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Martell Webster being shut down for the remaining two games of the season

Huston Conti — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:17:17 +0000

It appears as though the Wizards are playing the rest of the season conservatively. Webster, Ariza, and Nene will miss the remaining two games of the year, and they’ll join Bradley Beal on the sideline. With those four guys out, it looks like the starting lineup for the final two games will be something close to John Wall-Garrett Temple-Cartier Martin-Kevin Seraphin-Emeka Okafor. Alrighty.

You could view this move as another blow to a lost season, or you could view it as the right thing to do. These three players are a vital part to whatever immediate future this team has envisioned for itself, and their age and injury histories need to be taken into account when assessing the remainder of this season.

I can’t say I’m too surprised by the news, and I won’t say I’m disappointed either. But now we know that if this team plans on winning 30 games for the first time since 2008, it’s going to have to do it on the road without four of its top six guys.

Courtesy of Amin Vafa, www.bulletsforever.com

Martell Webster explains his new ‘Unveiling the Wizard’ celebration

Huston Conti — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:55:27 +0000

WASHINGTON — You may have noticed Martell Webster doing the dance you see above after a thunderous two-handed dunk in the Wizards’ 96-87 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday. If it looks familiar, it’s because it’s very similar to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s “Superman” celebration.

But Webster insists his move is unique. Therefore, he decided to give it a name: “Unveiling the Wizard.”

“Listen, there’s no copyright infringement here,” Webster said when asked about the similarity to Newton’s dance. “I made it up on the spot. Having some fun. It may have been Cam Newton-esque, but it definitely wasn’t his move. I call it, ‘Unveiling the Wizard.’”

Don’t be surprised to see the pose become common. As you see in the .gif, John Wall was doing the dance on the bench right after Webster did it. It’s better than the JaVale McGee salute, that’s for sure.

“I may have stolen [from Newton] a little bit,” Webster later admitted. “But that’s my move.”

(GIF is via WIZ SPURTIN).

Click Here to see Webster “Unveil the Wizard’

Courtesy of Mike Prada, Bulletsforever.com

Webster’s career high 34 leads the Wiz past Phoenix

Huston Conti — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:51:00 +0000

When his sixth three-pointer splashed through the net near the end of the third quarter of the Washington Wizards’ 127-105 victory over the Phoenix Suns, Martell Webster skipped back on defense, arms swinging along, carefree, as he rocked side to side.

When his seventh three-pointer dropped at the start of the fourth period, Webster ran back down the court and began to shrug his shoulders like Michael Jordan during the 1992 NBA Finals when he looked over and saw his Wizards teammates waving towels, laughing and hooting on the bench.

Webster has been one of the NBA’s most consistent marksmen from beyond the three-point line this season, but he had never been better than Saturday night against a Suns team that rarely stepped out to contest any of his shots, giving him ample time and space to have the best night of his professional career.

Courtesy of Michael Lee, The Washington Post

Ariza and Webster give the Wiz big production at small forward

Huston Conti — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:46:10 +0000

Trevor Ariza was completing an interview session with reporters after the Washington Wizards’ 104-87 win over Charlotte when Martell Webster emerged from the training room. As he is wont to do after home wins, Webster crept from behind, prepared to interrupt with a loud, playful comment to make Ariza laugh or flub his words on camera.

Sensing Webster approaching, Ariza smiled, turned and said, “You got it.”

Ariza moved aside, laughing as he scooted out of the locker room, leaving Webster surrounded by video cameras, microphones and tape recorders, covered only by a towel. Webster avoided an awkward situation by cracking a joke about being uncomfortable with so many people staring at his physique and then snuck off to the shower.

The postgame handoff may have been clumsy but Ariza and Webster once again proved to be an effective small forward tandem as the Wizards snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over the Bobcats.

Courtesy of Michael Lee, The Washington Post

“Get To Know Martell Webster”

Huston Conti — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:25:38 +0000

SI.com’s (Sports Illustrated) Ian Thomsen has written a new column where his “Get To Know” subject is the Washington Wizards very own Martell Webster. Check out the article here, and scroll down to find the section. It’s a great read!

Wessel: MW now among NBA’s best shooters

Huston Conti — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:12:47 +0000

MINNESOTA — It wasn’t a ceremonious return by any means. Martell Webster was introduced last for the Washington Wizards Wednesday and fans didn’t even seem to notice. No boos, no cheers. Just people finding their seats.

