Washington unable to wrangle Beaubois and the Dallas fastbreak

The speedy Beaubois (right) gave Arenas trouble on both ends
of the court last night.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The Washington Wizards could not handle the fastbreak tactics of Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois in a 123-115 preseason loss to the Dallas Mavericks last night at the Verizon Center.  Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison scored 19 a piece in the loss and Andray Blatche chipped in 17 off the bench.

My first real glimpse of the Mavs' Rodrigue Beaubois came during the Las Vegas Summer League, when Beaubois had a line of 34 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds in just 33 minutes of play against the Houston Rockets.  As I watched Beaubois, the first thing I noticed was the speed of the 6' rookie guard out of France. 

With regards to speed, Beaubois is comparable to Tony Parker.  Unlike Parker, Beaubois has a 39" vertical and a consistent shot from behind the three point arc.  In other words, NBATV's Rick Kamla better start a "Beaubois Fanclub," because this guy is going to be a fantasy freak in a few years. 

If you're Dallas right now, you have to feel good about your point guard situation.  However, if you're Washington, you're probably scratching your head.  While Gilbert Arenas exploded in the third quarter, shooting 6-for-6 from the field for all 12 of his points in the contest, Arenas also allowed Beaubois to score 11 points of his own.  And when it came down to crunch time, Arenas turned the ball over three times in the last three minutes of the quarter.  How did it all begin?  The first turnover came at the 2:47 mark as Beaubois picked Arenas' pocket just outside the perimeter, which led to an uncontested slam at the other end of the court.  Freak, I tell ya.

With the shot clock turned off and the Wizards trailing the Mavs 103-86, Arenas had one last chance to redeem the third quarter letdown.  Things felt all too familiar; it was Arenas time at the Verizon Center. 

Gil had the ball at the top of the perimeter, and he watched the clock tick down.  However, when Gil made his move, rather than hoist a three like the Arenas of old, he decided to drive the lane for contact.  As he drove, Arenas ran into traffic, and the result was an offensive foul, which all but ended the third.  Arenas would sit out in the fourth.

After the game, Arenas refused to talk to media, an ongoing stance by the superstar.  One preseason loss does not determine everything, obviously, and Wizards reserve point guard Javaris Crittenton is still out for Washington (left foot tendon strain; 2 weeks).  Regardless, Arenas doesn't seem happy, and while his 9 assists in 21 minutes last night is in accord with his pass-first mentality so far this preseason, when Arenas acts as a "heel," things do not bode well for Washington.

Arenas is not the only Wizard to blame for last night's whooping.  When your team gives up 100 points in three quarters, everyone has to be accountable, right down to the coaching staff.  Washington did a good job of preventing a 20 point blow-out in the fourth quarter, and most of last night's damage came from Shawn Marion's game-high 26 points. 

In the fourth quarter, once Marion and the other starters were all icing on the bench, the combo of Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee continued to keep things interesting and competitive.  However, even Blatche and McGee fell out of sync last night, as Blatche delivered entry passes too fast and low for McGee to handle.

On top of the loss, Brendan Haywood sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of play and did not return.  He is listed as day-to-day with a sprained right ankle and is likely to miss Washington's game against Toronto Sunday afternoon.  Haywood's absence did not help the Wizards chances of victory and his defense was sorely missed.

[ Postgame Interview: Andray Blatche, Mike Miller and Nick Young ]
[ Wizards Boxscore ] [ Shots of the Game ]

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