Washington Wizards Blog – Page 60 – NBA Blog

Fan poll results: Six East locks to make playoffs

An InsideHoops.com front page poll asking fans to predict the eight Eastern conference teams that will qualify for the 2010-11 NBA playoffs had the following results:

Celtics     2,046 votes
Heat    2,045 votes
Magic    2,011 votes
Bulls    1,985 votes
Hawks    1,886 vote
Bucks    1,658 votes
Bobcats    1,011 votes
Knicks    1,074 votes
Wizards    637 votes
Sixers    481 votes
Pistons    336 votes
Nets    333 votes
Cavaliers 333 votes
Pacers    229 votes
Raptors    173 votes

Fans felt that the six teams — the Magic, Celtics, Heat, Bulls, Hawks and Bucks — are strong locks to make the playoffs.

After those teams, the Bobcats and Knicks came in next, with the 7th and 8th highest votes.

InsideHoops.com editor says: These are some pretty fantastic results. Look at the top eight teams, in order. That’s pretty close to what an East power ranking list should look like.

Missing the playoffs but getting good support were the Wizards, receiving the 9th highest votes.

Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (12) is congratulated by teammates Rashard Lewis (L), Jameer Nelson (14) and Vince Carter (15) during overtime in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts May 24, 2010. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

NBA fines Wizards owner Ted Leonsis

The NBA has fined Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis $100,000 for unauthorized public comments regarding the league’s collective bargaining negotiations, it was announced today. Leonsis made his comments earlier today.

According to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman newspaper, “Leonsis earlier today told business leaders in Northern Virginia that he expects the league will soon have a hard salary cap.”

Wizards sign Andray Blatche to extension, exercise JaVale McGee option

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed forward/center Andray Blatche to a contract extension and has exercised its fourth-year option on center JaVale McGee. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.

“Andray and JaVale are two pieces that we feel can solidify our frontcourt for years to come and extending their contracts certainly fits in with our long-term plan of rebuilding this team with a core of young, talented players,” said Grunfeld. “Both players performed very well over the second half of last season and we’re confident that they will continue to develop and build on the potential and promise that they have shown throughout the beginning stages of their careers.”

Blatche averaged career-highs of 14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 81 games for the Wizards last season. The sixth-year big man increased his productivity in the 32 games following the All-Star break, averaging 22.1 points and 8.3 rebounds while posting five games of 30+ points and 10+ rebounds during that stretch. Blatche finished with 24 games of scoring 20+ points and 16 double-doubles on the year while leading the team in games played, minutes, field goals made & attempted, steals and free throw attempts. He has increased his scoring and rebounding averages in each of his five seasons since being acquired by the Wizards in the second round (49th overall pick) of the 2005 NBA Draft.

McGee averaged 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds last season while ranking ninth in the NBA with 1.7 blocks and first in the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes (5.01). Like Blatche, he increased his numbers after the All-Star break, averaging 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks (including 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game during the month of April). McGee, who was selected by the Wizards with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, has participated in the USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp for the past two summers and was tabbed as one of 15 finalists for the team’s 12-man roster for the 2010 World Championships.

Javaris Crittenton to try out for Bobcats

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports (via blog):

Javaris Crittenton is hoping to return to the NBA after accepting an invitation to try out for the Charlotte Bobcats in training camp, his agent Mark Bartelstein said on Tuesday.

The other half in the infamous altercation with Gilbert Arenas involving guns in a Verizon Center locker room, Crittenton is coming back after missing all of last season, with the final 38 games lost as the result of a season-ending suspension from NBA commissioner David Stern. But that embarrassing incident — which led to Crittenton receiving one year of unsupervised probation and a $1,250 fine after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in January — overshadowed the fact that the 6-foot-5 point guard was going to miss the entire year anyway because of a severe left ankle injury.

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James Singleton leaves Wizards for China

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports (via blog):

James Singleton determined that he would have more to gain (such as money and playing time) in leaving the NBA than sticking around for another shot next season. Singleton, a throw-in from the Wizards’ trade deadline deal with Dallas last February who emerged as a regular rotation player, said on Monday that he signed to play next season in China with the Xinjiang Gyang Hui Flying Tigers.

