Ted Leonsis Presser - 10/4/13 30 min. Lots of good stuff

[hands11]

Hands, as far as I can see, the majority of posters on this board share my view on this to some degree. I'm not sure why you think someone is a good communicator who has failed to clearly communicate to so many. Are you really sticking with, "He communicates well, but you just have poor comprehension skills"? Yeah, I don't know what to make of that. You're just parroting a version of the same vague mish mash. Not much there to filter through my limited comprehension skills.

Does that mean you don't agree with the above summary of the plan that I posted ?

As for what the majority here think, of what relevance is that ? For one, small sample size. For two, I don't think the majority here has chimed in. And even if they did, small sample size. Leaders lead. Why. Because the majority of people will kick and complain through the tough times and only celebrate and get on board once things are all good. Thats why leaders are valuable. Ted is a success for a reason and one of them is that he is a good communicator.

Maybe its not your comprehension skills, but your unwillingness to listen and not be a skeptic.

I predict your view on Ted will turn more positive over time.

[Wizardspride]

Hands, as far as I can see, the majority of posters on this board share my view on this to some degree. I'm not sure why you think someone is a good communicator who has failed to clearly communicate to so many. Are you really sticking with, "He communicates well, but you just have poor comprehension skills"? Yeah, I don't know what to make of that. You're just parroting a version of the same vague mish mash. Not much there to filter through my limited comprehension skills.

I can only speak for myself but much like Hands, I understand perfectly what Leonsis is communicating.

I always have.

That doesn't mean I've liked every move but I've always understood what the ultimate goal was.

[tontoz]

I understand what Leonsis is communicating, i just don't like the smell of it.

[pancakes3]

Ted isn't communicating jack. It's all just empty rhetoric and hollow platitudes - as it should be. That's fine. The problem is in getting hung up on the bit whether or not he's a good communicator ignores the real issue about whether or not he's a good owner.

[payitforward]

What did I post that was delusional and where did I set hard guideline about what other could post ? Because I said it time we start giving him some props ?

I posted his presser and a few others.

I said I thought he was a good communicator.

I didn't posted anything over the top.

Now on the other side of people that are able to see the positive about things, there are several here that find any and every opportunity to ignore progress and say how things aren't going to work out. Wall will return and have surgery. Okafor sucks. Trevor A sucks. Kevin will never get better. The sky is always falling.

I don't see the sky falling. I do post my objections to move I think are mistakes. I'm not all koolaid drinking all the time. There has been lots of progress. What motivates people to stay so negative in light of it is what kind of strange.

Lots of progress.... In 2009 we won 26 games. Last year we won 29 games. That's the progress. Progress is becoming a better team. The measure of how good a team you are is how many games you win. That's it, Hands.

That's another thing Ted said, btw. "Your record is how good you are." He said it a couple of Summers ago.

The question isn't why people are negative -- the answer to that is obvious: people are so negative because the Wizards have been a terrible team for a long time, and the people responsible for it being terrible aren't held accountable -- the opposite: "Ernie is respected around the league."

The question is why you are so positive. And the answer is -- because that's how you want to be. No problem with that; it's your choice. But it's not reality.

You have to have your head so far in the sand and ignore so much to make what you say true PIF, its not even worth starting.

Fine PIF, I get it. The only thing you see are the Ws. Well your Ws are coming brother. And when they show up, it will because some magic fairy brought them. Not because of any of the hard work that was done that lead to them. i.e. The progress.

And for the record, 2010 was Teds first year as owner and the first year he committed to a total rebuild which involved moving the most toxic contract in the league. If you lose track again, just count Walls years. They are going into their 4th.

2010 - 23
2011 - 20
2012 - 29
2013 - 42 is the vegas over/under and their two young stars are 23 and 20

You can now return to sticking your head in the sand.

My head is not in the sand, but yours sure is in the clouds.

As you point out, last year, in the 3d season of a rebuild, they won 6 more games than in the first season (after they'd already gotten the #1 pick in the draft, btw). That's something to get excited about? Along w/ Kevin's rebounding potential?

