The Amazingly Suck Theodore Leonsis Thread

[Nivek]

Wow.

[montestewart]

Ode to WizD

Looking forward to hearing more
in the next week which we should get
once the swelling does down from this last shot
and he gets out there and start doing more.
Sounds like the bone part is healed.
Now they are just trying to lube the knee
so it glides more easily so there isn't
any future irritation and swelling.
Looks like they want to see how healthy
they can get the knee without surgery
of any kind. The Plasma injection
are the new way of treating things.

Man, that's dope.

[montestewart]

Hey, tanking is tough business. Even with all the injury the Wiz have had this year and the crappiest of starting line ups, they are only a few games worst then the next 6 worst teams.

And as Nivek has repeatedly pointed out using his patented Advanced Statistical System (ASS), the Wizards have consistently shown, no matter their record, to be the best worst team ever. Add to that a healthy Nene and Wall, a rapidly developing Beal, and the 2013 and 2014 #1 picks, and the sky (or at least the rooftop of a luxury townhome) is the limit for this team.

[tontoz]

I'll just add that historically Nivek's ASS has proven to be uncannily accurate.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

EG has been using his ASS to draft and trade away picks for years.

(Could have said he's been an ass / he has shown his ass / he has drafted like ass, etc)

[tontoz]

EG's ASS clearly doesn't measure up to Nivek's ASS. No homo.

[Nivek]

Hey, tanking is tough business. Even with all the injury the Wiz have had this year and the crappiest of starting line ups, they are only a few games worst then the next 6 worst teams.

And as Nivek has repeatedly pointed out using his patented Advanced Statistical System (ASS), the Wizards have consistently shown, no matter their record, to be the best worst team ever. Add to that a healthy Nene and Wall, a rapidly developing Beal, and the 2013 and 2014 #1 picks, and the sky (or at least the rooftop of a luxury townhome) is the limit for this team.

My ASS is as good as it's ever been. Maybe at it's all-time best.

[Jay81]

did you guys realize Ernie chose the Mystics new coach/Gm?

[montestewart]

did you guys realize Ernie chose the Mystics new coach/Gm?

Oh great, pile it on!

[JonathanJoseph]

As recently as last season, I was one of the few who would suggest that Grunfeld hadn't gotten a fair shake in past iterations (Gilbert's knee, Jarvis Hayes' knee, Haywood inuries, other injuries, immaturity of Young, Blatche, McGee, etc, whatever else) wasn't entirely his fault. But there is no longer a credible argument for keeping Grunfeld, under any circumstances.

At this point, it doesn't really matter which trades worked and didn't, which draft picks worked out or didn't, right moves vs wrong moves. It's just time to make a change. Blatche is breaking out in NJ, Rashard Lewis is at least serviceable in Miami. None of the Wizards young players are improving. It's all related, and the Wizards franchise blatantly and obviously needs to be blown up and given new vision, leadership all created with a new culture.

Before the trade deadline makes the most sense, and Ted should be interviewing new GM candidates right now behind the scenes. But if Ernie Grunfeld is the GM of this team come the next draft, I think I'm done with my longstanding relationship with this franchise.

Maybe I'll come back in 5 years when there is new leadership that warrants, but I just cannot jusitfy spending time and energy on this garbage. It may not be all Grunfeld's fault, but it's time for him to go regardless. Do not insult me by continuing down this path and then asking me to invest my time and money in this product.

Sorry Rico, you are officially on your own.

[closg00]

Rico isn't alone, he's got Hands, DC Zards and some other posters with him, but Rico is in-charge of the Ernie Grunfeld fan club

[LyricalRico]

Et tu, JJ?

[pancakes3]

If you had your druthers as a coach, how much direction would you give your GM? Specific players? General style? Free reign?

I just had a hypothetical pop into my head of what kind of team would I want to assemble. I have a general idea with some players fleshed out, but if I had it my way like Leonsis, would I trust a GM to do his own thing, or would i stand by what I wanted? I think I'd want to stand by my brand, however stupid a business decision that may be.

The pipe dream started out with me definitely wanting Greg Monroe and Kevin Love on the team and everyone else can just go screw. That'd be the bottom line. Get me those 2 or reasonable fascimiles thereof. How say you guys?

[MikeTheKid]

An interesting read from cbssports on Jabba the Ted

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... bad-owners

[dangermouse]

Good article, some good points.

I'm not sure about the final message it leaves us with though. "You can fix execution. You can't fix intent."

We all know how we go about fixing the execution. That is obvious to 99% of posters on this board right now. But does Ted intend to fix it? So far, it seems not.

[montestewart]

From the article:

Leonsis took over as Wizards owner and promised a whole new team. A strong, committed approach to winning. he opened his door to media and fans, and blogged about the team. He even responded to local blogs and maintains an open dialogue with them. He committed to a rebuilding phase, the most difficult thing for an owner to do. He invested in young talent and gave his blessing to go through the hard times to try and get to the good.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... bad-owners

Since these are approximately Leonsis' original stated premises for running the team, I somewhat agree with the above. The article fails to mention dis-investment in youth (trading McGee for Nene, huge investment in Okariza, 2012 2nd round pick as a trade toss in, cutting Mack in favor of Pargo, filling out roster spots with retreads), the Okariza trade running counter to patient rebuilding, and Leonsis' open door policy with media and fans looking increasingly detached, defensive, and paranoid.

I guess all that would run counter to the article's premise. Like Leonsis himself, the article has a veneer of novelty. On closer inspection, it wraps a questionable framing ("he really means well") around a restatement of the obvious. The execution sucks. Thank you, Mr. Wizard.

[queridiculo]

Awww, the lovable loser Ted. I'm sure the other 29 teams are hoping for more owners like Leonsis as well.

[nate33]

Just for the sake of intellectual curiosity, I'd like to see what would happen if we shut down Nene and Wall for the rest of the year. Is it possible that we wouldn't win a single game?

The team is currently 0-11 without either Nene in the lineup. They were close only twice, both games against the Celtics.

[LyricalRico]

Just for the sake of intellectual curiosity, I'd like to see what would happen if we shut down Nene and Wall for the rest of the year. Is it possible that we wouldn't win a single game?

Yep, it would guarantee we lose very game for the rest of the season...set the record for worst team ever...and then end up with the 4th pick in the lottery (as the Lakers miss the playoffs, giving Stern the chance to bestow a parting gift of Shabazz Muhammed on the Buss family).

[BarnabyJones]

Just discovered a parody of Ted's blog. Introducing "Fred's Take":

http://fredstakedc.blogspot.com/

He says the best way to view it is to read his blog and Ted's original posts side by side. Enjoy!

Good stuff here:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following is a statement from Dr. David Baltchek on the stress injury to John Wall.

“John’s examination today showed improvement in his stress injury that will allow him to begin ramping up his activity level. Where as before, we only cleared him to go out to clubs and do basic dances like the Dougie or the robot, we are now allowing him to step up to dances like moonwalking and the cabbage patch. There is still some irritation in the knee, so the running man, the Chinese typewriter, and most importantly the African Anteater, are currently out of the question. Sadly, the young man may never be able to do the worm again. We have treated the knee over his last several visits with a series of Patron injections, the last of which was given today. He will continue to be evaluated on an ongoing basis, both on the court and in the club.”