Wizards and the NBA

Post staff writers Ivan Carter and Michael Lee took your questions about how the Wizards have fared under new coach Eddie Tapscott, the Knicks and Stephon Marbury's contentious divorce and anything else you want to talk about.

The transcript follows.

Wizards Coverage

Discussion Archive

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Ivan Carter: Hello folks. It's been a rough start so far and we'll see what this team is made of tonight against the Lakers. Let's get to it.

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Potomac, Md.: Who was that dude wearing a DeShawn Stevenson jersey on Tuesday? That guy was making shots.

Ivan Carter: That's funny because I asked him the very same thing before the Portland game the other night. DeShawn said he hit his first one against NJ and just found a groove. It helped that many of the shots were open. He was able to set his feet and release a clean look. He's struggled whenever he's had to create a shot or rush one with a guy running at him. He also said he recently changed up his pre-game routine to include more shooting. Go figure...

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Virginia: Saw something recently about EJ taking over in Philly if Cheeks gets the boot. I hope it happens so he can stick it to the Wiz often. With Brand, AI and Miller, his Princeton Offense could thrive. Another question: Why does no sportswriter in this town hold EG responsible for some of this? He put the team together and pushed to pay the players he paid, but he seems to consistently escape criticism, especially from WaPo writers.

Ivan Carter: Eddie could very well wind up in Philly if Mo Cheeks gets into trouble. Jordan has a good relationship with Sixers GM Ed Stefanski from their days together in New Jersey. And I do feel that Jordan's system would fit those players. I would be very curious to see what changes, if any, Eddie made in another go-around.

As for Ernie, I agree with you on this: this is now on him and Abe Pollin. Every player on this roster was acquired by Ernie except for Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas and Ernie extended or re-signed them both (Etan's contract was Abe's call). They made the decision to give $111 million to Arenas, $50 million to Jamison and a five-year deal to Andray Blatche shortly after he got in trouble (again) and it's on Abe that the team remains steadfast in not going over the luxury tax.

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Oakton, Va.: Wasn't the one year extension for Eddie Jordan (to prevent a lame duck status headed into the season) a pretty good indicator that Ernie was leaving his options open?

I have to think that since Tapscott and Randy Ayers were brought into the organization (people Ernie could turn to as potential temporary coaches and not Eddie's guys) he had to know the end was likely coming?

Ivan Carter: I think Eddie certainly sensed that if the team got off to a rough start, he could be in trouble but, I think he also felt that he would be given more time given A) the injuries to Arenas and Haywood and B) the job he and that staff did last season. But yes, Eddie certainly understood that a change could be made at some point regardless of the extension being picked up.

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Juan Dixon (The Bench): Put me in coach!!!

Michael Lee: Maybe you should tell Ed Tapscott. We can't help you.

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Denver: I can't help but think that Blatche's monster game against the Warriors was a message of sorts to the departed Jordan. In fact Jamison mentioned that Blatche played as if he was not worried that he'd get yelled at.

Except for the game where he laid an egg against the Nets it appears that Blatche has been playing with more intensity since Taps took over. It makes me think that Jordan and Blatche didn't have a very positive working relationship, but you'd know, so what was their relationship like? Will they be exchanging Christmas cards this month?

Ivan Carter: Relationship? What relationship? Jordan was a coach. Blatche is a player. That's it. All Jordan ever did was try to get Blatche to practice hard, take care of his body, show up on time, play hard and develop his skills. So far, that has been hit and miss as we all have seen. I think Tapscott just provides Andray with a fresh voice and a new opportunity but in time, if he doesn't improve in those areas, Tapscott will get frustrated with Blatche as well. I do agree with you on this: Andray has been playing hard. Not always smart, but hard. As long as he does that, he will be productive to a certain extent simply because of his talent.

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Alexandria, Va.: Is this the season Tracy McGrady finally makes it out of the first round of the playoffs (if he is even healthy enough to play in them)?

Michael Lee: Ah, it's the annual rite of spring, huh? McGrady failing to get out of the first round. This should be the year, but nothing is guaranteed. Especially in the West, where so many teams that were expected to be good have gotten off to slow starts, while a team like the Nuggets is thriving with the addition of Chauncey Billups (last night notwithstanding). I think for Houston to get out of the first round they have to win the Southwest Division. Being a fourth or fifth seed will make it difficult, because this season their opponent could be San Antonio or New Orleans. T-Mac needs to win a division title, I think.

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Fairfax, Va.: What's the latest with Agent Zero's knee? Even if he comes back healthy, he'll need time to shed the rust and I'm actually hopeful for the possibility of a top 3 pick next year. Can he just shut it down for the whole year and get completely healthy to make a run next season?

