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

[Kanyewest]

You know, this whole situation looks all too familiar.

Last time the Wizards had a midseason run that put Washington in the conversation as one of the best teams in the east, rather than recognize the rosters flaw and making moves to address them, Grunfeld doubled down on mediocre and operated under the assumption that this brief moment at the top was indicative of the rosters potential.

We're sort of in the same place that we were back then in January when Washington's roster around Arenas, Butler and Jamison was on top of a weak eastern conference.

The flaws of the roster were just as evident then as they are right now and yet again the conversation isn't about how Grunfeld sabotaged this teams longterm prospects with his 2016 offseason but how he formed the team that vaulted Washington back into prominence.

It's sickening and when the Wizards eventually fizzle out in the playoffs Grunfeld is once again going to be let off the hook and we'll be stuck with Ernie's latest iteration of good but not great.

You are rewriting history a bit.

The best Arenas-era team won just 45 games. And Grunfeld didn't exactly double down on the roster. He actually let guys like Hughes and Jeffries walk rather than overpay them to keep together a non-contending team. That roster was definitely flawed because it couldn't play defense, and I don't think anyone really thought they were a contender. It was a team always in need of one good two-way big man instead of the no-D Jamison at PF and the no-O Haywood at center.

EG did sacrifice the future for "now" a few years later with that roster when he traded the #6 pick for Miller, but it wasn't perceived as a final move to be a contender. It was a move that favored mediocrity over rebuilding.

This team is different. We won 49 games, not 45, and we did it with our star player only 26 and two other starters at age 23. Also, EG trading away a future pick wasn't made out of a misguided belief that we are ready to contend. That was a salary cap move.

The Wizards did have limited regular season success but they did play out of their minds against a relatively good Cleveland team in 2006,losing 3 games by 1 point or less. I'm hoping these Washington Wizards can play better.

[montestewart]

You know, this whole situation looks all too familiar.

Last time the Wizards had a midseason run that put Washington in the conversation as one of the best teams in the east, rather than recognize the rosters flaw and making moves to address them, Grunfeld doubled down on mediocre and operated under the assumption that this brief moment at the top was indicative of the rosters potential.

We're sort of in the same place that we were back then in January when Washington's roster around Arenas, Butler and Jamison was on top of a weak eastern conference.

The flaws of the roster were just as evident then as they are right now and yet again the conversation isn't about how Grunfeld sabotaged this teams longterm prospects with his 2016 offseason but how he formed the team that vaulted Washington back into prominence.

It's sickening and when the Wizards eventually fizzle out in the playoffs Grunfeld is once again going to be let off the hook and we'll be stuck with Ernie's latest iteration of good but not great.

You are rewriting history a bit.

The best Arenas-era team won just 45 games. And Grunfeld didn't exactly double down on the roster. He actually let guys like Hughes and Jeffries walk rather than overpay them to keep together a non-contending team. That roster was definitely flawed because it couldn't play defense, and I don't think anyone really thought they were a contender. It was a team always in need of one good two-way big man instead of the no-D Jamison at PF and the no-O Haywood at center.

EG did sacrifice the future for "now" a few years later with that roster when he traded the #6 pick for Miller, but it wasn't perceived as a final move to be a contender. It was a move that favored mediocrity over rebuilding.

This team is different. We won 49 games, not 45, and we did it with our star player only 26 and two other starters at age 23. Also, EG trading away a future pick wasn't made out of a misguided belief that we are ready to contend. That was a salary cap move.

The Wizards did have limited regular season success but they did play out of their minds against a relatively good Cleveland team in 2006,losing 3 games by 1 point or less. I'm hoping these Washington Wizards can play better.

Those half point losses are the worst.

[Kanyewest]

Those half point losses are the worst.

[FAH1223]

Yeah. F you too, EG.

Read on Twitter

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Telling someone in Bean Town to STFU is clearly the best thing this ignorant jerk has ever done for this franchise.

F this bench. I've taken to recording the games and just fast forwarding the stretches of the game when Wall is off the court.

It's maximum pain watching Jennings and Bojo "guard" their man.

[Kanyewest]

The context of the STFU I believe was after one of the hard fouls and Morris and IT got into it.

[truwizfan4evr]

Ernie going to call this a successful season even if we, were knocked out the second round again. Ted dumb ass will continue to keep him around.

[Revived]

I don't understand why the Wiz didn't go after Lou Will instead of Bojan at the deadline.

[Dat2U]

I don't understand why the Wiz didn't go after Lou Will instead of Bojan at the deadline.

Because the front office prioritized dumping free agent bust, Andrew Nicholson with our 1st round pick over anything else. They wanted Lou Will but the Lakers certainly had better options than getting stuck with Nicholson's contract for 3+ years.

[montestewart]

Ernie going to call this a successful season even if we, were knocked out the second round again. Ted dumb ass will continue to keep him around.

And still, still...STILL it's almost all riding on the backs of a #1 pick and two #3 picks, two of which he stumbled into through the luck of the draw (back when the Wizards were running an accidental version of the Sixers draft strategy). And as the season wore on and inot the playoffs, it's increasingly been on the back of that #1 pick. First, you have to get some good players to build around (which in the Wizards case has been largely due to luck) and then you have to use your assets and skills wisely to build around those good players. It doesn't look like EGgo has got the wisdom and skill part down, but he will likely be rewarded for the luck part.

