The Washington Wizards have traded guard Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics, a possibility we addressed here earlier today. 

UPDATE: Per Yahoo! Sports, the Wizards have traded Crawford to the Celtics in exchange for Leandro Barbosa and his expiring contract. 

UPDATE: Per Yahoo! Sports, the Wizards also received C Jason Collins in the deal. 

I'm not sure Collins adds much for the Wizards. His best days are well behind him, though perhaps he can mentor big men like Jan Vesely and Kevin Seraphin. I don't see his value extending much beyond that, however. I believe Collins has twice as many fouls [74] committed as points scored [37]. So, that's pretty much what you're getting with him.

Like Barbosa, Collins is playing for the $850,000 veteran league minimum so the Wiz could buy him out and let him go to a contender. I doubt it makes much of a difference to the team either way. 

Why would the Celtics trade Barbosa? Well, he suffered an ACL injury in his right knee earlier this month and isn't going to be playing basketball any time soon so he can't help them on their playoff run. His absence leaves a hole in their backcourt that they needed to fill with another shooter and if there is one thing Jordan Crawford likes to do is shoot. [Even when he shouldn't be shooting.] 

The Celtics also want to avoid paying the luxury tax and there was speculation that they might waive Barbosa outright in order to avoid that. Basically, they got Crawford for nothing. Good for Celtics GM Danny Ainge.

Why would the Wizards do this? I'm not sure. Crawford is a shot-jacker who has been in Head Coach Randy Wittman's doghouse for almost a month and the team seems capable of winning some games without him. On the other hand, Crawford is young, cheap, still on his rookie contract and capable of putting up a lot of points from time to time. The Wizards just gave him away for pretty much nothing. Why would they do that?

I don't know. The deal reduces Washington's cap number by less than $2.2 million next year, a negligible sum. Crawford has not become a team cancer, despite his non-playing status for most of February. He was unhappy with having no role on the team, but that's understandable. I regard Crawford as a fairly limited player, but even limited players have value and the Wizards really didn't get any value for him. 

I doubt this is what GM Ernie Grunfeld intended, but it feels like a gigantic "SCREW YOU!" to all those Wizards fans [roughly 100 percent] who have wanted him fired for years. Crawford is young and talented and might have worked his way out of Wittman's doghouse long enough to make a contribution -- or at least long enough for the team to deal him for something useful in the offseason or on Draft Night. 

The Wizards essentially gave Crawford away. If they're in such a giving mood, the team ought to consider giving tickets away. Only problem is, how many people would want them?

For my further reaction to this trade, see THIS & THIS on Twitter.

As is his wont this time of year, ESPN's Chris Broussard is lighting up his Twitter feed with trade rumors, most of which will never amount to more than that. Today, he wrote that the Wizards are interested in trading for Orlando Magic guard JJ Redick -- along with Indiana, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Detroit. Each of those teams would appear to have far more to offer for Redick than the Wizards do -- particularly if John Wall, Bradley Beal and Nene are, as reported, off the table in virtually all trade talks. 

This JJ Redick deal makes no sense for the Wizards. For one thing, what about Bradley Beal? The team loves him, he's been playing great, his upside is far higher than Redick's and, not long ago, the Wizards picked Beal with the third overall selection in the NBA Draft. What's more, Redick want's a lot of money to re-sign, according to AJ Wojnarowski: 

Sources say Redick's agent, Arn Tellem, will likely start the bidding at four years, $40 million for Redick on the free-agent market.

Undaunted, Broussard passes along another Wizards rumor. This one has Washington discussing moving Jordan Crawford -- whom the team does want to move -- to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Fab Melo. Boston has plenty of guards already, but Crawford would give them another backcourt scoring option who can help space the floor with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. 

The Washington Wizards have been mentioned several times in various trade possibilities in recent weeks, though nothing concrete -- or even semi-permeable -- has come of it. For a while the Wizards were rumored to be pursuing Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, but that's no longer considered a possibility, as the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks appear to be at the top of the trade list for Smith. I never thought the Wizards had a shot at Smith, since they apparently told Atlanta they were willing to deal anyone on the team apart from John Wall, Bradley Beal and Nene -- the only three Wizards players any other team would want. 

