Official Countdown Grunfeld Era-2nd SuperStar?

[fishercob]

[tontoz]

I wonder if the Hinrich and Arenas deals might have been enough for Ted to keep him around longer than he deserves.

[Zonkerbl]

ROFL!!!

[Zonkerbl]

At first I was like, why fire Ernie now? But if you are going to replace Ernie, might as well do it now and give the next guy as long as possible to prepare for the draft. Although, any decent GM candidate is probably doing all that work now anyway.

Ted did stay with his GM for the Caps... although the Caps I think were never this terrible.

[LyricalRico]

Reid, shmeed. I'm still waiting to see what Ernie does at the deadline. After that, let's talk about potential changes.

[closg00]

Ted could pull a Portland move and fire Ernie after the draft. Don't know when Ernie has to sign a new contract relative to when the draft-night happens. You can bet that Ernie will be angling for that extension if he hasn't already asked Ted to "stay the course" It's just hard to imagine Ted's peeps trying to sell season ticket packages with Ernest still in-charge.

[LyricalRico]

^ A lot can happen between now and the draft. If the Wiz dump Blatche, get some value for Young and possibly McGee, and pick up a decent vet at the deadline - then I think they can show signs of life in the second half of the season. Add in a good draft and I think the case can absolutely be made that EG is right on track for Ted's rebuilding plan.

Really, as long as Ted's plan is to lose and accumulate picks, it's going to be difficult to sell tickets. Putting a different name on the GM office door isn't going to move the needle on tickets IMO. If Ted's primary goal is to sell tickets for the 2012-13 season, then they are going to go all in on vets.

[keynote]

^ A lot can happen between now and the draft. If the Wiz dump Blatche, get some value for Young and possibly McGee, and pick up a decent vet at the deadline - then I think they can show signs of life in the second half of the season. Add in a good draft and I think the case can absolutely be made that EG is right on track for Ted's rebuilding plan.

Really, as long as Ted's plan is to lose and accumulate picks, it's going to be difficult to sell tickets. Putting a different name on the GM office door isn't going to move the needle on tickets IMO. If Ted's primary goal is to sell tickets for the 2012-13 season, then they are going to go all in on vets.

EG can make all of the "right" moves over the next two months, but that still change the fact that he has allowed/enable a basketball culture of lawlessness and low BBall IQ. The Arenas/Jamison team was more talented, but they still weren't smart ball players, and they still weren't held accountable by the organization for their mistakes/attitude. EG has started to refresh the roster under Ted's mandate, but while he's finally starting to bring in defensive-minded, high-motor players, he's still not bringing smart players - and the organization still isn't able to maintain player discipline. In two different "eras," the two best bigs on the team got into fist fights. What are the odds of that?

Now, perhaps EG allows the players to have some latitude, but runs the rest of the basketball operations like a well-oiled machine. But, if the most visible part of the work force is in constant disarray, who's to say that the scouts are also being managed with too lenient a hand? What about the *medical staff*?

I'll be happy if EG can work some deadline deal magic. But that won't change the fact that he has demonstrated the same flaws in two separate rebuilds so far. I don't think we should trust him with a third.

[JonathanJoseph]

^ A lot can happen between now and the draft. If the Wiz dump Blatche, get some value for Young and possibly McGee, and pick up a decent vet at the deadline - then I think they can show signs of life in the second half of the season. Add in a good draft and I think the case can absolutely be made that EG is right on track for Ted's rebuilding plan.

Really, as long as Ted's plan is to lose and accumulate picks, it's going to be difficult to sell tickets. Putting a different name on the GM office door isn't going to move the needle on tickets IMO. If Ted's primary goal is to sell tickets for the 2012-13 season, then they are going to go all in on vets.

It doesn't really matter what he can or can't do with any remaining opportunities. The problems go beyond basketball moves into organizational culture and accountability and the Wizards franchise cannot move forward without a change in leadership.

[daSwami]

I'd be happy to let EG ride out the remainder of the season w/o making any moves, then fire him and have Pritchard in place before the draft/FA signing period. Let Pritchard hire the new coach (or keep Wittman, if he's our best option.) If Pritchard came into this mess mid-season he might see what he's in for and opt to jump ship early (ala Thibodeau.)

[closg00]

JoJo is right, there are serious organizational problems that have existed for a long time, perhaps even before Ernie. A new, fresh face will need to come-in and rebuild everything.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

If I were in Ted's shoes I would go Jerry Jones for a while and just hire the coach I want.

