Instead of being bored to death with my family at Deep Creek Lake last night, I stayed home and went to the Washington Wizards home opener with two other LBS writers. The Wiz will probably win no more than 15 games in the shortened NBA schedule, but for some reason I was excited to go. Would the average fan pay to see a team whose only marquee player is John Wall? Probably not, but I thought writing an article about why I would pay would be interesting. So, in the ten seconds prior to me beginning this article, I decided on three different things that will be included:
1) Why I love going to Wizards games despite the fact that they suck
2) My impressions of the team after the home opener
3) Music at the end of the post
I see promise in Javale McGee that I didn't last year
A week ago, I went to see the Wizards preseason game against the 76ers. At one point, the Wiz were down by about 45 and things looked bleak as ever for the season. The 4000 or so other people in attendance probably left Verizon Center with the same feelings. I resigned myself to the fact that my team would be the laughing stock of the league, and thought there was no reason to ever go see them live. A couple days ago, I realized how wrong I was.
This season, if you thrive on fundamental, team-orientated basketball, stay as far away as possible from the Verizon Center this year. If you want to see multiple stars put up 100+ points every game, stay away. If you like to go see teams that will provide you 48 minutes of entertainment, buy season tickets. I will attend as many Wizards games this year as my schedule allows. It's funny counting the number of passes Andray Blatche has in a quarter, and it's even funnier when that number is in the single digits. Making bets on how many rows back Pierre (Javale) will send his next block provides endless fun. Laughing at the boneheaded plays that abound during Wizard games will never get old. Basically, the entertainment factor of the Wizards is undeniable, and thats what I'm paying for. It's just, the record at the end of the season won't back me up, but I'm ok. Also, Matt's seats are really good. Now, on to my impressions of each player that I can remember from my mental notes:
Andray Blatche: Please get rid of him. At 25, Blatche would fit into the new Mavs, looking old, slow and out of shape. Doesn't pass the pass the ball, takes 20-foot fadeaways that are lucky to catch some front iron. Has previously stated weight lifting does nothing for him. Makes me sick.
Rashard Lewis: Next to the masterful scam that was pulled off in my fantasy football league this year, Lewis scamming the Wizards out 21.1 mil this season is the biggest scam of 2011. That gives him the second highest salary in the NBA. I've never seen a more irrelevant player in my life. He brings nothing to the team.
Javale McGee: He actually played fairly well, and looks as if he hit the weight room over the lockout. Had some great plays on both offense and defense last night. If he can bring his high-flying dunks and monstrous blocks to the floor night in and night out, he will easily become the second best player on this team.
Ronny Turiaf: Only here because he managed 2 points in 20 minutes on the floor, and was the biggest hype man for the Wiz. He didn't cross half court on a dozen possessions. Hopefully he can provide some funny antics in future games, otherwise he is useless.
Nick Young: Give the man his money. The Wizards threw down a challenge to Young when they only gave him a one-year, 3 million contract. He had a team high 16 points last night, and many of his fadeaways and ill-advised shots that were bricks last season were nothing but net last night. If Nick can have the kind of intensity and shoot like he did last night all season, he will definitely get paid next year.
John Wall: Everyone, including me, was excited for Wall's second season. He had some up and downs last season, but maybe during the extra time the lockout provided he was able to work on his game that much more. He looked horrible last night. It seemed at times he would get frustrated and just fly up the court, only to go into a triple team or throw an errant pass. He was 3-13 from the field and 7-13 from the line. He needs to step it up, and soon, or this Wizards will not win more than ten games.
And last, but certainly not least, some of the finer songs from FIFA 10,11, and 12:
It's all good, trust me.
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