In other words, the Wizards consider those three their building blocks for the future and won't deal them unless some miracle deal comes falling out of the sky -- which won't happen. So, basically, the Wizards, if they make any moves at all before the trade deadline, will be tinkering on the margins. That may be frustrating to many fans, but it is also understandable, since the team has so little to offer other clubs. Let's face it, when you're 15-37, you probably don't have a lot of talent to move and whatever talent you do have, you probably want to keep. That is not the sort of team that makes a lot of news before the NBA trade deadline. 

The one player the Wizards appear to be aggressively trying to move is Jordan Crawford, the shot-jacking, ball-pounding 2-guard who can score in bunches because he shoots in bunches -- and often misses in bunches. Crawford has decent size, good ball-handling abilities and can really fill it up when he's hot. However, he's played no defense in Washington and his inability or refusal to accomodate himself to Washington's up-tempo ball movement offense -- he gets the ball and immediately slows everything down by dribbling incessantly -- has led to Crawford falling out of Coach Randy Wittman's rotation and into his doghouse. 

Crawford seems disinterested as he sits, game after game, on the bench, and after Washinton's last game -- a bad home loss to the Toronto Raptors -- Crawford chucked his jersey into the stands as he left the bench. He does not want to be in Washington and the Wizards don't want him anymore. Washington has gone 5-3 in the 8 games Crawford has been a DNP-CD and the emergence of Bradley Beal has made Crawford, some believe, unnecessary.

But Crawford has something to offer teams. He is Washington's third-leading scorer, he can hit pressure shots, as he did against the Portland Trail Blazers twice this season, and he's versatile enough to have become one of only five NBA players to have a statline featuring 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and only 1 turnover in a single game. In December he averaged 19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per game. Talent is there. Prodution is there... sometimes. 

If any Wizards player is going to be moved before today's 3 PM trade deadline, Crawford would appear to be that player.

You knew it would be a dominating topic during at least the early part of Spring Training. And the Gio Gonzalez link to Biogenesis clinic in Miami has been a hot topic.  First, the Miami news published a report that linked four major leaguers, including Gio Gonzalez to Biogenesis, and thus, performance enhancing  drugs (PEDs).  That night, Gio issued a vehement denial via his twitter account.  The first day of Spring Training, he then issued another vehement denial, this time speaking directly to the press.  Gonzalez acknowledged that his father purchased weight loss products from the clinic, but that he had never had any contact and had never purchased anything from the clinic. 

Gonzalez's vehement denials now seem to be supported as ESPN reported yesterday that new documents link over 20 more major leaguers to the clinic, but that Gio Gonzalez never purchased any PEDs.  That lines up with Gio's selection by Joe Torre to Team USA for the World Baseball Clinic.  The prevailing thought is that Torre, who is an MLB executive that would be in position to know MLB's stance, would not have selected Gio if a suspension was forth coming.  Now, it appears likely that MLB will not dole out discipline to Gio considering the new documents confirm his denial.  Fact is, Gio has never tested positive in any drug tests he has taken with major league baseball. 

Yesterday, Gonzalez responded to the  report that seemingly exonerates him from purchasing PEDs. 

“I’m going to be honest with you guys, I haven’t heard anything yet officially from MLB,” Gonzalez said to a group of reporters. “I do plan on sitting down and cooperating with them. I want to get this all done already, before the season starts. This is all new to me, guys. I do look plan on getting ready. Looking forward to spring training. I feel confident this is going to come out good.”

More from CSN on Gio's comments.  More from Rant Sports.

 The Sharks are sinking.  The top Dman is out for the season.  Thomas Vanek has an off week.  And the cream starts to rise to the top.  All in this weeks Top 50 fantasy hockey players.

This is a comprehensive list of fantasy hockey values, factoring in position scarcity and the following stats.

For forwards and defensemen: goals, assists, power play goals, power play assists, shots on goal, hits, blocked shots and penalty minutes

For goalies: saves, goals allowed, wins, losses and shutouts

SEE THE LIST.  PLEASE CLICK CONTINUE READING

Live coverage of the NFL scouting combine begins Saturday on the NFL Network.  Tight ends, offensive lineman and special teams will be featured at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis to kick off the weekend. Who should you be keeping an eye on?

