FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
KLMNO PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL Redskins wrap up another session of extensive preparations
Players, coaches look ahead to start of training camp
by Rick Maese Redskins quarterback Dono-
van McNabb, who is starting his 12th season as a professional, has never participated in so many off- season workouts, organized team activities and minicamp prac- tices. Needless to say, he’s looking forward to the break. “Absolutely,” McNabb said
Thursday with a laugh. “Abso- lutely. In so many ways.” Citing the effort and commit- ment of his players, Redskins
Coach Mike Shanahan cut short the team’s final minicamp, giving players Friday
off. With the
team’s intensive offseason pro- gram officially finished and train- ing camp six weeks away, Red- skins coaches say they’re com- fortable with the progress players have made in learning new sys- tems and new responsibilities. “I think we got a lot done,” Shanahan said Thursday. “ . . . We’ve worked pretty extensively over the last five weeks — three practices a [week]. I think we made some strides.” While all teams rely heavily on their offseason programs, the past 13 weeks have been espe- cially important in Washington, where coaches have overhauled the offensive and defensive phi-
losophies and tried to break in new players, including McNabb and rookie left tackle Trent Wil- liams. The Redskins had eight mini- camp practices, 13 OTAs and 28 weightlifting days over the course of 49 days. “The whole thing about it is,” McNabb said, “these guys are working and they push each other.” Offensively, the team now stresses a detail-oriented block- ing technique, a new run game and a complex system of routes for receivers and tight ends. Ev- erything the team plans to do of- fensively during training camp was installed during the three minicamps and 13 OTA sessions. “When you put in a new of- fense, it’s up and down,” said of-
fensive coordinator Kyle Shana- han. “You’re going to get a lot worse before you get better . . . Once they can get it a little, then it’s learning what we want on the technique. If you don’t go through all this now, then you have to go through it at training camp and it’s tough to be ready Week 1.” Defensively, the changes have been just as dramatic and the progress just as noticeable, said defensive coordinator Jim Has- lett, who is in charge of installing a 3-4 defense. “It’s much further ahead than I would ever guess,” Haslett said. Veteran coaches know not to read too much into offseason workouts. They were mostly look- ing for commitment and effort
PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A last look at a possible first pick
Wall dunks, dazzles in his workout with the Wizards
by Gene Wang
John Wall unofficially launched a new era for the Washington Wizards on Thurs- day morning when he partici- pated in a pre-draft workout at Verizon Center before a crowd that included new majority owner Ted Leonsis, several oth- er front-office executives and dozens of media representa- tives. Team President Ernie Grun- feld also was among those pay- ing close attention during the approximately hour-long ses- sion that concluded with sever- al drills, including a series of jump shots from either end of the foul line and a dunking ex- hibition. Wall did not disap- point during that phase of the audition, rising well above the rim to dunk one-handed from the left and right sides and fin- ishing with a two-handed gem. “It was a great experience to come in and meet the coaching staff and other guys I hadn’t met with and just come out here and work out, try to show them especially how much I can do,” said Wall, who ended the workout early to rest his back. “Now they know I can do a little bit, but to show them I can work hard and get better, hope- fully they’ll pick me.” All indications are Wall won’t
have to do much hoping, with the Wizards virtually certain to choose him on Thursday with the top overall selection in the NBA draft. Leonsis confirmed as much, albeit unintentionally, on Monday night during an event for former season ticket holders when he said he thought Wall would make sig- nificant contributions immedi- ately.
Add to that the fact Evan Tur-
ner, considered the second-best prospect in the draft, has no plans to work out for the Wiz- ards, and it’s no secret Wall is foremost in their plans to resur- rect an organization that en- dured a regular season that in- cluded, among other maladies, the suspension of star guard Gilbert Arenas, friction be- tween Coach Flip Saunders and promising forward Andray Blatche and a season-ending in- jury to swingman Josh Howard four games after he arrived in Washington via a trade. In Wall, the Wizards would be adding perhaps the most dy- namic player currently not in the NBA and an on-court leader they desperately need and cov- et. During his only season at
Kentucky, the consensus all- American averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game as he marshaled one of the most effi- cient offenses in the country. “He’s one of the few point guards that has come out of col- lege that is [an actual] point guard,” Saunders said of Wall the day after the Wizards won the draft lottery. “A lot of times when players come out of col- lege, they’re in a motion-type offense, and they just get rid of the ball, just kind of playing. They don’t run a lot of pick- and-rolls, don’t make a lot of decisions, where he’s been a guy who’s had as much enjoyment as far as giving assists to his teammates as he has scoring. He’s almost a pass-first type of point guard that will make oth- er people better.”
