We deserve the heat.
I am not afraid of accountability. Or pixels of anger and despair and frustration from bloggers. You should all be exposed to my email then I think you wouldn’t believe we are immune to criticism. I probably get the most direct criticism of any business leader around as I read all of my email and I talk to folks in an unfiltered way. I don’t get executive summaries. I hear direct from the source, cuss words and all. I get it. I hear it. In fact, most emails are negative. Most happy people don’t write. Just ask any newspaper editor.
But at the same time, I will not deviate from a strategy of a rebuild because of day to day losses. In fact, I believe that is what gets teams and businesses into trouble – lurching from strategy to strategy when the going gets tough. Change is good. Too much change is bad.
Reactive non-reflective random change is really bad.
All of us are frustrated.We have a better team than this obviously.
To be a team that is over 500 at home and winless on the road is quite puzzling.
But there is no short cut to a rebuild. I wish there was. I honestly wish there was a magic wand to wave and we could short cut the process. I wish I had candy to offer to you. I have been through a rebuild before. It is filled with angst; losses; second thoughts; and differing opinions. It isn’t easy and it isn’t fun and it is why most franchises don’t do it. Most franchises look for a quick fix to stop the bleeding or to placate critics. That isn’t a plan. That is a semi-selfish act to make you feel good as an owner or leader.
Remember, one critic once told Caps fans to take their season tickets, light them on fire and come to my home and throw them on my front lawn when we were in the midst of our rebuild. I have heard it all.
But our young players have to gain their experience. Look around at other teams that have been mostly built through the draft. They started out with many losses; got better incrementally; and then made the playoffs. If it doesn’t kill you – it makes you stronger. You add free agents at the right time. You don’t add them day one of a rebuild. You have to manage your salary cap the right way.
We have to pay our dues. We have to add more talent to the team. A mix of vets and youth – of course – that isn’t enlightening. We have to know how the NBA landscape will look in the future. We have to let our young players gel together. Sometimes having so many new players is the issue. They haven’t won before and they have to figure it out.
We have many vets on this team and players that have won in other situations. We have a proven coach.
And a motivated staff.
We have a psychological barrier to overcome for winning on the road now. We aren’t getting blown out. We are right there and then we don’t close the deal. I can’t despair. We want to improve. We want a win on the road. It will come.
I understand criticism of our performance as a team. It is deserved. It is another part of the process: Hearing critics but still believing in what you are doing and not overreacting to incoming pixels and not trying to curry favor. Doing what you believe in and sticking with it.
Time will tell if the strategy was a good one. I understand your angst.
Dear Mr. Leonsis:
I have been a loyal and deeply caring fan of the Bullets/Wizards (keep Wizards btw) for over 45 years. Been through thick and thin. I agree and trust your strategy in rebuilding the team. All I ask is that paramount importance be placed on DEFENSE. We must require management/coaching that demands and stresses defense and players that willingly follow that directive. DEFENSE is the key in any rebuilding project.
Thank you.
Never posted here before, but basically, I can’t find much to complain about with the approach. NBA teams don’t get rebuilt in a single season. The die was cast with the decision to blow the roster up. What we see on the court now is the result.
I kind of like these draft choices. Not just Wall, but Booker and even Kevin. When you pick outside the lottery, you expect to wait a year and likely two or three to see the outcome. I haven’t been a huge fan of Ernie’s past choices, like Oly the Non-Goalie, but this crop seems promising enough.
I’m a fan, and even I recognize we’re all a little nuts. Not so great at patience — our strengths being loyalty and irrational exuberance. Like Churchill said, a fanatic is someone who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject. That’s the fan blogosphere in a nutshell.
So no, the team shouldn’t change course now. That’s for the off-season, and only after careful consideration of something besides fan sentiment. If the team’s really as important to us as we insist it is, we should be willing to do things right in the first place.
Mr Leonsis,
I understand that you are very, very tired of the negative emails, but let’s face it: the team is incredibly bad, has little talent, and worst of all they are not at all entertaining. I have season tickets and can’t find anyone who will go with me the games, even for free! Forget your myth of teams rebuilding through the draft. Other than the luck of getting the first pick, none of our other picks would even make most teams. Please, stop our suffering!
Ted you are the best thing that I remember ever happening to this franchise (I’m only 24, but that’s still a bit of time). I’ve had my share of knee-jerk reactions, and I have my share of opinions, but it is so refreshing to see a team committed to doing things the right way. Thank you for sticking to your philosophy and building us a winner in DC.
