Countdown to Ernie Grunfeld Firing

Post #501 » by **nate33** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:05 pm

Zonkerbl wrote:So now that Ernie's kids failed to even reach the lowered bar of "50% since Wall's return," does EG still get to keep his job?

Unfortunately, yes.

It was clear that the team tanked down the stretch. They rested 5 of our top 6 players, everyone except Wall. Those losses won't count against Ernie. (They should count because our team shouldn't be so embarrassingly bad even with 5 players out, but Ted just doesn't see it that way.)

Post #502 » by **Ruzious** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:00 pm

Wiz management continues to make rationalizations an art form. They use it to convert abject failure into impressive success. If I used their flair with verbage gar bage at work, my boss would howl in laughter before firing me.

willbcocks · Post #503 » by **willbcocks** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:30 pm

I don't even know what to say anymore. Just look at the children drafted over the past few years. How can you look at that and not fire him immediately? Just stunning.

Nivek · Post #504 » by **Nivek** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:39 pm

Ted set the bar for "success" effectively on the ground, and the team Ernie built couldn't even trip over it. Of course Ernie will keep his job.

Higga · Post #505 » by **Higga** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:26 pm

Ernie is living the dream. I wish I could suck so much at my job over 10+ years and still be employed. If only the real world worked like sports and we all had bosses like Ted.

closg00 · Post #506 » by **closg00** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:57 pm

Anyone read the CSN piece today with some quotes from Ted? Appears same-ole sh*t, talk of bringing back Webster, nothing about making any real changes.

fishercob · Post #507 » by **fishercob** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:02 pm

Well, what's he going to say? They have no assets to trade and they're capped out. Next deadline/summer we can all look forward to hideous trades and signings.

Post #508 » by **nate33** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:20 pm

I'm sure Ted will keep EG around for this offseason. I'm just hoping that, assuming we win 44 games or so next year, Ted will still refrain from resigning EG past his current contract.

It may be tough to fire a guy in the midst of a significant win/loss improvement, but it shouldn't be that hard to refrain from extending him.

Post #509 » by **penbeast0** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 9:14 pm

Can't we at least talk to Phil Jackson just for form's sake (as coach/GM or pick your own GM if you come)? He is only the greatest coach to ever coach in the NBA and supposedly looking to get back in the league.

payitforward · Post #510 » by **payitforward** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:09 pm

Nivek wrote:Ted set the bar for "success" effectively on the ground, and the team Ernie built couldn't even trip over it. Of course Ernie will keep his job.

Oh... not just keep his job -- Ted thinks Ernie has done great!

I think our 2011 draft is the worst job by a GM I've seen since I was a Warriors fan in SF in the '80s when Al Attles was our GM and we drafted Russell Crowe near the top of round 1 -- no one in the Warriors FO had ever even seen him play!

Realize that we could easily have had Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried and Chandler Parsons! And look who we got instead. Now, that set of stumblebum decisions did wind us up w/ Bradley Beal, via the "blind squirrel" route. But still....

We will never compete for a title w/ these fools at the helm.

rockymac52 · Post #511 » by **rockymac52** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:34 pm

What about some sort of scenario where we keep Grunfeld, but we also bring in a new, younger face to be a very significant influence in the front office?

Several teams have done something similar in recent years. I'm thinking along the lines of Rick Sund and Danny Ferry in Atlanta, Donnie Walsh and Kevin Pritchard in Indiana, Rod Thorn and Tony DiLeo in Philadelphia, and Rod Higgins and Rich Cho in Charlotte.

Basically there's a team president/senior basketball operations consultant/etc. who is the older, more experienced front office executive, and then there's the GM, who is normally the younger, more forward-thinking front office executive. In many of the above scenarios, the older guy is often technically above the GM on the team's decision-making chart, although it's unclear which guy actually does the majority of the decision-making.

I think this is a nice way to get a fresh face in here without having to fire someone the ownership clearly trusts, especially after a (hopefully) successful season where we make the playoffs and make a big improvement. Then Grunfeld and the new GM can work together, and it can be a comfortable transition for everyone.

Thoughts?

