Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 9:10 am  |  42 responses

John Wall, Flip Saunders Unhappy With JaVale McGee’s Dunk


With their record at 1-11 (by far the worst in the League), and trailing the Houston Rockets by six points yesterday, JaVale McGee (naturally) thought it would be a great time to throw down an unecessary showtime dunk. This did not sit well with teammate John Wall and head coach Flip Saunders, who addressed the silly play following the Wizards’ 12th loss of the season. From SB Nation DC: “Afterwards, McGee wasn’t quite sure what he did wrong, saying he had no regrets about the move. ‘Apparently, if you get a fast break and you throw it off the backboard in the third quarter and you’re 1-11, you’re not supposed to do stuff like that,’ McGee said, seemingly sarcastically. ‘I felt like I was trying to get the team hyped and trying to make a good play, so I felt like we did that, and we went on a run from there.’ His coach did not agree. ‘I told him that’s unacceptable,’ Saunders said. ‘Maybe I’m too old-school, but you see that and the [lobbying] for the All-Star Game, that right there is where we have to get to where we identify with meat and potato basketball. Playing hard, setting screens, playing the right way, and not highlight-type play. We’ve said this many times. We have some players that look for highlights instead of substance.’ As for the rest of the players in the locker room, opinion was mixed. John Wall was on Saunders’ side. ‘A dunk is a dunk. It would have been better if he went in and did a regular dunk. We’re 1-11,’ Wall said. ‘There was no point in doing that. I know he was excited, but if we make a basket, that’s all that counts.’ Veteran Mo Evans also agreed with Saunders, saying the experience reminded him of when he was with the Detroit Pistons and they kept losing in the Eastern Conference Finals. ‘I’ve been on a team in the past where we kind of showboated a little bit, and we were winning and in the playoffs. As a result, we went to Miami that year and got beat the heck up,’ he said. ‘I think that’s something people will look at. We already are struggling to get wins and we don’t need to try to get someone else back.’ But McGee did have one player defending him. Nick Young was diplomatic, but he sided with McGee in this dispute.”

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  • Björn Atli Posted: Jan.17 at 9:19 am
    I have to side with Flip because the NBA isn’t supposed to be a showcase of athleticism and teams with losing records aren’t allowed to do anything watchable.
    But seriously McGee’s and Wall’s athleticism are the only entertaining thing about the Wizards

  • DFrance21 Posted: Jan.17 at 9:41 am
    And somehow if he did a regular dunk, the Wizards would no longer suck and be 1-11? Give me a break!

  • Michelle Posted: Jan.17 at 9:47 am
    Wall sounds like a hypocrite. If he going to diss his own teammate for doing a fancy dunk then what about his throw it down dunks and then staring at the oppositon and getting a technical for that while your team is down. This stuff needs to stay in the lockerroom and not in public

  • Ugh Posted: Jan.17 at 9:48 am
    I think this team has serious morale problems if they find the time to criticise someone MAKING a basket in their 12th loss in 13 games.
    Agree with above. Have something to cheer for, c’mon.

  • T-Money Posted: Jan.17 at 9:57 am
    dfrance: it’s the other way around: if you’re 1-11, you don’t get to show boat. the salesman that’s killing his quarterly forecasts gets to come in the office at 10:30, the one that’s way behind better be at 08:30 sharp at his desk. that’s life.

  • DFrance21 Posted: Jan.17 at 10:05 am
    No, that’s bullcrap. This is an entertainment league first. If I pay $100 to sit in the nosebleed section of the arena for my LOSING home team, I better see some flash on the fastbreak. I’m sure none of the fans in attendance were upset at McGee’s “showboating”

  • Tempest Posted: Jan.17 at 10:10 am
    He should’ve thrwon it off the shotclock that pass way way too low for his gangly ass frame

  • FnF Posted: Jan.17 at 10:11 am
    At Ugh, that is exactly when you know times are hard.

  • Rik Smits Mullet Posted: Jan.17 at 10:21 am
    I understand what flip and wall are trying to say. But its not like when you are a losing team you cant do something entertaining once in a while.
    That dunk probably brightened some wizards fans day.
    Also these guys make a gatrillion dollars a minute to entertain the masses.
    Sports is there to entertain us. As much as i love the nba. its not like its useful beyond entertainment. So let mcgee do a backflip alleyoop of the backboard dunk.

