My Wizards Optimism Rides On Tonight's Game

Defying all reason -- no Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, an ugly game-one loss, facing Lebron in the playoffs -- I am still optimistic about the Wizards chances in this series.

Not "I think they're going to win" optimistic ... more like "I think they can win" optimistic, which is better than they're getting from most people.

For three quarters on Sunday Cleveland looked like crap. They failed to pull away from the Wizards, who seemed to botch every open, in-tight look that was giftwrapped for them by the Cavs' defense. Cleveland did pull away in the fourth and ended up winning by 15, but the game made me more confident that the Wizards can steal an early win in this series and keep themselves in it.

Unfortunately, an "early win" means tonight.

The task of any road team in a seven-game playoff series is to take one of first two games in the other team's building to wrestle away home court/field/rink advantage, so for the Wizards tonight is their opportunity. Their only opportunity.

It would be especially big because it would ensure that the series will get to at least a fifth game, which could be long enough to get Butler back in the lineup.

Caron had his cast removed on Monday but is supposed to avoid contact for a week to 10 days. Even on an ambitious schedule there's almost no way he's cleared to play in game four on April 30, but Caron prides himself on his toughness -- or is that tuffness? -- and based on no inside information or real facts at all I wouldn't rule out a game five or game six return even though Eddie Jordan apparently has.

And it's that type of irrational hope that sums up my optimism. If the Wiz can eek out a win in C-town tonight then win one of their two home games, they could get Butler back with the series not yet out of reach.

But if they lose tonight you can kiss all that goodbye and I'll start posting about the Orioles again.
 

Could Wizards Turn Tough Breaks Into Inspiring Run?

It looks bad for the Wizards, I know, but part of me feels like the injuries were what they needed to start playing like a team (and I know Jshuane Melton, Wizards beat writer at DC Sports Box, agrees).

Maybe it didn't need to be quite as bad as what they got, but in the last two-plus weeks, the Wizards have rallied around each other and started playing good team ball.

Image from CBC.ca

The results haven't shown up in the standings, but they've played admirably despite the absence of their all-stars.

The only blowout loss the Wizards took with both Arenas and Butler out was Sunday against Chicago.

Other than that, the Wiz fell to Charlotte by eight (in the game Arenas was injured in), Cleveland by five, New Jersey by six (in overtime) and then four, Miami by three and Orlando by six.

They're losses, but they're solid efforts and they're enough to give the most ridiculous of optimists (me) some hope.

There was so much optimism before April 1. Then things started going wrong.

The Wizards won that night in Milwaukee to get to 39-33 but all-star Caron Butler fractures his hand and is done for the regular season. The Wiz get embarrassed in their next game, April at Charlotte. Trying to regroup without Butler, the Wizards lose to Charlotte again on April 4 at Verizon Center, but Gilbert Arenas' torn knee ligament is more of a crushing blow than the final score.

The Wizards have lost eight of nine going into tonight's regular season finale, and only a win against lottery-bound Indiana will get them to the break-even point.

Tonight's results will decide where the Wizards will be seeded going into the playoffs and who they will face in round one:

Image from washingtonpost.com

A loss tonight coupled with an Orlando win over Miami would drop the Wizards to the eighth and final playoff spot and pit them against Detroit in the first round.

However, if the Wizards win tonight and the Nets lose to the Bulls, the Wizards get sixth place and would face Toronto, the Atlantic Division champs.

If all stays as is, the Wizards would take on the second seed Bulls, and we all saw how that went on Sunday.

Unfortunately, Arenas' only shot at a return is if the Wiz make the finals. Butler's situation is slightly better -- he targets a possible second-round return -- but the team has to get there first.

As easy as it is to say, "They suck, they've lost their all-stars, they'll play the minimum," I'm not quite ready to write them off.

After Arenas went down, Jamison stepped up huge in the first four games. He recorded double-doubles in each and averaged almost 29 points. Then he stumbled for the next three games, averaging under eight points per game. Wearing down from trying to carry the team, perhaps? I would have thought, but then he broke out for 48 points on the Magic last night.

