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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Bullets Forever -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>"Ain't No Luck"</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2024-06-16T08:00:00-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2024-06-16T08:00:00-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2024-06-16T08:00:00-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>NBA Draft 2024: The Wizards have worked out Sarr, Buzelis, more</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="2024 NBA Combine" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tAhJmOK2Wyr5g6-EAeA8Mxj8_qU=/0x583:4000x3250/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73410474/2152256233.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;Cameron Christie and Matas Buzelis have worked out in Washington, according to reports. Also, there were pictures of someone looking a lot like Alex Sarr at Dulles Airport in Loudoun County last week.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="zQXx4H"&gt;The 2024 NBA Draft isn’t until June 26. Teams are holding draft workouts. Over the past 10 years that I have been a contributor, editor and eventually site manager here, the Washington Wizards have generally been open about which players were coming in for workouts, a day before they arrived. These came in the form of regular press releases.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="kTu2DF"&gt;I haven’t seen these kinds of announcements over the last couple seasons since Will Dawkins became the new General Manager. That doesn’t meant that he and head coach Brian Keefe are just watching TikTok dances all day long, relaxing at the MedStar Health Performance Center and then walking across the hall to catch Mystics games at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. &lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="lRQYW1"&gt;Again, the Wizards are holding draft prospect workouts. It’s just that the Wizards never publicized these kinds of things in the Dawkins (and Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger) Era.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="dYBmc5"&gt;Our own Greg Finberg posted on X yesterday many of the prospects who worked out with the Wizards. He even added another couple later.&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;div id="n1YNO3"&gt;
  25. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  26. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Updated list of Wizards pre-draft workouts:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;No. 2:&lt;br&gt;• Alex Sarr (NBL)&lt;br&gt;• Donovan Clingan (UConn)&lt;br&gt;• Cody Williams (Colorado)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;No. 26:&lt;br&gt;• Tyler Smith (Ignite)&lt;br&gt;• Trentyn Flowers (NBL)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;No. 51:&lt;br&gt;• Tristen Newton (UConn)&lt;br&gt;• Antonio Reeves (Kentucky)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;UDFA:&lt;br&gt;• Kenan Blackshear…&lt;/p&gt;— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GregFinberg/status/1802010717236732156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  27. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  28. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  29.  
  30. &lt;/div&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="6DI6U3"&gt;So, the biggest fish on this list is none other than former Perth Wildcats center Alex Sarr. It makes sense that the Wizards would hold a workout with him since they have the No. 2 pick, and it looks increasingly likely that he’s their man. But sometimes, Wizards fans who are also picking up friends or loved ones at Dulles Airport in Loudoun County can get a celebrity sighting along the way. This happened last Tuesday, when I was wrapping up end-of-school year things at my day job.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;div id="4EzV56"&gt;
  33. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  34. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Future Wizards legend Alex Sarr just touched down in Dulles &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@WashWizards&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/FhZCMHBeBB"&gt;pic.twitter.com/FhZCMHBeBB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Nick_k.88⚡️ (@KondeNickodemus) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/KondeNickodemus/status/1800640434357588100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 11, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  35. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  36. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  37.  
  38. &lt;/div&gt;
  39. &lt;div id="rWBTAO"&gt;
  40. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  41. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Alex Sarr recently wrapped up a visit with the Wizards in D.C., which included a private workout.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sarr’s floor is viewed as the No. 2 overall pick with Washington. &lt;a href="https://t.co/yp89REukmD"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yp89REukmD&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Evan Sidery (@esidery) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1801241815770603643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 13, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  42. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  43. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  44.  
  45. &lt;/div&gt;
  46. &lt;p id="GXEsbr"&gt;In addition to Sarr and Greg’s summary X post, there are two more prospects whom the Wizards worked out.&lt;/p&gt;
  47. &lt;p id="5L6Rrp"&gt;Yesterday, forward Matas Buzelis, a former five-star prospect from Chicago worked out with the Wizards at Capital One Arena per his Instagram stories. Our own Greg Finberg has the image below.&lt;/p&gt;
  48. &lt;div id="Ldq5RF"&gt;
  49. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  50. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The Washington Wizards completed a pre-draft workout with F Matas Buzelis, per his IG.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 14.1 points and 6.6 rebounds for G League Ignite this season and is expected to go inside the top-10 of the NBA Draft. &lt;a href="https://t.co/qWJHTcQw4N"&gt;pic.twitter.com/qWJHTcQw4N&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GregFinberg/status/1802137221106942110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 16, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  51. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  52. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  53.  
