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Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed forward Andray Blatche.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Wizards Re-Sign Forward Andray Blatche

Several Wizards players will be holding individual summer camps in cities across the country.  The Washington Wizards encourage fans to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn more about the game of basketball from some of the best players in the NBA.

Caron Butler
June 18-22 - Forestville, MDCaron Butler's 3-D Basketball Camp

Antawn Jamison
July 10-12 - Charlotte, NCAntawn's All-Star Basketball Camp

Antonio Daniels
July 23-27, July 30-August 2 - San Antonio, TXAntonio Daniels' 2007 Summer Basketball Camps

Roger Mason, Jr
July 5-8 - Olney, MD
July 15-18 - Washington, DCRoger Mason Jr. Shooting Stars Basketball Camp

*The Wizards and Washington Sports &amp; Entertainment are not organizers or affiliated with any of the camps listed above

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Wizards Players to Hold Summer Basketball Camps

The Washington Wizards have partnered with Calvary Baptist Church in Northwest Washington once again to feed the underserved in our community.  Upon the Wizards’ re-location to downtown Washington, DC ten years ago, Wizards Chairman Abe Pollin made a commitment to help feed the homeless through a program called Abe’s Table.

Over 100,000 people were fed through the bi-weekly initiative.  The program was recently suspended due to the renovations at Calvary Baptist Church, but will re-launch on Thursday, April 5 at 1:00 pm.

“We are excited to be renewing our Abe’s Table program with Calvary Baptist Church and the Horizons Club,” said Wizards’ president Susan O’Malley.

“This has been an important program to Mr. and Mrs. Pollin since its inception ten years ago.  We hope that by providing these students with a hot meal every day, we can have a positive impact on their lives.”

The first meal of Abe’s Table was served by Washington Sports and Entertainment President Susan O’Malley and Wizards’ players Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood, Andray Blatche, Michael Ruffin and Mike Hall.

Abe’s Table will now serve the Horizons Club, an after-school program targeting at-risk youth at Calvary Baptist Church.  Mr. Pollin’s initiative strives to serve the students a hot meal before bed, with a goal of serving a minimum of 100 students per day throughout the year.

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Wizards Re-Launch Abe’s Table Program

Washington Wizards wives Nichole Thomas, Mistye Ruffin, and Jackie Hubbard were joined by Wizards Dance Team member Crystal for the February session of the “Real Talk with the Wizards”.

In honor of Black History Month, the topic of this month’s discussion was “Phenomenal Women, That’s ME…” taken from the Maya Angelou poem, Phenomenal Woman.

The goal of the discussion was to address specific issues that young women face and gave them possible outlets to deal with these issues.

The panelists shared life experiences gave the young women alternative role models with who can help them make the right choices.

The event took place before the Washington Wizards played the Sacramento Kings on February 22nd, 2007 at Verizon Center.

“Real Talk with the Wizards” is a series of roundtable discussions aimed at engaging youth to think beyond their circumstances and to understand that opportunities for success are still available.  These discussions are led by Washington Wizards athletes and front office personnel.  The Wizards host Real Talk discussions monthly, featuring a variety of different topics, players, front office personnel and special guests.

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Wizards’ Wives Nichole Thomas, Mistye Ruffin, Jackie Hubbard and Wizards Dancer Crystal Host Real Talk

The National Basketball Association announced today that Wizards forward Caron Butler has been named to the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star team.  Butler will join Washington’s Gilbert Arenas, who will start at guard for the Eastern Conference, at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, February 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This marks Butler’s first career All-Star appearance and the second time in three years that Washington has had two All-Star representatives.

“I’m extremely happy and grateful to be selected as an All-Star,” said Butler.  “I want to thank God, my family, the Wizards organization, my teammates, and especially the coaching staff for believing in me and giving me the confidence and the freedom to be me.  I have become a better player because of that, and this honor is a tribute to that.”

“Congratulations to Caron,” said Wizards Chairman Abe Pollin. “Caron has been one of the keys to our team’s success this season and I’m glad the other coaches around the league have recognized this.  He certainly deserves this honor, and I know I can speak for our fans when I say how thrilled we are that Washington will be represented by two All-Stars once again.  What a great day for Wizards fans!”

