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WASHINGTON WIZARDS MEDIA DAY |
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Written by Media Relations
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Monday, 01 October 2007 |
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld On retaining the core players from last season:“I think continuity and familiarity are always very important. Our players respect and like each other. We are very fortunate that we have good character guys who are very competitive and hard-working. I think the familiarity that they have with one another is very positive.”
On the roles of Washington’s rookies:
“The young players are going to have to fit in and that will depend on their development, how quickly they pick up the system, their play and their production. There is no question that they all have outstanding abilities.”
On defense:
“Defense is a team thing, not an individual thing. It has to be a collective team effort. It is something we discussed in the off-season. We do not want to lose our offensive abilities because that is our strength, but we know that if we want to advance in the playoffs we have to improve on the defensive end and make crucial stops down the stretch.”
On the addition of Randy Ayers:
“Randy has an outstanding resume. He was a head coach at Ohio State, and he worked for Larry Brown for many years with the Philadelphia 76ers. He learned from some outstanding people. He has his own ways of doing things and some different concepts that we are going to try to use. He is a very good communicator and I think he brings a lot to the table.”
On the Wizards’ young players:
“Young players are always exciting to have because of their potential. They are going to be up-and-down – that is just the way it is. I think they will have some really good moments and some down moments. It is a process. We are not going into camp depending on these guys to carry the load for us. We have eight guys coming back from last year who are very solid and will get the majority of minutes.”
More on the Wizards’ young players:
“We feel good about all four of our young players, and I am including Andray Blatche, who is the youngest of all four players. He is going into his third season. Oleksiy Pecherov, our first round pick from two years ago, is an outstanding outside shooter. Our first round pick this year, Nick Young, is an outstanding scorer and a great athlete on the wing. He has very good size for his position and great athleticism. Our second round pick, Dominic McGuire, really showed that he can also contribute and play. He is an outstanding competitor, very good defensive player, rebounder and all-around player. We are excited about those four guys, but how quickly they get into the rotation and contribute will be up to them and their development.”
On the off-season additions to other Eastern Conference teams:
“There is no question Boston added some key pieces. I think they have to be considered one of the better teams in the East. Their attitude was to rebuild and they went in a completely different direction because they had an opportunity to get a player of Kevin Garnett’s magnitude. They threw away their plans of rebuilding, and they are going for it right now. Obviously when you have players of that caliber you can compete with a lot of people, and for the next couple of years they will have a chance to have an outstanding season. We like what we have as well. There is a reason we play the games: you do not win on paper. We are going to play against them and compete against them.”
On competing in the newly-revamped Eastern Conference:
“For the last few years, everyone has been saying the West is so much tougher than the East. I think the East has gotten better. It is going to be interesting to see how the chemistry is for all of the teams, and how everything shapes out in the East. You have four or five teams that are coming back very strong. Detroit is going to be very good, New Jersey has all of their players coming back, Boston has improved, and New York has improved. I think we can compete with anyone. Orlando also improved some and Miami still has (Shaquille O’Neal) and (Dwayne) Wade. There are not going to be any easy nights in this league, and that is the way it has always been.”
On this year’s team compared to last year’s team:
“We did have the best record in the Eastern Conference before the All-Star Game. We feel we are a lot more athletic, but also that the bulk of our team is still made up of the veteran players that we had last year that got us to that best record. We feel good about what we have.”
On how the team has prepared for the season:
“In the off-season the number one thing was to get healthy. We are healthy right now, and our players have worked extremely hard during the summer. We also wanted to get more athletic, especially on the wings. With Dominic (McGuire) and Nick (Young), we have gotten a lot more athletic and we can do some different things on the perimeter. I also think that the development of Andray Blatche is going to be interesting to watch.”
Wizards Guard Gilbert Arenas
On the status of his knee:“What knee? I’m fine. I'm actually healthy and just ready to get to camp and push it to the limit.”
On his summer workout:
“The most enjoyable part of it was shooting. That is the part I love. The pain came from the bleachers, the parachute, and running the track.”
On putting last year behind him:“I’m trying to put it all behind me. I had a long summer of just sitting and watching. I’m just ready to get back and start things up.”