Tight End- With all the focus on needs in the secondary and the offensive line, the glaring need for a solution at tight end has been largely overlooked. It seems unlikely that Fred Davis will be brought back as using the franchise tag on him again will cost in excess of $6.5 million dollars. Logan Paulsen did a fine job starting ten games after Davis' injury and he is a restricted free agent. With converted receiver Niles Paul the only other tight end, inking Paulsen is a must. With tight end's becoming a bigger part of the passing game across the NFL, the Redskins will certainly be looking for one in the draft, free agency or both. I would expect Washington to look tight end mid-draft, perhaps with one of their two fifth round selections.

-Dion Sims (Michigan State) 6'5" 285- Sims is my favorite target at the position for the Redskins this April. Sims has the size of an offensive tackle, but the mobility of a tight end. Sims has soft hands and uses his big body well to shield the ball from defenders. Sims is tough to tackle in the open field and has surprising speed when in full stride. Sims is a solid blocker, with nimble feet and quickness in both the running and passing game. Sims has difficulty adjusting to errant throws and is not as strong in the run game as his size would indicate.

-Jordan Reed (Florida) 6'3" 225- How athletic is Reed? He spent time during the 2010 season at quarterback in the Gators running formations. Reed is adept at route running and is one of the best tight end's in the draft after the catch. Projects as a "joker" at the next level and has drawn comparisons with another former Gator, Aaron Hernandez. Due to his size, Reed has trouble with in-line blocking. Needs to work on footwork and technique in getting to the second level.

-Philip Lutzenkirchen (Auburn) 6'5" 250- Lutzenkirchen's red zone prowess landed him as Auburn's all time touchdown leader at tight end. "Lutzy" has seen projections drop him in mock drafts due to shoulder surgery, which cost him most of his senior season. Displayed versatility for the Tigers, lining up at tight end, H-back, fullback and even wide. Philip's weakness are inability to contribute in the vertical game and although an effective blocker, has trouble at times sustaining in space.

-Joseph Fauria (UCLA) 6'7" 260- Does his name sound familiar? Uncle Christian played in the NFL for 13 season, also at tight end. Both played for Rick Neuheisel, Christian at Colorado and Joseph with the Bruins. Fauria actually began his career at Notre Dame, but transferred to Westwood, closer to home. Fauria is long and excels in the red zone, especially jump balls in the end zone. Good after the catch, he is a tough matchup for linebackers. Fauria needs to put on some weight and has struggled in run blocking.

Offensive LIne- Washington has two major decisions to make along the offensive line. 1) Should they pursue unrestricted free agent Kory Lichtensteiger? The left guard has some injury concerns, but did start 16 games in 2012. The team has some young options from last season's draft, but would probably try to replace him via free agency, should he not come to terms. 2) Is Tyler Polumbus adequate at right tackle? The unrestricted free agent started all 16 games after the annual injury to Jammal Brown. I am bullish on Polumbus and would like to see the 'Skins sign him to a multi year deal and focus their energies elsewhere.

-Xavier Nixon (Florida)- 6'6" 310- Consistency is the only thing keeping the four year starter from being an early round pick. Nixon has a long, athletic build and has played to the level of the competition. Nixon shut down projected first round pick Damontre Moore of Texas A&M, but struggled at times against lesser foes. High school All-American has a huge upside, but thus far has been an underachiever. Very worthy off a mid-late round gamble.

-Ricky Wagner (Wisconsin)- 6'6" 320- Another four year starter, Wagner arrived in Madison as a dual sport star (basketball). Wagner held down the left tackle position for the Badgers, but projects as a right tackle at the next level as run blocking is his strength. Quick enough to sustain blocks in zone running game. His weakness is in pass protection and what you see is what you get as he has overachieved at the college level.

