TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010


KLMNO PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL Grown up, Blatche faces mentors


After roster overhaul, Wizards forward steps into prominent role


BYMICHAEL LEE Andray Blatche often greeted it


with rolling eyes or sulking. He never understood why Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler were so hard on him, so unfair with a young guy who entered the NBA out of high school and was still trying to find his way. It wasn’t until after those play-


ersweregonethat itsunkin.They weren’t being overly criticalwhen they told Blatche he was squan- dering talents and ability at his size that most people would envy. They weren’t picking on him


when they told him the impor- tance of being in good physical condition in order to handle an 82-game regular season, and pos- sibly the playoffs. Sometimes blunt, sometimes harsh, they rarely let up on Blatche. But as Blatche shifted from


being an occasional tease to a reliable go-to guy in the final 32 games last season, the words those veterans shared with him repeated over and over again in his mind. “Came to me like clockwork,”


Blatche said. “Once I got on the court, I knew what to do. It clickedintome,itwasautomatic.” Blatche willhave a reunion this


week with the former teammates he now refers to as mentors. The Wizards open the preseason Tuesday in Dallas — where they will face Haywood, Butler and DeShawn Stevenson for the first time since a trade deadline deal that yielded Josh Howard and salary cap space. The Wizards get Jamison and the LeBron James- less Cleveland Cavaliers two days later.


Although he has respect for


those players, Blatche said he wouldn’t lose his focus when he steps on the floor and they are wearing different jerseys. “It’s going to be kind of awk-


ward at first, but it’s part of basketball. If I dunk on Brendan, I’mgoing to slap him on the [rear and say] ‘Good try,’ ” Blatche said with a laugh. “But I’mgoing to go out there and compete and give it my all. I’m going to go in there and do what I got to do.” Blatche, Gilbert Arenas, Nick


Young and JaVale McGee are the only four players remaining from the team that entered last season with a core that included Jami- son, Butler,Haywood and Steven- son. Arenas will enter a season


without being on the same team as Haywood for the first time in seven seasons; without Jamison for the first time in six; without Butler for the first time in five; and without Stevenson as his back-court mate for the first time in four. McGee is the only mem- ber of the quartet of holdovers who didn’t have at least one play-


off run with the Wizards’ old nucleus. “It’s going to be fun to go out


thereandsee their faces; seewhat they are going to try to do,” said Young, who joined the team in time for its first-round playoff ouster in 2008. “They were great teammates. Justhowthey carried themselves off the court, how hard DeShawnandHaywood and Caronworkedout there, it carried over. But this year, they’re on a different team and everybody is going out there with a mind-set of winning.” The Wizards are rebuilding


around No. 1 overall pick John Wall, but much has changed for Blatche as well. He turned his breakout performance after the trade deadline — when he aver- aged 22.1 points and 8.3 rebounds — into a three-year, $28 million extension that will keep him in a Wizards uniform through 2014-15 and give him a salary increase of nearly $3 million this season. No longer a young guy who


needs to finally step up, Blatche is also one of just five players on the 18-man trainingcamproster with more than four years of NBA experience.He is working hisway back after breaking his foot in June and is also attempting to assume a greater leadership role. “I came here when I was 18. They showed me the ropes, what to look out for and basically made me smarter on the court,” the 24-year-old Blatche said. “I’ve grown a lot definitely as a player, on the court and off the court. I


was taught well. “Even at the time they was


being hard on me, but they was actually was helping me,” he said. “I took it in and now I’m just trying to remember all the things ’Tawn and Brendan showed me. I’m going to try to do the same thing for John and [Trevor] Book- er and [Kevin] Seraphin and all the young guys. Basketball is like a circle; what you get, you’ve got to give back out.” Notes: On the eve of Wall’s preseason debut, Blatche inad- vertently helped the rookie pre- pare for what he has in store in the NBA when he popped him in the eye with an elbow while chas- ing down a loose ball. Wall got a cut on his eyelid but didn’t need stitches, as Coach Flip Saunders said the team trainers just “glued it up.” “We had to rough him up,”


