Official Countdown Grunfeld Era-2nd SuperStar?

[nate33]

Can we edit the word salad title of this thread? Makes no sense...

Done.

[LyricalRico]

Aww c'mon. That title was classic!

[Zonkerbl]

We reanked 22nd in ESPN's future power rankings, down from 17th last year despite a better cap situation and the 6th pick in last year's draft:

It's easy to talk yourself into Washington's future on paper. They have draft picks, cap space and some talented young players, led by 2010 first overall pick John Wall. Then you watch the team on the court and all that goes out the window. It's not just that the Wizards are bad; it's that at times they seem like a parody of an ABA franchise. Their 2011-12 highlight film will be a looping clip of JaVale McGee sprinting back on defense while his team has the ball.

We rated the Wizards just 25th in players, based on the disappointing progress their young charges have made this season. Wall is as fast end-to-end as any player in the past 20 years, but looks lost in the half court and miles away from stardom. McGee has made some progress but still baffles with his decisions, while Andray Blatche, Jordan Crawford and Nick Young remain unreformed gunners. Meanwhile, first-rounders Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton and Kevin Seraphin have offered little. The only young player making something of his talent is forward Trevor Booker.

We rated Washington's management 27th, based largely on the fact that general manager Ernie Grunfeld made several disastrous moves to get them into this mess (starting with the Gilbert Arenas contract) and doesn't seem any closer to paddling them out of it. Washington will have massive cap space if it grants amnesty to Rashard Lewis and will continue to get high lottery picks, but if its decision-makers can't make better decisions, none of that will matter.

(Previous rank: 17)

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... 0208/21-25 (insider only)

Yeah, that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

[hands11]

Indiana's a much better comparison. EG has tried to swing for the fences on every single pick, assembling a group of assets who all had serious flaws that caused them to fall in the draft despite their obvious athletic talent. I think Indiana's example shows that a much more conservative strategy that gives relatively more weight to bbiq (well, and actual results on the floor, which is what bbiq gets you) vis a vis pure athletic talent is a better strategy. I think EG's strategy is basically -- don't be afraid to gamble five late-teen picks, because all you need is one all-star to make everyone forget about the four busts. Problem is, EG hasn't gotten that one lucky break to justify all the gambling he's done. The one player who's remotely close is McGee, who is turning into a mental basket case.

Bottom line, it is really hard to build a top team. It does take some luck but it also takes patience, persistence and good ownership. Given the mental holes on this team, adding players like Singleton, Ves and Mack was a solid way to go but the player I really think they needed to add was Brooks instead of Singleton because they needed to add a scorer who isnt Nick and they needed to add some star personalities to go with Wall. I think Ves has that in him so I dont mind that pick. Singleton I don't think he does. Ves and Brooks would have been a better draft in my book. Adding solid players is a path believe in but this team also needed some star personalities. This team had only one and that was Wall. There were a lot of solid players in the last draft but not a lot of star personalities that were available to the Wizards that made sense. Ves is they type of player. Give him time. He has talent and he will give it all every game.

First you need a solid owner with a solid longer term plan. This franchise just added that recently so they have had two drafts under that new plan and last year had lots of turnover as they cleaned things up. I still say Abe was terrible for this team and that is why they sucked for so long. With a different owner, they would have had Rubio or Curry ( both star personalities ) and a maybe DeJuan Blair. But given what they tried, Miller was a good addition if that team could have stayed healthy. It just didnt work out because of injuries and guns. This year he is the second best 3 ball shooter in the league and they needed 3 pt shooters. Foye was injured. Then there was the Gil bomb that ruined everything and destroyed the value of lots of assets aside from him own. Abe extending Gil to near max and Gil being an idiot totally F'd this franchise. It really comes down to that mostly. it is a shame the franchise couldnt sue Gilbert for damages.

You need to know who you are building around. You can't have star players with mental holes like Gil had. I would have ( said it many times in the past ) traded Gil while he was worth a lot but that wasnt going to happen with Abe as owner. I also would have traded AJ as an expiring - again.. see Abe. They could have gotten good value for AJ. Those were two high value assets they could have gotten more for in return and rebuilt on the fly. CB and Haywood should have stayed. That was the plan I wanted to see executed.

Curry/Shawn Livingston or Rubio in the wings
Nick Young
CB
Blair/Dray
Haywood/McGee

Plus whatever studs you brought in trading Gil and AJs expiring. The above is the bare min they could have had.

