C M Y K E9 DAILY 11-01-06 MD SU E9 CMYK The Washington Post x S Wednesday, November 1, 2006 E9 WizardsPreview By Ivan Carter 0 B Gilbert Arenas 2 B DeShawn Stevenson 3 B Caron Butler Height: 6-4. Weight: 215. Position: Point guard. Height: 6-5. Weight: 218. Position: Shooting guard. Height: 6-7. Weight: 228. Position: Forward. Experience: Sixth season. College: Arizona. Experience: Seventh season. College: Entered NBA from Experience: Fifth season. College: Connecticut. How acquired: Free agent, signed in August 2003. high school. How acquired: Via trade with Lakers in August 2005. 2005-06: 29.3 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.5 rpg. How acquired: Signed as a free agent in August. 2005-06: 17.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.5 apg. Strengths: Has established himself as one of the 2005-06 (with Orlando): 11 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2 apg. Strengths: Streaky scorer with excellent game’s best scorers. Combines an explosive first Strengths: Good on-the-ball defender who relishes mid-range game. Physically strong yet quick step with great body control and an the role of trying to contain the opponent’s best enough to drive around most defenders. accurate jump shot, making him almost scorer. Takes high-percentage shots and Gets in the passing lanes and is an unstoppable one-on-one. Never lacks for effectively uses size and leaping ability to get above-average rebounder. Runs the floor motivation and few players work harder. to the rim. Hungry to show that he deserves a and finishes in traffic. Wants to be great. large contract next summer. His adjustment Weaknesses: Not a particularly Weaknesses: More of a pure scorer to Washington’s system has gone smoothly. accurate three-point shooter (31.2 than a pure point guard. Has talked about Weaknesses: A career 26.2 percent percent for career), though he has improving defense and must do so for three-point shooter and 68.6 percent free expanded his range. Though listed as the Wizards to realize their potential. Has throw shooter. Is shorter than many guards 6 feet 7, appears to be closer to 6-5, gotten better at controlling his emotions and small forwards so it’s possible to shoot so he sometimes struggles defending but still sometimes loses focus. over him. Is coming off knee surgery. taller forwards. 4 B Antawn Jamison 6 B Antonio Daniels 8 B Roger Mason Jr. Height: 6-9. Weight: 235. Position: Forward. Height: 6-4. Weight: 220. Position: Guard. Height: 6-5. Weight: 196. Position: Guard. Experience: Ninth season. College: North Carolina. Experience: 10th season. College: Bowling Green. Experience: Third season. College: Virginia. How acquired: Via trade with Dallas in June 2004. How acquired: Free agent, signed in August 2005. How acquired: Free agent, signed in 2005-06: 20.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.9 apg. 2005-06: 9.6 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.2 rpg. September. Strengths: Pure scorer with a knack for getting the ball in Strengths: Leadership and decision-making. Can play 2005-06: Played in Israel. the basket in a variety of ways, including outside both guard positions. Ranked seventh in NBA in Strengths: Can play both guard positions. jump shots, jump hooks, runners and other assists per turnover (3.19). Is a master at Good defender. An excellent shooter either assorted unorthodox shots. Durable. drawing fouls and earning trips to the free spotting up or off the dribble. Made Appeared in all 82 games last season. throw line, where he is a career 78.9 percent 52.6 percent of his three-point Competitive. Eager to win a championship. shooter. Good defender and can be counted attempts during the preseason. Weaknesses: Poor defender who lacks on to make the right play in tight games. Ideal role player, who will do the quickness to stay with many small Weaknesses: Ultra-competitive but also whatever he is asked by the forwards and the size to bang with many very emotional. Sometimes gets caught up coaching staff. power forwards. Has increasingly relied in how a game is being called by the Weaknesses: Has not played in on outside jumpers instead of a post-up referees and becomes distracted. Made only the NBA since the 2003-04 game, so his scoring production is 22.8 percent of three-point attempts last season, when he appeared in 26 streaky. Not a great passer. season. games with Toronto. 9 B Darius Songaila 21 B Donell Taylor 24 B Jarvis Hayes Height: 6-9. Weight: 240. Position: Forward. Height: 6-5. Weight: 193. Position: Guard. Height: 6-8. Weight: 228. Position: Guard-forward. Experience: Fourth season. College: Wake Forest. Experience: Second season. Experience: Fourth season. College: Georgia. How acquired: Free agent, signed in July. College: Alabama- Birmingham. How acquired: Drafted in the first round (10th 2005-06 (with Chicago): 9.