The Washington Wizards’ season begins Monday, the day after Christmas. Like lots of kids, the Wizards have a long holiday wish list. Let’s look at what the Wizards want for the upcoming National Basketball Association (NBA) season.

A healthy John Wall: The Wizards’ super-fast point guard is the key to any team success. Wall had a good rookie season last year, averaging more than 16 points and eight assists a game. Wall might become a star, but he needs to improve his shooting and commit fewer turnovers. Wall seemed to wear down during the long 82-game NBA season. Because of the late start, the NBA will play 66 games during a shorter regular season. The Wizards will need Wall at full speed for all of them.

A good rookie: The Wizards drafted two players in the first round of the NBA draft. Jan Vesely is an athletic 6-foot-11-inch forward from the Czech Republic known for his rim-rattling dunks. But Vesely is young (21 years old) and never played college or professional ball in the United States. So it might be expecting a lot for him to be good right away. Chris Singleton played three years at Florida State before being drafted by the Wizards. The rugged 6-foot-8-inch forward might help on defense and with rebounding, but don’t look for him to contribute much on offense.

Improved big men: It seems that every Wizards season begins with the hope that the team’s big men, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, will become big-time players. Both have shown flashes of talent. Blatche averaged almost 17 points a game last season, and McGee blocked a ton of shots. Coach Flip Saunders really needs Blatche and McGee to improve at rebounding and defense. The Wizards were near the bottom of the league in both.

A winning record: The Wizards had 23 wins and 59 losses last year. They haven’t changed much from the team that was overmatched against good NBA teams. Like the pony that some kids put on their wish list, a winning record may be too much to ask for.

Fred Bowen writes sports opinion column for the KidsPost. He is the author of 17 sports books for kids that combine sports fiction and sports history, including six basketball books.

For those that watched the Washington Wizards get spanked in their preseason opener, take heart. The team again faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers, which roasted them 103-78 on December 16 in D.C. Instead of looking like a dysfunctional high school team, the Wizards came out tonight and went toe to toe with Philly. The result December 21 was still a 101-94 loss, but the effort was much more encouraging.

There were a number of notable performances that coach Flip Saunders can only hope will continue into the season. JaVale McGee had a very nice game, leading the team in scoring with 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. I still have serious concerns about his maturity level though. He had one dunk tonight that he just had to stop and stare down his opponent just for good measure.

That kind of stunt can get you a technical during the season, so it is time for this kid to wise up and just play basketball. You could hear the disappointment in Dave Johnson’s voice as he called the game on WJFK 106.7 FM in Washington D.C. I also took great pride in the work of Trevor Booker, who fills a role that this Wizards team so desperately needs. He is a bruiser that does not mind getting in the middle and banging the boards. He ended the game with a team high eleven rebounds.

Washington fans also have to be excited about newcomer Shelvin Mack out of Butler. He just seems like one of those guys you need on the team. Mack does everything well and his numbers show this. He gave the team seven points and five assists, showing he will be a quality sub coming off the bench.

So how then did the Wizards lose on this night? Simply put, they did not have anyone that was ready when crunch time hit. The game was tied with as few as five minutes to go, but then the hoop on the Washington end seemed to grow a cover. Nothing was falling, while Jrue Holiday of Philadelphia had his way with the Washington defense. It should be noted though that many of the starters were on the bench down the stretch for the Wizards.

I am sure the team would have liked to win, but the better effort will be the thing that will stay with them. Some guys obviously still need work. Nick Young looks like he needs to work on getting that shooting touch back. John Wall and Jordan Crawford also need extra shooting because they can both shoot better than what they did tonight.

Finally, I think Flip Saunders and this organization have to decide on what to do with Rashard Lewis. He was once again horrible on the night. A few rebounds and three points do nothing for this club. I say let him go and sign a few guys for the same dough that will give a better effort.

John Atchison is a Washington based writer that enjoys the Washington Sports scene. He has followed the Bullets/Wizards since the early seventies and hopes for a return to glory soon. Follow him on Twitter @John_Atchison.

Source: stats.washingtonpost.com/nba

WJFK 106.7 FM

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) – December 9, 2011 (WPVI) —
Jrue Holiday scored 24 points, including 15 in the last 5:35 of the fourth quarter, to propel the Philadelphia 76ers to a 101-94 preseason victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

JaVale McGee led Washington with 20 points, 12 in the fourth quarter. John Wall scored 17.

