A long, patience-testing and at most times overwhelming season has finally come to a close for the Washington Wizards. Headlines out of Wizards Nation touched on various issues throughout the season. From Andray Blatche's self-appointment of captain, to the firing of Flip Saunders, to the eventual ousting of JaVale McGee and Nick Young, it has been a season nothing short of eventful.

Here at Wizards Extreme we have chosen five questions to cap off the lockout-stricken season and attempt to put some key factors into perspective as we move forward into the offseason. Participating in this feature is yours truly, Abdullah Sharif, Trevor Jackson, Charles Lamar, Saam Bozorgmehr and Joe Glorioso.

1. Who was the MVP for the Wizards season?

TREVOR: It is tough to think about an MVP on a 20-46 team, but along with most everyone else, I believe the award goes to John Wall.  He played hard night in and night out, and did his best with a cast of young guys and 10 day contract guys.  One of the best things he did was help our young core like Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin develop.  A case could also be made for giving the MVP to Nene, not just Nene as a player because he was injured the majority of time here, but what his arrival represents.  It represent a change in the culture from lackadaisical preparation to a more focused, serious approach.  It represent a focus on defense.  It represents out with the old and in with the new.  The 'change in direction' could almost be an MVP candidate for me.

ABBY: As Trevor stated, finding value in a 20 win team is a difficult task. As the year progressed along with the team, players began to fit into their roles and the production level steadily increased, especially after the appointment of Randy Wittman as head coach. But in terms of MVP, I feel there is no question that it is John Wall. Through the ups and downs (mostly downs) of the season, Wall never let up or slowed down. He rarely expressed disinterest or laziness which can be considered commendable considering his circumstances, leading a team sorely lacking in talent and drive. With some mid-season adjustments, the Wizards eventually improved as did Wall.

CHARLES: The MVP for the season is going to be Nene. I know he didn’t play for the Wizards for even half of the season but the changes  that he brought to the team cant be overstated. The easy answer would be John Wall but the strides this team took since Nene came aboard is somewhat of a miracle so he beats out Wall for my vote.

SAAM: MVP for the Wizards this season I think has to be John Wall. He had some ups and downs, much like the rest of the guys on the team, but throughout it all John has been the ultimate professional. He's always trying to his best to get everyone involved in the game and he made the other guys around him better by the end of the season. Just ask Kevin Seraphin, Jan Vesely and Trevor Booker how much their games have improved throughout the course of the season.

JOE:  I'm going to go against the grain here and pick a non-player as the MVP of the 2011-12 season. No, not Ernie Grunfeld, but my Wizards MVP is Randy Wittman. Choosing a guy who has a lifetime 118-238 record and a win pct of .331 is not easy but you can't help but feel for Randy and the assignment he was given. Not only did he have to take over the Wizards after seeing his friend and Subway sandwich affictionado Flip Saunders fired, but he was tasked with getting a team with a couple of loose cannons to play as a team. He held the Wizards young roster accountable for their actions, finished with a record of 18-31 that was highlighted by a season ending 6 game win streak. The more I listen and read about the exit interviews, the players comments, the GM's comments and Ted's latest take, I have the feeling Wittman comes back for the 2012-13 season. He more than proved to me that he is a capable coach, one that can get the right players to play a team game and I for one fully support a full offseason, training camp and year with a roster that has team goals in mind instead of not-so-Sportscenter highlights.

2. Who was the biggest disappointment for the Wizards this season?

TREVOR: Ted, for resigning Ernie........I kid, I kid.  As a fan, I will jump on board with the resigning and hope "The Plan" comes to fruition.  Back to the question -- the obvious answer is Andray Blatche.  This guy seemed to be saying all of the right things during the offseason and seemed to be trying to lead by example.  It took all of one game for him to throw all of that out the window....from self-proclaiming himself the captain to bashing his coach in the media. His play on the court was terrible as well.  A couple weeks into the season, fans started raining down boo's every time he touched the ball.  He was eventually shut down for being out of shape by coach Wittman.  Blatche is the first person I know of who ever recorded a NWT - Conditioning on a box score.

