NBA Notebook: Wizards at it again only one game into new season

It took only one game for the new-look Washington Wizards to resemble their same old dysfunctional selves.

Andray Blatche took to Twitter on Tuesday to, in effect, criticize the way his criticisms were criticized after the Wizards' season-opening loss to the New Jersey Nets.

"Every body need to shut up I didn't call out my coach or team mates I said I had a bad game need it n the post instead of jump shots," Blatche tweeted.

Blatche wasn't happy after the 90-84 defeat in which the Wizards blew a 21-point lead, saying afterward he wasn't being used to the best of his abilities.

He scored 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting and was called for a technical for exchanging words with Kris Humphries.

"You can't keep having me pick-and-pop and shooting jump shots," he said in the locker room. "Give me the ball in the paint. That's where I'm most effective at. I've been saying that since training camp: I need the ball in the paint. I don't want to be the pick-and-pop guy that I used to be. It's not working for me."

Blatche has been known to be a bit of a wild card during his seven seasons in the Wizards locker room, but this outburst was exceptional because he had introduced himself as "your captain, Andray Blatche" to the crowd during a pregame speech.

"It's disappointing," coach Flip Saunders said "But, look, we were all disappointed.

"We talked about what he said about as far as wanting to be in the post," Saunders said. "And I told him, that's something to my ears. I love hearing that. ... But then he also has to understand that just because you get it at 17 feet, you don't have to shoot it either."

Saunders also clarified the captaincy situation. He said he plans to rotate captains for the time being because the team had such an abbreviated training camp. Blatche and John Wall served as captains for the first game.

Before the lockout, Saunders gave Blatche a book titled "The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player." Blatche has said he read about half of it.

At media day after the lockout, owner Ted Leonsis said: "I talked to Andray, and he understands that the fan base, media are all looking to take cues on can his focus and dedication match his skills."

Bucks

Forward Drew Gooden will miss Milwaukee's first home game for his flagrant foul in the season opener. The NBA suspended Gooden without pay for the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gooden was ejected late in the third quarter Monday for clocking Gerald Henderson in the head with his arm as the Bobcats guard attempted to make a driving layup in Charlotte's 96-95 win.

Bobcats

Point guard D.J. Augustin expects to play against the Miami Heat. Augustin sprained his ankle in the final minute of Monday night's 96-95 win against the Bucks. He didn't practice Tuesday, but coach Paul Silas said, "he's hurting, but he thinks he might be able to make it [Wednesday] night." Augustin scored a team-high 19 points as the Bobcats came back from a 14-point second half deficit. Augustin knows a bigger test is coming when LeBron James and the Heat arrive.

Knicks

New York claimed guard Jeremy Lin off waivers. The Knicks are short-handed in the backcourt. Iman Shumpert could miss four weeks with a knee injury, Baron Davis is still weeks away with a bulging back disc and Mike Bibby missed the opener with a sore lower back. The 6-foot-3 Lin was released by the Houston on Sunday.

Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

First published on December 28, 2011 at 12:00 am

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11362/1199651-275-0.stm?cmpid=sports.xml

paulina gretzky wayne gretzky wayne gretzky occupy los angeles occupy los angeles comedian patrice o neal occupy philadelphia