[This is Part One 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 Two can be read here.]

“I told you I was going to get
the best brains in basketball.”

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[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 63, Washington Wizards vs Milwaukee Bucks; contributors: Rashad Mobley and John Converse Townsend from the Verizon Center and Kyle Weidie via eyes on a television screen.]

All Thumbs. [Larry Sanders is all thumbs -- via @wiz_spurtin] [Anxious Ernie]

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[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 50, Washington Wizards at Milwaukee Bucks; contributors: Sean Fagan, Adam McGinnis and Kyle Weidie from behind the television screen.]

Real Deal Beal [Bradley Beal shot chart vs Bucks, via NBA.com/stats]

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s 50th game of the season against the Bucks in Milwaukee are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest Jeremy Schmidt (@Bucksketball), who contributes to the ESPN True Hoop Blog Bucksketball.

Wizards Starters (14-35):

John Wall, Garrett Temple, Martell Webster, Nene, Emeka Okafor

Bucks Starters (25-24):

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The Bucks led the Wizards, 99-90, with 29.5 seconds left. From their vantage point, the game was over, especially since the Wizards had not gotten within five points the entire fourth quarter. But what this current Wizards team lacks in talent, they make up for in effort and hustle, so they were certainly going to continue playing hard until the final buzzer.

As the Wizards looked to complete an amazing comeback, A.J. Price threw a bounce pass behind Bradley Beal and Monta Ellis stepped in, stole the ball like Havlicek, and proceeded to race down the court for breakaway points, a k a “The Dagger.” Beal was intent on not letting that transaction happen so easily. He pursued Ellis down the court and fouled him hard while he was in the air. Ellis went crashing to the floor, touching off a mini fracas. As both Beal and Trevor Booker went to help Ellis up, Brandon Jennings rudely interrupted by pushing Beal to the floor, which caused various players, referees, and Coach Randy Wittman, to huddle around Beal and Jennings (but not really Ellis, who did not seemed to be phased by any of this and eventually just walked away). Beal was assessed with a flagrant type “2″ foul and was ejected; Jennings was given a technical and was also ejected. The Bucks won, 101-91, shortly thereafter

Coach Wittman mentioned after the game that he liked Beal’s aggressive effort, but he didn’t want him “going over the line.” Beal said he went for the ball, and Jordan Crawford had this to say of the scuffle: ”There was a lot of pretending going on, a lot of pretending, that’s it.” Per the Washington Post’s Michael Lee, Beal will not be suspended for the foul, and Jennings will not be suspended, either.

Here’s what Scott Skiles, Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Jennings, and Monta Ellis had to say about the brouhaha:

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[D.C. Council: setting the scene, rating the starters, assessing the subs, providing the analysis, and catching anything that you may have missed. Unlike the real DC Council, everything here is on the table. Game No. 4, Washington Wizards vs Milwaukee Bucks; contributors: Rashad Mobley and Kyle Weidie from the Verizon Center and Sean Fagan from behind the T.V.]

A Night of Firsts for Brad Beal: 1st NBA dunk, 1st 20-point game, 1st Flagrant Foul Ejection Read more »

Sexual innuendos … Sports innuendos … Sometimes it’s all in the same game. All basketball players want to put the ball in the hole off penetration, right? We could be here all night, folks.

Milwaukee guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis aren’t bashful, that’s for sure. They look to get off every night, if you will — to get buckets. In fact, when Ellis is on the bench, the Bucks average 11.1 3-point attempts per 48 minutes; when he’s on the court, Milwaukee takes 21.5 3-pointers per 48. Or Jennings, when he’s on the court, the Bucks make 40.2 field goals per 48 minutes; when he’s off, they sink a mere 34.8. Together, they average 36 shots per game (Jennings 16.7 and Ellis 19.3), but they’d each be happy with over 20 shots a game, at least.

So why not ask Randy Wittman before the game, what he’s going to two with those two guards just itching to get off.

“You think it’s just tonight they’re itching to get off? I think they itch to get off every night.”

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Here to provide the DC Council Opening Statements for Washington’s fourth game of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks in D.C. are TAI’s Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) and guest Jeremy Schmidt (@bucksketball), who writes about the Bucks for the TrueHoop blog Bucksketball.

Wizards Starters (0-3):

Tentatively, perhaps likely: A.J. Price, Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, Trevor Booker, & Emeka Okafor

Bucks Starters (1-2):

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[Whether you're a Laker fan or a Thunder hater,
blows to the brain aren't anything to joke about.
Via onsmd.com.]

An intense game between two Western Conference powers. A hard smack to one player’s head.

The Lakers’ Ron Artest in the middle of it.

But this was February 2011 in Memphis, not yesterday’s Thunder-Lakers game. And Artest was the player getting popped in the head, not the one dishing it out.

Obviously, names and circumstances have changed in the past year. Our understanding of concussion-related risks, too.

So when Ron Artest…er, “Metta World Peace”…threw an elbow into James Harden’s temple on Sunday, I didn’t ponder whether it was intentional. I didn’t quip about “World Peace” committing the most violent act of the season.

I was terrified for Harden’s NBA future.
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Long after last Wednesday’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Jordan Crawford remained in the training room. He likely knew the microphones waited for him to speak, but couldn’t do anything about it. A throbbing ankle spoke louder. Meanwhile, assorted media members squatted around his locker, eager to record the shooting guard’s comments after his big 32-point, 11-for-17 shooting performance in Washington’s 121-112 victory over the Bucks. When he finally emerged, Crawford gingerly limped over to his stall; he could barely put any pressure on his right ankle. He looked more like a man who would struggle moving to the right on a Metro escalator without falling down than one who just significantly diminished the hopes of a playoff contending team, including burying Milwaukee with a Agent Zero-esque 30-foot dagger to put the Wizards up six points with 50 seconds left.

Mo Evans argued that the sprained ankle, which afflicted Crawford from the opening tip, was actually beneficial:

“I think the ankle injury helped him because he slowed down, took his time and utilized all the many skills that he has; he has a ton of them. He was extremely effective tonight.”

Coach Randy Wittman expressed sentiments on Jordan’s decisive 3-point make: Read more »