Blatche said, jokingly. “Welcome to the NBA. Let him know what he’s going to get a taste for.Hope- fully, he’ll wipe it off and do the job he does.” . . . Arenas practicedMonday after


missing the past two days with a sprained right ankle. Saunders said he was still unsure if Arenas would start in Dallas. “Don’t know. Don’t really know. He’s been off a couple of days. We’ll have to wait and see how he feels tomorrow,” Saunders said about Arenas. Kirk Hinrich (bruised right shoulder) also practicedand will be available against theMav- ericks.


leem@washpost.com Journeyman charts a new path Nearly 10 years and eight teams after hewas traded fromWizards,Howard hopes for first titlewithMiami BY AMY SHIPLEY


hurlburt field, fla.—Miami Heat President Pat Riley said he would not speak to reporters dur- ing the team’s opening week of training camp. Yet as soon as the name Juwan Howard was dan- gled, Riley broke his own gag order. Seconds after declining to comment, Riley commented, and enthusiastically at that.He seem- ingly could not keep quiet about the former Washington Wizard and17-year-veteranwhoaccepted an NBA veteran’s minimum deal to try to win his first champion- ship with theHeat. “He’s a revelation,” Riley said.


“He looks like he’s 22 years old again.” Then the Hall of Fame coach


who led Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing and other NBA greats dur- ing his coaching career, volun- teered that Howard, 37, should have a place among the game’s legends: “He might be one of the best professionals in the history of the game of basketball,” Riley said. In Miami’s eyes, Howard’s hy- per-professionalism,


solidly


maintained skills, veteran smarts and impeccable reputation add significant value to a lineup fig- ured to stumble only if egos col- lide or dissension infects the court. Shortly afterMiami landed megastars LeBron James, Dwya- ne Wade and Chris Bosh in free agency this summer,Howard was summoned to be both a role mod- el and a role player — playing behind Bosh and hometownHeat veteran Udonis Haslem at power forward. “I feel great aboutmy decision,”


Howard said. “It was a no-brain- er, going toMiami.” As the Heat wrapped up a


training session lastweekataU.S. Air Force base near Fort Walton Beach, Howard finished among the team leaders in full-court sprints, beating many younger players to theendline. During the team’s conditioning test days be- fore camp opened, he stood out similarly, trouncing several young teammates,Haslem said. “I work onmy game just like a


new rookie coming into the league,”Howard said. Howard’s eyes widened when


told of the high praise from Riley, and, seemingly embarrassed, he stumbled over an appropriate re-


WILFREDO LEE/ASSOCIATED PRESS


“He’s a revelation,”Heat President Pat Riley said of JuwanHoward, right with LeBron James. “He looks like he’s 22 years old again.”


sponse. Yet he grew comfortable fast when asked why he turned down offers from his hometown Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers to start anew inMiami. As soon asWade, Bosh and James signed with the Heat, Howard told his agent Da- vid Falk he wanted to be there, too. “I have never won [a title]


before, and that’s always beenmy ultimate goal,” Howard said. “This time I have a chance to get closer to one. Hopefully, my goal will come true.” Howard’s arrival comes 14


years after theHeat nearly landed himas a burgeoning star entering the prime of his career, only to have his contract disallowed by the league. Back then, Riley hoped to pair Howard, whom Washington drafted in the first round of the 1994 draft, with former Georgetown center Alon- zoMourning. Instead, Howard landed back


in the District, where during sev- en seasons he made just one playoff appearance before being dealt to Dallas in an eight-player trade in 2001. Twoone-timeHoward contem-


poraries — Mourning and How- ard’s formerMichigan “Fab Five” teammate Jalen Rose — roamed the Heat’s practice courts last week, only in dress shirts and pants rather than practice attire. Mourning, now a team executive, and Rose, anESPNcommentator, retired several years ago. Howard said he hasn’t even contemplated leaving the game. “Juwan has been around forev-


er,” said Bosh, 26. “I remember watching him when I was little, not to make him feel old. . . . He can take a lot of guys under this wing and pass down some of the wisdom he’s had in 17 years in the NBA.” Howard sat with ice packs on


both knees and his feet in a bucket of ice after a workout last


week, yet he claimed he felt as strong and fresh as a decade ago. A training regimen that includes Bikram yoga classes, a strict diet and work with a personal trainer, he said, has kept his body from breaking down. Brought into Portland last year


to provide veteran leadership more than minutes,Howard end- ed up starting 27 games when a spate of injuries hit. He averaged six points and shot 50.9 percent from the floor. “My role increased, and I wel-


comed the challenge,” Howard said. “I proved to a lot of people I can still play the game at a high level.” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra—a low-rung video coordinator for the Heat when Howard almost was signed the first time — de- scribedHoward’s season last year as a personal “renaissance.” He had appeared in only 92 games over the previous two seasons with Dallas, Denver and Char- lotte,andaveragedjust 2.5 points. Since his departure from Wash- ington nine years ago, Howard has changed teams eight times. He hasn’t posted a scoring aver- age in double figures since he was withHouston in 2005-06. TheHeat hopes the experience


