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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - If athletic pedigree is important, the Washington Wizards have the steal of the 2008 NBA Draft.
In selecting 7-foot JaVale McGee of Nevada with the No. 18 pick in the first round, Washington has obtained a player from a basketball family. McGee’s father, George Montgomery, was a standout at Illinois. His mother, Pam McGee, was an All-America at USC.
“I’ve been around the game my whole life,” said McGee. “I have it in my blood.”
McGee, who declared for the draft after his sophomore year, averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and shot 53 percent from the floor.
“He rebounds real well, is a good shot blocker. We think he has a real good upside,” said Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld. “He has a perimeter game, a jump hook, going both ways. We’re excited about his abilities to improve.”
Grunfeld said he tried to make a trade to move up in the draft, but didn’t say who he was interested in selecting. He said also considered moving down.
But Grunfeld decided to pick McGee over attractive players such as Kansas’ forward Darrell Arthur, Kansas guard Mario Chalmers, and Syracuse forward Donte Greene.
McGee, who is from Flint, Mich., was a late bloomer. He averaged just 3.3 points as a freshman at Nevada, playing behind All-America Nick Fazekas.
The Wizards didn’t work McGee out. They like his growth potential. The 20-year-old has a 7-6 wingspan, can run the floor, handles the ball well, and can play power forward or center. He has been compared to Portland’s Channing Frye.
“To get to play with Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, it’s a great feeling,” said McGee.
Grunfeld hinted that McGee may be a year away from contributing. He’ll probably play behind Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas, who is recovering from heart surgery.
“I’d like to see these players stay in school. But that’s not how the system works right now. A lot of these players are projects. They’re the ones in the pool and they’re the ones we have to evaluate and analyze,” said Grunfeld. “He’s not the first player picked that you have to develop. A lot of players you have to develop and he fits that mold.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:55 PM MST on Wed., May. 7, 2008 re: "A questionable offseason for Wizards"
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2:29 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 30, 2008
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6:29 AM MST on Mon., Apr. 28, 2008
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Wiz man said:
Ok. the wiz dissapointed by not backing up their talk. They need to play some d first, its their fault for LETTING lebron score. The real reason though is that wally and delonte got lucky and hit threes when the cavs needed them. They're not going to do it against the celtics or quite frankly, ever again. Wait, lebron almost had a triple double in that first game against the c's. 12 points and 10 TO's with whatever other stat you'd like to throw in there. Overrated, yea I think so. When the Wiz are all healthy, its trouble so for everyone else consider yourselves lucky. So, have fun Cavs getting beaten down by the Celtics. Just don't complain every time you get a little scratch across the arm cause no one likes a cry baby.
14 agree | 10 disagree
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Cavs Fan said:
Hey, wiz fans, I come in peace, but you guys are shootin yourselves in the foot..well ur players anyway..D.Stevenson should have just kept quiet, and not played tit for tat with lebron, even if he said somethin about deshawn, ultimately it comes down 2 what's done on the court, and the wiz, with the exception of game 3 have not shown up in the least. I think the Wiz are Talented, with all those great players like Agent Zero and AJ And Caron, but it just seems King James is a little too much for them. I'd actually like to see Agent Zero in a cavs uniform next season, lol. Good luck in Game 5 in Cleveland, You'll need it. By the way, who the hell is Souljah Boy? lol
14 agree | 12 disagree
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SK said:
The Wizards will win game 5 as long as the refs don't give lebron the game by letting him and big Z take 3 steps every time they drive to the basket.
11 agree | 10 disagree
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Lebron is King said:
To all you Wizards fans out there: I was at the game sunday and have a few things I don't understand. 1.) Why would you attempt to boo the MVP of the league very time he touches the basketball when you can't stop him for the life of you? 2.) Who is this Stevenson characted that claims Lebron is overrated? I didn't even know he was in the NBA. 3.) How does it feel to be beat by the kind three years in a row. At this stage of your franchise I have but only one suggestion. Make a trade for Lebron which would have to include 500 million, the trading of all the punks you have on the team, and throw in the verizon center and he might consider. In conclusion I will state the words of the late, great Charles Barkley, "The Wizards have to be the dumbest team in the NBA. Why would you provoke someone you can't stop."
