A few quick takeaways and need-to-knows from the Wizards’ 115-107 win over Cleveland:
There’s nothing like getting excited and overenthusiastic about a meaningless game in April between two really bad teams, but that’s just what we’ve done here at Verizon Center. Can we help it if we haven’t had the chance to feel this way pretty much all year long? I don’t think so, and that’s no April fools. That makes a record-setting double double from Andray Blatche (36 points, 19 rebounds), a triple double from Jordan Crawford (21 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds), and solid games from JaVale McGee (25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Othyus Jeffers (13 points, 4 boards, 3 steals) worth enjoying.
“We’ve gone through a lot of growing pains this year,” Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said. “I think Ted [Leonsis has] said it best, a lot of times, in his blog, it’s painful at times to watch. But what will happen is if you keep on working with players, those mistakes that we saw become fewer and farther between. We’re starting to see that with some of our guys. It’s tough to be patient at times. It’s frustrating.”
It was still a meaningless game in April between two really bad teams.
What’s nice about the way the Wizards have come around of late is the leadership shown by the imports from Atlanta, Crawford and Maurice Evans, who Saunders gave credit, along with Jeffers, for lifting guys like Blatche and McGee, showing them that effort and fight are the things that should be valued the most, and that results and individual success will follow along when they are.
“I think we brought some mental toughness,” Evans said. “I think we brought some confidence, for sure, coming from a winning situation. We hadn’t lost a great deal of games. We won 53 games last year. I’ve been to the playoffs every year of my career, discounting this one, so I’m used playing and gearing up for the postseason and trying to get stronger, preparing for another month or two of the season. We’re not really tired right now so we just keep bringing that energy and that effort.”
Before you remember that Crawford is a rookie, take a look at what he said, too: “Basically, Mo is a veteran. He talked to me a lot. I was around a lot of vets that’s been in the playoffs. I took it from there how bad you want it. In Atlanta, you lose a couple of games, you had to toughen up, get a little serious, try to get a win. I try to bring that. Mo did a great job of bringing that.”
The contrast of Crawford’s relentless and fearless play on the court with his slouched stance and raspy voice becomes more enjoyable every game. Don’t let his posture fool you. And don’t let the growing pressure on Nick Young go unnoticed.
“We’re undermanned at times, but I think it proves one thing,” Saunders said. “It should prove to our veteran-type guys that aren’t playing at times, you play hard, you give yourselves a chance as a team.”
Crawford said after the game that Blatche and McGee made it easy for him, and then was told they said the same about him.
“They said that? Oh man, they lying,” Crawford said.
Crawford’s fast break with Blatche got the crowd going, but Jeffer’s one-handed ball fake and layup with 7-footer Ryan Hollins falling all over him was huge, giving the Wizards a bucket when they needed it after Cleveland had cut the lead back to 96-90.
“Dr. J. Michael Jordan. People did it before them, too,” Jeffers said. “The ball feels small. Most guards won’t expect it. They looking for the cutter. On an island by theyself, it’s easy bucket. Mostly every time I do it, I get fouled. In the Miami game, I got fouled. With the Spurs, it’s something I’m used to doing it.”
It’s still a meaningless game between two bad teams in April, but we’re going to let Flip take it from here:
“No matter what happens, the next day we come to practice and our guys have a good attitude, and they come with a workmanlike attitude, and I give credit to our assistant coaches because they’re out there to work with the guys. We haven’t stopped no matter what as far as our individual development with these players, working with them individually, playing 3-on-3 basketball. And we’re starting to see the results. Would we have liked to have seen them earlier? Yeah. But we haven’t, but we’re seeing those results and I think a combination of that, a combination of getting playing time, and a combination of knowing there’s not guys breathing down their throats at times. We got a guy in O that’s – he was playing in the NBDL two weeks ago. Now he’s starting and playing 30 minutes and being very productive. He’s not playing like there’s someone behind him. He’s playing like he’s chasing somebody, like he’s hungry. I think our guys are playing like that right now, and I think that’s a positive.”
