I love my team:)

Posted on by

wizards

In my last post discussing my concern with the Wizards and their progress, I was wondering should I be concerned at all about the way in which their season was going.

They proved me wrong with winning 6 of their last 7 games with their only loss coming to the Pacers on December 19,2016.

Their record now is 13-15 after winning to the bulls and time and time again I see the strategies and advice that Coach Brooks playing out on the court in regards to using John’s speed as an advantage.

I also love the progress of the second unit which includes: Trey Burke who is getting his confidence and making better decisions while on the court, Jason Smith who from the perimeter is a very good shooter, Marcus Thornton who attacks the basket or makes a heads up play for himself.

The team as a whole is doing what they need to do night in and night out and finally seeing the success of their hard work. I am so proud of them and ready for the next game.

This post is short and sweet!

Thanks for reading and as always if you have any suggestions please tweet me @bballmypassion or comment below on this post- Mariah B.

*Pics/Videos courtesy of Google*

Washington Wizards: Should I be concerned? A fan perspective

Posted on by

brad-and-johnwizards

For as long as I could remember, I have been a Wizards fan. I will go far back as the year 2001, the last season Michael Jordan played, I got to see him in person but he didn’t play. Fast forward to 2006 the Gilbert Arenas era and I experienced wins and playoff appearances and playoff losses. Then fast forward to 2008-2010 alot of mess and turmoil and changes. John Wall was drafted in 2010 on the tail end of the Arenas era and now the organization would build around their #1 draft pick. Now 6 years later, The Wizards have added key pieces such as Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce (who was only here a year or so) and others who have helped the Wizards succeed and see playoff success the last couple of years.

December 6, 2016 The Wizards now see themselves with a record of 7-13 after their loss to the Orlando Magic where John Wall scored a new career high of 52 points.  I began to look back and analyze the losses and tried to see where the Wizards have fallen short.

  1. Turnovers- in the losses the Wizards have suffered they have committed 20+ turnovers with their opponent scoring off those turnovers. Imagine if they would try to limit turnovers and play smart how good they would be and not to mention confidence.
  2. Defensive Stops- in times when the wizards loss close games, they would either have a small lead and not close out the game or on defense make a costly mistake costing them the game, and saying the same thing we messed up on defense and not executing once the stop is made.
  3. Confidence- Are the Wizards lacking confidence or am I reading too deep into this? The opportunity to win games come every night but I notice when the Wizards have a somewhat comfortable lead and the second unit comes in, they can’t build on that lead or shot don’t fall.
  4. Changes- I know the players on this team love what they do or they wouldn’t be in the position they are in to be successful. But then I think about this whenever Washington would go through a coaching change: Eddie Jordan, Flip Saunders, Randy Whitman, Scott Brooks the first season it would always take the entire team a few games to get adjusted and mesh. Maybe this is what is happening this season, Coach Brooks is the new coach, you have new players who are still getting adjusted to him and his system but at the end of the day this game is about trust, communication, confidence, and achieving the goal that is set in place win games, make the playoffs, win championship.

So I ask myself should I be concerned for my team in the long. The NBA season is a long grueling process and I know the Wizards will be successful and hopefully make the playoffs. It’s still to early to talk about the playoffs as the Wizards are currently 12th in the east. I love this team and I am rooting for their success but should I be concerned that the outcome of this season may not be what I want it to be? I will continue to cheer on my guys and push for their success but something has to give. The will to Win games and work hard has to be there. I can’t speak for the players but if that love isn’t there then concern starts to float in.

Washington plays Denver tomorrow night at home, I hope the lost to Orlando fuels some fire and motivates them to fight to the finish. It is a long season but it’s time for a Wizards win streak! 🙂

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy

As always if you have a suggestion for me please comment below or tweet me @bballmypassion

*Pics/Vids courtesy of Google*

NBA Player Series: @JohnWall

Posted on by

So I decided to focus the next month or so on NBA players and their accomplishments on and off the floor.

For the next month, you will see different blogs some short, some long about what players are doing. This is an idea I got waking up and decided to stick with it. If you have a player you would like me to write about please tweet me @bballmypassion 🙂

This week is dedicated to Washington Wizards Guard John Wall aka #WallStar 🙂

John-Wall 2

John is an exceptional player on and off the floor.

Let’s talk about on the court….

John sacrifices his body night in and night out for the betterment of his team. He leaves his heart on the court. He is also a team player. He makes plays that allow his teammates around him to build confidence and get stronger. For instance, one of my favorite plays to watch is the John Wall screen, where he draws all defender to kick it out to an open Bradley Beal which 9/10 goes in. This play not only builds John’s confidence as a leader but also Bradley’s. Their chemistry on the floor is amazing to watch. During the playoffs this past season which I will speak on very briefly because it still stings, John ended up breaking his hand but still finished that game missed the next 2 and played games 5 and 6 of their round 2 match up. It’s nothing like watching your key guy get hurt and wonder what is to come. John knew deep down he wanted and needed to be there for his team. He displayed that he wasn’t giving up on his guys, it showed. Next season will be different, I can feel it :). John is one of the top point guards in the league today outside of Stephen Curry and Jeff Teague, John is right there with him, and I feel like he deserves more recognition than he gets sometimes.

So John this is to you: I am so proud of you!!!! Night after Night you do it all, steals, game winning shots/shots that help secure victories, leaving your body on the court, engaging us fans who live to watch what spectacular move you will do next. Your defense …..is A-1 Amazing. Your PPG and Assists per game do not lie but are a testament to how great of a player you are and still becoming :)…. In your 24 years of life it amazes me to see as a guard what you are doing. Continue to keep it up and the success will flow for you and your team!! Thanks for representing the DMV area so well.

