Aschburner: Tough Love for Blatche

Veteran NBA writer Steve Aschburner looks at Andray Blatche's signing with the Nets, his past and now his future. Aschburner repeats all the various issues that have plagued Blatche and offers some advice.

Blatche will be surrounded by the likes of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans. If the Nets are smart, they'll make some mentoring mandatory. A million dollars still is a million dollars, and a focused, in-shape Blatche might be able to help.

If they're not smart, they'll excuse away all his Washington antics and failures, laugh for a while at "Dray being Dray" and then watch him alibi his way straight out of Brooklyn.

What's his bet on the outcome? "Entitlements" is a dirty word around politics these days. But it's alive in sports, luring victims and spoiling careers, some of which never get the rock-bottom fresh start that Andray Blatche has before him."

• After D.C. disaster, Blatche finds a fresh start in Brooklyn - Steve Aschburner - NBA.com