Ivan Carter and Michael Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
2:00 PM
Post staff writers Ivan Carter and Michael Lee were online Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the Washington Wizards this season and what stories to follow from around the NBA.
From The Post:
The transcript follows.
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Michael Lee: Sorry, I'm running late. I won't waste your time with any intro. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about. So, let's go. . .
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Baltimore: Should the Nets be worried? It seems like there is a ticking time bomb that could blow up and wreck the season
Michael Lee: Yes, the Nets should be worried. They have looked like hog slop the past few weeks and Jason Kidd, who has missed zero games since 1994 because of a headache is all of a sudden developing migraines. Rod Thorn is going to have to think seriously about blowing up that squad - on the real. Richard Jefferson is playing great, Vince Carter is playing ho-hum and Kidd has done everything short of opening demanding a trade. My main concern with that squad is they don't have Nenad Krstic. His knee injury has hurt this team more than any other distractions. If he's healthy, I don't think this team struggles as much.
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D.C.: I find it hilarious that Tim Legler is singing the praises of Larry Hughes after his game last night. Yes, let's just ignore the last three years of mediocrity from him.
Michael Lee: Has he been mediocre or hurt (or is that the same?). Hughes has gone through a lot of personal problems and injuries since he skipped town. Most people who have been around the dude, myself included, want to see him do well. I mean, are you supposed to pick on a guy when he scores 36 points?
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Germantown, Md.: Is Butler getting the national love that he deserves?
He's been excellent lately....and tough as nails.
I haven't purchased any Bullets gear since my Dixon No. 3 Jersey. But, Butler might be on my wish list.
Also, any word if they are going to follow the Caps and go back to the Red/White/Blue scheme?
Michael Lee: Yeah, Butler isn't getting much love because I think most people stopped paying attention to the Wizards once Gilbert went down. But if the Wizards can stay over .500 for awhile, win a few games on national television (tomorrow against Miami would be a good start), I think the rest of the country will see what people in Washington have known all season - that last summer's all-star appearance was no fluke and the dude is much better.
As for the color scheme, I know Gilbert Arenas would love to see them be red, white and blue, but I haven't heard anything about a uniform change. They just switched to gold this season, so I don't expect anything being done for awhile.
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Mount St. Joseph High School: Are the Wizards a better team without AGENT NACHO in the lineup?
Michael Lee: They are a more efficient team and they run the Princeton offense better, but they are NOT a better team without Gilbert Arenas. His absence has forced other guys to take on bigger roles and so far they have responded well. Arenas, though, has proven that he can handle a big role for a full season.
Gilbert takes them from average to good to possibly great. I talked to an NBA coach who thought the Wizards can win with him down, but if you look at losses in Memphis and Philadelphia, the Wizards could've won those games if they had a real finisher like Gilbert.
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Boston: Our center, Kendrick Perkins, will be out the next game with a toe injury he says occurred when he was trying to fix his bed during the middle of the night and the headboard landed on his foot. What are your all-time favorite off-the-court/field injury stories and which ones were just cover-ups for contractual or stupidity reasons?
Michael Lee: My favorite, right now, off the top of my head, was last year when Vladimir Radmanovic of the Lakers separated his shoulder and claimed that he hurt himself slipping on ice with a cup of coffee in his hand until it was later revealed that he violated his contract by snowboarding. My man was fined $500,000. I had a good laugh about that one.
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Chevy Chase, Md.: This is probably sacrilegious to say -- but I am enjoying watching the Wizards play without Gilbert. Caron, Jamison, Haywood, Blatche, Stevenson on down the line all seemed to have elevated their play, and the team is playing, well, like a team. I am starting to get concerned with how Gilbert is going to fit back whenever he is ready. If the Wiz are still playing like this, do you think Eddie would consider easing Gil back into the line not to disrupt the chemistry. Or will Gil play as many minutes as his knee can stand?
Ivan Carter: My guess is that once Arenas is cleared to play, he'll be brought along somewhat cautiously and then turned loose once he feels ready to roll. That's how he is.
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Warrenton: For both of you: who do you think is the best player in the world right now?
