WashingtonWizards.com caught up with Wizards commentator Steve Buckhantz to get his take on current happenings around the NBA
WW.com: The Spurs have now won 18 in a row and have yet to lose a playoff game with a core that have been together for a decade. What are your thoughts on this streak and where do you rank this Spurs dynasty amongst the all-time great teams?
SB: The streak is pretty amazing, especially when you consider how difficult it can be to win a post season game on the road.
San Antonio is a machine. They play with precision like accuracy. And their success begins at the top. They seem to complement their core with only the type of players than can truly contribute to the system. And Greg Popovich is the engineer of that system. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and their superior role players execute his strategy to perfection. It just seems like their IQ is on a higher level than anybody else on the court. Quite frankly, their execution is a beautiful thing to watch.
WW.com: Where do you rank LeBron’s performance in Game 4 of the Heat-Pacers series on the list of greatest individual performances in a playoff game?
SB: Lebron's performance was outstanding, but not surprising. Actually very little of what he does is surprising. I realize he's come up small in certain previous pressure situations, but it just seems to me that he and Wade are completely capable of taking over a game whenever they choose. James is nearly impossible to stop and when he decides to take the initiative there aren't many teams that can stop him.
WW.com: The lottery is a week away, if the Wizards are fortunate enough to land the #1 pick, do you think it’s a lock that Anthony Davis will be selected at #1?
SB: Well, Ernie hasn't called lately to discuss the teams' strategy, but if I were to hazard a guess I think it's safe to say Davis would be a huge addition to the team. For as many years as I've been covering sports, every GM I've ever known has said "take the best player available." Would be difficult not to choose him.
WW.com: Last year was a crazy off-season for the players with so much of their schedule in limbo, how important will it be especially for a young team like the Wizards to now have a planned off-season with workouts/summer league etc…
SB: This summer should be very beneficial to the Wizards. For a great part of the season, they had a starting unit of three second year players and two rookies. That same starting unit could be a formidable group in the summer league. Being able to communicate with the coaching staff and benefit from the work of Head Athletic Trainer Eric Waters, his staff, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Drew Cleary will be of tremendous value for our young squad.
WW.com: Are there any summer concerts that you have circled on your calendar? Roger Waters at Verizon Center?
SB: I actually haven't seen the VC concert schedule but I'm sure there are some great performances upcoming.
Since I live in Virginia, Wolftrap is a wonderful venue and I am looking forward to Crosby Stills and Nash, Average White Band, and the Beatles tribute, Rain. Clearly I'm an oldies fan!