-Brennan Williams (North Carolina)- 6'7" 315- Williams has been my favorite all season long as someone the 'Skins should target in the '13 draft. One of the nation's most sought after high school lineman, Williams operated mainly in a reserve role his first two seasons in Chapel Hill. Williams started at right tackle his junior and senior seasons, but missed the last four games this Fall with a shoulder injury. Williams strength is an enormous wingspan, which helps ride pass rushers out of the pocket. Williams lacks quicklness to play on the left side, but he fits right in where the 'Skins need him, at right tackle.

-Terron Armstead (Arkansas Pine Bluff)- 6'5" 305- Coached by former Redskin linebacker Monte Coleman, Armstead chose Pine Bluff  because Monte allowed him to participate in track and field and football. Armstead was a three time All- Conference performer in football and eight time track and field champion. Armstead is not only a fantastic athlete, he has a high football IQ as well. Armstead needs improved lower body strength and excelled against sub-par competition in college. Some project him at guard, versatility that the Redskins love, especially along the offensive line.

Special Teams- Punter Sav Rocca is an unrestricted free agent and also 39 yards old. Time for the team to move on and find a younger (and cheaper) option. There is a special gamechanger at the position in this year's draft and the 'Skins should make sure to get him. More on him in a moment.... Long snapper Nick Sundberg is a restricted free agent and obviously needs to be brought back. Kicker Kai Forbath was Mr. Automatic and has earned a multi-year deal. As the team evaluates defensive backs, it would be a good idea to find one that doubles as a kick returner (Honey Badger).

-Brad Wing (LSU punter)-  Former Australian rules football player is an absolute weapon. Wing not only has a big leg, but is great at pinning the ball inside the 20. Wing averagd nearly 45 yards per punt in two seasons in Baton Rouge, tops in school history.

Up next a preview of Sunday's coverage on the NFL network with a look at the skill positions, quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

The Washington Capitals may be crippled by injuries, witnessing the downfall of a once great NHL superstar, and battling thorugh a debilitating 5-9-1 start, but tonight, all is good in the Caps' world, because Brooks Laich has finally joined twitter.

I won't do the talking for him. Just follow him at @BrooksLaich.

As we reported last night as the story broke, documents obtained from Biogensis, the Miami Clinci being investigationed for supplying performance enhancing drugs to MLB baseball players, seem to exonerate Nats' starter Gio Gonzalez.  The documents did name five additional baseball players linked to the clinic, none of which were Washington Nationals.  The documents also show that Gonzalez, orginally linked to PEDs in the initial Miami news report, never bought any PEDs and the weight loss purchases that may have been for his Dad, were not on any banned substance league by Major League Baseball.  The documents likely make any MLB discipline unlikely for Gonzalez. More on the GIo story:  Wash Post, Wash Times, CSN

Fellow starter Ross Detwiler has committed to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.  That has the Nats concerned as Gio Gonzalez is already committe for the second round.

“Obviously, they’re your boys. You like to keep them close,” manager Davey Johnson said, adding he was “surprised they didn’t take more.”

TREVOR ARIZA

He was billed as a top defender when the Wizards traded for him in the offseason and he's lived up to that billing, as one of the top 20 or 30 defensive players in the NBA. The Wizards have the 4th-best defense in the NBA and Ariza is probably the single biggest reason why. The defense is 2.6 points per 100 possessions better when he's on the court and he does this despite usually playing the opposition's top scorer. Ariza plays the passing lanes beatifully, consistently coming up with steals and harassing other teams into mistakes. 

On the other hand, he's still not a good offensive player. He's been less efficient than in years past, but he still has a poor shooting percentage and his shot selection is mystifying, with far too many 3-pointers taken when better options are available. Ariza appears to continue to suffer from an over-abundance of misplaced confidence in his scoring and shooting ability. 

Grade: C+. The defense has been great, the offense has been predictably poor, but if Ariza can improve his shot selection, take fewer outside shots and continue to play very good defense, he'll be a valuable, albeit expensive, part of Washington's rotation. 

BRADLEY BEAL

The third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft struggled mightily to start the season and frequently embarrassed himself in November. He improved markedly in December, though, and in 2013 he's been a very good scorer, putting in 17 points per game and sporting a .533 effective field goal percentage -- putting him among the elite in that latter category. It seems unlikely Beal can keep up that torrid pace going forward, though getting fully healthy from a nagging wrist injury would help. 

