Caron: The Return

Went to the Wiz-Cavs game last night that featured Caron Butler's return from injury. After sitting through any number of Wizards games featuring lackluster crowds, it was thrilling to be at a serious rivalry matchup with a packed arena and an audience prepared to really cheer and boo. Something that at least looked to Wizards fans like an egregious non-call on a three second violation even prompted clearly audible protests from the stands. It was good stuff.

Of course, the fact that the good guys won didn't hurt. I'm really hoping we can manage to get into that fifth seed in order to produce yet another Cleveland-DC playoff matchup.

Meanwhile, I note the following quasi-optimistic take on the 2007-2008 Wizards. Basically, they're about as good as the 2006-2007 edition. Given that this year we haven't had the services of Gilbert Arenas, some pundits have taken to talking about how the greater ball-sharing, etc., that the current squad offers makes them actually more effective without Gil. In reality, this year's team scores 107.9 points per 100 possessions (11th in the league) whereas last year's version scored 110.1; the reason the results have been similar is that the defense went from yielding 110.6 points per hundred to giving up only 108.2 per hundred. If Gilbert can come back and restore the offense to its former glory while the defense stays in touch with the skills it's learned this year, the team can graduate from "mediocre" to "prettty good."

Comments

The NBA, The Wire, Barack Obama: Matt's three obsessions. Is there a connection here?

Posted by Harry | March 14, 2008 11:26 AM

It bears mentioning that the Cavs are not playing very well at the moment. They have a number of guys out with injury - their second and third best players (Z and Boobie). Pavlovic just came back from injury (although I see he played well last night), and Szczerbiak is playing horribly. Indeed, the Cavs lost in New Jersey just the night before. At this point, it really is LeBron and a bunch of scrubs out there, and if you are able to contain LBJ, you should be OK. (Heck, even if you don't contain LBJ - the Nets let him go off for 42 the night before - you still may be OK.)

Things may be a little different when the playoffs come around. If I were the Wiz, I think I'd rather play the Magic.

Posted by Al | March 14, 2008 11:27 AM

Basically, they're about as good as the 2006-2007 edition.

If by "about as good" you mean "same record in a far worse conference". To their credit, though, they're better than one would expect given all the injuries.

If I were the Wiz, I think I'd rather play the Magic.

That seems to be the CW. The CW, however, is totally crazy. I can't figure out why people are sleeping on Dwight Howard. Is it because he doesn't have a sweet nickname yet?

Posted by right | March 14, 2008 11:37 AM

Matt, you're fortunate to live in a city that has the most exciting player in sports, Alexander Ovechkin. Take advantage of it. You should have a weekly Ovechkin post. That guy is amazing.

Posted by Joe | March 14, 2008 11:46 AM

Hey, I was there too (rooting for the Cavs, though).

That was one of Lebron's worst games of the season. His legs were dead after 46 minutes in NJ last night. He really needs to develop some post moves for nights like this. His offensive game is reliant on explosive perimeter drives and long-distance jumpers, both of which take a whole lot of energy and fresh legs when you weigh 260 pounds.

He seems to have no idea how to back people down in the post and use footwork to score. I saw him in high school, and I think he got into the habit of disdained post play there. He was so much bigger than everyone else that it would have been childishly simple for him to score every play by just standing near the basket and muscling it up. Would have been basically unsporting.

Posted by mq | March 14, 2008 11:47 AM

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!

Posted by idiotic | March 14, 2008 11:49 AM

I can't figure out why people are sleeping on Dwight Howard.

How many playoffs games has Howard won?

I also just think at this point that Howard is more defendable than LeBron.

Posted by Al | March 14, 2008 11:53 AM

OK, so I was wrong about the Warriors beating the Suns last night. I should have known better -- the Dubs were playing back-to-back road games in Toronto and Phoenix, and they looked tired. But I was right about Baron ripping shit up. I said 30 and 10, and instead he goes for 38, 9 and 10. Man, the Suns perimeter D looks awful.

Last night actually gave me 2 crazy reasons to be optimistic about the Warriors changes against the Lakers in the first round, which is looking increasingly likely. First, The Lakers have a big problem with point guards. Derek Fisher might be a little better than Steve Nash defensively, but he still can't guard Baron Davis. Second, the Warriors went super-small against the Suns and took Shaq out of the game almost instantly. If the Lakers have their entire huge front line healthy, and the Warriors start Harrington, Pietrus and Jackson up front, I don't know if the Lakers can keep up.

Hey, a guy's gotta have some hope.

Posted by too many steves | March 14, 2008 12:11 PM

How many playoffs games has Howard won?

The same number Shaquille O'Neal had won in 1995.

Posted by right | March 14, 2008 12:16 PM

I also just think at this point that Howard is more defendable than LeBron.

Gawd, yes. LeBron is basically unguardable.

"Pretty good" means "good enough to miss the playoffs, not good enough to make the conference finals."

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | March 14, 2008 12:19 PM

I also just think at this point that Howard is more defendable than LeBron.

That may be true as a general rule, but I'm not sure it's true for Washington (or any other elite team in the East, for that matter).

Posted by right | March 14, 2008 12:20 PM

First, The Lakers have a big problem with point guards.

Unfortunately, the Warriors have a big problem with height, which is why the Lakers have owned them with poorer personnel than they currently have. The teams that scares me re: the Lakers are San Antonio and, to a lesser extent, Utah and New Orleans. Each has a quick guard and a paint presence.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | March 14, 2008 12:28 PM

As Matt looks to next year and the return of Agent Zero - we here in Portland got a taste of what we can expect next year as Oden participated in a team walk-through and worked up a lite sweat this week.