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.4 apg. How acquired: Signed as a rookie free agent in August overall) by Washington in 2003. Strengths: Skilled big man with decent post moves and a 2005. 2005-06: 9.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg. reliable outside shot. Ideal power forward for the 2005-06: 2.7 ppg, 1 rpg, 0.9 apg. Strengths: Can swing between shooting Princeton offense because he can shoot, dribble Strengths: Explosive player with excellent guard and small forward. Gets terrific and pass. Can swing between forward and leaping ability. Good defender who is elevation on his jump shot. Good center. particularly adept at pressuring the ball and defender and above-average Weaknesses: Will undergo surgery soon getting steals. Has flashed NBA potential. rebounder for a guard-forward. to repair a herniated disk, and will miss at Weaknesses: Has struggled while Weaknesses: Coming off a serious least 10 weeks. Lacks bulk and appears attempting to learn point guard position knee injury. Underwent surgery last to be closer to 6-8 than listed height of after exclusively playing shooting guard in February and made it through the 6-9, so he gives up size and strength to college. Has an awkward-looking shot and preseason healthy. Shot the ball some of the league’s bigger power made 39 percent of attempts as a rookie. well in preseason but relied almost forwards and centers. Tends to get down on himself after solely on outside jump shots rather making a mistake. than taking the ball to the basket. 32 B Andray Blatche 33 B Brendan Haywood 36 B Etan Thomas Height: 6-11. Weight: 248. Position: Forward. Height: 7-0. Weight: 263. Position: Center. Height: 6-10. Weight: 260. Position: Center. Experience: Second season. College: Entered NBA after Experience: Sixth season. College: North Carolina. Experience: Sixth season. College: Syracuse. one season at prep school. How acquired: Via trade with Orlando in August 2001. How acquired: Via trade with Dallas in February How acquired: Drafted in second round (49th overall) by 2005-06: 7.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg. 2001. Wizards in 2005. Strengths: Hard worker who takes care of his body. A 2005-06: 4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1 bpg. 2005-06: Appeared in 29 games. Also played with solid defender, he uses length and quickness to Strengths: Powerful, energetic inside player. Washington’s D-League affiliate. protect the basket. Has shown signs of Gets excellent low-post position Strengths: Talented but raw player with becoming a better low-post scorer. Has offensively and has a decent jump hook unusual ball-handling skills for a person his developed a decent jump hook and and up-and-under move. Can play size. Excellent passer. Has developed turnaround jump shot. power forward at times. rapidly considering he did not play Weaknesses: More of a finesse player Weaknesses: Coming off an organized basketball until high school. than a powerful presence. Often fades injury-plagued season. Built more like Weaknesses: Still adjusting to speed of away from contact rather than going up a power forward than a center. Tends NBA game. Tends to leap at pump fakes strong. Appears to lose focus if not to focus solely on his man defensively and too often gets out of position. Made involved in the offense. Has clashed with and fails to get into help position. 15 of 56 shots in the preseason while Coach Eddie Jordan and may not react Does not possess a reliable mid-range committing 30 fouls and 22 turnovers. well if his playing time is reduced. jump shot, so defenders sag off. 51 B Michael Ruffin 52 B Calvin Booth 54 B James Lang Height: 6-8. Weight: 248. Position: Forward-center. Height: 6-11. Weight: 250. Position: Center. Height: 6-10. Weight: 285. Position: Center. Experience: Seventh season. College: Tulsa. Experience: Eighth season. College: Penn State. Experience: Third season. How acquired: Free agent, signed August 2004. How acquired: Free agent, signed in September 2005. College: Entered NBA out of high school. 2005-06: 1.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 31 blocks. 2005-06: Appeared in 33 games with two starts. How acquired: Free agent, signed this September. Strengths: Excellent role player. Can swing between power Posted 1.4 ppg and 1.6 rpg. 2005-06 (with Arkansas of D-League): 8.3 ppg, 5 forward and center. Always hustles. Sets effective Strengths: Height makes him a good shot blocker. Can rpg, .81 bpg. screens and is a skilled passer. High-character play power forward or center. Good mid-range Strengths: Excellent quickness, agility and individual and respected teammate. Never shooter. Experience makes him a solid role player. hands for a man his size. Possesses solid complains and competes hard in practice.