Discuss Ernie Grunfeld's GM skills here (Part 2)

[tontoz]

Deja-vu headline.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092404585.html

Or this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2015/12/15/wizards-inability-to-defend-the-three-is-historically-bad/

After the loss, Gary Neal explained that the Wizards’ small lineup forced them to front the post, which created a domino effect of rotations early in the shot clock and forced them to endlessly scramble.

“When you’re caught in rotations early in the shot clock, with 14 or 16 seconds left on the shot clock pretty much for the game, you got to stop two or three or four dribble penetrations in recovery type of mode,” Neal said. “And I just think over a course of a game that can take a toll on us.”

Interesting

[Zonkerbl]

Deja-vu headline.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092404585.html

Or this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2015/12/15/wizards-inability-to-defend-the-three-is-historically-bad/

After the loss, Gary Neal explained that the Wizards’ small lineup forced them to front the post, which created a domino effect of rotations early in the shot clock and forced them to endlessly scramble.

“When you’re caught in rotations early in the shot clock, with 14 or 16 seconds left on the shot clock pretty much for the game, you got to stop two or three or four dribble penetrations in recovery type of mode,” Neal said. “And I just think over a course of a game that can take a toll on us.”

Interesting

Weird how it's the same problem we had under EJ. Because EJ insisted on starting Etan Thomas over Brendan Haywood, we had basically zero defense at the PF (Antawn Jamison) and center position and everybody had to dig into the paint to help out, which left the threes wide open.

Now we've got the same problem again, zero defense at C at PF because we're playing small, everybody has to rotate perfectly for 14 seconds, chaos eventually ensues.

Wish Nene were still here.

[FAH1223]

The Spurs have a 7 foot 3 inch monstrosity who is 27 and on their bench.

Why can't we ever get reasonably youngish big men?

[LyricalRico]

The Spurs have a 7 foot 3 inch monstrosity who is 27 and on their bench.

Why can't we ever get reasonably youngish big men?

Umm...have you forgotten Peter John Ramos?

[closg00]

The Spurs have a 7 foot 3 inch monstrosity who is 27 and on their bench.

Why can't we ever get reasonably youngish big men?

It is the tale of two organizations, one with Top-tier owner/Management, the other, hopelessly teetering between mediocrity and bottom-feeding.

1. Spurs identified Marjanovic playing in the Euroleagues - Check
2. Spurs sign Marjanovic for $1.2 million in the off-season - Check
3. Spurs send Marjanovic to their D League team for playing time/coaching - Check
4. Spurs recall Marjanovic from the NBDL - Check
http://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-teammates-urge-Boban-to-play-as-big-as-6683276.php

(The Wizards drafted John Ramos 11 years ago) This past off-season we paid Gooden $4 million and didn't shore-up the Front-court in-advance of Nene's predicted time lost due to injury. Timmy chilled last night because his org has his back, their front-court rich with depth.

[payitforward]

Way too early to panic and the overreactions are uncalled for.

-Wall is the best pg in the East

-With injury, Beal still averages 20 ppg

-Porters 28 point performance in Dallas shows that he can handle an increased load

-Gortat averages a double double so far the course of this season

-Ramon is one of the best backup pgs in the league right now

-Randy Wittman has out coached some of the leagues best coaches in games this season and in the playoffs the past 2 seasons.

Oh and,

- We're barely 20 games into the season

Actually, the season is 30% over. After 24 games last year we were 18-6. This year we are 10-14. If we finish the season the way we did in the last 58 games last year, we'll win 38 games. You're right, it's crazy to worry. After all, 38 wins is well above average in the looooong loooong Ernie Grunfeld era, right?

[payitforward]

And we rank 11th in the Eastern Conference - already 3 games behind the 8th seed. And our point differential suggests we're even further behind the 8th seed.

...and we're 6 games behind the #1 seed with 59 games to play.

That's a really good point. Do you realize that if that #1 seed continued playing at its current percentage, all we'd have to do to catch the team would be to go 47-11. That should be no problem, right, zards?

