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"Time has come for Wizards to free Antawn Jamison: Windhorst Beat Blog
Based on his record on the court, in the locker room and in the community, it is hard to find many better human beings in the NBA than Antawn Jamison. This is the era of athletes falling from grace; but for now, Jamison belongs up there.
He's intensely loyal to the Wizards franchise. He was very close to owner Abe Pollin, who recently passed away. With all the antics the Wizards have pulled over the last five years, he's constantly been the grownup. His level of class stood out even more when his teammates were committing dirty fouls, were talking brashly without results to back it up, or their coaches were openly admitting a game plan to to injure the opponent's star.
Back in 2007 when the Wizards played the Cavs in the first round of the playoffs and Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler were injured, Jamison was a complete warrior. The Wizards had no chance in the series and the Cavs were loading up on Jamison. But he came to play every game like it was the Finals. He averaged 32 points and 10 rebounds in that four-game sweep and single-handedly made three of the games competitive. I'm no Bill Simmons when it comes to NBA history, but that has to be one of the greatest forgotten playoff performances in history. People weren't even making a big deal about it then, even though I certainly tried to highlight it. It was a courageous display and a reminder of the type of person and player he is.
All of that is why the Wizards now owe it Jamison to trade him and give him a chance with another team. They have been grasping on to this group for years hoping for health, luck and the right playoff seed. But for various reasons, much of it plain bad luck and a rising superstar in Cleveland, they haven't gotten there. Now with the Arenas suspension and the Pollin death and the impending doom (DeShawn Stevenson called it a "black cloud" over the team), there are no more illusions. The dam has broken, it is over in Washington. There's going to be a new owner and new faces.
Obviously, the Cavs want Jamison in the worst way. He fits everything they want and need at the moment. A great shooter with size, a smart player with playoff experience, a strong character in the locker room, a willingness to fit into the team concept. He's not a great defender, he's had some injuries and he's owed $28 million over the next two years. With next summer's free agent haul, there aren't many teams willing to take on that sort of commitment. Especially for a 33-year-old, even if it does look like he's got a lot of gas in his tank. There aren't a lot of trade partners for the Wizards to just dump the salary, if they indeed want to go that route.
Three months ago, it seemed impossible. The Wizards were a vogue pick to challenge for the East and there was so much hatred between these franchises. Now, the Wizards have so much more to worry about than the future of the Cavs. Could it happen? Could Jamison end up in Cleveland in the type of power-shifting midseason All-Star trade like the one that sent Rasheed Wallace to Detroit in 2004 and Pau Gasol to the Lakers two years ago? It looks like a stronger possibility now than ever. But even if it doesn't happen, Jamison deserves a chance to play for a title and the Wizards owe it to him because he's a champion."
