HoopsHype.com Rumors

With the Knicks missing their two all-star forwards, who combined to score 50 points, in the win last month, Booker is looking at the rematch as an opportunity for the Wizards (5-20) to win back-to-back games for the first time since last April 9-11. “I mean, we should, with Amare and Melo out, it’s a game that we should win,” Booker said. “We was close with them last time and they had both of them. I feel we definitely should get it. It’ll boost our confidence. Amare and Melo is out, so it’s a good opportunity to take advantage of.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Trevor Booker 

Roger Mason: Sad to see my lil bro @Hamady Ndiaye waived today. It's a part of the biz, but he got too much work ethic and drive to let it keep him out! Twitter

Washington Wizards, Roger Mason, Hamady Ndiaye 

The Washington Wizards waived center Hamady Ndiaye, the team announced on Tuesday night. Recently called up from the Iowa Energy, the Wizards’ D-league affiliate, Ndiaye played in just three games this season and did not score. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Hamady Ndiaye 

Specifically, Wise asked Wittman whether he was laughing or furious when he saw McGee head off in the wrong direction. Wittman laughed. Several times. “Um, I think I probably had a little bit of both,” the coach said, and laughed again. “I mean, at first pretty upset with the [shot]. And then when I saw him running the other way, one thing we preached to him was transition defense, but the problem with that was we had the ball. At least I know he’s listening. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, Randy Wittman 

“You know what, as with any player in this league — it doesn’t matter what team you’re on — you go through a period of time in every season — and it can be a couple times — of ...some bad play. JaVale has gone through here probably a tough three- or four-game period. He has not played very well. “And the thing I told him today at practice, I said everybody goes through this. LeBron James goes through a bad streak. The great ones go through a bad streak....The only way to get yourself out of it is to work your way out of it....And all of the sudden you’re back on track and you’re playing at the level we need you to play. We need JaVale to play at a high level, there’s no question about it. He isn’t right now, and it’s my job to help him out of that hole and help him keep his head straight.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, Randy Wittman 

On Monday night, McGee proved that he can be absentminded even when he shows considerable effort. Early in the third quarter of Washington's 111-108 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors, McGee attempted a running hook shot. When he saw it missed, he sprinted back up the court to get back on defense like a good teammate. Unfortunately, the Wizards still had the ball, so he had to hurry back into the frontcourt to make it a five-on-five game again. Then, like the icing on a stale cake, he asked for an alley-oop that John Wall couldn't throw with any accuracy. You can check out a GIF of the ordeal here, courtesy of @JohnCTownsend. Yahoo! Sports

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee 

How do you go about replacing the guy who hired you as an assistant coach? What is that phone call like? "It wasn't even a phone call," Randy Wittman said late last week. "You basically walk in here, and it's all kind of happening." NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Randy Wittman 

"I learned a lot because I've done it before, and when it happened then I said I don't ever want to be in that position again," Wittman said last week. "It's awful, just to put it bluntly. It doesn't matter. The one thing I learned was I had to sit down with these guys and tell what I wanted to do, if I was going to take over, and how I wanted to do it. And if they didn't agree with me, don't have me do it. That's the only way. You can't come in here and not be yourself, and I think you try to do that sometimes, because you're thrown right in. It's not an interview process and you've gotten the job, and it's your job. It's all of a sudden, blam. That's why I said if you want me to do it, this is how we have to do it." NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Randy Wittman 

Any signs of progress Wizards coach Randy Wittman had seen in recent games were entirely absent Friday night. Leandro Barbosa shook off flulike symptoms to score 19 points, Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat Washington 106-89, handing the Wizards their third straight defeat. “They outplayed us in every phase of the game,” Wittman said. “It’s disappointing after we’ve been playing at a pretty high level. Tonight wasn’t it.” Wittman, whose team lost 109-103 at Orlando on Wednesday, was especially upset to see the Wizards outrebounded by a wide margin, 61-37. Washington Times