On pressure and expectations:
“As a team we know what we’re capable of. We just have to go out focus and perform. We need to play hard and play smart. We need to approach each and every game as if it were our last.”
On having everyone healthy to start the season:
“That is why we are going to go in with the confidence we have. Last year, we didn’t have (Darius) Songaila and Etan (Thomas) for a long stretch, but we still were the number one team in the conference. We know we are a dangerous team because everyone is in sync from the beginning.”
On the team’s defense:“In training camp it’s easier for us to focus more on defense. We don’t have six or seven players coming in. This year everyone knows the offense. Now we can focus more on defense and just go through our basic offensive plays.”
Wizards Forward Antawn Jamison
On having everyone back together:
“It’s going to be really interesting to see. Everyone out there playing has a chip on their shoulder. We all have a lot to prove. The team was disappointed as far as the way things happened last year, but that is part of the game. This is a great opportunity for us to get into that window of opportunity and take advantage of what is ahead of us.”
On getting back to last year’s form:
“We know what we have to do. We have all been there before and we know what it takes to be one of the elite teams in the league. All the hard work is about to start at training camp. Eventually the hard work will pay off and we’ll get back to the point that we were at last year.”
On how long it will take to get back to last year’s form:
“I don’t think it is going to take that long at all. With that said, you do have to go out there and play. I have a chip on my shoulder, Caron (Butler) has a chip, and Gilbert (Arenas) is the same way. Our big men really want to go out on the floor and prove a lot of people wrong and we have a very young and exciting bench. Everyone really wants to get back to where we were before. We don’t want to wait 10 or 15 games into the season. We definitely want to start off better than we have in previous seasons. Another slow start wouldn’t hurt us, but we know how it feels. Everyone just wants to get out on the floor and play good basketball from the start.”
On having Darius Songaila to begin the season:
“It’s a big difference. He is a multi-dimensional big man who can shoot the ball, pass the ball, and score on the block. That is a piece of the puzzle that we didn’t have until the other injuries occurred. It’s just good to have everybody healthy at one particular time. Hopefully throughout training camp and the preseason we can keep everyone healthy and really start playing the type of basketball we know we are capable of playing.”
On what the team needs to do to compete for the Eastern Conference title:
“I think the biggest thing is no outside distractions. It’s time for us to mature off the court. We need to concentrate on the ultimate goal, which is to play basketball, and do it as a team.”
On his summer workouts:
“I’m in my thirties now so I really have to take care of my body. The concern for me was my flexibility. Yoga does a tremendous job working on that. I’m more flexible now than I was the last couple of years. My weight and body fat are both down. It’s just doing the things I need to do to prevent any injuries. Even though I didn’t play with the USA Basketball team this summer I worked hard and stayed fit. I’m just getting to the point in my career where you need to do the little things to make a difference throughout the regular season. I just needed a rest from the past couple of summers. I have a lot of energy this year, and I feel refreshed. I’m excited for the task at hand. I’m ready to go out and play basketball again.”
On the value of the younger players:
“I think that our three rookies have the talent and the energy to compete. It’s just a matter of time as far as bottling it up and letting loose when it’s the correct time to do so. As veterans you can get tired during the course of a season. We need the young guys to come in and bring their extra burst of energy.”
On the team’s defense:
“We have to be consistent. The thing about last year is for 10 games we were decent, for 15 games we were horrible, for five games we were decent, and in the fourth quarter we just didn’t get it done. It is going to be one of those things that I’m not going to talk about because everyone knows we have to go out and just get it done. We have to be more consistent on that end and take defense very seriously. The last four or five minutes of the game is when you need to step-up and play better defense. We know it’s a problem. All throughout training camp we’re going to hear about it.”
On the defense being improved this year:
“Every year you feel that way. I think we finally realize the last couple of years we were second or third in offense and at the bottom of the barrel on defense. With that said, we don’t need to be the best defensive team of the league. All we need to do is just be somewhere in the middle of the pack. We need to get stops when it really counts. I talked to Coach (Randy) Ayers and he is really enthusiastic about what we are going to do. We are going to have one philosophy and stick with it.”
