Boarded Up: Wizards Big Men Step Up Ahead of Playoffs

THEY SHOULD SEE WHETHER SOULJA BOY can box out.

The war of words between the Cavaliers and the Wizards is already going strong, with DeShawn Stevenson vowing to bring the teenage rapper — who LeBron James used in an analogy to take a swipe at Stevenson last week — to Verizon Center during the teams' first-round playoff series.

But it may not matter who's sitting courtside if the Wizards' big men have a tough time under the boards. The Cavaliers have pounded Washington the last two years in the playoffs, out-rebounding the Wizards 462-381 in 10 games.

An advantage like that — roughly eight rebounds per game — leads to second-chance points and additional possessions that can easily make the difference between a win and a loss.

But Washington has a reason to believe this time could be different. Center Brendan Haywood has had a career year, averaging 10.7 points and 7.2 rebounds pre game entering Wednesday's meaningless season finale at Orlando.

"Brendan Haywood's done a terrific job for us," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "He's a guy that understands that if he plays well, then we have a terrific chance of being a good defensive team."

He'll get help from All-Star Antawn Jamison (21.4 points, 10.2 rebounds) and Andray Blatche (7.4 points, 5 .1 rebounds), who is also playing the best ball of his young career, developing into a reliable part of Jordan's nine-man rotation.

Still, Cleveland's front line — now with five-time All-NBA Defensive Team member Ben Wallace (8.4 rebounds) — is as formidable as ever cleaning the glass. The Cavaliers, who outrebounded the Wizards in three of four matchups this season, enter their season finale atop the NBA in rebounding margin (plus-4.21 boards a game) and second in the league in total rebounds per game (44.5).

In addition to Wallace and Anderson Varejao (8.3 rebounds), Cavs starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (9.3 rebounds) provides box-out headaches on the offensive end because of his penchant for coming out to take 15-foot jumpers, clearing the lane for offensive rebound opportunities for James and others.

"It's tough [to guard Ilgauskas]," Blatche said. "I'm going to try to stay in his face [and give him] no room to breathe at all."

Written by Express contributor Eric Brandner
Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post