Although the Washington Wizards recorded an impressive victory yesterday (Monday) over the Philadelphia Sixers, leading throughout the game to 98:17 at the end, for Danny Abdia it was a rather dismal evening. In the first game of the season in which Washington enjoyed a full staff, the Israeli was pushed to the edge of the rotation and came up to play only in the last three minutes, in which he managed to score 2 points and register one kidnapping.
Abdia seems to have been informed before the game in one way or another that he is not expected to get many minutes, as shortly before the match he uploaded a post to his Instagram account and wrote: “Good things take time”. The forward may have actually meant the difficulties he has experienced recently when it comes to the offensive side, but either way the situation in Washington seems to have become extremely challenging for him.
Either way, Washington tried to convey messages of optimism to Abdia even after drying on the bench, and after setting a negative record of minutes in a single game in an NBA career. “Forming our new rotation is a sensitive craft. There is a delicate balance here that we are still trying to find and understand how it will work,” interim coach Joe Blair explained at the conclusion, explaining that “there is nothing personal here against Danny.”
In the United States, there were those who said that Abdia rarely played for reasons of rest – the Israeli forward is one of only 12 players in the entire league who have not missed a single game this season – but it is doubtful that this is a plausible explanation. Abdia’s good friend Kyle Kozma (who is personally in a great time) also referred to Abdia’s drying up as more than a coincidence, and told about the encouraging call he gave the Israeli at the end of the game.
“I told him, ‘Stick to the process. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you hoped, but if you keep going, you’re at the risk of injuring or testing another player’s positive corona from going back to the top five,” Kozma said. “In the NBA you can be pushed out of the rotation a lot of times, because everyone is a good player, but you should not take it too hard. Danny always wants to play, and that’s understandable. With the way I know him, he probably went to practice now, he sure will work even harder. “It’s hard to prove he deserves minutes. He’s the person he is.”
Bradley Bill also addressed the rotation changes at the end. “I do not remember when was the last time we had a proper squad. It’s great fun to see everyone come back from their injuries and absences and play good basketball, and that I don’t have to score every attack. We have to play like that every night, and not just against big teams.” On the players who did not play or did not play, including Abdia, the star added: “It’s like an elephant in the room. Everyone knows we have a lot of players competing. And I told the players we do not know what the rotation will be in the next game. Some will play more, some will not play but everyone We need to stay on the ground. “
The Washington journalist did not miss the issue of the dried-up actors either. Reporter Chase Hughes of NBC tweeted: “The Wizards have a full roster available for the first time this season, so they can not share them all.” NBC added that “after the return of all the injured, a domino effect has been created in the Wizards, and not everyone will be able to be part of the rotation. This time it seems that Danny Abdia and Davis Bartans were the main victims, because they are used to playing relatively much.”
Matthew Faras of the Washington Times also referred during the game to Montreux Harrell, whose status has been damaged since the return of chin Thomas Bryant from injury, but did play 21 minutes tonight: “Abdia and Davis Bartans will be erased. They have not yet come in and Corey Kispert is ahead of them both in the rotation.”
So far the successful defense has bought Abdia a well-established place and a respectable dose of minutes in Wes Ansald Jr.’s rotation, but his little contribution on offense may be in the offing now that the coach has got all the missing back. Another question that is expected to be answered in the near future is whether the Wizards will use Abdia as an “asset”, as long as it is still considered one, and include it in the trade along with other players to add significant reinforcement to help the team enter the playoffs.
A report by Bleach Report reporter Eric Pincus even noted that “several teams in the NBA are following Danny Abdia,” knowing he may be on the shelf in the near future and may be part of a trade. According to the report, Detroit forward Jeremy Grant was and remains the preferred candidate nominated by the Wizards.
By the way, in the United States there are also those who believe that other players on the team are in the spotlight more than the losers. Thus, for example, Raul Neto, who shows disappointing ability this season, continues to be an integral part of the rotation – which according to some Wizards letters, indicates that the team may be trying to “show it by force” to the other teams in the league, ahead of his possible move from the Wizards.