  • John Posted: Jan.17 at 10:32 am
    winning is more entertaining than one off-the-backboard dunk. playing basketball the right way will make the fans happiee in the end.

  • mugiwara Posted: Jan.17 at 10:32 am
    wall wanted the assist.

  • Hursty Posted: Jan.17 at 10:36 am
    It was inappropriate. He could’ve windmilled it, could’ve tomahawked it.. but throwing off the backboard is totally disrespectful. Shows a lack of respect for the opposition too.
    You could tell even the official wanted to T him up for it.
    And, not so quietly – Kyle Lowry for the ASG. He’s been incredible so far, and picked up from the last 20 games he played last year. MIP by FAR this year.

  • Bt Posted: Jan.17 at 10:40 am
    Alright John, how about your stear downs after your dunks? You know during the games where your losing and continually turning the ball over? Good leaders aren’t hypocrites. I have more faith in a McGee self alley-oop than one of your jumpshots falling.

  • Gman Posted: Jan.17 at 10:42 am
    just trying to hype up the squad, i see nothing wrong.

  • Animalxxx13 Posted: Jan.17 at 10:46 am
    John wall is seriously overrated and overhyped. He will find his way out of this league in five.

  • neaorin Posted: Jan.17 at 10:54 am
    Oh yeah, I have no idea why people say this is a team of selfish players only looking to get their own. Those people are crazy. Killer dunk, though.

  • Rik Smits Mullet Posted: Jan.17 at 10:59 am
    @hursty
    for real you think the opposition felt disrespected while in the lead by an alley oop come man these are guys are pro’s and millionaires if they think thats disrespectfull they could have sprinted back and did something about it. And come on about the technical foul man!!! who got hurt while he did it.Getting technical fouls for entertainment. if it was up to David Stern everybody was playing in suits giving chest passes till the shot clock runs out.

  • Kobester Posted: Jan.17 at 11:01 am
    Wizards Basketball….where amazing happens!

  • Hursty Posted: Jan.17 at 11:08 am
    RIk – ever been paid to play a sport before? Anything at all?
    I have. And I’m telling you I would be pissed if the opposition did that to me/my team. And I’m guessing that as competitive as these guys are, they’d feel the same way.

  • Da-Meat-Hook Posted: Jan.17 at 11:13 am
    Yeah, it was flashy, but for a player of his a athletic ability and coordination, it’s an extremely high percentage shot. If he attempts this dunk 10 times, he makes it 10 times. Any elite dunker will tell you that a big dunk can boost team morale and even change the momentum in a game. Vince’s, Lebron’s, and Blake’s teams all missed the playoffs their rookie seasons. I highly doubt all of their rookie break away highlights occurred while they were up by 10 points and cruising towards a W.

  • Rik Smits Mullet Posted: Jan.17 at 11:16 am
    ^^cosign Da Meat Hook.
    execpt for mcgee being a second year player lol

  • Rik Smits Mullet Posted: Jan.17 at 11:42 am
    @hursty
    i have never been paid to play a sport. But i did play some crappy amateur hoops back in the day. But still i would not be more disrespected when down and the other team is showboating then when iam up.
    I think nobody felt disrespected by his dunk. whit all there competitiveness not one guy even crossed the half court to come back and challenge the dunk.

  • K.Holiday Posted: Jan.17 at 1:18 pm
    I dont think this is disrespectful by any means. Kobe throws it off the backboard to himself! Vince has done it before! T-Mac has done it! Why is Javale catching soo much heat for this? His team’s record shouldn’t have anything to do with it. He made the dunk, so what’s the problem? These dudes aren’t robots. They have minds of their own and his judgement on the break didnt hurt anyone. Let that man do him, because no one is yelling at Chandler Parsons for tea-bagging McGee! LOL! Let em live!

  • @boweezy24 Posted: Jan.17 at 3:16 pm
    Haha He Should have Thrown The Ball Off The Shot Clock then Did A Wind Mill!

  • bike Posted: Jan.17 at 3:20 pm
    It’s the only fun these guys are having right now. Next time, Javale should throw it off Wall’s head and dunk it. That would show the overrated, ball hogging, chump punk a thing or two.

