Mike Jones of the Washington Times reports:

After missing the first nine games of the season, Wizards forward Antawn Jamison didn’t show the slightest trace of rust in his season debut against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Verizon Center.

Instead, the two-time All-Star put his struggling team on his back and carried it to a 108-91 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 20,173 fans.

Jamison picked up career double-double No. 263, recording 31 points and 10 rebounds, and helped the Wizards snap a six-game losing streak.

“Me coming back and just trying to stop the bleeding a little bit, we found a way to pull it off,” said Jamison, who made 12 of 22 shots from the field and five of six from the foul line. “Guys did a great job of staying focused for 48 minutes.

The Wizards began the season with great hope. The return of Gilbert Arenas inspired many to believe this team could return to glory of a few seasons ago. But they got off to a rocky start and have won just three of their 10 games.

With Jamison back, keep an eye on them over the next week or so and see if they become more of a force.

Share your Wizards opinions on the InsideHoops Washington Wizards forum.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Earl Boykins and waived C/F Paul Davis.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. We’ll post contract details this evening. It’s probably a very short, nonguaranteed deal.

“Earl is a proven veteran point guard who will provide us with leadership and stability off of the bench,” said Grunfeld.

Boykins has career averages of 9.4 points and 3.4 assists (2.8 to 1 assist to turnover ratio) in 520 career games over 10 NBA seasons.  Undrafted out of Eastern Michigan, Boykins has also played for New Jersey, Cleveland, Orlando, L.A. Clippers, Golden State, Denver, Milwaukee and Charlotte.  His best season as a professional came during the 2006-07 campaign when he averaged 14.6 points and 4.4 assists while shooting .898 (220-245) from the free throw line in 66 contests with Denver and Milwaukee.  Boykins played for Virtus Bologna of the Italian A League in 2008-09.

Davis appeared in two games for Washington this season and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 4.0 minutes per game.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Boykins is actually shorter than a regulation size NBA basketball. To check into a game he has to stand on top of the scorer’s table so referees even see that he’s there.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard Mike James will miss the next four to five weeks with a fracture of the fourth metacarpal on his left (non-shooting) hand.

James, who registered six points and three assists in his one appearance for the Wizards this season (11/6 at IND), sustained the injury during Saturday’s practice session.  He missed the final nine games of last season with a fractured right pinky finger.

The AP reports:

Washington Wizards guard Mike Miller sprained his left shoulder in the fourth quarter of the Wizards’ game against Miami on Wednesday night and is expected to miss seven to 10 days.

Miller first hurt the shoulder in the third quarter in a collision with the Heat’s Mario Chalmers. He immediately clutched his shoulder and was taken to the locker room.

“It felt like it came out of place, went numb,” Miller said. “That scared me more than anything.”

The AP reports:

Alan Ogg, a 7-foot-2 shotblocker who played for UAB and spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, died Sunday from complications from a staph infection, a university spokesman said. He was 42.

UAB spokesman Norm Reilly said Ogg died at UAB Hospital.

Ogg averaged around 2.2 points per game in his short NBA career.

Condolences go out to his friends and family.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has exercised their options on both guard Nick Young and center/forward JaVale McGee.  Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.

According to Mike Jones of the Washington Times, “Young, a third-year guard, will remain under contract a fourth year and will earn roughly $2.6 million. McGee, a second-year center/forward, had his contract extended a third season, and is due to earn about $1.6 million next season.”

Under the terms of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.  Young was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, while McGee was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Young averaged 9.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 157 games during his first two seasons in Washington, while McGee averaged 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 block per game as a rookie with the Wizards last season.

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports:

Reserve point guard Javaris Crittenton revealed after practice today that he had exploratory surgery last Friday on his left foot and will be out at least another month.

It was tough not to notice Crittenton, who was using crutches to walk down a hallway outside the Verizon Center practice court, his left foot carefully bandaged.

So far in his short NBA career Crittenton hasn’t made a real impression yet. He will need to make some noise in the near future if he wants to stick around in the league.

The AP reports: Finally healthy after two seasons virtually lost to knee injuries, Gilbert Arenas had 29 points and nine assists as the Wizards took an early lead over the revamped Dallas Mavericks and never let go on their way to a 102-91 victory Tuesday night… Arenas shot 10 of 21 and made 8-of-9 free throws for more points than he had all of last season… The assists included several nifty passes that set up Brendan Haywood for dunks. He also helped set up reserves Andray Blatche for 20 points and Randy Foye for 19 in his first game with the Wizards. Caron Butler added 16 points, with injured forward Antawn Jamison watching from the bench. He’s likely to miss the first eight to 13 games because of a shoulder injury… But the Mavericks fell into the old habit of trying to ride a big night by Dirk Nowitzki. He scored 34 points, but was only 10 of 25. He was 12 of 13 from the foul line—all in the first half.

Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards has been  fined  $25,000 for failing to make himself available to the media for interviews, the NBA announced today.

In addition, the Wizards organization has been fined $25,000 for failing to ensure that its players comply with NBA media interview rules.

The AP reports: Gilbert Arenas had 10 assists in 24 minutes, and the Washington Wizards beat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-92 on Tuesday night in the preseason opener for both teams. The anticipated matchup of Arenas and Allen Iverson didn’t happen. Iverson, the Hampton, Va., native whose presence helped sell out Virginia Commonwealth University’s Verizon Wireless Arena, sat out with a strained left hamstring… After the game, Arenas declined comment. “I don’t talk anymore—next training camp,” Arenas said. Antawn Jamison led Washington with 20 points. Caron Butler added 15. Mike Conley scored 12 for Memphis.

Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.

But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.

The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.

That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.

The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.

“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”

I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports: Javaris Crittenton didn’t know what to expect when he had an MRI on Friday, but he knew that the pain in his left foot had become so unbearable that he couldn’t push through any longer. After arguably his best practice this week, Crittenton was shut down for the final minutes of practice. And, after the MRI revealed what he already knew — that he had a double bone bruise and a strained tendon — Crittenton had to accept that he would be out of action for at least two weeks.

The Post continues: “It’s frustrating,” said Crittenton, who originally hurt himself playing in the Atlanta Pro Am league in late July. “I wanted to come out because it’s training camp and we got a lot of guards. We got to compete. But it’s one of those injuries, you’ve got to give it time and let it heal, because if you keep playing on it, it could be a potential surgery or it keeps nagging you throughout the season, then I can’t play. I decided to sit it out and let it heal.”

Remember the Washington Wizards? They were pretty good a while back, when Gilbert Arenas and various other key guys were fully healthy. The team has been forgotten about in recent seasons but they hope to place themselves back on the map in 2009-10.

Mike Jones of the Washington Times reports:

From new coach Flip Saunders to three-time All-Star/three-time surgery survivor Gilbert Arenas to free-agent-to-be Brendan Haywood down to aging backup point guard Mike James, every member of the Wizards has some individual criticism, fault or doubt to disprove.

But when the Wizards’ players held court during media day Monday at Verizon Center, the common theme - as cliche as it may sound - was Just win.

DeShawn Stevenson and offseason acquisitions Mike Miller and Randy Foye will compete for the starting spot at shooting guard, but all three said they’ll accept whomever Saunders chooses to start and do their part to contribute.

On paper, the Wizards should qualify for the playoffs in the East. Whether they’re a first-round-and-out team or something better remains to be seen.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Juwan Howard to a one-year contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Juwan Howard will add a wealth of experience and veteran savvy to our young, talented roster,” said Pritchard. “We look forward to Juwan’s contributions on the court and in the locker room.”

Howard (6-9, 250, Michigan) holds career averages of 14.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 1,043 games (871 starts) over a 15-year NBA career with Washington, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Houston and Charlotte.

Originally selected by Washington with the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Howard garnered All-Rookie Second Team honors in 1994-95 and earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 1995-96.

Howard averaged 17 points or more and seven-plus rebounds in each of his first five seasons in the league. He has tallied 188 career double-doubles.

Howard, 36, played three games last season for Denver and appeared in 39 contests for Charlotte. In 42 total games, Howard averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 11.2 minutes in 2008-09. He reached double figures in scoring five times.

The Chicago, Ill., native has appeared in the NBA Playoffs four times, averaging 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23 games.

A member of the “Fab Five” at the University of Michigan, Howard was named Third Team All-American in 1994 after averaging 20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in his junior season. Howard then entered the NBA Draft, becoming the first NBA player to leave school early and graduate on time.

Howard becomes the 14th player on Portland’s roster. He will wear jersey No. 6.

The Detroit Free Press reports: Kwame Brown’s mother has died. Joyce Brown, 61, was pronounced dead Monday at Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick hospital, the Florida Times-Union reported. “The preliminary investigation indicates she died of natural causes,” Glynn County (Ga.) coroner Jimmy Durden said. “There is no indication of foul play.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: The article goes on to say that she had some health problems and that there’s no indication of foul play. Anyway, all the best to Kwame and his family. I’m sorry for his loss.

The AP reports: Thirty years after the Washington Wizards became the first NBA team to visit China, veterans of the team plan a return trip to the basketball-crazed country next month. Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld, a star of the 1979 team then known as the Bullets, will be joined on the visit Sept. 5-15 by current Wizards players Caron Butler and Randy Foye, the team announced in a statement. Also joining them will be another former Bullet, towering 7-foot-7 center Gheorghe Muresan of Romania — one of the tallest men to ever play in the NBA.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I was never able to tell George Muresan and the young Denzel Washington apart. Anyway, the team will reportedly travel to Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere. Basketball remains huge in China. I’m sure the team will receive a warm welcome.

