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Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard/forward Josh Howard has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season.
Howard suffered the injury in last night’s game vs. Chicago at the 4:23 mark of the first quarter.
In four games (three starts) for Washington this season, Howard averaged 14.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
No timetable has been announced for Howard’s recovery.
Eddie Sefko, special to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, reports:
Josh Howard’s exit from the Dallas Mavericks went from amicable to a bit testy after he made his debut in Washington on Wednesday night.
Howard said after his first game as a Wizard — he was 5-of-14 from the field with 14 points and one rebound in 27 minutes — that he looks forward to being able to “stick it to the Mavs” regarding the trade after six-plus seasons in Dallas.
The Mavericks took the high road, with owner Mark Cuban saying only, “I wish Josh nothing but the best.”
The juicy piece of irony is that Howard ended up in Washington, which may well have been the site where he had the beginning of the end, according to several Maverick sources.
They say Howard had a long night of partying on Jan. 19, the night after the Mavericks had won in Boston and less than 24 hours before playing the Wizards.
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired a protected 2010 second-round draft pick from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for guard/forward Dominic McGuire and cash considerations.
“This trade continues the process of putting us in a more positive financial position,” said Grunfeld.
McGuire was initially acquired by Washington with the 47th overall pick in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft. In 190 career games (58 starts) with Washington, McGuire has averaged 2.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game.
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Forward Caron Butler is having a rough year on the struggling Washington Wizards. And forward Josh Howard is having an even rougher year on the very solid Dallas Mavericks. Both players could use a change of scenery, and that’s reportedly going to happen tonight.
UPDATE: The trade is official. Click here.
According to at least four media outlets, including the Washington Post (Michael Lee), the Mavericks will trade Howard, forward/center Drew Gooden, guard Quinton Ross and forward James Singleton to the Wizards for Butler, center Brendan Haywood and guard DeShawn Stevenson.
Howard this season is averaging just 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 40.1% shooting in 26.7 minutes per game. His role on the Mavs has been in decline.
Butler averages 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.45 steals on 42.2% shooting in 39.4 minutes per game.
In the view of InsideHoops.com, this seems like a good deal for both teams. Butler gets to join a winning team he can contribute to, though he’ll be asked to be more of a role player than he may be used to. And Howard gains more responsibility, something that may do him good.
The most important player in this trade other than those two guys is Haywood, a solid center having a good season. He should definitely help Dallas.
More coming tonight when the deal actually becomes official.
Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports (via blog):
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Caron Butler’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors for almost a year, and the talk has only intensified with the Feb. 18 trade deadline less than two weeks away. He’s been rumored to be headed to Dallas, to Houston, to the Los Angeles Clippers, to New Jersey, to Portland, to Phoenix.
“I’m popular,” Butler said with a smile after scoring a season-high 31 points, including the game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining, against the Orlando Magic on Friday. “I’ve always been a popular kid, since middle school, I’ve been bigger than everybody. I’m very popular right now.”
Butler has had a disappointing season, with him struggling to develop chemistry with Gilbert Arenas, looking uncomfortable in Flip Saunders’s offense and upset over his role within it. Throw in Arenas’s season-ending suspension and his continued troubles to adjust and it was easy to see that he was unhappy and this season couldn’t end soon enough for him. He never complained publicly, but the worn expression on his face said it all.
The National Basketball Association game scheduled for this evening between the Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center has been postponed due to severe weather conditions in the Washington, D.C. area.
As a result of those conditions, neither the Hawks nor Wizards were able to fly to Washington after their respective games last night. The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.
FEB. 8 UPDATE: THE GAME IS RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 11
The National Basketball Association announced today the rescheduling of the Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards game that was postponed on Saturday, Feb. 6. The Hawks and Wizards will make up that game on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
WIZARDS TICKET EXCHANGE PROCEDURE:
Patrons holding tickets for tonight’s postponed game vs. the Hawks can hold onto those tickets and use them for the rescheduled game, which has yet to be scheduled by the NBA. Details of that game will be announced at a later date.
Patrons can also take their tickets for the Wizards vs. Atlanta game (2/6/10) to the Verizon Center Box Office and redeem their ticket for a ticket to the Wizards vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game on Wednesday, February 17th at 7:00 pm. There will be no service charges added.
