Added minutes boost Haywood

CHICAGO — When Etan Thomas underwent surgery to repair a leaky aortic valve during training camp in October, the Washington Wizards were left with only one true center: Brendan Haywood.

The 7-foot, 263-pound North Carolina product had struggled with consistency in his previous six seasons and even was replaced in the starting lineup by Thomas for the final 33 games last season.

In Thomas’ absence, however, Haywood has lifted his game, averaging career highs in points (10.8), rebounds (7.2) and blocks (1.7) while starting all but two games this season (the pair he missed was because of injury).

“It’s no secret: consistent minutes,” Haywood said of the key to his improvement. “You ask any player in this locker room or in the league, and all they want is consistency. This year I know I’m going to come out there and play 27, 30 minutes a night, and that helps me and helps my confidence a lot. When you’re going in and out and you’re competing with other people, it hurts you a bit.”

Haywood demonstrated as much again in the Wizards’ 99-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, scoring a career-high 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.

“Consistent minutes allows you to put less pressure on yourself,” Haywood said. “You don’t feel like you have to come in and do it right away. You feel like, ’All right, if it’s not going like I need to in the first half, I don’t have to press it or force up shots. I can wait, bide my time and get it going in the second half.’ ”

Haywood this season is logging 28.3 minutes a game, also a career high, and has helped the Wizards to a 40-37 record and their fourth consecutive playoff berth despite the extended, injury-induced absences of All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Haywood’s previous high came in the 2004-05 season when he played 27.4 minutes a game and averaged 9.4 points and 6.9 rebounds.

Haywood’s playing time this season has increased by nearly six minutes from a year ago, but more minutes aren’t the sole reason for the center’s improvement.

“He’s just more aggressive,” Butler said. “He’s catching the ball a little better, and when he’s getting it around the rim he’s finishing, whereas last year he’s looking for the contact and not dunking as much. Now he’s just trying to dunk everything a little bit more, and he’s just a lot more aggressive. That’s what we need out of him. He runs the floor extremely hard. He blocks shots. He’s been great on defense the whole year. He’s really been working on his game this year.”

The most significant improvement in Haywood’s game has been at the foul line. Haywood shot 54.8 percent from the line last season and 59.5 percent for his career. This season, he has made 73.8 percent of his free throws. Haywood, more patient on the blocks now, also has improved his midrange jumper.

“Brendan’s a great player. I’ve respected his game since the [first] day I’ve been here my rookie year,” third-year big man Andray Blatche, who has served as Haywood’s backup this season, said after the Chicago game. “Brendan is capable of games like this. It’s basically up to him. Brendan is talented. He’s a great big [man]. He has midrange and protects the rim very well. I’m never surprised by B-Wood.”

With the All-Star trio of Arenas (when healthy), Butler and Antawn Jamison well-entrenched as the Wizards’ primary scoring options, Haywood understands his role on the team and has found ways to contribute that don’t always show up in the box score.

“He’s giving us some great minutes … and does a lot of the dirty work this year,” associate head coach Mike O’Koren said. “Even [Miami Heat coach] Pat Riley complimented Brendan [on Friday] night with blocking four shots and protecting our rim. … The more and more you play, your confidence rises. He’s certainly showing that.”