ABBY: It’s almost this question was specifically set up to target Andray Blatche, and who’s  to say it shouldn’t? Going into the season, we all raved about the possibilities of Dray. The career highs in numbers last year, the offseason training, and the avoidance of trouble were all factors that led us to believe that Dray was morphing into a new man. It took very little time before he made us look like idiots. A post-game rant following the first game of the season sparked off what became a tumultuous season for Blatche and it never let up. It was only a matter of weeks before the displeased fans expressed their feelings, booing him relentless every moment he was on the floor. I think it’s fair to make an argument that his days of playing professional basketball ANYWHERE could be over. That could be a stretch. Maybe not.

CHARLES: The biggest disappointment has to be Andray Blatche. He came into the season out of shape and stayed that way for the duration of the season. He received a box score line of NWT (Not With Team)- Conditioning, which is the first. The season started with him introducing himself as Captain and ended with him being mercilessly booed by the hometown crowd. He is disappointment personified.

SAAM: The obvious answer here would be Andray Blatche but I'm going to go in another direction and Chris Singleton. I know he's a rookie,  I know there's tremendous upside there, but i felt like he hit a wall after about the 20 game mark of the season and never got up. He was lost in the offense, he settled for outside jump shots way too often and didn't do enough on the offensive end to make me believe that he's going to improve.

JOE: Where do I start? I really can't pinpoint one thing in a season that was trying as both a fan and a member of the media. Coach gets fired, team loses 46 games in a 66 game season, John Wall doesn't "break out" like everyone and their mother wanted, Andray Blatche loses his mind and his ability to play the game of basketball, and someone decides that firing out confetti is a great idea after the team wins a game. Note to in-game entertainment operations crew for next season - more Wizards Girls please! So what's my biggest disappointment? For the fourth consecutive year I'm watching the playoffs sans the Washington Wizards. Our last drought like this was pre-Big 3 and our 4 year run of playoff appearances.

3. Out of the three 10-day contract players (Martin, Singleton and Almond), which would you want returning next year?

TREVOR: I don't think we saw enough out of Morris Almond to warrant bringing him back, and even when he did play he didn't stand out.  Cartier Martin played well in his second stint in DC.  He plays tough and brings hustle, and is more efficient  on offense (44% FG - 38.7% 3PT) than Jordan Crawford (40% FG - 28.9% 3PT).  I would really like to see him back on this team.  But if I had to pick one of the 10 day guys to bring back, it would be James Singleton.  He seems to do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor, He is a hard nose, tough defender and doesn't get pushed around by bigger guys.  He is a decent offensive game, and is a very good rebounder.  He sets an example out there any time he steps on the court.  Singleton is also a very good locker room guys and brings a veteran approach, similar to Nene.

ABBY: James Singleton. As much as I love Cartier Martin and his instant offense off the bench for the Wizards, it’s the all-around play of Singleton that was partly responsible for the Wizards’ late season surge. Singleton’s efficiency had coach Wittman jokingly state that he might as well sign all the players to 10 day contracts if it means consistent production. While averaging just over 21 minutes a game, Singleton tallied 8 points, 7 rebounds and nearly a steal and a block a game, all while remaning in minimal foul trouble.  His scrappy, hard-nosed style of play is what makes the Wizards tougher on the floor, and toughness is one thing the Wizards can always use as they head into next season.

CHARLES: I never wanted to lose Cartier Martin last year but due to the lockout and the late start to the season he spent most of the year playing in China. While I’m a huge fan of Martin, James Singleton played out of his mind at the end of the season. He did all the dirty work, rebounding, diving for loose balls, and most importantly teaching the young guys.  In a perfect world WE bring both of these guys back, not because I like them but because they earned it.

SAAM: Cartier Martin! He's proven that he's a good player who can either start or come off the bench and be effective. He's got speed, he can shoot, and he's a good locker room guy with a good personality. We all credit Nene for changing the culture of the team, but since Cartier Martin returned to the team, the locker room became extremely more upbeat.

