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[This post, and its lineup data, is just one way to look back at the Washington Wizards 2012-13 season that was. More from TAI to come...]
[From the Metro Bus - K. Weidie]
“Come playoff time, what most coaches do, is they play eight,
they rely on seven, and they only trust five.”—Reggie Miller, former NBA player, current television analyst
[This is Part Two of a two-part post on Washington Wizards team president Ernie Grunfeld looking back at his almost 25-year tenure making player personnel decisions in the National Basketball Association. Part One can be read here.]
[...continued from Part One...]
Sometimes it’s hard searching for reality in a franchise known for being so bad for so long. You certainly can’t turn to team marketing messages—they might only remind you of this famous butchered quote from President George Bush in 2002:
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on … shame on you. Fool me—you can’t get fooled again.”
Just as difficult is attempting to separate fluff from the owner’s blog, Ted’s Take, from a coach simply wanting to do his job. Randy Wittman wants to coach to win; players (most often) want to play to win. Positive pixel messaging and the coach’s intentions can go hand-and-hand, but they don’t always work in unison to clear the clouds from the scene.
[Ed. Note: This is the 'official' TAI debut of Conor Dirks, longtime Wizards fan, Maryland transplant in the ATL. Follow him on Twitter: @ConorDDirks. -Kyle W.]
A pensive Ernie Grunfeld prepares to “explain.” Please allow him to do so.
In the last 10 years, the Wizards have had exactly one general manager, former NBA player Ernest Grunfeld. During Ernie’s tenure, the Wizards have amassed 475 losses, which is good for the second-most losses (tonight’s opponent, Minnesota, has the most) and third-worst winning percentage in the NBA over the last 10 years. The reason for the discrepancy between total losses and percentage is appropriately sad: the Charlotte Bobcats didn’t exist during Grunfeld’s first year with Washington.
It would be irresponsible to hold one individual wholly accountable for the failure of an organization with so many moving parts. However, after the trade of Jordan Crawford, and a recent history riddled with failed player development, it’s appropriate to try to ascertain what has gone wrong.
Bad draft picks and failed draft picks are not one and the same. Many of Ernie Grunfeld’s draft-day acquisitions have gone on to play significant roles in the NBA. However, the Wizards under Ernie Grunfeld have shown a complete lack of ability to develop and retain valuable players. Washington has also, during Grunfeld’s tenure, become notorious for dysfunction. This dysfunction isn’t endemic to D.C.’s team (see: Sacramento Kings), but the Verizon Center might be its headquarters. Read more »
When Flip Saunders was still calling plays and running practices in D.C., he had some pretty good ideas for changing the team’s culture. One idea in particular stood out, one which science said was “subconsciously driving players toward team behavior through deeply rooted psychological mechanisms.”
Remember? From my story in February 2012:
Peer-reviewed science says there is an incentive for Wizards players to compete like winners. Before this 2011-12 season, the Wizards secured a new whiteboard to the far-right corner of the Wizards locker room: the Charge Board. Players who draw charges in both practice and official NBA games are celebrated on the chart, now crowded with red and blue basketballs (like buckeye leaf stickers on a chrome football helmet), the new standard by which respect and status is measured in D.C.’s pro hoops franchise.
When Washington began the 2012-13 season by cratering to a franchise record in futility, the main focus of fan fury was thrust upon Team President Ernie Grunfeld and Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s CEO Ted Leonsis. Grunfeld’s litany of basketball management mistakes are well documented (see the 2009 and 2011 Wiz drafts for further reference), and his continued presence in the organization has left some analysts scratching their heads—and calling for change. Only Andray Blatche is slightly more unpopular than Grunfeld amongst Wizards faithful.
The goodwill and patience Leonsis earned when he took control of team in spring of 2010 has gradually subsided. His shifting plans to rebuild the Wizards appear to be marketing speak that are void of concrete results. Questions continue to swirl around his ability to build a winning basketball foundation.
Blunders of his stewardship include unnecessarily extending Blatche’s contract, believing that a core of JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Blatche would produce wins, taking on Nene’s hefty contract despite an injury-prone past, allowing Nene to play in the Olympics with a bum foot, and squandering salary cap flexibility by acquiring the large deals of two declining players—Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor—instead of just buying-out Rashard Lewis. In the eyes of the Wizards fan base, the most egregious decisions were renewing the contract of the maligned Grunfeld and his alleged passing up on trading for James Harden.