Although Kevin Pritchard has a reputation as a a great talent evaluator that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to pick the right coach. I would hate to see him become the next GM just to pick the next Flip Saunders to coach the Wizards.

I want the right coach for this team. (It is not going to be Randy Wittman, either.)

[WizarDynasty]

A GM should make it known to the public who he feels are the greatest players ever at each of the five starting positions. A GM should know stuff about each of those five greatest players that even a player that played with them didn't know. A GM should build a team as closely to those five greatest players as his reference point as possible. A GM should be able to immediately identify what are the deficiencies of his projects and the referenced greatest player at that position.
A GM should be an expert at the training regimen that his referenced greatest player did to become great and ensure that his projects are following the same training regimen. If the prospect is unwilling to follow that training regimen, the GM should have found this out before the draft during personal interviews.
Grunfeld has publicly stated that he was building a team for a coach. This can't be so. The GM has to be even more qualfied at recognizing greatness than even a coach. this is the problem with the wizards.
Until Grunfeld makes it known who he feels are the five greatest players at each position, i can't trust that he can be the leader of this organization. The leader of the wizards has to have an idea of what a great player is at each of the five positions and seeks to transforms the players on the wizards as closely as possible to those players...in terms of personality, in terms of training regimen, in terms of basketball skills, in terms of basketball IQ. th
That's the only way to figure out if EG is qualified to be the leader. How closely has he developed his prospect to his ideal greatest player ever.
How much research has EG done into the lives of the starting five players that he feels where the greatest ever at each respective position. Will he say yes if we ask him, have you personally seen to it that John Wall performs the same "practice regimen as your reference greatest player ever at point guard".
have you personally see to that Javale Mcgee performs the same "...blah blah". If grunfeld answer yes, he deserves to keep his job. If no...then he needs to be let go.
A GM is suppose to find out if the player he drafts is capable of reaching the status mentally of the player he feels is the greatest player at that position. For example, Blatche has great physical dimensions...what player does Grunfeld feel is the greatest ever powerforward...if he says Duncan or Garnett...has Grunfeld hired private investigators to find out the exact practice drills and amount of time daily at these specific drills that Duncan or Garnett did to become great. The GM has to be an expert at the lives of who he feels are the greatest players at each of the five starting positions and he should be looking for prospect with the raw intangibles that his greatest players had and once they are onboard with the wizard ensure that they follow the same training regimen and that they have mental drive and raw physical attributes. the GM is suppose to find out if they have the mental drive and toughness before they draft them. The ability to figure out who has the mental drive and toughness and who doesn't is what makes a GM qualified or not.
to many times, i get the feeling that EG all to often pushed this vital responsibility onto a coach. If a coach doesn't have a track record of transforming young talent into deep playoff talent then the GM has to take this responsibility on his own shoulders by educating himself and trusting his own reference point. The GM has to be an expert at each of the five positions what is needed to get his prospects to play as closely as possible to his referenced players.
Only then can we tell if EG is qualified. If Isaih Thomas is EG greatest point guard ever, has EG made known that he feels Wall's handles aren't even close to isaih thomas and has EG instructed Saunders to but Wall on a strict dribble improvement program like what isaih thomas did?
grunfeld has to be an expert at what isaih thomas did to become great and he has to evaluate each of the five starting positions according to his own personal list of greatest players at each of the five starting positions.
until i know what EG's five greatest players at starting five position, i can't figure out if any of these players has shown improvement toward grunfeld's reference point. If I am owner and I don't see EG holding coaches accountable for not producing results of what Grunfeld wants in a player, then Grunfeld has to go. If I see Grunfeld holding coaches accountable for not producing weekly improvement that Grunfeld set's, then i feel Grunfeld is doing his job. I first would want to know what Grunfeld's plan was and what are the exact improvement that Grunfeld wants to see as far as skills development with his projects. I would look at the detail of what Grunfeld expects to see if Grunfeld shows insight into what is expected. Finally, i would take grunfeld's plan and provide it to my personal consultant...jerry sloan and let sloan evaluate how reasonable and qualified Grunfeld's vision is. If Sloan tells me Grunfeld lacks complete insight into what it takes, Grunfeld is probably out the door.

[tontoz]

WOW

*rummages in desk drawer for some advil*

[keynote]

Somebody called JaVale's momma: EG just hired Joe Connelly III as an assistant coach. Prada & Co. are referring to him specifically as a "developmental coach." Bullets Forever posted a link to an 12/1/11 article on Connelly's training facility here. Based on the article, Connelly comes off like a poor man's Tim Grover. But based on his client list, he may actually be a homeless man's Tim Grover.