Oh, and if that #8 team finishes out the way it's started, we catch them easily -- just go 36-22 the rest of the way. Ok, it's true that that's better than this team has played at any time in the Grunfeld era, but still... no problem, right?

Wake up guys. The season is over. We're in 12th place. There are now 7 teams better than us than were worse than us last year. Orlando is better than the Wizards. A lot better. Detroit is better than the Wizards. A lot better.

Here are the teams worse than us in the East: the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Also the Milwaukee Bucks, but they're only a little worse.

Without a doubt, over the long haul and repeatedly, Ernie Grunfeld is one of the worst GMs ever to lead a franchise. He's a complete disaster.

[pineappleheadindc]

.

#ThanksErnie

#FireErnie

[thricethefun]

And we rank 11th in the Eastern Conference - already 3 games behind the 8th seed. And our point differential suggests we're even further behind the 8th seed.

...and we're 6 games behind the #1 seed with 59 games to play.

That's a really good point. Do you realize that if that #1 seed continued playing at its current percentage, all we'd have to do to catch the team would be to go 47-11. That should be no problem, right, zards?

Oh, and if that #8 team finishes out the way it's started, we catch them easily -- just go 36-22 the rest of the way. Ok, it's true that that's better than this team has played at any time in the Grunfeld era, but still... no problem, right?

Wake up guys. The season is over. We're in 12th place. There are now 7 teams better than us than were worse than us last year. Orlando is better than the Wizards. A lot better. Detroit is better than the Wizards. A lot better.

Here are the teams worse than us in the East: the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Also the Milwaukee Bucks, but they're only a little worse.

Without a doubt, over the long haul and repeatedly, Ernie Grunfeld is one of the worst GMs ever to lead a franchise. He's a complete disaster.

Before you declare the season over you have to factor in that we've been among the unhealthiest team so far in the East and are currently tied for having the 5th hardest strength of schedule in the league so far. Combine those factors with the fact that the Wiz have been implementing a brand new system all season and I firmly disagree that we are done.

[FAH1223]

I'm just happy we will have a lottery pick and Grunfail hasn't traded it

My fear is he gets desperate at the deadline

[payitforward]

...and we're 6 games behind the #1 seed with 59 games to play.

That's a really good point. Do you realize that if that #1 seed continued playing at its current percentage, all we'd have to do to catch the team would be to go 47-11. That should be no problem, right, zards?

Oh, and if that #8 team finishes out the way it's started, we catch them easily -- just go 36-22 the rest of the way. Ok, it's true that that's better than this team has played at any time in the Grunfeld era, but still... no problem, right?

Wake up guys. The season is over. We're in 12th place. There are now 7 teams better than us than were worse than us last year. Orlando is better than the Wizards. A lot better. Detroit is better than the Wizards. A lot better.

Here are the teams worse than us in the East: the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Also the Milwaukee Bucks, but they're only a little worse.

Without a doubt, over the long haul and repeatedly, Ernie Grunfeld is one of the worst GMs ever to lead a franchise. He's a complete disaster.

Before you declare the season over you have to factor in that we've been among the unhealthiest team so far in the East and are currently tied for having the 5th hardest strength of schedule in the league so far. Combine those factors with the fact that the Wiz have been implementing a brand new system all season and I firmly disagree that we are done.

It's possible, always, to explain away any problem. But, after all the consolations are listed, we are still 10-14. To equal last season's record, we'd have to close out the season 36-22. To be a .500 team we'd have to close out 31-27.

Aside from Beal, it's been our veterans who've been injured -- this is part of the problem, part of *why* we're "done", not an indication that we aren't.

As to a tough schedule, we are down 4.75 points a game to the rest of the league in our first 24 games. We're lucky to have as good a record as we do.

I'm not trying to be a "Debbie downer" -- this thread is about Ernie Grunfeld's GM skills. He's the reason for our problems, and my only point in writing here is to make that crystal clear.

