We talked Monday about the Wizards' need for Andray Blatche to continue his progress on the court this season. Sounds like his teammates are looking for more from him as well.
From HoopsHype's Raul Barrigon's interview with Antawn Jamison:
Do you believe believe Andray Blatche can really step up?
AJ: We'll see. I'm a big believer. I have the confidence that he can get it done, but it's a different game. There are 82 games... being consistent night in and night out, he has yet to do that. The responsability is on his shoulders to take precautionary measures to make sure he's prepared to do it night in and night out. It's tough so, hope that he can get it done, but we'll see in a couple of weeks if he can do it night in and night out.
That is a nicely played PR game right there.
The veteran forward managed to come off as both a good teammate and an honest evaluator in the answer about Blatche. As a leader on this team, he has to show some public faith in his 'mate, but he also may have added something to stir a fire under Blatche with the comment about the youngster having yet to play consistently for 82 games. It's an accurate assessment, and whether or not Blatche can realize Jamison's hopes for him could play a big role in deciding the Wizards' fate in the season to come.