How do you fix this team?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

PS -- and for everything really difficult, ask doclinkin. Strength Coach? doc?

I already feel Induveca will address that and an overhaul of the medical staff and trainers.

The Wizards can be title contending in 2 1/2 years.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

PS-- Flip would be great as head coach in Minny. His staff is okay. The losing is why they'd go.

[Liverbird]

As a season ticket holder for almost 20 years, the last 2 seasons, and this group of players, are by far the most frustrating I've experienced. So much so that our "pool" have actually declined to renew for next season. Until I see progress both on and off the court, I'm done. So how do we change this franchise? I agree with pretty much everything Pine said earlier:

1) Need to change the culture of the franchise. We're a second rate organization at the moment and we need to change that first.
2) We need a new draft strategy. BPA with uber-athletic ability with zero BBIQ gets you nowhere. We need to draft smart, high IQ basketball players with a desire to compete. We don't have that now outside of Wall. I HATE the body language of this team.
3) Trade pretty much everyone outside of Wall. We need some veterans on this team (Gilbert is actually quite right) to provide leadership to the younger players, including Wall.
4) A team can only be so young. Even the OKC team initially had a couple veterans.

Tactically and to consolidate some ideas on this board - this is what I'd do:

1) Fire Flip and EG. Bring in Pritchard and whomever he wants as coach.
2) Trade Blatche and McGee during the draft for picks, prospects or a couple veteran players.
3) I'd probably keep NY1 however for anything up to a MLE. Release everyone else with expirings or use them as trade bait (not sure whether you can do this or not at draft time).
4) I'd trade McGee + ATL pick + expiring for Oden - injury risk and all.
5) Ideally I'd want to find a way to bring Al Horford to DC - perhaps trade Blatche plus our lottery?

PG - Wall/Veteran PG (assuming Bibby is bought out).
SG - NY1/Crawford
SF - Lewis/Resigned Howard
PG - Horford/Booker
C - Oden/Seraphin

I believe this still gives us our flexibility in 2012 when Lewis expires and we're 1 top tier player away from competing. We maintain our 2012 pick as well. Not sure how realistic this is but it's my dream - and none of you are invited

Flame away.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

nate, Nivek, and Hoopalotta would be great working financial matters.

Dat2U, Sev, mhd, fugop all provide great draft input.

Pine is the man that knows concessions, hospitality, entertainment, etc.

Basically, Ted's got a bunch of great consultants already.

[Ruzious]

nate, Nivek, and Hoopalotta would be great working financial matters.

Dat2U, Sev, mhd, fugop all provide great draft input.

Pine is the man that knows concessions, hospitality, entertainment, etc.

Basically, Ted's got a bunch of great consultants already.

Sounds like a good team to me - as long as you add CCJ to be in charge of 2nd round picks! I don't know if there's a title for that - since you'd be the first person to hold that position.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Liverbird, that all seems rational and reasonable. Pritchard is probably the best potential GM.

The only reason I didn't say Pritchard is usually GM hires coach--but IMO that becomes a crapshoot like the draft. I want the best potential coach. That is likely Joerger. David Blaine, Mike Brown, Jeff Van Gundy Mike Budenholzer are all solid. I believe Joerger is DESTINED for greatness.

Liverbird, the constant among rotating personnel this past two seasons has been: Flip Saunders.

Ernie has shape-shifted and operates per Ted Leonsis' guidelines. Flip IMO speaks negatively and coaches poorly. I would associate bad body language with THIS COACH. He had fractious encounters with Hamilton and both Wallaces. He repeatedly did not get prime Garnett out of round one. Worst of all: Flip signed on expecting to win with a veteran team. He has disliked his circumstances and talked down to guys from day one.

Liverbird, I like what you say about changing the culture of the past two years. I say simply fire the Head coach and the Body of players will change. Those dudes can ball. Javale is a favorite of Charles Barkley and Coach K.

It's not the young guys' faults.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

nate, Nivek, and Hoopalotta would be great working financial matters.

Dat2U, Sev, mhd, fugop all provide great draft input.

Pine is the man that knows concessions, hospitality, entertainment, etc.

Basically, Ted's got a bunch of great consultants already.

Sounds like a good team to me - as long as you add CCJ to be in charge of 2nd round picks! I don't know if there's a title for that - since you'd be the first person to hold that position.

Ruz, I would love to argue with you and DCZards over each idea I have. You guys stretch my perspective and have my ear. You guys, always nate, and yungal are very good at holding me accountable and keeping me balanced.

Ruz, I still remember your coworker's stress relief suggestion.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Monte, you consult on the Wizard freaks, err girls. (I can't really publically get into that. Cedric the Entertainer's comments about MLK in Barbershop make me really want to walk the line now. Like Samuel Jackson finding clarity off drugs; I'm better celibate.)

Maybe we can make Javale's mom head cheerleading consultant. Her and Space Lady and our selection process will reveal truly talented ladies. We probably can get some of the top NBA free agents to want to come to Verizons when the see what our girls are working with. The Wizards Girls under Momma McGee would be something, Monte.

(I said nothing about pimps or players, pimps up, etc.).

[Silvie Lysandra]

In terms of solely player personnel, unless they're a low-floor guy like Wall, or a good character guy who's mature, but a bit raw, I think we need to absolutely stay the hell away from "pure potential" guys. You actually DO lose a lot when you take a flier on "potential", even if they don't have a big cap number. You take minutes from guys who may not have the athletic upside, but are more solid contributors. You fail to draft guys like Blair because you already have Blatche as your "young big". You invest time, resources, and

Teams, not just us, need to realize that "knucklehead talents" who eventually "get it" are few and far between - for every C-Webb, there are a bunch of Stromile Swifts and Kwame Browns. Even guys like Shawn Kemp and Vin Baker eventually self-destructed because of their off-court/maturity/intelligence issues. And these are examples of guys who had on-court production relative to their potential.