  54. &lt;/div&gt;
  55. &lt;p id="NGVeSu"&gt;Buzelis is projected to be a Top 5 pick in the draft. If the Wizards took him at No. 2, it could be perceived to be a reach, but you never know if the Wizards decide to trade down with another team looking to get a higher pick.&lt;/p&gt;
  56. &lt;p id="82kmE9"&gt;Greg also posted on X that former Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Cameron Christie practiced with the Wizards.&lt;/p&gt;
  57. &lt;div id="jBycXF"&gt;
  58. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  59. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The Washington Wizards completed a pre-draft workout with Minnesota guard Cameron Christie, per source.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The 6’6” shooting guard shot 39.1% 3pt and offers two-way potential as a solid perimeter defender.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;He’s projected to go late-first, early-second round. Wiz hold pick No. 26. &lt;a href="https://t.co/Grn8T3lgj3"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Grn8T3lgj3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GregFinberg/status/1802013292459708727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  60. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  61. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  62.  
  63. &lt;/div&gt;
  64. &lt;p id="AW1bkH"&gt;Since the Wizards have a late first round pick at No. 26, it’s possible that Christie could be selected here, though mock drafts also have him drafted early in the second round.&lt;/p&gt;
  65. &lt;p id="78CO6p"&gt;Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.&lt;/p&gt;
  66.  
  67. </content>
  68.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/16/24179494/nba-draft-2024-washington-wizards-alex-sarr-matas-buzelis-cameron-christie-prospect-workout"/>
  69.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/16/24179494/nba-draft-2024-washington-wizards-alex-sarr-matas-buzelis-cameron-christie-prospect-workout</id>
  70.    <author>
  71.      <name>Albert Lee</name>
  72.      <name>Greg Finberg</name>
  73.    </author>
  74.  </entry>
  75.  <entry>
  76.    <published>2024-06-15T12:15:03-04:00</published>
  77.    <updated>2024-06-15T12:15:03-04:00</updated>
  78.    <title>How Wizards and Mystics fans feel about Olympic basketball</title>
  79.    <content type="html">  
  80.  
  81.    &lt;figure&gt;
  82.      &lt;img alt="Chicago Sky v Washington Mystics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AnYDYhiYU8Sl0hk6KnKERUduLqo=/0x329:1954x1632/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73409778/2156977294.0.jpg" /&gt;
  83.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  84.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  85.  
  86.  &lt;p&gt;Mystics fans don’t think Ariel Atkins was snubbed from Team USA. And Wizards fans feel optimistic about Bilal Coulibaly’s Olympic chances.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="emiMn6"&gt;Thanks for your responses to this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey, Washington Wizards and Mystics fans. Let’s get to the results.&lt;/p&gt;
  87. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Pszej1"&gt;
  88. &lt;h2 id="YOKCHZ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mystics fans don’t believe Ariel Atkins was snubbed from the USA Basketball women’s national team&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  89. &lt;div id="DKfJND"&gt;
  90. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  91. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Latest ⁦&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/sbnreacts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@sbnreacts&lt;/a&gt;⁩ results are in. First, most of you don’t think Ariel Atkins was snubbed. &lt;a href="https://t.co/yqsfBlnS7P"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yqsfBlnS7P&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/1801917603423687141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  92. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  93. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  94.  
  95. &lt;/div&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="BvTzVm"&gt;This week, we decided to focus on Olympic basketball, and where the Washington Wizards and Mystics fit into it. First, we asked a question on whether you believe Mystics guard Ariel Atkins was &lt;a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/8/24174247/2024-usa-basketball-womens-national-team-roster-no-washington-mystics"&gt;snubbed from Team USA&lt;/a&gt;. Out of over 300 respondents, most of you don’t think she was a snub at all. Just 19 percent of you did.&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;p id="XR3U4C"&gt;I also don’t think Atkins’ omission is unwarranted, even if she was part of the 2020 Olympic and 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup teams. However, Team USA is stacked and the Mystics are the worst team in the WNBA to this point and Atkins has played all season.&lt;/p&gt;
  98. &lt;p id="Z3rUwd"&gt;Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray is injured and has yet to play for the team this season. In the even that she doesn’t play in the Olympics, it’s possible that Atkins could get a second look at Team USA due to her experience. &lt;/p&gt;
  99. &lt;h2 id="5QvS2O"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wizards fans are optimistic that Bilal Coulibaly will make the France men’s national basketball team for the 2024 Olympics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  100. &lt;div id="ft4IuO"&gt;
  101. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  102. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;But most of you feel that Bilal Coulibaly WILL be on Les Bleus in Lille this summer. &lt;a href="https://t.co/YWvZlMF7g8"&gt;pic.twitter.com/YWvZlMF7g8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/1801921554021794016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  103. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  104. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  105.  
