Comments on: Training Camp Day 3 Practice 1

By: gee wiz

gee wiz — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:44:14 +0000

im down in orlando and im tellin’ these guys are really thinkin champioship down here for the magic. its time the wizards show whose boss in the east. help defense needs to improve after watching how lebron spanked us for the most part. but its not just us he did it to everyone except the pistons….. they dont play that. their excellent at help D. i think flip really gave butler a boost of confidence with his comments in summer camp

By: gee wiz

gee wiz — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:39:56 +0000

feels good……. the smell of basketball is in the air again! (whatever that smell is) whats up wiz fans! its almost that time. how do u guys feel about dee brown and juan dixon filling the role of the pg along AD while gil is out. im okay with it. i think the wiz will be just fine. most of all i will be excited if etan makes the final cut and stays….. despite health concerns he brings a type of energy and hustle that knowone else brings on this team. i truly hope he brings it this season.

By: agentzero0

agentzero0 — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:08:37 +0000

tom- i only asked because Ive been every other year, and I really wanted to go this year to see what gil looked like coming back from his injury, but if he’s not there, im not going to go , and go to my own basketball game instead

By: DJ-WizardsRadio

DJ-WizardsRadio — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:30:32 +0000

dave johnson here…just so you know we have started a new blog for the new pratice..thanks for logging on

By: Tom Mandel

Tom Mandel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:02:54 +0000

agentzero0 — how can you ask whether it’d be “worth it” without Gil? You an Arenas fan rather than a Wizards fan? I’d love to be there, but I’m a good 200 miles away.

By: Bridge

Bridge — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:58:12 +0000

Speaking of the scrimmage on Friday, I won’t be going (damn!); I thought I’d be a “good missez” by staying here to celebrate an anniversary with a man who already had plans for us (I said DAMN already, right?). Wouldn’t really be right (of me) to ditch him…So yeah, I’ll be here hearing the “WOOOOO[‘s]” and “YEAAAHHH[‘s]” of happy Brewers fans…just to feel “in the spirit” of things, I might just join in.

I hope that people go out to support the team – there’s nothing to lose (but a bit of gas) cuz it’s FREE! DJ, SportzWiz – I hope that there’s much coverage, but I’m not worried because you guys have been great so far….

GO [to the scrimmage] Wiz [bloggers/fans]!!!

By: agentzero0

agentzero0 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:12:18 +0000

Will Gilbert be at the Scrimmage on Friday?
Is it worth it to come if he’s not?

By: doclinkin

doclinkin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:23:06 +0000

Nick Young is a nice guy. like Gil. One reason why it doesn’t come easy and natural. And both of them are such instinctive/proficient scorers it’s almost like they’ve never seen good defense on them, haven’t been shut down in humiliating fashion. Don’t want to return the favor. Both guys just seem to figure they can make up the score at the other end and laugh about it.

Of course now that Gil’s been out a while and experienced that desperation to play, and now that he’ll struggle a bit to regain his shot (probably) I expect he might be a born-again defense hound. Nick, he might take a little bit. He’s got a steep learning curve. But if he sees his man Dominator McGruff the Crime Dawg the Live Wire Dom McGuire get playtime accolades and swag credit for defense, maybe he’ll raise his game to get playtime and swag of his own.

By: doclinkin

doclinkin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:18:39 +0000

Defense is tougher to learn, and team defense doubly so, in part because it’s not something you can practice alone in a gym whenever you have a free minute. Defense requires a ‘partner’. One key reason why College kids tend to be better at it, especially the 4 year seniors.

Every ball fan in America has had a ball in his hand at some point dribbling and providing his own play-by-play with the “3..2…1…” shot…

But the same kid isn’t guarding that imaginary opponent, with his hand in his face, iagining shutting him down, sending the oppoennt cheerleaders home with their mascara running in tears.

Defense requires a certain healthy competitive disdain. A willingness to hurt a guys feelings. You’re not admiring your own pretty shot, you just hate to lose so bad that it doesn’t matter if you give the the other guy a bad day. That’s the instinct and aptitude part of the game: you know you’ll be miserable if you lose, so it’s ‘better him than me.’

The fundamentals can be taught. The anticipation can be developed with experience. The ‘hate’ might develop over time. But the best defenders are the desperate competitors, or the guys who bounced around overseas and realize how good they have it over here.

One reason why I expect good things from Dee Brown.

By: SportzWiz

SportzWiz — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:42:16 +0000

Here's a new feature we are going to do, each day Steve Buckhantz will break down a different Wizards player position. Today he talked about the point guards, Click here to listen to the audio file.