What does it take for a twenty-one year-old former second-round pick to make some noise in the NBA? In Las Vegas last month, Wizards forward Andray Blatche may have just showed us the answer, as he dominated the 2008 NBA Summer League.

Showing consistency and veteran poise, Blatche – the last NBA player who was drafted directly out of high school – continued to flash the great potential that the Wizards’ brass has been tantalized by. The key for Blatche is to take what he accomplished in Vegas in July and parlay that into success in November and beyond.

Traditionally, the NBA summer league is primarily used for the development of rookie and sophomore players, and the evaluation of young free agents. So why did Blatche – a player entering his fourth year in the league - decide to participate? His answer was simple…“to work on my game and my conditioning while playing a lot of basketball.”

For Blatche, the key to becoming a better basketball player and meeting his vast potential starts with determination; something he clearly demonstrated this summer. By averaging 17.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the young Wizards team in Vegas, Blatche displayed an aggressive mentality on the offensive end.

As the Wizards won a few games in Vegas, however, Wizards Summer League Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr. was quick to point out what is really important to take out of the Nevada heat.

“It’s great to win,” said Unseld. “But that's not what it's all about in the summer. It’s about the maturation process. We should see improvement every day from our first practice all the way until we finish. Then you want to see that progress carry over to October when we open training camp."

During the 2007-08 season, Blatche’s third professional campaign, he provided glimpses of excellence as he averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. In more extended action as a starter, his averages jumped to 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

This coming season, on the heels of Blatche’s summer league performance, exciting developments are ahead as we’re treated to watch the continued maturation and development of another ‘big’ piece in Washington’s puzzle.