A JaVale McGee sighting is one of the few occurrences that can still get the Verizon Center buzzing.
To say that the kid's path around Wizards Nation has been tumultuous would be an understatement.
McGee has gone from Draft Day, "huh?" to starting prodigy to debated against Greg Oden to bench warmer to a garbage time all-star against the Lakers on Thursday.
So what's stopping this kid from getting more floor burn, satisfying the appetite of fans? Some would be quick to point in the direction of Ed Tapscott. In reality, the answer is time.
Eddie Jordan threw McGee into the fire earlier this season, and he performed admirably. Now, the opposing scouting report on him has been fine tuned. McGee can hold low post position about as well as a guy who just drank a six-pack in a 50 deep bathroom line. But getting pushed around or not, it's time for McGee to see more time on the court.
McGee has done well to compensate for lack of muscle with energy, pogo-stick jumping ability, and helicopter arms. But in addition to strength, it will take time to build upon his education.
Observe veterans like Darius Songaila. See how he has come close to perfecting the art of leverage and positioning to compensate for being slow and undersized.
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It's understandable that Tapscott, a man with player development in mind, wants to bring McGee along at a reasonable pace. But now, he needs to do some nudging towards the next level.