The Wizards took an 88-87 lead with 2:45 to play on a pair of free throws by McGee. Holiday then hit two 3-pointers, sandwiched around a hook shot by Nikola Vucevic, to give the Sixers a 95-88 edge with 1:09 left. The fourth quarter featured nine lead changes.

Washington took a 52-47 lead into halftime after Philadelphia’s Nikola Vucevic made a 3 at the buzzer.

The Wizards had a 10-point advantage late in the half, behind Wall’s 13 points.

 

(Copyright ©2011 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

“They wanted to get rid of it, and I said, ‘No.’ That’s the goal,” Wall explained, his rat-a-tat patter off the court as swift as his play is on it. “I don’t touch it, though. I don’t want to touch one ‘til I win one.”

Even Wall would concede that isn’t happening this season for the Wizards, who are coming off a 23-59 record and last-place finish in the Southeast Division. They are in the early stages of rebuilding a roster that used to revolve around All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Jamison, but now is based on Wall.

“We can sneak up on some people this year, because we’re smarter, and I’m smarter, and learning how to close out games and doing whatever it takes to win down the stretch,” Wall said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And next year, for sure, we’re going to be a team that can surprise a lot of people.”

It’s clear to everyone that Wall is going to be the player that leads the Wizards, wherever they go.

President Ernie Grunfeld and coach Flip Saunders, meanwhile, are holding out hope that players such as power forward Andray Blatche and center JaVale McGee can fulfill the promise each has demonstrated occasionally.

Blatche, in particular, regularly finds himself defending his effort, which is why he announced at the team’s media day: “I told my teammates, ‘I’m going to give y’all 100 percent every game. I’m going to die for this.’ Whatever we do, we’ve got to change this whole atmosphere from losing, and people used to us losing, to winning.”

At 25, he’s older than nine other players expected to be on the roster when Washington opens its regular season next Monday.

Such youth prompted owner Ted Leonsis to use variations on the word “build” more than a dozen times during a recent half-hour news conference. As in: “I’ve been unabashed on what we’re doing. I hope I’ve been honest and transparent, that we were rebuilding the team.”

It all starts with Wall.

Despite dealing with injuries to his right knee and left foot, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists (tied for sixth in the NBA) and 4.6 rebounds last season, finishing second to Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in voting for rookie of the year.

“He has such speed and quickness in the open court that you’ve got to get back and proverbially build a wall against Wall, so he’s seeing bodies,” Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins said. “He’d be the equivalent to a guy who sees cracks as a running back who’s got great vision. If you don’t close those down, when he starts running downhill, he puts all sorts of pressure on your team.”

The first time these two met in the first preseason game, the Philadelphia 76ers made quick work of the Washington Wizards defeating them 103-78 Friday night in Washington D.C.

What we looked for, and learned about this team was that they’re cohesive, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner are poised to take their next steps, and that the Sixers may have trouble defensively in the paint.

So what do we use this second game for?

Counter-adjusting

Well, being that we’ve played the Wizards only four days ago and embarrassed them, this will be a great test for the Sixers to go out and see how they’ll respond to a team who doesn’t want to go down twice the same way.

I know, it’s only preseason—but the Wizards were embarrassed, for sure.

“They were doing anything they want out there.” Wizards guard John Wall said to the press afterwards.

Despite popular belief, the Wizards do have some weapons on their team in JaVale Magee, Rashard Lewis, and John Wall, and certainly they will have made adjustments to try to make a statement in return. We’ll see what the Sixers have in a situation like this.

Defensively in the paint

The next thing we should look for are the big men’s downlow play. I have a sneaking suspicion Marreese Speights is going to get more playing time this game to see what kind of big man play we can get out of him.

Nikola Vucevic’s first game was a ‘put-your-foot-in-the-water’ game. I’m sure the coaches went over some things with him since. There were several rookie mistakes he made.

Andre Iguodala

The third thing I will be looking for is Andre Iguodala to utilize his less-shooting role better, and hit his shots. The theory is supposed to be that: if players like Louis Williams, Jodie Meeks, Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday are to be enough to score a lot of points for the Sixers, Iguodala shouldn’t have to take as many shots. That theory ideally should increase not only his offensive effectiveness, but his strength as a game manager and leader.