Ivan Carter: That is the biggest mystery in my world right now and I really have no clue. I do know this: the organization is not going to let him get on the court until he is 100 percent ready (whatever that is right?). Remember, Ernie emphasized that the decision to give him the $111 million was a "longterm" one. I'll keep you updated as best I can but right now, he has not practiced or even come close to it. He's been limited to shooting drills and other non-contact, low impact work. The clock is ticking....

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DC: Ernie also got Caron for nothing, and Twan for Stackhouse so lets give the guy a little credit. We all know the Arenas contract was all Abe too. Can't blame Ernie for that one.

Ivan Carter: Some love for Ernie. Agreed and agreed on your two points. Plus, he drafting of JaVale McGee at 18 (give a lot of credit to Milt Newton for that one) could make Ernie and company look like geniuses in three years.

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Washington, DC: Of course winning will make a difference, however, is there a noticeable difference in the Wizards players morale since Ed Tapscott took over?

Ivan Carter: As with any coaching change, there was an immediate sense of freshness and it showed in that win over Golden State. One thing Tapscott has made a point of doing is communicating clearly with guys why they are and why they are not playing. They may not like it but at least they know and understand what they need to do.

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Washington, D.C.: I continue to believe that this team's problem stem from the decision to let Peter John Ramos go. Any team with Party John on it is going to be happier and more well-adjusted.

Ivan Carter: That's funny.

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Jeff Van Gundy?: Any chance Ernie calls the human anchor up and offers him the Wizards job?

Michael Lee: No, nope and no way. I wrote about this in a blog right after Eddie got fired. That is one reunion you can count on not happening. Ernie lost a power struggle with Jeff in New York in 1999, mostly because of Ernie's controversial deals to trade popular players Charles Oakley and John Stocks for the likes of Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell. Ernie didn't get the chance to stick around while those deals eventually got the Knicks to the NBA Finals.

Also, a league source told me that JVG has a pretty complicated contract with ESPN which would make it difficult (i.e. expensive) for any team - especially one that actually wants him - to bring him on. And, that's for the best, I think. I like Van Gundy in the booth. He's a much more pleasant person to listen to.

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Long Island, N.Y.: As a Nets fan, Tuesday's loss to the Wiz was certainly a come-down from a very sucessful Thanksgiving West Coast trip.

At the end of the day, do you expect the Nets to make a run at the playoffs, or is this season merely an opportunity to build towards the future (whether that future is in Brooklyn, Newark or Long Island).

Michael Lee: As a Nets fan, you should know that they always lay an egg after their Thanksgiving trip. So, you shouldn't be surprised. While I'm very impressed with what Devin Harris has done this season, I'm still not sure if this is a playoff team because the Nets are pretty thin after Harris and Vince Carter. Who's the Nets' third best player? Yi Jianlian? Ryan Anderson? An NBA team is often only as good as its third best player - unless you have a LeBron James - and I think that is one of the reasons why the Wizards have been so bad this season. You have Antawn, Caron and . . . who else?

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Washington, D.C.: How hard is it to be a beat writer for a team that is losing/dispirited/etc.?

Ivan Carter: Good question. I've been doing this for 10 years now (five covering the KC Chiefs, one area colleges here and the last four on the Wiz) and I've experienced all of it: good teams, bad teams, mediocre teams, boring teams, crazy teams etc. It's always more enjoyable to be around a winning team particularly if that winning team is filled with good guys (the Wiz have those). When a team is struggling, the atmosphere is always a little more tense. Guys feel pressure, coaches feel pressure, the gm feels pressure, fans are mad at all of the above including the beat writers etc. The main thing is, I have to remain professional and go about my job the same way every day. Guys may not like what the questions you ask or the things you write and say but if the information is accurate, they really can't be too upset. As long as I do that, I'm good.

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Bowie, Md.: Ivan,

Why hasn't Nick Young gotten more PT lately? He's shooting an excellent 47 percent and has the best +/- ratio on the team. Stevenson isn't a good defender. The game against Portland proved that. Young has been the better defender this year to my eyes.

Ivan Carter: I will ask Ed Tapscott that very question before tonight's game. However, I do disagree with you on the defensive issue. Young is better served defending the backup 2-guards he's facing most of the time.

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Washington, D.C.: Hearing the suns players talk and seeing them play a couple of times it looks like the players are on the verge of a mutiny. Do you suspect Porter could get canned by Jan. 1?