JOE: We've already determined I don't like answering questions the way they are posed so I won't stop that trend. I want to see Singleton and Martin both back next year. Guys like that, while they don't shape teams, they do round them out. Every succesful team in the playoffs right now has those "glue" guys who can come off the bench, provide hustle, energy and either contribute offesively, defensively or a little bit of both. Watching how Martin and Singleton interacted with the core of the Wizards team while on the court, on the bench or in the locker room was such a welcome relief from the dismal attitude that was portrayed by the team prior to their arrival. I was a fan of both individuals prior to this season and was happy to hear they were returning. 

4. With Ernie being brought back, how do you feel about the direction of the Wizards?

TREVOR: My initial reaction to hearing the news that Ernie was coming back was WHY ME??? I was angry and sad at the same time.  I have since thought about it more, and while I still disagree with the move, I am just hoping that it works out.  By all accounts, I believe Grunfeld did make this team better by trading Young and McGee, and has put the Wizards in a good position financially.  If he can hit on the draft, and land an impact free agent or two, the direction of this team will be looking much prettier.  I still think the ownership should have waited until the end of the season and interviewed some new candidates who may actually be able to improve the team, but all we can do as fans is hope that this works out.

ABBY: I wrote a post about this a few weeks ago. The displeasure of the fans upon hearing of Ernie’s contract extension is warranted and understandable. The man has made several bonehead moves over the course of his tenure here and while he’s cleaned up a lot of his mess, the fact still remains amongst the fans that he was the one that caused the mess in the first place. With that said, Ernie’s return can still be justified as the Wizards are equipped with a top 5 draft pick along with two 2^nd round picks, some cap space and a few players with good trade value. These tools should be enough to allow this rebuild plan carry forward smoothly and successfully. Fingers and toes crossed.

CHARLES: This a tough one because I was one of the loudest voices in the fire Ernie camp so I understand the anger, disappointment, and frustration the fans feel about bringing back the Grunfeld as GM. But I’ve taken Ted Leonsis advice and I’m going to judge Ernie from the starting point of the ownership change.  I’m going to ignore the boneheaded moves like the Gilbert Arenas deal and the drafting of Oleg Pecherov and focus on the past two drafts, the fact that he was able to trade Gilbert Arenas and he was able to salvage something from the disasters that were JaVale McGee and Nick Young.

SAAM: I don't agree with Ernie coming back. He's put this franchise in the situation they're in now and if we're going to hold coaches and players accountable for not producing, we have to place blame on the people who hire them and assemble the team personnel. I have no idea what direction this team is going in. I can't properly assess this team's direction because they win 6 in a row down the stretch against teams that packed it in and had nothing to play for. It's quite embarrassing that this organization actually rewards guys like Grunfeld for bad work and then fires Flip Saunders for having to deal with the mess that Ernie created. I don't get it.

JOE: I get both sides of the argument, I really do. That said, it's not as bad as the doomsday fans have painted it out to be. Is Ernie the best GM in basketball, absoultely not. Is he the worst, absolutely not. Should he get credit for sending two players who had personal agendas more selfish than Kim Kardashian's quest for TV dominance? Only if he gets blame for drafting both of them in the first place. When you have a career, especially in sports, that covers the better part of a decade you are going to have a resume full of highs and lows. The one thing about this particular situation is that you have to step back and analyze from the perspective that Ernie has had three different objectives over the course of his tenure. First was the rescue from hell mission of saving an organization post-Michael Jordan. In the second chapter, Ernie built a team that at one point had the All Star game's Eastern Conference Coach, a couple of all stars on the squad and made it to four consecutive playoff appearances after having been to one playoff series in the previous 16 years. His third and current mission was to implode a team that he created under a boss that passed away and rebuild a team around a #1 pick who we have yet to see the best from. I was far less startled to hear that Ted kept Ernie based on the fact that Ted has stuck with Caps GM George McPhee for as long as he has. Ted comes across as a loyal boss, someone who has a strategy that he wants to tie himself to and surrounds himself with smart people in the business. This isn't just about Ernie though, the Wizards have some talented evaluators and executives such as Tommy Shepard and Milt Newton to name a couple. This draft is going to be huge and I think both Ted and Ernie know that. We've hit pretty well in the past couple of drafts and I fully expect to come away from June's draft with 1 if not 2 players who will play a huge role in the Wizards return to playoff form.

