2008 Woodie Awards
Wizards & Windbags
By: Thomas Lawrence
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Sports
It's mid-April, and once again the storied NBA playoffs ascend to the spotlight of the American sports world: ripe for parity and a potential ancient rivalry rematch between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
But what stands out to me, as I anticipate this year's playoffs, are not the potentially excellent first round series like the Spurs and Suns match-up, or the rise of Kevin Garnett into perhaps the most impressive basketball player and teammate of my generation, but the over-done, over-publicized smack talk of the No. 5 seed (…in the East even) Washington Wizards.
Recently, former Arizona guard Gilbert Arenas, or Agent Zero, as SportsCenter anchors like to call him, called out the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying that he's quite pleased to have drawn them as an opponent in the first round.
Gilbert, your Wizards have played the Cavaliers in the playoffs two years in a row, and lost both times. LeBron has split your defense like a scalpel against a pile of wax paper on a warm day.
As a fan of Arizona basketball, it saddens me to see that one of our former soldiers has become such an over hyped gas bag. He's a point guard who refuses to be a true point guard. He talks without end, and says things like he's going to get 50 points… when in reality he ends up with nine.
Until you and your team win a playoff series, keep your mouth shut and focus on being a student of the game, like LeBron is. And maybe pass the ball, like LeBron does. Or get to the NBA Finals, like LeBron did.
Also, Wizards guard DeShaun Stevenson recently called LeBron James overrated. Apparently Stevenson was taking a nap on the bench when LeBron put up triple-double after triple-double on his team in the regular and postseasons.
Not only that, but in the Wizards/Cavaliers series LeBron hit big shot after big shot when the games came to a close, something Stevenson has never done - it's a miracle if head coach Eddie Jordan lets him play with things on the line.
But what stands out to me, as I anticipate this year's playoffs, are not the potentially excellent first round series like the Spurs and Suns match-up, or the rise of Kevin Garnett into perhaps the most impressive basketball player and teammate of my generation, but the over-done, over-publicized smack talk of the No. 5 seed (…in the East even) Washington Wizards.
Recently, former Arizona guard Gilbert Arenas, or Agent Zero, as SportsCenter anchors like to call him, called out the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying that he's quite pleased to have drawn them as an opponent in the first round.
Gilbert, your Wizards have played the Cavaliers in the playoffs two years in a row, and lost both times. LeBron has split your defense like a scalpel against a pile of wax paper on a warm day.
As a fan of Arizona basketball, it saddens me to see that one of our former soldiers has become such an over hyped gas bag. He's a point guard who refuses to be a true point guard. He talks without end, and says things like he's going to get 50 points… when in reality he ends up with nine.
Until you and your team win a playoff series, keep your mouth shut and focus on being a student of the game, like LeBron is. And maybe pass the ball, like LeBron does. Or get to the NBA Finals, like LeBron did.
Also, Wizards guard DeShaun Stevenson recently called LeBron James overrated. Apparently Stevenson was taking a nap on the bench when LeBron put up triple-double after triple-double on his team in the regular and postseasons.
Not only that, but in the Wizards/Cavaliers series LeBron hit big shot after big shot when the games came to a close, something Stevenson has never done - it's a miracle if head coach Eddie Jordan lets him play with things on the line.
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