Mike Wise has been hired by the Wizards

[cwb3]

I think this hits the nail on the head. I kind of equate it to a parent that has a kid getting all failing grades in school. All of a sudden, the kid gets all Cs and the parent is beyond giddy. But, in reality, a C is really nothing to get excited about and certainly is not going to take the kid anywhere.

I will also say this. There are a lot of Wizards fans out there, including many season ticket holders, that are just happy to have a "watchable" team, and either don't care or are clueless when it comes to what it took to get the Wizards to be average. Just the other day, I was talking to two different season ticket holders in the lower bowl, center section, and they were raving about how well the Wizards were doing and in particular, how much they liked Gortat. I told them that I also liked Gortat, but would not have given up a first round draft pick for him. They were like, "the Wizards don't have a first round draft pick this year?" I also told them that both Gortat and Ariza are FA this year and the Wizards were likely to spend all their cap room to sign them, and therefore it will be hard to improve this team beyond what we already have (which is average). They didn't even know that Gortat and Ariza were FA. I was beyond shocked that two different guys, spending $11,000 a year on season tickets, didn't even know these details. Unfortunately, these are the type of people Ted and EG have in mind when making decisions.

Some of us out here are well aware that this win-now approach, Ernie trying to save his job at cost. . .is gonna bite the franchise next year. That said I still am enjoying this season and the much better basketball being played by the Wizards. I know it is fools gold, but it looks shiny right now.

[AFM]

Heh, left a comment....

[montestewart]

Heh, left a comment....

People that don't like the direction of the Wizards are Tea Partiers who took a lot of acid in the 60s.

Edit: Just saw your comment. I mistakenly thought you posted that WizD snippet verbatim.

[Nivek]

This is exactly the kind of twaddle I've come to expect from Wise. And, it's exactly the reaction I expected once the Wizards became mediocre. Again.

Need to blog about this. Not sure I'm going to have time. Grrr.

[LyricalRico]

I usually don't like Mike Wise's stuff...but...he had me at "Ernie Grunfeld".

Seriously, though, I definitely agree with Wise that this year's team is under-appreciated by some. But given how weak the East turned out to be, even I would hold off on this type of article until a) the team actually makes the playoffs with a decent seed, and b) they make a good showing. Less than that and Ernie's future should still be in doubt IMO.

[nate33]

[Knighthonor]

Unfortunately, it's all about expectations and perspective, and most fans and lazy media types like Wise are looking at it from the perspective of someone who's used to losing year after year. So being 3 games over .500 (whether or not it's in a lousy conference) seems like tremendous success to them.

Managing expectations. That's the strategy of Leonsis and Grunfeld. And as you can see by sheep... er EXPERTS like Wise, it's working.

I think this hits the nail on the head. I kind of equate it to a parent that has a kid getting all failing grades in school. All of a sudden, the kid gets all Cs and the parent is beyond giddy. But, in reality, a C is really nothing to get excited about and certainly is not going to take the kid anywhere.

I will also say this. There are a lot of Wizards fans out there, including many season ticket holders, that are just happy to have a "watchable" team, and either don't care or are clueless when it comes to what it took to get the Wizards to be average. Just the other day, I was talking to two different season ticket holders in the lower bowl, center section, and they were raving about how well the Wizards were doing and in particular, how much they liked Gortat. I told them that I also liked Gortat, but would not have given up a first round draft pick for him. They were like, "the Wizards don't have a first round draft pick this year?" I also told them that both Gortat and Ariza are FA this year and the Wizards were likely to spend all their cap room to sign them, and therefore it will be hard to improve this team beyond what we already have (which is average). They didn't even know that Gortat and Ariza were FA. I was beyond shocked that two different guys, spending $11,000 a year on season tickets, didn't even know these details. Unfortunately, these are the type of people Ted and EG have in mind when making decisions.

The Problem is the slim chance a good team has at winning a championship.
Most teams dont hold a Championship up as the minimum goal, because the odds of going there without a superstar are none-to- extreme rare.
Wizards were in rebuild mode after the big gun event in DC. Many players were turned away from DC after the way it was handled. Wizards had a hard time recruiting big players in costly way, after this.

their only option was drafting. Most of the drafts had not so good talent. and the few times they did, EG made bad decisions off of gambling higher than the rest to try to land big talent. Jan Vesly was a BIG gamble, because he showed signs of being good in Euro ball, but flopped in development in the west. Same thing for Chris Singleton, who was part of a bad class. Porter was EG's way of replacing TA, which he was shopping both last season and this season. But now he is pressured to keep TA since Porter is looking Bust like. Again bad decision.
Now EG is in save mode, and making rash decisions that will do more damage, in order to please the fans that want to see the Wizards win. And thats what he is doing. Problem is, it comes at a cost, which Wizards didnt have the luxury to pay that cost without heavy lost, like a more popular team such as the Heat or Lakers or Bulls may have.

[barelyawake]

I have heard, from Washington media members who are supposed experts in sports, some form of this phrase about a handful of times: "Just imagine this team as is if we added a Carmelo Anthony to it this summer." And I almost break my radio every time. It's childish noise. Why not actually discuss the cap and realistic trades? You want to sign Melo? Fine. I understand that view. Then, talk about how much cap we need to do that, and the pieces we should acquire to make a team with Melo and Wall a championship team (and propose how to do it)? Stop with the fourth grade fantasy that doesn't come close to reality. Hell, our dream of luring Durant is grounded reality compared to some of this chatter by supposed experts.

Every sports bar I go into in the DMV, I have to ask them to turn on the Wizards game. So yes, in that regard, the Wizards this year are underrated. But, perhaps they are because everyone is sick of the false hope.

