Flip Saunders looking for more from his frontline
Prior to the season, there were high expectations from the Washington Wizards’ frontline after the stellar performances of JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche during their pre-season games, but head coach Flip
Saunders was discontented with both big men early in the season.
According to Saunders, he is considering to tweak their frontline rotation and give their reserve big men more playing time after the lacklustre performances of McGee and Blatche in their first eight games
this season.
“There's going to be some competition for playing time,” said Saunders. “I think all of our guys have to understand that just because you may be playing or starting, there's not entitlement. You have to go
out there and produce to earn what you do.”
In their 103-96 loss against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday 13 November, Saunders opted to go with Hilton Armstrong and rookie big man Trevor Booker in the crucial stages of the game because Blatche was bothered
by his ailing knee, while McGee failed to find his rhythm in the first three periods.
Saunders admitted that McGee, who averaged 7.5 points and 5.9 rebounds in their first eight games, had great performances during the Las Vegas Summer League, but he blasted the 22-year-old big man for coming
into the season with a wrong mentality.
“He's got a ways to go,” said Saunders on McGee. “You've got to realize that in summer league you're playing against guys that are in the NBDL or in Europe, so it's a little bit different than playing against
Joakim Noah and guys like that. It's a challenge, and he's got to learn.”
As for Blatche, Saunders attributed the five-year veteran’s struggles to injury issues, but the veteran head coach also ripped the 24-year-old forward-centre for coming into the season not in a good playing
shape because of poor conditioning during the off-season.
“He's getting a lot of touches, but he has a tendency to get a little tired in the second half because he's not in the shape he needs to be in,” said Saunders on Blatche, who only scored four points in 27
minutes against the Bulls on Saturday 13 November.
Washington will try snap their two-game losing skid when they host the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday 16 November at the Verizon Center.
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