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| Posted By | Discussion Topic: Jordan Not Too Shabby In Wiz Preseason Debut | ||||
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| Joe Soprano | posted on 10-12-2001 @ 12:12 AM |    | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00  | By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - When Michael Jordan caught the perfect alley-oop pass from teammate Courtney Alexander, just about everybody watching thought they knew what was coming. A dunk, of course, right? Nope. Instead the new-look Jordan laid the ball gently in instead of slamming it through in his debut with the Washington Wizards. Jordan doesn't have everything working perfectly just yet. But it might not take long. ``I'm not going to try to do something that I'm not prepared to do right now, but I did score,'' he said. ``And even though it's not as it once was, a beautiful tomahawk alley-oop, it may be a dunk in a couple weeks.'' Jordan looked terrific in the first quarter and merely average in the second Thursday night, appearing in a Washington Wizards uniform for the first time and playing 17 first-half minutes in a 95-85 preseason loss to the Detroit Pistons. Welcomed with a huge, warm ovation in the first game of his comeback, Jordan had a sellout crowd gasping with excitement just 18 seconds into the game when he swooped into the lane from the foul line and swatted away a shot by Pistons forward Ben Wallace. Jordan went on to miss his first shot, a 3-pointer, and make his second - a 20-foot jumper over Corliss Williamson - for the first points of the game. ``I kind of surprised myself because my energy level was pretty good in the first quarter. I thought I was OK, and I felt like I've still got room for improvement,'' Jordan said. ``So I'm on schedule, but I was surprised by how intensified I was in the first quarter. It's been three years since I played an exhibition game, and obviously it's going to take some time for me to be adjusted.'' Jordan played the opening 8:08 of the first quarter and the first 8:25 of the second, scoring eight points on 4-for-8 shooting with three rebounds, two turnovers, a steal and the block. He did not play in the second half. Used as the primary ballhandler for most of his minutes, Jordan showed off a few perimeter moves to free himself for jumpers. Matched defensively in the first quarter against Williamson, a small forward, Jordan was beaten once on a backdoor play and failed to box out on another play, leading to a tip-in by Williamson. Pistons reserve guard Jon Barry got the best of him on two plays in the second quarter, driving around Jordan for a reverse layup and then popping open for a 3-pointer from the corner when Jordan did not fight through a screen. ``Nobody is going to have mercy on him, I don't care if he's 38 or 58,'' Barry said. ``He had his feast on us, maybe if things don't work out we can feast on him a little bit.'' The Wizards were outscored 23-7 when Jordan was on the floor in the second quarter, and official Steve Javie even whistled him for a palming violation that drew astonished hoots from the crowd. Jerry Stackhouse of Detroit led all scorers with 30 points. Richard Hamilton had a team-high 24 for Washington. ``Michael was fine. I said I was going to play him eight minutes, but after he came out he said 'Let me play a little bit more,''' Wizards coach Doug Collins said. ``Let's give him four or five more weeks to let him get where he wants to be. He's three or four weeks away from being where he wants to get.'' Fans crowded beneath the basket and snapped photos during warmups as Jordan worked up enough of a sweat to make his bald head glisten. A sellout crowd of 22,076 at The Palace of Auburn Hills cheered loudly for Jordan as he was the last Washington player introduced, then chanted ``We Want Jordan'' in the third quarter and ``We Want Michael'' in the fourth. ``I thought it lived up to its billing,'' Pistons coach Rick Carlisle said. ``He's not one to make timid entrances, never has been.'' Jordan's decision to play in Washington's first exhibition game saved the Pistons from a ticket refund nightmare. Had Jordan not played, the Pistons were prepared to let fans exchange tickets for Thursday night's game for tickets to one of the two Wizards-Pistons games during the regular season. But with only 2,000 tickets remaining for those games, supply would not have met demand. Jordan, after announcing Wednesday that he would sit out games against the Pistons and Miami Heat, changed his mind three hours later, after the Wizards received a phone call from deputy commissioner Russ Granik. The final 2,000 tickets for the game were sold out by Thursday morning, team spokesman Matt Dobek said. ``I didn't know the expectations of the fans,'' Jordan said after the Wizards' shootaround. ``Once I got the response of everybody in terms of tickets and whatever, I felt compelled to play from that standpoint. I don't want to disappoint anybody.''   <---- Kiss me helmet. | ||||
| GonzoStyle | posted on 10-12-2001 @ 12:15 AM | | |||
