Since Gun-Gate and the subsequent fallout, multiple reports have surfaced indicating that Gilbert Arenas was just as miffed with the franchise, supposedly for not supporting him enough, as the franchise was with him for bringing guns into the locker room and subsequently reacting in an immature manner.

Since, Arenas has been forcibly out of sight and seemingly out of the minds of most, many figuring that the team, in cost-cutting mode, would attempt to either void Arenas’ contract or buy him out this summer.

In his trade deadline press conference Thursday afternoon, Ernie Grunfeld was surprisingly candid when asked about Arenas’ situation and used language pertaining to the guard’s potential return to the team that was quite surprising.

While many took the taking down of Arenas’ banner, the halting of his jersey sales, and the removal of his picture from certain, but not all places within the Verizon Center to mean that the franchise was completely cutting ties with their fallen star, Grunfeld seemed to indicate that wasn’t completely the case.

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Who is guiding the sinking ship that is the Washington Wizards more? The current owners or the potential owners (who also own a minority share of the Wizards)? Knowing that majority control of the team is currently in transition, spawned by the passing of Abe Pollin in November, that’s what’s on the minds of many fans.

The Ted Leonsis led group, Lincoln Holdings, owns 100% of the Washington Capitals and 44% of Washington Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Wizards, the Verizon Center and the Baltimore-Washington Ticketmaster franchise. With the Abe Pollin estate/family still owning a majority of WS&E, and currently in disputed discussions with Leonsis on the sale of the team, it’s no surprise that Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards team president of operations, said on Tuesday, “Obviously the Pollins are running this team and I report to them directly.”

Grunfeld must, however, be in a very tough situation. He can’t exactly work under the consultation of Leonsis, the successful owner of the Caps whom most fans can’t wait to take control of the Wizards. Grunfeld must remain loyal to those who hired him.

Imagine knowing you will likely have a new boss but not being able to impress him or her because you’re being hand-cuffed by your current boss. Something to consider the next time you disagree with any of the moves Grunfeld makes up to Thursday’s trade deadline and beyond. Still, Grunfeld should be fully on the hook for his maneuvering creativity, or lack thereof, and his ability to do the job for which he was hired.

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Sorry for the long title, but there’s a decent bit to cover here.

The Edict Under Which Ernie Grunfeld Works

We already know Mark Cuban is a pretty smart dude. To get that rich, you gotta be. But we never figured he was smart enough to pull one over on Ernie Grunfeld, the man who spent years honing his trade in the Big Apple. Not only did Cuban (and Mavs GM Donnie Nelson I suppose) get everything they ever dreamed of in a trade with Washington, but they also got the Wizards to pay them “cash considerations,” and they didn’t have to send the Wizards their trade exception in exchange for Fabricio Oberto, as was supposedly discussed.

If you’re the Wizards ownership in limbo, guess you gotta spend money and give away value to save money, perhaps for the sale of the team. With part of potential majority owner Ted Leonsis’ ’10-Point Rebuilding Plan’ being to always seek a “pick and a prospect,” we now have some insight that, perhaps, Grunfeld was working under edict of the Abe Pollin estate to cut costs no matter how much it might set the franchise back in the future. Abe’s dream of his team winning another championship has been put to rest, now the Washington basketball patriarch’s squad could be being dismantled just to appease the financial gain of those he left behind.

Sorry Wizards fans, the legacy of Abe Pollin still haunts the franchise. Not until Leonsis takes over can you rest assured that the team you love will be firmly headed in a positive direction, or at least open with fans on that direction, which would likely sooth baffled impatience in these current trying times.

Mark Cuban, a brilliant cat he sure seems like right now. But he’s also a goober. You know, the type who hams it up beyond necessity while being unfunny and cutesy enough to make you roll your eyes and think, “this” guy. Some of this is evidenced in a video interview Cuban did with Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Sure, Cuban is probably a nice man, but he’s also annoying with a kitschy style of charm. Good for him, I suppose. He’s rich and most of us aren’t. He wins. Read more »

On Christmas day, Yahoo’s Marc Spears reported, according to at least one NBA executive, that the Wizards were “open for business.” Of course, this could simply mean that Ernie Grunfeld has fielded a call, or made a call, and has had a discussion involving the potential possibilities past “hello.” You know, pretty much doing the job a general manager of a team falling way below expectations should be doing in gauging the value of his players.

No biggie and certainly to be expected despite the initial judgement phase of 20 games being extended to 40 games by Flip Saunders, which is probably a reflection of Grunfeld’s thinking … or at least the message the team president of basketball operations wants to convey to the media and the players.

