Changing out an experienced Head Coach on a rebuilding team is a very difficult decision. This team is too early in its development process to know whether the issue regarding our record and development is centered on the coach; his relationship with the players; the system we coach and play; the player’s development curve; the talent level of the players provided, the infrastructure offered or other related issues.
The simple facts are this – we knew we would be in a tough rebuilding process; we knew we had over indexed on young players with 8 of our 15 roster spots being taken by first and second year players .We also knew this lack of experience would be compounded by an absolute lack of contact during the NBA lockout during last off season. We couldn’t provide any coaching or mentoring to young players during the summer and with the shortened and compressed schedule – there would be a lack of true practice time during the season with 18 back to back games.
Be that as it may – we think our team is better than the record we currently possess; and that our young players were not improving at a pace that was more noticeable. I was disappointed that in some games – we lacked confidence and weren’t competitive. I can take losing during rebuilding; but I wanted to see progress as to chemistry being developed on the team. Thus – when Ernie Grunfeld recommended we make a change in the Head Coach after another tough loss on the road; I reluctantly had to agree.
I thought there were games we could have won this season; and I was disappointed that some of our players seemed to be regressing at times and were not responding well to the in game coaching.
I wish to thank Flip Saunders for his hard work on our behalf. His tenure with the franchise was during times of great turmoil and change – and he is a good man and a very productive NBA experienced coach. I wish him well on the go forward.
I also wish to thank Randy Wittman for taking over the head coaching duties, on an interim basis. He too is an experienced coach – and we are hopeful that a new voice will help the team to calm the current situation down; and allow us time to continue to assess where we are going and the best investments to make to improve the team.
Right now – everything is under a microscope – we know we have to make more investment in additional player development and we shall.
We know we have to implement a system that complements the talent we have – you heard yesterday talk about “tempo and pace”; and “length, and depth and athleticism”.
I also think it is important for the team to internalize its own strengths and weaknesses; play to its strength and mitigate much of the lack of experience we have as a very young team. This falls under the category of ” keeping it simpler and more efficient as to game plans”.
We are continuing to rebuild; I am sure our roster will be changing as we monitor and assess where we are; I am sure that we will add to our team and subtract from our team via trades- via the next draft – via free agency – via buy outs. We will use all the tools available to us to improve.
We have much work to do. Short term and long term.
I am committed to this process; we will work hard to build a team and a franchise that is world class and is as good as our fan base. Thank you for listening.
I don’t know whether these comments get read, or if they are read whether they are ever read by Ted or only by staff, or whoever reads them whether they get any analytical attention or are viewed simply as a way for fans to vent and therefore as a way to take the temperature of fans (and especially of customers). I don’t know, and I don’t suppose I’ll ever know.
All coaches get fired — it’s part of the job description: see under “sacrificial victim”. So, at 2-12 it can have been no surprise that Flip would go. In general, however, who the coach is seems to make little difference to players. Their numbers stay the same as their coaches change. A few do make a measurable difference of course; guys play a little better for Phil Jackson than their career numbers would predict.
Flip’s a good coach; Randy’s a good coach. We’re not a good team. And we are *not* better than our record — your record is the only meaningful measure of how good you are! But like any statistical measure, the larger the sample the more meaningful the results.
But, we are certainly a team on the move. We’ve made a large number of changes in two years, and I cannot see how any criticism can be leveled at these changes (with the one exception that extending Andray Blatche’s contract was inexplicable).
We rid ourselves of terrible long-term contracts, we drafted the consensus choice w/ our lucky #1 pick (tho it’s still an open question whether he’ll turn out to be as good a player as Evan Turner), we made outstanding trades that cost us essentially nothing to amass draft picks and young players. We have overall very good indications about the future of most of those players (especially Trevor Booker — but also Singleton, Vesely and most recently Seraphin).
In principle, I’m not an Ernie Grunfield fan, but all the above is his doing. Moreover, he drafted a phenom at Center in the middle of round one in ’08 — that pick alone invalidates the claim that he ‘can’t draft quality talent.’ I didn’t like the McGee pick at the time, but I was wrong. I like strongly analytical GMs like Sam Presti rather than long-time “basketball guys” like Ernie. But there is no question that he has done an exceptional job since the ’09 team was broken up.
So we are on the move. We will be a very very good team if we have the patience to stay the course, if we stop treating (and marketing) John Wall as if he already was what we’d all like him to become, if we have another good draft, and if we secure JaVale for our future.
Doing those things would leave us w/ cap flexibility and a fantastic young core of players. Keep it up.
MeGee is freakishly athetic. He loves to finish strong at the rim. If he can get that jump hook to start falling consistently, he’ll be a great post player. All good things.
But here’s where I differ with your characterization of him as a “phenom”. He is not a great defender. He swats a ton of shots, sure. But he leaves the rim unprotected way too often. I believe that’s the primary reason we are 6th from the bottom of the league in opponents scoring and 7th from bottom in opponents shooting percentage.
