Coming into this game, the Wizards were without Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, which meant that someone had to step up tonight besides Gilbert Arenas, and tonight that person was Andray Blatche. In just 26 minutes of play, Blatche had 30 points, and he shot a blistering 83% (15-18 from the field).

Earlier this week Daniel Gibson provided me with one of the better chats I’ve had with an NBA player. We talked about muscle memory, joked about some methods Steve Kerr used during his playing career to stay loose and he gave some great insight into his role within the Cavs offense this season.

A huge thank you goes out to ESPN for giving Hoops Addict some props as their Site of the Day.

Looking for the inside scoop on all the offseason moves made by teams in the Pacific Division? Check out his list of Pacific Division team previews that will give you a thorough understanding of all the moves these teams made leading up to this season.

You would think Toronto would be in the mood to celebrate after a big win against Cleveland, right? Not a chance.

Despite pulling off an upset that is sure to catch the attention of the rest of the NBA, the players and coaching staff brushed off the win as the first of many during a grueling 82-game schedule.

After what I saw from DeMar DeRozan in the preseason I anticipated he would come out a bit nervous tonight but his play was anything but. Early in the game he hit two free throws and got a bit of swagger going. He followed that up with a nice jumper and then he had a steal on Cavs next possession.

DeRozan finished the first quarter with 4 points, 3 boards, 1 block and 1 steal in 9 minutes of burn. While his final numbers won’t jump out at you – 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in 23 minutes – it was an impressive debut for the Raptors lottery pick.

After averaging 15.0 points and 6.9 rebounds over 33.9 minutes per game, you’d think Rasheed Wallace would have signed with a team this summer that provided him with an opportunity to start.

Not Wallace, he’s just searching for a chance to win some more Championship bling and is more than happy to do that by providing a spark off the bench. Just call him the next Robert Horry.

Last year I picked the Wizards to go 41-41, and injuries and a coaching change pretty much derailed me from the start. This year, despite the Jamison setback, I think the Wizards will return to their 2005-2008 “heyday” and come out with a 43-39 record, which will be good enough to make the playoffs and play the Cavs once again.

Looking for the inside scoop on all the offseason moves made by teams in the Southeast Division? Check out his list of Southeast Division team previews that will give you a thorough understanding of all the moves these teams made leading up to this season.

Isiah Thomas is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He surely ranks among the best point guards in history, and anyone who ever watched him play can attest that few players have ever played with more fire and spirit than the former Piston legend.

Based on his career on the basketball court, we should collectively think about Thomas as an iconic figure and one of the true luminaries of his sport.

But we don’t. When we contemplate all that is Isiah Thomas, more often then not the former star comes up miserably short.