As to real "improvement" -- there has *certainly* been real improvement. Despite Ernie's utter incompetence, we've gotten lucky and nabbed a #1 pick, gotten lucky and had a really good prospect available to us at a #3, and gotten lucky and moved up from #8 to #3.

Moreover, as I've mentioned before, last year I projected more wins than you did. I might still project more wins than you do this year for that matter!

We don't differ on that subject; I don't by any means think it's out of the question that we win 40+ games. I believe I view the loss of Okafor as more significant than you do, but otherwise we are probably close in our sense of what this team is likely to achieve.

Where we differ is on the subject of whether Ernie has been or is a good GM. And whether the current "plan" is likely to produce a title contender (I can't see it).

I'm charmed by the fact that you drink every glass of kool-aid you're offered about Kevin Seraphin! I'm glad you are an optimist. And I'm not critical of Ernie for picking Seraphin. He was a good choice where he was picked. Not every player works out.

So... don't get exercised at me, amigo, if you please.

[TGW]

Tedward is a salesman giving a sales pitch. I don't know how you can honestly take anything he says at face value.

I honestly ignore these stupid pressers, interviews, and comments because I don't care. The only thing that matters are wins and losses. All this "Nene isn't in pain..Seraphin is in shape...Ves is having fun" junk means diddly crap if the team starts of 7-13.

Now if they show progress, and I see guys getting better, and a natural progression then I'll be happy. Hell, it they lose, but one of Ves/Seraphin/Booker/Singleton/Porter show at least a glimmer of hope then I'll be happy. I'm setting the bar really low for these guys because expecting at least an average team has been a disappointment for the past 4 years.

[hands11]

PIFF PIFF PIFF

I already outline how getting Wall was not all luck using actual facts and history. Ignoring them invalidates your take on it. Wall was not all luck. They tanked to get Wall. EG did it after Abe and before Ted. I posted the tank streak they went on. They got ride of AJ, CB, DS and Haywood to tank. The luck came after that by getting the #1 because the balls ( Stern ) bounded the right way and Wall actually being available in that draft class.

And last year ? We have all vetted that here. Walls injury wasn't on the front office. Beal lying to them and coming back to soon was rookie ignorance. And Nene not resting up was on Nene. Are you trying to take the position that if they had all three of them healthy last year that they wouldn't have had a noticeably better record ? Facts differ with you given their record with them all playing together. They not only would have have a better record, they had to potential to have a vastly better record. Why ? Because they made the right moves. It was suck as luck that kept of from seeing the Ws we would of.

That's why you didn't see more Ws last year. It doesn't erase the good moves the franchise made because it didn't work out. They didn't achieve depth in the roster yet. To ignore all of that is way over simplifying things. And even with those injuries, they made a ton of progress as a franchise. And even with those player injured, they still beat most of not all the playoff teams and had a top ranked defense. That's why they were able to resign Webster and attract Maynor and AH. And when they win more this year, it will open the door even better quality FAs. And they are taking the good the achieved that year into this year. Picking up on what they installed. And their record this year will have a lot to do with who they can attract come the trade deadline or into next off season. More good stuff on the way.

So hell yeah I'm going to post any bit of good news I can find. Why ? Because I have lived through way crappier rosters and front office then this over 25 plus years. I like the coach. The roster looks promising. The cap looks pretty good. I can see how much progress they have made in 3 years. I like Ted mostly ( I bashed on him last season. Can remember what about ).

The franchise has promise. I felt that way ever since Ted took over. Actually, I felt that way way before he took over. I was waiting for ownership to change and felt they would never go anywhere under Abe. I had seen that movie enough to know how it would end.