John Thompson, III. The Thompson name is one that has been synonymous with the words “First Class”"winning” and “DC” since the 80′s. If you could coaxe him out of Georgetown, he would bring a change in culture to this franchise that is long overdue. I don’t think the Princeton offense would work in the NBA but I think he is smart enough to adjust and can recognize the class of players that DC has been lacking for a long time. Oh, and bring back the Bullets please
Hire GARY WILLIAMS as your next head coach… he is use to working with young ballers from all angles and can take the wizards to the primise land.. there is alot of change that can be done to your team starting with the name WIZARDS??? what does this have to do with the Washington DC region??? We need a center coach (former big man) to work with McGee (he has alot of potential).. The team also needs some team building skills and stop going to the DC nightlife parting after a loss and go ionto the video room to see y they loss.. thanks uncle Ted for allowing your fans to communicate with you.. HIRE GARY WILLIAMS FOR COACH
I love the comments. Seems a lot of people are suggesting gm change. Amazing how the similarities are with caps and wizards fans.
Ted, PLEASE don’t fire Ernie. People are talking. There’s that huge article in The Post about it. But let me remind you, Ernie traded Kwame Brown for Caron Butler. That trade was an absolute rapery, and it was pulled on an organization that typically is on the receiving end in those kinds of deals.
Barring Gil’s injury, I truly believe we were headed to the NBA Finals in 2007. We were that good. And that team, with the exception of Brenda, was wholly Ernie’s brainchild.
Ernie is a great GM. He seems less adept at drafting quality talent than he is at buying it. And he seems prone to ignoring character flaws in his pickups. Maybe you can find somebody to help him evaluate those things in his player acquisitions. But the one thing he DOES do right, is find talent. And not everybody can do that. In fact, very few people can do that.
So PLEASE, PLEASE don’t fire Ernie.
I’m not sure who posted that we were going to the finals in 2007, but they are completely wrong. That team was no better than the 2nd round. Reality is reality. I think we should try to take advantage of our length and athleticism, but keep in mind that the game is mostly played in a halfcourt setting especially in the playoffs. If I was GM, I would look at Sullinger from OSU. The kid is a perfect complement to Mcgee. He’s got a low center of gravity, soft hands, and knows how to play. I also think we need to upgrade at SG. Nick should not be starting. I like him as a 7th or 8th player, but he’s afraid of contact, isn’t very quick, and doesn’t have the best ball-handling skills. I think we are ok at PG, SF, and C, but I sure would like to see us land Sullinger and try to get a SG in here that can put the ball in the hole and knows how to play. And Ted I know you preach patience, but just remember that sometimes being too patient is as irrational as being impatient. I think you’ve done a great job so far, but I do believe you were a little late in this decision. I’m just being honest, though I’m sure it’s not easy to make decisions like this and can understand wanting to analyze this more.
I am not feeling negativity about Ernie. Consider that it was Abe Pollin who pushed for extended and large contracts for Arenas and Blatch, both who we found couldn’t be listed as “high character” guys. I think that, unfortunately Mr. Pollin is more responsible for these decisions than Ernie.
Not ready to see Ernie go at this point. I think we need to consider that getting John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Booker, Singleton, Vesely, Mack, Mason, Seraphim and Turiaf have been good gets. I think getting Heinrich when he did and trading for Crawford has shown to be a good move and aside from Crawford’s youth and seeming need to be a me first guy right now he does show energy and has excellent skills……just needs to understand that there is “no I in Team” which can be fixed. As to the others I mentioned, I think they all show energy and are of good character and either are very disciplined or will become more disciplined as time goes on.
So, I’m willing to stick with Ernie for the present.
Next step – “relieve” Grunfeld. Then get a rebounding, defensive big man. Get some shooters….change the culture or lose the fans. Simple as that.
It was time for a change, and I am glad that you, Mr. Leonsis, and your managment, had the vision and determination to take the steps that were necessary – the team could not continue down the path it was going. Hopefully, brighter and more winning days are ahead for the Wizards. Best to you in your quest to improve and rebuild the team.
I said from the moment Coach Saunders was hired that he was not the right coach for this team. And that is not a knock on Coach Saunders who is a fine basketball coach. Having said that I think we owed it to Flip to let him go. He wasn’t hired to coach a rebuild and that’s what he ended up with. So in actuality it was merciful.
But who picked this Coach? I hope he is not around to pick the next coach.
It’s ugly though. Mainly because guys like Blatche, Nick, McGee are not bad guys. They are really nice fellas. But they are just not professional and i’m not sure its 100% their fault. At any rate Blatche has got to be moved ASAP. Nick & McGee may be salvagable but Blatche man he has to go. And for the record I actually like Dray. But he is past his expiration date in DC!
GO WIZ!
