Poll: Grade Ernie Grunfeld

[AceDegenerate]

I think at this point the Wizards Organization has made it abundantly clear that Gilbert Arenas is not a part of this team's long-term future. I'm positive they would take any deal thrown at them for Gilbert, but there simply isn't any out there.

Most likely, they get stuck with the bill on the contract they signed Gilbert to and maybe at some point he retires due to injury and insurance picks up the balance.

Nobody out there is trading for him right now, that's for damn sure.

[Ruzious]

I just wanted to post my weekly update stating how horrific an NBA player Yi is considering he's 7-0 250.

I stand by my earlier statements that he's not worth a roster spot or the $4 mil in cap room he's eating up.

We could have done just as well or better than any NBDL prospect. Yi makes James Singleton look irreplaceable.

Weekly? Oh Joy. Can we follow your reports on Twitter?

Btw, I wish Yi is 250.

[montestewart]

^
Both the Big Yi and McGee are listed at 250 but both look pretty thin. What do you figure they weigh? I remember Pech was listed at 230 and McGee at 250 (I think) and when they lined up next to each other (it was an open practice) Pech's calves looked twice as big as McGee's

[Ruzious]

^
Both the Big Yi and McGee are listed at 250 but both look pretty thin. What do you figure they weigh? I remember Pech was listed at 230 and McGee at 250 (I think) and when they lined up next to each other (it was an open practice) Pech's calves looked twice as big as McGee's

I think Jav is a legitimately 250ish and has about 2 inches and 20 lbs on E.

[closg00]

Video proof that we need a Big Man coach and have needed one for years. Some on the board have said that ole Gene Banks is just fine. Still think so?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... .html#more

[JonathanJoseph]

This stuff is lunacy. EG should have addressed the wing needs?

1) Wings are, by far, the easiest position to fill. Loading up on young big men and stud PGs isn't a bad strategy

2) This team was not constructed for this year. It's constructed to have plenty of flexibility to be constructed however fits best in 2 years.

3) I'd say that any team in the NBA would have their "wings" depleted with players the caliber of Arenas and Howard in street clothes.

LOL at people complaining about a a minimum salary backup big man on a 1 year contract. Like he was some big piece of the puzzle that EG screwed up on.

If wings are the easiest position to fill, how come he hasn't "filled" it in 5 seasons? The last good wing player EG traded for/drafted was Caron Butler, and that was how many years ago? Since then, he's brought in Nick Young, Roger Mason, Deshawn Stevenson, Juan Dixon, and countless other subpar players that haven't been worth their salary. Yes, the position is easy to fill if you consider a warm body as an adequate fill-in.

As for this past draft, what exactly was his draft strategy? It just seems as though he drafted 2 guys, hoping at least one would pan out. I'm not wholly against the guys he drafted, but they sure aren't going to contribute anytime soon. I'm skeptical.

*edit* And to address Arenas and Howard being in street clothes -- well that's nothing new. And that's why neither player is in this team's long-term future, IMO.

Didn't address the wings?

Caron Butler, Mike Miller and Randy Foye to split minutes at the 2 and 3 is hardly failing to address the wings. Is it EG's fault that Caron Butler was unable to handle success and mentally imploded? I assign zero blame to Grunfeld for that.

And I have some news for you about the NBA draft. Outside of the first 5 or 10 picks (depending on the year), the NBA draft is one big exercise in picking guys and hoping they pan out. About half do not go on to have successful NBA careers.

Grunfeld's draft strategy was to draft size, toughness and defense and so far so good on that strategy. Why don't we start judging a draft strategy after 2 years rather than 2 games?

[JonathanJoseph]

I think at this point the Wizards Organization has made it abundantly clear that Gilbert Arenas is not a part of this team's long-term future. I'm positive they would take any deal thrown at them for Gilbert, but there simply isn't any out there.

Most likely, they get stuck with the bill on the contract they signed Gilbert to and maybe at some point he retires due to injury and insurance picks up the balance.

Nobody out there is trading for him right now, that's for damn sure.

Actually, I believe just the opposite. Ted has been very clear about "re-embracing" Arenas and Flip routinely defends Arenas as being very coachable. By all accounts Wall/Arenas is working off the court. If Wall/Arenas works on the court too, I have no idea why the Wizards would trade Arenas.

Despite all the media reporting about how Arenas is a cancer who must be traded, that actually isn't true. Sure, he's a goofball without an appropriate filter, but he's a good person, a good teammate and in any trade they'd have to take pennies on the dollar. I still believe Arenas will be around through the end of his contract.

[TGW]

Wait, so by addressing it, you mean trading a high lotto pick for two bench guys that ended up not being resigned...got it. Very crafty managing by Ernie.