5. Has Randy Wittman earned the job for next year?

TREVOR: Randy Wittman did a fantastic job with this team after he took over.  Simply getting the team to play hard each night and actually compete seemed impossible, but he was able to do it.  The biggest plus I see out of Wittman's job was the development of young guys like Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin.  Part of this was due to playing time being opened up by the Young and McGee trades as well as the Blatche benching, but you have to give credit where credit is due.  With that being said, I am not convinced that Wittman is going to be the guy for this team moving forward. If I were the GM, I would bring in as many candidates as possible who would fit the mold of young and up and coming, who also have the fire and energy to get the most out of there players.  If a decision is made to replace Randy with someone like that who can improve the team, than so be it.  If they decide that Wittman is the best guy for the job, there could be worse choices.  Here is a thread on this very topic if you want to keep the discussion going or give us your input: http://www.wizardsextreme.com/forums/showthread.php?p=99084#post99084

ABBY: Yes. Although there wasn’t a drastic improvement in wins and losses after Wittman took over for Flip Saunders, there was definitely improvement in the team’s mentality and demeanor game in and game out. Wittman offered a new brand of philosophy upon his arrival, demanding that playing time be earned solely on the level of production you bring on the floor. This boded well with players like Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker and eventually Jan Vesely.

CHARLES: If you would’ve asked me this a few weeks ago my answer would’ve been no, but oh the difference a few wins make. Coach was dealt the impossible task of changing a team that was known around the league as the knuckleheads. He was changed the culture and has rewarded effort and smart play with minutes. While the Wizards still have tons of room to improve, I believe Wittman righted the ship. Granted benching Blatche and trading McGee and Young helped but he deserves credit for taking a team of young guys and castoffs and getting to them to play hard every night. At the end of the season the Wizards looked like a completely different team that the one who started the season and Randy deserves some if not most of the credit.

SAAM: I think Randy has earned the job for next season. I love his attitude and he tells it how it is. We need continuity on this team and it should start with the head coach. I like Wittman.

JOE: I mentioned some of this above but I absolutely think Wittman has earned the right to continue with this team for next year. I think honestly, it's only fair that if you brought back Ernie that Randy should get a fair shot at a full offseason, training camp and season without having to deal with some of that circus crap he had to deal with prior to the Nene trade. As Michael Lee pointed out the Wizards very easily could have gone 10-1 with Nene in the lineup rather than the 7-4 they ended up with. Randy Wittman was not the reason this team was losing games prior to the trade and I think that was all the more evident after Ernie pulled the classic addition by subtraction deadline deal.

With the season over and the NBA Playoffs moving ahead without the Washington Wizards, what should the team do now?

They’ve got to evaluate some of these ten-day contracts. With Cartier Martin, James Singleton and Morris Almond still on the roster, the front office has to determine if any of these players are valuable pieces for their rebuild.

I’m a huge fan of Cartier Martin. I love his effort, grind, and his ability to do the dirty work without seeing the numbers on the box score final report. However, I don’t feel like he is going to be with this team nor should he be.

Martin is the kind of player that needs to be on an Oklahoma City, Memphis or Chicago. He is a valuable bench player, but on the Wizards roster, he reminds me somewhat of Nick Young. The only difference between the two, in my opinion, is Cartier’s hustle on the defensive end.

It’s not too often you see Cartier driving into the hoop, it’s always jump shots. So if the Wizards weren’t looking to keep Nick Young, then I dare say they’re not looking to keep Cartier Martin.

Morris Almond did not get much playing time, but when he was in the game, I was not fully impressed. He didn’t really provide any kind of spark on the floor, and although he’s not the worst shooter on the planet, I just feel as if he’s going to fall through the cracks of the roster.

James Singleton is my one vote to remain on this team out of the ten-day contract players. He had a huge game (ironically with Cartier Martin) earlier in the season, and after watching him versus the Heat the other night, I’m fully sold on him.