I want to see the ball in Evan Turner’s hand more.

That’s what I’m looking for, we’ll regroup back here within the hour after the game.

The Sixers vs the Wizards at 7:00 p.m. EST in Philadelphia, Pa.

Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, and a featured ‘Fan View’ blogger on Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly

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The Washington Wizards have officially re-signed Nick Young, according to a press release sent out by the team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but according to sources, it is for the one-year qualifying offer for just under $4 million.

“Nick is a very good scorer who has continually developed and shown steady improvement over his four years with us,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “His size, shooting ability and athleticism allow him to get his own shot and compliment our other backcourt players, making him a valuable part of our young core.”

Young led the Wizards in scoring last season with a career-high 17.4 points over 64 games. He scored a career-high 43 points on Jan. 11 vs. Sacramento and posted the second-highest scoring increase in the NBA from 2009-10 to 2010-11 (8.6 ppg – 17.4 ppg) behind Golden State’s Dorell Wright.

Young returns to pair with John Wall and form one of the more explosive backcourt pairings in the league. Having him back in the fold takes a lot of pressure of Wall and frees up enough space to operate freely. The contract is also short enough that Young will be given the chance to duplicate his performance from last year and earn the long-term contract he covets.

WASHINGTON – After beating up on each other for days, the 76ers were anxious to face the Washington Wizards and test themselves against another NBA opponent.

They are still waiting for that test.

Facing a team that looked as if it still wanted to be locked out, the Sixers easily handled a disinterested-looking Washington team, crushing them by 103-78 at Verizon Center Friday night in the preseason opener for both teams.

“We were sharp; our defense was quick. We were helping each other out,” Sixers coach Doug Collins said. “All in all, I thought through the first three quarters we were sharp. I liked our countenance. Can I say that? Is that a word?”

He could, and he would have been safe referring to the game as an annihilation.

Granted, this was just the preseason, but the Sixers jumped on the Wizards early and never relented. Six players finished with double-figure scoring, led by reserve guard Lou Williams’ 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Evan Turner, coming off the bench, scored all but two of his 16 points in the second half. Playing 30 minutes, Turner added seven rebounds and three assists. Center Spencer Hawes was one rebound short of a double-double, finishing with 14 points and nine boards. Jrue Holiday had five assists to go along with his 12 points, and Elton Brand and Thad Young added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Sixers turned what was a 21-point halftime lead into an 87-47 advantage after Williams sank the second of two free throws in the final minute of the third quarter.

“It’s a little surprising being up by 40,” Brand said. “Being up by 20-plus, we wanted to really step on them and get ready for the real season. I’m glad we were able to do that.”

Not that the Wizards offered even a modicum of resistance.

They were wretched from the start.

They opened the game by making just 5 of 20 field goals in the first quarter on the way to making just 26 of 79 on the night. This compared to the almost 51 percent (39 of 77) that the Sixers made.

Forward Andray Blatche was the only Washington player to reach double figures, finishing with a team-high 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Last year’s No. 1 pick, guard John Wall, was sloppy, finishing with almost as many turnovers (six) as points (eight).

The teams will play again Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center in what will be the last preseason game for both teams. Both teams begin the regular season on Dec. 26.

However, the difference is the Sixers will begin their season with five games on the road. Their first week of the season is perhaps more harrowing than that of any other team.

“We only have two games as a tune-up,” Brand said. “That’s why we’ve got to take [Tuesday's game] as seriously as we did tonight. We have to continue to be sharp and execute.”

The Sixers did not bring their entire preseason roster, leaving behind guard Antonio Anderson and centers Mike Tisdale and Dwayne Jones. Those three will likely rejoin the team on Sunday for a morning practice and for a team scrimmage – free to the public – Sunday at the Palestra.

 

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Contact staff writer John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com or @deepsixer3 on Twitter.

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Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders didn’t mince words when it came to the 103-78 drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers during his team’s preseason home opener at Verizon Center on Friday night.

“I was disappointed with our main guys. They got their [butts] kicked out there,” Saunders said. “For how hard we played in practice, how hard we competed, that didn’t translate over, and that’s the one thing I was waiting to see.”