Grunfeld's draft strategy was to draft size, toughness and defense and so far so good on that strategy. Why don't we start judging a draft strategy after 2 years rather than 2 games?

Uh...isn't that exactly what you just did? Saying "so far so good" and then saying to wait 2 years is highly contradictory, especially considering the FACT that none of those later draft picks have contributed anything remotely noteworthy. I mean honestly, what has Serpahin or Book done to merit a "so far so good" label?

[JonathanJoseph]

Wait, so by addressing it, you mean trading a high lotto pick for two bench guys that ended up not being resigned...got it. Very crafty managing by Ernie.

Grunfeld's draft strategy was to draft size, toughness and defense and so far so good on that strategy. Why don't we start judging a draft strategy after 2 years rather than 2 games?

Uh...isn't that exactly what you just did? Saying "so far so good" and then saying to wait 2 years is highly contradictory, especially considering the FACT that none of those later draft picks have contributed anything remotely noteworthy. I mean honestly, what has Serpahin or Book done to merit a "so far so good" label?

Yes, it didn't work out, but that doesn't mean he didn't address it. On paper, Butler/Miller/Foye is plenty of talent to split minutes on the wing. If you want to go ahead and blame EG for the past 2 years, I understand that. I just disagree with it. That's the nature of sports, you try things and when they don't work you change them. Last year Butler/Miller/Foye, this year Arenas/Howard/Thornton/Young so it has been addressed. When you take the contract situations into account, ONLY Butler and Arenas have been on anything more than affordable 1 year contracts, which is a consideration when talking about "a plan". Having cap flexibility is a smart plan for a GM.

"So far so good" as in they look like good prospects that fill those needs. Drawing any conclusions based on the first 2 games is simply ridiculous. Serge Ibaka didn't get off the Thunder's bench until about a month into his rookie season and ended up being a real factor in the playoffs. By the same measurement, Ibaka was a complete bust after 2 games last year.

[LyricalRico]

Bump to give props to EG for the following:

- acquiring Trevor Booker
- NOT acquiring a veteran big and thus forcing Flip to play McGee

[nate33]

Yup. Booker looks like a sure bet to stick around the league for a good while. At worst, he'll be a useful 10th man to provide some spot duty hustle minutes. If he ever develops a jumper and/or some real post moves, he could become a fringe starter or a 20 mpg role player.

Any time you land a rotation player with a pick outside of the top 20, that's a good pick.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Perhaps I'm already in the holiday spirit, but today I'm upping Ernie's grade from me from C to A.

Grunfeld drafted McGee and Young. Talent I seriously doubted. Gave him an F on draft night when McGee was drafted. Well, I learned something. Ernie sees talent. Blatche at 47? Nick's playing very well now.

Ernie's pick, Booker, has shown a certain gravitas. Every since the game a while back where he started rebounding like crazy, Booker's shown he can get after it.

Ernie's coach, Flip Saunders, much as I love to hate on the guy has reached Blatche, McGee, and Young. (Dayum! How he do that?) Previous coaches haven't been sticklers who drew a line and said you walk this line or you sit. You don't do this my way and I won't play you. Here's what you're not doing my way. Flip's got to get the credit with McGee. Most importantly today I read that Flip said, "Every since they put McGee's name on the all star ballot he's played like an all star."

Wow. Guess on some levels this IS the right coach for this team. Heck if he wins what the hell bad can I say about Flip in the future? He's not that much of a hater at all it seems. Just a hard ass. That's okay, I guess. Credit EG for the coach.

EG REALLY impressed me bringing back Alonzo Gee and waiving Hudson. I like that Hudson made the team but he wasn't going to play with this backcourt. Impressive about bringing Gee is the guy only left to get the cash, which 99% of pros do. It's a business. Instead of taking it personally and emotionally, the Wizard GM that acquired the guy from the D League in the first place didn't have any hard feelings and acquired him again! Wow, that never would have happened under Abe's watch.

Right now, EG under Ted Leonsis is making all the right moves IMO. Give Rico's daddy Ernest an A.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Yup. Booker looks like a sure bet to stick around the league for a good while. At worst, he'll be a useful 10th man to provide some spot duty hustle minutes. If he ever develops a jumper and/or some real post moves, he could become a fringe starter or a 20 mpg role player.

Any time you land a rotation player with a pick outside of the top 20, that's a good pick.

Booker's a rotation player due to him being seemingly bereft of an offensive game at the moment. However, I always like to imagine him at his best possible role.

What would the frontcourt look like with Booker covering the opposing SF, and paired next to Blatche and McGee? Booker's got a lot of foot speed. He hustles. His jumper is whack right now, but he can bring energy. Can't Booker just be a guy on the floor at times and get better and better from minutes, even at SF? Trevor's an undersized PF but like Millsap he's got some rugged athleticism that might indicate his offense can evolve, even from outside.