When you think of trainers, you think of dominant personalities that always find a way to make themselves the loudest man in the room. That is not Joe Connelly. Joe Connelly is a short, stocky man with a goatee that stands out only because he looks so different than the men he is training. Many trainers and coaches stop workouts in the middle to provide instruction. Connelly would rather keep things moving. The only time you hear his voice is when he's encouraging players to keep going.

It's been a long road for Connelly to get to this point. Twenty years ago, Connelly was working at local recreation centers and teaching in Baltimore. He mostly worked with high school kids and some college players. It was only a few years ago when he got in contact with some of the Wizards players. His brother, Tim Connelly, had risen to the position of head scout with the Wizards after beginning in 1996. Eventually, Joe Connelly found his way into the Wizards' network working with Mason, then with the team, and Blatche.

"I've been working out with him since I've been with the Wizards," Blatche says. "His brother actually used to be with us when I was a rookie, so Joe's been around the Wizards [for a while]."

Connelly has no official position with the Wizards, but he regularly communicates with general manager Ernie Grunfeld and others within the organization. This year, he's worked closest with Blatche, Trevor Booker and Ndiaye, and he was the man who ran the private workouts Blatche organized with a couple members of the Wizards in September. Ndiaye in particular couldn't stop singing Connelly's praises.

Well, if a prodigy like Ndiaye thinks he's a miracle worker, well, consider me sold.

Oof. These guys need new voices badly. Instead of bringing in new blood, EG hires a local guy. A Wizards insider? Blatche's personal trainer!? I hoped he hired Connelly's seeing-eye dog, too.

[closg00]

After all of these years the Wizards are interested in improved player development. Great to know that Ed Tapscott and Ernie are on the job. Great political move on Ernie's part as-well.

[Nivek]

Blatche has been working with him since his rookie year? If I was Connelly, I don't think I'd put that on the ol' resume.

[WallTown02]

I disagree with the people who want to give him until the offseason and let his contract run out.

I think he needs to go ASAP. He's still attached to these players. He might not make the crucial trade that we need because he doesn't want to look like he made a mistake.

I think we need a new GM right away that isn't committed to these players. If this GM doesn't think Javale is a long-term fit, then he needs to try to get some value for him while he can. Same with NY. EG might be willing to trade Blatche but might be overvaluing him while a new GM would pull the trigger much faster.

IMO this trade deadline is a very important opportunity to begin molding this team for the future. The future GM needs this opportunity.

[closg00]

Part of this could go in the trade thread.

The overall vision for the organization, though, is an open question. With team president Ernie Grunfeld on the last year of his contract, speculation has resurfaced that he could be on his way out in a full-scale housecleaning. But league sources caution to consider that Grunfeld remains in the good graces of owner Ted Leonsis, who recognizes that Grunfeld's plan was seriously interrupted with the Gilbert Arenas gun incident two years ago. And while an extension for Grunfeld certainly is out of the question at the moment, the Wizards actually will be fairly well positioned next summer to make a significant move in a deep free-agent class. Assuming they buy out Rashard Lewis, who only has $10 million guaranteed out of his $22 million salary, Washington would have less than $35 million in committed payroll. And since the youth movement is in full swing, Grunfeld might be able to extract another asset if he decides to move veteran guard Maurice Evans and/or Roger Mason to a contender that needs guard help. Both are on one-year deals and can't be traded until March 1, and their veteran experience is needed in the locker room. But if either one decides he wants a trade, sources say the Wizards will try to accommodate them.

The "source" is probably Grunfeld himself, or Rico

[LyricalRico]

^ Well, it's obviously a smart person - whoever they are.

Seriously, I don't see anything there that shouldn't be obvious. The team is absolutely positioned to make some moves in the offseason, and also has moves it can make at the deadline. Ernie has been the guy behind that, and I don't know how fair it is to task a guy with creating that flexibility but then not allowing him the chance to use it.

Still, I'm not naive. I understand that the case can be made that a completely fresh start is needed. Flip being fired doesn't make him a bad NBA coach (or mean that Wittman is better than Flip), he's just not the right fit for right here, right now. So if Ernie isn't retained, it doesn't mean he's not a good GM (or not as good as whoever they bring in), just that the team wants to go in a different direction. And I understand that it works out that way sometimes.