| Hanger-On Registered: Jan. 70 | Jordan looked OK but he is far from where he has to be to be a competative factor in the NBA especially with such young players as kobe bryant, vince carter and ofcourse Allen Iverson. This ofcourse is just a pre-season game and he played under 20 minutes but he did take control barking orders like he always did to get people in the game, he actually took time to set up shots for others instead of taking 45 shots himself. Which is what he will have to do, cause in no way will he be the player he was 5 years ago or even 3 years ago. He will not be scoring 40 points a game as much as he used to he will have to not only rely on his other team mates but sculpt and create players who will hold him up when he needs them to. Time will tell if he will be a top 5 or top 10 player and how well the wizards will do. Championship is out of the question but even if jordan gets them to a .500 season or pulls off getting them into the playoffs that will be miraculous. "These dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth." -- Abraham Lincoln She-Mail Me Here | ||||
| drkn2forget | posted on 10-12-2001 @ 1:25 PM | | |||
| Psychopath Registered: Feb. 01 | quote: Just having Jordan on the floor will obviously free others on the floor up. I think they do have a shot at reaching the playoffs, but not much further 
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| prototype | posted on 10-12-2001 @ 3:53 PM | | |||
| Psychopath Registered: Aug. 01 | I'll wait for the season around week 3 to see if Jordan's really back to where he should be he seems rusty. USA Bin Laden is a dead man Free Northern Ireland This message was edited by prototype on 10-12-01 @ 3:55 PM | ||||
| Joe Soprano | posted on 10-12-2001 @ 7:34 PM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00 | Win or lose, 55 points for Jordan or 5, this comeback means one thing: The Wizards are selling tickets. Big time. (Unless someone in the Washington area can prove otherwise.) Also, like business in NYC today helps boost the local economy after the tragedy, this can also boost economy for the Washington area after the Pentagon attack, even though the MCI Center is located in suburban Maryland. <---- Kiss me helmet. | ||||
| 2 tired 2 give N F One of the Teen Tomatoe Boys is Retarted... Guess which one I am!!! | posted on 10-14-2001 @ 12:29 AM | | |||
| Psychopath Registered: Jan. 01 | I'm a big fan of Jordan but I think he belongs in Red...Purple doesn't suit him or the 23...either way it's going to be good to see him play again even if he's not scoring 40 pts a game... And I find you here, Through your eyes everything's clear, And I fall inside your arms, but I'm alone for now, alone for now... | ||||
| Cluster F | posted on 10-14-2001 @ 12:34 AM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00 | The NBA is really going to benefit from this. I mean, if u like basketball, why wouldnt u watch this guy play? Plus, by watching him, casual fans will see the rest of the players in the league, and there is some good games, people may then get hooked. And tell me how many young kids arent gonna buy Jordan stuff. Objective 2: Root for Braves to exit from playoffs Objective 3: Root for the A's to win the World Series | ||||
| GonzoStyle | posted on 10-14-2001 @ 12:39 AM | | |||
| Hanger-On Registered: Jan. 70 | quote: Tarnishing a legacy if he doesn't live up to the potential we know he had at one time. If he is gonna be putting up 5 points his legend and armor will be ruined. "These dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth." -- Abraham Lincoln She-Mail Me Here | ||||
| rageparty 123...Not so bare anymore since I got a number underneath my name again I also have an imaginary girlfriend. | posted on 10-14-2001 @ 1:01 AM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Aug. 01 | it doesnt mean they are guaranteed to sell tickets, lemieux came back for pitt and the pens sold out like the first 15 games and like the whole playoffs, but look what happened next year, lemieux's back is hurting, and ppl aint coming to the games, this could happen with jordan too, he is one of the older guys out there, and he cant carry the whole team, someone else will have to step up | ||||
| Joe Soprano | posted on 10-15-2001 @ 10:54 PM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00 | quote: They all better be darn rich kids... Nike said the new version of their Air Jordan sneakers will go for a suggested retail price of $189.00. For SNEAKERS! That might lose their luster if you walk in a snowstorm... I'll stick with my Reeboks, thank you... GO BUCS | ||||
| Francine Banger | posted on 10-16-2001 @ 1:56 AM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Dec. 00 | quote: I thought Jordan was playing for the Wizards, not the Bucks.  | ||||
| Joe Soprano | posted on 10-16-2001 @ 10:35 PM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00 | Is that supposed to be a purple/gay/Jay Mohr/Bucks cap reference? The Bucks' color is primarily green. It was weird when, riding down 5th Avenue, I see a Jordan Wizards jersey in the NBA Store window... That's when reality hits you... GO BUCS | ||||
Displaying 1-12 of 12 messages in this thread. |