Best of Wizards in 2008

December 20, 3:29 PMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Stevenson and the Wizards starters are all capable
of double-digit points, but can they find a way to
do it together (AP Photo/Duane Burleson).

When you have a basketball team in the Washington Wizards that is 4-20 heading into the end of December, you take a look back at the first quarter of the 82 game NBA season and you just try to pinpoint where it all went wrong.

As fellow Examiner Shaun Ahmad reported, the Wizards are going to have a tremendous uphill battle ahead of them if they plan on making the playoffs this year to avoid losing their four-consecutive playoffs appearance streak.

Then there is the contingent looking ahead for a Tim Duncan of the sort in next year's draft.  New York Knicks examiner, Ryan Fishman, adamantly tells me next year's NBA Draft will be weak, but can you trust a guy backing a team that is holding out for LeBron James in 2010?  I don't know!

I am blindly saying Tyler Hansbrough, if he chooses to draft next year.  He has to be as useful as David Lee is for the Knicks if not better, in my opinion.

I guess it all depends on Brendan Haywood, and what kind of a return he will make next year.  But in the midst of doubt, the Wizards have a young center in JaVale McGee who has a load of upside potential.

The Wizards have changed coaches and made a backcourt trade to try and figure things out, and with their current starting five, there is a definite potential for the whole starting crew to score double-digits in points per game.

Mr. Durable needs to be Consistent
DeShawn Stevenson, maybe the most durable Wizards player on the squad, has played 274 consecutive games.  He is #22 in the league this season in Assists Per Turnover (2.69) but is averaging only 7.9 points per game after averaging over 11 last season.  The man has played a full 82 game season for the Wizards the last three years running, and whenever he gets hit and falls to the floor, I challenge you not to feel it when you see him grimace.  That's some heart.  But his 32% field goal percentage this season, the lowest of his career, is going to need to improve.  Maybe when Arenas comes back, Stevenson can get a bit of rest, and time to heal, but Stevenson being the journeyman he is will likely shoot himself out of his slump, fingers and all.

Where art thou Blocks?
Andray Blatche averaged .6 more blocks per game last season than he has averaged this season, and for a Wizards team in need of defensive help, somewhere, somehow, it's a topic critics are going to tackle.  On the offensive side, Blatche is having career numbers in field goal percentage (47.8%) and points per game (9.3), and if he continues to start, expect those numbers to improve. 

Blatche, in only his fourth year in the league, still has some growing to do, but has the fundamentals down to play big.  His main problem right now is handling the ball, as he ranks #18 in turnovers over 48 minutes (3.97).

Defense calling Mr. Superman
No, I'm not talking about Dwight Howard, I'm talking about Mr. Double-Double, Antawn Jamison, who is averaging 20 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.  He's gotten through a sprained thumb, a strained knee, and has 16 double-doubles in 24 games.  What's next?  Defense.  And the co-captain is stepping it up, with a five-game one block streak in the last five.  Now, 'Tawn was never known as a real shot blocker, but the fact that he is stepping up his defensive game can only mean good things for the youngs on the team, like McGee and Blatche.  Jamison, as a leader should, is getting things done, and bouncing injuries off like no mortal could.

Tough Juice Cometh
Caron Butler had a stinker against Detroit, but came back the very next game to drop 20 on 7-for-14 shooting.  Caron is leading the Wizards in points per game (21.3), assists per game (4.3), steals per game (1.63), and unfortunately, turnovers per game (3.08).  He's had some tough shots, and they haven't always gone his way, and sometimes the defense traps him.  But Caron is the go-to guy, and will only improve once Gilbert Arenas comes back.

Feast or Famine?
Mike James was like a see-saw in his first four games for the Wizards, dropping 1, 16, 1, 16.  He broke the cycle against the Sixers scoring 16 points in his fifth game and will look to keep to the 16 side.  He plays well in a Wizards jersey, led the Wizards in assists against Indiana, and knows how to pick up an offensive foul on defense.  But he isn't a true point guard.  James calls himself just "a guard," one of a dying breed who just plays, and while he still needs to show his consistency on the scoring end, he has given the Wizards a little bit of everything so far.

Agent January?
Gilbert Arenas says he will be back in January.  Who really knows, and who knows how he will play.  Arenas, the last time he was 100% healthy, averaged 28.4 points per game; compare that to the other Wizards guards this season.  His impact could be huge, but it could also be too late.