Bullets, McGee stop that sinking feeling

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For the second straight season the Bullets got out to an 0-5 record, dropping close games to the Milwaukee Bucks and NY Knicks, while getting blown out in Orlando by the Magic. Clearly missing their best scorer [Gilbert Arenas] and best defensive player [Brendan Haywood] took talent and production off the floor that the Bullets couldn’t afford to lose. Once again, Head Coach Eddie Jordan found himself leaning on co-captains Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler more than is wise or sustainable. However, even with Butler and Jamison averaging more than 38 minutes per game each, the Bullets couldn’t get a win. 
Jamison hasn’t been shooting particularly well and his 3-point shooting [22%] has been awful. Only Juan Dixon has been shooting well from behind the arc and Dixon has been forced into a point guard role that is unfamiliar to him due to the existing injury to Arenas and a newer, though likely chronic injury problem to Antonio Daniels. 
Worse, the Bullets haven’t been able to play defense. At all. Going into last night’s home game against the Utah Jazz, the Bullets were last in the league in defensive field goal percentage. Teams have been shooting over 50% on the Bullets and Washington hasn’t been able to keep up offensively with Gilbert out and players like Jamison and Deshawn Stevenson [who has been awful] not playing to their potential. 
All that changed last night — even if for only one night. The Bullets defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 95-87, thanks to big contributions from Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, as well as rookie center Javale McGee, who has been a revelation during his very young career. Indeed, apart from Butler and Jamison showing signs that they are snapping out of their early-season funk, McGee is the team’s only real bright spot so far. Andray Blatche has been terrible, shooting poorly, playing terrible defense and not rebounding as he should. Blatche doesn’t even look as if he cares at times and it must be a real punch in the gut to GM Ernie Grunfeld and Eddie Jordan to learn that Blatche has, apparently, not grown up or matured one bit.
Which is why McGee is so important. McGee’s 19.1 PER is second on the team to only Nick Young, amazing when you consider that when drafted, McGee wasn’t supposed to see more than garbage time, if that, this season. Instead, McGee is averaging 8.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg in only 19.2 minutes per game. He’s outperforming Blatche in every way, right down to shooting — McGee is hitting 51% of his shots, while Blatche is hitting only 35% of his shots. After his 12 point and 10 rebound performance against the Knicks last week, one sports blogger called McGee the steal of the draft. Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon has pleaded for more playing time for McGee:

JaVale McGee, the 7-foot first-round draft pick, has the early makings of a being a beast. He’s the most athletic man of that size the franchise has had in a great many years. He’s got passion, energy, and is completely fearless. Ideally, you don’t want to throw this kid in now to sink or swim. But McGee is so much more advanced than (sorry to do this) Kwame Brown. Players on two teams have already said to me they’re stunned at how imposing McGee is. Chris Paul said McGee is athletic the way Dwight Howard is, which puts him on a real short list. The kid’s got a jump shot–who knew?–from 15 feet and in. He can jump over the moon. …

So put him on the floor. Let him learn now, on the job. What’s the downside? That he’ll crumble like (sorry again) Kwame? Seriously doubtful. McGee’s got the attitude of a kid who knows that at least physically he cannot be overmatched. Anyway, what’s the alternative? Haywood is out. McGee already is twice as productive as Etan Thomas.

Put him out there. Start him. If you’re playing to get to the point when Arenas comes back, then give him a big man worth throwing the ball to when he is healthy enough to play. McGee and scorer Nick Young are two big-time talents who bear watching now that there’s plenty of playing time for them.

It’s hard to disagree with that. Last night against the Jazz McGee scored 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 3 shots in 27 minutes. Etan Thomas is still getting the start, but he played less than 13 minutes against Utah and did almost nothing in that time. It doesn’t matter much who starts the game if McGee is getting the most minutes at center, which is the way things seem to be going. Eddie Jordan may also hesitate to bench Etan for a rookie, something that might humiliate the sensitive Thomas. Whatever the case, Jordan should continue to increase McGee’s role as long as the kid can take it. So far, so good.