Michael Lee: I'm leaning more and more toward LeBron James. After seeing him with Team USA this summer and how he has been nothing short of phenomenal in the regular season, I think James is the best right now. I emphasize right now, because this thing changes so much throughout the course of a season. I've been in the Kobe camp for almost three years, but LeBron is slowing bringing me over. Plus, D-Wade isn't 100 percent healthy yet. When he is, that will be an interesting debate.
Ivan Carter: Kevin Garnett is the best player on the planet, hands down. Not the most exciting. The best. Just look at the Celtics.
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Washington, D.C.: Ivan and Michael:
I'm not sure exactly how to ask this question, but I'm wondering about the number of minutes Eddie Jordan has his top players play. Some stats:
- Caron Butler is in a virtual first-place tie with three other players for most minutes per game in the league. Gilbert, playing injured, was/is in 9th place, Jamison in 13th. In games he's started, Daniels has average 36+ minutes per game, which would put him around 35th in the league.
- Sacramento and Golden State are the only teams with two players in the top 15 in minutes/game. Orlando has three guys in the top 25.
- A number of teams don't have anyone in the top 30.
Clearly Jordan has a different approach than almost every coach in the league on how many minutes to give his stars. Why? And how has he analyzed the tradeoffs and risks?
I hope you give me more than, "What choice does he have"? Clearly most coaches in the league see that there are other choices. For example, Kobe is 35th in the league in minutes per game, and the Lakers bench isn't exactly brimming with talent.
Michael Lee: I don't think Caron's minutes are that big of a deal. He's only averaging a minute more than he did last season and it hasn't been a problem. When you compare it with the rest of the league, yes they play a lot of minutes, but the Wizards aren't deep enough to have the blowout wins to give these guys a lot of rest, nor have been blown out enough to do likewise. They are competitive and with so many games decided late, they will get some more playing time. At the same, Eddie probably doesn't need to play Caron 45 minutes against the Nets and Timberwolves.
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Will from Rockville: Any word on the status of Oleksiy Pecherov? It's been about 6 weeks since his injury.
Ivan Carter: He's another three or four weeks away from being cleared to practice. A recent MRI revealed that that hairline fracture in his right ankle has healed like they hoped it would. He's still in a walking boot.
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Horse Country, Va.: I love that the Wiz are beating the "sorry, no-account" teams. The Heat are better than their record, and have been playing better lately (particularly Wade). What are the keys to the Wiz stealing one in Miami?
Ivan Carter:1. Brendan mans up and doesn't allow Shaq to shove him all over the place (Something that as happened a lot when those two match up and 2. Caron and Antawn have to have nice games. 3. The bench has to kick in with points, rebounds and hustle as it has of late.
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Anonymous: Hey guys. Can you help me out (or the clever guys at washpost) and dig up that article on Nick Young and all he has been through. It was during the summertime I believe.
There is also a movie on him, have you seen/heard about it. A friend of my cousin directed it.
washingtonpost.com: I think he means this:
Ivan Carter: Check it out.
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Exiled in Flyover Country: I don't know about everybody else, but this team's making a lot of lemonade out of the lemons handed to them so far.
They're ABOVE .500 without Arenas!
Haywood is well, a stud. Very impressive. Here's someone who, this season at least, is putting performance behind what he's said.
Butler is well, another stud. He'll get his due.
Finally, it's great to see a team with grit. Sure, they're still gonna be up and down but I think what we're seeing so far this season is the sense of some continuity in this franchise.
Ivan Carter: I think one thing folks need to do is eat some of their early season words and give Eddie Jordan and his staff some props for coaching this team so well. We've seen other teams get off to brutal starts (Chicago, Miami) or fall apart recently (The Nets and Cleveland) yet the Wizards have bounced back from the 0-5 start and overcome the loss of a 30-points a game scorer who was the identity of the team. Eddie deserves some credit for that, especially from some of the folks who have bashed him and called for his head after the early season losses.
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Minneapolis: Is Blatche showing enough to make the Wizards consider not resigning Jamison to a new contract in the offseason? He could not take the place of Jamison at the moment, but can he develop into a player that could in a few years?
Ivan Carter: He may have to. If Jamison commands big money next summer and the Wizards decided that they can't afford him or want to use that money elsewhere, Blatche will need to be ready.