Jarvis Hayes has also stepped up, getting into double digits in scoring in all but one of the past eight games, including 29 at New Jersey and 20 at Atlanta.

Is there realistic hope that the Wiz can pull off a shocking upset over either Chicago or Detroit? Probably not. Jamison would have to score 40 every night and Hayes would have to shoot approximately 100 percent from the field.

But Toronto's a different story. They get a third seed by default for winning the Atlantic Divison, which is probably the worst division in the NBA this year.

I take that back. There's no probably about it.

I like the Wizards chances against Toronto. Not that I'd put money on it, but out of the three available opponents that's the one that that the Wiz could most likely beat. (And I know Juan Dixon wants to face Washington, but I'm not particularly offended. Who wouldn't? If Shaq and Dwyane Wade were both hurt everyone would want to face Miami.)

If they go into the playoffs playing the kind of team basketball they've been playing lately, the Wiz might just make it out of the first round. Then if Butler really does return, who knows what could happen?

At the very least, here's rooting for a great story.

Gilbert Arenas Will Start In The All-Star Game

Gilbert Arenas won't have to rely on an injury to another player to get into the NBA All-Star Game this year. He'll be starting.

Arenas received the second-most votes among Eastern Conference guards, behind only Dwyane Wade.

ESPN.com reported that Arenas trailed New Jersey's Vince Carter by over 200,000 votes just 10 days before the voting ended, but rallied to beat Carter by just over 3,000 votes -- the fourth-closest margin in NBA All-Star history.

People must really like the dunk contest, because how anyone could pick Carter over Arenas this season is beyond me.

Also, it's nice to see that no one heeded my request NOT to vote for Shaquille O'Neal, he of only five games played this season. Yep ... he'll be an All-Star starter, too.

Here's Gilbert's thoughts on being voted a starter:


Now what is he going to use for motivation against the league's coaches? I'm sure he'll find something...

The Wizards play the Pistons in Detroit tonight at 8 on Comcast SportsNet. The game will also be shown nationally on ESPN.

Caron Butler Disses Gilbert Arenas, Picks Steve Nash as MVP

When you have mad street cred like I do, you can use post titles that include words like "disses" and "mad street cred" without looking like a complete poser nerd. OK maybe not.

Caron Butler was on the Jim Rome Show today, and after they talked a little about the absolute beating that the Suns laid on the Wizards last night, Rome asked if Steve Nash is the MVP this year. Caron Butler said he thinks so. (I don't have a link or anything, but trust me that it was said on the radio.)

Image from TSN.ca

I didn't think twice about it until I realized the implication Butler was making with that response: Caron apparently thinks his teammate Gilbert Arenas is not the MVP.

I have to think Gil is going to give "Tough Juice" some hell for that in the locker room.

You've got to go with your teammates when people ask these kinds of questions. When Jerry Stackhouse came on later in the show, he picked teammate Dirk Nowitzki. When a fan asked Alex Ovechkin who the best goalie in the NHL and the world is during a washingtonpost.com chat today, Ovie said, "Kolzig. I'm glad I don't have to play him."

Way to cover your ass, Alex. Caron, take notes.

Arenas has my vote even if he doesn't have Caron's.

Yeah, Nash has won it the last two years and he's averaging a double-double this year, but Arenas averages 10.2 more points per game and he's the leader on a less-talented team. (Caron and Antawn Jamison are good but Nash has five teammates who average double-digit points, including a powerful post presence in Amare Stoudemire.)

If the Wizards win their division -- and certainly if they come in first in the Eastern Conference -- Arenas deserves serious MVP consideration.

Quality Shots

I don't know what the best part of this video is, the Arenas buzzer-beating three-pointer from the parking lot to win the game, or the fact that this YouTuber just held a camera up to his TV and that you can even see that he's watching the Sugar Bowl on the picture-in-picture.

The D.C. Sports Bog had some great postgame coverage that shows how a good reporter writing in blog style can be way funnier than what they can actually put in the game recap. I especially like Brendan Haywood's Double Dribble reference, if only because Double Dribble was the basketball equivalent to Blades of Steel.

For me, the best part of this shot was that I was actually watching the game. How bittersweet is it to wake up and only see the day-after highlights of some amazing local game?