Wizards Forward Caron Butler
On the goal of training camp: “We don’t have to go over the plays so much. Guys know the system and our style of play. The main focus is defense: how to protect the paint, what your assignment is going to be, and have everyone on the same page from a defensive standpoint.”
On returning to the Wizards with last year’s core intact:“I feel great just taking a picture in the same uniform for a couple years in a row. To be back with these guys, knowing how the business works, I’m just happy to be back with my core guys and have another opportunity to advance in the playoffs. We like our chances – we feel like we can compete with anybody.
On team chemistry giving the Wizards an edge:
“I would say so. Guys came back early this off-season to work-out. We had 11 or 12 guys playing pick-up together this summer, working on chemistry. We want to capitalize on the chemistry we do have by learning each other even more. It’s going to benefit us a lot having everybody back. By knowing each other, where people would want the ball, and their sweet spots, we’ll know what guys are accustomed to, which will help us out a lot.”
On his hand injury that cost him the playoffs:
“It was 100 percent two weeks after the playoffs were over. I’m fine now.”
On expectations for Brendan Haywood:
“We saw great basketball out of him while Etan was out. Early on in the season, he was out there protecting the paint, getting 10 or 12 points and seven or eight rebounds a night, giving consistent play, and shooting over 50% from the field. That’s what you want from your big man. He looks great, he’s definitely in shape. I definitely love playing with him and would love to have him around for years to come.”
On his impressions of this year’s rookies:
“They look good, and they’re very talented. Now it’s the time to show what you’re capable of doing. The greatest challenge that faces rookies is always the length of the season. So many guys are used to playing a quarter of an NBA season. We play 82 games, and with that there are things you have to mentally prepare yourself for, like the travel, and being professional on and off the court. In college and high school, there are other chaperones and people responsible for you. Now you are responsible for yourself.”
On his personal improvements as a player:
“I worked a lot on my jump shot. I want to extend my game out to three-point range. I worked a lot on ball-handling and conditioning as well. I found myself getting a little fatigued in the fourth quarter as the season wore on from playing so many minutes. I used this summer to prepare myself even more to be ready for that challenge.”
Wizards Guard Antonio Daniels
On the team’s expectations:
“Hopefully they are high. If we stay healthy, the sky is the limit for this team. This team has the talent to do it.”
On the team’s core staying together:
“Anytime you keep a team’s core together there is going to be chemistry. When a team stays together you have the opportunity to grow together, to learn together, and develop the chemistry.”
Wizards Guard DeShawn Stevenson
On having everyone back together:
“I think having our core back is important. When we had our core we were number one in the East. With all of us together we’re very good.”
On his role:“I know my role. When our guys were hurt I had to step up. Everyone knows their role in the starting five which puts us in a great situation. We have to go out there and win games.”
On the team’s chemistry:“We do things on-the-court and off-the-court together. To be a great team you need that.”
On giving advice to the rookies:“I just tell them to work hard and do what the coaches ask. The talent they possess is going to present them with an opportunity to play.”
On the team’s core staying together:
“I think it’s a big advantage, especially with the way we play. As long as we play defense and do the little things we’ll be alright. Scoring has never been a problem for us.”
On the defense being improved this year:
“I think Randy Ayers will make a difference. I know him and he is a tough coach. He’s a great coach that pays attention to the little things that you think wouldn’t help. Coach (Randy) Ayers won’t take any nonsense and I think we need that.”
Wizards Forward Darius Songaila
On being healthy:
“I’m excited to be healthy. The summer went well and I’m excited to start the season. I’m going to try and get used to playing with Gilbert (Arenas) and Caron (Butler). I’m anxious and excited to see what we can all do when healthy.”
On how the team will be better in 2007-08:“We’ll be healthy. That is the starting point. I think if we stay healthy we can win a lot of basketball games.”
Wizards Forward Andray Blatche
On what he is looking forward to this season:
“I’m looking forward to getting on the floor and helping the team.”
On increased minutes at the end of last season:
“I looked at it as an opportunity to go out and play well. I worked hard this summer on my low-post and mid-range game to be even better than I was last year.”
On his role this season:“I’m going to come out hustle, defend, and give it my all every time I’m on the floor.”
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