The Wizards lost by 25 points, and the game wasn’t even that close. The 76ers pulled out to a 40-point lead early in the third quarter, at which point Saunders called a timeout and replaced all five of his starters.

“I was tired of looking at that [expletive],” Saunders said. “It’s not about individuals, it’s a team game. It’s not the five best players, its the five best players that play the best together, not the five most talented players. The message to those guys: If you don’t play and you’re not giving effort as a team, you’re not going to play, no matter who it is.”

Saunders was sending a clear message to his starters, who were outplayed by his second team squad, made up of Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely, Shelvin Mack, Kevin Seraphin and Roger Mason Jr. The only bright spot in the game was watching Mason lead the second team during the fourth quarter. The second team scored 27 points, while holding the 76ers to 16. The highest point total by the starters was 18, in the second quarter, while giving up 25, 31 and 31 in the other three quarters.

Only Andray Blatche scored in double figures, with 18 points and four rebounds.

The most troubling line of the night belonged to John Wall — eight points on 3 of 12 shooting, with three assists and six turnovers.

“He was terrible. He was bad,” Saunders said of Wall. “He didn’t play with the same aggressiveness and passion that he played downstairs [on the practice court]. When you go into games and think about trying to get yourself going, it becomes very contagious.”

Saunders said his starters displayed a lack of trust in one another, while his backups did just the opposite; they played together.

“Our rookies all played good,” Saunders said. “That second group played hard. They don’t have a lot yet offensively, but they gave a good effort, and they were energetic and did some positive things. I thought Singleton played excellent. He was our best one-on-one defender on the floor.”

Mason, who scored eight points, called it the kind of game when you’d like to have a mulligan … only they don’t have mulligans in basketball.

“This is the type of game that should hurt, preseason or no preseason,” Mason said. “To get beat that way is unacceptable, and we’ll address it. We knew there were going to be mistakes out there, but the biggest thing we want to do was compete.

“I told the guys [referring to the second team], ‘Don’t look at the scoreboard, let’s just compete, and you have to give them credit. Those guys played hard.”

Blatche called the team’s performance nothing like what the team showed during training camp.

“There was no effort, there was no passion,” Blatche said. “It was like guys were out there just to be out there. We haven’t had over six turnovers during scrimmages over all of training camp.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Swingman Maurice Evans, a union vice president during the NBA lockout, has re-signed with the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards announced the one-year contract with Evans during halftime of their exhibition opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

Evans averaged 9.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 26 games with Washington after arriving from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade in February. He has averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in eight NBA seasons with seven teams.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Aside from a desire to form super-teams and chase rings, a constant theme in each case was that the Wizards were not only spectators, but Washington wasn’t even on the superstars’ GPS systems as a possible landing spot.

In a half-hour news conference on Thursday, Leonsis again stressed his plan to build a championship-caliber team by drafting and developing young talent but also added that he expects the Wizards to eventually attract all-star talent to pair with John Wall.

“I hope to have our team get to being considered a destination where players want to play,” Leonsis said. “Everyone knows that this is a fantastic city. If we can get the place rocking with lots of energy and we have an environment where they’re not just talented players, they’re welcoming, they’re embracing of people that join the team, word gets out and people will want to play here.”

In the meantime, Leonsis is focused on watching one of the league’s youngest teams — and Wall, still the Wizards’ youngest player at 21 — continue to show some growth from a season that resulted in just 23 wins and a third consecutive trip to the lottery.

Washington almost didn’t have the opportunity, because of a five-month-long lockout that threatened to eliminate the entire season, before owners and players reached an agreement that led to a 66-game schedule. Leonsis laughed off reports that depicted him as a hard-line owner, mentioning one account that labeled him a “hawk” following a meeting that he didn’t even attend because he was at a funeral.

“I voted yes for the deal,” Leonsis said. “It’s a partnership with the players, we’re in it together. As I said to the players at lunch, I only know of two relationships that I have 50-50 implications, one is with my wife, the second is with the basketball team and so I’m going to love them like they’re family, but I expect that same amount of love back. We all laughed and know we’re in it together, so I’m happy. I want to move on.”

