Countdown to Ernie Grunfeld Firing (Part 2)

[closg00]

Ernie Grunfeld sees rewards for patience during Washington Wizards’ long rebuild

But the six-year gap between playoff appearances included a few notable draft mistakes (Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton), bloated contract extensions (Gilbert Arenas, Andray Blatche), an unforgettable locker room incident involving guns and a horrendous record (117-277) that made Grunfeld the primary target for fans’ frustration.

We knew it was going to be a process. It wasn’t going to happen overnight,” Grunfeld said of his second rebuild in 11 years in Washington. Franchise owner Ted Leonsis and Grunfeld “spoke on it many times. He said all along, ‘We’re in this together.’ I think having an owner like Ted who was supportive and understood it was going to be a painful process because we’re all very competitive. We all want to win. When you start fresh and you start all over, there’s going to be some bumps in the road as you move forward. I don’t think we had doubts. We had a plan. We had to stick to the plan.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wi ... story.html

Thank you for the journalistic balance Mike Lee, but he has to include Grunfeld's revisionism.

[FAH1223]

There is no way the Wizards get this far again with Grunfeld as GM.

So I'm looking forward to the roster mismanagement this offseason, Wittman staying, and then another lottery season on the horizon.

Then we can party in 2015 when both clowns are fired.

[Jay81]

if we sign Gortat who to a long term deal..we are sunk. Better to walk away even if it means losing your 1st round pick. He has been a no show against Hibbard who he brought back to life. i hate this team

[sashae]

The team is not ready to contend. Dumping $30+ mil into Trevor Ariza and 40+ into Gortat is not getting this team to the finals. BURN IT DOWN.

[Brenice]

The team is not ready to contend. Dumping $30+ mil into Trevor Ariza and 40+ into Gortat is not getting this team to the finals. BURN IT DOWN.

You did the easy part, tore it down. Now do the hard part, build a champion.

[tontoz]

The team is not ready to contend. Dumping $30+ mil into Trevor Ariza and 40+ into Gortat is not getting this team to the finals. BURN IT DOWN.

You did the easy part, tore it down. Now do the hard part, build a champion.

Nice strawman. He didn't say anything about building a champion.

I can't speak for sashae but i would guess he would settle for a team that is actually good.

[Dat2U]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

[nate33]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

[DCZards]

The team is not ready to contend. Dumping $30+ mil into Trevor Ariza and 40+ into Gortat is not getting this team to the finals. BURN IT DOWN.

You did the easy part, tore it down. Now do the hard part, build a champion.

Nice strawman. He didn't say anything about building a champion.

I can't speak for sashae but i would guess he would settle for a team that is actually good.

Actually, Brenice makes a good point. If you "burn it down," what's the plan for building a team at least as good as the current team? Not sure why that's a "strawman," which is probably the most misused word on this board.

[tontoz]

You did the easy part, tore it down. Now do the hard part, build a champion.

Nice strawman. He didn't say anything about building a champion.

I can't speak for sashae but i would guess he would settle for a team that is actually good.

Actually, Brenice makes a good point. If you "burn it down," what's the plan for building a team at least as good as the current team? Not sure why that's a "strawman," which is probably the most misused word on this board.

That isn't what Brenice said. He said "now do the hard part, build a champion". Feel free to point out where sashae said anything about building a champion.

[Dat2U]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

[bealwithit]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

Agree, I think everybody got a little carried away, including myself with dreams of the ECF flying around in my brain. It was good to get a playoff series victory under Wall and Beal's belt though. It seemed to not really help Wall with his confidence though lol...

[Nivek]

Take a team with the Wizards regular season efficiency differential and apply it to 9 games, and the expected record is 5-4. Wizards cumulative record in the playoffs so far: 5-4.

[dckingsfan]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

I think this series is just exposing our weakness - no one that can consistently get in the paint and make things happen. And I think it is a personnel issue not a scheme issue. We are short a playmaker if you will...

I think our defensive performance in both series has been very good. So, I don't think we are very far from being a perennial 7th or 8th seed.

[Dat2U]

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

Agree, I think everybody got a little carried away, including myself with dreams of the ECF flying around in my brain. It was good to get a playoff series victory under Wall and Beal's belt though. It seemed to not really help Wall with his confidence though lol...

Even in the Chicago series, Wall was more of a "game manager" than a "game changer". I was a little concerned but it wasn't a big worry for me because against Chicago, we only needed Wall to be a "game manager" because we had enough talent to win without Wall playing at a high level.

