After Surgery, Stevenson Is Ready to Bounce Back

[The Goods]

DeShawn Stevenson could not have imagined that the sharp back pain he felt while stretching last October would cause him to slide out of the Washington Wizards' starting lineup, endure his worst season in six years and require season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk.

 

But questions about his return next season have been compounded by uncertainty about his role with the team after Ernie Grunfeld, the team's president of basketball operations, made a pre-draft trade to bolster the back court with the additions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Stevenson said he wasn't upset or insulted by the move, even when he heard that the Wizards tried to include him in the trade with Minnesota before the Timberwolves balked and asked for Darius Songaila instead.

 

"My reaction was, 'Step your game up,' " Stevenson said in a recent telephone interview. "You can't get mad. It's a business. We had the same team for three years and didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. They had to make a move.

 

"I feel that they felt that they wasn't strong at the 2-guard spot. I've been in the league for 10 years. When people make moves like that, I understand what you got to do. I don't take it as disrespect."

 

Full Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/01/AR2009080101571.html

[billt chamberlain]

i was expecting stevenson to be moved after we made that trade. if he is still around for the season, i hope he can get back to form in which he hits open shots, and plays above average defense. people may not like him or his attitude, but he brought some attention to the wiz that we lacked for a long time. i hope you recover fully Dsteezy.

[JWaLL]

I hope we trade his cocky [expletive]. I'm tired of his attitude and hie's doing more damage than good on our team. We have a crowded backcourt as it is, so if we're going to trade anyone, it should be him.

 

Not allowed to avoid the filter. -Andre

[Cleveland's Finest]

I'd want him gone if I was a Wiz fan. He only brings controversy and it's inevitable. He's good, but is it worth blowing what could be a year where the Wiz can really contend? Miller replaces him anyways.

 

Trade DeShawn for a backup C.

[AboveLegit]

I hope we trade his cocky [expletive]. I'm tired of his attitude and hie's doing more damage than good on our team. We have a crowded backcourt as it is, so if we're going to trade anyone, it should be him.

He's not going to play big minutes at the shooting Guard spot anyways. He won't be starting like he was projected to before the Minnesota-Washington trade. He won't even be our back up 2 guard. He will come into games for defensive purposes. I don't understand your hatred for him, he made one stupid mistake that we all know of, other than that, I don't mind him. He's coming into this season matured, and with a chip on his shoulder. I like it. Stop comparing the old Deshawn from a year/two years ago, because that's history. Same goes for Andray Blatche.

 

I'd want him gone if I was a Wiz fan. He only brings controversy and it's inevitable. He's good, but is it worth blowing what could be a year where the Wiz can really contend? Miller replaces him anyways.

 

Trade DeShawn for a backup C.

We already have 3 Centers, Oberto, McGee, and Haywood.

[Warren2ThaG]

Sasha for Stevenson baby

[JWaLL]

He's not going to play big minutes at the shooting Guard spot anyways. He won't be starting like he was projected to before the Minnesota-Washington trade. He won't even be our back up 2 guard. He will come into games for defensive purposes. I don't understand your hatred for him, he made one stupid mistake that we all know of, other than that, I don't mind him. He's coming into this season matured, and with a chip on his shoulder. I like it. Stop comparing the old Deshawn from a year/two years ago, because that's history. Same goes for Andray Blatche.

 

 

We already have 3 Centers, Oberto, McGee, and Haywood.

 

It's been rumored that they might end up starting Deshawn just because he is a veteran and our best defensive guard. He'll throw fit if he's getting very low minutes per game. He barely doesn't mind coming off the bench, let alone becoming almost a bench warmer. He's definitely tradable.

 

I would definitely trade Deshawn for Vujacic. if you watch, Vujacic plays amazing on-ball defense. He's extremely pesky and makes ball handlers frustrated. Plus he can shoot just as well, if not better than Deshawn.

[billt chamberlain]

I'd want him gone if I was a Wiz fan. He only brings controversy and it's inevitable. He's good, but is it worth blowing what could be a year where the Wiz can really contend? Miller replaces him anyways.

 

Trade DeShawn for a backup C.

 

 

your a cavs fan, of course you would want him gone. he was the first to publicly call out lebron for what he is, and now the whole league see's lebron for what he is. people keep saying it was a mistake and idiot move for him to call out lebron because he's not as good as him, and that would make him mad, and those people are pussies. what kind of person wants to see one sports player back down and keep his mouth shut against another one just so he doesn't make him mad and awake some beast. anyways its not like lebron was going to take it easy on us if deshawn didn't say anything to him, he already proved that when him and gil were supposedly best buds and he pulled that stunt at the freethrow line.

 

 

stevenson put up 11ppg when healthy, and i wouldn't mind that production again from him this season. im not against trading him though. if we could get korver, kapono, brewer, or willie green for him i'd be happy.

Edited August 4, 2009 by billt chamberlain

[AboveLegit]

It's been rumored that they might end up starting Deshawn just because he is a veteran and our best defensive guard. He'll throw fit if he's getting very low minutes per game. He barely doesn't mind coming off the bench, let alone becoming almost a bench warmer. He's definitely tradable.

 

I would definitely trade Deshawn for Vujacic. if you watch, Vujacic plays amazing on-ball defense. He's extremely pesky and makes ball handlers frustrated. Plus he can shoot just as well, if not better than Deshawn.

He definitely won't start, I don't believe "rumors".

 

The starting job is going to Mike Miller in most cases. Stevenson has proven enough to our coaching staff and front office.