He looked smoothly and powerful, even if it was just at 25% speed. A couple of nice, effortless dunks and then worked on his post moves against assistant coach and Portland legend Maurice Lucas.

Putting him together with the young team that blossomed this year - still above 500 in the West - wow - can't wait for next year and this one isn't even over yet.

Posted by Tiparillo | March 14, 2008 12:29 PM

"If I were the Wiz, I think I'd rather play the Magic."Posted by Al

I don't think Matt was referring to the Wizards chance of winning. I think he likes to watch the Cavs play the Wiz. I think Abe Pollen would agree with Matt, though for yet different rea$on$.

Posted by Njorl | March 14, 2008 12:29 PM

Let me get this scenario straight: Gilbert, a gifted offensive player, will come back and the Lizards will be restored to their former offensive glory, which consisted of scoring two more points per game; _and_ the assumption is that they'll be just as good on defense despite the presence of Gilbert, who is, um, dedidedly not a gifted defensive player. Without him, they're giving up an average of two fewer points per game. Of course, giving up two fewer points is no big deal -- but then, neither is scoring two more points. In sum, I don't get the basis for optimism; it sounds like a push to me.

Posted by Lees | March 14, 2008 12:32 PM

Let me get this scenario straight: Gilbert, a gifted offensive player, will come back and the Lizards will be restored to their former offensive glory, which consisted of scoring two more points per game; _and_ the assumption is that they'll be just as good on defense despite the presence of Gilbert, who is, um, dedidedly not a gifted defensive player. Without him, they're giving up an average of two fewer points per game. Of course, giving up two fewer points is no big deal -- but then, neither is scoring two more points. In sum, I don't get the basis for optimism; it sounds like a push to me.

Posted by Lees | March 14, 2008 12:32 PM

I don't think Matt was referring to the Wizards chance of winning. I think he likes to watch the Cavs play the Wiz.

Yeah, I'd say that there is something to playing a team several years in a row in the playoffs and developing a healthy rivalry. That said, I think I'd still rather play a team I'm more likely to beat and thereby get into the second round.

Posted by Al | March 14, 2008 12:51 PM

"Went to the Wiz-Cavs game last night that featured Caron Butler's return from injury."

So let me see if I have this straight. You went to last night 'zards' game, wrote a lengthy blog post about it, and never thought it necessary to once use the word DeShawn?

I mean, it's not like he single covered and stopped Bron-Bron on two straight plays at the end of the game to get the win or anything...

Posted by Petey | March 14, 2008 12:57 PM

Szczerbiak is playing horribly

What else is new? Has he played well in the last five years?

Posted by Antid Oto | March 14, 2008 1:19 PM

Yes, as he has for much of the season, DeShawn came up big last night. The blossoming of Stevenson and Butler, rejuvenated play of Jamison, along with the improvement of Haywood and Blatche are why I think the 2008 Wizards (even without Gilber) are better than the 2007 version. Sure, they don't score quite as many points, but they're significantly better on the defensive end and deeper.

Posted by Bragan | March 14, 2008 1:26 PM

Go Raptors!

Posted by Wu Tang | March 14, 2008 1:37 PM

I like the continued Cavs-Wizards rivalry for now, but I don't see any chemistry developing with this new Cavs line-up, and LeBron bites his fingernails too much to be a superstar. Now, Dwight Howard... It appears to me that Magic-Wizards (propulsed by Howard-Turkoglu and Butler-Arenas respectively) is going to be the dominant rivalry in the East, reprising the 90s Pistons-Bulls rivalry. The Celtics will be just like - well - the aging Celtics of that era, and the Cavs will fade away like - well - the Cavs of Price and Daugherty, except with a lower free-throw percentage. (At least that's what Barkley said at the start of the season, and who am I to argue with Chuck?

My major concern for this season, is how - with Butler back and Arenas getting healthy - the Wizards will fall low enough to pick-up Hibbert in the draft. http://justnotinteresting.blogspot.com/2008/03/hibbert.html

Posted by LIJ | March 14, 2008 1:42 PM

I like the continued Cavs-Wizards rivalry for now, but I don't see any chemistry developing with this new Cavs line-up, and LeBron bites his fingernails too much to be a superstar. Now, Dwight Howard... It appears to me that Magic-Wizards (propulsed by Howard-Turkoglu and Butler-Arenas respectively) is going to be the dominant rivalry in the East, reprising the 90s Pistons-Bulls rivalry. The Celtics will be just like - well - the aging Celtics of that era, and the Cavs will fade away like - well - the Cavs of Price and Daugherty, except with a lower free-throw percentage. (At least that's what Barkley said at the start of the season, and who am I to argue with Chuck?

My major concern for this season, is how - with Butler back and Arenas getting healthy - the Wizards will fall low enough to pick-up Hibbert in the draft. http://justnotinteresting.blogspot.com/2008/03/hibbert.html

Posted by LIJ | March 14, 2008 1:44 PM

Oops, sorry about the double post. Also meant to give props to Nick Young for coming in to his potential.

Posted by LIJ | March 14, 2008 1:47 PM

LeBron bites his fingernails too much to be a superstar

What definition of superstar could possibly exclude LeBron at this point? Greatest player ever? He's one of the top 5 players in the NBA in his early 20s. Probably the most valuable player in the league. Clearly a superstar, headband and nail-biting included.

Posted by mpowell | March 14, 2008 2:51 PM

The reason the Wiz are better this year is the improved play of Blatche and Haywood. With AJ they have one of the best frontcourts in the NBA.

Posted by bjk | March 14, 2008 6:52 PM

If you find it thrilling to attend "a serious rivalry matchup with a packed arena and an audience prepared to really cheer and boo," you could have gone to any NCAA conference tournament game this week.

Posted by Jeff | March 15, 2008 12:11 AM