Game 17: Bucks/Wizards
by Alex Boeder on Dec 2, 2009 7:34 AM CST
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If this was actually 14 years ago, I feel old. And I'm not old.
Linkage
Bullets Forever / Truth About It / Agent Dagger / Washington Post
Shooting outside the box. No team in the NBA shoots more long jumpers (16-23 feet) than the Wizards, except the Bulls, that is. You wouldn't think losing Ben Gordon would have that effect.
Alas, in consecutive games the Bucks will have faced the two most long-jump-shooting-happy teams in all the league. Chicago attempts 30.7 per game, and Luol Deng entered the game leading all players averaging 8.4 shots per game from 16-23.
Of course, that didn't stop the Bulls from edging the Bucks in the paint 44-40 despite Bogut's post dominance. And Deng was just 1-3 on long jumpers, again doing the bulk of his work inside.
And while the triumvirate of Butler, Jamison, and Arenas is perimeter-oriented offensively, they aren't one-dimensional. Arenas makes plenty more free throws per game, 4.9, than any Buck (Jennings 3.6). And the free throw line is quite a problem area for Milwaukee. On the daily.
So ideally the Bucks will keep Washington shooting long jumpers, ideally it won't be one of those nights for Agent Zero. Scott Skiles spoke about trying to find someone for Jennings to guard after the game against Chicago, and with Bell still starting and Redd out, you have to figure that Jennings will try to match up against the sometimes-explosive-but-overall-far-less-explosive Nick Young rather than Arenas.
A new month. After a pretty stellar one for Brandon Jennings, who took home Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for November. However, Jennings hit 33.3 % (5-15) from the field against Chicago, and that was actually his best shooting night since Nov. 21 against the Bobcats. With Ridnour hamstrung, there is a fair share more pressure on the rookie to step on it.
Luc and Mike. Luc Mbah a Moute practiced on Tuesday and will be with the team on their short road trip, raising hopes that he might return to the lineup tonight for the first time since November 16 against Dallas. After his disappointing three game return from a strained patella tendon, Michael Redd has missed two straight and did not travel with the team for the Wiz and Piston games. It's anyone's guess when he's finally back in the lineup--which may or may not coincide with him being back to the Michael Redd we once knew.
Lastly. The Wizards are last in the Southeast. Washington is right on their Pythagorean W-L at 6-10, and they have only played a couple more road games than home, so it's not really a matter of them being particularly unlucky. Check out John Hollinger's piece from today for a good dissection of their struggles. The high level summary: Arenas + Caron = bad; Haywood + Blatche = good.
But those names... Names that I don't even need to mention to casual NBA fans, not that they are reading this anyway. Those names still mean something. And they did last night in Canada when the Wiz picked up a 106-102 win over the marginally less disappointing Raptors. The Wizards have been curiously bad offensively this season, but the Big Three of Jamison, Arenas, and Butler combined for 71 points against Toronto as Jamison led the way with 30/12. They can't top Webber, Rasheed, and Juwon circa 1995 (see video), but they can still play.
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Those young Wizard teams of the mid 90’s had great frountline talent. But the best part of that mix is the last bench shot, priceless. Is that a gatorade cup or a thimble?
For whatever reason...
I have a bad feeling about tonight’s game… Unjustified… just a bad feeling about it…
"Four goals in sixteen shots... I'm really tired of the...............25% rule." -John Tortorella
haha
If Bogut can set the tempo in the paint, and we can limit Gilbert’s damage, we MIGHT have a chance to lose by 10.
"Four goals in sixteen shots... I'm really tired of the...............25% rule." -John Tortorella
^ Bold, unjustified prediction...
Not unlike JFK… WE’RE GOIN TO THE MOON!
"Four goals in sixteen shots... I'm really tired of the...............25% rule." -John Tortorella
That's a start
Haywood’s definitely no push-over, but they’ll need the balance of some post offense. Fortunately Warrick helping with the points in the paint right now…
25-3 bench scoring edge
Wizards with 11 turnovers including five charges, Bucks with with five total turnovers.
Wiz shot 56% in the first and edged it up to 57% in the second. Not good. But at least the Bucks haven’t conceded any offensive boards when they have missed.
As usual
It’s go-to-guy-by-committee. Big quarter for Bell (13 points) after Warrick was the guy in the first half. Not sure they can win down the stretch unless Bogut does something offensively.
Brandon Jennings may have gotten Milwaukee interested
But Luke Ridnour is playing a lot better this season.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Oh, hes in the laegue two and Jayson Thomson and that Boggins dude on Milwokee, and Occur for the Jizz. Its a talented laegue.--Kfan in Korea
Go the bench
Warrick and Ridnour are the only ones who look like doing anything. Keep going to them.
Well...
Jennings missed an awful shot at the minute mark, and that triple wasn’t any easier…but I’ll take it.
Undersized PG
Much like last night’s last second shot, I would have simply prefered to have the guy shoot and take my chances. Nevertheless, tonight’s effort was all for naught. Let’s move on and get ready for the Pistons/Cavs/Lakers on our schedule (you know, the hapless organizations that are doormats for the rest of the NBA). Would have been better to win tonight so we don’t have to win tomorrow (or Friday).
Chicks Dig The Long Ball.
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