P.S. I've said it before, but one of the guys I'd reallllly like to see us take a look at for the future of our GM position is Troy Weaver, the current Assistant GM in OKC. Aside from being the number 2 guy from a very successful and forward-thinking organization that has produced several recent big-time front office executives throughout the league, he's young, and perhaps more importantly, he's from the DC area. He's apparently been considered for a lot of recent GM openings, but has turned down offers (not sure if actual job offers or just interview offers), citing that he's waiting for the right opportunity. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I believe there's good reason to believe that his hometown team, the Washington Wizards, are that right opportunity he's talking about. He probably knew the position would likely become available in the near future, and he's smart enough to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity for him. I think we're that opportunity, and I think he's the man for the job.

Post #512 » by **montestewart** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:58 am

I don't know too much about Troy Weaver, but I've seen a bunch of good reviews here about him. Sounds good to me, but at this point, a turtle with "Go Wiz" painted on his back would sound good too. Kick EG upstairs to GMeritus, providing that veteran experience from the end of the bench and freeing Leonsis from the grim responsibility of firing Ernie. Terd has hurt the team, its fans, its image...he's got to draw the line somewhere. Just stick EG in the closet next to the championship trophy.

queridiculo · Post #513 » by **queridiculo** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:41 am

Might as well get used to Grunfeld, the dude is bulletproof.

He blew what's practically two full rebuilds and Leonsis is telling everybody that wants to listen that we're right on track :roll:

Post #514 » by **penbeast0** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:23 pm

At least TALK to PHIL "GREATEST FRIGGING COACH OF ALL TIME" JACKSON!

closg00 · Post #515 » by **closg00** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:40 pm

Per the tap.

Jackson, according to sources, is more interested in taking a front office position with an NBA team.

A real fantasy, Phil Jackson Wizard's GM

TGW · Post #516 » by **TGW** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:02 pm

closg00 wrote:Per the tap.
Jackson, according to sources, is more interested in taking a front office position with an NBA team.

A real fantasy, Phil Jackson Wizard's GM

To me, that's a no-brainer. This team should do anything to get Phil here...but I think Ted likes yesmen, and Phil is definitely not a yes-man.

hands11 · Post #517 » by **hands11** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:49 am

Just watched EGs season wrap up interview.

That was a waste of a half hr for sure. Why even give the interview if you not in a position to comment on anything yet. Hey, I get it. You don't want to play your hand and you don't want to through players under the bus. Specially since a lot of the ones you might want to get ride of are signed on more year. Fine. Just say there. Explain the situation.

Then make the interview 5 minutes long. Just do the rah rah part. Say what the players are doing this summer. Explain why there isn't much to say and move on.

I don't listen to a lot of other GMs get interviewed. But it seems like when I do, they give better interviews then EG does. Man is he terrible in an interview.

Post #518 » by **nate33** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:52 pm

Wizards Insider has a write up on the interview. I'm unimpressed:

On offseason priorities: “I think that the number one thing is that we need to get our players’ health right. We have to rest up this summer, get our health right, and come back next year with all our players, and then there’ll be some additions in the offseason, and those additions will be determined in the next 2-3 weeks…I think we have a fairly deep roster. We have 8-9 guys coming back. We’ll have six free agents on the roster, some of them might be back, some might not be back, and it will also depend on what players are available. I think we have most of our positions covered at this time, but of course you always want to improve. We’re going to explore all our options, and see how we can be a better team next year.

I'm really uneasy with this notion that he thinks we have depth. We have no depth at all. That's why the injuries hurt us so bad. When Boston lost Rondo, they went on a win streak. When we lost Wall, we went 5-28.

This team has 5 good players signed for next year (Wall, Beal, Ariza, Nene and Okafor) plus one decent but injury-prone player (Booker). That's it. Sign Webster and it's 6+1. That is not a deep team. The rest of the team are either projects (Seraphin) or completely replaceable with D-League talent (Vesely, Singleton).

Unfortunately, all signs indicate that his plan is to go ahead and accept the 4th-year option for Vesely and Singleton. That's a huge mistake - particularly with respect to Vesely. Singleton can at least play one end of the floor competently and his contract won't cost too much.

GhostsOfGil · Post #519 » by **GhostsOfGil** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:01 pm

Per WT, Phil has talked to 3-4 teams about a front office job...

Talk about wishful thinking...

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #520 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:01 pm

GhostsOfGil wrote:Per WT, Phil has talked to 3-4 teams about a front office job...

Talk about wishful thinking...

Phil Jackson would never come to the Wizards so might as well end that pipe dream right now. Plus Ted would never fire EG for Phil Jackson :lol:

IS IT TIME TO FIRE ERNIE GRUNFELD?