Singleton is consistently moving while off the ball looking for a way to be aggressive. He’s battling it out with big-men in the post on offense and defense, and when he is in the game, he is bothersome to any opponent.

I like his shot and his ability to drive it in the lane, he also has shown a glimpse of some post moves, as well. You have to keep in mind he’s been in the game for some time now on his second stint with the Wizards.

He’s never going to be a big-name player, but I think he has the ability to fill the gap of the Wizards’ Power Forward position with Andray Blatche (hopefully) out the door soon. His spark and energy could help carry this team further next season while providing a veteran presence.

And if I understand correctly, isn’t that what the organization has been looking for?

At the beginning of the season, I was less than thrilled that the Washington Wizards brought back veteran Mo Evans due to his lack of productivity on the court last season with the Wizards. As I write this at the end of the season, I am begging for them to resign him next year.

It’s funny how things change over the span of a few months. Every single player who I thought would never have an impact on this team managed to prove me wrong in the course of one large-margined win against the NBA Championship-favored Miami Heat.

In their season closer, five players for the Wizards scored in double figures in the 104-70 blowout at the Verizon Center: Jan Vesely (11 points), Kevin Seraphin (15 points), Cartier Martin (12 points), Nene (15 points), and Mo Evans (18 points).

Are you kidding me?

Four of these guys I thought would be little more than an afterthought this season, with Cartier Martin being someone who I could’ve never seen being resigned. The fifth, Nene, I couldn’t call having on the roster in my wildest of dreams.

But that’s the thing about this Wizards 2011-2012 season. Too many fans expected too much. But some fans were really calling for the Wizards to play these younger guys. With the injuries and trades and coaching changes, this minority’s wish came true.

The starting lineup in last night’s game only had one player (John Wall) who was in the starting lineup at the season-opener. This is a good thing, everybody. Everyone knows that Trevor Booker, Jordan Crawford, Nene, John Wall are going to give you something; but what this starting lineup really shows is that the Wizards have the potential to have very solid bench play.

Ending the season on a six-game win streak really didn’t mean much to me due to the opponents we faced, but it gave me optimism for something different. In hindsight, this season was about the rebuild. The organization clouded my expectations at the beginning of the season by telling the fans that this could be a team to surprise everyone. But really, what else are they going to say?

One thing is for sure, though, the Wizards (and hear me out here), have a better bench than the Miami Heat. If this team can surround itself with a few more veterans, like Mo Evans who has surprised everyone, and another big-name producer, this team could contend for the East within the next few years.

The Wizards bench beat the Heat bench last night. There’s no other way around it. That’s something I never thought I’d be able to say at the end of the season, too. With the latest news that Ernie Grunfeld’s contract is extended, is it possible to say that he really has a plan to surprise us all?

With the Washington Wizards, anything is possible; be it good or bad. But as they close the book on the 2011-2012 season, they can’t call it a waste. They got 20 wins after a coaching change, a blockbuster trade, four players with 10-day contracts and never ending injuries. Not too shabby in hindsight.

But the organization stayed played through it and ultimately learned a lot about what they have on their hands.

And that is something to be proud of if you’re a fan.

WIZARDS PLAYER OF THE GAME

This might be the toughest one to call all year. In a game where "Lob City East" transformed into the "Bobcats South", five Wizards were in double figures helping the Wizards complete their six-game surge to end the season. But to follow WE etiquette I'm compelled to choose one and I'm going to go with Mo Evans. For a guy who has dropped donuts across the stat sheets for about 85 percent of the season, what a way to ride out. Evans scored 18 points in 23 minutes, split between the second and fourth quarters. Evans ignited the crowd in the fourth with flashing moves to the basket and a three pointer.

WE’s TO WATCH/WE SPOTLIGHT

Ah, Kevin Seraphin. Simply outstanding how well this man has progressed over the course of the season, especially after the trade for Nene. Seraphin was his usual cool self offensively, scoring 15 points and looking pretty comfortable down low against Eddy Curry (stop laughing). Curry and Juwon Howard got a lot of the burn down low for the Heat with our other spotlight player Udonis Haslem playing only 19 minutes and scoring 6 points. Haslem was moderately effective with his post up defense against Seraphin early in the game but nothing special. Moving on...