What Beal needs to do is improve his shot selection and stop taking so many bad outside jumpers. Beal is more than just a sweet shooting stroke -- he's also a fine athlete and he needs to use his athleticism more to get to the hoop. 

GRADE: B-. He needs to shot fewer bad long jumpers and attack the hoop more often -- and more effectively -- but he's made big strides in this calendar year and continued improvement can reasonably be expected. 

TREVOR BOOKER

He's been injury-prone his entire pro career and it has set his game back. Booker needs to be a high-energy player who grabs rebounds, defends several positions well and plays the passing lanes aggressively. Instead, there have been efforts to turn Booker into a scorer, a role he's not suited to play. As a result, his shooting percentage has fallen dramatically to 44 percent this season. He's played about 330 minutes in 19 games this season and has seemed to fall out of the playing rotation at times. 

Booker isn't hopeless, though. He's a hard worker who continues to finish very nicely around the hoop. His problem this season has been a nonsensical tendency to take outside shots -- which is a poor idea since Trevor is a very poor outside shooter. If Booker stops with the outside shots and goes back to playing around the hoop, he should be able to contribute more consistently. 

GRADE: F. This season has been a small disaster for Booker, but he's capable of better. His injuries shouldn't cripple his game so he ought to be able to bounce back if he can get his game straight. Despite this murderous stretch for Booker, the team should not give up on him. 

JORDAN CRAWFORD

He's carried the Wizards at times this season, particularly when John Wall and Nene were injured. Crawford can score and handle the ball and it doesn't seem to affect him if he comes off the bench. He's the sort of player who can score 25 points on any given night, whether you expect it to happen or not. He's also made some big shots this season, beating the Portland Trail Blazers twice on big outside shots. 

However, Crawford has fallen out of Randy Wittman's rotation because of his atrocious defense, his tendency to jack up shots from anywhere on the floor, regardless of the game situation, and the way his mindless dribbling brings the offense to a crashing halt almost every time he gets the ball. While Crawford's shooting has improved and his percentage of bad shots heaved at the hoop has declined from recent seasons, it isn't good enough and Crawford has lost his playing time to Garrett Temple, a demonstrably inferior player who tries hard on defense and understands that his job is not to slow the offense down by pounding the ball against the floor. 

Grade: C-. Craword is a prime candidate to be traded, since he can score and the Wizards appear to have no use for him right now. If he isn't traded he will probably work his way back into the rotation because he's got so much more ability than Temple. However, he will have to stop shooting deep three pointers for no apparent reason and get into the flow of a moving offense. 

CARTIER MARTIN

I thought he would be useful on a team desperate for outside shooting -- the one part of his offensive game that really stands out -- but injuries have derailed the season. His knee hyperextension has kept him out of the roster since before John Wall's return and there is no timetable for his return. When he does return I think he could offer the team something as a 2-3 scorer off the bench, but Coach Wittman may balk at giving him minutes at the expense of players like Bradley Beal, Martell Webster and Trevor Ariza. 

GRADE: Incomplete. I'd love to see what Martin can do with John Wall running the offense. 

NENE

The Wizards are much better offensively -- 9 points better -- when Nene is on the court. The Wizards are much better defensively -- 6 points better -- when Nene is on the court. So he's had a huge impact on this team. When Nene is healthy the offense flows better due to his ability to pass, his ability to score in the paint and his ability to step out and knock down a 14-footer. 

The problem with Nene is health. He missed a lot of time after being traded to the Wiz last season and he's missed plenty of time this year, too. He's also not as efficient a scorer as he once was and I think his injuries have a lot to do with that, forcing him to work harder around the basket. 

GRADE: B+. Nene has been the best player for Washington this season, scoring, passing, rebounding and playing solid interior defense... when healthy. A Nene that plays the final 31 games of the season would go a long way to the Wiz posting a much better record after the All Star break than they did before it. 

EMEKA OKAFOR

Washington would not have the 4th-best defense in the NBA without Emeka Okafor's interior defense, protecting the rim and intimidating opponents in the paint. I particularly like Okafor on the floor with Nene because the bulkier, more physical Nene works well with the more agile Nene. 