[Zonkerbl]

[queridiculo]

Without a doubt, over the long haul and repeatedly, Ernie Grunfeld is one of the worst GMs ever to lead a franchise. He's a complete disaster.

The great part, the Wizards have only 5 players under contract for next year, Ernie gets to build himself a brand new roster.

Isn't being a Wizards fan grand?

[AFM]

It will be when he signs both Durant and Whiteside

[TheSecretWeapon]

Strength of schedule only explains so much. Wizards opponents have outscored the rest of the league by about a point per game; they've outscored the Wizards by 4.75 points per game. So far, the Wiz have been well below average -- about 3.74 points per game worse than average.

I don't agree with pif that the season is over. Teams have made up bigger deficits to make the postseason. But the Wiz need to start playing better soon.

[closg00]

Why why why did we pay Alan Anderson $4 M for what is going to be perhaps a few months of service? ( we did the same with Josh Howard). It is the end of the year and Anderson has not even begun to get into game shape, when will he even be at 100%? I'm afraid we will get a big speech from EG/Ted blaming our bottom-feeding on injuries, thus giving EG a pass to head-up a post KD re-build.

[Earth2Ted]

The thing that bugs me the most about grunfeld is how comfortable he seems with mediocrity. Cmon man, get mad one time, bite someone's head off. At least pretend you hate to lose.

The whole vesely story makes you think the guy is just plain lazy. They watched him the previous year, he doesn't declare til the next year, and Ernie goes- hey, there's our guy, no need to look further, we're done scouting the draft.

Who really knows if that's what went down, but when you come away from that draft with vesely and singleton it sure don't look good.

[MJG]

I genuinely forgot Anderson was on the team.

[TheSecretWeapon]

Why why why did we pay Alan Anderson $4 M for what is going to be perhaps a few months of service? ( we did the same with Josh Howard). It is the end of the year and Anderson has not even begun to get into game shape, when will he even be at 100%? I'm afraid we will get a big speech from EG/Ted blaming our bottom-feeding on injuries, thus giving EG a pass to head-up a post KD re-build.

Better question is why they even paid a fully healthy Anderson $4 million. I get that it's just a one-year deal, but Anderson was coming off the best season of his career and it was still way below average. There was no reason to pay a premium for him. None.

[payitforward]

Why why why did we pay Alan Anderson $4 M for what is going to be perhaps a few months of service? ( we did the same with Josh Howard). It is the end of the year and Anderson has not even begun to get into game shape, when will he even be at 100%? I'm afraid we will get a big speech from EG/Ted blaming our bottom-feeding on injuries, thus giving EG a pass to head-up a post KD re-build.

Better question is why they even paid a fully healthy Anderson $4 million. I get that it's just a one-year deal, but Anderson was coming off the best season of his career and it was still way below average. There was no reason to pay a premium for him. None.

For sure last year was Alan Anderson's best year -- and by a lot! But I wonder whether you're relying on a recent look at his ppa in calling "way below average".

WP48 says he was way above average last year -- .128 -- which would make his deal OK, if what you're looking for is a 1-year guy. And -- big "and" -- you had any reason to think he'd repeat that outlier performance. And -- another big "and" -- if he weren't 32 and therefore carried a way higher than average chance of being injured. If they knew he was injured and just thought it wasn't going to be serious or keep him out a big part of the season, that's worse. And, I wonder where a $4m salary sits on the bell curve for NBA SGs.

But, that's all "if what you're looking for is a 1-year guy." But why would a team like the Wizards w/ so few young assets go in that direction? When they could certainly have found a young guy or two to take a chance on -- Langston Galloway, who's playing very well for the Knicks, comes to mind. And, had Jordan Clarkson been on our roster....

I know we were all in for Durant, but I don't believe a couple of million $ would have been a difference maker. Instead we're paying Alan Anderson $4m to give guys a really fancy handshake when they head back to the bench. One of those "only Ernie" phenomena.