Another Moral Victory

AL Thornton started this game and showed a fire many knew he was capable of displaying. He played with a sense of urgency and focus that has only been seen by John Wall in the first few games of the season. Thornton led all Wizards in scoring with a 23 point performance but was stifled late in the game when Coach Flip Saunders rotated him out in favor of a different set. Saunders later regret the move and said he wished he had not done so but hind sight is always 20/20

Coach Saunders tried the 3 guard set as an experiment and after talking to several other members of the media, the response was mixed. As with anything new Saunders indicated it needs tweaking to get right. The set included Gilert Arenas, Kirk Hinrich and John Wall. All three are capable scorers from different points on the court and if these guys can figure it out it has potential to cause chaos of the opposing teams defense. Saunders did indicate he will try it again in future games so be on the lookout

We all know John Wall is the face of the franchise but he has yet to get the applause and response from fans as Gilbert Arenas did when he came on to the floor off the bench. The crowd roared, cheered and many stood as he got up. This can only reinforce the positive vibes by many who s till back the prolific player that was once the darling of the team and NBA. Arenas played sharp and showed flashes of his old brilliance during his floor time. Cutting to the basket on a few occasions to draw a foul had many nodding their heads in approval as his 3 point shot is showing its back. A well rounded Arenas is crucial to the teams success according to Andray Blatche and we along with all the fans of the team hope so too.

The team is 1-4 and looks like the same team the year Eddie Jordan got fired. Most pundits agree this is expected during a rebuilding year but time will tell if the Wall show can keep people in the seats and interest high on a franchise that has its share of lumps.

 

Coach Flip Saunders post game discussing Al Thornton and the 3 Guard Set

 

Courtesy of the Washington Wizards

WASHINGTON WIZARDS VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

NOVEMBER 6, 2010

CAVALIERS 107, WIZARDS 102

WIZARDS HEAD COACH FLIP SAUNDERS

On giving up the lead:

“We have a young team.  We’re having problems always taking care of the ball and sometimes we get stagnant and we don’t move the ball.  It’s a combination of those things.  We’re in a situation where we can play like we did in the second quarter or the third quarter and take a lead of seven and have a chance to take control of the game and they go on a run and close out the quarter.  It’s something that we have to constantly work on and do a better job of being in that situation.”

On Gilbert Arenas:

“At times I think he turned down shots he should have taken and we ended up with a worse shot.  But that’s the other thing, we went through training camp and played those guys all together.  He played well, but it’s going to take time for us to get back in sync.”

On Kirk Hinrich and Al Thornton’s contributions:

“They both were great.  They carried us at times, and did a lot of individual things.  I thought Andray had one of his better overall games in terms of rebounding and trying to be a presence inside.”

WIZARDS GUARD JOHN WALL

On Gilbert Arenas:

“I think he just needs to get his rhythm back.  He hasn’t played in awhile so he needs to get back into shape; just get his legs back underneath him.”

On playing a three guard offense:

“I’m comfortable with everything and anything.  I’ll let coach make the decisions.  I’m just out there as the point guard leading the players and helping my teammates.”

WIZARDS FORWARD AL THORNTON

On how Cleveland was successful in the fourth quarter:

“They beat us in the fifty-fifty balls.  They were likely to get second chance points, that led to free-throws, and led to three pointers.”

WIZARDS GUARD GILBERT ARENAS

On where he is in his return to the court:

“I’m about 10 pounds overweight then what I came to training camp at, so I have to get that down.  It’s hard when you hurt you ankle and your groin and you can’t really run.  Other than that, once I get my legs back I should be fine.”

On the reception from fans:

“It was great.  It’s been awhile, so it was great to be out there.”

CAVALIERS HEAD COACH BYRON SCOTT

On the defense:

“Our number one priority is the defense.   We have to get better, and tonight we got better.”

On Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson playing together:

“You have two guys that can spread the floor, both guys can beat you off the dribble and both guys are very unselfish.  They look for their teammates and they’re both able to make big plays and big shots.  It’s a luxury for me to be able to have those guys on the floor at the same time, especially in crunch time.”

On Mo Williams:

“He just broke them down.  He just really got to the basket and created shots, not only for himself but for his teammates.  We had an opportunity to win the game and our guys seized the moment.”

On the third quarter:

“The third quarter has been our nemesis.  We’ve been coming out and not getting off to a good start.  I think there’s been one game this season so far that we’ve come out and gotten a good start.  It’s something we’re going to continue to address because we can’t continue to have these same types of lapses in the third quarter.”

CAVALIERS GUARD DANIEL GIBSON

On his performance:

“That’s the brand of basketball that I love to play.  The way our offense is set up, our coach has confidence and I never think about a shot and never think about making turnovers because he has faith in you and when coach has that in you, the sky’s the limit.”

On his role:

“I take pride in helping my teammates and rebounding.  Everything on the defensive end, and all the little things that will help my team win I’m going to make sure that I do that every single night.”

CAVALIERS GUARD MO WILLIAMS

On his performance:

“My role is really different this year. I have to roll with a man that’s closer to me and make sure he’s not leaving me. It’s going to get better, I just need to get going. Getting to the rack and keeping the ball in my hands also making plays to get in the paint.”