I missed Alex Ovechkin's "The Goal," and even though it's still "simply sensational" ('sup Joe Beninati?) in highlights, it sucks to sit there wondering why in the world you missed watching it on live TV.

When someone IMs me at 9:30 p.m. with a "DID YOU SEE THAT!?!?!" there's nothing worse than having to say, "uhh ... what?"

With Arenas' shot, I would have been able to say, "HELL YES I SAW THAT ZOMG!!!!!!1111one"

If only I had any friends to IM me ... maybe I would if I stopped saying "ZOMG."

Gilbert Arenas Goes Off On Another Western Conference Opponent

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Just five days after shoving 60 points in Kobe Bryant's face in an overtime win in Los Angeles, Gilbert Arenas a.k.a. Agent Zero a.k.a. HIBACHI! went for 54 points in an overtime win over Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns.

The win, by the way, snapped the Suns' 15-game winning streak. Take that you scrawny, round-bacon eating chump.

The 144-139 OT win was the Wizards' 10th in 13 games, bringing their record for the season to 14-12.

Caron Butler added 34 points of his own and Antawn Jamison scored 15, giving the "big three" a grand total of 103 points. That'll do.

The one thing I took away from the game, though, is that I REALLY want to see a seven-game series involving the Suns and the Wizards. Could you imaging a series where 250 points are scored every night? Don't blink, you might miss 20 points ... by one team.

Talk about entertaining basketball. I got tired just watching it.

The Wizards are off until the day after Christmas when they take on Memphis at Verizon Center at 7 p.m.

Arenas Scores 60 On Kobe ... Is He The Biggest Thing In Area Sports?

This area is dominated by Redskins coverage, so normally you'd think the most famous Redskin is instantly the biggest local sports star.

But a couple weeks ago, Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas released his signature Adidas shoe. Then "Agent 0" shirts started popping up all over the place (I want one). And then last night he busted 60 points on Kobe Bryant in L.A.

Who is the biggest star in the Beltway Sports world? Gilbert Arenas (Wizards) Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) Ray Lewis (Ravens) Steve McNair (Ravens) Joe Gibbs (Redskins) Clinton Portis (Redskins) Sean Taylor (Redskins) Miguel Tejada (Orioles) Umm ... Nick Johnson? (Nationals)    Free polls from Pollhost.com

So that got me thinking: Who is the biggest star in the Beltway Sports world?

My first task was to narrow it down to one player per team. Much like Michigan coming in second in the Big Ten and still thinking they should have been in the national championship game, how can you be the biggest star in the area if you're not the biggest star on your own team?

I then decided that, since football is the king of American sports at the moment, the NFL teams could each have one defensive and one offensive representative in the poll.

So here's who I came up with:

*Gilbert Arenas (Wizards) - The shoes, the shirts, the scoring prowess ... Gil's even got the craziness that leads one to give an opposing coach the finger (times two) and get an elaborate system set up in one's house so that one can train and live in higher altitude conditions for better stamina. It seemed like Arenas spent the offseason making a name for himself as a personality, and now he's proving again that he's one of the best players in the NBA. Yet he wasn't going to be an all-star last year until Jermaine O'Neal got hurt, and Coach Rat Face Krzyzewski supposedly would have cut Arenas from Team USA had he not "suffered a groin injury" and taken himself out of contention.

*Alexander Ovechkin (Capitals) - One of the top two or three stars in the NHL right now ... but that's like saying "one of the top two or three comics on MADtv." It's hard to be the biggest star in the area when you're on the least talked-about team (in the "big four" sports, anyway), but he won the Calder Trophy last year for the NHL's top rookie and he is currently tied for the league lead in goals with Marian Hossa and Brendan Shanahan.

*Ray Lewis (Ravens) - The guy's got an MVP award, and the only other person on this list who can say that is his teammate, Steve McNair. Unlike McNair, Ray Ray brought a Super Bowl to this area. That's something no other player on the list can say. His off-the-field issues with the law seem to be far behind him, but I think it's always somewhat limited his superstar status.

