Washington Wizards

Yi Jianlian's MRI on achilles injury comes back negative

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Some stuff for you to read when you sit down to your computer:

• Believe it or not, Michael Jordan is actually doing some very good things as the chief executive of the Charlotte Bobcats.  Henry Abbott details them all here. [True Hoop]
• A few thoughts on the aformentioned Jordan article, most of which I agree with wholeheartedly. [Truth About It]
• Can the Wizards make the playoffs next season?  Looking at the competition, it's not that farfetched (though I think ultimately they'll miss by a few games). [Ben Standig, CSN Washington]
• An argument that now is the time to trade Andray Blatche, while his value is still high.  My thought?  Sure, maybe, but don't pretend that Blatche has "worn out his welcome" in D.C., because that's false. [Dime]
• Michael Lee is breaking down the Wizards 2010/11 schedule. So far, he's done October/November, December and January. [Wizards Insider]
• Former Wizard Dee Brown is going to be with the Mavericks during training camp. [The Two Man Game]
• John Wall is doing Yoga for the first time.  Maybe he should seek out Antawn Jamison for help. [Twitter]
• This is non-Wizards, but if you're a fan of local high school hoops, you'll be happy to know that Quinn Cook's knee injury, which many felt would keep him out for his entire senior season, is less serious that expected. [SB Nation D.C.]
• SB Nation's 76ers blog had a live chat about the Wizards. [Liberty Ballers]
• Remember Etan Thomas?  The Atlanta Hawks just signed him [Michael Cunningham, Atlanta Journal Constitution]
• One Hawks blogger is not thrilled, to say the least. [Hoopinion]
• A couple days old, but here's a list of the top 35 and over athletes in D.C. history.  MJ makes it. [SB Nation D.C.]
• Also a couple days old, but in response to the above article, a look at whether John Wall could have the best rookie season in franchise history. (Answer: probably not, but he'll be better than Kwame). [Truth About It]

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Tailgating is encouraged

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This weekend is Labor Day, a time for all of us to recharge our batteries after a long summer.  However, it's also a sign that basketball season is not that far away.  Training camp starts in just 25 days, and the new season is just a month after that.  We'll be getting you ready for the season with all sorts of fun features starting next week.  

In the meantime, as you enjoy your Labor Day, here are some thoughts/questions bouncing around in my head that I haven't had a chance to examine fully enough:

• Last summer, I wondered if Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee would ever be able to get the most out of each other when they're on the court at the same time.  One year later, is that concern still legitimate?
• It also didn't seem like Gilbert Arenas and Blatche meshed all that great last year.  I remember one time in particular when Dray responded to the question of why he doesn't play inside more by saying something along the lines of "I need to space the floor for Gilbert."  Is this concern valid?
• Whatever happened to Flip Saunders' idea of converting to a two-guard offense?  Did that get put on hold once John Wall was drafted?
• What's Al Thornton's role going to be this year?  Seems to me the key to his value is whether he's rebounding -- that's been inconsistent in his career.
• We've talked a lot about Kirk Hinrich in terms of intangibles, but what on-court stuff does he actually bring?  Something I've been meaning to do for a while.
• Should Arenas apologize publicly for last season now?  Should he wait until training camp?  Should he have done it already?
• Saunders hasn't had a team this young in a very long time - not since the late 90s Timberwolves.  How did he coach that team, and will he coach this team like he did that one?  

The Wizards are quietly impressed with what they have seen out of Andray Blatche this summer.

While Blatche hasn't been able to do anything on the floor after breaking his left foot and few expect that he'll be 100 percent by the time training camp starts at the end of this month, Blatche has continued to work on his body, doing everything he possibly can to stay in shape.

"It's been a pleasant surprise to see him making the real commitment that he's made this summer, especially with what happened with the foot," team president Ernie Grunfeld said. "He made so much progress last season in the second half. You want to see him carry that momentum with him into next season. I think he's making every attempt to do this."

After spates of inconsistency that have marked...
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