Three thoughts about the Wizards’ 94-80 loss at San Antonio on Sunday night:
The Wizards thought they had rid themselves of the one lingering obstacle to a true rebuild when they shipped Gilbert Arenas to Orlando for Rashard Lewis. But did they understand that part of what continues to hold Washington back is the guys that they committed to just before the season? How else to explain the behavior of Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee that earned them one-game suspensions for Sunday’s game at San Antonio? In the same manner that the Wizards had to weigh talent versus professionalism, attitude and upside when they decided it was time to part ways with Arenas, they are going to have to ask the same questions about Blatche and McGee, whose wild swings between great and awful hinder Washington’s ability to made consistent steps forward, and that was before they got in trouble with each other off the court.
The Wizards front office decided back in September that both of them were too important to the team’s plans in the future, especially given the labor uncertainty that threatens next season, signing Blatche to a contract extension worth $35 million and picking up McGee’s option for next season. Wizards head coach Flip Saunders then committed to them on the floor, too, sticking with both of them in the starting lineup through both highs and lows.
But Blatche’s numbers (16.8 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 42.9 percent shooting) are all off from his post-All Star break contributions last spring, and McGee’s production, which was skewed in part in November (10.1 ppg. 9.2 rpg) by a couple of huge games against Philadelphia and Detroit, has dipped to 8.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in December.
If nothing else, the way that Lewis (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Hilton Armstrong (6 points, career-high 13 rebounds) played against San Antonio made a strong argument that they deserve as much of a chance to be in the starting lineup as the guys they replaced.
The one guy the Wizards have been relying on, Nick Young, was no match for the endless ranks of shooters San Antonio deployed at the other end of the floor. Yes, one of those guys was Manu Ginobili, who was 5 for 7 from three-point range and who Young was supposed to cover. So both defense and offense were a struggle for Young (10 points), who failed to reach 20 points for the sixth consecutive game and missed both of his attempts from beyond the arc. It meant that when the Spurs hit ten 3-pointers, that would be double Washington’s mere five, four of which came from Lewis.
John Wall’s return was welcome, but that just means more rotation questions for Flip. Plus, Wall looked extremely rusty – at least, aside from his behind-the-back finger roll just before the end of the first half – and getting the always unenviable task of guarding Tony Parker (20 points, 14 assists) in his first game back after missing the last five was just piling on.
The Wizards have a chance tonight to end their futile 0-14 run away from home tonight in Houston, and they should take heart that they were again competitive on Sunday night, in particular against Tim Duncan (five points), and held their fourth-straight opponent to under 100 points, showing the kind defensive mindset that has been sorely lacking for a long time. But there always seem to be more questions than answers with the Wizards, which will ensure that the list of 2011 resolutions and wishes remains lengthy.
