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Les Bullez

Should've kept Navarro (either with the Wizards or in Europe) camp:
Ivan Carter
Hoops Addict
Vanilla Gorilla

Making the trade was the right move camp:
Pradamaster
Doctor Dribbles & sierradave
mamemimo
3 Shades of Blue

Highest and Lowest Plus/Minus: Look Below

We could argue about the whole JC Navarro thing until we're blue in the face, and while it would be entertaining to watch the point of the matter is that the Spanish mafia was not going to stop until JCN and Pau Gasol were paired together and the Wizards still got a conditional 1st round pick out of the deal which might be the last piece to complete a deal at the trade deadline or before the draft.

Instead of getting into all of that, I'd like to talk about how weird this game was:

• The Wizards made six more field goals and had four less turnovers than the Grizzlies and still lost by six.
  
• Antawn Jamison played 35 minutes and was a +16 (highest on the team) for the night, Caron Butler played 41 minutes and was a -23 (lowest on the team).
  
• Darius Songaila had more blocks than Hakim Warrick and Dominic McGuire combined.
  
• Antawn Jamison shot 82% from the field and 75% percent from the line.
  
• I think the thing that really needs to be discussed after tonight's game is how the Wizards couldn't hit anything on the left side of the court.  Outside of two three pointers from Antonio Daniels, the Wizards did not make a field goal any further left than the edge of the paint.  The shot chart doesn't lie, the left side of the court was like the Bermuda Triangle for the Wizards last night.

Remember that image the next time you're sailing in Tennessee.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A recap is coming later, until then this is the place to argue it out over whether or not trading #2 was the right move.  I'm still leaning to yes, but I'm a somewhat more open to no after tonight's game.

If you want to argue about whether or not trading #42 was the right move, you have a much tougher task ahead of you.

The essentials:
Wizards (6-6) at Grizzlies (3-9)
8 p.m.
FedEx Forum
CSN

Last year:
November 23: Grizzlies 95, Wizards 80.
December 26: Wizards 116, Grizzlies 101.

Notable Grizzlies numbers this season (pound the salt):
19th in expected winning percentage (.377).
8th in pace factor (94.4 possessions per game).
11th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (108.3).
27th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (112.3).

Notable Grizzlies numbers last season
28th in expected winning percentage (.331).
8th in pace factor (92 posessions per game).
11th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (108.7).
30th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (114.3).

Key links
3 Shades of Blue.
Beale Street Beat.
3 Shades of Blue game preview.
Post: Despite injuries, roster seems set.
Marty Burns: "Wizards are toast".
3SOB blog preview.
Competition Discussion: Memphis.

Starting lineups:

Grizzlies

PG: Damon Stoudamire
SG: Mike Miller
SF: Rudy Gay
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Darko Milicic/Stromile Swift

Wizards
PG: Antonio Daniels
SG: DeShawn Stevenson
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Brendan Haywood (hopefully)

Tonight's lines:
Wizards at Grizzlies: Grizzlies by 6
Over/Under on total points: 205.

I know, I know, second game of a back to back, but I'm not scared of tonight's game.  Memphis is a mess right now, with their star player struggling to adapt to their new coach, and a number of unfortunate injuries.  Their key rookie, Mike Conley, is out, making it two consecutive years in which their rookie point guard was hurt in the first month of the season.  Rudy Gay is balling, but he's been struggling recently, and while Stromile Swift is playing well, he might have to play more with Darko out.  

When we previewed this team, they seemed like a darkhorse playoff squad.  Now, I just don't see it.  Pau has an insanely low 11.8 rebound rate this year, and often looks lost offensively.  Mike Miller has fallen back to earth a bit, and it's painful to see Damon Stoudamire starting and Kyle Lowry sitting.  They're decent offensively, but they don't have a penetrating guard who could hurt us, so I see a good defensive performance tonight.  On the other end, they're still not defending, with no shotblockers and a host of inexperienced wingmen.  I see Caron playing well tonight against the madator defense of Rudy Gay, and I see Blatche and Jamison having strong games.

One thing Memphis does have, though, is decent depth, with Lowry, Terrance Kinsey, the hated one, Hakim Warrick, and potentially Swift off the bench.  This game will likely become a track meet, so that doesn't really bode well for us.  Nick Young is going to have to be big again, and I'd like to see Songaila show me something tonight.  Those two, and Blatche, will be key.

But something about this game seems so unthreatening.  We really need this one, with Dallas and San Antonio coming up next week.  If we don't get it, we're in trouble.

This is an open game thread, so add to the tally of "if only we had JCN" comments here (we're at two so far).  

GO WIZARDS!