Young team has shown little progress
Verizon Center has been the unfortunate site of a number of collective groans this season. JaVale McGee earned the latest one in the first quarter of Washington’s loss to Orlando last week. The 7-footer picked up a loose ball a midcourt, and took off on a solo fast break that finished with him fumbling the ball out of bounds and sending the heads of his teammates and coaches disappearing into their hands.
McGee’s tendency to strap on blinders, similar to Andray Blatche’s behind-the-back dribble and Nick Young’s propensity to take the toughest shot he can find, continues to be one of many challenges the Wizards (13-37) still face in turning their young, former role players into unselfish and reliable starters.
“I think they’re all about the same,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said when asked who among the trio has progressed most this season. “Based on the fact that we’ve won 13 games, none of them, if you look at it that way.”
But the increased defensive attention that Blatche, Young and McGee have all received is at least a tacit admission that each is capable of affecting games in ways they weren’t able to before. The trick is to keep producing once the secret is out.
| Up next |
| Bucks at Wizards |
| Where » Verizon Center |
| When » Wednesday, 7 p.m. |
| TV » Comcast SportsNet |
| Wizards coach Flip Saunders ruled Yi Jianlian out of Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee (19-30) after the Chinese center missed the last two practices with a sprained left ankle. Yi and Josh Howard (sore left knee) could return to action this weekend. |
“What you have to do is find other ways in order to be effective” Saunders said. “Really, what happens is it’s learning to play without the ball, learning how to play and making your own offense at times and trying to be not as one-dimensional.”
With 12 double-doubles this season, McGee (9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game) has shown signs of toughness and presence in the post, complementing the unusual ball skills and high-flying athleticism that has earned him a spot in next weekend’s dunk contest. But even he knows that 18 assists in the 43 games he’s played doesn’t cut it.
“I think the coaches feel like I shoot more often when I get the ball because I know I’m not going to get it again,” McGee said. “So I feel like they’re getting me the ball more so I will pass it.”
Saunders has gone so far as to not allow players to dribble in drills to help facilitate more sharing of the ball.
“We’re back to almost like junior high type situations,” Saunders said. “But we have to do what we have to do to get some of those habits broken.”
