Wizards-Knicks 2 (postgame)

Hot shooting from long range did the Knicks in. New York was unable to counter the "hibachi" of Arenas and Jamison. Knicks tried to counter the Wizards by pounding Eddy Curry inside (a very smart move, in my opinion). It worked for much of the game but it was not enough. Several Knick players hit outside shots early (Marbury, Richardson, and Robinson), but they couldn't sustain it.

A problem for Washington is that when the team has a sizable lead, the defense gets even weaker. This allows the other team to get back into the game. Not a good mentality to follow through. The Bulls, for example, had 3 straight blowout games at home (one against the Wizards) and were able to sustain it for much of the game, with or without the starters. That's good basketball coaching and execution. The Wizards aren't there yet. Hopefully, Washington won't have to squander leads as easy later on in the season.

Strangely enough, Gilbert was on fire from most of the court except the foul line. He struggled there and even Buckhantz mentioned that "it could be one of those nights for Arenas". Buckhantz was right about that. Luckily, Jamison's unbelievable shooting helped provide the 1-2 punch. Caron Butler played fine, but he was definitely the #4 guy for the team after Gil, Antawn, and DeShawn. Ivan Carter of the Washington Post reported that Caron may be struggling from a strained back. Hope this isn't a serious thing.

Knick fans don't have a lot of patience anymore. The "boo birds" came out at halftime and a lot during the third quarter. The fans cheered during the Knicks' mini-comeback, but they went back to booing when Tawn and Arenas hit another 3.

Lastly, Washington got the road monkey off their backs for now. Philly is next and that's on the road. It is never easy to play in Philly. Iverson is the main factor, but from what I saw yesterday in the Bulls game, Korver and Iguodala also played well. And you never know what CWebb is going to do.

Washington: 8-10
New York: 7-14

Mavericks-Wizards (postgame)

After the Wizards got smacked by the Bulls on the road, Washington tried doing the same thing to Dallas. The result was very good basketball for 44 minutes and a crazy 4 minute comeback by the Mavs that scared all the home team fans.

Dallas couldn't hit a shot by their guys. Dirk struggled for most of the game. Jason Terry and Josh Howard were nonexistent. The Wizards just pounded and pounded and pounded. Jamison showed that he's not just all jumpers. Antawn went to the basket many times and that satisfied many Wizards fans. Jamison is extremely talented around the basket and he needs to know that he's pretty much unstoppable near the basket on the offensive front. Jamison isn't dominant in the paint like Shaq, but he's crafty and his unique skills make it hard for most to defend.

Dallas has given up until the bench gave the team a spark. The bench guys Stackhouse and nearly acquired Devin George cut the 31 point Washington lead down to about 18. After that, it was the Wizards going back to playing bad basketball and the Mavs started to hit shots and 3s. Wizards also got into early foul trouble which allowed the Mavs to be in penalty early. A very tense 2:30 left resulted in the fourth quarter when Washington was just leading 100-92. However, Gilbert Arenas made the big shots to keep the lead and Dallas didn't have anything left.

Mark Cuban attended the game and sat under the east basket. He wasn't happy with how his team played the entire game. The season series with Dallas is over for Washington. Dallas is looking good to be back in the Finals if they stay healthy. It was a big win for Washington because it snapped several streaks: Wizards losing streak to Mavericks since 2003 and Dallas' 2006 season 12 game winning streak.

Back to the dreadful road for Washington. The Knicks and 76ers are up next.

Dallas: 12-5
Washington: 7-10

Around the NBA (13)

After the first month of NBA action, I have to confess that the Eastern Conference is in trouble. Either all the teams are closer than they appear (in terms of competition) or the teams really stink. Aside from the unstable Atlantic Division, the Southeast Division is where the news start. Miami and Washington have been very disappointing. Orlando looks and plays like the best team in the East. Atlanta is improving and Charlotte, albeit their record, has defeated very good teams such as San Antonio, Cleveland, and Detroit.

Lakers continue to shock me and play well. Kobe showed signs that he's still the best player in the NBA even after knee surgery. Both the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns have ended their early season drought and are near the top of the conference again. Utah is playing the best team basketball thus far and their record demonstrates it. The Clippers can't win on the road and that has them hovering near .500 all season. Golden State's offense is explosive but my guess is that it won't last for the entire season.