Washington Wizards, Randy Wittman 

“Rebounding is effort,” he said. “We didn’t have that same effort tonight that we’ve had, and it showed.” JaVale McGee, who missed six of his eight shots and finished with eight points, shared his coach’s frustration. “We should have come out a little bit harder, we should have played harder D,” he said. “We’ve got another game (Saturday at home against the LA Clippers) so we’ve definitely got to make up for it.” Washington Times

Washington Wizards, Randy Wittman 

Michael Lee: Nick Young might be a little fired up. When #wizards arrived this a.m., JaVale McGee showed NY framed photo of DeMar DeRozan dunking on him Twitter

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, DeMar DeRozan, Nick Young 

You suddenly find yourself on the deck of the Titanic after the run-in with the iceberg and you want to do more than rearrange a few of the lounge chairs. Randy Wittman remembers the urge. Almost five years to the day before he was named interim coach of the Wizards, Wittman was bailing water in Minnesota. "You try to change everything in a day," he said. "I think I tried to re-invent basketball and hopefully I've learned from that." NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Randy Wittman 

So here is Wittman taking another midseason swing with a Wizards team that has the partial excuse of being very young at the core, but still massively underachieving at 4-16. "It has helped me that I've been in this position before in terms of (learning) you can't do too much change right away," he said. "It's got to be a gradual process. You can't come in one day and throw five or six new different things at them, because I want them to go out and play with freedom of mind and with all new (things) we're trying to do. "Patience is another thing. We're not gonna drop all these bad habits in one day. I have to be patient in that process also, demanding but patient. "We've just got to get where we're competing in games where we have a chance to win ... That's my main goal with these guys -- give yourself an opportunity and then you'll get your wins." NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Randy Wittman 

"The message to them (now) is: 'We've got to develop. We've got a lot of young talent. But if you're not going to play the right way during a game, then your development is going to be in practicing. It's not gonna be on the floor until we learn to play productive minutes the right way,'" Wittman said. "That's the main message: accountability. That's what I'm trying to strive for." NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Coaching, Randy Wittman 

Washington fired coach Flip Saunders, replaced him with interim coach Randy Wittman and immediately shifted into youth mode. But that doesn't mean all is calm on Sixth Street. Rumblings persist in NBA front-office circles about the anticipated ouster of general manager Ernie Grunfeld. But sources continue to maintain Grunfeld and his front-office staff remain in constant communication with owner Ted Leonsis and that Leonsis has an open mind about his GM's efforts to dig the franchise out of the Gilbert Arenas gun fiasco. CBSSports.com

Washington Wizards, Ernie Grunfeld 

It hasn't helped that first-round pick Jan Vesely has managed to score only four points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field with only one free throw attempt over three starts covering 57 minutes of floor time. It's too soon to draw sweeping conclusions about a 21-year-old who didn't play in college, but the development of Vesely and other recent first-round picks Chris Singleton, Nick Young and JaVale McGee bears watching as it could have a direct bearing on Grunfeld's future. CBSSports.com

Washington Wizards, Ernie Grunfeld, Jan Vesely 

As of now, there have been zero indications from Leonsis that he's anything but on board with the plan that has been in place since the roster was torn down in the wake of the Arenas incident. Also, team officials believe the franchise is in a good place with cap room and young assets to be in position to make a significant move when the time is right -- all part of a strategy Leonsis has spearheaded. CBSSports.com

Washington Wizards, Ernie Grunfeld 

The Wizards have been working hard to move disappointing forward Andray Blatche, but a calf injury expected to sideline the favorite target of D.C. boobirds for three to five weeks won't make it any easier. Sources close to the situation say that the Wizards had been trying to engage Charlotte on a Blatche-for-Tyrus Thomas swap. ESPN.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Trade, Tyrus Thomas, Andray Blatche 

JaVale McGee finished runner-up to Los Angeles Clippers all-star forward Blake Griffin in the slam dunk contest last season, despite arguably having the most creative dunks, and said on Friday that he might be open to competing again if asked participate. “I thought about it, of course. It’s possible,” McGee said before shootaround in Toronto. “Always possible.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee 

Dan Steinberg: Ted Leonsis refers to us as "the local pixel maker," says The Post is "harboring criminals now." http://www.tedstake.com/2012/0… Twitter

Washington Wizards, Media, Ted Leonsis