Okafor has never been paid for his offense and it is no different this season. You'd like a guy earning eight figures to score more often than Okafor does, but the money has already been spent so there isn't much use in going on about that. He's not a particularly efficient scorer, but if guys like Wall, Nene, Beal and Webster can carry the scoring load in the second half, Okafor can do less on offense and get his points more efficiently, mostly off the offensive glass. 

GRADE: B. He needs to do less as a shooter so he can improve his efficiency, but his rebounding is solid and his defense is excellent. 

A.J. PRICE

He was supposed to be the backup point guard this season, providing the defense and careful generalship that teams want from the guy who takes over when their starting point guard is getting a rest. Unfortunately, Wall missed half the season with a knee injury and Price was forced into the starting lineup, getting huge minutes in November, December and the first part of January. It's not a role that looks good on him.

Price has provided the good defense -- Washington was a solid defensive club even before the return of John Wall -- and his assist-to-turnover ratio is very respectable. In other words, he's been a perfectly acceptable backup point guard. However, as a starter he was dismal and the team was awful. Price cannot shoot, cannot create for others, does not penetrate or get a lot of points in early offense. He can't make up for the fact that he's a bad shooter the way John Wall can. 

GRADE: C-. Miscast as a starter, a healthy AJ Price should do well in a backup role, getting 10-15 minutes a night, playing good defense and not making many mistakes when he's on the floor. He needs to cut down on his shots when he is on the floor, though, since he's such a terrible shooter. 

KEVIN SERAPHIN

The good news is that Seraphin has really improved his defense this season and become one of the league's better post defenders. The bad news is that he's one of the most inefficient offensive players I've ever seen. Oh, and he still stinks as a rebounder. 

Seraphin shoots constantly, but poorly, making only 44 percent of his shots, which is truly hideous considering the vast majority of his shots are close to the basket. The Wizards have the worst offense in the NBA this season, but it is markedly better without Seraphin on the floor. In other words, he's a major reason the team is so terrible at scoring. 

Seraphin is a turnover machine who almost never gets to the line, shoots poorly from the field and rebounds his position terribly. Other than that, he's doing fine.

GRADE: D-. I like the defense a lot, but everything else is awful. I'd trade him right now if I thought a team would give up something useful for him. 

CHRIS SINGLETON

Coach Randy Wittman had had enough of Singleton's terrible offense and inability to fix it so he benched the sophomore player, who missed 17 games before the All Star break. Instead of pouting, though, Singleton worked hard to improve and satisfy his coach. It worked and he's played much better since getting back into the player rotation.

As a small power forward, Singleton is playing solid defense -- as he must to stay in the NBA -- and rebounding reasonably well. This is the role Singleton has to carve out on this team. He's not a starter on a decent club and his offense will never set the world on fire. However, he can add a lot to the team as a tenacious defender off the bench, able to guard at least three positions. That sort of versatility is rare and valuable and if Singleton truly does understand how to play for this team now, he should get decent playing time in the second half of the season. 

GRADE: F. Despite playing better in the last week-and-a-half before the All Star break, Singleton was essentially in the doghouse for the month of January because he seemed to have no idea what to do on offense or defense. Therefore, he made few, if any, contributions to the team. 

GARRETT TEMPLE

On a team that wins, when it does win, because of defense, Temple is a prime example of what the Wizards do well. He's good length, decent athleticism and committment to hard work has helped make Temple a good defender and he's gotten a ton of minutes, mostly at the expense of no-defense Jordan Crawford, for that reason. 

Unfortunately, there really isn't anything Temple gives  this team or any other on offense. He's a bad outside shooter and he doesn't drive to the hoop either. He can pass a little, but nothing that other players can't do as well or better. There really isn't any reason to have him on the floor on offense, but at least he doesn't slow the offense down the way Crawford does. Temple understands he is limited and quickly moves the ball to players who can do more, which is pretty much anyone in a uniform. 

GRADE: C-. He's a nice guy to have on the team, but you don't want him playing much and you want him shooting pretty much never. 