“My biggest issue in all of the discussions and negotiations was about competitiveness. I want to be able to build a team and keep it together, and I think that’s what the fans, before the fans can fall in love with your team, they need to know that ownership’s committed,” Leonsis said. “I anticipated a new system when I bought the team, that we could keep that team together, and I think we made some progress on that front. . . . I want to be more loyal to the players I know.”

Leonsis said he feels “a real sense of optimism” with his team, which has added veterans Roger Mason Jr. and Ronny Turiaf and will bring back a healthier Rashard Lewis, who was acquired in the Gilbert Arenas deal nearly a year ago. He added that he expects “good things” from Andray Blatche, described JaVale McGee as “erudite” and saved his highest praise for Wall, the foundation of the rebuilding efforts.

Saunders also referenced Jordan Crawford, a second-year guard who averaged nearly 12 points per game with Washington last season, and Andray Blatche, the enigmatic forward with a game that at times can be as frustrating as it is promising.

“There’s certain players, when you step in the gym and they smell the popcorn, they play at another level,” Saunders said. “Popcorn-type players, so I’m anxious to see tomorrow what players that we have when they walk into that gym that their game goes to a new level. You have some players that play great in practice, and that doesn’t translate as far as into games. Hopefully we don’t have too many of those players.”

The Wizards open the preseason at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, and the teams will play again on Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center in the final preseason game. By that time, Saunders figures to have a better feel for which veterans are fully committed to what owner Ted Leonsis called a change in culture and which newcomers are the best fit to spur that growth.

At the top of the list following the week-long training camp are rookies Jan Veseley and Chris Singleton. Veseley was the Wizards’ No. 6 pick overall in this year’s NBA draft, and Singleton arrived at No. 18 of the first round.

Veseley is particularly intriguing because of his ability to finish in fast-break and unsettled situations despite being listed at 6 feet 11. Washington last season led the NBA in fast-break opportunities, but too often turnovers or missed shots derailed them.

“He can jump out of the gym,” Blatche said of his new teammate, who played in the Euroleague for Partizan Belgrade before coming stateside.

Singleton, meantime, drew the assignment of defending virtually all of the front-court players during a training camp in which Saunders constantly preached defense and rebounding. That was just fine with Singleton, who was the unanimous ACC defensive player of the year last season with Florida State.

Even though Singleton, Veseley and Shelvin Mack, the 34th overall pick, are rookies, the newest member of the team is Ronny Turiaf, who joined the Wizards from the New York Knicks on Saturday in a multi-team deal. Turiaf has played with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State and the Knicks over his six years in the NBA.

With a roster comprising many new faces and missing some old ones, most notably free agent Nick Young, Saunders said Friday’s preseason opener wasn’t so much about winning as making sure everyone gets involved.

“We’ve got to play a lot of people. We’ve got three rookies in there who’ve never played, point-blank,” Saunders said. “Those guys, you’ve got to get their feet wet if you expect them to play when you start [the regular season] on Dec. 26, so you’ve got to try to blend them in with the right players. I don’t know if I want to put all three rookies in there together.”

One thing’s for certain, though, and that’s Wall will be heavily involved regardless of who else is on the court. The face of the franchise immediately after being drafted, Wall averaged 8.3 assists per game last season, leading rookies in total assists. He also led rookies in steals.

If there was a deficiency in Wall’s game, it was shooting, so the MVP of last year’s rookie challenge spent a good portion of the offseason as well as training camp working on his form. Wall shot 41 percent last season and just below 30 percent from three-point range.

“I became a better shooter,” Wall said emphatically. “Throughout training camp I’ve been working on going under screens, and I’ve just been making jump shots. That’s the main thing I’ve been working on throughout the whole summer to make sure I’m prepared for the season.”

Washington Wizards majority owner Ted Leonsis addressed the media on Thursday afternoon, covering many topics during his roughly half-hour news conference, including elevated expectations for this season, the process of constructing a winner and peering ahead rather than dwelling on past missteps.

Leonsis began by talking about a documentary he watched recently on the founder of Ferrari and specifically how he became the first racecar owner and driver to scrap the rearview mirror.

“When they asked him why, he said, ‘I don’t want anyone looking back. I want my drivers only looking forward,’ ” Leonsis said. “I think that’s an appropriate way to kick off the season.