*Steve McNair (Ravens) - If you're simply going by "whose every game is scrutinized and written about the most?," McNair is probably only behind Joe Gibbs in that category. Acquiring McNair gave the Ravens instant championship credibility, but the fact that his best years were all in Tennessee may hurt his chances in this poll.

*Joe Gibbs (Redskins) - Gibbs coached the Redskins to three Super Bowls in 12 years before retiring to do NASCAR stuff, then saying he could never work for Dan Snyder, then doing just that when Danny backed the cash truck up on his front lawn. Back when Gibbs was winning Super Bowls with Mark Rypien at quarterback this probably would have been a no-brainer -- or even when Gibbs first returned in 2004 -- but now he's in the midst of his second losing season in the three years since his return.

*Clinton Portis (Redskins) - The only local star who tries harder than Arenas to propel himself into the limelight is Portis, who has made a habit of putting on wacky outfits for press interviews. This season he also made a habit of getting hurt and now Ladell Betts is making 100-yard games look easy.

*Sean Taylor (Redskins) - Like Ray Lewis, Taylor is a ferocious hitter and a defensive leader. Also like Lewis, Taylor has some serious allegations on his rap sheet.

*Miguel Tejada (Orioles) - Tejada made headlines in the 2005-2006 offseason when he asked the Orioles to ship him out of town because he was tired of losing. He later backed off, then went out and posted monster numbers for a mediocre Orioles team despite trade rumors following him all season. Miggy batted .330, hit 24 home runs and knocked in 100, but many fans thought he lacked the enthusiasm and hustle that he showed when he first came to the O's in 2004.

*Nick Johnson (Nationals) - It was hard to pick a star from the Nationals now that Alfonso Soriano signed a megadeal with the Cubs, but while rookie Ryan Zimmerman got a lot of love last year, Nick Johnson is still the Nationals' best player. His .948 OPS in 2006 was good for eighth in the National League, better than New York golden boy David Wright, better than Braves slugger Andruw Jones and, get this, better than 2006-teammate Soriano. His injury history has been a problem, though, and 2006 was the first year he missed less than 30 games.

So who do you think the local sports world revolves around the most?

I'll post the results and some thoughts later.

Wizards Face Nuggets Tonight, Caps Try To Find Support

The Wizards will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight at the Verizon Center at 7 p.m. The game is on NewsChannel 8 and "Comcast Sportsnet Plus," which for Comcast Howard County suckers ... err ... customers like me is channel 95, which comes in about as clear as George W. Bush's plan for Iraq. (See what I did there? Yeah. I could write for the Post.)

If the Nuggets wear their shiny powder blue uniforms and the Wizards wear their new shiny gold uniforms, it'll look like everyone's wearing their pajamas!

The Wiz are 9-11. The Nuggets are 12-7 and play in a much better conference.

In other Wizards news, on Monday Gilbert Arenas was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He averaged over 37 points a game in a stretch that saw the Wizards go 3-1, including their first two road wins of the season, AND he released his kickin' new shoes.

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As the Capitals look for ways to pump up home attendance, they've turned to the loud and proud D.C. United fan group, the Barra Brava.

The group's first attempt to bring their raucous soccer-fan style of cheering to the Verizon Center was the December 8 game in which the Caps were spanked, 6-1, by the NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks, and the soccerheads were met with mixed feelings from Caps fans.

Despite the complaints, they've been invited back and will try again on Tuesday, Jan. 9 when the Caps play the hated Flyers. (Seems like I've been saying "hated" a lot recently when talking about Caps opponents. I HATE THEM ALL ARGHGHHGHGHHG!!!11one)

Tickets are a discounted $19 for the yet-to-be-named section.

I think it's a good idea, because it would be great if the Caps could cultivate a group of loud and crazy fans, assuming they can keep them centralized in a set location where they won't be too annoying to the fans who bought regular tickets not expecting to be stuck next to (or in the middle of) a group of drum-bangers who stand for the whole game. It may take a while before the Caps brass figures out how to set up these nights in a way that best limits the complaints.