Michael Lee: I don't know if it will happen that soon. They do have a winning record. If anything, I suspect Steve Kerr makes another deal before he gives up on the coach so fast. But that game last night in Dallas was not good. The body language of those players told me that that team is not having fun playing with each other, no matter what the record says. They have a lot of veterans who are hungry for a title (Nash, Shaq, GHill), and adjusting to a new coach is difficult, especially when Nash, Stoudemire and Raja Bell had success playing another style of basketball. Porter is preaching the style that Steve Kerr wants. It's up to the players to buy in - or get ready to work somewhere else.

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Fairfax, Va.: There is something a little off about Caron this season. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems like he's not totally into some of the games this year. I don't know if the team's poor start has anything to do with it, but it seems like he's just going through the motions and was obviously upset after Eddie Jordan was fired. What's up with Tuff Juice?

Ivan Carter: Interesting observation. His numbers suggest that he's right where he was early last season but I agree with you. I think he's just pacing himself a little bit to make sure that he has something left in the tank as the season goes along. He's very aware of his recent injury history and is determined to go the full 82 if possible. As for Jordan, Caron did like him and I sensed that he felt a little bit guilty for it happening. He's a pretty accountable guy. When he has a bad game, he says so.

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Lexington, Va.: Ed Tapscott has talked about his 8 + 2 rotation. Those core 8 players are: Butler, Jamison, Stevenson, McGee, Brown, Blatche, Young and Daniels? Or is Songalia in there instead of AD?

Ivan Carter: He said the 8 plus two while Daniels was still hurting. Now, it's more like nine plus two because Songaila has played pretty well. Dee Brown has also done enough to keep starting.

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Washington DC: So sad about JVG - he was absurdly entertaining as the Knicks coach - and he really did coach defense. So if you two got to choose the next coach based on who is available - who would it be?

Ivan Carter: I would give Tapscott a chance to show what he can do but if a new guy were to be brought in, I've always respected Flips Saunders. Good offensive mind, his teams play solid defense and I think he'd be a good fit for dealing with Gilbert Arenas.

Michael Lee: I like Flip as well, although he hasn't gotten his teams to the promised land. That said, I'm not sure if there is a coach out there that can get this group to a title, even with a healthy Gilbert and Brendan.

I'd really like to see Ernie think out of the box and not just put some recycled guy to serve as a quick fix. This isn't a one-piece-away team. It will take some time, I think.

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Alexandri, Va.: You think Kobe will drop 80 tonight?

Ivan Carter: He probably won't have to. My guess is that he'll come out, feel how the game is going and then do his thing if he has to. That team is rolling right now though. He can just sort of cruise along and pick his spots.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you like the way Ed Tapscott has used Darius Songaila and Dominic McGuire since taking over the head job? I do, even though the Wiz still stink.

Ivan Carter: As I mentioned above, Songaila has played pretty well so he's earned minutes and Tapscott clearly wants to give McGuire a chance to show what he can do. Tapscott mentioned that he wants McGuire to be a go-to defensive stopper.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Ivan and Michael -- Do you think Ernie might consider any current college coaches? I've heard Bruce Pearl's name mentioned. The track record for college coaches in the NBA has been poor for quite a long time. Any thoughts?

Michael Lee: College coach? I don't think so. That move has tried and failed so many times that it would be a waste of time to experiment with that again. Let that go.

Didn't this town go through enough with Leonard Hamilton?

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Washington, DC: Catch 22 right now is that Dominic McGuire needs to play (because he's pretty much the only guy that even tries on the defensive end) but he plays the same position as Caron. Any possibility of Caron playing a little more at the 2 this season to remedy this issue?

Ivan Carter: Why not? It would allow Tapscott to surround McGuire with Caron and either Antawn or another offensive option like Songaila thus minimizing the fact that he doesn't give you much offensive punch (other than offensive rebounds which he can do). Fact is, they won't know what the kid can do unless he plays.

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Washington, D.C.: Do the Wizards have any tradeable pieces so that we can make a run at players in 2010? It just seems that EG knew about the 2010 free agency and didn't care. Why else would he have signed AJ to such a big deal?

Ivan Carter: You are right, as currently constituted, they will be strapped during the summer of 2010 (unless Abe gives clearance to bust the luxury tax). 2011 is the summer when the could be major players in free agency. How this roster looks then is anybody's guess and it all starts with No. 0.

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Fairfax, Va.: When Gilbert comes back, who becomes inactive along with Pesh? Will it be Juan Dixon? He and Etan went from starters to zero minutes in a matter of days. I love Juan but there probably won't be enough room on the bench when Gil's back.

Ivan Carter: Right now, Juan is clearly the odd man out along with Pecherov.

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Longmont, Colo.: So, when can we expect Veermenko to come over and not help? Pesh has done a good job of that so far. Any indication if Pesh's extra work is going to get him active, if not in to a game?

