Wizards' Complementary Addition

Songaila Hopes To Fill Gaps on Offense, Defense

The Wizards' brass -- from left, Ernie Grunfeld, Susan O'Malley, Abe Pollin -- welcome 6-9 Darius Songaila. (By Joel Richardson -- The Washington Post)

The Washington Wizards officially introduced their newest player, forward Darius Songaila, at a news conference yesterday at Verizon Center, and he already has a fan in owner Abe Pollin.

"We needed a big guy, a tough guy who can rebound, shoot and make free throws," Pollin said. "We can score a lot of points and he can help us do that, but we also have to play some defense and this guy can do that too. He's a good player."

Songaila, who has been assigned uniform No. 9, was courted by several teams but chose Washington because the Wizards offered a five-year contract worth around $21 million and because the team is suited to his skills.

Songaila, 28, is listed as 6 feet 9, 245 pounds, has a reliable jump shot (he's a career 50 percent shooter) and is a solid rebounder. In 62 games with the Chicago Bulls last season, Songaila averaged 9.2 points and four rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent. However, after earning a regular spot in Chicago's rotation, Songaila fractured his right foot and missed the final 20 games of the season.

The foot is healed, and Songaila should give the Wizards something they have lacked: a big man who can rebound, defend, set screens and make an open jump shot when the defense cheats to help on Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler.

"I like him," Jamison said from Las Vegas, where he is in camp with the U.S. national basketball team. "I played against him at [Sacramento] and a little bit against him in Chicago. When he's healthy, he's a tough guy. He can knock down the jumper, he plays physical on the defensive end, and I think that's what we need. We need someone to come in and mix it up with the [power forwards] and give me and Caron a break."

In his first two NBA seasons, with the Sacramento Kings, Songaila played in a Princeton-style offense similar to the one run by Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan.

"I like the pick-and-roll game, the elbow [the corners of the free throw line] game, you know, step out from the post and maybe take my man outside the paint to give Gilbert -- he's a real good penetrator -- a path to the basket," said Songaila, who will play with the Lithuanian national team in the World Championships later this summer. "I will take some of the big guys out of the lane as an outside threat."

Pollin, in his first public comments since last season ended, praised President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld for the signing and said he is happy that the team and Jordan reached agreement on a three-year contract extension.

"We have a young team, a team that is coming together, building chemistry and adding a piece here and a piece there, that will take us there," Pollin said. "My goal is to win a championship and you don't change every year with a bunch of new players and build chemistry. You don't do that. You have to build from within and I think we're doing that."

The Wizards have 13 players under contract for the upcoming season and also plan to keep restricted free agent Jared Jeffries. The Wizards can match any offer made to him. Jeffries has the option of playing next season under the Wizards' one-year qualifying offer ($3 million), which would make him an unrestricted free agent next season.

The Wizards are over the salary cap ($53.1 million) but under the luxury tax threshold ($65.4 million). Pollin said he is willing to spend up to, but not over, the luxury tax threshold. Teams with payrolls over the luxury tax have to pay a dollar-for-dollar tax on the amount of payroll that exceeds $65.4 million. The New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors are the only teams projected to be over the threshold this season.

Pollin also said he recently spoke with Arenas and addressed the all-star guard's concerns about building a championship-caliber team.

"He wants to win a championship, and I said, 'Gilbert, what do you think I want to do?' I want to win a championship," Pollin said. "That's why I'm doing everything I can to win a championship and I won't quit until I do. We are going to win a championship. Maybe not this year but we are going to win it soon. That's our goal. With Gilbert, the players we have and now Darius, we're going to keep adding a piece here and a piece there until we do it."