Leonsis’ reported role in pushing for both NBA and NHL work stoppages only fuel negative perceptions. The constant rosy blogging alongside the Wizards’ incompetent play just agitates his customers and makes you wonder what he is trying to accomplish with such an unsavory approach. His mocking tone makes him look out of touch to what is happening around him. His latest offering is to brag about the team being 5-5 over their last 10 games and how awesome this is because only six teams in the Eastern Conference have accomplished such a feat. As you might note, the Wizards have yet to reach double digits in wins on January 25th and the owner’s “bad by design” has now morphed into describing the wonders of aspiring to mediocrity.
Chris Singleton’s run of eight straight starts for the Wizards ended on December 19 against the Magic in Orlando. Actually, it ended at halftime of the December 18 game against the Hawks when Randy Wittman opted for the since waived Earl Barron to begin the third quarter. Since, Singleton has struggled to get on the floor. His coach hasn’t played him in three of the Wizards’ last four games, and the game in which Singleton did see the court, against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 26, he only managed to do so for 6.5 minutes, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds.
Before tonight’s game against the Mavericks, Wittman’s reason as to the absence of Singleton was simple: not enough minutes.
“There’s not enough minutes to play everybody … can’t play everybody,” said the coach. Certainly there’s more to it. The coach also mentioned the oft-used concept of consistency. But will Singleton have a chance to find it, especially with depleted resources and underwhelming performances from those such as Jan Vesely?
Randy Wittman begged and pleaded last night for the media to alert the world about the limit on Nene’s minutes.
“I had fans heckling me, alright? I mean, come on!! Will you guys please report that this guy’s on a minute limit? They’re killing me… I had to turn around and say something to them today.”
Mr. Jack Kogod (@Unsilent) had this nugget of reality to add via Twitter:
@truth_about_it Not sure why he thinks that fans who are unaware of Nene’s limit are actually reading media reports.
— Jack Kogod (@Unsilent) December 19, 2012
Nene has played 11 games this season and is averaging 21.5 minutes per game. He has come in below the 20-minute mark four times, and he has exceeded the 24-minute mark three times — 29 minutes in his second game, a double-OT loss to the Bobcats; just over 24 minutes in his sixth game, a nine point loss in Atlanta; and 24 minutes in Tuesday night’s OT loss to the Hawks in Washington. Along the way, Nene has sat out two games — against the Spurs after those 29 minutes in game No. 2 against Charlotte; and he sat out last Saturday’s Heat game after playing against the Lakers on Friday.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did some poetic waxing, to the extent that he can, about Tim Duncan prior to Monday night’s game against the Wizards. Maybe Duncan has some “strange elixir” behind his stellar play, says Popovich. This is Duncan’s 16th NBA season, he’s 36-years old, and he’s putting up a career-high PER (27.3). Pretty amazing.
Maybe Duncan’s enduring tenure could be attributed to new-age techniques.
“I guess it’s not surprising when you look at training techniques these days and how seriously these guys take it. All of us eat better than we did growing up,” said Popovich. “Our parents used to know what we all know now, so these guys are taking advantage of it. What they put in their bodies is really important to them. Contracts are big. They know somebody’s waiting in line, so they better take care of themselves. The training techniques are really advanced, and they go year-round, so it’s not surprising that [NBA players in their mid-to-late 30s] can extend their careers the way that they have.”
This is now the time where we briefly interject with the recent relevancy of Andray Blatche and the tragedy of him never acting like taking care of his body was important, of him never playing like someone was waiting in line.
Randy Wittman will go with a new starting lineup tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, his fourth in 12 games on the season. And that lineup is: A.J. Price, Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, Kevin Seraphin, and Emeka Okafor. I asked the coach before the game, before the new lineup was announced, if his players understood the coach’s search, or if they are getting frustrated with the process.
“Again, I’m trying. They’ve got to prove to me who’s worthy of that, too. And that’s what I’m trying to find. Right now we’re kind of going a little bit with matchups, too,” said Wittman, mentioning his “banged-up” team, health-wise. He also reiterated his desire for a consistent starting five and a rotation of about four guys off the bench. The search continues…
Before the game, I also asked the hard-to-crack Gregg Popovich about Wittman tinkering, searching for the right lineup combinations, and if the seasoned Spurs championship coach can empathize with that situation.
Across The ESPN TrueHoop Network