The player they want is someone with size and shooting range; someone who can rebound; someone who can provide a defensive presence in the middle.
Those players are rare and virtually every other NBA wants one, too.
Then again, one of those players says he’s already in Washington. Or at least hopes he is.
“I want to be the player we need next year,” Wizards second-year forward Andray Blatche said. “I want to prove myself. I want to get in the rotation and I want to play.”
But even the Wizards acknowledge it will be hard for the second-year Blatche to crack their eight- or nine-man rotation for the upcoming season. That is, if the roster returns intact. In addition to the starters, Blatche, who entered the NBA out of high school, would have to move past veteran big men Etan Thomas and Michael Ruffin. Antonio Daniels and Jarvis Hayes also are in that bench rotation.
“It’s a tough eight or nine to break into,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “To me, he’s still a project.”
Blatche’s rookie season was marred by a preseason shooting incident in an attempted carjacking. He said his wrist still hasn’t fully recovered and he is just now regaining his normal stamina.
Clearly, getting shot slowed his development. Blatche played in 29 games for the Wizards, scoring 2.2 points a game. He also averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in six games for Roanoke of the National Basketball Developmental League.
The Wizards called this an important summer for Blatche when the season ended. Thus far, he’s stuck around, save for about 10 days, to work out. He’s lost seven pounds, worked on his low-post game and his strength.
“We’re pleased with the work he’s put in to this point,” Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld said. “Now he has to translate that into game-like situations.”
When the Wizards drafted the 6-foot-11 Blatche out of South Kent School (Conn.) in the second round in 2005, some experts considered him a steal. Scout.com, a college recruiting Web site, ranked Blatche the No. 2 power forward prospect in his high school class behind Duke rising sophomore Josh McRoberts. Others called Blatche an eventual fringe starter or sixth-man type. Most questioned his tenacity and lack of a developed post game. Nobody questions his perimeter shooting ability or passing, both of which would help Washington.
“He’s better conditioned, he’s making good passes,” Jordan said. “He knows what we’re doing and he can get his own shot. Those are the improvements I see.”
But he’ll also have to improve defensively. Blatche knows this. That’s why he remained in Washington.
“I’m taking it as serious as a heart attack,” he said. “This is my career and my life. It’s the most serious thing going on for me now. I’ll do whatever they want me to do. I’m here. I’m trying to make a name for myself.”