  • dfrance21 Posted: Jan.17 at 4:18 pm
    Its funny how John Wall has gone from DOUGIE-ing for 20 minutes before every tip off, to the veteran voice of reason in 1 summer. FOH.

  • robb Posted: Jan.17 at 4:54 pm
    I remember when McGee was trying to get that triple double. It was both funny and pathetic. It tells you the kind of player he is.

  • RunNGun Posted: Jan.17 at 7:18 pm
    @ROBB That wasn’t McGee; it was BLATCHE. Usually huge, highlight type dunks energize teams but apparently people didn’t see it that way. With that said, McGee’s athleticism doesn’t make up for his low BBIQ.

  • robb Posted: Jan.17 at 8:37 pm
    ^^^ummm nope http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/03/javale-mcgee-on-his-shameless-triple-double-chase/

  • BlackPhantom Posted: Jan.17 at 9:32 pm
    I don’t see anything wrong with that

  • dfrance21 Posted: Jan.18 at 1:38 am
    Robb he needed one more basket at the end of a meaningless game, he already had the rebounds and the blocks was it really that pathetic?

  • chips Posted: Jan.18 at 1:57 am
    glad some of u guys are not playing in the league. seriously this is Javale McGee! The guy doesn’t get it! If he would’ve missed it, you guys would be on his neck saying he shouldve easily dunked it. As for John Wall staring down people, so the f*ck what! How many times LBJ has done it?, how about Kobe?, Melo?, Flash?, STAT?, Chris Bosh?, oh wait lets take it back, MJ?, Bird?, how about Barkley? Yeah so what. How many times have they threw the ball off the backboard in a middle of a game down by six? And before anybody says Kobe does it all the time, he’s doing it to win and not thinking about adding one to his highlight reel. The nerve of you people. (Stephen A Smith voice)

  • Hambone Posted: Jan.18 at 3:48 am
    He shoulda done the Dougie after the dunk right?

  • The Aussie Posted: Jan.18 at 9:20 am
    To be honest I see nothing wrong with the dunk, had Blake griffin of done that in a game everyone would have been saying what a great dunk, flip Saunders just wanted to blame someone because he can’t coach the team, he even said he was too old school, he’s got players like wall, young and McGee who are all very athletic and need to be allowed to play with flare.
    Y’all need to stop hating on John wall, he’s gonna be a hell of a player soon and then all you haters are just gonna jump on his bandwagon.

  • DerekG Posted: Jan.18 at 11:13 am
    Nothing wrong with playing with flair but win some games! This may seem insignificant but I get Saunders’ point…play well and win THEN showboat. I’m only surprised that ANdray Blatche hasn’t been involved in this Wizards mess!

  • jordan Posted: Jan.18 at 11:18 am
    i guess their trying to say wheres your mindset we losing to the houston rockets and you thinking about a highlight .and for the record that dunkwasnt jaw dropping , didn’t get me excited at all and I’m pretty sure nobody else cause they still lost

  • AQWORD Posted: Jan.18 at 4:38 pm
    ! Anyone B!#chin bout the dunk is a sad (unt !!

  • unrel Posted: Jan.19 at 12:54 am
    Björn’s comment (first) pretty much sums it up.. of course.. when a team is that bad.. you have to just play the game.. or learn the game.. etc etc etc.. but what do you want him to do?.. a tap the glass layup?.. i hear what flip is saying… but he needs to get a check.. and “entertainment’ is all the wiz have going for them right now..

  • Mooney10 Posted: Jan.19 at 10:42 am
    Doesn’t matter either way, I wish he would have missed it, so there would be something to talk about.

  • That Dude Posted: Jan.19 at 8:04 pm
    @ Hursty – what sport have you been paid to play?

  • brandon Posted: Jan.21 at 6:25 pm
    i see no problem with it, who knows, that could have been a momentum play for the wizards. plus, if your one of the top dunkers, if its only the third quarter, and your on tv, then i dont see any problem with a nice dunk to keep people in the stands.

  • VanCityBBall Posted: Jan.23 at 1:28 pm
    he was just rying to hype the team and crowd up… who knows? they could of been 2 in 9 because that dunk helped them pump energy at the time

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