Western Conference (November 2006):
Player of the Month: Yao Ming
Rookie of the Month: Rudy Gay
Coach of the Month: Jerry Sloan

Eastern Conference (November 2006):
Player of the Month: Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Month: Adam Morrison
Coach of the Month: Brian Hill

My Fantasy Team (4)

No changes to my lineup since the last time I posted about my fantasy team. My team averages over 100 turnovers per week! Most other teams in the league only average between 30-50. I'm going to lose the turnovers battle for the rest of the season.

I'm disappointed that Yao Ming doesn't get more blocks. He's become an offensive force in the paint, but his defense, other than rebounding, is nowhere to be found. Gerald Wallace continues his terrible play because he has no consistency (sounds like Arenas). I guess since he's no longer the man (looks like it is Adam Morrison in Charlotte now) and Okafor is back with rebounds and blocks, Wallace looks lost with what he's supposed to do. His injury aside, he should be doing more due to his unbelievable athleticism.

After 3 weeks, I'm in a three-way tie for first place with 17-10 records. Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Martin, David Lee, Leandro Barbosa, and Caron Butler have been my best players. Andrew Bogut and Gerald Wallace have been average or less.

Hibachi

Hibachi is a term invented by Haywood last season after Mo Williams of the Bucks scored a career high and a dagger 3 to help the Bucks beat the Wizards at then MCI Center. Hibachi is what Gilbert Arenas now SCREAMS as he launches shots. What?

I know hibachi from Japanese restaurants. Apparently, Arenas is using that word to describe hot shooting. Well, as far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been any hibachi by Arenas or his teammates on the road.

It may be incidents, like "hibachi", that keeps the team loose after several blowout losses on the road. On the other hand, it may be "hibachi" that is causing the team to lose focus on the road. Whatever the reason, the Wizards are finding out that getting back to .500 is harder and harder each game. Although some teams lack energy and focus from time to time, they still try to compete and get the win. Hibachi may be funny, but as the season moves on and the team with high expectations continue to struggle, nothing will be funny anymore. If basketball is no longer fun for Arenas, the team is doomed.

Wizards-Bulls 1 (postgame)

After the first quarter of play, the game turned into a blowout by the Chicago Bulls. Most of the Wizards starters were benched in favor of everyone else on the team. There isn't a lot of positive things to say about this game (other than Butler's play again).

The road woes continue as it has hit 8 straight. It is now a franchise record (when you break a franchise record, you're either doing something spectacular or something dreadful - and in this case, the latter). The offensive flow for the Wizards is not found during road games. The passing stops and the offense effectively turns into a 1-on-5 matchup.

It is very evident that when the offense stops, so does the defense. The Bulls capitalized on the Wizards lack of interior size and just attacked the basket. Pretty simple strategy that worked to perfection. Even Ben Wallace showed signs that he still has offensive game. I wonder if the Wizards players even listen to scouting reports. Buckhantz and Chenier mentioned that the Bulls is the best 3 point shooting team in the league. Well, Nocioni and Gordon went off from downtown and the Wizards couldn't do anything. The gameplan was great for Chicago - attack the interior, get the Wiz to collapse in the paint, kick the ball outside and drain the 3s. It worked all night as the Bulls were up 30 at one point.

It was a tough game to watch and digest for Wizards fans because all the team's problems were displayed in one sitting. Donyell Taylor, Andray Blatche, and James Lang did bring more energy to the floor for Washington but it was too late. Arenas only played 21 minutes. There is no consistency for the Wizards. The team isn't "smart" enough to figure out what's wrong. I guess this shows talent isn't all that in the NBA. When a team works well together, you only need 1 or 2 stars and a bunch of consistent complimentary players. The Lakers, Jazz, Magic, and Hornets are models of this.

The brutal December for Washington continues with 5 more back-to-backs. The hottest team in the league, Dallas Mavericks, is next. If the Wizards survive December, they still have a chance for playoffs. If not, it'll be nearly impossible to dig out of a 10+ games below .500. With one-fifth of the season over, most teams already have an identity. Washington is still searching for one, much like a win on the road.

Washington: 6-10
Chicago: 7-9

Bobcats-Wizards 1 (postgame)

Entertaining is the best word to describe this game. A very high scoring affair from both teams. Adam Morrison is definitely NBA ready with his offensive arsenal. His defense is much to be desired (but it will improve). There were a lot of people in the crowd for a Bobcats-Wizards game (found out that most are high school kids). Wizards made things interesting late after being up 15. Bobcats came back with 9 unanswered points with at least 1:30 to go. The bottom line is that the Bobcats missed more shots in the second half than the Wizards. That's the only reason why they lost.

Charlotte: 4-12
Washington: 6-9