Spears also reported that Gilbert Arenas is on the table and that the Wizards think highly of JaVale McGee and are unlikely to include him in a deal unless the pot is really sweet.

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Here’s a vision of Wizards team president Ernie Grunfeld on Christmas day 25 years ago. Notice his semi-festive tie? Then again, Grunfeld is Jewish, so it probably wasn’t that festive. Here, Grunfeld is a ripe 29 years old, in his third season with the New York Knicks, which was also his second to last in the NBA.

So what’s Grunfeld doing? He’s checking out Bernard King score a Christmas day 60 points, albeit in a 120-114 loss to the New Jersey Nets, while sitting on the bench in street clothes, out with an injury.

For more on King’s 60-point game, check out the article, ‘King gifted 60 points on Christmas day 25 years ago,’ by Steve Aschburner on NBA.com or a recent quick Howard Beck interview with King on the New York Times’ NBA blog, Off The Dribble.

I’ve also written historically about King and Grunfeld on this site before. One post was about the time I saw King score 44 points as a Washington Bullet against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. And another post was about when Grunfeld was on the court for Patrick Ewing’s debut as a Knick (which I did not see in person).

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Ernie Grunfeld didn’t reveal anything new in Thursday’s press conference, just ask Michael Lee of the Post and Mike Jones of the Times, both alluding to the recycled themes we’ve heard for most of the summer.

But it’s been “one of the longest summers ever,” according to Grunfeld. He’s anxious to get the season started and have his “wait and see” mantra put to the test.

“I haven’t been this excited in a very long time because of the change that we have. There’s a different sense around here. There’s a different sense around the team. The players feel this new kinda of enthusiasm, there’s a new kind of professionalism, and just a new way of doing things. I think it’s exciting for us and exciting for the players.” -Ernie Grunfeld

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Grunfeld, circa 2000 NBA Playoffs, East 1st Rd. Gm. 5 vs. Indiana

Look at this young gent. Suave, classy … proper descriptors of this Ernie Grunfeld that your grandma could easily roll into one by saying, “He looks like such a nice boy!”

Now the goings-ons ’round the Wizards web

Candid Gil

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Most know about the time Ernie Grunfeld spent in the New York Knicks front office. And many probably have an idea that Madison Square Garden was Grunfeld’s home court for the final four seasons of his nine year NBA playing career. But did you know that Big Ern was on the floor the night Patrick Ewing made his NBA debut?

After playing his first two seasons in Milwaukee, and his next three with the Kansas City Kings, Grunfeld began his tenure in NYC in ’82-83 with the likes of Bill Cartwright, Bernard King (Grunfeld’s teammate at Tennessee), Paul Westphal, and one of my all-time favorite NBA names, Rory Sparrow. Grunfeld was 10th in minutes per game on a Hubie Brown led, 44-win Knicks team that made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. But the Philadelphia 76ers, with Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Mo Cheeks, swept the Knicks, advanced to beat Sidney Moncrief‘s Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals, and swept the LA Lakers to win the ’83 NBA title.

Grunfeld and the 47-win Knicks fell short in the ’84 playoffs as well. This time going down in seven games to the Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and the Chief Robert Parrish. Just as the 76ers did the previous season, the Celtics subsequently beat the Bucks in the East finals, and won the ’84 NBA championship, taking the Lakers in seven.

Tough times found the Knickerbockers in ’84-85. Cartwright missed the entire season and King only played 55 games. Not even Darrell Walker, in his second season and averaging a career-high 13.5 ppg, could help. A mere 24 wins and a frozen envelope later, Patrick Ewing magically landed in the Big Apple.

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flickr/afagen

Why is Abe Pollin willing to pay the luxury tax?

First and foremost, he wants to win now, not later … the guy doesn’t have much ‘later’ left.

Second, the Wizards are relatively financially stable, ranked 15th in the NBA by Forbes in franchise value, 14th in revenue and 10th in operating income. The rankings could be better considering that D.C. is the 8th largest media market in the U.S. (in 2006). Then again, being in such a large media market helps bring in revenue from other sources.

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We’ve heard it from Ernie Grunfeld before, most recently in an interview by Mike Prada of Bullets Forever.

We were the first to make a move, so everybody’s following us (chuckles).

True, the Wizards were the first to strike when they landed Mike Miller and Randy Foye. But it’s hard to laugh, or continue to pridefully boast about the move, when the cream of the Eastern Conference crop keeps passing the Wizards by.

Let’s quickly go through what the top three teams in the East (Orlando, Cleveland and Boston), have done this off-season. Read more »