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Raptors fan in D.C.: What's the latest on T.J. Ford's condition? What will the penalty be for Horford?
Michael Lee: The latest I heard is that he had feeling in his arms and legs late last night. He was released from an Atlanta area hospital today and will return to Toronto.
That was an incredibly scary fall last night. I know that Al Horford didn't been to hurt the boy like that but he clubbed him real good last night. It just brought back those frightening images when he was with the Bucks and almost lost his career because of his neck and back. Ford has had these problems dating back to when he was at Texas, but it will have to be monitored. It's a shame because he's playing great and look awesome (26 points, 8 assists) last night. I hope he can come back soon.
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Washington, D.C.: Good afternoon Ivan and Mike,
Thanks for the chat and great work on Washington Post Live! I want to know why rookie guard Nick Young did not get as much playing time in yesterday's game as he has in previous games. Do you think coach Eddie Jordan could be saving him for the Miami Heat game on Thursday? Thanks
Ivan Carter: What happened was this: DeShawn Stevenson got hot early, making three of his first five three-pointers and then Roger Mason came in and played well also. That caused Eddie to stick with those guys. After the game, Eddie said he felt bad about throwing Nick in there cold in the fourth quarter but given the way DeShawn and Roger played, it was a good problem to have.
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Austin, Tex.: Any truth to the rumor the Raptors offered Bosh to the Mavs for Dirk? And the Mavs didn't jump on it??!! Is Cuban crazy??!!
Michael Lee: I haven't heard that. Your sources are either better than mine or have pulled something from their rear.
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Washington, D.C.: Michael, LeBron told the media last night that it was his call to enter the game with Varejao, so the fans wouldn't boo him; ESPN's Brian Windhorst said today that "nice story, but the substitution patterns are up to Mike Brown and LBJ had no idea." It's a non-story story...but did LeBron openly lie to us, is ESPN getting it wrong, or is the truth somewhere in the middle?
Michael Lee: Does it matter? In this instance, it makes for a good story. LeBron looks like the model teammate, Varejao doesn't get booed and everybody is happy. I wouldn't put too much into that one.
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Philadelphia: What are your thoughts on the development of Blatche and Young? Do you see either (or both?) of them making that HUGE step from contributor to main man?
Ivan Carter: They both have the athletic talent to be real players in this league, there is no question about that. Young can flat out score so he's going to have a chance to be an all star caliber player in two or three seasons. Blatche has shown an ability to play center and his all-around skills will give him a chance to be special. He's still developing though. My guess is that of the two, you'll see Young in an all star game first but I could be wrong about that if Andray stays serious about taking care of himself off the court, working hard in practice etc.
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DC: With regard to the answer about Hughes, we're talking about Hughes the player, not Hughes the person. I sympathized with him when he lost his brother. That being said, the moment he signed his name on that contract, he was overpaid. Just because he had a 36 point game last night doesn't erase the fact that the guy for the most part has been a free agent bust. I want to see Hughes be effective over an entire season, and not just two games. It's ridiculous to even suggest "Hughes is back" when he hasn't been the same player he was with the Wizards. I'm glad he got paid, but considering Grunfeld reportedly offered $55 million to him...he should have stayed to be honest.
Michael Lee: This is my thought about player contracts. You're worth what somebody is willing to pay you. You might not want to pay Hughes that much, I might not want to pay him that much but Dan Gilbert did, so that's all that matters. Hughes hasn't played up to his potential in Cleveland, but like I said, you cannot overlook the other problems he's had to deal with. These guys are on the floor for our entertainment value, but they are human. Unless you are a robot, problems at home sometimes make it difficult to be effective at work. It doesn't matter if you make $12,000 or $12 million a year.
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Rockville, Md.: I don't mean to be negative but from day 1 of the season I feel like we were doomed with the injury of Etan Thomas. The lack of a starting center has been an ongoing problem for this Wizards team. Etan had started to really show in the past few seasons that he could be this teams starting center and Brendan Haywood was a good backup but nothing else. Now Brendan, who was pushed into the starting role, who has shown spurts of greatness, is not in my opinion the answer. Do you guys think we can not only continue to compete but win without a starting center? Does Brendan have what it takes?