THE GOOD

Umm, how about a 34 point victory to cap off a six game winning streak? A very joyous finish to a rather tumultuous season had the players and fans pumped down to the final buzzer. John Wall accumulated double figures in assists for the fifth consecutive game, dishing 12 against the Heat with nine of them coming in the first half. He finished the night off by thanking the fans for their support throughout the season. 

THE BAD

The fans found a way to boo Andray Blatche. Following the game, a lady fan won his jersey in what I think was a raffle game. Upon Tigger announcing the fan's prize, fans booed Blatche as he handed her the jersey. Hopefully for Blatche's sake, the jeers didn't buzzkill his end of the season rooftop party at Eden nightclub.

THE UGLY

The Miami Heat bench. For a team that's touted as the front runner for the NBA title this season they've got some crappy reserves. The Heat were almost held to under 70 points for the second consecutive game and there wasn't anything remotely pretty about it. The team shot 35 percent from the floor and committed 22 turnovers leading to 33 Wizards points. Only two players scored in double figures with 10 and 14 points.   

            AT   

Thursday, April 26th, 2012
8:00 PM ET
TV: Comcast SportsNet HD
Steve Buckhantz, Phil Chenier  
Radio: 106.7 The Fan - http://bit.ly/5yZqu8
Dave Johnson, Glenn Consor
_________________

WE's to Watch



WE Spotlight



Heat Projected Starting Lineup



Wizards' Projected Starting Lineup



Funniest Looking Heat



Paying Homage





Proud Moment in Heat History


 
Friendly Dancers - Wizard Girls












Go Wizards!!!!!!

           AT

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
7:00 PM ET
TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus HD
Steve Buckhantz, Phil Chenier  
Radio: 106.7 The Fan - http://bit.ly/5yZqu8
Dave Johnson, Glenn Consor
_________________

WE's to Watch



WE Spotlight



Wizards' Projected Starting Lineup



Cavaliers' Projected Starting Lineup



Funniest Looking Cavalier



Paying Homage





Proud Moment in Cavaliers' History



Enemy Dancers










Go Wizards!!!!!!

As many of us are aware now, Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld has just been inked to a contract extension.

While this news comes much to the dismay of the Wizards faithful, I’m finding myself not quite as horrified about Ted Leonsis’ decision to retain the mastermind that has been behind so many years of unwatchable basketball in Washington, D.C.

But before I begin to spew my justification of Ernie, I’d like to express my awareness of the fire this man initially erupted, and the fact that most of his recent transactions were simply an extinguishment of those mistakes.

I get it. I’ve witnessed it all. I’m clear and in full understanding of the mess Grunfeld created upon his arrival to Chinatown in 2003: The mammoth contract signing of Gilbert Arenas; the head-scratching trades of high draft picks for subpar talent; the misfortune of JaVale McGee and Nick Young; the contract extension of Andray Blatche.

That's just scratching the surface, but frankly, I have very little interest in iterating all the countless mishaps of Ernie Grunfeld. It gives me indigestion and triggers my acid reflux.

Besides, the management blunders of Grunfeld have been voiced across Wizards nation for years and even in the midst of recent progression, it still hasn’t been enough to kindle any spec of love for him from Wizards fans.

And why should it? With a timeline of 10 years and only four playoff appearances with only one playoff series win, there’s a very narrow margin for me to vouch for Ernie, but I’m going to do it.

As Washington Post’s Mike Wise stated in his article this morning, Grunfeld’s extension was clearly based off the evaluation of his two year production under the helm of Ted Leonsis, rather than being evaluated for his overall lack of success which includes the preceding six years under the late Abe Pollin.

To a certain extent, this makes sense to me. The “rebuild program” devised by Ted following the four-year playoff run -- which included the ousting of the team’s “Big 3” -- has resulted in recent, but rather slow progression.

