Washington Wizards swingman Michael Jordan, chin down with a joker smile, dribbled the ball on the left wing in front of Memphis Grizzlies forward Rodney Buford. The look was an indication that Jordan was about to school Buford, the manner in which the lesson would be applied being the only mystery.
Then came the hard dribble, the dipped shoulder, the penetration to the basket toward the baseline, the look at the rim, then the no-look pass to center Brendan Haywood, who finished things off with a dunk.
The surprise of the play wasn't so much that Jordan passed up the shot for an assist. It was that all of Jordan's teammates were in position: Haywood cut to the basket in an open passing lane; another Wizard was free to shoot a three-pointer in case Jordan kicked it out; one was down low for the potential rebound; and the trailer was set to get back in transition defense.
The Wizards are finally getting it.
Washington didn't miss a beat when it lost Christian Laettner, who is out for a month with a broken left fibula, beating Toronto on Sunday for its sixth straight victory. Keying the winning streak, which has given the Wizards an 11-12 record heading into Wednesday night's home game against the Atlanta Hawks, is the comfort level Jordan's teammates now have playing with him -- and vice versa.
"I just think that the guys are starting to accept their roles and we feel very dedicated going out and putting that on the basketball court," Jordan said. "The effort and determination, the education that [Coach Doug Collins] has been trying to pass on to these players; I think they are starting to comprehend. Believe me, we are starting to play collectively together, and I think that has made a big difference in our success. They haven't stood around watching me."
In the season's early stages, especially when Washington lost eight consecutive games, some players were too reliant on Jordan despite his inconsistent performances and infrequent participation in practices, some Wizards recently admitted.
This was the legendary Jordan, they thought. King of imposing his will, ruler of the game. So what if he is 38? The memories of Jordan as a Chicago Bull were hard to shake, even though this didn't look like the same guy who, at one time in his career, could win games one on five.
"Some of the guys just waited for Michael to do everything," forward Popeye Jones said.
Jordan played his part in the early dysfunctional play, shooting, shooting and shooting some more, even if balls kept clanging off the rim or missing it altogether. Over the team's first 13 games he averaged 25 attempts and the Wizards started 3-10.
Not trusting some of his teammates and believing he could still do whatever he needed when it counted, Jordan kept his teammates idling on the court like a high-count pitcher who keeps stagnant outfielders begging for a ball to be hit their way.
"It was a difficult transition," said shooting guard Richard Hamilton, who led the team in scoring last season and has been the top offensive weapon in the Wizards' six-game winning streak. "We had guys on the team last year that had different roles. Michael came back and he was the central point of our offense. We really didn't have a great niche."
Now, players are sharing the ball, rotating on defense and making the extra pass -- especially Jordan, who has averaged 21 shots in the past 10 games. Jordan is the team's top scorer (23.5 points per game), but he also leads the team in assists and is third in rebounding .
"All the emphasis people want to focus on is what Michael isn't doing," Collins said. "It's hard for people to view what he is doing now because they compare him to what he did in Chicago in a totally different role. I knew he would lead us in assists. I knew he would be one of our best rebounders."
While the team is winning, Jordan's plan to make his teammates better appears to be working. It took a while for chemistry to develop during Jordan's tenure in Chicago, and the same has happened in Washington.
In both cases there was give and take, but now Jordan appears more willing to play the role of the sidekick instead of leading man. Jordan, who has been bothered by tendinitis in his right knee, has deferred to Hamilton of late, saying he "complements" the third-year guard, who "is the future" of the franchise.
Hamilton, second in scoring with 20.3 points per game, may have had the hardest time getting used to playing with Jordan. Although Hamilton had a solid training camp and played fairly well on offense early on, he often forced shots and broke the offensive scheme and triggered a domino effect.
Hamilton's offense-first mentality elicited constant cries from Collins -- just like his past coaches in Washington -- to expand his game, especially on the defensive end. Hamilton's slow reaction prompted Collins to bring Hamilton off the bench for four games.
Hamilton got the hint.
With Washington winning eight of its past 10 games, no player has stepped forward more than Hamilton. He has markedly stepped up his defensive effort and has taken over offensively when Jordan goes to the bench.

"Michael is getting a better feel for me," Hamilton said. "He's starting to understand what I can do. Coach is starting to understand what I can do. I am starting to understand where I fit in. At the beginning of the year, I didn't know where I fit in. I didn't know what they wanted me to do. Now they are letting me play."
Said Collins: "Rip is growing. I'm very proud of him. Early in the season, we would talk about his defense, his rebounding. We'd talk about him being a better passer. Now he's doing all those things. He's got a chance to be an all-star in this league."
There is some thought that the Wizards are rolling now because of Jordan's public declaration "We stink," which followed a 94-75 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Nov. 27. Washington has only lost twice since, but players said Jordan's remarks had a minimal effect in the team's resurgence.
"Collectively we all said, 'Guys, we're better than this, come on,' especially after the Cleveland loss. That was the lowest point of this early season," Jones said. "The biggest thing was the coaching staff stayed positive with us and we held together and worked through things."
Equally as vital as Jordan and his teammates meshing has been the firm rotation Collins established -- one that includes Haywood. After spending the first 12 games on the injured list, Haywood debuted in the Cleveland loss and has made a major impact.
Collins consistently uses a nine- and sometimes 10-man rotation now. He pulls Jordan, center Jahidi White and point guard Chris Whitney at the four-minute mark of the first and third quarters in favor of reserves Hubert Davis or Tyrone Nesby, Haywood and Tyronn Lue, who play six to eight minutes.
As a whole, the Wizards have jelled even more since Jordan's playing time was decreased by about two minutes per game after he sat out Washington's Dec. 4 loss to San Antonio to rest his knee. Having learned not to rely so much on Jordan, Wizards players say they feel more at ease.
There was a "feeling that [Jordan was the only option] at first, but now guys are getting used to playing with Mike and now he's giving us a chance," Lue said. "It makes everyone feel better for everyone to be contributing now. That's what we needed all along."