Wizards planholders can also exchange their tickets at the Verizon Center Box Office for the Minnesota game on February 17th, or redeem their tickets for one of the pre-selected planholder exchange games listed in their planholder on-line guide. No service charges will be added.
Patrons still holding unused tickets for the game vs. the New York Knicks that was played on January 30th, who were unable to attend that game due to the inclement weather, can also turn in their unused tickets for the game vs. Minnesota on February 17th. No service charges will be added.
Wednesday night in New York the Knicks hosted the Washington Wizards. Below are raw, totally unedited game notes taken live from Madison Square Garden as the action happened.
PREGAME
No Caron Butler tonight for the Washington Wizards.
Wizards starters: Randy Foye and DeShawn Stevenson at guard, Mike Miller and Antawn Jamison at forward, and Brendan Haywood at center.
Knicks starters: Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler at guard, Danilo Gallinari and Jared Jeffries at forward, and David Lee at center.
FIRST QUARTER
David Lee is off to a red-hot start, scoring buckets in a hurry, and not forcing it. He’s 5-for-5, 10 points.
with 4:10 to go in first quarter, Wizards 12, Knicks 11
Antawn Jamison still plays with his right shoulder bandaged up. Teammate Mike Miller wears a t-shirt with the left sleeve in tact, right sleeve gone.
Nate Robinson is doing his thing and wasting lots of time with the ball, something that drives coach Mike D’Antoni nuts.
At 1:41, little tiny Earl Boykins came in for the Wizards. Some lucky fan should get to win him after the game.
Larry Hughes is in the game. He’s on the Knicks, in case you forgot. And he just swooped at the rim, attacking the paint from the side, flipping in a nice shot.
The Knicks City Dancers, also known as my future wives, are dancing to one of the most eternal dance songs ever, “It Takes Two” by Rob Base.
End of first quarter: Knicks 22, Wizards 22. Lee had 10 points, three rebounds. Robinson scored five off the bench. For the Wizards, Brendan Haywood had six points, six rebounds. And Nick Young scored six off the bench.
SECOND QUARTER
The crazy hops of Nasty Nate do come in handy sometimes. Al Harrington missed a wide open three-pointer from atop the key, and Robinson’s hustle kept it alive for New York. And a few plays later he busts down the middle for an uncontested layup, tying the game at 26 with 9:10 left in the quarter.
Ashlee Simpson (with black-dyed hair) and rock star Pete Wentz are sitting courtside. Wenz is the bass player of Fall Out Boy, who earlier today confirmed that the band has broken up.
At 6:30, Andray Blatche had the ball inside, was swarmed with defenders, shot anyway, but put it in. Next play, he caught the ball on the baseline, and with a defender in his face forced a tough shot that hit the side of the backboard.
Nate Robinson vs Earl Boykins reminds me of those fan baby-races that used to take place during timeouts in past seasons.
HALFTIME: Wizards 45, Knicks 41. Nick Young had 12 off the bench. Blatche had eight off the bench. Miller scored seven. For the Knicks, Lee had 10 with five rebounds and three assists. Robinson off the bench scored nine with three assists.
THIRD QUARTER
Robinson still on court for the Knicks, with Chris Duhon, who at this point barely looks like he’s ever played basketball, on the bench.
Brendan Haywood is tossing in some awkward-looking, running, fadeaway jump-hook type shots in the paint, putting the Wizards up 53-47.
David Lee continues to show he can hit open or semi-contested baseline jumpers. Which is good. Forgive me for that bold declaration, but I stand by it.
Robinson and Lee continue to lead the way for New York, who lead by four with 3 minutes left in the quarter.
At the 2:24 timeout, the Knicks City Dancers returned, shaking it to “Hey Mickey.” Bless their souls.
With a minute left, Blatche showed he’s more nimble than players at his size should be, taking his man off the dribble and attacking the rim for a short runner.
End of third quarter: Knicks 72, Wizards 65.
FOURTH QUARTER
It’s Boykins against Robinson again. If you combine them, they add up to Tayshaun Prince.
The Wizards have life, but the Knicks continue to go on little mini-runs to keep their lead up around eight or 10. A Robinson layup makes it 84-74 Knicks with 8:16 left.
Even against the lowly Wizards, Knicks fans get up and make loud noise in this building, especially in the fourth.
I don’t like several of Jamison’s shot choices in this game. He has just nine points and five rebounds. Partial credit goes to the defense of Jared Jeffries.