  106. &lt;/div&gt;
  107. &lt;p id="giQiRc"&gt;The Mystics have other players who will be on other national teams so we’ll still cover Olympic women’s basketball this summer. But how about men’s basketball? &lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="PFDHfg"&gt;Right now, I’m apathetic to it unless a Wizards player makes a team. Bilal Coulibaly has the best chance to make it because he was previously named to &lt;a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/france-basketball-announce-preliminary-national-team-rosters-for-paris-2024"&gt;Les Bleus’ preliminary roster.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="SsB6DU"&gt;Do I think that Coulibaly will make the team? I doubt it because France is one of the top countries in the world and there is plenty of NBA talent on Les Bleus without him. Also, it’s rare to see a younger player make a European national team barring someone having All-NBA/WNBA like talent like ... San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (who still hasn’t officially made the French team yet) or former Mystics forward Emma Meesseman for Belgium in the mid 2010s (of course, she’s one of the biggest superstars in the women’s basketball world now).&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;p id="2URttQ"&gt;That said, I’m in the minority, though I certainly would like to see him on the team. At any rate, 67 percent of you believe that he will be on Les Bleus playing at Decathlon Arena in Lille in less than two months. &lt;/p&gt;
  111. &lt;h2 id="cgDmX9"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most of you don’t have less enthusiasm about Olympic basketball if there aren’t any or few local team players&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  112. &lt;div id="cxZfy5"&gt;
  113. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  114. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Finally, yes, there was a reason why the “Doesn’t affect me either way” choice was there. Either way, most of you don’t lose enthusiasm when Wizards and Mystics players aren’t playing in the Olympics. &lt;a href="https://t.co/TMVGxmxGhz"&gt;pic.twitter.com/TMVGxmxGhz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/1801922169070297574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  115. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  116. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  117.  
  118. &lt;/div&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="XYUTAP"&gt;Most of you, 60 percent said no and 3 percent said that you would have less enthusiasm for the Olympics if the Wizards and/or Mystics lacked representation. Now, why was there a choice titled “doesn’t affect me either way?”&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="EzQbcg"&gt;It’s meant for those of you who are relatively apathetic about Olympic basketball altogether.  So over a third of you are probably not that excited about these summer tournaments to begin with.&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8JqFXW"&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="Iw6tBw"&gt;We’ll have more polls throughout the Washington Mystics’ season and the Wizards’ offseason!&lt;/p&gt;
  123.  
  124. </content>
  125.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/15/24179135/sb-nation-reacts-washington-wizards-mystics-olympic-selections"/>
  126.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/15/24179135/sb-nation-reacts-washington-wizards-mystics-olympic-selections</id>
  127.    <author>
  128.      <name>Albert Lee</name>
  129.    </author>
  130.  </entry>
  131.  <entry>
  132.    <published>2024-06-14T21:42:15-04:00</published>
  133.    <updated>2024-06-14T21:42:15-04:00</updated>
  134.    <title>Recap: Mystics beat Sky, 83-81</title>
  135.    <content type="html">  
  136.  
  137.    &lt;figure&gt;
  138.      &lt;img alt="Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ptCYT1hcFjgtwBDYdLINUsjTI-I=/1x0:5326x3550/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73409053/2156574812.0.jpg" /&gt;
  139.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Dale Zanine/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  140.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  141.  
  142.  &lt;p&gt;The Mystics have won back-to-back games after starting 0-12. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="3ovaGY"&gt;The Washington Mystics finished off the Chicago Sky in late nail-biter tonight, 83-81. Washington opened the season 0-12 and has now won back-to-back games to sit at 2-12.&lt;/p&gt;
  143. &lt;p id="ftgN0Y"&gt;The matchup was a potentially big one in this year’s Rookie of the Year race — Angel Reese and Aaliyah Edwards are two of the top contenders for the award. Reese has been a beast on the boards all season long and would be my pick for the award if the season ended today. Though she struggled from the field tonight, she pulled down a monster 14 rebounds. Reese is the sixth-leading rebounder in the WNBA this season (9.6 per game). Edwards, meanwhile, outscored Reese 16-10 while also grabbing nine boards.&lt;/p&gt;
  144. &lt;p id="xsrE5n"&gt;Ariel Atkins cooked the Sky defense all night long, finishing with 29 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field. Edwards pitched in 16 points and Karlie Samuelson added 12. Chennedy Carter led the Sky with 16 points and 6 rebounds off the bench. &lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;p id="G0ErfL"&gt;The Mystics, now proud winners of back-to-back games, will now head to Indianapolis to face off against Caitlin Clark. This will mark the second time this season Washington will play college rivals Clark and Reese back-to-back. &lt;/p&gt;
  146. &lt;p id="5QkPUA"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  147.  