Ivan Carter: Brendan is what Brendan is: a pretty solid starting NBA center on a playoff caliber team. Right now, he's putting up career high averages of 10.1 points and 7.7 rebounds while making 55.5 percent of his shots. I think every Wiz fan in the world would have taken that had it been offered before the season. They will miss Etan on a night like tomorrow night against Shaq and the Heat. Etan would go in there and bang and we all know that is exactly Brendan's kind of part. That said, he has been far more competitive and his passion has been key during certain stretches (like late in the fourth quarter last night for instance).
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D.C.: Why is it that ESPN says the Spurs are not respected or recognized nationally? Yes, they are. They are the model franchise. It all starts with networks such as ESPN. If you're not LeBron, Kobe, Carmelo or D. Wade, nobody cares. I get a chuckle when their "experts" say the Spurs don't get enough pub even though that very network basically ignores them.
Michael Lee: Good point. Are you suggesting that ESPN says, "We don't give the Spurs enough attention?" I think the Spurs get enough attention, they've been good and boring for a good while now. I know Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are two of the more exciting players in the NBA, Tim Duncan has won four championships, but the rest of the country doesn't seem to relate to those guys on any level. That's why fans stage a boycott whenever they are in the NBA Finals.
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Washington, D.C.: At Verizon Center, I see there are three different press areas: courtside, behind one of the baskets, and on top of the tunnel leading to the Wizards' locker room. Any idea who gets assigned where (in general)? And where do you get to sit?
Ivan Carter: We sit right above the tunnel leading to the Wiz lockeroom. We used to sit right at the scorer's table next to the bench but the Wiz, like most NBA teams, began selling those seats for big money to fans. It's one of the frustrating trends because it has taken us away from seeing and hearing a lot of things that helped us understand what was going on in the game. But hey, if folks are willing to shell out $2,500 per to sit next to Eddie Jordan, I can't blame the Wiz for taking it.
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LEX PK: Who would have thought that the Cavaliers would miss LeBron James more that the Wizards would miss Arenas? Without James, the Cavs seem totally mediocre.
Michael Lee: The Cavs were missing James - and Hughes for all but one of those games. You take the two best players off any team and they stink. Trust me, the Wizards miss Arenas. Don't be deceived by a few wins.
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Let's all go to the movies: Do you have a favorite basketball movie?
"Hoosiers"? "He Got Game"?
For all of its '70s campiness, I still love watching "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh."
Ivan Carter: Hoosiers No.1 He Got Game No. 1A. Have seen the Fish and anything with Dr.J is great but it was pretty old-school.
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DC: Any word on Songaila? Will he be available tomorrow? What about Blatche? He didn't play much in the 2nd half, and it looked like he hurt his ankle.
Ivan Carter: Songaila did practice today and will be available tomorrow. Blatche said his foot was sore after the game last night but also said that he would be fine to play tomorrow night.
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Washington, D.C.: Strange question, but how do they decide which basket the teams will shoot at in the first half? Is it visitor's choice?
Michael Lee: Typically, it's the visiting team's choice, but they usually respect the home team and let them start on whatever side they usually begin the game.
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Germantown, Md.: Those gold uni's are ugly!
They should reverse them. Black with the gold trim.
Ivan Carter: Actually, they are kind of growing on me.
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NY: So I know Eddie and the team keep saying they need Gilbert, but this team does seem to have a couple attributes with Gilbert gone that they didn't have while he was here - toughness, unselfish ball movement, better team defense. When Gilbert comes back, do you think the team will return to its previous personality, or will Gilbert elevate his game and add his immense talent to this new, seemingly improved way of playing?
Ivan Carter: Everything will depend on that knee. If Gilbert takes the wise approach this time, doesn't rush back too quickly and listens to the team doctors and trainers, he'll be in good shape. If he rushes back, he'll be in the same spot he was this season. Once he does get back, he's going to have to blend his game in with the other guys sort of like he was doing right before re-injuring the knee at Minnesota on Nov. 16. I thought that in his final three or four games, he was moving the ball and picking his spots nicely. That kind of Gilbert could make this team really dangerous because he could then take games over when necessary late.
