HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Today is NOVEMBER 2ND!!

The Public: Do you know what that MEANS?
White House Staff: Uh...yea, the gardener is supposed to come cut down the SHRUBS.

Lets hope so, but the White Houses freshly pruned lawn is only one of many great things brewing in the Nation's capital. With today's start of the NBA season, the Wizards can unveil their new court manner and winning ways. (This is no joke.) The 2004-2005 season will be headlined by a makeover of the White House, but will showcase a team that is much improved and ready to prove its worth.

The Wizards will dispel the inconsistencies and cries of their "terrible two's" and emerge with the curiosity and indestructable attitude of toddlers. They have the bodies to bang and the quickness to run and defend. This team is growing up, they are making believers out of the masses and it will be brought to the basketball nations attention very shortly.

The Wizards line-up experienced some much needed improvements this off season, but they were done so early in the off season that they've been forgotten by most. Even so, its time to dust off the age thats been collecting and delve into the excitement that this roster will bring (Seriously, no joke). Now that Antawn brings consistency in the paint, Gilbert and Larry will be willing to give up the ball. Jarvis is getting nothing but better and Kwame showed last year that he's grown up. So NBA types should take note, times in Washington are looking up. ITS A NEW YEAR, BAAAAABYYY!!!

As long as the line-up stays healthy, with the Wizards growth, the nation's capital can prepare for more than just a change in the White House. PLAYOFFS - SAVE D.C. A SEAT!!

Wizards 2004-05 Roster
NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM		YRS
0	Gilbert Arenas	G	6-4	205	1/06/82	Arizona '03		3
2	Steve Blake*	G	6-3	172	2/26/80	Maryland '03		1
5	Kwame Brown*	F-C	6-11	258	3/10/82	Glynn Academy HS (GA)		3
3	Juan Dixon	G	6-3	164	10/09/78	Maryland '02		2
24	Jarvis Hayes	G-F	6-7	220	8/09/81	Georgia '04		1
33	Brendan Haywood	C	7-0	268	11/27/79	North Carolina '01		3
20	Larry Hughes	G	6-5	184	1/23/79	St. Louis '01		6
4	Antawn Jamison	F	6-9	225	6/12/76	North Carolina '99		6
1	Jared Jeffries	F	6-11	230	11/25/81	Indiana '04		2
8	Anthony Peeler	G	6-4	208	11/25/69	Missouri '92		12
7	Laron Profit	G-F	6-5	204	8/05/77	Maryland '99		2
34	Peter John Ramos	C	7-3	275	5/13/85	Puerto Rico		R
51	Michael Ruffin	C-F	6-8	246	1/21/77	Tulsa '99		4
36	Etan Thomas*	C	6-10	260	4/01/78	Syracuse '00		3
52	Samaki Walker	F	6-9	260	2/25/76	Louisville '98		8

SHOW ME A BETTER FRONT AND I'LL SHOW YOU A LOSS

NBA NEW YEAR STARTIN

WHERE YA BEEN ALL SUMMER? ITS BEEN TOOO LONG BAAABYYY!!!!

The NBA season tips off Nov. 2nd and the EXCITEMENT is all around...the energy is contagious, it should have your blood boiling, mouth watering, eyes tearing...WHY?...because this season has SO MUCH TO OFFER...

Courts around the league are polished, the logos freshly painted, and the lights are bright, and posters all around read....

GYMS ARE NOW OPEN

ALL SHOT BLOCKERS SCORERS
AND REBOUNDING FIENDS
ARE EXPECTED

With the dawn of each NBA new year, come the high expectations and hopes of teams and fans alike...but don't forget the HUGE questions that define each season. Living under the reign of the West over the past four years has been nothing less than dull, with outcomes as predictable as the daily schedule at a service academy(USNA shoutout).....but the NBA circa 2004-2005 is unlike the days of old....

Attention all Kings, knights, noblemen...

The NEW AGE IS UPON US....

Now that the circus in LA has FINALLY subsided, and MOTOWN is back on top the New Age is vivrant. The questions are all abound...

Will Kobe prove he was worth ALL the drama? Can The Diesel still be as super as he claims?...

...but OUT with the old and IN with the more vital issues...

....Who will be the NEW king of the West? Will the Clips, Warriors, WIZARDS, Bulls, (or any basement dweller) AT LEAST show signs of life?

See there's SOOO much to get excited about. The fiasco that was the Olympics are behind is and its time for the NBA to officially begin....

NBA!!! WELCOME TO THE LOVE!!!

USA Basketball--OH MY!!

OKAY, I admit Team USA losing to PUERTO RICO is bigger news than the Wizards(but the Wiz will be back!)

Alright, so the Olympics officially started Yesterday, and Team USA has ALREADY LOST!!! Without question it is an amazing notion, that the US couldn't get past Game One before their first loss. Another, very important point of note, however, isn't that we lost but the fact that the US lost to PUERTO RICO. Puerto Rico, aren't they a territory of ours. I mean its a great place to vacation, but come on after losing to the Americans on a regular basis, who would have thought they had any heart left to compete.

The Giant Killer

HMmmmmmmmmmm....I bet thats it. The USA is so used to winning that it thinks it doesn't matter who is out on the court, it can beat anybody. Well, thats Wrong!!

I'm not the first to bring this up, and with this loss, definitely not the last. Team USA requested a rather lengthy list of veterans to compete in the Olympics, but what was those veterans reply..." Uh, No Thanks, but I need to rest up for the season..." I need to spend more time with my kids..." I've got security concerns."

WELL THANX FOR NOTHING YOU BOBOHEADS!!!! Thats right, I called 'em all BOBOHEADS (if they want to find me, I'll be in Athens).

Although, they aren't dominating Any, of their opponents, I tip my hat to the players that are on this years Olympic team, because they have embraced the opportunity and are trying to represent for the US. (Yeah, I know there really is no excuse for losing to PUERTO RICO!)
Also look at it this way, in four more years this team will be UNSTOPPABLE!!

Now... the team's most veteran player is Allen Iverson, 29 years old, and its youngest is 19, Lebron James. There are three players: Lebron, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade, who have barely a year in the NBA, and players like Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer, who just finished their second season. The 2004 edition of Team USA is so young, and inexperienced that if they win gold in Athens it will be a bigger feat than Michael Phelps going for 7 gold medals (the 8th, is already a bronze). This team is by no means the best the US has to offer. There's no legit outside threat on the roster, so of course they are gonna struggle against zones(int'l bball's fav), and that results in added pressure on Tim Duncan(The BIG BORING). Allen Iverson, i love him as captain, but there has to be more perimeter threats than him. Stephon Marbury is vital to the Knicks, but he doesn't bring much to the table for Team USA. The biggest problem this team has is that so many of the players play the same position . 'Melo plays the 3, yet so does 'Bron, and Shawn Marion. These guys are All-Stars but that doesn't make them a great team.

This team is no Dream Team, but it will get the job done. Truth is these are the players we have on the team, and they can't be changed now. So root for them and hope Larry Brown can lead them to a Gold medal (even if it takes a Miracle).



The chances of this happening again, read this....

2004 Offseason

Its August at this point, and the Washington Wizards, not the biggest players in free agency,

have made some very good moves in the personnel department.

1st off: The acquisition of Antawn Jamison, adds a high level player with experience to bolster the front court. Jamison greatly enhances the consistency that fans can expect from the Wizards.
Not only did he earn the 6th Man of the Year award this past year in Dallas, but while in Golden State he was easily a 20+ points a game scorer and pulled in 7+ rebounds. This level of production is exactly what the Wizards post players have been expected to produce.

For those skeptics out there, that think by being in Washington, Jamison will just deteriorate, or only show flashes, its important to note that unlike Gilbert Arenas, Jamison has been in the league for 6 seasons, and proved his legitimacy.

2nd: The Wizards have been adding to their frontline all offseason. First with Jamison, then with the additions of Samaki Walker and Michael Ruffin. Both players are forwards that not only at to the age of the frontcourt, but can be solid contributors on and off the court. Important about these guys is that they can provide relief when Kwame, or Brendan forget how to play, or get lazy. They can bring maturity.

3rd: Anthony Peeler will provide great minutes at the off guard spot. A proven long-distance threat he should help open up the driving lanes for Larry Hughes and Gilbert Arenas. Peeler's addition along with the steady improvement of Jarvis Hayes and Juan Dixon, there should be a effective drive-kick out game taking place in Washington.

4th: KWAME BROWN, will he finally put it all together? I think so. Kwame had a stretch this past season, from January through February, where he was playing the best basketball of his pro career. He was consistently pulling in double digit rebounds and double figure scoring, often high teens or low twenties. He was BALLIN' in every way. This season I predict a very good output. Kwame's averages: 17pts 8.5rebounds 1.3blocks


5th: The Future of the Wiz

In the draft the Wizards picked up Peter John Ramos, a 7'3" Center from Puerto Rico. He's a 19-year old unknown, but he is making a name for himself. Playing in FIBA's U-21 Tourney of Americas he averaged 20.6pts 7.6rebs 1.2blks, and he dominated against the USA team. Against USA he dropped 34pts and 9rebs, a stellar output against the best college players the US has to offer.
With a tournament as good as that it makes you wonder how he became a second round pick, but heck, Ernie Grunfeld might have found a SLEEPER! Expect more talk about Ramos as he competes for Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympics.


THE WIZ ARE COMIN, WITH WANDS AND FURY, DEVOURIN ANY HEAT, HORNET, OR BOBCAT, OVERPOWERIN ANY MAGIC--THIS IS WIZARDRY