Andray Blatche...Blessing in disguise?

[ScoobySnax]

I just got LP about a month ago and I have really been watching the Wizards as of late and Andray Blatche is out there looking like an All-Star day in and day out. The whole offense goes through him and he is shooting it at a very high clip.

He's averaging 27, 11 and 4 over his last 6 games. If he can keep this up, next year the Wiz will be relevant a lot faster than people expected after the "blow-up". If they retain Gil and get them a big to replace Haywood. They'll be right back in the thick of things.

Blatche has always has shown glimpses of being good, but now that he's being depended on to bring it every night, he's doing just that. The Wizards aren't folding like I thought they would. I like what I'm seeing out of these guys!

EDIT: Just now realized I misspelled disguise in the title. Mods, could you fix that for me?

[aholbert32]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

I just got LP about a month ago and I have really been watching the Wizards as of late and Andray Blatche is out there looking like an All-Star day in and day out. The whole offense goes through him and he is shooting it at a very high clip.

He's averaging 27, 11 and 4 over his last 6 games. If he can keep this up, next year the Wiz will be relevant a lot faster than people expected after the "blow-up". If they retain Gil and get them a big to replace Haywood. They'll be right back in the thick of things.

Blatche has always has shown glimpses of being good, but now that he's being depended on to bring it every night, he's doing just that. The Wizards aren't folding like I thought they would. I like what I'm seeing out of these guys!

Ive watched all 6 of those games and he's looked great. He stopped settling for as many 18-20 ft jumpers and is showing a post game.

[KG]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

He's always put up #'s when he gets the minutes.

[mvspree8]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

I guarantee Arenas' return will negate progress made by any of the good young players.

[Checmate101]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Arenas text him after every game, and says he can't wait to play with him next season.

I came to realize that, Jamison was in the way of Blatche. Blatche is really looking good. I eat crow for saying I wanted to trade him earlier in the season

[KG]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Arenas text him after every game, and says he can't wait to play with him next season.

I came to realize that, Jamison was in the way of Blatche. Blatche is really looking good. I eat crow for saying I wanted to trade him earlier in the season

I agree about Jamison but can see how it would be hard to give Jamison's minutes to Blatch considering how consisten Jamison has been for the Wiz. The key with Blatche is motivation. He needs to use this experience as a building block for next year. Even if his production dips to around 15 & 10 his contract is great.

[wwharton]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Blatche has shown potential every chance he's gotten. Jamison's leadership will be missed, but I agree, he was in Blatche's way. I also agree that Gil will cause problems when he's back. I really want to like Gil but he's just a cancer. I actually like the look of the Wizards without him. Thornton is trying to reach his potential, I've always liked Miller, I think Foye can be solid and bring Josh Howard back and that's not a bad looking squad. Losing Butler is the move that sucks but replacing him with Howard really softens the blow. If there was a way to get rid of Gil and bring in another player worthy of big time money to replace them, they can play as a team and make some noise.

I just hope Blatche stays out of trouble off the court. He's a cocky kid and this new stardom will probably have him walking around DC with his chest poked out... always leads to trouble (see Webber, Strickland... hell, Blatche already).

[Yeah...THAT Guy]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Blatche has shown potential every chance he's gotten. Jamison's leadership will be missed, but I agree, he was in Blatche's way. I also agree that Gil will cause problems when he's back. I really want to like Gil but he's just a cancer. I actually like the look of the Wizards without him. Thornton is trying to reach his potential, I've always liked Miller, I think Foye can be solid and bring Josh Howard back and that's not a bad looking squad. Losing Butler is the move that sucks but replacing him with Howard really softens the blow. If there was a way to get rid of Gil and bring in another player worthy of big time money to replace them, they can play as a team and make some noise.

I just hope Blatche stays out of trouble off the court. He's a cocky kid and this new stardom will probably have him walking around DC with his chest poked out... always leads to trouble (see Webber, Strickland... hell, Blatche already).

I've always been a huge Mike Miller fan because of his versatility, and I've become a Blatche fan this year after I picked him as my sleeper pick in fantasy. I finally got a chance to see him last night on YES and man did he look great. Hitting pull up jumpers, making great moves by facing up in the post, and showed a nice post game too. And I like what I've seen from Thornton too, and JHO looked good until he got hurt. Miller, Thornton, and Blatche is a nice place to start in rebuilding this team in my opinion. If they can draft well this year, who knows, they could surprise people in the East.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Jamison starting ahead of him was never the issue. It is/was always the consistency as before he would have games like this and be mute for the next 10 games.

Losing Butler is the move that sucks but replacing him with Howard really softens the blow.

I would agree with this if Howard didn't blow his knee out but the issue now is that it's going to be a different Howard than before the injury and that's even IF they bring him back.

[wwharton]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Jamison starting ahead of him was never the issue. It is/was always the consistency as before he would have games like this and be mute for the next 10 games.


I would agree with this if Howard didn't blow his knee out but the issue now is that it's going to be a different Howard than before the injury and that's even IF they bring him back.

He's VERY young so consistency on an all star level would be an issue, but usually when he got minutes he put up decent numbers. The thing is when he played for Haywood he was less consistent bc he was the 3rd or 4th option and playing center. When he played for Jamison he usually put up decent numbers. Either way, check out guys straight out of HS like McGrady, Jermaine Oneal, even Kobe to some degree. Couldn't expect him to be too consistent before this year. Given the minutes I'd say he's been better than Al Harrington (looking at that same group) and I don't expect him to really be Amare, even though he's putting up those type of numbers consistently right now.

His main issue is his off the court issues and cocky attitude. This success can only make that stuff worse so I hope he's gaining some maturity. Hopefully Arenas' situation gave him a reality check.

As for Howard, that's true. I won't fault them for the effort though. I REALLY didn't want them to move Butler, but I thought this trade was ok... can't predict him getting hurt like that.

[Cusefan]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

I remember watching highlights of him in High school here in Syracuse, he should have went to college

[Checmate101]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?



Get some of that Yi and Lopez

[Tydis]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

...can't predict him getting hurt like that.

Any and every Mav's fan would beg to differ.

Josh Howard is a great player but seems to be injured half the time.

[JBH3]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Blatche had always had the potential we're seeing now. I think he was the last crop of H.S. players to be able to enter the NBA (along w/ Bynum), and he definitely had to grow into his body and the game that he can play.

I think in highschool he must've played the 2, maybe some 3, but in the NBA he's a 4/5 guy but yet throughout most of his career, or rather pre-Jamison/Butler trade he was always playing like a guard or swingman and not a big.

Now that he plays like a big, his abilities to run the floor and shoot from 17 feet are making him a stud on this team. He's also playing better defense, and bringing better defensive post-play to the 4 than Wizards fans have known in recent memory.

[Vince]

Re: Andray Blatche...Blessing in disuise?

Blatche and Nick Young for Andrea Bargnani and Demar Derozan.