WashingtonWizards.Com: You look to be in great shape, what type of workouts have you been focusing on this summer?

Caron Butler: It’s been a combination of a lot of things. Most of the things I have been doing have been on the field. Doing a lot of dynamic work. I’ve been doing a lot of sprints and agility work. I’ve been working on my speed mechanics and getting a lot of conditioning in as well as working on my strength in the weight room. I’m getting a lot of shots up, anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 makes a day.

WashingtonWizards.Com: I have also heard that you cut out something from your diet this summer, can you talk about that and the difference it has made?

CB: Sure. I cut out soda this summer. I stopped drinking soda April 8th, I have been away from soda basically the whole summer. No mountain dew, no grape soda, just water and juices. I got a nice juicer and I’ve been mixing a whole lot of things in there and my body is feeling a lot better from not drinking the soda and sticking with just the juices.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent forward/center Fabricio Oberto.  The Washington Times reports that the deal is for one year and $1.99 million.

“Fabricio is a proven winner with extensive playoff experience,” said Grunfeld.  “He is a skilled big man and a rugged veteran that augments our frontcourt depth at both the center and power forward positions.”

Oberto (6-10, 245) has career averages of 3.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game with a .572 field goal percentage in four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.  Originally signed by San Antonio in 2005, Oberto was the starting center on the Spurs’ 2007 NBA Championship team.  A native of Argentina, Oberto has been playing professionally since 1993 and helped guide his home country to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.  Previously this summer, Oberto was traded to Detroit as a key figure in the five-player deal that sent Richard Jefferson to San Antonio (he was subsequently waived by the Pistons).

InsideHoops.com editor says: With the experience Oberto has, he makes any bench stronger and is better than most backups at the center position. Which these days isn’t saying much. Still, decent pickup.

Read NBA fan discussion and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that Head Coach Eddie Jordan has named Randy Ayers as an assistant coach.  Ayers joins a staff comprised of Associate Head Coach Mike O’Koren and Assistant Coaches Jim Lynam and Aaron McKie.

Ayers, who was head coach of the Sixers for 52 games during the 2003-04 season, previously served as an assistant coach on Jordan’s staff in Washington.  The Wizards allowed just 99.2 points per game in his first season with the team in 2007-08 after allowing 104.9 ppg the season prior.

Prior to joining the Wizards, Ayers was an assistant coach with Orlando.  In his two seasons with the Magic, Ayers helped the team lower its opponents scoring average from 101.8 ppg in 2004-05 to 96.0 ppg in 2005-06 to 94.0 ppg in 2006-07.

No stranger to Philadelphia, Ayers spent six-plus seasons as a member of the Sixers coaching staff, including the stint as head coach in 2003-04.  As the top assistant under Head Coach Larry Brown, Ayers helped guide the Sixers to five consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2001.

Ayers coaching career also includes an eight-season run as head coach at The Ohio State University, where he led the Buckeyes to four postseason appearances and back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1991 and 1992.  He was named National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press in 1991.

The Washington Wizards and WJFK-FM announced today that the new Sportsradio 106.7 The Fan will serve as the team’s flagship radio station.  Sportsradio 106.7 will air all Wizards regular season, preseason and postseason games, as well as pre-game and post-game shows before and after all Wizards broadcasts.  Dave Johnson, the longtime radio voice of the Wizards, will continue to serve as the broadcast voice for play-by-play, while Glenn Consor will once again provide analysis.

“We’re very excited to partner with WJFK and to be a part of the new Sportsradio 106.7 The Fan,” said Wizards Executive Vice President Matt Williams.  “The Fan has put together a very exciting daytime lineup, and Wizards fans will be able to follow every minute of Wizards basketball on an FM signal, a concept that has proven to be very successful with other NBA teams.  With All-Star Gilbert Arenas returning to the Wizards lineup, joining fellow All-Stars Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, this should be an exciting season to debut for Wizards games on Sportsradio 106.7 The Fan.”

“We are proud to partner with the Wizards as their flagship,” said Sam Rogers, Senior Vice President and Market Manager of CBS RADIO Washington, DC.  “We are looking forward to broadcasting the pre-season, regular season, postseason and the championship.  The Wizards are key to our success.  It is an honor to bring fans in the DC area a new outlet to discuss, analyze and listen to their favorite teams, as well as the best in local sports.  With CBS RADIO’s recent success in the FM sports arena, along with the company’s world renowned AM sports stations, Sportsradio 106.7 The Fan is poised to be the next generation of sports programming for our area.”