  148. </content>
  149.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178940/washington-mystics-chicago-sky-wnba-recap"/>
  150.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178940/washington-mystics-chicago-sky-wnba-recap</id>
  151.    <author>
  152.      <name>Marco Gacina</name>
  153.    </author>
  154.  </entry>
  155.  <entry>
  156.    <published>2024-06-14T18:30:00-04:00</published>
  157.    <updated>2024-06-14T18:30:00-04:00</updated>
  158.    <title>NBA Finals Game 4 Open Thread</title>
  159.    <content type="html">  
  160.  
  161.    &lt;figure&gt;
  162.      &lt;img alt="2024 NBA Finals - Game Three" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r3zO9GfAVlAXXe0MNDQ3zbuguYA=/0x1:7725x5151/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73408886/2157381413.0.jpg" /&gt;
  163.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Peter Casey - Pool/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  164.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  165.  
  166.  &lt;p id="7kwSAP"&gt;First, I apologize for not having a Game 3 open thread for the 2024 NBA Finals. I didn’t forget about the game itself, where the Boston Celtics still defeated the Dallas Mavericks, this time on the road. But I just forgot to post something for a thread. So I apologize.&lt;/p&gt;
  167. &lt;p id="UQDA2Z"&gt;That was ultimately due to a simple reason: I forgot because this is the last week of school in most Northern Virginia public school districts. Loudoun County Public Schools (where I work and am a teacher), had their last day of school earlier today. Neighboring school districts like Fairfax County and Prince William County ended earlier than LCPS.&lt;/p&gt;
  168. &lt;p id="lrqc3T"&gt;The last week of a high school teacher (which I am) is quite hectic. Students are turning in any last minute work (THAT WAS DUE &lt;strong&gt;LAST&lt;/strong&gt; FRIDAY, KIDDOS!). The 12th graders haven’t been in school for nearly two weeks and graduation where I am is after the school year ends. Many fellow colleagues are scrambling to do what they can to make sure they have all necessary things done before the summer break.&lt;/p&gt;
  169. &lt;p id="T9sb0L"&gt;My summer break and vacation will start soon enough, but I hope that’s a sufficient enough explanation why I haven’t written quite as much the last couple weeks. It’s the calendar, not my drive.&lt;/p&gt;
  170. &lt;p id="x0jZn4"&gt;Anyway, the Boston Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks 3-0 in their championship series. Gametime is 8:30 p.m. ET. Watch it on ABC (WJLA-TV in the DMV) or on an ESPN streaming platform. Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;
  171. &lt;p id="phfFD8"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  172.  
  173. </content>
  174.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178854/nba-finals-game-4-open-thread"/>
  175.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178854/nba-finals-game-4-open-thread</id>
  176.    <author>
  177.      <name>Albert Lee</name>
  178.    </author>
  179.  </entry>
  180.  <entry>
  181.    <published>2024-06-14T13:08:17-04:00</published>
  182.    <updated>2024-06-14T13:08:17-04:00</updated>
  183.    <title>Wizards to play Heat in Mexico City on Nov. 2</title>
  184.    <content type="html">  
  185.  
  186.    &lt;figure&gt;
  187.      &lt;img alt="Washington Wizards v Miami Heat" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-OkZVCRgvmxQ2ENStL-xgXhiGgE=/0x0:7364x4909/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73408200/2066803260.0.jpg" /&gt;
  188.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Eric Espada/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  189.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  190.  
  191.  &lt;p&gt;The game will be at the Arena CDMX&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="7vORj4"&gt;On Friday, the Washington Wizards announced &lt;a href="https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/miami-heat-and-washington-wizards-to-play-regular-season-game-in-mexico-city-on-nov-2"&gt;that they will play in Mexico City, Mexico&lt;/a&gt; on Nov. 2 against the Miami Heat. The game will be plated at the Arena CDMX on Dia de los Muertos. The game will be aired on ESPN.&lt;/p&gt;
  192. &lt;p id="au7XE0"&gt;Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger said the following in a press release:&lt;/p&gt;
  193. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="nULPm3"&gt;We are delighted at the opportunity to represent the NBA and Washington, D.C. at the Global Games and are proud that our team reflects the growing globalization of the NBA. Previous Washington Bullets and Wizard[s] teams have had the opportunity of playing in Mexico City. We are honored to follow in their footsteps and look forward to introducing this new Wizards team to NBA fans in Mexico City.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  194. &lt;p id="qOXJlc"&gt;Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.&lt;/p&gt;
  195.  
