… or How to Make Another Bad Team Look Awesome or How to Avoid Three-Game Win Streaks at All Costs.
Whatever you fancy the title of tonight’s debacle in Minnesota to be, each offers a different way to talk about the Wizards (10-18) have proven to be good at this season.
The homecoming. With some half dozen players and coaches with Timberwolves connections representing the Wizards in Minneapolis, not to mention last summer’s blockbuster trade — one that Washington was supposed to benefit from the most — Washington played down a level from the moment their 18-11 lead in the first half was erased in the blink of an eye. Of course Randy Foye should’ve played a bigger role — he was desperate to win, and win big. Perhaps focusing on him before the game was slipping away in the final moments would’ve helped him defensively, where he was a team-worst -17. As for Flip Saunders, he’s probably regretting inviting the players to his house last night. It’s no longer a Christmas to remember
The bad team wasn’t who you thought it would be. With tonight’s victory, the Wolves are 7-24. Seven wins. Corey Brewer had a career-high 27 points. Minnesota got to the line 39 times, where they scored 28 points. They beat the Wizards on the offensive glass, 19-7. They beat the Wizards in assists, 23-12. All this, and they still shot a miserable 37.4 percent from the field. It says plenty about Washington.
Still no three-game win streaks since 2007-08. The offensive rebounds and the turnovers in Minnesota aren’t new. Washington was out done, 14-1, on the offensive boards in Milwaukee, and they turned the ball over 19 times against the Bucks, one more than they did against the Wolves. Every loose ball seemed to go in Minnesota’s favor. Every poorly chosen shot seemed to be Washington’s. And if the Wizards aren’t playing well or are behind, the ball belongs to Gilbert Arenas, for better or worse. That’s what they’re living with now. And it’s worth mention, they were for better without him against Milwaukee.
At this point, it seems pretty clear that when 2010 arrives, things may be the same as they were in 2009.
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