Multiple reports say the JaVale McGee will be in the NBA slam dunk contest next month in Los Angeles during All-Star Weekend. While there’s little doubt that the third-year center is one of the most exciting and athletic 7-footers in the league, this is the kind of move that reinforces habits the Wizards are desperate to break and that continue to hold McGee’s development back.

An example from practice on Tuesday demonstrates where McGee’s head remains on most days. On a free throw miss, the sometimes-announced-as-7-foot-2 McGee failed to defensively box out 6-7 Cartier Martin, who got around him for a putback tip. On the ensuing inbounds play, some confusion led to McGee receiving the ball and dribbling downcourt like a point guard, and he went straight into the lane and fed Yi Jianlian for a transition layup. McGee then sprinted back on defense and beat his chest a couple of times with his fist as if to signify that he had made up for his rebounding mistake.

He still got taken out of the scrimmage, and assistant coach Randy Wittman followed an incredulous look toward the big man with the suggestion that McGee “just stay out of the [rebounding] drills.”

That should leave him more time to practice his dunks.