So has it been fun watching this total rebuild. There have been fun moments and suck ass moments. Post gungate was about as suck ass as it gets. That was the low. Stuck with damaged goods Gil and he worst in the league contract. I had no idea how we would get out from under that, but we did. The first sign of hope. Watching us land the #1 was awesome as was landing Wall. Watching Wall the first two years had it moments of . Watching the breakout and realizing he could become a great player last year.. that was . Watching Beal struggle to start was . Watching him break out and hit 50% was 3 was . Watching Webster break out last year was .

We have had some enjoyable moments along the way in this rebuild but rebuilds are tough. It hasn't been all frustration. And now for the first time in a very long time, I see a way forward and a light down the tunnel. Lets hope it not a speeding train. I don't think it is.

[hands11]

Tedward is a salesman giving a sales pitch. I don't know how you can honestly take anything he says at face value.

I honestly ignore these stupid pressers, interviews, and comments because I don't care. The only thing that matters are wins and losses. All this "Nene isn't in pain..Seraphin is in shape...Ves is having fun" junk means diddly crap if the team starts of 7-13.

Now if they show progress, and I see guys getting better, and a natural progression then I'll be happy. Hell, it they lose, but one of Ves/Seraphin/Booker/Singleton/Porter show at least a glimmer of hope then I'll be happy. I'm setting the bar really low for these guys because expecting at least an average team has been a disappointment for the past 4 years.

Sorry. No. The only thing that matters in not wins and loses. What matter is that you make enough solid moves that lead to more wins. They have done that. We all know we would have seen it last year if not for Wall freak injury, Beals rookie inexperience dealing with injuries and Nene dumb decision to know rest over the off season. All 3 of which aren't dealing with this year.

[sfam]

I still think Ted is honestly trying to put a winner on the floor, one with the potential of contending. But clearly he has other priorities, such as filling empty seats and selling merchandise to pay bills. This isn't a shocking revelation. But he does make some bad personnel moves, and worse, sticks with them well past the time their "born-on" date expires.

Hopefully he learns. Really, that's all we can say. That and hopefully we get a few nice breaks, like a healthy Wall for the next 5 seasons or so.

[payitforward]

I already outline how getting Wall was not all luck using actual facts and history. Ignoring them invalidates your take on it. Wall was not all luck. They tanked to get Wall. EG did it after Abe and before Ted. I posted the tank streak they went on. They got ride of AJ, CB, DS and Haywood to tank. The luck came after that by getting the #1 because the balls ( Stern ) bounded the right way and Wall actually being available in that draft class.

What are you talking about? They broke up the team to get cap flexibility and rebuild -- of course! That's obvious, as were all the reasons to do it. But it was pure luck -- the ping pong balls -- that got them Wall!

...Are you trying to take the position that if they had all three of them healthy last year that they wouldn't have had a noticeably better record ?

Obviously they would have been better! On the other hand, in Nene Ernie traded for a guy in the 2d half of his career who had a recent injury history. Ditto Emeka for that matter.

...they were able to resign Webster and attract Maynor and AH. And when they win more this year, it will open the door even better quality FAs. And they are taking the good the achieved that year into this year. Picking up on what they installed. And their record this year will have a lot to do with who they can attract come the trade deadline or into next off season. More good stuff on the way.

Harrington was waived by one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in the league. Ditto Maynor was a discard. For that matter, Webster was discarded by a terrible team. (He played well for us of course -- and I am very happy he's on the team)

Who they can attract at the trade deadline? How does that factor into anything? GMs make whatever (cap-legal) trades they want to make.

Still, I'm not skeptical about our improving (as I somehow keep having to say), and that's why I made that large. We should be a much better team -- and w/ a healthy Okafor I had us @ a 45 win team.

I'm skeptical that we're building a title contender. I think Ted is all in for mediocrity. "40 wins, that's a lot of wins" he said in the presser you liked so much. Actually, no, it's just below the average number of wins of an NBA team. If, in the 4th year of a rebuild, that's our hope-we-can-get-there goal, I find that pathetic.

So hell yeah I'm going to post any bit of good news I can find.

Don't want you to change, Hands! Not a bit. We need all points of view.