My beef this week is with Wizards big man Andray Blatche. Blatche, like a sizable amount of other athletes, is an entitled bum.
Last night, in a game against the Bobcats, Blatche was pulled by Wizards coach Flip Saunders for "not getting back on defense."
When Saunders tried to speak with him about his play, Blatche "didn't want to hear it" according to Saunders. Over the course of the game, the coach sent several assistant coaches to talk with Blatche, who still refused to go back in the game. The Wizards, who had lost their previous 11 games, went in to overtime with the Bobcats, but eventually lost 95-86. Who knows what type of effect Blatche, who is averaging 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds this year and already had 4 points in 7 minutes, could have had on a game that the Wizards desperately needed to win to break their slump?
Blatche has a somewhat successful history on the court. The 23 year old went straight from high school to the NBA, and was drafted in 2005 by the Wizards with the 49th overall pick.
Blatche's playing time and statistics have increased significantly throughout his career, going from averaging 6 minutes and 2.2 points per game his rookie year to 25.9 minutes and 12.6 points per game this year.
Despite his success on the court, Blatche's history off of it is appalling. Blatche has had a few run-ins with the law during his short tenure in the NBA. The first came on August 2, 2007, when he was charged with sexual solicitation. Charges were dropped after he attended a court-ordered day-long seminar for men who solicit prostitutes.
Then, Blatche was arrested on June 4, 2008, for reckless driving, going 86 mph in a 70 mph zone, and driving on a suspended license for not the first, the second, but the third time. He was later released on bond.
This year, he was fined $10,000 by the NBA for participating in Arenas' gun-filled tomfoolery before a 76ers game.
Then there is Blatche's work ethic. Mike Wilbon of the Washington Post and ESPN, says Blatche has an "incredible skill set" but has heard Blatche's Wizard teammates say that he was the "laziest player they 'd ever seen."
This guy has probably been babied his whole life. He has always been the best player on his team, even at his private boarding high school. Like many other players of his caliber he was probably good enough to skip practice and not listen to a word his coach said, all without punishment.
Since he never went to college, Blatche had to quickly make the transformation from the beloved, popular star, to the rookie riding the bench. He went immediately from having more power than his coach to having to listen to his coach or else not play.
His probable lifelong special treatment is why even a day after the incident, he said that he only takes the blame for "25 percent" of the situation. No matter what he has ever done or said, no one has ever sat him down and punished him effectively. Even now, Blatche is not being taught a lesson. By starting him tonight against the Pacers, the Wizards are babying him just like he has been throughout his life. Even after refusing to fully admit his wrongs, he is not being punished. He went on to say the Saunders "needs to apologize, because [Saunders] was wrong" about Blatche refusing to play.
Imagine an employee who does not put much effort into their work, but works somewhat well nevertheless, going into their employer's office demanding a raise. That is exactly what Blatche did when he refused to go back into the game. He cannot expect Saunders to play him more if he does not put in the effort. And if he does not like it? Too bad; he is an expendable employee, and if he is going to whine, then fire him, just like any employer in their right mind would do. Athletes are not babies and should not be treated as so.
He's not Kobe or Lebron, he's Andray Blatche, and whatever the coach says, he should do, and be proud he is still playing professional basketball with his poor behavior and work ethic.
Whether Blatche or Saunders is telling the truth, the fact is that at the very least, Blatche came to the bench after playing unmotivated defense, and when Saunders tried to talk to him, he walked right past him. An employee not listening to their boss, when they are trying to instruct them is unacceptable. The Wizards are an awful team already, the last thing they need is an awful teammate.
Too many athletes today are drama queens and prima donnas. They grow up being the star everywhere they go, and being able to do whatever they please because of their athletic abilities. Then when athletes go straight from being "that guy" in high school to becoming no-names in the pros, they do not know how to handle it, and therefore they do what they know best: pout and whine. Whether it's LeBron James or the worst player in the NBA, no player has the right to override and talk back to their coach. If players like Blatche have shown time and time again that they are unwilling to commit themselves to their team, they should be shown the door, because as much as talent matters, team chemistry matters just as much. And whether Blatche believes it or not, as a mediocre basketball player, there is more where he came from.
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