11 agree | 13 disagree
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Wizards Gil said:
yeah lebron can taunt stevenson all he wants at cleveland but when he comes to d.c. it a completely different storiy and looked how it turned out 108- 72
12 agree | 13 disagree
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D.C! said:
the wiz are all about it this year. im from d.c. and ive seen their progression these past few years and when i lived there. this is by far the best wizards team ive seen. any bench that can drop 70, even on a bad team, is something to be feared.
14 agree | 13 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Holy Guacamole!
15 agree | 12 disagree
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Provocateur said:
Okay Nick (or Nick's buddy) He got those points during garbage time. We'll talk about him when he wins a game. LOL!!!!
16 agree | 13 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
hay nick young had 15 point 5rebound caint get his name mention in the paper you clowns, say I agree with bacardi head on
16 agree | 13 disagree
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bacardii said:
yo eddie jordan you need to let nick young do wut he do because this kid has potential okay you need to let him play a little more ur sweatin the kid a little too much
79 agree | 49 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I do not like how coach jordan is playing nick young he is trying to change young game to how he want him to play never going to happen coach just like all the other great player you have to learn to play around great player like nick young are trade him to some one else that knows how to play young because the kid is exciteing to watch and he is great at what he do
115 agree | 115 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
One of the great Hoya players from the past was Brian "Puddy" Sheehan at 5-9, who played for St. John's HS and then went on to be leading player at Georgetown, until he graduated in 1961.
445 agree | 415 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
FC barcelona, navarro's team has given him the right to sign with any NBA team he wishes.
604 agree | 430 disagree
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Khris said:
(1)All the Wizards need is a quality bench. Besides the people i'm about to name if they didn't play for the Wizards they'll be out the league. You can keep Blatche, Songalia(starting pf and slide everyone down minus Stevenson), or Daniels (starting pg. move Gil to the sg.)bring in the players we got overseas and keep the starting 5 intact (minus Stevenson, if he had stepped up in the playoffs maybe, but there's no real diffference between him & Jarvis they both streaky players. Then get some defensive minded players(ex. Adrian Griffith, Raja Bell type players or even Darius Miles he has length & should be ready to finally break out) to stop somebody rather than to try to outscore people( didn't work for the Suns either). Or (2) If you can, trade Jamison & a bench player for another All-Star calliber player before he opts out & you get nothing in return.(why aren't we trying to get Jermaine O'Neal). Or (3) make a deal with the Knicks Frye/Crawford will do our bench nice
521 agree | 508 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I like the princeton offence. It got us one of the top scoring teams in the league. If only we can defend now. I think our tradeable assets are jamison, haywood, etan, hayes and AD. There's teams with particular needs for such players, a point guard, an experienced (cheap) center, a potentially good tall shooting guard or jamison who can score lead a team and who's contract is done in a year so the new team can start afresh. I think jamison is the most tradeable, maybe for someone like shawn marion or stoudamire, jermaine oneal or gasol. His salary is 16M and is only getting higher. I'd possibly trade Ad and something to kings who need a pg for artest since there might be a firesale for him (then play caron at the 2 spot) I'd also look to see how much darko or gerald wallace whos salary is still very low would cost us. Draft a scorer in nick young, stuckey, almond or byars. Draft a pf in glen davis or sean williams . let blatche (who'll be better than jamison practice. and use
472 agree | 499 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Wizards are blowing smoke up our collective a... Gilbert has been in that organization long enough to see the plan for building a champion, and he's saying it's not for him, see ya. Larry Huges, Jared and now Gilbert. This team's plan seem to be to generate just enough excitement to get butts in the seats and nothing more. The Wizards are "Perennial" also rans. We all know when things will change for Washington, and Gilbert's public declaration says it will not be soon enough at least not soon enough for him.
