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WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN
On the team:
“Everybody is in the same boat here. We lost four in a row but we have played well the last three games. We are anticipating Caron (Butler) and Antawn (Jamison) coming back, but in the meantime the bench has played well, and they have played good defense. We just haven’t made baskets at critical times. That is the bottom line.”
On Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison:
“They practiced well today. Without anything happening overnight, they should be ready to play on Friday. We are looking forward to these games this weekend with a full roster. Michael Ruffin is still a question mark, but if we can get everybody back we will be fine.”
On Gilbert Arenas:
“There has been a lot of good defense played on Gilbert recently. He has been able to create distance to get off his shot but there are times where he takes contested shots…so do a lot of great players.”
WIZARDS FORWARD CARON BUTLER
On today’s practice:
“I felt good in practice today. I had a nice rhythm out there, a little pain, but overall it is something I can play through.”
On the treatment he received on his back:
“I received a lot of treatment from the training staff and the chiropractors. I felt really close to returning for last night’s game but my back felt a little tight.”
On Gilbert Arenas:
“It is just a situation where everybody is keying in on him. He is my little brother and I feel bad that I couldn’t be out there to help him. I take pride in what I do on the court and I take pride in this team’s performance. I felt bad to see my team losing and Gilbert going through his struggles because I could not be out there. If the ship is sinking I want to be out there. If we are doing well I want to be out there. I just look forward to getting back on the court tomorrow. With myself and Antawn coming back tomorrow it is going to relieve a lot of stress and attention off of Gilbert. We are hoping that he can get some open lanes and open looks and his shot will start falling again.”
WIZARDS FORWARD ANTAWN JAMISON
On what he would like to accomplish now that he is back from injury:
"I love the game of basketball and I am a big piece of this puzzle. I want to finish something that we started, which is to try to be the best team possible and have the best record in the Eastern Conference."
On returning for tomorrow's game against the Atlanta Hawks:
"I am healthy and I feel good. Our trainers and doctors wanted to see more at practice everyday before I came back. They were able to see the improvement the last two days at practice. I feel good and it is to the point where the doctors, trainers and I feel that I am healthy to play. I am anxious to go out there and play some ball."
On how much time he will play tomorrow:
"We will see what happens tomorrow. If everything is going well, I will stay in there, but if I get winded they will take me out. My mentality going into the game is that I am going to be playing the way I am accustomed to.”
On how difficult it was to miss the last 12 games:
"It's back to business. It has been hard to sit and watch the last 12 games. I am ready to get back to work and bring some excitement back to the Verizon Center. My teammates really need me to produce on and off the court again and I am anxious to get out there and have some fun."
On the Wizards having their full complement of players:
"It's the introduction of what you are going to see the next couple of months and going into the playoffs. This team was able to become one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and we got some key wins against some of the better teams in the Western Conference. The last couple of weeks have been different because we have had injuries and guys have not been 100 percent. Now we are starting to get the group back together and we are ready to put the pieces together and play like we are capable of playing."
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