Ted, I love you. I do, really. But Ernie is the architect of everything that’s wrong–and that’s been wrong for years–with this team. He’s fostered a horrific team culture with knuckleheads and he accepted no responsibility during the presser yesterday.
Is it any wonder, then, that the players he recruited also have accountability issues?
Ted, thank you for taking time to address the fans. You are a class act and I am confident the team will turn this around.
In my humble opinion we should keep Javale and John as part of this rebuild going forward.
I will be at the game tonight and look forward to seeing what Coach Whittman can do with this team.
Thanks in advance and have a blessed day.
Season Ticket Holder’s comment above hits the nail on the head: This team is not just bad, they are unlikable. I own a share of season tickets. It really is not fun to go watch these guys pout and make one terrible basketball decision after another and then see them gripe on Twitter and in interviews. No fans want to boo their own players, but these guys have earned it. I’m not interested in starting new traditions with this group.
I also think you sent the wrong message by firing the coach. You’re holding him accountable when it’s the players who are — in your own words — regressing and showing lousy chemistry. I don’t see how Randy Wittman — who may be a fine coach — can have any more authority than Flip did, as long as he can’t hold the players accountable. Waiving Andray Blatche would have sent a much clearer and more accurate message about accountability than firing Flip Saunders. And you should be taking a very hard look at the GM who assembled this squad.
Finally, thanks for setting up this blog and keeping it going.
I think that we should have gave Sam cassel a shot at coaching this young team he is respected by the players and staff ! Also it’s time for Ernie Grunfield to go he been here long enough and settled into being complacent with his assignment. Please don’t make Randy the long term head coach but I love the fact that Flip is gone and that shows that we are serious about becoming a better n more serious franchise ! This is for the fans ! N right now no fan is happy !
I am a huge fan of both the wizards and the caps and have complete faith that you will set the wizards in the right direction. However, I don’t understand how you could sit back and allow Ernie to surround Wall with this group of immature players. Why a guy like Andray Blatche is on this team and why he got a long term extension is beyond me and every other person NBA.
Mr. Leonsis, a firing was needed. Flip is a great coach that did not sign up to coach 8 first or second year players, you’re right.
At the same time the problem rests on the man that put this piss poor team together.
Ernie has to go Ted. Do it for the hard working fans that pay money to see our team play like a JV team. Do it for the fans Ted. Don’t let Ernie draft another player, extend another contract, make another trade (unless we are going to part ways with Andray).
Fire the man responsible.
Signed,
A heartbleeding fan
I think a new GM would be a breath of fresh air
Ted — I hate to say it, but when I was asked to re-up a few years ago, after an atrocious year in which guys in the mail room didn’t want the tickets, much less clients (or even me) — in response to a request to renew, I speculated that, in two years (this was after the Gilbert gun season), the team would be firing Flip, and the rebuilding would start AGAIN, and that I didn’t want to be owning tickets through those years. As I have watched from afar (thanking God I am not spending the money on seats to watch this current crew — unlikeable and bad is not great combo), I have (somewhat sadly) thought about how right I was not to renew (at least financially). God Bless your season ticket holders that sit through this year and last — I hope you treat them well in the long term, and I assume you will, given your posts, but man, do you have to love basketball — any NBA baskeball — to pay top dollar to see a Waizards game.
As for the rest of us that are not season ticket holders but could be reachable in the next few years, where is the hope? Do you think that JaVale, Blatche, Young and Wall are the core? God that seems optimistic in today’s NBA. We all hope Wall is the guy, but boy its takes some imagnation to see the anyone else on the current roster being part of a playoff team, much less a contender, given the self-centered play and attitude issues (maybe you don’t agree and think you have high-character guys — if so, please post on tha topic).
I’m not your customer anymore Ted, so you don’t owe me anything, but what’s the best argument you can make that there is a future for this team outside of a complete explosion?
Just please keep john wall and Javale Mcgee. The rest can go.
I really liked Randy Whitman’s press conference. The 3 things that stood out that I loved most were 1) He called himself the “polar-opposite” of Flip Saunders….that drew a big sigh of relief from me…2) He stressed that minutes will “no longer be given…they will be EARNED by playing the game the right way” 3) He is going to coach John Wall harder, and therefore the whole team harder….I’ve been saying this all along but I’m going to say this 6 more ways from Sunday right now…
1. Run your SETS
2. Good teams run sets, bad teams play 1-on-1
3. When the Wizards run their SETS, they score about 60% of the time, when they don’t they score about 25% of the time.
4. When good teams get down, or when they get late in the fourth quarter, they run their SETS EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE….NOT LESS.
5.Players earn time on the bench on good teams when the stop running their SETS
6. The way to win And-1 basketball is the way the Wizards play to win in the NBA you must RUN YOUR SETS!!!!!!!!
Maybe one of those will stick with someone who will do something about that. Congratulations on the new coach…and thank you…I will now start watching the Wizards again. It has been 2 weeks so I missed them.