Ivan Carter: Judging by what I saw from Vladimir Veremeenko in summer league, he's not going to help this team in a major way anytime soon. Besides, he's making pretty good coin over in Europe.

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Rockville, Md.: Michael, where do you see Stephon Marbury ending for the rest of the season? Do you think he should just retire soon?

Michael Lee: You know, I've talk to a lot of people about that and I'm not sure anymore. I used to think he'd wind up in Miami, but I don't know if they want to disrupt what they have going with Mario Chalmers. Plus, why would not want the ball in Dwyane Wade's hands right now.

I also thought about Golden State before his former Knicks teammate Jamaal Crawford beat him to the spot. Marbury's options are pretty limited right now - especially since he doesn't have an agent. That's why the way the Knicks have treated this season is really terrible. They could've cut him by now and given him a chance to play ball somewhere. He's not a bad player at all. His attitude needs some work, but he can play.

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DC: I like the big lineups Tapscott has been using. Its good to see Songaila, for example, at the 4 where he belongs. Thoughts?

Ivan Carter: My ideal non-starting five man unit would be DeShawn at the one, Caron at the two, Antawn at the three, Andray or Darius at the four and McGee the five. It gives you a little bit of everything: Size, length, scoring and rim protection. Trade-offs: DeShawn isn't a pure point, Antawn struggles to guard threes and Caron is a gambler defensively at the two.

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Roger Mason Jr. (Texas): Was there room for me if Gil took less than $111? Aren't you guys missing me now? All I wanted was $3 and 1/2 million...just a shame I couldn't hold the fort down for my buddy Gil!

Michael Lee: Yeah, if the Wizards wanted to pay the luxury tax. But think about it: Would the Wizards be that much better off right now had they signed Mason? I know he's playing great in San Antonio, but how many more wins would he have given this team? One? Two? Five? I can't answer that. The problem is that, when healthy the Wizards are a team that is good enough to make it make it to the playoffs. You take out Gilbert and Brendan and it's a lottery team.

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Fairfax, Va.: I've noticed that Wes Unseld Jr. has been drawing up plays for the team during timeouts. Does Tapscott defer to his assistants for drawing plays, running practice, etc? What does Tap actually DO besides making subs?

Ivan Carter: Tapscott said that he would defer to Wes Unseld Jr. in certain situations because he does the a lot of the advance work on each opponent. Also, he said he'd lean on Randy Ayers for some of the defensive stuff. Makes sense given his newness to running the show. Remember, the guy hasn't been a head coach for a very long time.

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Arlington, Va.: What does Javale McGee need to improve to be a top tier NBA center?

Ivan Carter: 1. He needs to play a lot. That's why starting him makes so much sense. 2. He has to add strength. He gets pushed around some and tends to lose leverage down low. 3. As he does 1 and 2, he'll become better and figuring out when to go for his and when to defer to his teammates. He's on the right track though, no doubt about that.

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Richmond, Va.: Nick Young cannot: dribble when anyone puts pressure on him; play anything close to defense; and and appears more worried about style than hustle.....why is this guy on the team? Making 10 points but giving up 18 isn't progress.

Ivan Carter: Another viewpoint on Nick. Right now, he is pretty one-dimensional but that's why he needs to play.

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Greensboro, NC: Twan has been a great addition for the Wizards, but didn't that Stackhouse deal also include the draft pick that turned into Devin Harris?

Michael Lee: Yes. You can look back and say, wow, the Wizards traded away Devin Harris? He might be an all-star this year. But look at what Antawn Jamison has given this franchise - four playoff appearances and two all-star appearances. Trust me, you would not be worried about Devin Harris if Gilbert Arenas had been healthy. The Jamison deal worked out great for Washington. The Wizards would've been a lottery team those first two years, at least, with Harris in uniform instead of Jamison.

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Fairfax, Va.: Has LeBron passed Kobe for the title of "World's Best Player?"

Michael Lee: I've been saying that for two years now. I know Kobe is the MVP but when I think about what LeBron James has done his entire career with far inferior talent, I have to give him the nod. Also, the Beijing Olympics really let me see how good LeBron is. He made everybody on the floor better, and he plugged in every hole for that team. Plus, with him being 6-feet-8 and more than 260 pounds, the guy can play four positions on the floor.

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Maryland: Juan Dixon was such a great player in college, why hasn't he gotten significantly better in the pros? Somethings like his height you can't do anything about, but his ball handling is nowhere near where it should be if he is to play the 1...thoughts?