Howard has gained from his roll- er-coaster ride through the league will provide a useful teach- ing tool as Miami hits inevitable bumps. “This team is going to face probably as much adversity as a team can face,”Haslem said.“He’s going to be a strong voice in the locker room when times get rough.” Difficult days dominatedHow-


ard’s final years inWashington as fans let him know they felt he hadn’t lived up to the seven-year, $105 million deal he had signed. “I was disappointed because


we underachieved,”Howard said. “More importantly, I was disap- pointed in myself. I don’t think I welcomed that leadership role like I should have. . . . I learned from it.” Howard won’t make that mis-


take again. He intends to see this mission through to an NBA title — or two. He has envisioned holding the league’s champion- ship trophy, but has yet to plot his ride into the sunset. “I’m not stopping,” Howard


said. “You’re going to have to rip this jersey off of me.” shipleya@washpost.com


Mystics’ Johnson says there’s no timeline to fill GM position “As of now we don’t have a BY KATHY ORTON Angela Taylor’s unexpected de-


parture from the Washington Mystics leaves the team once again searching to fill a void in its front office. Sheila Johnson, presi- dent andmanaging partner of the Mystics, said in an e-mailMonday that she, majority owner Ted Le- onsis and chief operating officer Greg Bibbwill head the search for anewgeneralmanager.


timeline and we are exploring all of our options,” Johnsonwrote. No further detailswere provid-


ed on why Taylor’s contract was not renewed after her two-year deal expired. “In terms of negotiations, per


company policy, we don’t discuss personnel related matters,” John- sonwrote. Taylor had not been a general


manager nor had she assembled a team before coming to Washing-


ton inOctober 2008. She did have a strong background as a talent evaluator having worked in the WNBAleague offices. During Taylor’s tenure, the


Mystics enjoyed one of theirmost successful seasons in franchise history. Taylor hired Coach Julie Plank, who led Washington to back-to-backplayoff appearances. Last season, despite losing all-star guardAlana Beard before the sea- son, the Mystics won a team-re- cord 22 games, cracking the 20-


win mark for the first time in franchise history. They also earned the top seed in theEastern Conference but were swept out of theplayoffs by theAtlantaDream, losing their eighth consecutive postseasongame. Taylor told Mel Greenberg of


the Womhoops Guru blog that “Right nowI really have no plans” when asked if she would pursue WNBA general manager vacan- cies inChicago andNewYork. ortonk@washpost.com


EZ SU GOLF


D3


KIERAN DOHERTY/REUTERS GraemeMcDowell celebrates the Cup returning to Europe.


Ryder Cup down towire, and to Europe


U.S. rallies in singles matches, falls short by a single point


BY DOUG FERGUSON


newport, wales — The pres- sure was more than Graeme McDowell wanted. The heartbreak was more


than HunterMahan could han- dle. The longest Ryder Cup in


history came down to the very last match Monday at Celtic Manor, exposing the rawest emotions found in golf and de- livering a moment that defines a career—even for a U.S. Open champion. Clinging to a 1-up lead with


three holes to play, with Europe needing his match to reclaim the precious gold trophy, Mc- Dowell gently sent his 15-foot putt toward the cupandset off a ground-shaking roar when it dropped for birdie. “The best putt I’ve hit in my


life,”McDowell said. One hole later, Mahan was


well short on the par-3 17th, flubbed a chip and conceded a par to McDowell that gave Eu- rope the 14½points it needed to take back the cup. It was the first time since


1991 that the Ryder Cup was decided by the final singles match, a thriller made possible by the Americans getting big wins from their best players, and a stunning comeback by 21-year-old rookie Rickie Fowl- er.