We were all warned of this. We were advised by Ted and Ernie to remain cool, calm and collective while the team was gutted from the inside out.

While the “stay calm while your team habitually loses” plan is tough to stomach, let’s look at how it has panned out and where the Wizards stand today as we close in on the end of the season:

• Following a dismal 19-win season in 2008, in which the Wizards were without an injured Gilbert Arenas, the implosion of 2009 positioned the franchise to land profitable draft picks in John Wall, Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin (via Chicago). This past year’s draft brought in more potential with Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack.

• The Wizards will end their season as the second worst team in the league, guaranteeing them yet another lottery pick, one that could even be as high as first and as low as fifth. The Wizards also have two second round picks.

• Before the season began, Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and Nick Young were highly touted as the leaders of this team and as the appropriate pieces surrounding John Wall to ensure his growth as an elite NBA point guard.
  
  Well, we were highly wrong. Inconsistency and one too many blooper montages on YouTube led to Grunfeld reacting with a trade-deadline beating deal that weeded out the incompetence of McGee and Young, in return for an all-star center and that second round pick I mentioned. Again, this is Grunfeld merely cleaning up his own mess.

• The only thing that would save Grunfeld from his questionable decision to extend Andray Blatche’s contract in 2009 would be the possible execution of the amnesty clause, which would relieve Blatche of his duties in D.C. and not impact the cap. The Wizards would still have to pay Blatche and as my pal Chuck Lamar states, Ted hates paying people to do nothing (he must really hate the Kardashians).
  

Ernie’s second and most likely last opportunity to save the Wiz comes equipped with pretty much all the tools he needs to make that happen.

At the beginning of the season, the trade value of much of the team outside John Wall was little to nonexistent. The recent progression of players like Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Booker has made them more expendable, which gives Grunfeld more options to wheel and deal. For the record, I would HATE to see either of them go.

The impending departure of Rashard Lewis, most likely by way of a buy-out, will free up a butt load of space in a salary cap that is already $2 million under and occupied by a butt load of small rookie contracts.

These are all the factors that seem to have directed Ernie Grunfeld in position to “earn” his extension.

While fans continue to express their disenchantment in Ernie stemming from years of basketball turmoil, Ted maintains his faith in Ernie and is giving him the chance to once and for all bring the Washington Wizards back to basketball relevance.

Don't look now, but the Washington Wizards are the second hottest team in the league.

San Antonio always takes the limelight. Let's just get this out of the way so I can go on and rant.

The Wizards destroyed the Bobcats last night 101-73. John Wall looked like an NBA first-team point guard, Jan Vesely looked like the Czech Larry Bird, Kevin Seraphin continues to show why he's the most improved player in the league over the last 20 games and most importantly, the Wizards extend Charlotte's losing streak. So what do Wizards fans get in return?

Do they get a playoff spot?

No.

Do they get the number one overall pick again?

Probably not.

Instead, they get a contract renewal of the person who assembled everything together DURING the team's most impressive win of the season.

Talk about flying under the radar. Good One Ted. Way to cater to your crowd. That's another DJ reference for those of you keeping track at home.

Quite frankly, I've had enough of this franchise turning the "other cheek" and failing to address the issues at hand. The reason why this team has underachieved, despite it's recent string of great play, is because of the people who are in charge of putting the personnel together.

Ernie's made such a mess in the kitchen, that hiring someone else to clean it up would only make it worse. Think about that for a second. Imagine living in a house that's so dirty, that hiring a maid would only do more damage. The Wizards have forced their own hand here. They had the chance to cut all ties early in the year and they chose not to.  Just because you win four in a row and now have a chance to win 20 games this season (out of 66) doesn't mean that you get my praise Ernie. You swept the Bobcats. Great job. You're also 2-12 against the Miami Heat over the last 3 seasons. You've won 4 in a row for the first time in 4 years. *Fannie Pat* ANDRAY BLATCHE IS STILL ON THIS TEAM!!!

