, just amazing). Their injuries are just bad luck, really, not anything worth blaming on anybody.

Hopefully Gil and Caron are 100% for the playoffs because that's obviously the only way we can do any damage there.


You fail to see the logic and thats okay because I didn't explain myself well enough apparantly. I am not saying the injuries specifically happened because there was not a big man. I am saying the wear and tear on the guards provided a window for injury. If a big man is there and scoring then he is taking more of the hits, and is better suited to do that. However since most of the scoring and the hustle has to come from guys like Arenas and Butler that means they take more hits, they jump more, they dive for balls, and all of that increasing the wear and tear on their bodies and the chance for injury. A big guy is simply better suited to take a lot of that abuse.

As for Brendan Haywood, what I am talking is not as much production as the the ability to be the big man inside. He has done well, but not great. He is certainly not a premier big man, and I would probably take 20 of the leagues centers over him.

[YardBirds13]

I still absolutely think that IF Caron and Gilbert get healthy that nobody in the East will want to face the Wiz.

I honestly think the Wizards, if healthy, can beat any team in the East in a 7 game series. Favored? Certainly not, but i absolutely think they can play with every team, including Boston and Detroit.

[square634]

I still absolutely think that IF Caron and Gilbert get healthy that nobody in the East will want to face the Wiz.

I honestly think the Wizards, if healthy, can beat any team in the East in a 7 game series. Favored? Certainly not, but i absolutely think they can play with every team, including Boston and Detroit.

Assuming they both recover to 100% of what they used to be, then I agree it's possible. However, there's no question Arenas didn't look anything like his old self in the first few games, so we may not be able to count on him. But best case scenario, if Arenas and Butler come back full strength and Haywood and Blatche continue to step up, then we could make a run.

[Camden_yardbird]

Only way the wiz do anything but one and done in the playoffs IMO is if they make a run and get into that second tier of East teams getting a better matchup then DET, BOS, or CLE. They may be deep enough to beat BOS if healthy but I doubt it.

[Ruzious]

I think the lack of a dominating big man will always mean this team will be unlucky when it comes to injuries. The guards and forwards just take to much abuse.

They talk about Shaq protecting Nash. Well, the Wiz need a big man who can protect their marquis players.
If Nash needs any protection, it's for someone to make sure Shaq doesn't fall on him. :)

If you're going to blame anything but bad luck on Arenas' and Butler's injuries, blame it on them playing too many minutes per game. And in both of their cases, they came back without any phase-in - which really surprised me. Eddie Jordan stuck them in at 40 minutes a game right from the get-go. And both ended up back on the injury list. Perhaps the Wiz crack medical group needs to communicate better with Eddie Jordan - or visa versa.

[bryanman8]

The DAGGERRRRR is back!

What a win!

I'm telling you, at full strength, this team is perfectly fine.

[Oriole4Life]

^Huge shot by Deshawn. Buckets! He is so inconsistent, he is either really on or off completely. But I love him.

Wish I were home to hear Buckhantz yodel. And yes, with Arenas and Butler we can compete with anyone. Shoot, with just Butler we are good. In order to really make that next step though, we need a solid presence down low, that has been our weakness for the past several years. Haywood having a good game with Blatche contributing isn't enough.

[bryanman8]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080226/capt.160367b7683141629422838139257692.wizards_horn ets_basketball_laah105.jpg

Picture of the year? Lol look at Eddie's face.

[blakesta]

Man, you really gotta love Steve's call on those last minute shots or "daggers". Hah! absolutely priceless.