The Wizards had some interest in bringing back Singleton, an undersized but energetic, high-flying forward who averaged 6.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 32 games — including three starts — after arriving in Washington. Singleton had seven games with at least 10 rebounds, including a career-high 21-rebounds in a loss to Indiana last March.

Bobcats will reportedly sign Kwame Brown

NBA free agent Kwame Brown has reportedly found a new home.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the center has agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Michael Jordan, who recently purchased the Bobcats, drafted Brown as the #1 overall pick into the NBA back when Jordan was an executive on the Washington Wizards. Brown turned out to just be a bench player, however, and has had little impact in the league thus far.

For his career, Brown averages 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.

Full 2010 preseason schedule

The NBA today released its 2010 preseason schedule, which is highlighted by a comprehensive international slate of games that includes seven contests in China, Europe and Mexico. The preseason slate tips off on Oct. 3, when the New York Knicks visit Armani Jeans Milano – the former team of Knicks forward Danillo Gallinari and head coach Mike D’Antoni – in Milan, Italy, and the New Jersey Nets host Maccabi Haifa.

As is the case these days, the action starts overseas, with a few NBA squads heading to Europe.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about teams playing preseason ball overseas. Because generally it’s just a warmup. I think if NBA fans overseas are going to get a rare taste of live NBA action, it should be the best basketball possible, and we usually don’t see that before the regular season begins.

See the complete 2010-11 NBA preseason schedule.

Brook Lopez pulls out of world championships; replaced by McGee

The AP reports:

New Jersey center Brook Lopez, struggling to recover from a bout with mono, has withdrawn from the U.S. national team and will be replaced by Washington’s JaVale McGee.

Lopez informed USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he didn’t believe he was in good enough condition to take part in training camp next week in New York.

InsideHoops.com editor says:

Team USA is now dreadfully short on legit big-men. The squad’s current 15-man roster includes centers Tyson Chandler and McGee, and power forwards Kevin Love, Lamar Odom and Jeff Green. If Green does not make the final 12-man roster — and I had assumed he wouldn’t, though perhaps this increases his chances — the team will be very thin up front.

2010-11 Wizards preseason schedule

The Washington Wizards announced their seven-game 2010 preseason schedule today, highlighted by two preseason games at Verizon Center. After playing at Dallas (Oct. 5), Cleveland (Oct. 7) and Chicago (Oct. 8) to open the preseason schedule, the Wizards will return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on October 12 and the Milwaukee Bucks on October 14 at Verizon Center. The Wizards will conclude 2010 preseason action with games in New York against the Knicks (Oct. 17) and versus Detroit in Toledo, OH (Oct. 19) before opening the regular season on Oct. 28 at Orlando.

“We are excited for the 2010-11 season to begin, and our preseason games will allow our fans a preview of what is ahead for our team,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “The anticipated debuts of our offseason additions and the return of our veteran players give us much to look forward to as we head into the upcoming season.”

The NBA announced last night that the Wizards will open the season at Orlando in a nationally-televised game on TNT. The entire 2010-11 regular season schedule will be announced on Tuesday, August 10.

Wizards re-sign Josh Howard

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed free agent swingman Josh Howard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. It had been reported that the deal would be for one year.

“We were impressed with Josh’s versatility, how well he fit in with our team and his attitude and work ethic both before and after his unfortunate knee injury,” said Grunfeld. “His experience playing in a winning situation makes him an ideal veteran presence for us as we develop our roster of young talent.”

A former All-Star (2007), Howard holds career averages of 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 435 games (371 starts) over seven professional seasons in Dallas and Washington, including career highs of 19.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the 2007-08 season. He was originally acquired by the Mavericks in the first round (29th pick) of the 2003 Draft, and later appeared in 62 career playoff games (57 starts) for Dallas, with averages of 15.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in postseason play. Howard averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in 23 playoff games (all starts) for the Mavericks during their run to the 2006 NBA Finals.

Howard initially joined the Wizards via trade from Dallas on February 13, 2010, and appeared in four games (three starts) for Washington last season. In his first three contests as a Wizard, he averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before a knee injury on February 22nd vs. Chicago caused him to miss the final 28 games of the season.