Off the court John:

John off the floor is a pretty special, lowkey guy. From what I see he hangs with his family and his boys and manages to stay in shape while building his brand. John is a special person and loves giving back. As you may know he met a very special friend named Miya who was suffering from cancer and unfortunately losing her battle from the disease( discussed in my Curry vs Wall blog). I don’t want to dwell on that but I do want to speak about his foundation. The John Wall Family Foundation which blesses kids with opportunities among their wildest dreams and allows them to feel good. This pass prom season with the help of Sean John clothing, John was able to help young men get ready for their special prom night. It was really cool to see this nice gesture from John but also not surprising because that is the kind of person he is. I love watching him play but his off the court experiences that he shares are somewhat better. We get to see John live out his dreams of seeing others happy while continuing to fulfill his own.!!

Way to go John !!! 🙂 Keep it up and have a great summer!!!

*Pictures courtesy of google images*

Playoff Time!!!..

Posted on by

nba-playoffs

The NBA has had an amazing season thus far but the best is yet to come. With only 10 days left in the regular season teams are making their final playoff push for positioning. I often have my favorite teams doing well even if they don’t go deep into the playoffs. One of those teams The Washington Wizards are now 44-33 and a game back out of the 4th spot with the Toronto Raptors who they will play one more time before the season ends. Out of all the 3 meetings this season, Toronto leads 3-0. Washington would need to win this game to give them some confidence going into the playoff run. With Washington potentially playing Toronto in the first round, I wanted to offer my 5 keys on a potential upset.

My 5 keys to playoff win success….

1. Limit Turnovers.

Toronto is a team that if you let them can get out and run. Washington can run to but also need to be mindful of scoring off turnovers they may cause.

2. Keeping Leads

Washington is a team that can blow teams out early but often let them creep back in on them in a hurry rather than put the nail in the coffin. In the playoffs, it’s no different but enhanced. If you want to get a jump on a team and secure victories ,you have to be able to hold a lead and still play strong.

3. Star Matchups

Playoff time is where your big stars flourish! I always get excited to see John Wall & Bradley Beal go head to head with Demar Derozan & Kyle Lowry. Each game whether home or away will continue to push players to play better, stronger and continue to find the will to win.

4. 3-point shooting

Many players on both Washington & Toronto can shoot the 3 very well and if consistent it can become dangerous on both sides. The main key is consistency and also not rushing 3’s because you panic. I think that is one of the ways teams mistakenly cost themselves games.

5. Have Fun( to a degree)

Now I know this is stretch, but both Washington & Toronto have worked very hard to get back to the playoffs multiple times and should be able to have a little fun while still focusing on the main goal which is ultimately winning a NBA Championship. As a fan this is where I get to shine and flourish. I have been able to experience playoff games in person and they are just as or more intense in person than tv. I always enjoy the opportunity to watch players I admire play well and push their teams. This also gives me another perspective into what drives a team to win and also fall in love more with the player.

Personal Playoff Story:

In the 2004-2005 season, Washington kept running into Miami. This season was the first time Washington was able to get to the second round after defeating the Chicago Bulls and had to face Dwyane Wade and Shaq. I was able to go to a game and I got to feel just how loud and intense the game was. I also got to see Dwyane Wade in action. Boy! was I impressed, he played lights out and ended up winning the game. It was just fun to watch while supporting my team , I started to love how well Dwyane played and just how explosive he could be. It definitely changed my perspective on the game but also let me have love for other teams&players. What are some of your playoff memories??

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me and share your thoughts 🙂

*Pictures/Videos courtesy of Youtube & Google Images*

3,2,1…… BANG

Posted on by

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has always been a special time for me. I enjoy taking the time out of my day to give back in some way shape or form. Dr. King left an awesome legacy and one that needs to be remembered. From a basketball standpoint he paved the way for players of all races to come together and play this awesome sport. I appreciate all of the hard work and time Dr. King put in to ensure a world change. On this particular holiday in 2007, my dad surprised me and my sisters with some Washington Wizards vs Utah Jazz game tickets. The Wizards at this point were a top contender in the Eastern Conference in the NBA. The game was a wire to wire game and Gilbert Arenas was due for something special and I was very surprised that I got to witness such a great ending to a wonderful game. Before that however, the halftime show was dedicated to Dr. King and how players felt about him and their favorite memories of his life. For me, the I have a dream speech is one of my favorite speeches because it reminds me to never give up on my dreams or let anyone stop me from achieving those goals. He also reminded the world that all races and nations should continue to fight non-violently to help bring about peace and change. I often wonder how the world may be different if Dr. King was still alive today. Would he be disappointed with all that is going on since the Civil Rights Movement or would he still be working with the people. My ultimate guess is that overall Dr. King would have been still impacting lives such as the NBA players I got to see in this amazing game in DC. The 4th quarter came down to the final shot, tied at 111 with 6.5 seconds left on the clock, it was Wizards ball and Gilbert had the final play and shot. Clock is winding down….3, Gilbert gets set…..2, He steps back behind the 3 point line…1, Gilbert for the WIN……BANG!!!!…..Wizards win…. The entire arena in mayhem! and I was there to witness this special game. I honestly never really took into consideration at the time the major impact Dr.King would leave on myself. If he didn’t give up his life, something as small as being able to enjoy a NBA game buzzer beater wouldn’t have been so special or a memory. I always think back to this day as a fun one and reflective one as well. It’s the little reminders that can quickly bring you back to reality and remind you of how truly blessed and fortunate to enjoy the luxuries of life whether it’s a basketball game with friends or even just a regular school day we are able to live more freely without the discrimination’s this life brings. Dr. King sacrificed his own life so we didn’t have to experience the harsh reality he had to endure. Basketball helped me to fully understand that. Dr. King I Thank You!

dr.king