“We just came off a couple of months where there was lots of angst and drama and discussion and pixels being generated. I don’t care about any of that. I care that tomorrow’s the first preseason game and the 26th is the kickoff of a new season. I’m very excited. I’m very positive.”

Leonsis was referring to the NBA lockout that threatened to cancel the season until the sides finally reached an accord. With a settlement reached, teams are set to play 66 games during a compressed season that will include many sets of back-to-backs and even at times three in a row.

Leonsis briefly discussed his involvement in those negotiations and some media reports labeling him as a hard-line owner. According to Leonsis, who voted yes on the deal, one account suggested he was “a hawk” following a particular meeting. Leonsis in fact had not even attended that meeting because he was at a funeral.

“I have to chuckle at some of the characterizations,” Leonsis said. “There’s lots of things that were written where you could look at and say, ‘I’d like to set the record straight or settle the score,’ but that would violate the Ferrari [call to] pull off the rearview mirror and only look forward. I think that’s in everyone’s best interest.”

As for the Wizards, who were 23-59 last season, Leonsis said he’s enthusiastic about the young players, particularly No. 6 overall pick Jan Vesely and 18th-pick Chris Singleton, has seen dedication from Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee and that the long-term plan is progressing smoothly.

“I want to see upside. I want to see improvement. I want to see chemistry being developed, and I want to see how the young kids play,” he said. “The only way we’re going to know if we drafted and we developed well is if they get the minutes, and so I’m more concerned with process right now than output, although we’re here to win, so I want to see us winning more games.”

Related

— Rookie Vesely forced to adjust on the fly

— Rookie guard Mack fitting into Wizards’ rotation

— Is one-and-done best option for Nick Young

— Bog: Is ‘Bullets’ gear more popular than ‘Wizards’?

— Wizards’ 2011-12 schedule

2011 was a disappointing year across the board for Washington D.C. sports. The Capitals flamed out early in the playoffs, the Nationals finished another sub .500 NL East basement year, and the Redskins appeared to be years away from contending. Even DC United finished an abysmal season, failing to advance to the MLS playoffs. For the Washington Wizards, the outcome on paper was no different. But the hope for the future is perhaps the brightest for the Wizards than it is for any other professional athletic organization in the DC area. These 2010-2011 events hold the key to that bright future.

New Ownership

Abe Pollin was a giant. His legacy will never be replaced. But the transfer of ownership to Ted Leonsis and Monumental Sports & Entertainment in June 2010 represented a new era for the Wizards, and Leonsis has had no qualms about ushering that new era in. It all started with …

The Lucky Lottery Pick

Perhaps it was the basketball gods smiling down on the Wizards franchise after a number of years. Perhaps it was the universe equalizing bad b-ball karma. Or perhaps it was just pure luck. Either way, the winning of the first overall draft pick was the most surprising thing to happen from last season. Personally, I found out in retrospect, assuming that we would have won the 5th pick or later. It never occurred to me that we would win the 1st pick, allowing us to select …

John Wall

There was speculation even before Wall was selected (there was never any doubt that Wall would be the guy) that it meant a change of guard. The old guard was out and the winds of change were a blowing. Could Wall and Gilbert Arenas play on the same team? Even if they could, that was not a direction Leonsis wanted to go, which meant …

Trading Gilbert

Gilbert was the last member of that old guard to go. Antawn Jamison was out. So were Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood and Deshawn Stevenson. It was only a matter of time until Gilbert was dealt as well. As a younger fan who really got into the Wizards when Gilbert and the team were at their peak, I was disappointed to see all these players go. The Big Three hadn’t been the big three for years, there were new names all over the roster and it seemed sad that this era, with all its flaws and disappointments was ending. But it was time for a new team. Which meant it was also time for …

New Uniforms

One of the most effective ways to start rebuilding is to begin with rebranding. The new red, white and blue uniforms won’t improve our players’ game. It won’t make the shots fall or calls go our way. But as a fan the most vivid memories are the ones we see, and what we see when they happen. As this team turns a page and starts a new decade it will do it in the red, white and blue of our nation’s flag. Hopefully that new decade is the one we’ve all been waiting for.

Thomas is a 21 year old college student living smack in the middle of Cavalier country, representing the Wizards as best he can.

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“A little bit, I think,” Vesely said when asked if the adjustment has been tough. “I think I’m getting every day into better shape so I think can get into this rhythm.”

