As I noted, I think after the next draft we will have acquired enough young assets for the Washington Wizards. Basically we will have added 6 first round picks to the lineup in 1.5 years. We needed an infusion of talent and hunger and the 6 picks are a lot to digest quickly.
We also will have financial flexibility to keep our key players and with young assets and new potential rules in the NBA a-coming, we hope to be able to make some astute trades and eventually free agent signings. I want an efficient rebuild and as noted here, there is a price to pay in a rebuild but the outcomes are worth it. I see the rebuild taking three full seasons. I know that is a lot to ask but we have to be honest with everyone. We will load up on young players. We will await the new rules (if any) in the NBA. We will add free agents. We will make trades. We will play the youngsters to gain experience and then I think we will have a very good team for a long, long time. That is the plan.
The Oklahoma City model looks a lot like the Washington Capitals model to me. Please read this article and we will see you all tonight at the game.
Ted, I like what you’ve done with the team so far, but I have to say that you seem too comfortable about all the losing. I want to see that you really care about this team, I don’t want to see you sit back and stay 15 million under the salary cap each year. I would love it if you went out and signed some free agents to some shorter or medium lengthed deals. Michael Redd, for example, is a player who is underrated right now and could be got way below the value of his potential. Keep in mind that a healthy Rashard Lewis can be a very good 3/4. Add players who want to win. Teams this bad don’t want to sign non superstars because they don’t want to be stuck as a seven or eight seed. We don’t have to worry about that because Wall is truly good enough to become a superstar. The experience that Wall will get from competing in the playoffs and the fact that that will make Washington respectable again are worth much more than a couple Enes Kanters. Give Wall the tules to win games now and let him develop in a winning culture. I see no reason not to be more impatient now that we have John Wall. Just don’t sign bad contracts. Also, trade Blatche.
The Oklahoma City model had (until Green moved) four top 5 picks! In the last thirty days the Wizards rebuilding has been compared/argued against Chicago and Oklahoma City with the use of draft picks to build a team. They had top 10 picks to build their core, not a ton of late picks.
Meant to say Ernie Grunfeld, not Ted Leonsis as the decision maker.
I can’t believe anyone here is actually buying this crap. Oklahoma City model? That’s what you think we are doing right now? You realize Okla City has Kevin Durant, right? At best, John Wall could be comparable to Russell Westbrook, so when do you plan on drafting/signing a Kevin Durant like player? As for the rest of the roster, you really think Young, Crawford, Seraphin, N’Diaye, McGee, etc are really comparable to the young core Okla City has/had? You’re really going tell me that anyone with an ounce of basketball knowledge is going to believe that? And the the guy pulling all the strings, Ted Leonis, will still be making decisions? The same guy who handed out terrible to contracts to Arenas, Jamison, Stevenson, etc. You got to be kidding me.
I just don’t know how we will be able to hold on to our young assets contract wise if they really develop with a salary cap. Oklahom just had to makea choice between Green and Westbrook and they chose Westbrook.
And one last parting comment since I haven’t been on here for a long time. I am officially DONE with blatche. I’ve been telling my friends how good he was going to be since the first 3 minutes he ever played against Detroit. But if he is going to tweet that “the plays are way different plain and simple” as the “reason I ain’t ballin like last year”, then I have nothing left to defend. He was so out of shape to start the year I literally thought he might be dying during a timeout in new York. He can barely dunk anymore. Very sad.
The “club” bit on the really young guys may have been a misspeak. It’s the “kind-of-young” guys who are the notorious clubbers. But By watching them it’s not a stretch to think those guys are working harder on showing the young guys THOSE ropes better than the ropes of how to be awinning team.
Will you let us know when those six picks finally get “hungry”? Because what most of those guys are showing me (except for wall) is that they fail to realize that they wouldn’t even get the scraps of that life-sustaining food called “minutes” on 28 other teams in the league. You might want to remind them of that because they seem pretty content to collect a check, Lose by 30 at home, then spend it at the club later.
Dear Mr. Leonis
Build the team. Can you pick a powerful player possible a forward. Can the # 1 draft pick consist of a powerful center.
Are you going to change the name?
Thank you.
I love the Direction your taking the team. I feel Very optimistic about the Future of the team I love so much
Im Hoping we can bring in a BigMan Tutor like Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon or Patric Ewing for McGee, he has Rare God Given Talents for a player his size but he looks so lost confused in the post most of the time… I beleve McGee with a Hall of Fame Big man Tutor Could help him Blossom into a Top 5 Center with out one he looks like he may never Reach his full Potential
Take You Mrs Leonsis your the Best
GO Wizards GO Caps
Three full years????????? Ted are you serious I was so excited when it became clear that you would own the team but I didn’t realize you would be so stubborn about this rebuild. As an owner you should know sports are about one thing wins that’s it, that’s way they keep score. You and Ernie have a responsibility to rebuild but stay competitive that’s your job. This rebuild in its first year is breaking the spirt of the fan base what some proof? There was not one call into tonight’s post game show not one! More? I have been to several games this year were wizards fans were out numbered by the visiting teams fans do you think that’s fun for us? Do you also think that someone like John Wall is going to wait around and waste his whole career getting beat by 30 every other night? No he’s going to hit the road as soon as he can just listen to his post game interviews. Ted please think about this just because it worked for the caps doesn’t guarantee anything its a huge gamble and if it doesn’t hit that’s years of bad basketball we put up with for nothing. I don’t like calling for anyone’s job but this team needs a new GM all the problems we see right now were done by one person bad trade’s, bad contract’s, missed opportunities, those are cold hard facts. Look at it this way this is already going to be three bad seasons in a row and you want to add more onto that? Im really afraid of what the fan base is going to look like after that well I already know more Verizon center home games for good eastern conference teams that don’t just throw in the towel on whole NBA seasons.
It really depends upon who is evaluating the talent and making the picks. Is Ernie really the right guy? John Wall fell into his lap, but in view of the fact that you brought up OC, who would Ernie have taken in the 2007 draft? Here’s the top 5 picks:
Oden
Durant
Horford
Conley
Green
Would he have taken Jianlian (drafted #6) or Joachim Noah (taken at #9)?
Find someone who can evaluate talent and I think that more people could live with your vision for the team. The problem is that most Wizards fans understand your plan but don’t feel that you have the staff in place to execute that plan. I hope that a few years from now you can tell me, “I told you so!” Sorry, right now I’m not feeling it.
Not to be a negative Nelly but no one wants to come here to play. How do you change that? Most players look at this place as a hellhole and on’t want to come here at any price. Hey, I was once the biggest Wiz fan but after three years or more of broken promises…hey make a believer out of me. But, I can’t prepurhcase tickets anymore, I just won’t. Anytime a team cannot win more than one away game, there is something wrong. We are the ONLY team in the NBA with only 1 road game won. So, I apppreciate your posistivity but I am not buying it. Basketball and Hockey are completely different and I don’t think they can be approached strategically the same way. But hey, what do I know?
You can’t learn to win if you can’t learn to lose. I’m with you Teddy. I am Wiz Fan 4 life. Plan looks good to me.