The title reads a wise saying that has become somewhat cliched. Quite possibly, in the Washington Wizards' cases, the repetition of such a saying has caused the players to ignore the phrase completely. This has been evident in the first couple games of the series. Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson have continuously spoken about their individual and team superiority over the Cavaliers, yet they and their teammates have failed to match the Cavaliers' performance. After losing the opening game, last night was a great opportunity for the Wizards to fight back and take back some of the momentum in the series. Yet, they did not capitalize on a solid start to the game. Once the Cavs took control, the Wizards displayed frustration that clearly outweighed their words of confidence. Seeing victory slipping away, Gilbert Arenas set an illegal pick by sticking out his foot and tripping up Delonte West. Brendan Haywood surrendered to the pressure in a much worse manner, shoving LeBron James to the ground while James was going up for a dunk. Haywood was quickly called for a flagrant foul and ejected. What could have been a close Wizards victory turned into a blowout victory for the Cavs.
Prior to the playoffs, the Wizards identified the Cavaliers as a 'weaker' team and asked to play against the Cavaliers in the first round. Stevenson called LeBron James "overrated". Although other opponents and various media people have also identified the Cavaliers as a weaker team, none of those people have called James or the Cavaliers "overrated"; rather, these opponents and media personalities have called last year's Finals appearance "a fluke". Perhaps the Cavs overachieved last year. Perhaps they underachieved this past season. However, the team arguably underachieved during the 2006-2007 regular season as well but turned things around once the playoffs started. The Cavaliers look to do the same this time around. Thus, the Wizards have been mistaken. They found it necessary to assert themselves as the better team by talking on and off the court. In turn, the Cavaliers took the challenge to heart and have let their performances speak. The result has been a 2-0 lead for Cleveland, with a sweep possibly on the horizon and no welcome mat in Washington under which the Wizards can sweep their trash-talk.
Prior to the playoffs, the Wizards identified the Cavaliers as a 'weaker' team and asked to play against the Cavaliers in the first round. Stevenson called LeBron James "overrated". Although other opponents and various media people have also identified the Cavaliers as a weaker team, none of those people have called James or the Cavaliers "overrated"; rather, these opponents and media personalities have called last year's Finals appearance "a fluke". Perhaps the Cavs overachieved last year. Perhaps they underachieved this past season. However, the team arguably underachieved during the 2006-2007 regular season as well but turned things around once the playoffs started. The Cavaliers look to do the same this time around. Thus, the Wizards have been mistaken. They found it necessary to assert themselves as the better team by talking on and off the court. In turn, the Cavaliers took the challenge to heart and have let their performances speak. The result has been a 2-0 lead for Cleveland, with a sweep possibly on the horizon and no welcome mat in Washington under which the Wizards can sweep their trash-talk.