The unusual circumstances of the past month have also contributed to the whirlwind of preparing for his rookie season. He trained in Los Angeles, then left last month to return home to the Czech Republic, believing that there would be no swift resolution to the lockout. He contemplated returning to his former team in Serbia, Partizan Belgrade.

But NBA owners and players found a compromise to end the lockout. Then, Vesely wondered if he would be allowed to enter the United States in time for training camp to begin.

“It was difficult,” Vesely said.

Vesely, 21, said he feels comfortable in his new surroundings, but his performance in scrimmages during the first few days of training camp often shows otherwise. He runs the floor well, makes sharp cuts toward the basket, sets screens and is a capable passer. But the high-flying, 6-foot-11 forward appears more willing to blend in than steal the spotlight (as he did with the infamous smooch with his girlfriend on draft night).

For example, Wall tried to set him up for a potential fast-break dunk this week, throwing a beautiful outlet pass ahead of every defender, but Vesely never lifted his head and the ball drifted out of bounds. A day later, Vesely found himself a few feet from the basket with Wall defending him. Despite having a decided height advantage, Vesely refused to back him down or simply shoot over Wall. Instead he turned and attempted a fadeaway, and Wall forced him into shooting an air ball. Afterward, veteran Roger Mason Jr. pulled Vesely aside to urge him to be more assertive in that situation.

“With him, he’s so talented, he can take his time a little bit,” Mason said. “I was just letting him know, giving him support, that in this league, you don’t have to rush. A young guy, the tendency in this league is to rush.”

With plenty of depth at his position, the Wizards are in no such hurry to bring along Vesely. Andray Blatche is the starter at power forward, Rashard Lewis can slide over when the team goes to smaller lineups and Trevor Booker, new acquisition Ronny Turiaf and rookie Chris Singleton will also get minutes at the position.

Coach Flip Saunders certainly isn’t concerned, as Vesely regains his legs and attempts to process all that is going on around him.

“Of all of our players, he has a great feel for the game. He really understands, passes the ball extremely well, makes the extra pass, knows when to hold it, when to get rid of it. The speed of the game, that’s not his problem because that’s his forte, getting up and down,” Saunders said. “For him, it’s just constantly working on his fundamentals, working on his shooting, working on all those things. But as far as the feel and how to play, he’s got that.”

Wall has also been encouraged by what he’s seen from Vesely.

“I think he’s still just learning how the NBA game is, how physical it is, how quick it is. But I think he’ll be good down the road,” Wall said. “He’s athletic, can play defense, can jump. He does those things, and he just wants to work. He’s not frustrated or anything. He’s just playing hard.”

After each practice, Vesely spends extra time working on his shooting form near the basket and at the foul line. As Vesely goes through his shooting motion, assistant coach Ryan Saunders will often stand nearby, placing his hand against Vesely’s back to ensure that he maintains his balance and avoids the temptation to lean.

“He’s got really good form,” Flip Saunders said. “He just has a tendency, he fades a little bit and loses his concentration, so I think it’s more to just tighten up his shot a little bit.”

During Vesely’s professional stops in Serbia and Slovenia, the teams didn’t emphasize individual attention and player development. The Wizards have made that a priority as they attempt to rebuild with one of the league’s youngest teams.

“Not a lot of shooting drills, not a lot of one-on-one drills,” Vesely said of his previous teams. “This NBA is different than European basketball.”

Vesely visited Washington for the first time when he came for his introductory news conference. He is still looking for a new apartment but doesn’t expect to have any trouble making the transition to living in a new country.

“The weather is fine, it’s close to Czech so I didn’t have a problem for getting used to D.C.,” Vesely said. “It’s good to be back and to work out.”

“A little bit, I think,” Vesely said when asked if the adjustment has been tough. “I think I’m getting every day into better shape so I think can get into this rhythm.”

The unusual circumstances of the past month have also contributed to the whirlwind of preparing for his rookie season. He trained in Los Angeles, then left last month to return home to the Czech Republic, believing that there would be no swift resolution to the lockout. He contemplated returning to his former team in Serbia, Partizan Belgrade.

But NBA owners and players found a compromise to end the lockout. Then, Vesely wondered if he would be allowed to enter the United States in time for training camp to begin.

