Washington Wizards Blog – Page 47 – NBA Blog

Wizards fall to Bobcats in 2OT

A season ago, the Charlotte Bobcats were the losingest team in the history of the NBA. The Washington Wizards are trying to avoid that distinction.

The Bobcats beat the Wizards 108-106 in two overtimes on Saturday night, equaling their win total from last season in just their 12th game.

In the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, Charlotte was 7-59, the lowest winning percentage in NBA history. They’re already 7-5.

Washington was hoping to win its first game, but fell to 0-11…

Byron Mullens scored 27 points, Ramon Sessions had 20 and Ben Gordon added 19 for the Bobcats…

Martel Webster had 21 points for Washington and Nene scored 19. It was just the second game for Nene after he missed the first nine with a foot injury.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Wizards waive Jannero Pargo, sign Shaun Livingston

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Shaun Livingston.

The Wizards have also waived Jannero Pargo.

“We are obviously familiar with what Shaun brings both on and off the court based on his previous time here and we’re confident that he will be a positive addition to our team,” said Grunfeld. “His size and playmaking ability will give us more flexibility in the backcourt.”

Livingston (6-7, 175) was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of Peoria Central High School in Illinois. He appeared in 26 games (18 starts) with the Wizards in 2009-10, averaging 9.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds.

In seven seasons with Los Angeles, Miami, Oklahoma City, Washington, Charlotte and Milwaukee, the 27-year old holds career averages of 6.8 points, 3.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game while shooting .460 from the field and .778 from the line. He has appeared in 12 career playoff games (all with Los Angeles during the 2005-06 campaign), averaging 7.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 27.6 minutes.

Last season with Milwaukee, Livingston appeared in 58 games, including 27 starts, and averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per contest. He spent the 2012-13 preseason with Houston, appearing in four games and averaging 2.5 points and 3.3 assists in 13.8 minutes.

Pargo, who is now waived, appeared in seven games while averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. The Wizards roster now stands at 15.

No date for John Wall return, yet

John Wall plans to visit a doctor in Washington on Thursday to get an update on the stress injury in his left knee. Wall found out about the problem five weeks ago, when he visited orthopedic specialist David Altchek in New York and the Wizards projected that he would miss at least eight weeks.

He isn’t expected to return until close to December, and while those close to him have hoped that he could return by Nov. 30 in New York, Wall said he doesn’t have a scheduled return in his mind.

“No target at all,” Wall said, shaking his head. “No. I wish I did.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Scottie Pippen describes playing Election Day basketball with Obama

Former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen says President Barack Obama has a ”smooth game” on the basketball court.

Pippen described playing basketball with the president Tuesday afternoon in a story on the Chicago Bulls website. He played on Obama’s team in an Election Day game complete with referees and a running clock. Pippen and Obama’s team won the game.

Pippen says the president was ”very easy to approach” and says Obama isn’t an overly aggressive player, probably because he doesn’t want to get hurt.

— Reported by the Associated Press

“When he first entered the gym, if you hadn’t looked over to see him, you wouldn’t have noticed,” said Pippen of Obama. “It was surprisingly low key. He just came in and started shaking hands. He’s someone who is very easy to approach.”

It was the first time Pippen had met Obama. The connection was made through a mutual friend, Marty Nesbitt. Obama mentioned that Nesbitt thinks very highly of Pippen.

“He said it was a pleasure to meet me and that he had heard good things about me from Marty,” said Pippen. “I told him, ‘Thank you and I wish you well tonight. But if you want to be a winner this afternoon, you better play with me.’”

— Reported by Adam Fluck of Bulls.com

“We kind of blew them out,” said Pippen. “It should have been worse but we started messing around at the end. The game was close for awhile, but in the third quarter we opened it up. They tried to get back in it in the fourth, but we kept expanding the lead. It was a good game, fun and competitive.”

The Election Day games began when Obama played on the day he won the Iowa caucuses in 2008. They became tradition after he lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton on a day in which Obama did not play basketball.

Other participants in this year’s edition included former Bulls guard Randy Brown, currently the team’s Special Assistant to the General Manager, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

— Reported by Adam Fluck of Bulls.com

President Obama will play basketball on Election Day

The president will observe his most time-honored Election Day ritual.

Former White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who has joined the campaign on its final day to travel with President Obama, said his former boss sent an e-mail to his former personal aide, Reggie Love, to start organizing his regular pickup basketball game in Chicago for Tuesday.

Love is a former Duke University basketball player and regular hoops buddy of Obama’s, as is Chicago pal Martin Nesbitt, who has been traveling with Obama this week. The president will return to Chicago late Monday night to spend election day in his home town.

— Reported by David Nakamura of the Washington Post

Wizards waive Brian Cook and Shelvin Mack

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived center/forward Brian Cook and guard Shelvin Mack.

Cook was originally traded to Washington along with Nene on March 15, 2012 as part of a three-team deal that sent JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver and Nick Young to the Los Angeles Clippers. He was re-signed by Washington on September 17, 2012. In 16 games with the Wizards last season, Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting .408 from the field. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in seven games during the 2012 preseason.

Mack was originally selected by Washington with the 34th overall pick in 2011 NBA Draft. In 64 games during his rookie campaign, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per contest. Mack averaged 4.1 points in eight games during the 2012 preseason.

The Wizards’ roster now stands at 15.

Wizards waive Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived guard Steven Gray and forward Shavlik Randolph.

Gray (6-4, Gonzaga) appeared in two games averaging 1.5 points in eight total minutes.

Randolph (6-10, Duke) appeared in five games averaging 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.

The Wizards roster now stands at 17.

Wizards rookie Bradley Beal tweaks ankle

The last thing the Wizards want or need these days is another injury. That much is certain given that they’re already without John Wall (left knee), Nene (plantar fasciitis) and Kevin Seraphin (right calf).

So when highly touted rookie Bradley Beal fell Monday afternoon at Verizon Center, having twisted his left ankle during five-on-five drills and yelped out in pain, a hush fell over the practice.

After being tended to by Wizards head athletic trainer Eric Waters, Beal stood and tried to shake off the pain but was walking with a noticeable limp. He headed to the locker room under his own power as practice wrapped up.

— Reported by the Washington Post (Blog)

Wizards forward Trevor Booker says he likes to get crunk

Trevor Booker climbed Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert for a putback slammed, then stared over at his bench, where his teammates hooted and hollered.

Then, just as he crossed half court, Booker stole the ball from Brandon Jennings and was sprinting down the court for another two-handed dunk. Afterward, Booker screamed and shouted loud enough for fans in half-empty Bradley Center to hear him. Again, his teammates reacted giddily.

“I like getting crunk,” Booker said of his emotional outbursts in the Wizards’ 102-94 victory over the Bucks. “That’s a part of me. That’s a part of my game. Off the court, I’m laid back. But on the court, I’m very passionate.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Gilbert Arenas may play in China

Gilbert Arenas is nearing an agreement on a one-year contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

Arenas, 30, was a three-time All-Star who averaged 20.7 points over 11 seasons for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. He was suspended for most of the 2009–10 season after bringing guns to the Wizards’ locker room. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.1 assists while playing in 17 games for Memphis last season.

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports