For the second straight day, Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said he knows what he wants. For the second straight day he didn’t want to make it public.
Even if he’s leaning toward starting Etan Thomas at center, as all indications seem to suggest, Jordan wanted to talk to those involved first.
“As the preseason went along, [Thomas] got better and more intense and more effective at the rim,” Jordan said. “Brendan did a good job early in the preseason and middle part. It’s just a matter of what fits.”
Thomas ended last season as the starter until an injury sidelined him most of the playoffs. He called Jordan this summer to request the competition be open.
The question is, does it matter? Both players have suffered from injuries and inconsistency in their career, which means whoever isn’t named the starter will play a crucial role regardless.
“It’s going to be by committee and it’s not just them,” Jordan said.
That’s because Michael Ruffin and Darius Songaila also will play center, depending on the situation. Both are under 6-foot-9, but offer matchup advantages with such an alignment.
The problem for Washington now is Songaila’s back injury. He originally hurt his back this summer before the World Championships while playing for the Lithuanian national team.
He aggravated the injury in a game against the United States, then re-injured it shortly into his first training camp practice with Washington.
Songaila said he had more spasms with his initial injury, but it is in the same area.
He’s taken a cortisone shot for his back, though he’s still uncertain how much time he’ll miss or whether he’ll need surgery. He clearly won’t be ready for the start of the season.
“I haven’t talked to the trainers about anything like [surgery],” he said. “They just tell me day to day what’s going on.”
Songaila has started using an Elliptical machine for about 20-30 minutes a day. But he said he still can’t bend down without pain.
“I feel a lot better than I felt a few weeks ago,” he said.