“It was difficult,” Vesely said.

Vesely, 21, said he feels comfortable in his new surroundings, but his performance in scrimmages during the first few days of training camp often shows otherwise. He runs the floor well, makes sharp cuts toward the basket, sets screens and is a capable passer. But the high-flying, 6-foot-11 forward appears more willing to blend in than steal the spotlight (as he did with the infamous smooch with his girlfriend on draft night).

For example, Wall tried to set him up for a potential fast-break dunk this week, throwing a beautiful outlet pass ahead of every defender, but Vesely never lifted his head and the ball drifted out of bounds. A day later, Vesely found himself a few feet from the basket with Wall defending him. Despite having a decided height advantage, Vesely refused to back him down or simply shoot over Wall. Instead he turned and attempted a fadeaway, and Wall forced him into shooting an air ball. Afterward, veteran Roger Mason Jr. pulled Vesely aside to urge him to be more assertive in that situation.

“With him, he’s so talented, he can take his time a little bit,” Mason said. “I was just letting him know, giving him support, that in this league, you don’t have to rush. A young guy, the tendency in this league is to rush.”

With plenty of depth at his position, the Wizards are in no such hurry to bring along Vesely. Andray Blatche is the starter at power forward, Rashard Lewis can slide over when the team goes to smaller lineups and Trevor Booker, new acquisition Ronny Turiaf and rookie Chris Singleton will also get minutes at the position.

Coach Flip Saunders certainly isn’t concerned, as Vesely regains his legs and attempts to process all that is going on around him.

“Of all of our players, he has a great feel for the game. He really understands, passes the ball extremely well, makes the extra pass, knows when to hold it, when to get rid of it. The speed of the game, that’s not his problem because that’s his forte, getting up and down,” Saunders said. “For him, it’s just constantly working on his fundamentals, working on his shooting, working on all those things. But as far as the feel and how to play, he’s got that.”

Wall has also been encouraged by what he’s seen from Vesely.

“I think he’s still just learning how the NBA game is, how physical it is, how quick it is. But I think he’ll be good down the road,” Wall said. “He’s athletic, can play defense, can jump. He does those things, and he just wants to work. He’s not frustrated or anything. He’s just playing hard.”

After each practice, Vesely spends extra time working on his shooting form near the basket and at the foul line. As Vesely goes through his shooting motion, assistant coach Ryan Saunders will often stand nearby, placing his hand against Vesely’s back to ensure that he maintains his balance and avoids the temptation to lean.

“He’s got really good form,” Flip Saunders said. “He just has a tendency, he fades a little bit and loses his concentration, so I think it’s more to just tighten up his shot a little bit.”

During Vesely’s professional stops in Serbia and Slovenia, the teams didn’t emphasize individual attention and player development. The Wizards have made that a priority as they attempt to rebuild with one of the league’s youngest teams.

“Not a lot of shooting drills, not a lot of one-on-one drills,” Vesely said of his previous teams. “This NBA is different than European basketball.”

Vesely visited Washington for the first time when he came for his introductory news conference. He is still looking for a new apartment but doesn’t expect to have any trouble making the transition to living in a new country.

“The weather is fine, it’s close to Czech so I didn’t have a problem for getting used to D.C.,” Vesely said. “It’s good to be back and to work out.”

Former Washington Wizards draft bust Kwame Brown signed with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, his fifth team in seven seasons since leaving Washington. In discussing the signing with Yahoo! Sports, Mark Bartelstein, Brown’s agent, tried to paint Brown’s as a story of redemption, invoking his disastrous four seasons with Washington–which used the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001 on the 19-year-old prospect–in the process:

“It wasn’t his fault he was drafted first. He wasn’t ready for the NBA. He was too young, there was too much pressure and he got thrown into the bonfire with Michael Jordan and [former Wizards coach] Doug Collins.”

Brown signed with Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats squad for the 2010/11 season and performed fairly well, starting 50 games and averaging 7.9 points and 6.8 boards. “Going to Charlotte, playing for Michael Jordan, helped exorcise those demons from the years they had together in Washington,” Bartelstein said. “It was great for Kwame.”

Great for Kwame indeed. His deal with Golden State will pay him $7 million this season and enable him to become a free agent next summer.