At 5:26 Robinson made a great defensive play, saving a layup by stripping Randy Foye right at the rim on a fast break. A Knicks bucket then made it 90-79 around 5:00.
Gallinari sticks a three from the left elbow despite his feet not being completely set, giving him 12 points.
Foye and Jamison sure take a lot of contested shots.
The Knicks go nuts. The Wizards fall flat. At 2:39 a Lee bucket puts the knicks up 97-81. It’s a wrap. During the timeout, fans flock to the exits, rushing home to read InsideHoops.com.
“Everybody dance now!” by C&C Music Factory blasts, as the remaining fans cheer and dance in the hope of being shown on the arena’s big screen above centercourt.
FINAL SCORE: Knicks 107, Wizards 85.
Robinson had 23 points (10-of-15), six rebounds and eight assists. Lee had 22 points (10-of-18), 10 rebounds and six assists. Gallinari scored 15 with nine rebounds. Al Harrington added 12. And Larry Hughes, receiving almost 18 minutes, scored 11.
For the Wizards (just 5-of-20 three-pointers), six players scored double-digits, but as for assists, Boykins had six, but no one else had more than two. There just wasn’t much teamwork from Washington.
After the game, Wizards players cleared out of the locker room super-quickly. Only Jamison, Haywood and select few others stuck around for reporters to talk to.
Jamison in particular sounded extremely dejected.
Rough time for the Wiz.
MAIN LESSON OF THIS GAME
As flawed as Robinson’s game often is, he’s probably more useful on the floor than Duhon is right now.
ESPN.com reports:
Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton has elected not to appeal the season-long suspension he received from NBA commissioner David Stern.
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Gilbert Arenas and Crittenton both received suspensions without pay for the rest of the regular season last Wednesday in the wake of the December gun incident in the Wizards’ locker room that rocked the entire league.
Both players admitted bringing a gun into the locker room after a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight, violating a provision added to the collective bargaining agreement in 2005.
Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com reports:
There is no NBA rule prohibiting a team from trading a suspended player, meaning the Wizards could throw in Crittenton’s expiring $1.48 million contract to make the salaries match in a trade involving any of their other players.
The acquiring team would then presumably waive Crittenton, and he would be free to ply his trade in Europe or elsewhere overseas after he cleared waivers. (Unlike drug suspensions, a conduct suspension cannot be used as grounds to prevent a player from getting the official letter of clearance needed to play in a FIBA sanctioned league.)
National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:
“The NBA has conducted a thorough investigation of events relating to this matter.
“It is not disputed that, following an argument on the team’s flight home from a game in Phoenix, both Mr. Arenas and Mr. Crittenton brought guns to the Verizon Center locker room and – with other players and team personnel present or nearby – displayed them to one another in a continuation of their dispute. The players engaged in this conduct despite a specific rule set forth in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibiting players from possessing a weapon at an NBA facility, and reminders of this prohibition given annually by the NBA to players both in writing and in person.
“The issue here is not about the legal ownership and possession of guns, either in one’s home or elsewhere. It is about possession of guns in the NBA workplace, which will not be tolerated.
“I have met separately with Mr. Arenas and with Mr. Crittenton. Both have expressed remorse for their actions and an understanding of the seriousness of their transgressions. Both have volunteered to engage in community service in order to turn the lessons they have learned into an educational message for others. I accept fully the sincerity of their expressions of regret and intent to create something positive from this incident.
“Nevertheless, there is no justification for their conduct. Accordingly, I am today converting Mr. Arenas’ indefinite suspension without pay to a suspension without pay for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, and am also suspending Mr. Crittenton without pay, effective immediately, for the remainder of the 2009-10 season.”
The AP reports:
Four players have been fined $10,000 (U.S.) apiece for making fun of a serious situation. Coach Flip Saunders has banned gambling on the team plane and has told his story to law enforcement officials. Some of his players are doing the same.
The team is doing its best to remove all traces of Gilbert Arenas from the Verizon Center, the place where he infamously brought some guns to work.
It’s no fun being a member of the Washington Wizards.
“It was foolish, stupid, immature,” said guard Randy Foye, one of the four players fined Friday night, “but I’ve got to be a man and accept my penalty and I apologize to the fans and the organization for behaving in that manner.”