“I am very happy for Caron,” said Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld.  “This honor is well deserved.  Caron has been playing at a very high level, and this is a reflection of what Caron has meant to the success of our team.  He has worked very hard to get to this level, and I’m very proud of the player and the person that Caron has become.”

This will be the first All-Star appearance for Butler, who has helped lead the Wizards to the best record to date in the Eastern Conference (27-18).  With the distinction of being the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points, eight rebounds, and two steals per game, Butler is averaging career-highs in almost every major statistical category, including points per game (20.6), rebounds per game (8.0), assists per game (3.9), steals per game (2.07), minutes per game (40.8), free throw % (.879) and field goal % (.478), and his 18 double-doubles in 45 games lead the Wizards.

“I’m proud to have Caron represent us at the All-Star Game,” said Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan.  “We already knew that Gilbert would be there, but it’s nice that Caron has been given the well-earned distinction as well.  He has certainly played at an All-Star level, and his toughness and leadership throughout the season has helped to elevate us to top tier of the Eastern Conference.  He is very deserving of this honor, and I think it’s a credit to our entire team.”

In 2005, Arenas and Antawn Jamison both represented the Wizards in the All-Star game, and Arenas represented Washington last season.  Prior to 2005, the last time Washington had two players in the All-Star game was when Jeff Malone and Moses Malone represented the Bullets in the 1987 All-Star Game.

MORE QUOTES FROM CARON BUTLEROn working hard this summer:

“I worked really hard this summer, and all of the hard work is paying off.  After last season, I gave my mind a rest.  I took about a month and a half away from basketball and really enjoyed spending time with my family and with my children.  But after giving my mind and body a rest, I really attacked it.  I went to work.  Coach Jordan told me I would be playing a lot of minutes, so I worked on my conditioning.  I hired a chef and lost 10 to 15 pounds.  I worked on everything…ball handling, extending my range, free throw shooting…all of the things that make you a better, more complete player.  I worked on it all this summer.”

On his journey to making the All-Star team:

“After playing in the rookie All-Star game and then missing All-Star weekend during my sophomore year because of an injury, and then getting traded to LA, it really put things in perspective.  I was playing in LA, beside Kobe, and averaging 17 points alongside a player who is very dominant with the ball, and alongside Lamar Odom as well.  I learned how to play with stars, having played with Dwyane Wade before that."

"When I came here to Washington, Coach featured an equal opportunity offense.  I felt like something could really happen here, and true enough we hit the ground running.  Good things started to happen.  Coach Jordan gave me more and more freedom and I really thought I had a chance.  I dedicated my time last summer and look what came out of it.  I couldn’t be happier with this, but I know there is still work to be done.”

On Coach Jordan blending the talents of three All-Star caliber players:

“He is a great coach and a great leader.  He is our general and our leader.  He directs us and he comes up with nice philosophies that work.  We all get opportunities, we all get great looks, and we all cover for each other.  That is the way the game is supposed to be played.”

“Playing alongside guys like that works to your advantage.  When you find a defender running at you, we can do multiple things.  They are at our mercy.  That is the benefit of playing with two guys who are scoring 20 plus a night.  Gilbert is one of the best one-on-one players in the league, and Antawn has been a 20 (points) and 9 (rebounds) guy his whole career.  It’s a fun way to play.”

“I got married in Vegas a couple of summers ago and it was pretty crazy, so I can only imagine what it is going to be like with all the celebrities and an event this big.  I am just happy to be a part of it.  I am extremely grateful and I am really going to soak this in and represent the Washington Wizards and the District well.”

On the possibility of Eddie Jordan coaching the Eastern Conference All-Star team:

“I hope it happens.  This is a big year for Washington, DC.  We all should go out there and represent it well.  It would be great to have Coach out there with us.  Everything is going in our favor.  We are the top team in the East and hopefully we keep that up.”

On being welcomed by both the organization and the city:

“It is unbelievable how the fans took a liking to me and accepted me with open arms.  I am extremely grateful to Mr. Pollin, Ernie Grunfeld and the coaching staff for taking a chance on me.  There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this organization.  It is a blessing and I am extremely happy, grateful and fortunate to be here.”

