Countdown to Ernie Grunfeld Firing

[verbal8]

Congrats on landing the 3rd pick Ernie

Well the Wizards were the team to move up the most in the lotto.

[montestewart]

Seeing headlines about Raptors interviewing Ujiri and requesting permission to talk with Pritchard. If the Wiz ever get another GM, I wonder if they just get some lifer retread.

[Deivy202]

Seeing headlines about Raptors interviewing Ujiri and requesting permission to talk with Pritchard. If the Wiz ever get another GM, I wonder if they just get some lifer retread.

Better question why are we not speaking to him or the pacers GM or even Phil Jackson( yea I know doubtful) to atleast try and get one of them.

Ernie is a bad GM .........worst than Vinny Cerrito !

[Wizardspride]

Ernie is a bad GM .........worst than Vinny Cerrito !

I wouldn't go that far.

Not even close actually....

[BigA]

Seeing headlines about Raptors interviewing Ujiri and requesting permission to talk with Pritchard. If the Wiz ever get another GM, I wonder if they just get some lifer retread.

I wonder what Isiah Thomas is up to these days?

[penbeast0]

Ernie is better than Wes was too . . . . but his performance as a GM in terms of getting value out of trades and draft choices has been below replacement level. For every Martell Webster there are deals like getting zero value for Jordan Crawford. For every Gil Arenas there is a #5 pick for Randy Foye. And drafting . . . I can't think of many picks where he overachieved (had hoped for Seraphin) while the legacy of Jan Vesely keeps living on.

On the whole, we'd probably have been better off just putting a financial/marketing person in place to negotiate contracts (La Sooz!), and making no moves at all just picking whoever Draft Express listed as the best choice and picking up as many of the NBDL all-stars as possible in Free Agency. That's pretty damning.

[verbal8]

On the whole, we'd probably have been better off just putting a financial/marketing person in place to negotiate contracts (La Sooz!), and making no moves at all just picking whoever Draft Express listed as the best choice and picking up as many of the NBDL all-stars as possible in Free Agency. That's pretty damning.

He has shown occasional cleverness, but it has usually been followed up by a miscue that negates the progress. I am hoping we are safe from EG trading the 3rd pick for an established vet. Basically it seems the few guys are either good enough it wouldn't be a bad move(Love, Horford). Also the Wizards don't have enough salaries to make a deal for a big contract without moving Nene(Okaforiza can't be dealt before the new NBA year). The one possibilities that scare me a little would be David Lee or Granger.

I think there are opportunities that a better GM could take advantage of in this draft, such as Dallas wanting to move the 13th pick. I think the Wizards will be ok with the 3rd pick and the 38th. However what really concerns me is making the next step with the team. Assuming the pick is Porter and he ends up being good, the Wizards have a young big three and a big need for bigs. At the right price Okafor might help, but I think he is only a partial short term solution. I think it will take work and creativity to add those last key pieces to build a contender.

[closg00]

Jerry Zgoda: Flip says he's talking to many candidates about adding to front office, but won't do so until after draft Twitter @JerryZgoda

Please take more Wiz staff so-as to foster the appearance of a sinking FO.

[rockymac52]

Jerry Zgoda: Flip says he's talking to many candidates about adding to front office, but won't do so until after draft Twitter @JerryZgoda

Please take more Wiz staff so-as to foster the appearance of a sinking FO.

I think that would actually be the opposite. If other teams are hiring away all of our front office execs, then that's a sign that we have a good thing going here. That only increases Ernie's job security, IMO (especially because he likely personally hired all of these guys). It's like the Spurs, who seem to lose 2-3 guys from their front office every single year because other teams covet them and promote them. That doesn't mean the Spurs front office is bad or falling apart, it means they're great and they'll probably find capable replacements.

[montestewart]

Jerry Zgoda: Flip says he's talking to many candidates about adding to front office, but won't do so until after draft Twitter @JerryZgoda

Please take more Wiz staff so-as to foster the appearance of a sinking FO.

I think that would actually be the opposite. If other teams are hiring away all of our front office execs, then that's a sign that we have a good thing going here. That only increases Ernie's job security, IMO (especially because he likely personally hired all of these guys). It's like the Spurs, who seem to lose 2-3 guys from their front office every single year because other teams covet them and promote them. That doesn't mean the Spurs front office is bad or falling apart, it means they're great and they'll probably find capable replacements.

That might be the way Leonsis sees it, but some of the rest of us might compare the Spurs' 566-238 record to the Wizards' 313-491 record during EG's tenure in Washington.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

"One of theses things is not like the others."

Ted never listened while his son or daughter watched Sesame Street. Critical thinking skills might not have been properly developed if he thinks the Wizards are run like the Spurs.

[Deeptu McPullup]

Jerry Zgoda: Flip says he's talking to many candidates about adding to front office, but won't do so until after draft Twitter @JerryZgoda

Please take more Wiz staff so-as to foster the appearance of a sinking FO.