I know you can’t win them all but I would prefer a team that can win. Period. The same thing was said last year, and the year before. So, we are supposed to continue to give our money to a losing organization that has no intentions of making any changes even though the current strategy does not include winning on the road? That’s just crazy and don’t compare this team to OKC because even when OKC was down, they won on the road. The only true youngster on the team is Wall. As for the rest, they may be y oung in age but they have a season or two under their belt and should be better.
True enough, “happy people don’t write.” But here’s a response from one fan who *applauds* the current strategy! The Wizards are doing just the right thing.
Would I like to see more wins? Of course! Nobody is “happy” about losses. But this is not a team that was ever going to win a lot of games; it’s a team in season one of a complete rebuild.
As has been said repeatedly, what’s important is that we compete hard and develop our younger players. Indeed, the only criticism I have, if it is one, would be that I’d like to see *more* of Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin — even if it meant losing more games.
I wanted 2200 minutes this season for Booker — ala what the Bulls gave Taj Gibson last year. We won’t get there. And, raw as he is, I want Kevin to get 1000 minutes. That too will be hard.
No season-ticket burning! Just patience. Keep up the good work, Ted.
If you have watched Blatche carefully during recent games you see a clear trend. He cannot effectively put the ball into the basket when he is beneath the basket. He seems to fear the contact or gets sqeamish of being blocked but it is evident that he is not a gamer. His top of the key airballs don’t do much either to build confidence. I maintain that he is not a building block in the youth movement. I wish it were otherwise but I’ve been watching b-ball for 50 years and know a timid one when I see it.
Good luck with that stratgey Ted. This team stinks and all of the blame should not fall on the shoulders of the players. The group we currently have is better than what we have seen. I believe that. Now, why are they underachieving? That is the million dollar question. But the diehard Wiz fans will not continue to year after year fork over hard earned cash to see losing efforts over and over again. Most,myself included will just watch or not watch at home. By this time, I would have usually attened over 6 home games but not this year. Fortunately for your organization, there are lots of fans from other teams that will fill the phone booth because from the looks of it, the crowd is not coming from the DMV. And it is sad because I really liked the Wizards, I mean would argue a person down in defense of this team, but Wall or no, I am kind of over it.
I am all for the re-build the proper way…but the players that play the majority of the minutes are players that have been here (Blatche,Young) so, how is that a re-bulid?? Seems our re-buliders are on the bench (Seraphin,Booker,Javale)?? I have seen enough of Blatche to know what he does….Just not a winning bunch of guys. Stats are great, but I would rather win!! Thanks Ted, Very happy you are in charge!!
Mr.Leonsis,
I think you will eventually be known as one of the best owners in the NBA. Of course, this will take some time as the team emerges from the dark void created when you lose Arenas,Jamison,Butler,Stevenon,Haywood etc. Ultimately, we may have an Ovechkin type player in Wall and perhaps some other young talent to mold into “Winners”.
Following the draft strategy of the OKC Thunder would be wise. A young, athletic team that plays defense will get the team to the playoffs and once that happens, Verizon Center will be rocking.
Jordan Resnick
Hi Ted,
Great read. Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with the Wizards rebuild. I’m a Caps fan, and never really been ‘into’ basketball per se, save for March madness. I hope that the Wizards fans will go easy on you and give you a chance. I’ve been there since day 1 as you being the Caps “new” owner back then, as many have. If Wizards fans need some assurances, have them talk to Capitals fans. We have been there. We know the pain and how hard a rebuild is. We also know that you learned from early mistakes, and you did it right for the Caps. You watched, listened, learned, and look where the Caps are now? We may not have a Stanley Cup to show for it, (yet) but the difference between then and now is night and day.
Personally I know, and can assure Wizards fans that they are in good… no GREAT hands. It will not be easy, it will require mountains of patience and loyalty, but it will pay off, especially with you at the helm. It will be a growing and learning process not only for you, but for them as well, as it was for us Caps fans. Something we are the better for now. I remember when that ‘critic’ you mention was telling Caps fans to throw their burning tickets on your lawn. I never subscribed to any of that personally, but I guess I an understand their frustration. I can only wonder what that person things now?
Wizards fans: Hang in there. It WILL get better, and trust this coming from a life long Caps fan since the 1970s: You have absolutely the right man for the task at hand leading you. IF you want a glimpse of what the future might possibly be like, Look no further than the Capitals. The proof is right there for us all to see. Good luck.
Oh, and because I could never say it enough, Thank you Ted.
Kenneth P. James
You’re building a strawman. Most are criticizing the execution not the strategy. You can change the people that implement the strategy without changing the strategy.
RE – BUILD! I don’t care if we lose all 42 on the road. Would we rather be the Cavs or some other team with no potential on the roster? Besides, I don’t mind seeing wins at home when I go to games.
Just do your scouting for that next pick… we need to get “lucky”.