The indifference likely stems from the last two years being ones the fans would like to forget. The Wolves won just 44 games and Webster missed 55 games. But now in a Wizards uniform after the Wolves paid $600,000 to buy out of his contract, Webster is playing the best basketball of his career.

“I feel great, I feel tremendous,” Webster said. “I finally got my back healthy. It was very discouraging times for me, but I feel great.”

In a season where the Wolves are shooting a league-worst (by far) 29.7% from three-point range, Webster is shooting 45% from behind the arc, just percentage points behind Kyle Korver for the best mark in the league. J.J. Barea leads the Wolves with 34% from 3-point land. In fact, only three Wolves are shooting better from the field than Webster is from distance.

Courtesy of Dana Wessel, 1500ESPN.com

Midseason grades: Thank goodness for Martell Webster

Huston Conti — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:54:13 +0000

It’s not technically midseason, but with this being the all-star break, we could think of no better time than to issue midseason report cards. In this edition:Martell Webster, who has been a godsend.

STATS: 48 games played. 17.9 minutes, 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. 14.04 PER (Player Efficiency Rate). 62.2% TS (True Shooting Percentage). 7.6% TRR (Total Rebound Rate). 16.42% USG (Usage Rate).

THE GOOD

Martell. Martell, Martell, Martell. What’s there to say? You shoot the lights out from three (43.8 percent). You run the break and dunk. You can move the ball. You can defend (after all, you’re a big dude). Your contract is dirt cheap (~$1.75mil), and it expires after a year. You’re effective on offense and defense, you have a low usage rate, you own a timeshare in the right corner that you sometimes trade for a timeshare in the left corner, AND you don’t burden the salary cap?

Also, I’m pretty sure you’re the most entertaining locker room personality on the team. You’re friendly and playful with everyone, from reporters to trainers to coaches to other players. You’re like the one middle sibling with a head on his shoulders that everyone wonders how the hell you wound up being from the same gene pool as everyone else in the family.

So here’s my question for you, Martell Webster. Seriously, what are you? A genie?

MW’s breakout season

Huston Conti — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:22:49 +0000

Martell Webster’s perimeter presence has been exactly what the Wizards needed this season. Let’s take a look at how Webster is finding the most efficient shots on the floor and knocking them down at an elite level.

Spot-Up

The biggest weapon in Webster’s offensive arsenal is his spot-up shooting. According to Synergy Sports, he’s scoring 1.22 points per spot-up possession, which ranks 22nd in the league. Obviously, a huge part of that has been his tremendous three-point shooting in these situations. He’s shooting 48 percent from deep when spotting-up, which is similar to (and sometimes better than) noted sharpshooters Ray Allen, Kyle Korver, and Steve Novak. The table below breaks down where Webster’s getting his looks and how it’s changed since last season.

Courtesy of bulletsforever.com

MW is picking up his game

Huston Conti — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:16:55 +0000

In this past off-season the Minnesota Timberwolves let Martell Webster go in order to free up the necessary salary cap space to make a run at Nicolas Batum (who ultimately remained with the Portland Trail Blazers) and the Washington Wizards took advantage. They added the former No.6 overall pick (2005 by the Blazers as Webster had just come out of high school) on a one-year deal for $1.75 million. His play this season has made that contract extremely valuable for the Wiz, and they will surely be looking to extend the 6’7″ eighth year small forward based on his 2012-13 play.

Courtesy of Craig Ballard, Rant Sports

‘The key is Moroccan Oil’

Huston Conti — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:06:22 +0000

I don’t know a whole lot about hair upkeep — either of the top-of-the-head or bottom-of-the-face variety. Martell Webster, though, has a luxurious beard thing, and he apparently takes very seriously the responsibility to maintain his ever-expanding chin coverage device.

“You know, it has a mind of its own,” the Wizards’ swingman told ESPN 980. “It’s out of control. All I do is wake up, and I condition it, and I comb it. I pamper it. I pamper it. I let it do its own thing. The key is Moroccan Oil. If I don’t put that in, it’s gonna be a rough night. Moroccan Oil.”

So Brian Mitchell asked Webster if he travels to Morocco to procure this oil.

“No no, I import it,” Webster said. “I import it.”

Scott Jackson told him to avoid deer antler spray as a conditioning device.

“No deer antler,” Webster agreed. “That could test positive, so we won’t do that. We’ll just stick with the Moroccan Oil.”

Webster also answered some serious questions, like one about what John Wall adds to the team.

Courtesy of Dan Steinberg, The Washington Post