I think that would actually be the opposite. If other teams are hiring away all of our front office execs, then that's a sign that we have a good thing going here. That only increases Ernie's job security, IMO (especially because he likely personally hired all of these guys). It's like the Spurs, who seem to lose 2-3 guys from their front office every single year because other teams covet them and promote them. That doesn't mean the Spurs front office is bad or falling apart, it means they're great and they'll probably find capable replacements.

Hard to disagree with that interpretation.

And speak a' the devil.....

"Multiple NBA sources say that Milt Newton, Wizards vice president of player personnel, is a good bet to be the Wolves' new general manager. That wouldn't happen until after the draft. We first reported the Wolves' interest in Newton via Twitter last week. Newton and Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders worked together in Washington. Those who know Newton say he's a rock-solid guy. Newton was in town earlier in the week for the draft workouts."

The following one is speculative:

Two assistant GMs with Nuggets ties to keep eye on as possible GM candidates include the Wizards' Tommy Sheppard & Bucks' Jeff Weltman.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) May 31, 2013

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... ice-losses

This is probably all related to that big Othyus Jeffers find a few years back.

[closg00]

This is awesome, since much of the FO is jumping-ship, why-not send Ernie packing right-along with the rest of them. We could have a GM in-place before the draft.
http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball ... ice-losses

[rockymac52]

LOL. You guys are delusional if you think all of these guys that Ernie hand-picked to be on his front office staff being hired by other teams means that Ernie will be fired. It is the exact opposite! It means that Ernie has been making great hiring decisions within the front office, and he has a good eye for talent, at least on that side. It means he's absolutely keeping his job.

[montestewart]

LOL. You guys are delusional if you think all of these guys that Ernie hand-picked to be on his front office staff being hired by other teams means that Ernie will be fired. It is the exact opposite! It means that Ernie has been making great hiring decisions within the front office, and he has a good eye for talent, at least on that side. It means he's absolutely keeping his job.

1) Rats deserting an eternally sinking ship, talent aside.
2) Good employees, bad employees, picked virtually at random by EG, who never really listens to a word they say unless it reinforces what he already thinks, so they're glad to leave as soon as a lateral opening comes available.
3) NBA coaches, assistants, GMs, and other front office personnel often seem like they belong to a huge game of musical chairs. That one team hires from another team hardly seem remarkable. Talk to me when the Spurs promote someone from the Wizards, then I might listen.

Unfortunately, you're probably right. Whether these hirings prove any ability on EG's part (I don't think they do at all) he is probably keeping his job, riding into a second run of Wizards mediocrity the top picks he stumbled into by being a bad GM .

[doclinkin]

Jerry Sichting to leave Wizards for Suns, according to report

Our defensive guru from the Spurs.

I do think defections may be evidence of smoke: that there is uncertainty in the front office about retaining GMEG under a win-now mandate on a team with obvious holes, so people are lining up more secure long term deals. Any new GM would want to make their own hires. FO to Coach on down.

[rockymac52]

Jerry Sichting to leave Wizards for Suns, according to report

Our defensive guru from the Spurs.

I do think defections may be evidence of smoke: that there is uncertainty in the front office about retaining GMEG under a win-now mandate on a team with obvious holes, so people are lining up more secure long term deals. Any new GM would want to make their own hires. FO to Coach on down.

Don Newman is our assistant coach that came from the Spurs. Sichting came from... high school basketball (okay technically, but really he came from numerous years working with Wittman in Minnesota).

You do bring up a good point though. I've looked at losing a few front office guys recently as a good sign that we're doing things right and we have talented people on our staff that other teams covet. But then again you might be right, what if they are jumping ship because they fear Grunfeld's days are numbered and they don't want to be part of a group-firing when a new GM takes over and prefers to clean house and hire his own people? This summer would be the time to get out before its too late. But then again, these guys have to be hired by other teams, it's not a charity program, so the new GMs must have wanted our guys at least somewhat.

[verbal8]

You do bring up a good point though. I've looked at losing a few front office guys recently as a good sign that we're doing things right and we have talented people on our staff that other teams covet. But then again you might be right, what if they are jumping ship because they fear Grunfeld's days are numbered and they don't want to be part of a group-firing when a new GM takes over and prefers to clean house and hire his own people? This summer would be the time to get out before its too late. But then again, these guys have to be hired by other teams, it's not a charity program, so the new GMs must have wanted our guys at least somewhat.

It could be both. That the top is seen on shaking group, but the organization has been bringing in good hires. That tends to be a situation where you see a lot of turnover. If the underling as seen as less capable they generally "go down with the ship", because there are fewer opportunities to move elsewhere.

[fishercob]

I'm feeling oddly upbeat today so I will post something amazingly unsucky relating to Ernie Grunfeld:

The Magic are paying Gilbert Arenas $22.3M next season.

I don't mean to rip open old scabs, but trading Arenas for Rashard Lewis was a really, really good trade. And while I hate a lot of how the organization handled gungate, I believe Gilbert was mostly responsible for his own downfall.

So this one's for you, Rico:

[LyricalRico]

Great post, fish!