After seeing the Wizards being absolutely gutted by a much needed firesale there seemed to be no reason to watch this decrepit team. Wrong. Meet Andray Blatche the de facto face of the Washington Wizards. A Wizards second round pick out of high school a few years ago, Blatche showed flashes of being a solid starter coming off the bench. It wasn't until Jamison's trade that Blatche had minutes to show what he can really do.
Blatche posted a career high 33 points against Minnesota just 1 game after Jamison's trade and his first time seeing any real action. In the game I went to against the Nuggets, he was responsible for the Wizards' first 10 points in the game. His last game against the Raptors he scored a game high 24 points. Since the Jamison trade in a span of 3 games he has posted 25 points per game and 10 rebounds per game.
As much as I loved seeing his potential a couple years ago I never thought he was capable of this run. Somebody had to step up from the ashes. Blatche has now stepped in as the #1 option in this team's offense.
What makes Blatche so special is his versatility as a power forward. He can use his reach to gain much needed rebounds and tip ins. Blatche can also rely on his relatively decent 7 to 10 ft jumper that he can use when he needs to if he is being well guarded inside the paint.
It should be noted that Kwame Brown was also capable of little runs of greatness. Not to mention he has the same build and plays the same position as Brown. But what separates these two players is tenacity. Kwame Brown often seemed lackadaisical in his play whereas Andray Blatche would always try his hardest to get the rebounds and second chance opportunities. Blatche seems more focused and has more drive than Brown ever did.
The future for the Wizards may look ambiguous but Andray Blatche's future seems brighter than ever.
