Jamison looks better
Antawn Jamison is already the second Washington Wizards starter to get injured this year — and there’s still more than a week to go before the regular season begins. But for now, the All-Star forward is the solo starter on the sideline, as center Brendan Haywood is expected to return on Monday at Atlanta after missing three games with a sprained right ankle.
Jamison was shelved for the final three preseason contests after dislocating his right shoulder last week in Cleveland, but on Sunday he seemed in good spirits and wasn’t favoring his arm as he left practice at Verizon Center. Jamison will travel with the team for road games against the Hawks on Monday and Philadelphia on Tuesday.
“He’s good. He’s able to lift his arm,” said Wizards head coach Flip Saunders. “He’s made a lot of progress the last three days. We’ll see when he gets it looked at again. We just want to make sure to get it right the first time. You don’t want to take a chance on things.”
With Jamison out, Andray Blatche will make his second consecutive start of the preseason, rounding out a first five that includes Haywood, Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller and Caron Butler.
“Having Brendan back, now that’s out of the way,” said Butler. “I think it’s important to get Antawn back but right now I think it’s important for some of the guys to step up, particularly Andray, and he knows that. He’s going to fill that void, him and [Fabricio] Oberto.”
Blatche is the Wizards’ leading rebounder (7.6 per game) and fourth-leading scorer (12.2 points per game) after five preseason games. Even with Jamison in the lineup, Blatche has played significant minutes as he tries to solidify his status as the first option off the bench at power forward.
“I feel I’ve been showing a lot more consistency,” said Blatche, who had 16 points and 8 rebounds against the Cavaliers. “I feel like I showed a little bit more hustle, a little bit more intensity. I’m going to try and pick it up these next couple games before the real season starts.”
