NBA Preseason 10/14

[Justin]

0-2

Trying to get on track here.

Just some news/notes for now:

Popovich plans to begin focusing more on his regular-season playing rotations and combinations in the final three preseason games, so tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers largely will be devoted to evaluation of the players trying to earn a spot on the roster. To that end, Popovich won't suit up All-Star point guard Tony Parker.
“I'm not playing tomorrow,” Parker said after a lengthy Spurs practice Tuesday. “That's why I'm sweating. I practiced hard. Pop told me before practice I was not going to play, so I had to go hard today, so that's what I did. I've got to stay in rhythm.

[Justin]

Washington Wizards Notes:

Brendan Haywood (sprained right ankle) did some shooting but Saunders said he would sit Haywood against Detroit and tomorrow in Cleveland. "We can give him four more days and rest him, get ready fro Atlanta. The floor is slippery and I don't want to do anything to tweak it," Saunders said. "He's still a bit sore."
Fabricio Oberto will again start at center, but Saunders will give Mike Miller his first shot at shooting guard. Miller started small forward in place of Caron Butler against Toronto on Sunday and will get his first chance to start with Butler, Antawn Jamison and possibly Arenas at the same time. Miller scored four points on Sunday.



Saunders said he has been pleased with his team's defensive performance thus far, especially the play of his first unit. The Wizards have focused on field goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense, and through the first three games, opponents have shot just 42.2 percent from the floor and 22.4 percent from beyond the three-point line. The Wizards have allowed teams to average 105 points, which Saunders blamed on his players putting opponents on the foul line with regularity. Opponents are making 78.5 percent of their free thows.
"We've fouled a lot and we're getting killed at the free throw line," Saunders said. "That's because we're trying to be aggressive. That's something I don't want to change now. We have to continue that aggressiveness, because that will pay off in the long run."

Thats scary, the one observation I had for the Wiz this preseason was their defense was awful, and Saunders is pleased with their D?!?!

[Justin]

LA Clippers +6.5

Am leaning very heavily to the Wizards as well. I don't think that Lebron and CO. will be playing nearly the full half. Furthermore I think Coach Saunders is trying to get some sort of system for the Wizards so he is going to be runnign his guys at 100% while the cavs I'm sure will care less about the game. I think a Washignton SU win would not be out of the realm.

[Old-Timer]

It's going to be tough with replacement ref's. Good Luck