With a microphone clipped to his shirt because the final practice of Washington Wizards training camp was aired live on NBA TV, head coach Flip Saunders kept his closing message for his players short and sweet. He reminded them to get some rest and of the time of morning shootaround ahead of Tuesday’s preseason opener against Memphis, which will also be his first game on the Wizards sideline.
Saunders did allow Mike Miller to say the last word — “hard work” — a gesture that was perhaps as good an indication as any that the new addition might make his first Wizards appearance in a starting role alongside Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood.
The game also is set to mark the debuts of Randy Foye and Fabricio Oberto, but Oberto’s status is uncertain after being sidelined by a hamstring injury over the weekend. He returned to full participation on Monday, while Javaris Crittenton was the only Washington player kept out due to a foot injury.
The rotation of the deep Wizards roster has preoccupied players’ minds — likely more so than their first encounter this fall with replacement referees — and Saunders said over the weekend that he reassured them of his plans.
“In every game, nine and 10 are going to play,” said Saunders. “There are going to be more spot-type guys that are going to play maybe 10 minutes, not play major minutes. I told our guys, I don’t want anyone thinking that there’s just going to be eight or nine guys playing.”
On Monday, Foye primarily worked as a backup point guard behind Arenas. Miller and DeShawn Stevenson split the majority of the work at shooting guard with the first unit.
“You have a team that might bring Allen Iverson off the bench to play the two,” said Saunders. “You might be a better situation where you have you’re better defender, like a DeShawn, matched up with him coming off the bench at the two guard.”