  196. </content>
  197.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178647/washington-wizards-miami-heat-mexico-city-game"/>
  198.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178647/washington-wizards-miami-heat-mexico-city-game</id>
  199.    <author>
  200.      <name>Albert Lee</name>
  201.    </author>
  202.  </entry>
  203.  <entry>
  204.    <published>2024-06-14T12:26:06-04:00</published>
  205.    <updated>2024-06-14T12:26:06-04:00</updated>
  206.    <title>NBA Draft 2024: The strength of the draft is in the backcourt</title>
  207.    <content type="html">  
  208.  
  209.    &lt;figure&gt;
  210.      &lt;img alt="2024 NBA Combine" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5vVoAuMPMPZG6R4Ba4PpbQvcAYQ=/0x707:4000x3374/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73407190/2152286211.0.jpg" /&gt;
  211.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Could Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard be the Wizards’ pick at #2? | Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  212.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  213.  
  214.  &lt;p&gt;Could the Washington Wizards pick a backcourt stalwart in the upcoming NBA Draft?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="cFJTGm"&gt;We’ve talked centers, forwards, and wings the Washington Wizards could draft, which means we’ve saved the best for last. The strength of this 2024 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft"&gt;NBA Draft&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;appears&lt;/em&gt; to be in the backcourt.&lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;p id="JLT8WG"&gt;That’s not to say this year’s guards are star-studded, can’t-miss prospects. Even the guys with the best grades in Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short), my stat-based prospect evaluation tool, have their flaws and worry points.&lt;/p&gt;
  216. &lt;p id="8trAcd"&gt;At this point, I have 16 players with first round grades. That’s about 7-8 fewer than I’d have in a normal draft year. Here’s the breakdown by position: &lt;/p&gt;
  217. &lt;ul&gt;
  218. &lt;li id="KoaUXZ"&gt;Center — 5&lt;/li&gt;
  219. &lt;li id="6lQwBF"&gt;Forward — 2&lt;/li&gt;
  220. &lt;li id="ZmsQe3"&gt;Wings — 2&lt;/li&gt;
  221. &lt;li id="SfB07K"&gt;Guards — 7&lt;/li&gt;
  222. &lt;/ul&gt;
  223. &lt;p id="rEkGxJ"&gt;At guard, there are another five close to first round grades, and another few with second round scores. Let’s start at the top:&lt;/p&gt;
  224. &lt;ul&gt;
  225. &lt;li id="RxDExC"&gt;
  226. &lt;strong&gt;Reed Sheppard&lt;/strong&gt;, Kentucky — Shooter! Elite efficiency — 55.5% on twos, 52.1% on threes (not a typo), 83.1% from the free throw line. Plus, he rebounded decently for a guard (5.7 per 40 minutes), did some playmaking (6.2 assists per 40), averaged more than two assists for every turnover, averaged a block per 40, and led the draft class in steals by half a steal per 40 minutes. His agility scores were well above average at the combine, and he tied for the best vertical leap. The concern? He’s just 6-2 and he has short arms. It could he’s too small to defend effectively at the NBA level. That’s a legit worry point, even though the statistical markers for athleticism agree with his outstanding combine performance.&lt;/li&gt;
  227. &lt;li id="Ht2asu"&gt;
  228. &lt;strong&gt;Devin Carter&lt;/strong&gt;, Providence — Good size, long wingspan, agile, incredible leaper. Probably the best athlete in this year’s draft. His production was good — just under 10 rebounds per 40 minutes, 4.1 assists per 40, plus 56.3% on twos, 37.7% from three, and 74.9% on 5.9 free throw attempts per 40. More turnovers than are ideal (1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio). And he’s 22 years old. He’s 13th in Tankathon’s consensus mock draft, and there should be better prospects available at two. If the Wizards trade back, he could be an interesting pick.&lt;/li&gt;
  229. &lt;li id="r20nAb"&gt;
  230. &lt;strong&gt;Stephon Castle&lt;/strong&gt;, Connecticut — All-around contributor who provided his team with some rebounds, assists, and defense. Good size and solid agility scores at the combine. His leaping measurements were below average, though not enough to lose him points in YODA. The statistical markers for athleticism were mixed — solid two-point percentage and offensive rebounding vs. relatively low steals and blocks. Bigger worry point: 26.7% on threes, and he took just 3.3 per 40.&lt;/li&gt;
  231. &lt;li id="sJc8C6"&gt;