Now, to be fair, Blatche was a second rounder, McGee was a mid first. But that is not an excuse, because they could have been traded at the peak of their value, or they could have been packaged, or whatever. Yet we resigned Blatche, and are still investing development hours in McGee, hoping for the basketball tooth fairy to wave her magic wand. And yes, there is something that could be said for "who could we have gotten with that same pick?" But how about this: who could we have gotten if we had traded these guys while they looked to have a lot of potential? Blatche looked like a Pau Gasol-type player with KG passing ability after the purge last year. We could have gotten a lottery pick for that, no?

The point is, drafting talented but immature idiots, or guys with skills but a penchant for soft or uninspired play, is not a recipe for long-term success. While it *may* be justifiable to get a superstar player, once you HAVE that player, swinging for the fences instead of bringing in solid players is not the way to go.

[Liverbird]

David Blaine? We at least he'd be able to create the illusion of a successful franchise

I dunno CCJ - I believe the one thing most difficult to change is a person's character and neither Blatche nor McGee strike me as individuals with particular strength of character. Perhaps playing for a successful team may change that and their commitment, but I'm not confident it matters with this bunch.

Not real well versed with potential coaching candidates so I'll trust your judgment. I agree with everything you've said about Sanders, and being a closet Piston fan, I've observed much of the same. However, there needs to be some personal responsibility as well and I don't see that from Blatche and McGee.

I do struggle with McGee to be fair. He certainly has the athleticism but I'm 50/50 on whether he'll be able to achieve what he's capable of given his mentality.

[dangermouse]

Well, we might have problems... But at least we aren't the Detroit Pistons.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

David Blaine? We at least he'd be able to create the illusion of a successful franchise

I'm reminded of that commercial with the line "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas." My brain should have left David Blaine's name and his act there.

The potential NBA coach (who like the others I mentioned is not as high as Dave Joerger on my list of candidates to replace Saunders) would be named David Blatt.

[Spence]

First thing I'd do is keep McGee and wonder why anyone would want to dump him. This will be the most important offseason of his career. The Wizards should keep him until they see him next year.

I don't think anyone wants to "dump" McGee. Some of us are willing to listen to fair offers for him. That's not the same thing.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Think about Tyson Chandler five years ago. McGee is better than that, now, at age 23. Imagine McGee's strength at age 28. McGee was the star of the dunk contest and will likely be a guy the league loves to televise on marquee games.

Keep McGee but think about packaging Blatche and picks for guys like Horford, Kevin Love, David West, Greg Monroe, or Cousins. Cousins in place of Blatche with McGee to catch his passes would be almost unfair. Where Cousins doesn't defend like Andray, DeMarcus is a far superior rebounder. Cousins because of his volatility would be the easiest to acquire.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

We can cut the Dwight to the Wizards in 2012 talk. There is no chance in hell Dwight comes here. Planning for such is going to set us back.

[Ruzious]

Think about Tyson Chandler five years ago. McGee is better than that, now, at age 23. Imagine McGee's strength at age 28. McGee was the star of the dunk contest and will likely be a guy the league loves to televise on marquee games.

Keep McGee but think about packaging Blatche and picks for guys like Horford, Kevin Love, David West, Greg Monroe, or Cousins. Cousins in place of Blatche with McGee to catch his passes would be almost unfair. Where Cousins doesn't defend like Andray, DeMarcus is a far superior rebounder. Cousins because of his volatility would be the easiest to acquire.

I think we should have followed the advice in your second paragraph, but the window on trading Blatche in a package for a quality big has passed. He's got to have a strong finish to the season for the Wiz to get anything of value for him, imo.

[penbeast0]

Heck, I think we missed an opportunity to trade both Blatche and McGee to Portland (maybe with Howard) for Oden and Nick Batum. Portland is in a win now mode and with Wallace around, Batum's minutes slide. That gives up "potential" as well as defense. Then we just turn the Wizard's crack medical staff onto Oden and . . .

ok, back to the drawing board.

[montestewart]

Monte, you consult on the Wizard freaks, err girls. (I can't really publically get into that. Cedric the Entertainer's comments about MLK in Barbershop make me really want to walk the line now. Like Samuel Jackson finding clarity off drugs; I'm better celibate.)

Watch it CCJ. My wife reads this board sometimes. I'd rather do promotions and slogans anyway.

How about this one...

Wizards 2011-12: Balls to the Wall!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

You are on point with the theme, monte. Subtle innuendo ...

I'd like a halftime theme like the line from the song about Rock Creek Park that goes "Doing It In the Dark". Instead of displaying one kissing couple on the big screen, when that song comes on just kill the house lights and all the couples do their best Dr J/Momma McGee impression. You and the wife no doubt would participate.



All the lovers at Wizard games could look forward to some sort of happy ending regardless of how the team does.

That halftime theme could have all kinds of potential songs. Love to Love You Baby. I'm Bringing Sexy Back. (DJ re-dubbed PG-13 lyrics) Let's Get it On. Anything to get the mood right.

I would try and make it family friendly, too. Kids need to see mom and dad happy. Maybe tell the kiddies "Now Cover Your Eyes Kids"--and then the sexy stuff and grown folks knowing what time it is. Kids hear that stuff in the lyrics any way.

The Wizard games can become media events with some more creativity.

[Severn Hoos]

-- Equipment managers. Would San Antonio ever put a player out there with a mis-spelled name on the back of his jersey? Or think about Shakur's debut with his #22 askew.

Just so long as they don't mix up the "C." and the "J." before Singleton on the two uniforms, and I'll be quite happy.