Meeting with Leonsis First Week of March

[gesa2]

Got a nice email today offering me free tickets whenever I wanted on the sidelines, and apologizing for the product this year. Suspect it was a form letter to all the old staff/VC types we met with however as I am not local DC.....but he added a personal touch at the bottom.

Suffice to say Wall is the only person he's been satisfied with this season, and with the looming lockout he stated a focus on improving the facilities until the financials shake out with the new CBA, the season itself is lost. From my reading, Lewis/Howard/Flip won't be back next season when things get rolling in January after the lockout (veteran acquisitions and staff are underperforming)

You heard it here first. Lots of dead weight in the front office will be cut next year, and some old AOL guys joining front office staff. Wiz are going high tech. Pray for Pritchard, I responded with that suggestion. But wouldn't be surprised to see Ted go Theo Epstein style (young, unknown) to shake up the foundation.

Please be true. Please. Win or lose, it would be so nice to follow an organization that is first class, that we believe isn't getting in it's own way half the time.

[nate33]

^^^My one problem with Faried is that he and Booker bring the same type of game. Do you use a pick on a player you "already" have? If we do draft Faried, I think it would be safe to say Booker has to be traded, and I don't think he'd fetch more than a second rounder at best.

Nah. Booker is worth a first round pick. Not a high pick, but definitely a first rounder. Booker is posting the 6th-highest PER among all rookies this year. And he does so while being one of the best defenders of the whole group.

http://bkref.com/tiny/Y1NBx

[closg00]

Got a nice email today offering me free tickets whenever I wanted on the sidelines, and apologizing for the product this year. Suspect it was a form letter to all the old staff/VC types we met with however as I am not local DC.....but he added a personal touch at the bottom.

Suffice to say Wall is the only person he's been satisfied with this season, and with the looming lockout he stated a focus on improving the facilities until the financials shake out with the new CBA, the season itself is lost. From my reading, Lewis/Howard/Flip won't be back next season when things get rolling in January after the lockout (veteran acquisitions and staff are underperforming)

You heard it here first. Lots of dead weight in the front office will be cut next year, and some old AOL guys joining front office staff. Wiz are going high tech. Pray for Pritchard, I responded with that suggestion. But wouldn't be surprised to see Ted go Theo Epstein style (young, unknown) to shake up the foundation.

You're really getting our hopes-up Induveca, many here are holding onto hope of a real house-cleaning in the next 1-2 years...start laying the building-blocks of what will hopefully one-day be a Class-A organization that the players enjoy playing for and FA's want to sign with.

[Benjammin]

^^^^

closg00, your signature says "Continue the re-build w/o Grunfeld & Saunders, move forward with Mark Pritchard & Bill Laimbeer". Did you mean Kevin Pritchard? I can't find any information on a Mark Pritchard (honest question, not a smart ass one).

[closg00]

^^^^

closg00, your signature says "Continue the re-build w/o Grunfeld & Saunders, move forward with Mark Pritchard & Bill Laimbeer". Did you mean Kevin Pritchard? I can't find any information on a Mark Pritchard (honest question, not a smart ass one).

Absolutely correct, when I was hastily creating that sig, I couldn't remember if it was Mark or Kevin

But yes!!! Bring-on....ahhhh...Pritchard

[montestewart]

Thanks Induveca for sharing such an inside view into Leonsis' thinking. Regardless of his specific moves, if he really acts on those sentiments, it will get better.

PS: What's the scoop on the scented urinal cakes?

[Hoopalotta]

PS: What's the scoop on the scented urinal cakes?

Two scoops of persimmon scented urinal cakes in a waffle cone for just $3.99. Look for the "Rat Feces Free" stamp...........that's a gimme really as rats can't stand persimmons. Their loss.

[Bickerstaff]

If someone I'm doing business with blabbed about our private conversations online, there's a pretty decent chance we wouldn't be doing business anymore.

[Induveca]

If someone I'm doing business with blabbed about our private conversations online, there's a pretty decent chance we wouldn't be doing business anymore.

It's not an issue in this case........

[closg00]

Per the Wire Tap, the Pacers are about to clean-house from top to bottom, will we stay the course?

[FAH1223]

Per the Wire Tap, the Pacers are about to clean-house from top to bottom, will we stay the course?

they have $30 million coming off the books and will have close to $25 million in salary cap space

[fishercob]

Indu, thanks for sharing. Your insights are consistent with what I've heard through a couple other back channels to Ted. Part of the reason I've paid so little mind to the chorus calling for Flip's head is that I don't think he'll be here for the long term. Here's hoping we have Pritchard or someone of that ilk, along with a Budenholzer or Joerger, etc., leading things post-lockout.

