Getting Ready for Wiz-Cavs Season Opener

King James. Prince Arenas. You gotta love the matchup. The "rivalry" continues as last post-season's best first round matchup heats up to another level. LeBron's potential is limitless. Gilbert's drive is beyond comprehension. The role players, from Antonio Daniels to Anderson Varejao, are also pumped. I wouldn't be surprised that this game will go down to another final possession.

Blast from the Past

Here's a photo of Gilbert Arenas fresh out of 'Zona.

And here's the breakdown of Gil from NBADraft.Net (http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/gilbertarenas.htm)

Wizards Schedule (Courtesy of NBA.com/Wizards)


http://www.nba.com/wizards/schedule/

And so Preseason Ends for the Wiz.

A 4-4 record.

Here's what I think about the team:

1. Team still has a lot of offensive weapons. Defense continues to be desired.
2. Roger Mason Jr. can play in the NBA, but I'm not sure if the team needs him right now.
3. Several respected GMs from the league said the Songaila signing was great for the Wiz. Well, Darius missed the entire preseason and it'll take him at least half the regular season to understand the basics of Coach's Princeton offense.
4. Turnovers continue to stand out in the box score.
5. Health is the key word for the Wiz. The team was very fortunate that most players (except Jarvis) were available to play in 90%+ of the games last year.
6. Speaking of Jarvis, this is his year to shine. I think the organization wants to pick up his 4th year option, but Jarvis needs to prove that after 2 major knee surgeries he's still strong enough to survive in the NBA.
7. Coach needs to limit Jamison's minutes. Antawn had a very busy summer with USA Basketball and you can't take chances with what he brings to the table.
8. The Wiz will finally beat Miami this season. Only once though.

Quick Thoughts from the ATL Preseason Game

Wow - what a solid performance from most of the team in the win against the ATL Hawks on 10-23-06. If you look at the stats, this is what I would like the Wiz players to perform on average per game. The starters did their thing and the bench contributed. Turnovers continue to be a problem and I'm not sure if it is the new basketball or if it is just carelessness. Overall, I'm getting more impressed by the team.

Gilbert's Blog

This man has so many facets and interests - it's good that he has enough money to pursue what he wants to do. Gilbertology may come to an end - if he finds a woman to settle down. Even though Gil (from the latest issue of ESPN the Mag) stated he can only get "married" to a girl every 5 years at a time (so he doesn't get bored), his outlook will eventually change. He's only 24 years old, so there is still a lot of time for exploration and growth.

http://www.nba.com/blog/gilbert_arenas.html

But seriously Gil - get a girl! Dwyane Wade has a girl ...