Against Indy, we need Wall to be a "game changer" but instead he's still in the "game manager" role and he's become even more passive as the playoffs have gone on. I understand how defenses are gearing towards stopping Wall but honestly, he's been his own worst enemy by allowing defenses to dictate what he does. He's done a terrible job in both series of recognizing the difference b/w a good shot he's created for himself versus lesser shots or contested shots he's creating for others. Your not a smart PG if your passing up a point blank layup so Gortat or Nene can take a contested 15 footer. Either his mind is completely clusterf*cked at the moment by bad advice & coaching or he's having a mental meltdown. Either way, it's very worrisome.

[Dat2U]

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

I think this series is just exposing our weakness - no one that can consistently get in the paint and make things happen. And I think it is a personnel issue not a scheme issue. We are short a playmaker if you will...

I think our defensive performance in both series has been very good. So, I don't think we are very far from being a perennial 7th or 8th seed.

Wall is supposed to be that. Problem is he's not play making, he's game managing. It was actually a problem in the regular season. He's 20th in the league in drives to the basket by PGs over the regular season, ridiculously low for someone with his athleticism. But it's only been exacerbated in the playoffs. I gotta believe he's dead last among the remaining PGs in terms of drives to the basket during the playoffs. That's totally unacceptable.

[bealwithit]

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

I think this series is just exposing our weakness - no one that can consistently get in the paint and make things happen. And I think it is a personnel issue not a scheme issue. We are short a playmaker if you will...

I think our defensive performance in both series has been very good. So, I don't think we are very far from being a perennial 7th or 8th seed.

Wall is supposed to be that. Problem is he's not play making, he's game managing. It was actually a problem in the regular season. He's 20th in the league in drives to the basket by PGs over the regular season, ridiculously low for someone with his athleticism. But it's only been exacerbated in the playoffs. I gotta believe he's dead last among the remaining PGs in terms of drives to the basket during the playoffs. That's totally unacceptable.

So do you think this is more of a coaching issue or something else? I think after this Pacers series I'd like to see Wall with a different coach. The plus is that there's going to be a lot of decent ones available, George Karl interests me.

[Illmatic12]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

Wall would have had way more breathing room against Toronto and Brooklyn. Same with Gortat and Nene down low.

And then you add in how Beal has been an elite 2-guard in these playoffs, I don't think we would have lost to either of those teams. Indy and Miami, probably.

[nate33]

I wonder how differently would we look at things if we had faced Indy, Miami, Toronto or Brooklyn in the first round. I'm not so sure we didn't get the absolute perfect 1st round matchup to advance because I'm finding it hard to believe we could beat any of these other teams in a 7 game series.

I don't know about that. We still played pretty well last night, losing only because Paul shot lights out. We've only had one dud the entire playoffs: Game 3.

Overall, we have played pretty well because Beal has played well and carried our midrange attack. It's a flawed strategy, but it works when Beal is on. I don't think any other team in the East (besides Indy and Miami) are better than us when Beal plays well.

I think we played a very beatable team in Chicago that simply didn't have enough weapons to compete once a team matched their effort. That series made us look a lot better than we actually are. This entire Indy series we've gone back to looking like the same team we've been all year.

Yes, but Toronto and New Jersey are very beatable too. We've lit New Jersey up like a Christmas tree every time we played them. And I think our defense would have shut down Toronto once Wittman put Ariza on DeRozan.

I'm not saying the Wizards are an elite team. I'm merely saying that the rest of the East is decidedly mediocre, and that the Wizards, with Beal playing well, are better than mediocre.

[dckingsfan]

I think this series is just exposing our weakness - no one that can consistently get in the paint and make things happen. And I think it is a personnel issue not a scheme issue. We are short a playmaker if you will...

I think our defensive performance in both series has been very good. So, I don't think we are very far from being a perennial 7th or 8th seed.

Wall is supposed to be that. Problem is he's not play making, he's game managing. It was actually a problem in the regular season. He's 20th in the league in drives to the basket by PGs over the regular season, ridiculously low for someone with his athleticism. But it's only been exacerbated in the playoffs. I gotta believe he's dead last among the remaining PGs in terms of drives to the basket during the playoffs. That's totally unacceptable.

So do you think this is more of a coaching issue or something else? I think after this Pacers series I'd like to see Wall with a different coach. The plus is that there's going to be a lot of decent ones available, George Karl interests me.

I think he came into the L with no outside shot. Teams learned to defend and frustrate him. So he worked really hard on his shot and "managing the game" - getting others involved.

But he has clearly lost his confidence in his shot, lost his confidence to go to the hole and that allows other teams to key on the rest of the players so he can't get them involved.

In short, I don't think this is a coaching issue. It is a confidence issue, skill issue and basketball maturity issue.