That's a different topic for another day. There's a lot we can talk about as far individual performances. The team playing it's best basketball at the most meaningless time of the year, again. Optimism going in to next season is high, again. People think that this roster can compete for a playoff spot next year, AGAIN. I think I speak for all Wizards/Bullets fans when I say, "BEEN THERE, HEARD THAT."

For now, let's focus on the numbers.

14. Assists for John Wall. This is now the third game in a row in which the former number 1 overall pick has recorded double digit assist totals. The Wiz Kids are 7-10 overall in games where John Wall records double digit assists. It's also the 17th time this year he's recorded double digit assist totals!

28. This ties the largest margin of victory this team has recorded all year. The other time they beat an NBA team by that many points? You guessed it, The Bobcats back on April 9th.

19. The average margin of victory the Wizards have won against the Bobcats all year (4-0). Can we play Charlotte 82 times a year?

21. The amount of consecutive games the Bobcats have lost after last night's game.

.594% The Wizards winning percentage all time versus the Charlotte Bobcats. Good job Ernie, you've assembled a roster that can beat the worst team in the league. You get a raise! The only other team they have a better winning percentage against is the Clippers.

20. The amount of wins the Wizards can get if they win their next 2 games. When we talked to Steve Buckhantz earlier in the year, he predicted that they would win right around 20. It looked like a slim chance a few weeks back, but now it's a reality. Ernie gets the credit.

100. Jan Vesely's shooting percentage last night. I know, we're all still recovering from that. Good pick Ernie!

12. The amount of air balls both teams combined to chuck up. 10 courtesy of Charlotte. That's actually not Ernie's fault…directly.

After all that, you come out of Verizon Center with a 101-73 victory for the good guys and the empty feeling of "what could have been" if this team applied themselves like this earlier in the season.

Here's to Summer League and another NBA draft!

Go Wiz!

WIZARDS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Jan Vesely. With a career high of 16 points and also pulling down 6 boards, he managed to shoot an unbelievable 100% from the field. A big reason for Jan’s success tonight (except for the nonexistent play of the Charlotte Bobcats) was John Wall, who kept finding Vesely in the lane to the fast break or down in the post as he was able to clear the way for some very easy baskets.

WE’s TO WATCH/WE SPOTLIGHT

Picking a spotlight from the Charlotte Bobcats is like trying to pick a talented rapper from Yale University. But D.J. Augustin did have somewhat of an impressive outing with 15 points and 6 assists. He did, however, also add to the team’s sloppy play with 3 turnovers. John Wall had an outstanding night as he racked up 16 points and 14 assists. It’s hard to find a player who can get almost as many assists as scoring when you’re talking double-figures, but Wall had a “pass-first” mentality tonight which he needs to keep working on in the future.

THE GOOD

Coming out strong. The Wizard managed to get 63 points in the first half; and with Charlottes measly 39, the Wizards pretty much had the end of the game decided by halftime. The field goal percentage was strong throughout the game (final being 55%), but in the first half they shot just under 63% thanks to Wall’s assists to the easy bucket and the second-team’s strong performance off the bench.

THE BAD

Turnovers. The Bobcats are horrible, but the Wizards really gave them every chance to attempt a comeback with 18 turnovers in the game. Thankfully, the Bobcats only scored 13 points off those turnovers, but with any other team, they might have sunk them and ended the winning streak.

THE UGLY

Tyrus Thomas. I’ve never really liked the guy for some reason, he always seems to play too dirty for my liking. While this works for some teams, it won’t work for a dejected 7-57 Charlotte Bobcats where aggressive play just shows frustration due to it coming at the wrong time. Thomas got away with only an offensive foul after he attempted to clear the space after a rebound, but when he did it and ended up Metta World-Peace’ing James Singleton, it was time to go. The matchup was getting pretty heated between them for it only being the first quarter, and Thomas couldn’t believe the call, but it was a poor decision by him to leave his team (even more) dry like that. As to whether Singleton flopped, he seemed perturbed at the thought of it after the game, saying, “Have you ever seen me flop in my career? That’s not my game; you can look at the film. That’s not my game.” 

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
 Video edited by Roni B. @BBallWiz330