[GhostsOfGil]

The question is not whether Ernie Grunfeld has done enough this season to save his job. It's whether he can do the best job at turning the Wizards' raw materials into a championship-caliber team in the future.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/3/7/ ... nager-2014

[barelyawake]

Most of the drafts had not such good talent? I am in no way a basketball expert of the caliber of an NBA scout. But, here are the draft picks I, and some others, were picking over the years: Drummond, (edit to add Noel whom I can't believe I forgot), Bismack, Gasol, Hibbert (went one ahead of our pick), Splitter, Gobert (could have been had for a second round pick)... I even wanted Blatche. And I missed on a scrub or two as well. But, the point is I was LOOKING FOR A YOUNG BIG with the understanding that that was essential to a championship run. I was advocating buying picks. I was advocating trading players for future picks (Blatche and McGee before they acted the fool) or trading down and getting future picks in the package, so that when we got to this point (where we make a playoff run), we still had ammunition to put us over the top. We should have either tanked this year or REALLY traded our future by going all in with multiple future picks for an actual star.

The point is we didn't try to build a championship team (and still aren't). We tried to build a playoff team.

[Kanyewest]

I usually don't like Mike Wise's stuff...but...he had me at "Ernie Grunfeld".

Seriously, though, I definitely agree with Wise that this year's team is under-appreciated by some. But given how weak the East turned out to be, even I would hold off on this type of article until a) the team actually makes the playoffs with a decent seed, and b) they make a good showing. Less than that and Ernie's future should still be in doubt IMO.

IMO Wise is predicting that the Wizards would get to the 2nd round. That's a bit bold as things stand with either a first round match up between Toronto, Chicago, and Brooklyn. I really don't think Wise is even paying attention to how well teams like the Raptors and Bulls are playing.

[DCZards]

The question is not whether Ernie Grunfeld has done enough this season to save his job. It's whether he can do the best job at turning the Wizards' raw materials into a championship-caliber team in the future.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2014/3/7/ ... nager-2014

This Bulletsforever article pretty much nails it. It gives credit to EG for bringing in vets like Ariza and Gortat who have helped turn the Zards into a competitive team. (There's nothing wrong with us fans who like the fact that the team is winning...and aren't all stressed out about what the unknown future might bring.) The article also makes clear that there is no easy path to turning this team into a true contender...and that's a fair and accurate assessment.

The bottom line question, as the bulletsforever article points out, is rather EG is the right person to take the Zards to that next level.

[TGW]

I didnt really like that article...it didnt tell me anything I didnt know and it really didnt answer the question of whether grunfeld deserves to return. It seemed as though he was trying to say grunfeld is a failure, but as nicely as possible. Bulletsforever might be under the ted trance as well, since ted links their site in his blog all the time. And saying theres a "path to contention" is simplistic and looking past the real issues if the team. Nearly every team has a path to contention, so that's not saying much at all.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using RealGM Forums mobile app

[go'stags]

This just says to me that the utterly idiotic is almost guaranteed to happen: Grunfeld will be extended. I thought I was past the point where sports could actually make me angry, but that would do it. This article actually makes me angry. **** Mike Wise.

I guess the question is what will I do when he is extended? Hopefully its stop being a fan. I don't know how possible that is.

[Dat2U]

I guess the question is what will I do when he is extended? Hopefully its stop being a fan. I don't know how possible that is.

I'm getting there. I got there with the Redskins under Cerrato, probably the hardest part of the equation is Wall. I'm a big fan of his and he's only going to get better I think.

Me thinks had we not lucked up into Wall (the one thing Ernie couldn't muck up), we'd be having a totally different conversation right now and Ted would have had no choice but to dump Ernie.

[Nivek]

My response to Wise's column over at the blog.

[AFM]

Kevin "The Not Concise Kid" Nivek

[queridiculo]

What I find particularly amusing about the piece is how much weight Wise is putting on the acquisition of Ariza in light of last years proposed Clippers trade.

If it wasn't for Gary Sacks, the Wizards would probably be lottery bound which, as enjoyable as this team has been to watch, probably would have been a better outcome than what Wizards fans will likely face this upcoming offseason - Grunfeld's extension, and a cap strapped team going all in on mediocrity.

[Dat2U]

What I find particularly amusing about the piece is how much weight Wise is putting on the acquisition of Ariza in light of last years proposed Clippers trade.

If it wasn't for Gary Sacks, the Wizards would probably be lottery bound which, as enjoyable as this team has been to watch, probably would have been a better outcome than what Wizards fans will likely face this upcoming offseason - Grunfeld's extension, and a cap strapped team going all in on mediocrity.

L.A. CLIPPERS: The Clips stood pat, but not by their basketball people's choice. L.A. and Washington had a done deal Wednesday night that would have sent forward Trevor Ariza to the Clippers in exchange for Caron Butler, giving L.A. a long, defensive-oriented body to throw at the likes of Kevin Durant in the playoffs. (Butler, who still has an offseason home in the D.C. area, and who was loved by the locals, didn't have a problem returning to a non-Arenas Wizards locker room. He'd have been welcomed back as a much-needed offensive option, according to sources.)
But sources indicated that Clippers owner Donald Sterling nixed the deal Thursday morning, not wanting to gamble on the team's chemistry being affected in any way down the stretch. My interpretation: we don't want to do anything that could, in any way, be held against us by assistant general manager Chris Paul this summer if we don't get far in the postseason.

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/features/d ... f:nbahpt3b

So Ernie. He tried so hard to unwittingly sabotage his own job. He actually wanted Caron because of his offense , figuring he could offer more than A3iza.

If only Sterling hadn't nixed the deal.... We could have been watching Caron brick mid-range jumpers off the dribble all day long.

[montestewart]

My response to Wise's column over at the blog.

Didn't see Ainge on the GM comparison list