My (not so good) name suggestions:
The House of Representatives
The Lobbyists
Parliament

At the moment Army of the Potomac (a Civil War reference that I don't get and am too lazy to research) is getting a lot of run, but is trailing "5th Line" in the very unofficial message board poll. I like 5th Line just fine. I'd like it even better if they somehow incorporated Rod Langway's number five in the logo.

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The Terrapins men's basketball team takes on University of Missouri - Kansas City tonight. Marquee match-up if there ever was one...

Wizards Win On The Road!

Gilbert Arenas dropped 37 points the day after his new shoe went on sale, Antawn Jamison played great and the Wizards beat the Knicks by 11 to get their first road win of the season.

And a whopping 75 percent of Beltway Sports Beat voters predicted correctly and/or voted after the result was clear!

Look at these robust statistics:


Take that, ESPN SportsNation.

The Wizards look to make it two on the road when they face Allen Iverson's 76ers in Philadelphia Friday night at 8.

Wizards Snap Mavs' 12-Game Win Streak

The Wizards shot lights out last night and looked like a team that should be at the head of the pack in the weak Eastern Conference, not a 7-10 team in fourth place in their own division.

The Wiz made almost 50 percent of their shots from the floor, including over 40 percent of their three-pointers in a 106-97 win over the Mavericks last night. Washington took the lead early in the first quarter and led by 22 going into the fourth, so the game was never really as close as the 9-point difference indicates.

At times both Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood looked like real NBA centers, combining for 21 rebounds.

The Mavericks came into the game having won 12 in a row dating back almost a month (and after starting the season 0-4).

When will the Wizards win their first road game this season? In New York on Wednesday. In Philadelphia on Friday. Sometime on the four-game road trip from Dec. 17 - 22. At Charlotte on the 27th or at Milwaukee on the 30th. 2007.    Free polls from Pollhost.com

Washington is now 7-2 at home and 0-8 on the road, which is an excellent opportunity to do the first ever poll in Beltway Sports Beat history!

So will they parlay that big win over the Mavs into the momentum to get back toward .500, or will they go in typical Wizards fashion and suffer a let-down loss just when you think they're getting back on track?

Personally, I have faith that the Wiz can beat the Knicks in Madison Square tomorrow.

For what it's worth, at the moment Gilbert Arenas is tied with Kobe Bryant for eighth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.1 per game.

Gil averages 33.7 points at home and just 17.6 on the road. Talk about a dropoff...

(By the way, the NBA has a great page for statheads here. If you ever need to know how players rank when it comes to free throw shooting on three days rest, that's the place to go.)

Wednesday night's game is at 7:30 on Comcast Sportsnet. How it's going to compete in the local ratings with that crucial University of Maryland men's basketball match-up against Fordham, I have no idea.

Terps 8-0, Caps and Wizards End Skids

I don't know what happened last night, but all the planets must have aligned just right because all three local teams playing won their games!

The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team held off Illinois for a 72-66 win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, despite being without surprise senior standout Ikene Ibekwe. The Terps led by as much as 15 in the first half but watched their lead dwindle while they couldn't get anything going for much of the latter three-fourths of the game on offense.

Freshman guard Greivis Vasquez provided the spark for the Terps, who are now 8-0 and will get another test when they face Notre Dame at the Verizon Center in the BB&T Classic on Sunday.

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The Capitals snapped their six game slide with a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay. The Lightning chucked 50 shots on Olie Kolzig, but he stopped 48 of them and the Caps took the win.

Alexander Semin scored a goal and added an assist in his first game back after missing four games with a shoulder injury. Alex Ovechkin scored an empty netter for his 16th goal of the season.

The Caps host the Dallas Stars tomorrow in a game that will feature the return of native son and former Caps captain Jeff Halpern. Elliot of Elliot in the Morning says the fans should boo Halpern to acknowledge him, but I think the fans will give him a nice round of applause.

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The Wizards managed to snap their four game skid with a 96-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards were tied with just over a minute left in the game, but they managed to pull out the victory despite Gilbert Arenas getting called for charging twice in the last 90 seconds.

Caron Butler went 15-for-15 from the free throw line, including the conversion of a three-point play to put the Wizards up 96-93, which was enough for the win.

The Wizards hope to build on the victory on Friday when they host Charlotte.