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Caron Butler Named to the 2007 NBA All-Star Team

Note: With the Wizards on a roll offensively (116.9 ppg in December; overall ranked 3rd in the NBA with 107.8 ppg), we thought now was a good time to go online with this article on Eddie Jordan and the Princeton Offense. - Ed

It’s a scene that happens every day in all kinds of offices. Co-workers get together and brain storm and talk about ideas. In the summer of 2001, it happened in New Jersey in the office of some prominent basketball coaches.

The Nets were coming off their first season under the direction of head coach Byron Scott. He and his assistant coaches, including Eddie Jordan and Mike O’Koren, are discussing ways to improve on a 26-56 season. It is August and training camp is just a round the corner and they are excited about the addition of All-Star point guard Jason Kidd.

The discussion is about their offense and they talk about what they have done in the past and what they want to do in the upcoming season when Jordan brings up the "Princeton Offense". Scott, who coached with Jordan in Sacramento is receptive and suggests they go to the practice facility and bring it to life.

So the five Nets coaches get on the floor, and with Jordan serving as the choreographer they run through the motions of the “Princeton Offense”.  They are in their office now, but suddenly it is not just another day at the office.

“During the course of the 5-on-0 with the coaches Byron got a lot of shots. You know he was a shooter when he played with the Lakers, so he loved it,” O’Koren recalled with a smile. “He said ‘this is great. We can get shots for these guys here, and we can shots for these guys there.’ Byron really liked it and the rest is history.”

So Scott gave Jordan full permission to implement the offense with the Nets. It worked. The Nets finished 13th in scoring in the NBA (96.2) but had five starters average in double figures. They went all the way to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Lakers, but in one season they had gone from Eastern Conference doormat to NBA title contender.

At the time Scott told Sports Illustrated: “The Princeton offense is old-style basketball. Dribble, pass and shoot. I always thought it's the way the game was supposed to be played."

In the summer of 2003, the Wizards joined the Ivy League when Jordan was hired as head coach. Jordan brought the Princeton offense with him. Like the buzz created in New Jersey, there was genuine excitement back in Washington.

The numbers tell part of the story. Since Jordan arrived, the Wizards have been ranked:

2003-04: 18th in the NBA in scoring (91.8 PPG)

2004-05: 6th in the NBA in scoring (100.5 PPG)2005-06: 3rd in the NBA in scoring (101.7)

It is ironic that in the age of flying slam dunks and plays designed for highlight shows, an offense that stresses fundamentals is able to make a difference. It did and still does in New Jersey (under current Nets head coach Lawrence Frank) and now the gospel has been spread here to Washington.

HOW JORDAN BECAME A BELIEVERIt was in Sacramento that Jordan got religion. He was an assistant coach to Gary St. Jean, along with former Princeton coach Pete Carril. Carril stayed on when Jordan took over as head coach late in the 1996-97 season. He absorbed the offense from Carril and he became an ardent believer that an offense more than a half century old could make a difference in the modern NBA.

“Being an assistant under Peter Carril at Sacramento really helped me understand the offense. I feel like that I was fortunate to learn it from the ‘Master’ himself, instead of learning it second-hand. I received great lessons and learned about the origin of the offense,” Jordan recalled.

The weave may even go back further than Jordan thinks. According to the Princeton Alumni Weekly, it was Franklin “Cappy” Cappon that put the five-man weave offense in place when he was hired to coach the Tigers back in 1938. It’s been described as an offense that keeps all five players in motion with players handing the ball off above the key, in order to create open shots and lay-ups.

It is an offense that takes time to learn. Instead of fighting through defenses, players have to be conditioned to read defenses. They have to move without the ball and make back door cuts. The options seem endless which makes the learning curve gradual, but when mastered can leave opposing defenses puzzled.

“The strength of the offense is about unselfishness and the fact that everyone touches the basketball,” said Jordan. “We can tweak the offense as much as you want to tweak it, but the truest sense of the offense is when everyone helps each other succeed, and it is unselfish as an offense as there is out there.”