Leave it to McDowell to cap


off a great year—for himself in the U.S. Open, for all of Europe in the Ryder Cup. Under far greater pressure


than he felt at Pebble Beach, McDowell could barely keep his hands steady on his 6-iron from 181 yards to hit the shot in the 16th hole. And he couldn’t hold back his emotions on the 17th, when the match ended with his 3-and-1 victory. Neither couldMahan. “That birdie on 16 was huge,”


Mahan said, fighting back tears. “He beat me.” That was all he could say


before bowing his head. This, from the player who delivered the most crucial putt two years ago at Valhalla in aU.S. victory. Such a heart-stopping finish


salvaged what had been a drab week, with two big rain delays that forced a revamped sched- ule and led to the first Monday finish in Ryder Cup history. Under a beautiful blue sky in


Wales, all was forgotten. Memories of mud and um-


brellas were replaced by Fowler winning the last three holes with birdies to escape with a half-point, Tiger Woods holing out from the fairway for eagle andnot evenknowingit,Miguel Angel Jimenez finally playing a Ryder Cup in Europe and win- ning a singlesmatch for the first time.


Ultimately, this was about


team — and Europe was the best again. “We’ve won nine of the last


13,” Luke Donald said. “We’re starting to get down to that word ‘dominance.’ ” The Americans have not won


the Ryder Cup away from home since 1993, although this was their best effort since then. For the longest time, it didn’t look as though it would come down to McDowell and Mahan, the anchors of this singles session. “Graeme McDowell was put


there for a good reason — he’s full of confidence and that showed,” European captain Co- lin Montgomerie said. “That birdie on 16 was just quite unbelievable. Quite unbeliev- able.” McDowell saw mostly Euro-


pean blue on the boards and figured his match wouldn’t matter. Then came a swift switch to red, and as he glanced at a leader board off the 10th green, he had a sick feeling. “I hoped that I wasn’t going


to be needed,” McDowell said. “At that point, I got extremely nervous, and coming down the stretch there, I’ve never felt nerves like it inmy life.” That was due to a resurgence


by the Americans.Woods holed out for eagle during a seven- hole stretch that he played in 7 under par. Steve Stricker won the opening match and Phil Mickelson built a big lead to win late. Jeff Overton, the first American to make the Ryder Cup team without a tour victo- ry, won three straight holes to beat Ross Fisher. Then came Fowler, the first


PGA Tour rookie to play in the Ryder Cup,making15-foot bird- ie putts on the 17th and 18th holes to scratch out a half-point against Edoardo Molinari and making the Americans believe for the first time all day they could win. That gave them 13½ points,


and they only needed a halve in the lastmatch to retain the cup. Just as Fowler was being mobbed by his teammates,Ma- hanmadea nervy birdie putt on the 15th to cutMcDowell’s lead to 1 up. That’s whenMcDowell chan-


neled his nerves into a putt he won’t forget.


—Associated Press


A wild finish The longest Ryder Cup in history came down to the very last match, which American Hunter Mahan had asked to be in. A key figure in the U.S. triumph in 2008 at Valhalla, Mahan tasted the bitterest of defeats at Celtic Manor. His last hurrah ended at No. 17 with a short tee shot, a flubbed chip and a putt from off the green that wasn’t even close. Mahan did not make Graeme McDowell putt out, allowing the Europeans to begin celebrating their 141/2


-131/2 win. Monday’s results


Singles play: Steve Stricker (U.S.) def. LeeWestwood (Europe), 2 and 1; Stewart Cink (U.S.) halved with Rory McIlroy (Europe); Luke Donald (Europe) def. Jim Furyk (U.S.), 1 up; Dustin Johnson (U.S.) def. Martin Kaymer (Europe), 6 and 4; Ian Poulter (Europe) def. Matt Kuchar (U.S.), 5 and 4; Jeff Overton (U.S.) def. Ross Fisher (Europe), 3 and 2; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Europe) def. BubbaWatson (U.S.), 4 and 3; TigerWoods (U.S.) def. Francesco Molinari (Europe), 4 and 3; Rickie Fowler (U.S.) halved with Edoardo Molinari (Europe); Phil Mickelson (U.S.) def. Peter Hanson (Europe), 4 and 2; Zach Johnson (U.S.) def. Padraig Harrington (Europe), 3 and 2; Graeme McDowell (Europe) def. Hunter Mahan (U.S.), 3 and 1. —Associated Press


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