Saturday, June 28, 2008

A Washington Post take on the newest Wizard -- JaVale McGee

Here's a Washington Post article on JaVale McGee:

After Sizing Up His Potential, Wizards Went With 7-Footer
Ivan Carter
Washington Post
Saturday, June 28, 2008; Page E10


Like many of the players selected in Thursday night's NBA draft, JaVale McGee could have returned to college for at least one more year of seasoning. But when the 7-foot, 237-pound McGee started getting word during his sophomore season at Nevada that he stood a decent chance of being a first-round draft pick, the 20-year-old center decided to make himself eligible.

"I was on the radar and figured that if I went back, I could get injured or you never know what can happen," said McGee, who averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and a Western Athletic Conference-leading 2.8 blocks per game last season. "So I just decided to come out, work hard and make myself ready. I think I made the right choice."

The decision appeared to pay off when the Wizards selected McGee with the 18th overall pick. McGee, who will earn $1.16 million as a rookie, based on the NBA's salary scale, will be formally introduced during a news conference Monday at Verizon Center.

While acknowledging that McGee is not likely to make a major impact next season, Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld said McGee's combination of youth, athleticism, 7-foot-6 wingspan and shot-blocking skill made him too good to pass up....

Go here for the remainder.

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