“That is what attracted me to the offense. It has a lot of movement. Everyone feels they’re a part of the scoring process. Even though it is just one player scoring, the other four players played an integral role in helping with that process. We always say: ‘You play with your teammates and against the defense,” Jordan noted.

The offense is as much game plan as it is tradition now at Princeton. It may have started in 1938 with Cappy Cappon, but the coaches that followed at Princeton worked off his blueprint.

Butch van Breda Kolf, who once coached the Lakers in the NBA, was one of the coaches who enjoyed success with the weave offense at Princeton. Pete Carril replaced van Breda Kolf, and in his 28 years at the helm the Tigers earned a reputation as “giant killers” by running the weave that started in 1938.

Carril even did a video series to help explain the offense and he noted:

“Offensive sets revolve around the ability of all players being able to read defensive pressure. The center and forward use defensive reads to receive and pass from both the high and low post-positions. Guards use defensive reads to determine whether to cut back door, spot up for a three point shot, or dribble penetrate.”

For Wizards forward Jarvis Hayes, it is all the ball movement that makes it great.

“There is never a point where things get stagnant or you feel like you are just standing around,” said Hayes. “There is always spots that you have to be in and when you have players like Gilbert (Arenas), Caron (Butler) and Antonio (Daniels) who can penetrate and that leaves guys like myself open to move without the ball.”

When it works it can be down right mesmerizing. Consider this account of the offense from the Daily Princetonian newspaper:
“Seven passes in 16 seconds. Two curls, three hard cuts toward the hoop, one hand-off, two fadeouts to the three-point line. Finally, the possession ends with an open three-pointer touching nothing but net.”

The offense is different. The positions are different, or at least they are viewed in a different way. Basketball is usually thought of in terms of point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center.

“It’s not one, two, three, four, five like most teams do. You have two guards, two forwards, and a center. The guards and forward spots are interchangeable, the center is the only position that is not,” noted O’Koren.

In fact what may get lost in understanding the Princeton offense is the critical role played by the center. It really starts with where the center is positioned. He could be down low on the block (in the post), at the elbow (by the foul line) or at the top of the key. In effect there are three different versions of the offense and then several sets that develop out of each version.

“The offense revolves around the center,” Jordan explained. “Now, whether he touches it a lot or doesn’t touch it at all, you still form your organization around the center. You find your center, and your center finds the ball, and everyone else sets up in the proper spots. The center can be in the low or high-post, or off the elbow. You can certainly run your offense through him or around him. We like to say: ‘If he is the main player, he is going to get more touches and he is going to be a passer as well as a scorer.”

To put it simply, it’s a chess match. The Wizards will see what the defense offers and than try and take advantage by using the multiple options that come out of every set.

“I think what stands out for me is that it is hard to stop one  particular play,” Wizards forward Antawn Jamison emphasized. “In the Princeton offense, there are always counter attacks. If the defensive team takes away one thing, it then opens up another option and by doing that you always get  quality shots.”

With so many options it is also a hard offense to defend.

“It’s like the triangle offense in a way,” O’Koren added. “There are two ways to try and stop it: You either sag (back off) on it, so you don’t give up back door cuts, or you pressure it and get into the dribble hand offs.”

Ahh, the old back door cut. It is a play that is probably as old as the game itself.  A player on the wing suddenly will move in towards the basket, receive a bounce pass from a guard on the perimeter, and often will find himself with no defenders between him and a lay up. It’s the favorite part of the Princeton offense for many players including a shooter like Jarvis Hayes.

“The back door cut is probably the most exciting play,” said Hayes. “Coaches often teach defenders to overplay the pass and get out and deny the lanes, and that opens up the possibility for an easy bucket.”

Also, in this age of zone defenses, the Princeton offense helps to create space on the floor. To try and negate a key player, a team can “load up” or put an extra defender at the foul line or down on the box on the side of the floor with the ball, and those players do not have to guard anyone as long as they are outside of the lane (per NBA zone rules).

Using this defensive strategy is a way to essentially create a defensive traffic jam. Because of the movement involved in the Princeton offense, it makes it difficult for opposing teams to “load up” on one particular guy.

I have been in situations where it’s like you couldn’t move. With this offense there is space and there is always opportunity to get decent shots. That’s something that is rare in this game,” Jamison added.