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Richmond, Va.: How much longer can Dolan stay in denial and keep Isiah? The team he put together stinks and the Knicks are turning into a PR joke.
Michael Lee: Til death do they part. I don't know, but those guys seem to be bound together rather tightly. Every time you think Isiah's out, he keeps showing up on the bench.
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Rockville: Ivan, I know you have said in the past AD simply can not go down with injury for any amount of time. I agree - I don't like it when Mason (playing great by the way), Stevenson or Young run the point even for short stretches. Does Ernie have any options for acquiring a another true PG as a back-up? Where did Aaron Miles wind up after the Wiz released him? Thanks.
Ivan Carter: Aaron Miles signed overseas once it became clear that the Wiz were going to only carry 13 players so they'd stay under the tax. I still see them staying under the tax unless another injury hits one of the guards, thus forcing Ernie and Abe's hand.
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Fairfax, Va.: Has Haywood begun his annual disappearing act? He's seems a little late this year. Can the Bullets stay over 500 without him?
Ivan Carter: You know what? I think that would have happened already. I really do see Brendan keeping this up all season.
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Fairfax, Va.: Where is the most likely/realistic destination for Jason Kidd if the Nets deal him? NBA trades always seem to be a complicated mix of player contract compatibility and draft picks.
Who else do you see changing uniforms before the deadline?
Michael Lee: I'd love to see him Dallas. I think they need him more than the other teams that have been mentioned as destinations (Cleveland and Los Angeles) because the Mavericks are closer to winning a title. The other players who might be on the move are Andre Miller, Jason Williams, Mike Bibby, Luke Ridnour and possibly Ron Artest if the Kings go into the tank.
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Michael Lee: Alright guys. I've got to run. Once again, it's been fun. We'll do it again in another week. Peace.
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Woodbridge, Va.: Question for the two of you...With all of the traveling you do tracking the Wiz, what is some of the scuttlebutt/rumors that you hear about potential deals involving the Wiz? You guys have to hear something with the contacts you have. One thing about EG is that he keeps a tight lid on what he says/thinks. That's probably good for the team, but as a fan, I like to hear and debate the various rumors around the league, especially when the Wiz are involved.
Ivan Carter: One problem with rumors is that they typically come out of nowhere and amount to nothing. And, as you pointed out, Ernie keeps things pretty close to the vest so there isn't a ton of weird speculation citing "team sources" regarding Wiz moves. Here's the deal: I do feel that Ernie would be open to making a move if it can really help this team but I also think that he likes this team right now and wants to give it a chance to see what it can do. I don't see a move out there that will drastically help this team in the short term without doing it damage in the long term.
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Washington, D.C.: Do you see Eddie Jordan getting serious consideration for coach of the year if the Wizards make the playoffs, given the injuries and do you think he, Jamison, and Arenas will return next season? Thanks
Ivan Carter: If this team plays above .500 all season after that 0-5 start, the Arenas injury and the absence of Etan Thomas, Eddie should certainly get a push for COY. It's too early to realistically speculate on what is going to happen next summer because so much of that will depend upon what happens the rest of this season. What will status of Gilbert's knee be? Will be come back late this season? Will he still opt out? What kind of offers will Antawn get if he keeps puttin up double-double and playing like he is?
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New York, N.Y.: Hey guys,
Love these chats. What's the word on Pech and his return? Back when he was drafted, I made the point that the Wizards would have been better served by taking Kyle Lowry because of his defense and ability to get into the lane. The Wizards certainly could use the 10 pts, 4 assists and almost 4 rbs he's averaging. A season and change in, we haven't seen Pech at all. Care to reassess?
Ivan Carter: I know that Ernie would have loved to pry Lowry away from Memphis when he was negotiating the Juan Carlos Navarro trade this summer but that didn't happen. As for Pesh, the ankle injury has robbed us of a chance to really evaluate him because I had a feeling coming out of the preseason that Eddie was going to play the kid in spots. He likes his rebounding and his ability to shoo the 3-ball. I guess we'll have to wait until he gets healthy and has a chance to play.
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Ivan Carter: Well, if that's it, I'm outta here like the Jets on Sunday. Take care folks.
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