[closg00]

Horford chose Ainge over Grunfeld
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/245865/Al-Horford-Biggest-Thing-Was-Danny-Ainge-In-Picking-Celtics

[Kanyewest]

Ernie going to call this a successful season even if we, were knocked out the second round again. Ted dumb ass will continue to keep him around.

And still, still...STILL it's almost all riding on the backs of a #1 pick and two #3 picks, two of which he stumbled into through the luck of the draw (back when the Wizards were running an accidental version of the Sixers draft strategy). And as the season wore on and inot the playoffs, it's increasingly been on the back of that #1 pick. First, you have to get some good players to build around (which in the Wizards case has been largely due to luck) and then you have to use your assets and skills wisely to build around those good players. It doesn't look like EGgo has got the wisdom and skill part down, but he will likely be rewarded for the luck part.

The Wizards were trying to be awful from mid 2009-10 to 2012. I would say they tried to be terrible from the time they traded Jamison/Butler to when they traded McGee for Nene and Okafor/Ariza trade. They certainly did luck into Porter, although certainly there was a chance they could have landed a quality player had they not won the lottery given how many they were in the 9-15 range of that draft. Wizards got lucky with Wall for sure. Would have been extremely lucky had they gotten the #1 pick in 2012.

[payitforward]

...The Wizards were trying to be awful from mid 2009-10 to 2012. I would say they tried to be terrible from the time they traded Jamison/Butler to when they traded McGee for Nene and Okafor/Ariza trade....

No, they didn't need to try. They were inevitably awful. They were awful b/c of a few awful EG decisions prior to 2010.

From the 2010 draft forward they were "trying" to get better. Above all by executing Ted's famous "plan." Ernie made a series of moves that increased the number of draft picks we had. Unfortunately, he didn't use them very well. Wall was luck. Booker was a good pick (ruined by letting him walk for nothing). The rest of the 6 picks we had in '10 & '11 were wasted.

At some point, Ted blinked -- fans were unhappy, attendance was down; time to abandon the "plan." That led to the Okariza trade which got us no net benefit whatever. We proceeded to make 1 good pick in '12, then make 1 bad pick (Sato over either of the 2 guys we all wanted here: Crowder or Green), & then not to be able to pick later in that round b/c we'd thrown in the pick in the Okariza trade. That pick, had I been using it, would have gotten us Kyle O'Quinn.

We could have & should have had Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried, Chandler Parsons, Jae Crowder & O'Quinn out of those 2 drafts. Unless you think our miserable mistakes were part of "trying to be awful" they can't be justified.

[Kanyewest]

...The Wizards were trying to be awful from mid 2009-10 to 2012. I would say they tried to be terrible from the time they traded Jamison/Butler to when they traded McGee for Nene and Okafor/Ariza trade....

No, they didn't need to try. They were inevitably awful. They were awful b/c of a few awful EG decisions prior to 2010.

From the 2010 draft forward they were "trying" to get better. Above all by executing Ted's famous "plan." Ernie made a series of moves that increased the number of draft picks we had. Unfortunately, he didn't use them very well. Wall was luck. Booker was a good pick (ruined by letting him walk for nothing). The rest of the 6 picks we had in '10 & '11 were wasted.

At some point, Ted blinked -- fans were unhappy, attendance was down; time to abandon the "plan." That led to the Okariza trade which got us no net benefit whatever. We proceeded to make 1 good pick in '12, then make 1 bad pick (Sato over either of the 2 guys we all wanted here: Crowder or Green), & then not to be able to pick later in that round b/c we'd thrown in the pick in the Okariza trade. That pick, had I been using it, would have gotten us Kyle O'Quinn.

We could have & should have had Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried, Chandler Parsons, Jae Crowder & O'Quinn out of those 2 drafts. Unless you think our miserable mistakes were part of "trying to be awful" they can't be justified.

They were going for ping pong balls from 2010 to 2012. Not sure how drafting badly was going to effect that plan. I agree Vesley was a bad pick. Plan was to follow the OKC timeline once are 2010 season was over. Yes there were flaws in the plan but they weren't trying to make the playoffs during that span.

Sent from my LG-D851 using RealGM mobile app

[P'Oed]

Would I rather have Al Horford than a $64 million center that's always hurt, an overpriced rotational big in Jason Smith & Andrew Nicholson? Yeah. I would. And what made Horford decide on the Celtics? Danny Ainge, per a recent report. Yes, he chose the better GM. To me, that says all you need to know.

[AFM]

Indu said something about Boston having really good Dominican food or something.

[montestewart]

Indu said something about Boston having really good Dominican food or something.

EG misunderstood and sent Horford some Dominos pizzas

[Kanyewest]

Indu said something about Boston having really good Dominican food or something.

EG misunderstood and sent Horford some Dominos pizzas

EG probably only gave Horford the promo code for 50% off of Papa John's.

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[closg00]

That's right, kiss that 1st round draft pick good-bye. LOL, DC clowned again by another Ernie con, Ted will be happy though.