Ted Leonsis' Basketball Philosophy Approaching Watershed Moment

Because this is exactly the discussion we should be having now.

The timing is perfect to go back to Ted’s 10 Point Plan. Reading it, my reactions are:

- I still think it’s a good plan. Others may reasonably disagree, however.
- I think the Wizards are following a lot of it.
- Although I have been vocal about the need to get rid of Ernie, when I read the 10 point plan, it seems more of the failures might be Ted’s or Flip’s than I originally thought.

The most obvious failure or violation of the plan was by Flip — Point #6’s don’t fight or criticize in public. Now, maybe that point only relates to management, not the players, but reading point #5, it seems at least the spirit of #6 should apply to players.

The biggest failure, however, relates to Point #4’s, “Invest in scouting, development, and a system,” particularly development. Where is that investment? Nowhere. The most glaring example: bringing in a shooting coach, particularly for Vesely, for a handful of days. Unbelievable. Shooting, of all things, requires repetition, repetition, repetition. It is not a lesson learned and move on type of thing. As evidence, check out Brendan Haywood’s free throw stats since the year he worked with Hopla.

So, the question becomes, who is responsible for the lack of investment in development? Is it Ted, for wanting to do things cheaply? Is it Ernie, for putting the current staff together and telling Ted that they are sufficient? Or might it be an Eddie Jordan/Tom Thibodeau situation, where Ernie wanted to bring in more guys, but Flip resisted?

Lots of good stuff to talk about here.

I’m not sure that building from the draft is the best way to improve. At least if it means excluding all other methods of improving your team. Certainly, it is a slow improvement at best. There simply aren’t that many college or international players ready to step in and make a contribution in their first year. Mike’s earlier post about the “Seattle model” made a lot of sense to me. You need to bring in solid pros each year. Some exceed your expectations and become keepers. My own view is that you don’t go from 20 wins to 50 wins overnight. It is an incremental process. And each year, you should seek to improve. I have definitely moved to the idea that a good GM tries to make things happen. You can’t get too sentimental about the role players you drafted. You need to be bold about making deals. I think that a team should turnover approximately a third of their roster each year.
As far as trades go, it seems like we are the kid brother now helping out the big boys as they try move up. So we help out Chicago in exchange for a draft pick. We help out Atlanta and New York. It would be nice if we were the ambitious one for a change. I love how Portland deals used to dominate the draft night transactions when Prichard (sp?) ran them.

Weren’t you saying two weeks ago that the owner shouldn’t be second guessing the coach and GM?

….that Gene Banks had been replaced by a midget?

…needs to continuously revisit it to make sure it is on track.

That gets me back to my first point. The watershed moment has pasted. Ted’s late.

Even a Chimp with frontal lobotamy would pick John wall i would think….Only 2 picks of Ernie have somewhat panned out so far, McGee and Young(to some degree). The jury is still out on the others.

the hell with the plan. Thi sis a big media city. SMall markets need to build through the draft which has very low potential for actually working. In a time when College basketball is the most watered down its ever been. When awesome players leave after one year and still need a whole contract to develop in the NBA usually. This plan is a joke. Look at Mcgee. This guy came out early. You knew it was going to be a project, and by the time he shows life you don’t want to extend him. Now another team…probably a smaller media market then DC will come and swoop him away at a higher price. But all they did was pay you to develop him for him. Now they get a somewhat proven player playing at a level of a rookie of a previous era when players played four years. And then you are back to drafting 19 year olds and being the basement of the EAST. This strategy blows.

Selling the losses and hard times “we” all have to get through as necessary steps on the path to greatness, just so happens payroll stays in the basement for years at a time new CBA makes teams more profitable. Hope EG falls ass-backward into a strong team, but keep counting your profits even if he doesnt.

personally i think Ted is realizing how much of a massive miscalculation that was and is going to take steps to fix his mistake.

He did get us Booker, Singleton, and Vesely out of draft trades, who all look like they can be good players. Problem is, they all play similar roles at the same positions (the 3/4). If he can get us a SG and another big man (cause Seraphin ain’t gonna cut it) we may have something to build on.

But can Ernie keep doing this well in the draft? His record pre-Ted wasn’t so hot, so I have my doubts.

There… I said it. Maybe I’m conditioned by years of Bob Ferry and Wes but I think Ernie has made some savvy moves.

His one GIGANTIC blunder was paying max’ish money to Gilbert when there was zero evidence that he was healthy and there was lots of evidence that he was a shoe-pooping, gun-toting knucklehead.

Anyway, I want Ernie making our top-three pick next year. Let him finish what he started.

He’s playing pretty good this season, and his contract is up (unrestricted). I think a decent pay day would bring him here.

What say you Rook, Sean, or Mike? Any objections or things I’m overlooking?

I stopped reading Ted’s Take when he announced “The Big 3” last season. Really made me sick to my stomach. He constantly uses “youth” as a crutch. And the only way the OKC model would work is if the OKC brass allowed us to clone a slightly younger version of Kevin Durant, enroll him in a school, and for us to tank before he enters the draft so we can get him. Everything so far looks like a cosmetic rebuild. What happened to bringing “the house down to the foundation” (#3 in the plan)?

I really hope he is just waiting till the end of the season to really build this team from the ground up. Ernie Grunfield can not be here after this season is over. That is the only way I can take him and this rebuild seriously.

Maybe we should just trade Pam McGee for Grandmama

http://youtu.be/VwGnE3bnYkA

Just sayin’

The upcoming draft is loaded, especially in the lottery. Assuming we’re going to have a top 10 pick, and most likely a top 4 pick, we should look at what we can do to acquire a second pick in the top 12. I would argue that on one on our roster is protected from a trade for this pick except Wall.

If we were able to land Drummond in the top 4, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with a second pick in the top 12, there’s no one on our roster other than wall that I wouldn’t give up for that.

I like Vesely, Singleton, and Booker. They all play defense well, and move well on offense. but I’d take Kidd-Gilchrist’s skills and attitude over their’s. He’s clearly a guy who can motivate others, and we need that.

I’d give up Blatche, McGee, some youngsters, and take on a bad contract for the pick. Hell, I think a starting 5 of Wall, Young, Kidd-Gilchrist, Vesely, and Drummond is a real core to build around. Outside shooting would still be an issue, but defense could be top-notch.