512 agree | 493 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Our benck is ok, but the thing is that they are inconsistent, as is our team. People don't want to admit it but our best chance of any trade is Antawn Jamison, or even a package deal with DeShawn or Jarvis, and even a draft pick (Second Round). I agree with you about bringing over Oleksi Pecherov,and it looks like that is in the works, but as for Veeremenko it looks like there will be more of a contract dispute with his team overseas. Besides needing a solid big man in the middle, we also need a consistent long range shooter. Is it me or do the Wizards play a lot of one on one during the course of the game. The Princeton offense is suppose to be one where there is alot of movement, and alot of times it seems that the Wizards get away from that and that's what causes the bad shots, so i completely agree with you that we will never win 50 by shooting jumpers.
511 agree | 510 disagree
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mr focus said:
if you look at the wizards bench, it not that bad, you got guys that can contribute on both ends of the floor, and can run the floor as well. bring in the guys from over seas and let them play. haywood,hayes are done. get the focus back on the team and play basic basketball. if all else fail, take everything to the rim, just go hard to the rim if your jumper not working and you need to score, i dont believe in drouts of not scoring, shooting jumpers all game will never win 50. going to the line help your chances not hurt it. blatche and songalia need more time on the floor to improve their game. we have gaurds, forwards, centers of all sorts. use them, jaskon did that in chicago with mj, i dont see that much differnce other than mj himself, but the wizards have better help, just not useing it right. if im wrong please help me understand.
612 agree | 580 disagree
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mr focus said:
eddie jordan had a very good team but i think he did not play the right players at the right time. he has a young team that can score and run, i think he should ban the prinston offence and run basic plays and use what he has rather than make things complicated in the offence. also he need to use the big men more rather than the big 3 all the time. this is a team sport and not the best 3 and then some. jordan needs to show a lot of confidence in all the players. teach the team how to set a real strong pick for pick and rolls and to free up the shooters plus the would give you more good looks at the basket as well as the big men that are in position to recieve or rebound. daniels is the best point who should start and gil the shooter. with a passing pointguard everybody has a better feel of the game when the ball is passed around. you must reward the big guys to keep them in the game. butler is the man and getting better, he very hungry. use the bench,use the bench. they want to play 2
637 agree | 616 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why do sports writers post so many "what if" articles?
593 agree | 604 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why worrie about haywood, when eddie jordan wouldn't play his bench anyway,he don't want no one shooting the ball but the big three,and told everyone else to play defense and rebound. thats why when they needed scoring in the playoff nobody but jamerson could get it done. why did blatche sit the bench most of the playoff. was he in jordan doghouse like haywood is all the time.next year he will have a first round pick and olegski [who is a scorer] their. will he not play blatche,olegski and the first round pick next year an make them just rebounders again,surpressing their game totally until one of the big three gets hurt again. it have not worked in the last three years. mr jordan need to instill confidents in his player, and learn to play his bench. and stop putting everybody but the big three in his doghouse, as an accuse
1,100 agree | 569 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Washington's "bigs" should not save their fouls. They have enough "bigs," and quite frankly, they are all mediocre, so there is not a big drop off between starter Etan and the 3rd stringer Booth. The only players that have to save "fouls" are Jamison (for his scoring) and Antonio Daniels (for his ball handling). It's time for Washington's big to play physical, imposing the "no lay-up" rule; 3 centers, 18 fouls, use them or loose'em.
913 agree | 593 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I would think the Wizards have the right mind set or apporach for the playoff. They can surprise the NBA and the fans. I know it would be too much for Blatch,but I am sure he can create some problems for James if he plays smart and keep his confidence level on what he does best. Thomas
1,135 agree | 582 disagree
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