Ivan Carter: He's not a pure 1, not a pure 2, doesn't finish at the rim very well and is small defensively. Also, for a guy who is labeled as a shooter, his career percentage is 41.3 percent. His history suggests that he's the kind of player who can help a team in spots but probably won't get heavy minutes on a playoff-type team. On the plus side, he's a good guy, plays hard and is a winner.

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Rockville, Md.: As I was watching the game against Portland on TV, I knew what was going to happen. I knew Portland would make some plays at the end and the Wiz wouldn't, and it would be another loss. But I'm still surprised with the record. Is the team really this bad? Knowing what you know now, would you go over or under if the line was 35 wins this year?

Michael Lee: Bad teams find a way to lose. Good teams figure out ways to win. The Wizards are not a good team right now. I was just talking to somebody yesterday and put the Wizards in the 25-35 win range. So I guess that would make me an under.

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Washington, D.C.: The most striking change since Tapscott came on board has been the disappearance of Etan Thomas. Eddie Jordan always was a little more loyal to Etan than the quality of his play seemed to warrant. Tapscott's actions seem to indicate a significant difference of opinion on Etan. Do you have any idea whether there were differences of opinion between Eddie and his assistants on Etan?

Ivan Carter: I don't know about significant differences of opinion but Eddie clearly liked Etan and wanted to play him meaningful minutes if he could. He respects Etan as a man, his work ethic, the way he practices and plays hard at all times and the way he is willing to bang. That said, JaVale McGee is clearly the future and Tapscott has a mandate to play McGee and the other young guys in order to find out what they can do. Eddie was totally focused on that night. In my view, Tapscott has the clearance from above to take a longer view because hey, he wasn't expected to be the coach anyway.

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Washington, D.C.: Michael, nice piece on the Lakers. Do you think the outcome of the Finals would've been different if Bynum was healthy? Despite Phil Jackson's experience with Finals losers not fairing well the following season, the Lakers by far look like the best in the West. New Orleans seems to have regressed a little and Portland isn't ready to take that big step to compete with them.

washingtonpost.com: Can Lakers Answer 'Tough' Question? (Post, Dec. 5)

Michael Lee: I think it's easy to say yes, but you never know what the adjustment period would've been like for Gasol and Bynum without the benefit of a training camp. Phil Jackson decided that Odom should serve as sixth man this season. Would Odom have accepted being benched last season? So many other factors are involved with adding Bynum to the mix in the playoffs last year. That being said, I think Bynum will be the difference this year for the Lakers.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you think Ernie was looking for an excuse to fire Eddie? I get the impression Ernie was NOT happy with Eddie for initially refusing to bring on a defensive coach, something Ernie really wanted.

Ivan Carter: There are a million little instances where they didn't totally see eye to eye but that's not all that unusual between a coach and GM. The area where they disagreed the most was this: Eddie well understood how potentially flawed this team was after Arenas and Haywood went out while Ernie clearly felt and still feels that it can be a solid team, one that at least can play .500 ball and make a run at the playoffs, regardless of those injuries.

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Bethesda, Md.: Would it surprise you if, in the next few weeks, the Wizards put out a statement saying that in the best long-term interests of the player and the team, Gilbert Arenas is shutting it down for this entire season, but anticipates being back at full strength for the start of the 2009-2010 season?

Michael Lee: No. Especially if the team is playing at this 15-win pace.

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Juan and Etan: Their minutes are way down under Tapscott. I take it he has a different view of their skills than Jordan did? Or is it just that he's trying to go with a set rotation and they didn't make the cut?

Ivan Carter: Both. Tapscott said right off the bat that he wanted to establish a consistent eight or nine man rotation and for the most part, he has done that.

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Washington, D.C.: How can the Wizards win tonight against the Lakers? Other than Stevenson improving his free throw attempts

Ivan Carter: Antawn and Caron combine for 50 points at least. Hold the Lakers to around 45 percent shooting and Kobe to no more than 13 free throw attempts. Get good shooting nights from Stevenson and Young. Keep McGee out of early foul trouble. Get a 13 point, 10 rebound, two or three block game out of Blatche. Keep Bynum off of the boards.

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Fairfax, Va.: Ivan, thank you for the update on Eddie Jordan. He was a great coach and a better man and I wish him the best. It's been kind of strange for the last few games not seeing Eddie stalking the sidelines and yelling at Andray Blatche. Where do you think EJ will be this time next year?

Ivan Carter: I mentioned Philly as a possibility but that's just my speculation given Eddie's ties to the GM. He'll be somewhere though, I can tell you that.

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Ivan Carter: Thanks for dropping in folks. Have to go get ready for the game.

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Michael Lee: Alright, people. I've got to run. It's been fun.

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