Speaking of lockout and lines to Ted's thinking, everything I've heard is that Ted expects a long work stoppage and possibly a cancelled season next year.

[Induveca]

Fish, no problem.

Heard the same re: lockout, seems like season will certainly start late. The one thing that may make that less likely is how vicious the NFL lockout becomes. If the NFL stoppage gets really ugly, the likelihood of Stern/owners digging in is less likely this year.

[JWizmentality]

What's this now? No Flip next year??


JWIZ WIN!!

[Dat2U]

Flip I'm not really concerned about. I honestly don't think Flip wants to coach this team next year. Wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him step down at the end of the season.

My bigger concern is with Ernie Grunfeld and the rest of the front office. That has got to change. I wished it happened a year earlier but as long as it eventually happens I'll be happy.

Pritchard would be a no-brainer IMO.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Dat, forgetting everything since the travesty of trading the fifth pick and going Oberto at cost over DeJuan Blair; I think EG has done what Ted has asked this season.

I think Armstrong was a weak call and Yi just didn't pan out, but neither mattered on the grand scheme. Flip wanted those guys. Armstrong is gone. Thornton was waived for a better shot at a contract. The Hinrich deal was terrific for EG. Bibby erased a year of Kirk and left money on the table, and gave the Wizards more money for Nick and FAs. Lewis' deal has less years than Gil's. He's got more left (sadly) than Gilbert. Booker is looking like a darned good role player. Seraphin hit double figures tonight. Both have a future, as does Jordan Crawford. I have to say Ernie has set the table well IMO.

Right now, I think the greatest need is to change the culture. I believe a new coach is more of a need than firing Grunfeld. Sure, fire him for change sake ... But as far as I am concerned, EG is no longer the weakest link. He's all in for Ted.

Pritchard would be good, but IMO, Dave Joerger as head coach would be tremendous. The OKC model might also include getting a coach like Scott Brooks. I consider him a young guy and sharp, and laid back. I believe Joerger's time is now.

[Zonkerbl]

Is this the official "All Things Leonsis" thread now?

Did you see this comment on Ted's Take in response to Mike Prada's article about the upcoming draft (http://www.bulletsforever.com/2011/3/23 ... e-grunfeld):

"Yes, the draft is important and that is why we will have two first round picks this off season. And yes, we will all hope we will draft the right players at whatever number picks we do receive. And yes, we have been restocking via trades to get young players as prospects to add to the cast for coming seasons. I am sorry if you are bored now with the narrative.

I heard similar arguments about the Caps and how we didn’t know how to draft well and develop well. All it took was an organizational commitment to the plan; dedication; investment and confidence in what we were doing and now the Caps are looked at as one of the best teams in the league in terms of identifying, drafting, developing and retaining our young players. I know it can be done. We have done it here in the NHL.

But do you know what the new rules - if any - in the NBA will be? What will be the laws of unintended consequence?

The NHL looked very different before and after our rebuild time period.

There were new rules as to player compensation and to competition rules.

Being able to adapt and plan and have “optionality” for a new world order could also be of paramount importance.

There is never one thing that defines a change in culture or a change in systems or strategy. It isn’t as easy as writing a provocative headline.

For the Capitals it was a rebuild - a core of young players; adding even more prospects; developing a system for the players; developing a system and partnership with the Hershey Bears; and developing the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It wasn’t about drafting Nicklas Backstrom in the second draft year of the rebuild although that helped a lot, too.

It isn’t one thing. It is everything.

Thanks."

[Ruzious]

I thought there was another All Things Ted thread, but I couldn't find it, so...

Sure enough, Groupon is up about 50% on its first day of trading. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Groupon-s ... et=&ccode=
Thanks for nothing for not getting us in on the IPO.

And if Ted ever whines again about the Wiz losing money... Ted, shut it. Just build a winner and shut up about money.

Now that I'm done basing him, I have to commend him about what's really important - his views on how to build the Wizards. He did an interview 2 months (?) or so ago on AM 980, and he said what I wanted him to say - almost as if he was directly responding to the concerns I've raised in my posts about his philosophies in building the Zards. He said he realizes basketball is different than hockey - that it relies on fewer players - and in basketball you can build around a couple of outstanding players. He volunteered that if an outstanding player became available that could change the team around right away, they would be willing to scrap the plan of accumulating young players in rebuild mode. I was very pleased to hear that. And he clearly planned to make these comments, because he knows the concerns of the hardcore fans - it's not like Czabe and Andy on 980 were asking him the right questions.