Its impossible to tell how much of the past year’s decisions came from Abe. Ernie’s pretty tight lipped, so I don’t think he would ever talk about that on record. My own sense is that its possible that Abe played a role in keeping Jamison last year, but that the trade of the draft pick was all Ernie.
But thats just my own idle speculation. Wonder where Chad Ford was getting his info.

The guy was loyal to a fault.

Meanwhile, it’s time for Butler to go, particularly since we could probably get some value for him. I’m now convinced that this guy can’t be a star player on the floor with Arenas. He looks invisible when Gil is out there.

This fall I was at a SAS conference and Malcolm Gladwell was speaking. During a question and answer session, Gladwell went on a tangent and starting using NBA basketball as an analogy. He was giving an example of when analytics do not tell the whole story. I forget his exact quote, but he said he had spoken to Wizards coaches and they thought Gilbert was uncoachable and that you cant win with him. He went on the say that Gilbert had as much talent as anyone, but that he would never want him on his basketball team. Hence the great stats, but a lack of W’s.

Not saying I support what he is saying, just reporting what I heard

Gil is NOT a point guard. His turnovers are due to the fact he is out there trying to THINK what to do instead of playing instinctively. He is hesitating because he has the ball in his hands trying to get players involved and he is not naturally good at this. This team has no inside presence, no physical presence at all. Just a no one willing to do the dirty work under the basket at all. GM should blow it up…if it is not too late. This is the draft to get better very fast with.

If it would get the Wizzies a legitimate shot at landing John Wall, then the blow-up scenario might work… but we saw how the ping pong balls can bounce against you last year… the risk is simply too high IMO

So the question becomes which players to keep and which to shed… and under what circumstances?

The window on the current group is still open but it is closing fast.. as in four-six weeks.

If the team does well against its remaining West Coast foes and then Mike Miller returns to take over the starting 2 slot effectively, then EG could look to dealing the likes of Nick Young or Randy Foye, either of whom, combined with the Mike James expiring contract could land some decent help up front.

Dealing Butler I think is a legitimate possibility but the question is getting equal value in return. For me, equal value would be a starting point guard to allow Gilbert to slide over to the 2 slot and Miller to the 3, plus an experienced back-up power forward. Something like Butler and Crittenden to the Wolves for Sessions, Gomes and a 2nd round draft pick would do that. Even better would be to swap Butler to the Nets for Devin Harris, and that might be do-able as the Nets are in the best position to win the John Wall Sweepstakes.

I still have a fleeting hope that the Wizzies will be a playoff team come spring. And I think that Gilbert can be a big part of that, providing that EG can give Flip the true point giuard his system requires, which takes the pressure off Gilbert to be something he is not and excel at what he still can do well, which is score.