If you took over as GM today, what would you do?

[MF23]

Curse out Ernie Grunfields name. Then build a championship contender. That's what I would do.

[popper]

Get dehydrated, collapse, and get a concussion .............. and then claim amnesia ("I've forgotten everything I used to know about basketball and don't even remember signing on with the Wizards"). Hop a plane to Belize and ask that my guaranteed money be direct deposited there.

[Tiny Too]

Immediately conduct private, one-on-one "casting" interviews with prospective cheerleaders. I'd hire the ones most experienced with the "money shot."

[montestewart]

Immediately conduct private, one-on-one "casting" interviews with prospective cheerleaders. I'd hire the ones most experienced with the "money shot."

Is that you Isiah?

[dangermouse]

I do not envy the guy who takes over from Ernie...

Changes need to be made from top to bottom.

[AFM]

Hand speed. Look for hand speed.

[AFM]

Honestly, I would install powerful electromagnets near the rims that could be activated via button. Whenever the opposing team shot, someone in a dark room would hit the button causing the rim to vibrate excitedly.

[verbal8]

I would hire wiz dynasty to write the press releases.

[gambitx777]

first off, its time to clean house. the med staff needs looked and and all talent scouts need to go! hire gary williams and have him do what he wants with the couching staff and talent scouts. Also, unless they play in an american high school, college, or other forms of organized american basket ball, i will ban all euro picks. NO more euro picks unless they have proved useful in an american style of play. Also i would hold fast to a simple strategy when drafting.
1-14 take BPA, look at maturity, skill and over all talent. loto picks should be game changers. Don't just draft for need. But, don't be afraid to stretch a bit for a player who is a complete player with a good motor and is NBA ready with good character; over a player with up side who could be a star but is missing major pieces to his game.
( if the wiz had stretched to take kawhi over jan in 2011 we would not be in this mess right now.)

15-30 you take the most complete player for the positions that you need. Mid to late first rounder are where you can go for need. look at whos left and what you need. you either take BPA again for depth for fill a need with the most complete player at the position of need.
(we needed a the 3-4 spot was a need in 2011, so we took chris with a mid round pick because we could defend. he was not a complete player, his offence needs to much work at the nba level. we should have taken faried, who can also defend but is a more complete player and has much more drive and a better motor than chris.)

2ed rounders : this is where you look for diamonds in the rough. look at who fell out of the first and what young talent is left. its ok to take on some projects in the second round. this does not mean draft and stash, his means if a player is talented but fell for some reason, like injuries or issues of some kind. look and the pros and cons and do what it takes to find that second round star.
( over the last 4 drafts we have passed on talent like DeJuan Blair, Jodie Meeks, Landry Fields, Chandler Parsons, Malcolm Lee, E'Twaun Moore, and Jae Crowder. this can not continue to happen.)

now, i would consider taking offers for wall and i would consider dumping NENE's contract. ariza and okafur will go. I dont care what the deal is as long as we are not taking on more long term money than we owe them. jan will also be moved. So, in other words i would probably hit the reset button.

[TGW]

First thing I would do is hire Nate McMillian to be the head coach. I think he got a raw deal in Portland, and definitely deserves another chance in this league.

Secondly, I'm pretty much putting everyone on the block except for Beal. I would need something very enticing for Wall in return. Same thing goes for Nene and Seraphin. I would pretty much take expirings for the rest of the team.

Vesely and Singleton would be sent down to the d-league. No need for these guys to be on an NBA roster right now, because they simply are not complete basketball players and have no trade value.

Although I hate tanking, and believe it's just a terrible way to build a team, I would have little choice. Ernie Grunfeld has not obtained any players that are obvious stars in the making.

If worst comes to worst, I'd be willing to go into next season with:

Wall
Beal
Nene
Seraphin

as the only players under contract. No one would be given long-term contracts.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I would try to trade any assets for guys with potential who have fallen out of the rotation. Derrick Williams would be my primary target.

I would see if teams like the bulls or lakers are interested in deals to lower their lux tax payment.

I would not deal wall or Seraphin because I think their value is too low currently.

I also agree on the replacing the medical staff.

Good question Nate!

#1 Tank for the draft.

I'd also try to pull DWill, as well as Cousins, to team with Wall and Beal.

The most make-able major change that can be done at this point is Head Coach. Bring in a good coach that can teach and has loads of respect throughout the league, whatever the cost. I don't know who... Phil Jackson would top my list obviously. I'd consider John Thompson? Coach K? One of the VanGundys would be last resort I guess.

