Archive for April, 2008

Arenas Out For the Year

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas is out for the year until next training camp according to the team officials. More information to come…


Game Five @ Cleveland

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

7:14am Hey Everyone, SportzWiz checking in. Obviously its win or go home time for the Wizards. This team has responded all year with their back against the wall and they will try to do it once again tonight. Team arrived yesterday afternoon and they are excited with the opportunity to bring this back to dc for game six.

As for the blog, unfortunately Dave Johnson is attending to some family issues and was unable to make the trip. Therefore I will be running the blog from my spot in quicken loans arena. Michael Reghi will be taking over play-by-play duties for Dave tonight. Him and Glenn have actually worked together in the past doing college games so the announcing will be spot on hopefully I can keep up my end of the bargain on the blog. I will be heading to shootaround around 11:15 so if you have any questions on that please let me know. Game starts at 6:00 pm tonight and can be seen on TNT, Comcast Spportsnet or listened to on WTEM 980, I’ll make sure to put the link up prior to the game. GO WIZ!

Hey everyone, I just got back from shootaround. I got some photos from shootaround and also of the Cavaliers setting up their fan fest. If you’ve never been to cleveland Progressive (Jacobs) Field is right next to Quicken Loans Arena. Right between them is a little grassy area and they have set up some games for fans before hand. Anyway Click here to check them out.

Here are a few videos from shootaround.



Wizards Prepare for Game 5

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

The Wizards returned to practice at Verizon Center Tuesday morning to prepare for Game 5 in Cleveland. Here’s what they had to say about Wednesday’s game in Cleveland. Gametime is 6:00 pm ET and will be available on TNT, CSN and on WTEM 980AM.

WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN

On Wednesday’s game in Cleveland:
“This is the game to win. Right now, we have to win there to win the series. We expect to win the series and that starts with a win tomorrow night.”

On preparing for the game:
“We understand what we have to do. We have to play harder longer and smarter longer than they do. We are used to the environment there. It can be very loud and volatile atmosphere but we are ready for it.”

On rebounding:
“We have to fight to get rebounds. We have to get in the position to rebound. Some of it is having a knack for rebounding, but the other part is to want it more and to have the skill to get it.”

On Gilbert Arenas:
“Gilbert is in a different sort of role for us. He is still a catalyst for us. He can do some wonderful things for us, like you saw against Philadelphia at the end of the regular season and in game 1 of this series. Hopefully he can last long on his legs. As long as he has his legs under him, he will be great.”

WIZARDS GUARD GILBERT ARENAS

On Game 5 in his NBA.com Blog.
“If we’re going to pull out this series, we’re going to need a miracle. We’re going to have to dig. We’re going to have to play big. Everyone is going to have to bring their A games. We can’t have no let downs now… It’s one of those things where we’re going into the lion’s den. That arena is going to be ready for us. They’re going to bring out the boo birds and call us every name you can possibly think of. They’re going to boo us from tip-off until the end of the game… For us to silence that crowd, we’re going to have to get out to a quick start and try to get up big to get the fans out of it a little. ”

WIZARDS FORWARD ANTAWN JAMISON

On Wednesday’s game in Cleveland:
“The thing about this situation is that we have always been able to find a way to get through adversity and find a way to get it done. We are really up against the wall now. We know what we need to do to get a win. In order to win this series, we have to get a win in Cleveland and we just have to find a way to do it twice. Everything points to tomorrow night and we have to find a way to get it done.”

On the team’s struggle to win playoff games in Cleveland over the past 3 years:
“You have to look at the situations. Last year you have to throw out the window because of all the injuries. The year before we let a couple of close games slip away. Game 1, we let slip away and in game 2 we were blown out. We have lost some very close basketball games in Cleveland. You just have to find a way to put it behind you and focus on the next game.”

On his confidence in the team:
“This is a pretty good basketball team. With the exception of one game, we have played pretty well. We have not been able to make some shots and some little mistakes have put us in a 3-1 hole. Nothing is going to change. This team is still going to go out there and fight and play hard. We still believe we have the opportunity to win not only this game, but to win this series.”

WIZARDS FORWARD CARON BUTLER

On preparing for tomorrow’s game:
“We have to be mentally focused, which we are. We need to prepare for the challenge ahead of us and I think we are ready.”

On attempting to come back and win a series after being down 3-1:
“Once again, we are going against a lot of doubters. A lot of people believe our season is going to end tomorrow night. We have worked hard and we do not want our season to end on this note.”

On the team’s injuries:
“Guys are banged up and have some sort of injuries, including Gilbert and myself. That’s no excuse. It’s playoff time. Our franchise player had a great shot opportunity at the end of the last game that just didn’t go down. Now we have to bounce back.”

On rebounding:
“We have to rebound better. We know that. We understand that. That’s the mentality we are bringing into game 5.”

WIZARDS GUARD ROGER MASON JR.

On tomorrow’s game:
“You saw what we could do in game 3. We played together and our bench gave us a lift. I think we are going to need that tomorrow.”

On contributions from the bench:
“It’s the key to the game. It is a team effort and we are going to need everybody. Collectively, the bench will have to step it up tomorrow.”

Monday Practice

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Hey everyone. I was down at practice today and shot some video of the guys talking to the media. The team all seemed upbeat and confident that they could turn things around. Anyway their are four videos, three of guys talking to the media and just a quick look-in on Pech shooting with Caron. The three players that talked were Gil, Roger and Brendan.

Click here to watch the videos

Game Day Cavaliers-Game Four

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

8:46 AM….Dave Johnson checking in….the dream sceneraio is a repeat lof the 2005 Chicago series—lose the first two in Chicago and then win four straight inlcuding the series clinching game six on Friday night at home. That still is one of my best memories in my 11 years behind the mic…..that Friday night it was just sheer joy in the streets…it was like Marid Gras on 6th Street after the game….it’s a great dream….to make it happen..Wizards have to do what they did on Thursday—share the basketball, rebound (which has been strong this series),  and play TEAM defense….it is not about DeShawn or Caron vs. LeBron….it is about all five guys focused on the guy with the ball…this is something Randy Ayers stressed day one in trainig camp and very much applies now….BLOGCAST starts at 1 PM…hope you can join us….again we do radio and BLOG..you connect wuth us courtside….

12:10 PM….Dave Johnson checking in court side….waiting on starters……if Gilbert is good to go….I think he will start….but we will update when we have it.

12:35 PM…Gilbert Arenas……will start…..stevenson, butler, jamison, haywood,….west, szczerbiak, james, wallace, ilgauskas