Wizards sign Armstrong, work out Morrison
Still looking to bolster their roster, the Wizards signed former New Orleans Hornets center Hilton Armstrong, a 6'11" beanpole taken in the first round of the 2006 draft out of U Conn, to a 1-year contract. Armstrong is almost as skinny [235 lbs] as he is tall and possesses nothing like the sort of strength needed to be a solid NBA center. He came to the NBA with the reputation as a solid rebounder and superb shot-blocker, but he's been a lousy rebounder due to his lack of strength and only an average shot-blocker. He has one of the worst rebounding rates among NBA centers and last year his shooting percentage slumped to 35%, which is amazing since he really only shoots from the paint. He's got salad tongs for hands and can scarcely be counted upon to finish around the basket when set up by a nice pass. Basically, Armstrong is a warm body who might be able to give the Wizards a few minutes as a backup center. I would prefer Armstrong not make the team at all and those minutes go to 2nd round pick [55th overall] Hamady N'diaye, who may be raw, but must have more potential than Armstrong has shown in 4 NBA season. Below are his numbers...
| SEASON | FG% | FT% | P/40 | R/40 | A/40 | TS% | Ast | TO | Usg | Reb | PER |
| 2006-07 | .544 | .597 | 11.1 | 9.4 | 0.6 | 57.0 | 5.0 | 17.5 | 12.3 | 13.5 | 12.15 |
| 2007-08 | .453 | .629 | 9.7 | 8.9 | 1.3 | 49.8 | 8.8 | 22.6 | 13.9 | 13.1 | 7.76 |
| 2008-09 | .561 | .633 | 12.4 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 58.5 | 7.3 | 20.1 | 14.5 | 10.8 | 10.70 |
| 2009-10 | .354 | .469 | 8.5 | 9.7 | 2.5 | 38.1 | 15.4 | 16.2 | 13.5 | --- | 6.92 |
The Wizards also worked out Adam Morrison, whom then-Charlotte Bobcats GM [now owner] Michael Jordan selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 draft. The fact that the Wizards are even giving Morrison the time of day indicates how desperate they are to upgrade the quick forward position. Morrison might be the least athletic 3 I've ever seen in the NBA. His defense is awful, his rebounding putrid and on offense he can't get the separation from his defender that he needs to regain the sweet shooting stroke he displayed in college. [A 2007 knee injury has made him even slower than he was when he entered the league.] He can't pass or handle the ball, the only thing he can do is shoot and because he's so slow and easy to guard he's never even shot 38% from the field as a pro. He's even a terrible free throw shooter now. I really don't know why the Wizards want to work this guy out -- he should be playing basketball in Europe or the Middle East, not the United States. I can't imagine why any NBA team would give this guy a guaranteed contract.
His relevant stats are below...
| SEASON | FG% | FT% | P/40 | R/40 | A/40 | TS% | Ast | TO | Usg | Reb | PER |
| 2006-07 | .376 | .710 | 15.8 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 45.0 | 12.4 | 9.9 | 20.6 | 5.8 | 7.91 |
| 2008-09 | .359 | .739 | 11.8 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 44.8 | 13.4 | 10.5 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 5.69 |
| 2009-10 | .376 | .625 | 12.3 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 41.8 | 15.4 | 8.6 | 17.3 | 7.4 | 7.47 |
