It has been a little less than five and a half weeks since Andray Blatche returned to action after sitting out all summer with a broken bone in his right foot. But to Blatche, time away remains more important than how long he has been healthy.
“It’s been four months,” Blatche said this week. “I haven’t been on the court for four months, so that’s tough. I lost some of my rhythm, and I’m still trying to gain it back. I’m taking it one game at a time, but once I get it I’m going to be back to the same player I was last season.”
On the face of it, Blatche’s 23 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s overtime victory against Philadelphia seem to indicate that he’s getting close, given the numbers look nearly identical to what he averaged after the All-Star break last season (22.1 points, 8.3 rebounds). But they also came despite 12 missed shots on 17 attempts — including seven of his first nine — and six turnovers, symptoms of rustiness during his layoff.
“He’s still got to get in better condition,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. “I’ve talked to him a lot, and I say the main thing is you never want to let conditioning diminish your talents.”
It’s familiar refrain for the sixth-year forward, who always has been blessed with a dazzling array of moves around the basket. Getting him to rely on them, not his jump shot, was a challenge even before he got injured. A $35 million contract extension signed in September provided extra incentive, and Blatche has done as much extra fitness work as a regular-season schedule allows. There’s still plenty to be done.
“What happens is when he gets a little bit tired, he starts floating, not staying around the paint,” Saunders said. “Sometimes he gets paint repellent, and we gotta get him where he stays in that paint down there because he’s too good a player down there.”
Saunders showed his faith by drawing up a play for Blatche at the end of the 76ers game. Despite a dubious groan from a Verizon Center crowd that watched him turn the ball over three times in overtime, Blatche went hard to the basket and at Elton Brand, drawing contact that fouled out the Sixers forward. He made both of his game-winning free throws, completing a 13-for-14 effort at the line.
“When he does that he’s going to be tough,” Wizards guard Kirk Hinrich said. “Obviously, he’s very skilled. He can make jumpers. But when he puts the pressure on the defense, he really puts teams in a bind.”
