but mixed feelings as well…

Or maybe we’ll steal away Phil Jackson!! NOT. Larry Brown? Um, no. I KNOW: GARY WILLIAMS! Kill me now. Abe will probably pick Wes Unseld or Michael Adams.

Ultimately, I think it was time. I don’t think the players quit on Eddie by any means, but it just wasn’t working out.

But we shouldn’t forget that as badly as this era ended, Eddie Jordan still took this team to the playoffs 4 times. Especially in D.C., that says a lot. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Well, this pretty much means that Grunfeld does not have any respect for the assistants…..well, none of them were his, except for perhaps Randy Ayers…..and you can’t exactly make the guy who was supposed to help the defense the head coach.

House = Cleaned (to be)

ESPN story

until I see who is hired.

Those two were an essential part of EJ’s offense.

Because I thought this was going to happen yesterday. I like Eddie, and think he was a huge part of this team’s success the last several years.

But watching Darius Songaila play the five while Blatche and McGee watched in the fourth quarter Saturday day night was the last thing I need to see to prove it was time. When the team is 1-9, playing a team with seven players dressed, it’s time to get your young guys on the floor. If you don’t trust them, and you can’t reach them (Blatche more than McGee here) it’s time to let someone else try it. Songaila is who you thought he was; a nice role player (at the four) inexplicably playing the five over two guys far more talented.

He was a good man, who had a passion for this city and this job (something very few people who’ve worked here ever had). Even though I a native of suburban D.C., I love this town and it meant a lot to me that he went to high school here and cared for this city and its basketball fans.
And as a big fan of the Princeton offense I was overjoyed he came here (I just wish we had run it more often).
Now I won’t cast Eddie Jordan as a plaster saint. I shared many of the same frustrations with his coaching style as all of you (his feud with Brendan, playing certain favorites, defensive philosophy, substitution patterns, not going offense/defense at the end of games). There were many times where his tactical moves made my head want to explode.
But I am sorry to see Eddie go. During that wonder Spring of 2005 the Wizards success was enhanced by Eddie being here and being part of it. Inspite of a lot of things, I will miss him quite a bit (especially when he nearly attacked that Cleveland fan during the playoffs and said “A little Southeast came out in me,” I thought that was great).
Ed Tapscott (former AU coach, so yet another person who has lived and worked here for a number of years) won’t turn this around and to me this is now a transitional year. Abe has to look in the mirror on this. Because I think if EG had free reign, I wonder if Antawn Jamison would’ve been dealt and Arenas would’ve been retained? Starting over is going to be real tough.
Godspeed Eddie Jordan, you’ve done the city proud. And you will be missed (by me). I wish you all the best for the rest of your days.

I never loved EJ but never hated him either. He seems to be a victim of bad luck circumstances as Gil’s injuries cost him dearly. I wish him well professionally in his career and I believe he will get another shot at a head gig. The Wiz needed a change and I will support Grunfeld’s decision.

As for the 1-10 team and this weird interim coaching hire, YIKES!

Give my best to EJ and wish him future success. He did a lot for this team, and I appreciate his overall body of work.

However, I don’t think he was ever going to be the coach to get us over the hump, and really, it was time. Perhaps it seems unfair that he gets canned without Arenas and Haywood (and Roger Mason Jr), but there isn’t an excuse for a team with two all-stars to be 1-10. EJ just wasn’t getting enough out of this roster and I don’t have a problem with EG saying it is time for a new direction and voice. I agree that the players didn’t tune him out, but they also weren’t executing and haven’t been playing with enough fire and passion. The team (even last year I felt this) had become content with being middle-of-the-road — good enough to win when they played hard, but not good enough to win consistently. This year that attitude caught up with them.