  232. &lt;strong&gt;Rob Dillingham&lt;/strong&gt;, Kentucky — Excellent three-point shooter (44.4%) who struggled inside the arc (49.5%), likely due to being so small. Despite the size, he rebounded (5.0 per 40) and generated assists (6.6 per 40). He also produced turnovers and a TON of fouls (4.5 per 40). The fouls are a signal of being overwhelmed on defense, which is worrisome as he tries to move up a level.&lt;/li&gt;
  233. &lt;li id="fcRsU7"&gt;
  234. &lt;strong&gt;Nikola Topic&lt;/strong&gt;, Red Star (International) — Impressive production in a strong international league. He’d rank higher but for the partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Good height but a relatively short wingspan. Still, he shot 60.3% on twos and 87.8% from the free throw line. The two-point percentage is an indicator of athleticism, and the high free throw percentage suggests his 30.6% three-point shooting could be an aberration. He also averaged 8.0 assists per 40 and had an ast/tov ratio of 2.4-to-1. There wasn’t much defensive production from Topic, and he fouled a lot.&lt;/li&gt;
  235. &lt;li id="GrQr46"&gt;
  236. &lt;strong&gt;KJ Simpson&lt;/strong&gt;, Colorado — Short (just 6-0 tall) with excellent agility and vertical leap. Superb shooting (43.4% from deep and 87.6% on free throws) plus good rebounding and assists. Like Dillingham, Simpson shot below 50% from two-point range and didn’t tally impressive steal or block numbers. Unlike Dillingham, Simpson didn’t foul much. The consensus has him as a second round pick. YODA thinks he’s worth a first.&lt;/li&gt;
  237. &lt;li id="iBcpIE"&gt;
  238. &lt;strong&gt;Jamal Shead&lt;/strong&gt;, Houston — Another diminutive PG with excellent quickness, though without the otherworldly hops. The assists and steals are impressive, and he even grabbed some rebounds. The poor two-point percentage (45.6%) and shooting from three (30.9%) combined with the size and age (he’s 22) are real concerns. He’s supposed to be a second round pick, but YODA has him with a late first grade.&lt;/li&gt;
  239. &lt;/ul&gt;
  240. &lt;p id="xkmEe2"&gt;Here are the guys close to a first round grade, but not quite there:&lt;/p&gt;
  241. &lt;ul&gt;
  242. &lt;li id="vhvQxk"&gt;
  243. &lt;strong&gt;Tyler Kolek&lt;/strong&gt;, Marquette — Already 23, and he’s on the small side with short arms. The production was there, though — good shooting from two- and three-point range, good rebounding, loads of assists and relatively few turnovers.&lt;/li&gt;
  244. &lt;li id="YmwnKj"&gt;
  245. &lt;strong&gt; Ja’Kobe Walter&lt;/strong&gt;, Baylor — Good size, unimpressive production. Walter shot just 42.3% on twos, which is a concern. Rebounding, assists, steals and blocks were all Lilliputian, as Clyde Frazier might say.&lt;/li&gt;
  246. &lt;li id="QYOs9w"&gt;
  247. &lt;strong&gt;Jared McCain&lt;/strong&gt;, Duke — Another smaller guard with short arms. Very poor vertical measurements at the combine. He rebounded decently, shot well from deep (41.4%) and converted on 52.1% of his twos, which is good.&lt;/li&gt;
  248. &lt;li id="bl71wW"&gt;
  249. &lt;strong&gt;Antonio Reeves&lt;/strong&gt;, Kentucky — Already 24 years old, Reeves can &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; shoot — 55.7% on twos, and 44.7% on threes. Not much else to his game (his defensive production was paltry), but I could the Denver Nuggets picking him in the second round for his shooting. And he might be worth it for 2-3 years at the minimum.&lt;/li&gt;
  250. &lt;li id="AK8pyK"&gt;
  251. &lt;strong&gt;Tristen Newton&lt;/strong&gt;, Connecticut — Another older prospect (23), but Newton’s contributions are rebounds and playmaking, not shooting. &lt;/li&gt;
  252. &lt;/ul&gt;
  253. &lt;p id="5qa6pI"&gt;And, I’ll finish with a speed round through some guys with second round grades:&lt;/p&gt;
  254. &lt;ul&gt;
  255. &lt;li id="oWcR8w"&gt;
  256. &lt;strong&gt;Hunter Sallis&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com"&gt;Wake Forest&lt;/a&gt;
  257. &lt;/li&gt;
  258. &lt;li id="ha1fLm"&gt;
  259. &lt;strong&gt;Juan Nunez&lt;/strong&gt;, Ratiopharm Ulm (International)&lt;/li&gt;
  260. &lt;li id="7g4ilc"&gt;
  261. &lt;strong&gt;Bub Carrington&lt;/strong&gt;, Pittsburgh &lt;/li&gt;
  262. &lt;li id="WJD38Y"&gt;
  263. &lt;strong&gt;Isaiah Collier&lt;/strong&gt;, USC&lt;/li&gt;
  264. &lt;li id="ivKHBI"&gt;
  265. &lt;strong&gt;Pacome Dadiet&lt;/strong&gt;, Ratiopharm Ulm (International) — Might be a wing in the NBA, which would not move him up in YODA.&lt;/li&gt;
  266. &lt;li id="yF0cdD"&gt;
  267. &lt;strong&gt;Reece Beekman&lt;/strong&gt;, Virginia&lt;/li&gt;
  268. &lt;/ul&gt;
  269. &lt;p id="cBy4T7"&gt;For both readers who are interested, Bronny James has a “don’t draft” grade, which makes sense given his heart issue and derailed freshman year.&lt;/p&gt;