Had that one year gone differently, they could have grown this team totally differently and had a core to build from that was a winner. That was two draft ago. Who knows if Dray would have developed differently with a better team. If not, you could have moved him instead of extending him. Booker still could have been added and last draft would have been wide open to add whatever was missing. Brooks, maybe Singleton, Faried, etc.

Curry or Rubio /Shawn Livingston
Nick Young/Brooks
CB/
Blair/Booker/Faried
Haywood/McGee

Plus whatever studs you brought in trading Gil and AJs expiring.

But missing on that one draft and guns set this franchise on a totally different path. Abe extended Gil and AJ so they were stuck which made it so they had to lose the assets they should have kept.

It's going to take some time to fix. I hardly blame it all on EG given the Abe factor in all of this but EG should have brought in Brooks last draft instead of Singleton.

[hands11]

So what is EG waiting for to get ride of Mason.

He is just eating up a roster spot and they need more help at SG.

[verbal8]

So what is EG waiting for to get ride of Mason.

He is just eating up a roster spot and they need more help at SG.

Isn't there an open space after waiving Hamady? I do think it might be time to give some guys a look on 10 day contracts. One issue is the team has been pretty healthy, so there isn't a ton of playing time available.

[closg00]

So what is EG waiting for to get ride of Mason.

He is just eating up a roster spot and they need more help at SG.

Isn't there an open space after waiving Hamady? I do think it might be time to give some guys a look on 10 day contracts. One issue is the team has been pretty healthy, so there isn't a ton of playing time available.

A smart GM would be looking past Young , Crawford, and Lewis for solid bench-help next year and after. The Spurs always keep a slot open to call-up guys, have them work-out with their other players, and see what develops. The Knicks do this a lot and finally struck-gold with Lin obviously.

Bottom-line? Always look to upgrade role-players.

[closg00]

Evans — who wants to work in a team’s front office after his playing days end — said that the sense of entitlement has changed, and he praised Randy Wittman’s attitude. He also suggested that some of the change will be of a drastic sort.

“As we continue to progress, as Ernie Grunfeld continues to lay out his plan, as Ted Leonsis continues to lay out his plan for the future of this organization, we’re gonna get high draft picks,” Evans said. “Some guys that are here in this locker room won’t be here next year. And as a result, I think that’s the only way they’re gonna learn.”

Mo is a smart man, think he knows something about Ted's plans for Ernie? Perhaps Mo himself will become GM

[closg00]

Grunfeld: Wizards Searching For Team Identity

The Wizards are still searching for their identity with two months left to go during a frustrating, unpredictable season.

“I think we are trying to find an identity and who we are and what kind of team we are,” said president Ernie Grunfeld. “I think we are playing much harder and are taking advantage of the resources we have including speed, length, and athleticism. We have a point-guard that likes to get up and down the floor and we need players that can play with John.”

The Wizards will be in line for a high draft pick, which could net another franchise cornerstone.

“We want to play the game the right way,” Grunfeld added. “ That’s making the extra pass, helping out on the defensive end, rebounding the basketball, and playing with high energy and high intensity at all times. We have seen a lot of that, but when you have young players you are going to be inconsistent. Still those young payers are getting valuable minutes at an NBA level and that will be helpful over time.”

http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/wizar ... eedID=6356

While the team is searching for a new identity, Ted should be searching for a new GM. Ernie want's the team to rebound, yet he has never valued putting a rebounder on the team among a long list of offences. This spin is as all about conning Ted into giving him a extension.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Grunfeld: Wizards Searching For Team Identity

The Wizards are still searching for their identity with two months left to go during a frustrating, unpredictable season.

“I think we are trying to find an identity and who we are and what kind of team we are,” said president Ernie Grunfeld. “I think we are playing much harder and are taking advantage of the resources we have including speed, length, and athleticism. We have a point-guard that likes to get up and down the floor and we need players that can play with John.”

The Wizards will be in line for a high draft pick, which could net another franchise cornerstone.

“We want to play the game the right way,” Grunfeld added. “ That’s making the extra pass, helping out on the defensive end, rebounding the basketball, and playing with high energy and high intensity at all times. We have seen a lot of that, but when you have young players you are going to be inconsistent. Still those young payers are getting valuable minutes at an NBA level and that will be helpful over time.”

http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/wizar ... eedID=6356

While the team is searching for a new identity, Ted should be searching for a new GM. Ernie want's the team to rebound, yet he has never valued putting a rebounder on the team among a long list of offences. This spin is as all about conning Ted into giving him a extension.

