Andray Blatche (born August 22, 1986 in Syracuse, New York) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.
Andray attended the South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut. He declared for the 2005 NBA Draft out of high school, and while originally thought of as a first-round prospect, he slipped to the second round and was taken by the Washington Wizards with their only selection, the 49th pick. blank">Wizards re-sign forward Blatche to multiyear deal, published August 20, 2007
Blatche was shot in a carjacking on September 25, _2005, and as a result missed training camp. He recovered successfully and played his first game with the Wizards on November 11, 2005. Given that he did not play college basketball, the Wizards split Blatche's playing time between the Roanoke Dazzle, their affiliate in the NBA Development League, and the Wizards in the 2005-06 season.
With the injuries to Wizards centers Etan Thomas and Michael Ruffin, Blatche has been occasionally pressed into service as a backup center in the 2006-07 season.
On August 17, 2007, the Wizards re-signed Blatche to a multi-year deal, terms of which were not disclosed.
During the 2007-2008 season Blatche continued showing improvement, and with center Etan Thomas out with a season-ending heart condition, his minutes increased. Forty-eight games into the season, he holds averages of 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.6 blocks in just under twenty minutes per game.