  270. &lt;p id="Qqpxgq"&gt;One note: I had some questions about Matas Buzelis. I’d typoed in the data entry and categorized him as a guard in the position name column. In the position column that contains numbers, I had him (correctly) designated as a forward. YODA has Buzels with a second round grade. Mock drafts have him in the top 10.&lt;/p&gt;
  271.  
  272. </content>
  273.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178146/nba-draft-2024-backcourt-prospect-analysis-washington-wizards-reed-shepherd-nikola-topic"/>
  274.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/14/24178146/nba-draft-2024-backcourt-prospect-analysis-washington-wizards-reed-shepherd-nikola-topic</id>
  275.    <author>
  276.      <name>Kevin Broom</name>
  277.    </author>
  278.  </entry>
  279.  <entry>
  280.    <published>2024-06-13T12:00:00-04:00</published>
  281.    <updated>2024-06-13T12:00:00-04:00</updated>
  282.    <title>Preview: Mystics face off against Sky on Friday</title>
  283.    <content type="html">  
  284.  
  285.    &lt;figure&gt;
  286.      &lt;img alt="Chicago Sky vs Washington Mystics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W4W_wVkw8n530V4X9BO1v5faZbk=/0x0:5472x3648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73405446/2155743483.0.jpg" /&gt;
  287.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  288.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  289.  
  290.  &lt;p&gt;The Mystics head to their fourteenth regular season game vs. the Chicago Sky&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="muzq9s"&gt;The Washington Mystics (1-12) are currently the worst team in the WNBA, and it’s not really close. They lost 14 straight (season and preseason combined) coming into Tuesday’s game against the Dream in Atlanta. And redemption finally came for their first victory of the season. &lt;/p&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="AK8P9v"&gt;Can they now string together another one and get their first win at home in front of the home crowd? They still have faith in the coaching staff, but that could definitely change soon if a couple of wins don’t start accumulating in the W column. They did get Sykes back from injury on Tuesday, and that definitely showed (18 points and a very good game overall) but Shakira Austin remains sidelined. They now face the Chicago Sky for the second time (in a week or so) this season as they try to make a dent in that W column of their record. Here is the preview.&lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ww7jKx"&gt;
  293. &lt;h2 id="hLXya8"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Game Info&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  294. &lt;p id="aRTUpK"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET&lt;/p&gt;
  295. &lt;p id="LtHl3N"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where: &lt;/strong&gt;Entertainment &amp;amp; Sports Arena, D.C.&lt;/p&gt;
  296. &lt;p id="bTpzF4"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Watch: &lt;/strong&gt;ION/Monumental &lt;/p&gt;
  297. &lt;h1 id="WkD9DC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Injuries&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
  298. &lt;p id="NHwmrI"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mystics: &lt;/strong&gt;Shakira Austin (Out)&lt;/p&gt;
  299. &lt;p id="18myNL"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sky: &lt;/strong&gt;Diamond DeShields (Day-To-Day), Elizabeth Williams (Out)&lt;/p&gt;
  300. &lt;h1 id="hy9eQR"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pregame notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
  301. &lt;p id="0aFR6Q"&gt;The Washington Mystics will face the Chicago Sky for the second time in the regular season on a Friday evening prime time. As the NBA Playoffs are on that night that might not be a great chance for both teams to get some national exposure. But those diehard fans will surely tune in. Or will they? &lt;/p&gt;
  302. &lt;p id="ffYRsF"&gt;Chicago Sky has started the season strong with a solid away record of 3-2, though overall they are middling right around 0.500 give or take a game or two recently. The two teams did meet just about a week ago, again in D.C., and the Sky came on top 71-79. &lt;/p&gt;
  303. &lt;p id="WFKLOO"&gt;Perhaps the second time will be a charm for the Mystics? &lt;/p&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="wf6dh1"&gt;Here are the &lt;a href="https://youtu.be/hzjmLnDMWn8?si=raIijdKqqv3jZ4DP"&gt;highlights&lt;/a&gt; from the previous Mystics-Sky game.&lt;/p&gt;
  305.  