This whole article is completely embarrassing. What was the prompting of Ernie making this announcement?? "The Wizards are still searching for their identity with two months left to go" just displays complete ineptitude throughout this team's management.

[tontoz]

The team does have an identity, it just isn't a good one.

[hands11]

I think its time. I was glad they had EG because at least he was a GM unlike Unseld who was just terrible. I would rather they just kept Nash who put together a good team but Abe back stabbed him like he did MJ. Then the whole things was blown up by Wes. Actually MJ did this franchise a lot of good with his name and cleaning out those 3 crap 10M contracts/players. Plus he added Haywood.

Amazing to realize that MJ went back onto the court because he was trying to teach these guys how to play team ball and with fire and here we are all these years later right back at the same place.

This team simply has to many low IQ players.

[hands11]

The team does have an identity, it just isn't a good one.

True.

The identity is selfish low IQ losers. Maybe he should have said they are searching for a new identity.

[Benjammin]

This team simply has to many low IQ players.

Oh Hands, please forgive me, I couldn't help myself.

[hands11]

This team simply has to many low IQ players.

Oh Hands, please forgive me, I couldn't help myself.

I guess if the team needs a proof reader we have that covered.

[fishercob]

The all-star break seems like as good a time as any to blast our GM, especially with the benefit of hindsight. So....

How badly did Ernie blow the 2010 draft? The Wall pick was obvious. No complaints there.

But the Seraphin pick appears to have been a complete waste on another international man of mystery like Pecherov. If they were going to make the Hinrich deal, they should have drafted Booker at 17. Then they wouldn't have to have burned the #35 pick to move from 30 up to 23 to get Booker. With 30 and 35 still in tow, maybe there's even a shot that Ernie would have taken Landry Fields (given his Stanford connections), who didn't go until 39.

On top of that, the Wizards appear to have gained very little by trading Hinrich on to Atlanta for Crawford (will be out of the league in a couple years) and the pick that became Singleton. We all want to like Singleton, but after a somewhat auspicious start he has been nothing short of dreadful. But Ernie had to have him so badly that we passed on Faried, Brooks, Jimmy Butler, etc.

Ugh.

[tontoz]

I don't think Seraphin is a waste. I just think he needs experience. He didn't even start playing until he was 15 and came over here not speaking English. anyone would look clueless on the court when they dont know what the coach is yelling at them.

You can see that he still gets nervous when he has the ball in his hands.

Last years draft is definitely looking pretty bad.

Crawford is a mindless chucker but he does have some legit skills. If he can ever reign in his chucking (granted that is an exceptionally large IF) then he could be an reasonably effective player.

[fishercob]

I don't think Seraphin is a waste. I just think he needs experience. He didn't even start playing until he was 15 and came over here not speaking English. anyone would look clueless on the court when they dont know what the coach is yelling at them.

You can see that he still gets nervous when he has the ball in his hands.

Last years draft is definitely looking pretty bad.

Crawford is a mindless chucker but he does have some legit skills. If he can ever reign in his chucking (granted that is an exceptionally large IF) then he could be an reasonably effective player.

I drank the kool-aid on Seraphin early on. But two seasons in (including one supposedly promising offseason with the French national team), he's essentially worthless. I have no interest in the reasons for why he's not very good -- be it injury, language, age, inexperience. The fact is that he;s not good. If you want to provide some hope, show me some examples of players who have been comparably unproductive in their first two seasons and went on to have meaningful careers. No one jumps to mind.

[tontoz]

Seraphin is only unproductive when he has the ball in his hands. Per 36 minutes he is averaging 10 rebounds (vs 8.6 last year) and 3 blocks. He is a tough, physical defender who also sets good picks on offense. He defends the pick and roll far better than Mcgee. If you watch him he will sometimes chase the guard all the way underneath the basket on a switch after a high screen and roll.

I don't think it is reaching to think that a guy with so little experience would improve offensively with more experience.

[Zonkerbl]

Wow, you guys must be watching a different Seraphin. I see a guy who has blocked a ton of shots while playing better position defense than McGee, has a nice touch around the basket and plays physical. I am totally satisfied with Seraphin so far.

Because of McGee getting yanked for stupid play and Blatche and Turiaf being injured, Seraphin has been thrust into some situations where he was overmatched.

Getting a decent backup center/power forward at #17 is about what you want. He's fine as long as you have Turiaf or some other vet for when the matchup is particularly bad.