The Princeton offense used to be rare in the NBA game. It has not taken over the league, but it has certainly made its mark in New Jersey and Washington. And in this business of basketball a mark is defined by post-season success.

This article was originally printed in the second issue of the 2006-07 edition of Wizards Gametime, the official gameday publication of the Washington Wizards.

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On the Offensive: Inside the Wizards "Princeton Offense"

“Tommy and Milt are accomplished basketball executives who are extremely hard-working and dedicated,” said Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld.  “During their tenure with the Wizards, they have helped us achieve our goals of becoming a respected playoff contender.”

Entering his fourth season with the Wizards, Sheppard has logged 14 years of service to the NBA.  Previously a member of the Denver Nuggets organization, Sheppard served as the Nuggets’ Senior Director of Team Services and Player Relations before his arrival in Washington.

Sheppard’s NBA experience includes key roles served in salary cap management, negotiations, draft preparation and talent evaluation; both in the professional ranks and collegiately, as well as internationally and in high school tournaments nationwide. He currently is responsible for organizing the Wizards’ training camp and preseason schedules. In addition, he assists with the Wizards’ efforts in the NBA’s Player Programs and oversees the athletic training, strength training and equipment areas for the team.

Milt Newton is entering his fourth season with the Wizards organization. He oversees the team’s scouting operations both domestically and internationally. Prior to his hire with the Wizards, Newton was a key contributor to the creation of the National Basketball Development League, where he assisted in the development of league policies as the Director of Player Personnel for three years.

Newton’s career also includes a two-year stint as a scout with the Philadelphia 76ers, and a four-year tenure as the Assistant Director for the USA Men’s Basketball program from 1995-99.  Raised in the Nation’s Capital, Newton was a member of the 1988 University of Kansas National Championship team, and he was recently inducted into the District’s Calvin Coolidge High School Alumni Association.

In the three seasons since Sheppard’s and Newton’s hire in DC, the Wizards have advanced to the NBA Playoffs twice; winning a playoff series for the first time in 23 years in 2004-05, and making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in 18 years in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

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Operations Moves: Sheppard and Newton Receive Promotions

Washington Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has named Bill Berry assistant coach.  Berry joins Mike O’Koren, Phil Hubbard, Tom Young and Wes Unseld Jr. on Eddie Jordan’s staff.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Berry has coached and scouted on the professional, collegiate and junior college level for the last 35 seasons, and holds the distinction of winning a championship as an assistant coach in both the professional and collegiate ranks.  Berry was an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 championship seasons and was the top assistant for Michigan State’s NCAA title team in 1979.

“Bill has extensive knowledge of the game of basketball,” said Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan. “He was a part of a coaching staff that won consecutive NBA championships with the Houston Rockets and also won an NCAA championship at Michigan State.  Bill has had the opportunity to work with some outstanding players and coaches during his career.  We are confident that he will be an excellent addition to our coaching staff.”

Berry spent the previous two NBA campaigns as an advance scout for the Wizards.  Prior to joining the Wizards, Berry spent the previous four seasons (1999-2003) as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls, for whom he served as defensive coordinator in 2002-03.  Before joining the Bulls staff, Berry spent eight years (1991-99) with the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach under Rudy Tomjanovich.

During his tenure in the NBA, Berry has coached some of the NBA’s all-time greats in Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen.  He originally joined the NBA as an assistant coach and scout for the Sacramento Kings on Dick Motta’s staff from 1989-91.

He served as the head coach at San Jose State from 1979-89, and made appearances in both the NCAA and NIT tournaments.  In his 10 seasons at San Jose State, Berry’s 142 wins marked the second-highest win total for any coach in school history.  From 1977-79, Berry served as the top assistant to Jud Heathcote at his alma matter of Michigan State, where during that span, he coached on of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in Magic Johnson, and won an NCAA title in 1979.   Berry’s collegiate coaching career also included a stint as an assistant at the University of California-Berkeley from 1972-77.

Berry played basketball at Michigan State University for Forddy Anderson, and earned an undergraduate degree in physical education, as well as a Master’s degree in physical education at MSU in 1969.