One Shining Moment
Butler's game winner brought good times back to Chinatown
Getty: Jim McIsaac/Staff
Caron Butler may not be an All-Star, but Sunday's performance proved he is more than worthy.
Not two nights before, Coach Ed Tapscott criticized his team for playing "hero basketball" -- but buzzer beating wins don't occur without a healthy dose of heroism.
Moments like Caron Butler's game-winning shot on Sunday won't act as much more than a brief salve on a deeply wounded season. But a single joyous moment can go a long way toward getting a splintered team to once again play as one.
Although, those off the court don't seem to have much of a problem, on-court reasons to smile have obviously been very far and few between as of late. Youthful exuberance in winning-induced, court-storming elation was found thanks to Butler's magical 15 points in the game's final 3:45.
However, without growth, the moment is just that. What Wizards will we see today, and tomorrow?
The expectation of wins has been reduced to nothing. At this point, the fans are left just wanting to see their team display a wholehearted effort, as indicated by a poll on the Washington Post's Wizards Insider -- as of last check, 58 percent of those polled want the Wiz to keep trying to win games instead of giving up.
And that's exactly how it should be. If the Wizards do not, as Herm Edwards would put it, play to win the game, then they're not building good habits for the future.
Amongst talk of a lost season, there are still plenty of opportunities for improvement. But unless this team better learns how to play as a cohesive unit, Butler's shining moment will just be a faded memory.
Kyle Weidie also writes Truth About It and contributes to Bullets Forever, both Washington Wizards blogs.