  306. </content>
  307.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/2024/6/13/24176551/washington-mystics-chicago-sky-wnba-game-preview"/>
  308.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/2024/6/13/24176551/washington-mystics-chicago-sky-wnba-game-preview</id>
  309.    <author>
  310.      <name>Yanir A. Rubinstein</name>
  311.    </author>
  312.  </entry>
  313.  <entry>
  314.    <published>2024-06-12T11:53:57-04:00</published>
  315.    <updated>2024-06-12T11:53:57-04:00</updated>
  316.    <title>Jerry West passes away at age 86</title>
  317.    <content type="html">  
  318.  
  319.    &lt;figure&gt;
  320.      &lt;img alt="2026 NBA All-Star Game Hosted by LA Clippers at Intuit Dome" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-UAN7YD1lPiNK5Crho6Zs2ukn2I=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73403247/1930881743.0.jpg" /&gt;
  321.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  322.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  323.  
  324.  &lt;p&gt;RIP to the NBA legend who is also known as “The Logo.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="R1hTUn"&gt;On Wednesday, the NBA announced that long time player and front office executive Jerry West died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles. He was most famous as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1960-74 after playing college basketball at West Virginia. He won one NBA championship as a player in 1972. West’s silhouette is also the NBA’s logo, even though the &lt;a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/how-jerry-west-became-the-nbas-logo-and-why-the-league-never-officially-admitted-it-was-him/"&gt;league doesn’t want to admit it officially&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  325. &lt;p id="gPnqpN"&gt;After his playing career, West became the Lakers’ head coach from 1976-79 before becoming a long-time front office executive for several teams, most notably for the Lakers as their General Manager where they would win six championships. He would then join the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors (where he won two more championships) and finally, the Los Angeles Clippers as a consultant 2017-24.&lt;/p&gt;
  326. &lt;p id="ldVvek"&gt;While West never played or worked for the Washington Wizards/Bullets, Monumental Sports &amp;amp; Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis posted this on X.&lt;/p&gt;
  327. &lt;div id="wHdzZq"&gt;
  328. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  329. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;RIP to a legend and sports icon, Jerry West. &lt;a href="https://t.co/tSQTL3LqJi"&gt;pic.twitter.com/tSQTL3LqJi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Ted Leonsis (@TedLeonsis) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TedLeonsis/status/1800902572838101262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 12, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  330. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  331. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  332.  
  333. &lt;/div&gt;
  334. &lt;p id="4qF39n"&gt;In addition to Leonsis, Washington Mystics General Manager Mike Thibault was an assistant coach for the Lakers from 1980-82. Thibault posted this message on X today.&lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;div id="uXBWrx"&gt;
  336. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  337. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Very sad to hear of the passing of Jerry West. He gave me my start in the NBA. Terrific person and professional!! My deepest condolences to his wife, Karen, and his family. He will be missed by all who knew him!&lt;/p&gt;— Mike Thibault (@coachthibault) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/coachthibault/status/1800910625335640503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 12, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  338. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  339. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  340.  
  341. &lt;/div&gt;
  342. &lt;p id="FE6P16"&gt;RIP, Jerry.&lt;/p&gt;
  343.  
  344. </content>
  345.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/12/24176979/jerry-west-nba-legend-death-reaction-condolences"/>
  346.    <id>https://www.bulletsforever.com/2024/6/12/24176979/jerry-west-nba-legend-death-reaction-condolences</id>
  347.    <author>
  348.      <name>Albert Lee</name>
  349.    </author>
  350.  </entry>
  351. </feed>
  352.  

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