For a Few, Games Count Already

The Washington Wizards have reached a point in the preseason when veterans with guaranteed contracts are primarily concerned with getting through the final three games without injury.

For NBA hopefuls such as Donell Taylor, Roger Mason Jr., Mike Hall and James Lang, however, the final three tuneups will feel more like the playoffs. Those four players appear to be scrapping it out for one or perhaps two spots on the Wizards' regular season roster.

Teams must set a roster with no more than 15 players by Oct. 30. That gives Taylor, Mason, Hall and Lang three games to prove they are worthy of making the trip to Cleveland for the Nov. 1 regular season opener.

Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan clearly relishes the competition and says the team will likely go right up to the deadline before making any final decisions. Jordan even continues to push second-year forward Andray Blatche, who holds one of the team's 12 guaranteed contracts.

"There are a few guys in there fighting, not just the new guys," Jordan said. "Donell and Andray are still fighting for roster spots as far as I'm concerned. It's a matter of three more games and we might just keep everybody until the last day, until it's time to make a cut. It's going to the 11th hour and everybody is involved."

The player who appears to have helped himself the most is Mason, a Washington native who played at the University of Virginia. Mason was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2002 and has also played with the Toronto Raptors.

In five preseason games, Mason has impressed Jordan with his decision-making, shooting touch and commitment to defense. Mason has averaged 6.2 points while making 6 of 12 three-point attempts.

"The main thing the coaches are looking for is a guy they can trust," said Mason, who has appeared in 43 regular season NBA games with three starts.

"They want to know that when the time comes for you to go into a game, you are going to run the plays right and you aren't going to make mistakes. You have to be solid in all phases."

Last season, Jordan was not afraid to turn to the deepest regions of his bench. Taylor appeared in 51 games, Blatche played in 29 and former Wizards forward Awvee Storey played in 25 games with one start.

Taylor, Mason, Hall, Lang and Blatche are each trying to prove to Jordan and his staff that they can be counted on, too.

Lang has been another standout. The 6-foot-10, 285-pounder has made 8 of 12 shots and pulled down eight rebounds in 48 minutes. He's shown soft hands while receiving the ball near the basket and displayed impressive touch whether shooting a one-handed jump hook or a turnaround jump shot. The promise shown by Lang, who was drafted out of high school by the Hornets in 2003, was a big reason why the Wizards released former second-round pick Peter John Ramos.

"Lang is interesting because he does some things down there on the box that our other two bigs -- that's not their strength," Jordan said.

"Brendan [Haywood] and Etan [Thomas] are more defensive-minded. James has great hands down there. He has good post moves down there. He has a good feel for how to score. We like the idea of having that from him."

Wizards Note: During tonight's game at Dallas, Hall will be reunited with former George Washington University teammate Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who has appeared in fall five preseason games for the Mavericks.