Booker can become a super sub IMO.

[closg00]

Props:
*Ernie hit on both Young & McGee
*Bringing back Gee and releasing Hudson

Re: Booker, he's a hustle-player which is fine. Problem? Booker is a complete black-hole on offense who can only dunk the ball and nothing-more. On a team that is this-bad defensively, he looks better than he actually is. Worth two picks? Not so-far.

Kirk Hinrich for Seraphin:

Hinrich is a nice guy who is a ultimately a drag on this athletic team. I hope his minutes are reduced.

Seraphin & N'Diaye? I don't have to mention the other 1st rounders who already have been sent to the D-League..... and Seraphin should have been sent ahead of those guys. If Seraphin & Hamady are sent to the D-League to get playing-time, I will come back and Give Ernie an A and bow before Rico & JoJo.

[dobrojim]

i think the real value of Booker will be tested shortly when
we play MIA. He seems to have the PERFECT physique to
be a designated LeTravel defender. How well he will do
at this, especially in his first try, remains to be seen.

I am looking forward to it.

[JonathanJoseph]

i think the real value of Booker will be tested shortly when
we play MIA. He seems to have the PERFECT physique to
be a designated LeTravel defender. How well he will do
at this, especially in his first try, remains to be seen.

I am looking forward to it.

Oh yes. Booker's on ball defense is incredible and he could be one of the best in the league. He's absolutely big enough and physical enough to frustrate LBJ. I can't wait to see that matchup.

[TGW]

Kirk Hinrich for Seraphin:

Hinrich is a nice guy who is a ultimately a drag on this athletic team. I hope his minutes are reduced.

This agenda against Hinrich is silly. He's shooting the best out of all our perimeter players, and he has the best assist-to-turn and +/- ratio. He's playing the best basketball on this team statistically next to McGee and Wall. He's also been a positive influence on this team in the lockeroom, and he's the team rep at arbitration.

I feel the Hinrich part of that trade was excellent. Seraphin, OTOH, has been a bust so far. On a team with no legitimate bench bigs, he should be able to eek out a few minutes a game, but he's not even worthy of that yet.

[closg00]

Kirk Hinrich for Seraphin:

Hinrich is a nice guy who is a ultimately a drag on this athletic team. I hope his minutes are reduced.

This agenda against Hinrich is silly. He's shooting the best out of all our perimeter players, and he has the best assist-to-turn and +/- ratio. He's playing the best basketball on this team statistically next to McGee and Wall. He's also been a positive influence on this team in the lockeroom, and he's the team rep at arbitration.

I feel the Hinrich part of that trade was excellent. Seraphin, OTOH, has been a bust so far. On a team with no legitimate bench bigs, he should be able to eek out a few minutes a game, but he's not even worthy of that yet.

I'm not the only on who feels that Hinrich both helps and hurts the team. Kirks assist to TO ratio numbers are not surprising considering how-much he slows things down and pounds the ball. I think our best lineup will eventually be with Kirk coming off the bench. I'm fine with Kirk as a role-player playing 20-25 minutes a game.

I agree with you on Seraphin, we desperately need him even-if for 5 minutes a game. No-one on this team likes to box-out, perhaps Kevin can.

[Illuminaire]

Let's not call our European project center who has only played organized hoops for 5-6 years a bust because he hasn't cracked the rotation in his rookie season. Going into the year we knew he wasn't supposed to play yet... so let's not sic the hounds on him because we were right. o.0

As for two picks being too much for a rotation player, I can only suggest that our expectations may be skewed. There are very few top-level talents that come out each year. Most people drafted will never even become average NBA starters. Outside of the lottery there is a very small chance of getting a truly productive player, and while we can always hope that our GM is the smarter/luckier one who breaks the curve, it's not necessarily fair to grade him without proper perspective.

If Booker ends up being a rotation-quality 7th-8th man this year or next, then he was an excellent pick up for his position in the draft.

[closg00]

Let's not call our European project center who has only played organized hoops for 5-6 years a bust because he hasn't cracked the rotation in his rookie season. Going into the year we knew he wasn't supposed to play yet... so let's not sic the hounds on him because we were right. o.0

As for two picks being too much for a rotation player, I can only suggest that our expectations may be skewed. There are very few top-level talents that come out each year. Most people drafted will never even become average NBA starters. Outside of the lottery there is a very small chance of getting a truly productive player, and while we can always hope that our GM is the smarter/luckier one who breaks the curve, it's not necessarily fair to grade him without proper perspective.

If Booker ends up being a rotation-quality 7th-8th man this year or next, then he was an excellent pick up for his position in the draft.

I agree with TGW in the sense that Kevin Seraphin played well against NBA guys at the Nike Hoops Summit, so he should be able to play selectively for a few minutes here and there.