I never would have guessed this would have happened this soon. I really liked Eddie Jordan, all of the players (besides Blatche possibly) seemed to like and listen to him. I would have rather seen some type of trade before seeing the coach gone. Granted, Eddie’s rotation left much to be desired at times but it’s the players that need to execute and perform on the court. I really truly hope he gets on board with another team and has success, just not against us. Obviously it’s nothing we can do now so if Tapscott doesn’t work out and/or is temporary who should we go after? I would assume Avery Johnson, Flip Saunders, and Jeff Van Gundy are at the top of the list. Whoever’s going to preach defense and have our players execute it best I’m all for them. Man, if Tom Thibodeau had come on board like he was supposed to we might not be having this conversation.

I wouldnt worry about it too much

And unfortunately EJ was the only real option. O’Koren is a loyal Jordan assistant and certainly not head coaching material. It would have been awkward and classless to ask him to coach a few games for his fired friend before he himself left. There is certainly no place on the bench for him without EJ.

I liked them both very much and wish them well.

I don’t think Eddie really failed, but many of his decisions this year puzzled me and he started to lose my confidence. He was thrown into difficult situations many times. Under different circumstances I think he could have led us to our goal, but I don’t disagree strongly with this move.

I still have a lot of confidence in Grunfeld and look forward to seeing what he has in mind. He obviously has some plan.

A few comments seemed to imply that Abe has lost some of his mental capacity. I can tell you from personal experience that that is not the case. His health has been deteriorating, but mentally he is sharp as a tack.

of his son, who got to grow up on the floor of the phone booth.

There was no excuse for the loss to New York with 7 players.

Things that I am looking forward to seeing from this team after such a losing their head coach:

1. Do Caron and AJ step up even more into the leadership roles and play with some much needed fire?
2. Does our rotation shorten? Or at least make more sense now?
3. Do we hire an established coach early this season or wait until the off season to hire a lesser known coach after scouting? Are Flip Saunders and Avery Johnson the leading candidates right now or are there some lead assistants around the league that Ernie has in mind?
4. Does our defense improve?
5. What offense do we use now? Do we still run the Princeton while Ed Tapscott is at the helm? I think it would be smart for him to get the team to run a lot more, and give Dee Brown, McGee, and Nick Young a lot of minutes, who can all make that happen.

What do you think the over/under is on games it takes us to get our next win? Can Tapscott get us fired up for a win on Tuesday vs Golden State? After that game it looks possible for us to take a pretty long slide.

Eddie Jordan obviously had a great deal to do with our success over the last 4 years, and one can’t help but wonder what would have happened had he got a chance to coach our fully healthy squad. It sucks that this is how he had to go, but it didn’t look like there was much else that could be done to get through to this team, and it also looked like the team was taking a toll on EJ as well by his look during the past few post-game press conferences.

as head coach terrifies me. I do not see the vets or the young guys responding to him very well. Unless he mellows out a bit. Jeff Van Gundy, male nurse, intrigues me (i just think he looks like a male nurse – not sure why) as does flip saunders, or, let’s get AD as player-coach and role with it.

wizards insider is hilarious. last 2 weeks, nothing but ‘FIRE EJ, HE’S A %^&$# IDIOT!!!!’
now 70-some odd percent say the firing was unfair.

but I’ve heard people mention his name on here. Would he really be right for the Wizards?

I haven’t been a fan of Eddie Jordan so I’m happy with this decision. The timing of it is horrible (I hate early season firings), but overall I’m happy. The team needed a change.

On his replacement ….. it looks a difficult decision. I don’t like the idea of giving a rookie head coach a job like this and not give him the benefit of a training camp. Someone with experience is necessary, or perhaps a short term fill in with a replacement coming next summer.

Who was the assistant coach the Wiz were going to hire last season? The guy eddie didn’t want to work with. I think he was supposed to be an expert on defense?

Who if Tapscott is the coach the rest of the year, is a dead certainty to be the Wizards coach next year.

Ouch:

Jordan was informed of the decision this morning around 8 a.m. shortly after he and his wife, Charrisse, handed out Thanksgiving turkeys to the needy at a team-sponsored charitable event.

I wish EJ the best, I came back to the Wiz because of him, and I feel terrible that it has to end this way.

Where is the vitriol against Grunfeld? He made the roster, and its obviously not performing like it ought…