 

He won't be a bench warmer. Depending on what Foye becomes in Washington (either a PG or a SG), Deshawn could be looking at 10-15 minutes a game, which is good considering his very limited skill set on offense. He did solid under Coach Jordan, but under Flip's system, I don't think he would be as great. He came off a lot of screens that gave him some spot up three's in Washington, which is why he became known as a three point shooter.

[JWaLL]

It's just going to be really tough to divide the minutes up without upsetting any of the guards.

 

PG: Gil/Foye/Crittenton/James

SG: Miller/Young/Stevenson

 

Foye will be rotating in at the 2 guard a lot as well, which takes a lot of minutes away from Young and Stevenson. I just don't see how the minutes are going to be divided up between the guards.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Gil-Zero

[billt chamberlain]

thats what kills me the most about our team. i've been waiting for the longest time to see how nick young, crittenton, and stevenson would perform paired up with gil, but now we have a logjam with miller and foye. i guess its a good problem to have more than enough, but still...

 

 

flip keeps a small rotation too. im guessing its something like gil,butler,jamison, haywood, miller,foye,blatche,mcgee,oberto,mcguire.

[JWaLL]

thats what kills me the most about our team. i've been waiting for the longest time to see how nick young, crittenton, and stevenson would perform paired up with gil, but now we have a logjam with miller and foye. i guess its a good problem to have more than enough, but still...

 

 

flip keeps a small rotation too. im guessing its something like gil,butler,jamison, haywood, miller,foye,blatche,mcgee,oberto,mcguire.

Sorry, didn't quite understand what you meant there haha.

[billt chamberlain]

^^^^^i'm saying that we have like 14 players on our squad, and maybe only 8-10 of them will be in constant rotation under flip, so players like crittenton, james, young, etc. might not get that much playing time next season.

[AboveLegit]

Well it does help having Flip as our head coach..

 

 

PG: Gil/Foye/Crittenton

SG: Miller/Young/Stevenson

 

Mike James won't be seeing anytime unless there is an injury (God Forbid).

 

Critt won't be receiving a ton of time, but that's understandable, and I think he understands that.

[billt chamberlain]

i know pech was never really anything special, but do you think under flip he could have become a good system player for the wizards? i never really thought to highly of tapscotts or jordans iq, so maybe some decent coaching could have helped peaches if he was still a wiz.

 

my fault for the offtopic.

 

 

i think miller will get the most time at sg next season.

Edited August 4, 2009 by billt chamberlain

[JWaLL]

As long as Foye and Miller get a lot of playing time, I'll be satisfied. Foye has proven to already be a productive combo guard, and Miller is a very versatile player who can play anything from the point to the small forward. I think Young proved in the summer league that he's worthy of more minutes than he received last season. He's a great energy player to have coming off the bench for us. We'll just see what Flip tries out in the preseason. He'll be experimenting with the guard rotation like crazy during those games.

[AboveLegit]

Oh yeah I agree with you 100%. Flip has his work cut out for him this off season, I would like to see us trade one of our guards for a Power Forward (just in case Blatche doesn't perform well), but I think it's safe to say gil won't have to shoot 20 times a game.

[billt chamberlain]

im also concerned about our pf spots. jamison is a soldier, but if he goes down and we have blatche as the main option that doesn't sit easy in my mind just yet. i wish the wiz would have picked up wilcox or mcdyess.

[Built Ford Tough]

It's just going to be really tough to divide the minutes up without upsetting any of the guards.

 

PG: Gil/Foye/Crittenton/James

SG: Miller/Young/Stevenson

 

Foye will be rotating in at the 2 guard a lot as well, which takes a lot of minutes away from Young and Stevenson. I just don't see how the minutes are going to be divided up between the guards.

 

It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Miller get some minutes at the small forward spot if Young or Stevenson earn some extra minutes during practices and/or games. Correct me if I am wrong, but Dominic McGuire is the backup small forward right? If that is the case and Flip wants to get somebody like Nick Young or Deshawn Stevenson some more minutes, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him slide Miller to the three when Butler is taking a breather and have either Young or Stevenson at the 2 during stretches of games. This is assuming that Flip would want to get Young or Stevenson some extra minutes at the expense of McGuire though.

 

To be honest though, the only players that the Wizards have that have proven worthy of having minutes handed to them are Arenas, Miller and Foye. Young and Crit are very solid prospects, but at this point in their careers, I don't think that they should be heading into a season expecting to have minutes handed to them and they should expect that they are going to have to earn any minutes that they get. The same thing can be said for a player like Deshawn Stevenson who is coming off of an abysmal season last year.

 

Internal compeition is a good thing though if you ask me. The competition for minutes at the 2/3 positions is just going to bring out the best of everybody involved because they know that if they want to continue to get minutes, they are going to have to earn them. The Wizards have a logjam at the wing positions, that is for sure, but sometimes having a logjam proves to be a good thing because it will either bring out the best in somebody or bring out the worst as they compete for minutes.

[billt chamberlain]

@bft^^^yeah, since weare weak at the sf spot, miller could slide there and provide relief to butler and that would create room for another sg to get minutes. iq wise nick isn't dumb as a brick, but he isn't too far off from gerald green, so he has to put it together soon if he wants to make it in this league. stevenson started all 82 games for three straight seasons and if he feels he is back in business, i think he would put up a fuss for his starting spot back, thus leaving foye and young to battle for minutes, which like you said isn't a bad thing.

[JWaLL]

Oh of course there is no doubt that Miller will be playing the 3. His position is guard/forward. He'll be rotating between the 2 of them quite frequently, which, I guess provides a few extra minutes for Deshawn and Nick at the 2. But don't count on Young getting 20+ minutes per game and earning the sixth man of the year award that he wants so badly.