I'd sit Nene for the rest of the season. I'm still mad he played in the Olympics when he obviously wasn't healthy enough. I'd encourage him to have surgery on his foot. I'd encourage Wall to have surgery on his knee. No summer pick up games for either. Both must be 100% next season.

I'd double & upgrade the medical and training staff. I'd build a basketball/workout facility for the players outside of Verizon open 24 hrs, state of art, top of the line everything, hot tubs, virtual simulators, workout equipment, yoga and martial arts, etc.

[BigA]

1. Start blogging about how smart I am and how accessible I am to the fans.

2. Upgrade the cupholders in the bathrooms.

3. Change the team colors so that they coordinate with the trademarks of my other businesses.

4. Work with the other owners and the league to engineer another lockout and grab more revenue from the players.

5. Use whatever cap space there is on solid veterans who actually can't play very well.

6. If an emerging young star becomes available, turn down the trade because we're capped out.

7. Institute "He a Bust" night, where all the great Wizards draft busts past and present can be honored with banners in the rafters of Verizon Center. A lucky fan would win a life sized Jarvis Hayes bobble head.

[BigA]

Sorry, thought you asked what I would do as owner.

[JAR69]

Among other things, I would make the owner invest in a dedicated D-league team (Richmond, Virginia Beach?). There are so many advantages to being able to have a franchise style and teach it at all levels. There would be less stigma to being sent down, and would allow players like Vesley to develop.

[DMVleGeND]

7. Institute "He a Bust" night, where all the great Wizards draft busts past and present can be honored with banners in the rafters of Verizon Center. A lucky fan would win a life sized Jarvis Hayes bobble head.

[Mizerooskie]

First, create a solid base for the organization to operate on outside of the roster:

1- Immediately clear out the medical, scouting strength & conditioning, and player development staff
2- Replace the staffs with forward-thinking, top of the field personnel.
3- Create (if there isn't one already) a department that does thorough statistical analysis of our own players, opponents, and prospects.
4- Fire Randy. He's been a good soldier, but seems out of his depth.
5- Hire a young, hungry coach, who emphasizes execution, proper technique, and tactical discipline. Don't shy away from the college ranks. Let the new head coach fill out his staff.

Now that the personnel base is in place, work on the roster:

1- Figure out with the new med staff the best course of action for John Wall's long-term health. If that means season-ending surgery, get it done.
2- Actively shop Okafor and Nene. Look to pare down the mediocre young front court depth (Booker, Singleton, Vesely, Seraphin). Make everyone outside of Wall and Beal available at the right price.
3 Target youngish, efficient players that are under-utilized and may blossom if given a bigger role. (e.g., Splitter, Wright, Ilyasova, Hawes, Randolph, Koufos)
4= Target vet role players with a defined role whose contract will stay reasonable (e.g., Korver, Camby, Sefolosha, Redick, Novak, Evans)
5- Target Bynum (assuming health) or Howard in a sign-and-trade or target Kevin Love. An elite big man to partner with Wall and Beal would make a world of difference.

If you're successful with 2-4, you'll have an improved roster that's more financially flexible and balanced. If you're successful with #5, you're likely a playoff team.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

Sign Gil and trade for 'Twan since he isn't playing....oh we'd be amazing!

Gil
Beal
Webster
Jamison
Nene

[montestewart]

Also i would hold fast to a simple statuary when drafting.

Would these do?

[dangermouse]

1. Start blogging about how smart I am and how accessible I am to the fans.

2. Upgrade the cupholders in the bathrooms.

3. Change the team colors so that they coordinate with the trademarks of my other businesses.

4. Work with the other owners and the league to engineer another lockout and grab more revenue from the players.

5. Use whatever cap space there is on solid veterans who actually can't play very well.

6. If an emerging young star becomes available, turn down the trade because we're capped out.

7. Institute "He a Bust" night, where all the great Wizards draft busts past and present can be honored with banners in the rafters of Verizon Center. A lucky fan would win a life sized Jarvis Hayes bobble head.

I laughed. I cried. I laughed again.

[dangermouse]

Sign Gil and trade for 'Twan since he isn't playing....oh we'd be amazing!

Gil
Beal
Webster
Jamison
Nene

Pre-injury Gil and Jamison when he was.... a basketball player, and that is a good team. Throw in Tough Juice and I'd take that over the teams we made out playoff runs with in the mid 00's.