Saunders long has spoken about his affinity for point guards, saying they aren’t as much taught as “sent from heaven.” During Thursday’s workout, Saunders kept a close eye on his likely future pupil and spoke with Wall at some length when the proceedings ended. Then Saunders asked Grunfeld, who had been watch- ing with the media throng along the railing above the aux- iliary court, to join the con- versation. Even though he did not say so, it was clear Saunders left the workout impressed with Wall, who figures to start right away. That’s a refreshing prospect for a team that went through a revolving door at point guard last season. First they used Are- nas at the start of the season, then turned to Randy Foye when Arenas was suspended. In the latter stages of the season, Shaun Livingston, attempting to revive his career after a grue- some left knee injury three years ago, got chances in the starting lineup. After the dialogue with Saun- ders and Grunfeld, Wall left with Grunfeld for a private meeting before addressing members of the media. Wall did not reveal the full extent of that discussion, but he did disclose the Wizards have not made any assurances he would be the top pick. Thus Wall is taking a measured approach during this vetting process until the Wiz- ards in all probability make things official next week. “It hasn’t sunk in I’ll be the number one pick,” Wall said. “I said that’s my dream come true growing up, to be the number one pick, but they haven’t told me I was going to be the guy, and I don’t know if I’m going to be the guy. I just come out here to work out and try to impress them, and hopefully on draft night they’ll pick me.”
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these past several weeks. Come training camp, though, they’ll be looking for more. “We got to see who will hit,” said Danny Smith, special teams coordinator. “Special teams is no different than offense and de- fense. We got a lot of guys who did a lot of great drill work; now we need to see them hit with the pads on.” The Redskins will report for
training camp July 29 and are scheduled to have their first prac- tice that afternoon. That’s when coaches will start drawing up depth charts and analyzing posi- tion battles. “Until you put pads on, you’re guessing at a lot of different posi- tions,” Mike Shanahan said. “But what you try to do is learn the sys-
tem, learn what we’re doing of- fensively, learn the terminology, so once you put the pads on, you can react, you don’t have to think. Same thing defensively.” One of the bright spots of
Thursday’s practice was wide re- ceiver Santana Moss, who is re- covering from arthroscopic sur- gery on his left knee. He prac- ticed this week with no visible signs of pain. “You saw what he did today. He had a good practice today,” said Mike Shanahan, who added that he has not been contacted by the league to discuss the HGH in- vestigation in which Moss’s name has surfaced. “You just got to keep on running, get in football shape. I like where he’s at.”
maeser@washpost.com
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RONALD MARTINEZ / GETTY IMAGES
Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson is making his 12th NBA Finals appearance, and this one against the Celtics may be his last. NOTEBOOK
Lakers’ Jackson may be coaching his final game
Coach not certain if he will return after Game 7 against Boston
by Michael Lee
los angeles — For the first time in 19 seasons, Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson sat on the bench for a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The first could also be the last. Jackson, 64, has inti- mated that this could be his final season with the Lakers. “You know, I still get up and say
‘This is probably the last time I’ve ever going to do this. I can’t imag- ine myself going through this again,’ ” said Jackson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. “It’s not only a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of stress and pain, et cetera. But it’s something you get acclimated to. I think we have built-in memory system in our bodies to forget — it’s like moth- ers giving birth. Somehow, they do it again and again, even though it’s one of the most diffi- cult things to ever do.” With Tuesday’s win in Game 6,
JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Wizards Coach Flip Saunders, left, talked at length with prospect John Wall after Thursday’s pre-draft workout at Verizon Center.
Jackson broke former NHL coach Scotty Bowman’s record for ca- reer playoff coaching wins with 224. This on top of receiving a gold cap with the Roman numer- al ‘X’ in purple writing after de- feating Orlando last season to win his 10th NBA championship for breaking his tie with Red Au- erbach for coaching titles. Jack- son has been fortunate to have the league’s best player on his side through each of his 12 NBA Finals appearances — from Mi- chael Jordan to Shaquille O’Neal to Kobe Bryant — but he does not take for granted the good fortune
that has contributed to his suc- cess.
“I understand it,” Jackson said.
“There were two championships that were missed or must have had, whichever way you want to look at it, against Detroit in ’04 and Boston in ’08. It was a push to get to this. But when my kids brought out that hat they put on my head after the game against Orlando, it kind of sunk in, the re- markable ability to have had this amount of opportunities, which I’m grateful for. “But saying all that, it just seems natural,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have very talented players and talented teams. Along with that is a lot of respon- sibility that’s had to be met, and I’m grateful I’ve been able to do that with the support of a great staff and the staffs I’ve had.”
Celtics face questions
With rumors swirling that Bos- ton Celtics Coach Doc Rivers could leave the team after this season with one year left on his contract, with Ray Allen and pos-
sibly Paul Pierce approaching free agency and with Kevin Gar- nett turning 34 this summer, Riv- ers was asked if this was the final run for this team. “Well, I hope not,” Rivers said. “Obviously, I’m not sure. I do think we’re going to be better in some ways next year because Kevin will be healthier. It’s always a year removed from surgery that you have your best year. Obviously we have to sign Ray, Rasheed [Wallace] has to
come back and all that stuff. So there’s a lot of variables. “But I think we should always
view it that way, I’ll put it that way. You can never take for grant- ed a season, a game, and espe- cially Game 7 of the NBA Finals. You never know if and when you’re going to be back in that po- sition. And so when you get in that position, you want to take advantage of it.”
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