JAN VESELY

He's played a bit better with John Wall on the floor, but that's true of almost anyone and really does not tell you much about Vesely. He's been terrible this season and the stuff that caused trouble for him last year has caused even more trouble this year, leading him to play very little in Randy Wittman's player rotation. 

He's a terrible outside shooter and hits less than 28% of his free throws, which is both disgraceful and laughable. He was a foul machine last year and he's even worse this year, demonstrating he still has no idea how to play defense. Also, his rebounding is worse. Basically, everything is worse and nothing is better. 

GRADE: F. He needs to find a way to become a rebounding, defensive contributor who can get some garbage points in transition with John Wall on the floor. I see little chance that Vesely will do this, however. 

JOHN WALL 

We know once-legendary player agent David Falk thinks John Wall isn't much of a player. Is he correct? No. Wall has shown a real ability to elevate the Wizards this season with his defense, his passing, his penetration and inspiration to teammates. He still can't shoot the ball, though, and that's a major flaw in his game that shows no sign of improving. In fact, it might be getting worse. 

Is John Wall a franchise player? That's the question that has been asked many times in the past few weeks and will be asked many times over the next few months. The answer, it seems to me, is no. He has the ability to be a very good player and sometimes he is, but a franchise player -- one who can make a team a contender almost all by himself -- is not what John Wall is. That's what LeBron James is. That's what Kevin Durant is. That's what Chris Paul, maybe, is. John Wall is not. 

But he's a good player, usually the best player on the Washington Wizards. He certainly has the potential to be a very good player on a very good team, particularly if paired with Bradley Beal, who perhaps has more potential than Wall does. The worst thing that happened to Wall, apart from the knee injury, was being drafted first overall. It put far too much pressure on him to be a superstar when a superstar is not what he is and probably not what he will ever be. Is he Derrick Rose or Chris Paul? I see no evidence that he is.

However, Wall is the next step down from those guys, when healthy and his talent is maxed out. That should be good enough if the Wiz can get some nice players around him. Bradley Beal is a good start. But now they need more.

GRADE: B.

MARTELL WEBSTER

Who has been the most pleasant surprise for the Wizards this season? Clearly, that's been Martell Webster. He's averaging over 10 points per game and at 44% has become one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA. He runs the break, finishes nicely, plays solid defense, rebounds decently and, to top it all off, he's inexpensive. 

Webster is on a one-year deal and will want a nice raise -- and will deserve one -- if he continues to play at this level in the second half of the season. Without  Webster Washington's offense will be even worse than it is and he's been one of the few fairly consistent scorers on the team who can also stay healthy. 

GRADE: A. What's not to like from Webster. He's done everything they've asked of him and more. Let's hope he keeps up the good work. 

Washington Nationals starting pitcher emphatically denied the initial report regarding the Miami Biogenesis Clinic that linked him to PEDs.  The newest report out indicates that Gio was being truthful in his denial.  The latest documents links five new players to the Miami clinic and the purchase of PEDs, but clears Gonzalez of purchasing any banned substances.  Though not a clear exoneration, it is an excellent indication that Gonzalez will likely not face any MLB discipline. 

According to two sources familiar with Bosch's operation, however, the Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, previously identified as being named in Biogenesis documents, did not receive banned substances from Bosch or the clinic.

Both sources, speaking independently, identified Gonzalez as the only Bosch client named thus far who did not receive performance-enhancing drugs. A document obtained by "Outside the Lines" bolsters their case: On a computer printout of clients, Gonzalez, identified by the code name "Gladiator," is said to have received $1,000 worth of substances, but under "notes" are several substances not banned by Major League Baseball: "gluthetyn" (which a source said was a misspelling of glutathione), "IM [intramuscular] shots," and amino acids.

More than likely, Major League Baseball may have already seen the documents and possibly knew of no link between Gio and the acquisition of PEds.  Gonzalez was selected by Team USA manager Joe Torre, who holds a high position within Major League Baseball administration, to join the team for the World Baseball Classic.  It is hard to believe that Torre would have added Gonzalez if he had information linking Gonzalez to PEDs that would result in a major league baseball suspension.  Torre is in a position to know.