Wizards Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Wizards Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Healthy at last.

That summed up the way center Etan Thomas feels these days, and this is saying a lot when one considers where Thomas was at this time last year.

Thomas was supposed to enter last season as the incumbent starter. However, open-heart surgery one year ago ended his 2007-08 season prematurely and put his career in jeopardy.

“Man, it feels great to be out there and running with the guys again—everything feels great,” Thomas said.

He doesn’t mind that he’ll be coming off the bench to back up teammate Brendan Haywood, the player whose starting position Thomas seized two years ago in training camp. “I never doubted that I would come back, but it was very frustrating at times,” he said.

Thomas underwent surgery to repair his aortic…

Wizards Showing Defensive Growth

RICHMOND, Sept. 29 — When the Washington Wizards got off to a slow start last season, dropping their first five games while struggling offensively, Coach Eddie Jordan theorized that the overwhelming emphasis he and his staff placed on defense during the preseason was a factor.

This week, as the Wizards lay a foundation for the upcoming season, Jordan is striking more of a balance between offense and defense.

“We’re into the offense,” Jordan said Monday after his team completed its third practice of camp. “It’s not like we’ve had two or three practices and it’s been 80 percent defense and 20 percent offense. It’s been about 60/40 because the system is in defensively for the second year. As long as they give effort and they remember our scheme, then we’re ahead of last year.”