COUNTDOWN to the REMOVAL of the Worst GM in the NBA

[FAH1223]

 

[Pineal Gland]

I was about to say this thread should've been made years ago, then I realized it was made years ago

 

[FAH1223]

There’s a dark, ominous cloud hanging above everyone’s head inside the Capital One Arena. Rodney Rikai could sense it as he held a jersey at center court on Tuesday when the team honored him for the five years he spent as the Washington Wizards’ emcee.

It was a familiar feeling for Rodney. It was the same feeling he had for all five years he was with the team — and it’s the same feeling a lot of his friends who still work for the Wizards cope with.

A day after being honored by the team, Rodney logged onto Twitter and fired away. For a few hours, he became the head emcee for #WizardsTwitter, preaching the gospel of hundreds of voiceless Wizards fans.






It wasn’t the long flight back to Los Angeles that frustrated Rodney after such a momentous night. It was that damn cloud that still loomed inside what used to be his second home.

Ernie Grunfeld has been a constant source of vexation for Rodney — and he’s been for plenty of other people within the organization who don’t have the luxury of speaking out.

“It’s just truth, man,” he said. “I spent five years there and that’s the sentiment of everyone. There’s this big ass elephant in the room that no one is addressing. I’m fortunate that I’ve never been dependent on the Wizards to survive or exist, but there are people in that organization that need that job to feed their family. It’s foul that no one is reporting on the guy who makes the experience of being in that building dark. He casts a shadow above that place and it’s corny that nobody talks about it.”

Rodney is thankful for the five years he spent with the Wizards, but none of it — not even a ceremony — could stop him from sharing his feelings. He felt no apprehension.

“What can Ernie Grunfeld do to me?” he asked. “Ban me from the arena? That’s fine by me. I live in L.A. I can catch a Wizards game when they’re in L.A. I also understand that he directly impacts a lot of people and how they’re able to do their job. I’m not one of them.”

As a basketball fan and former employee, Rodney has spent an awfully long time contemplating a question that no one can quite answer: how does Grunfeld still have a job?

“How the [redacted] do you have a job for 16 years and have a minimal track record?” he asked. “There’s nothing that warrants him having that job for that long. It really makes no sense. He’s had this job since [redacted] Bush. The game of basketball has evolved when he’s been at the helm. I’m not one to take away his credentials, but as a GM it’s not like he’s Jerry West, Pat Riley –- so why does he have the job for this long while looking so disinterested? Why doesn’t he report to anyone throughout the season? No one puts pressure on him to make statements. He just hides and everything falls on John, who’s been a beacon of hope for this city, or Brad, who’s finally come into his own and is getting frustrated because his talent should warrant a certain level of cache in the league.”

Critics will argue that it’s John Wall’s fault — that he hasn’t taken the necessary steps to truly improve his game and reach the level he was expected to reach after being taken first overall. Rodney would point to his supporting cast and the negligent handling of the roster overall.

“Ernie keeps putting a bum team around these guys that can’t flourish in ways they’re capable of,” he said. “There’s no way you add certain elements to a fragile locker room if you have done your homework. It’s clear that he’s guessing. What’s the formula to come to that conclusion — draft picks, the draft, free agency? There’s no way you sat somewhere and watched Tim Frazier play and thought, ‘this was the guy we need backing up John Wall.”

It goes beyond the hardwood, too.

Rodney believes that Grunfeld has contributed to an overall dark feeling within the organization and likened it to the time he used to coach AAU. There were people who overcharged kids or weren’t as transparent with their plans as they should have been. Rodney called those people, “people who take away from the game.” He sees a lot of those people in Grunfeld.

“There’s no love of the game for him,” he said “There’s not a passion for the game that would help ignite a fan base, there’s no interest generally in creating a healthy environment for the players, employees or anyone for that sort.”

“I’ve never spoken to anyone who had a great thing to say about Ernie Grunfeld –- and again, I worked in that arena for five years,” he said. “Never. I’ve never had anyone say, ‘oh, I really like Ernie Grunfeld.’”

Rodney characterized Grunfeld as miserable — someone who’s unable to actually enjoy his job, failing to gather any actual perspective on how to properly lead an organization. His opinions on the ownership are completely the opposite, which makes it even more perplexing that Ted Leonsis, who’s paying luxury tax for a losing team and built a $70 million practice facility, would keep him around.

So who’s to blame? Is it Leonsis’ patience or perhaps even the stars’ tendency to be too loyal? Rodney doesn’t have the answer, but he won’t go as far as to blame John Wall, whom he considers a personal friend.

“I don’t think John [Wall] is complacent at all,” he said. “He’s very appreciative of the opportunity to represent the Wizards and he never wants to come off as ungrateful. He’s not one of those kids that’s second generation NBA bloodline; he’s an underdog who became the number one draft pick.

I think his mom’s influence and background gave him the idea of never going against the team. He’s loyal. He’s super down to earth and grounded. Unfortunately he’s put his hands in the career of people who aren’t great basketball minds for this era of basketball. The game revolves around the guys that John Wall trusts will bring players around him to help him become more successful. It’s just unfortunate. You had so many pieces that could’ve helped. You let Shaun Livingston go. You left Trevor Ariza go. You gave $64 million to Ian Mahinmi.”

Rodney has seen the locker room reports and what he believes are misconceptions — the notion that the players in the locker room hate playing with each other and the Wall and Beal have grown apart. He’s not buying it. Being around the team, Rodney thinks Wall and Beal have a strong relationship - a “brotherhood.” It’s why the team managed to right the ship after injuries and not-so-ideal starts.

But it goes deeper than that. The team has egos, just like any professional club. They’re young. Plus, the coach isn’t particularly abrasive, neither in the locker room nor with the clipboard in his hands. Rodney thinks opposing teams have figured out how to stop the Wizards and Brooks hasn’t done enough to add wrinkles to his offense.

And ultimately, what has he had to work with?

“Constant head scratching moves make the team question whether they’re really trying to compete for a championship,” he said. “There hasn’t been a move to suggest they’re trying to win a championship. There’s been nothing of that nature. What’s the last big move they made? The Keef trade? There’s nothing that says, ‘we want to win a championship.’

Jodie Meeks? A player option? He has the right to say, ‘yeah, I’ll come back’? Why does he get to dictate that? How did he earn that? Did you know that he was still in the NBA? I had no idea — I didn’t know.”

There’s been no indication that Rodney’s frustration will end anytime soon — that the 16-year-old dark cloud that’s been hovering above the Wizards as an organization will finally depart.

If Rodney were to guess, the Wizards just might do enough to keep Grunfeld safe. After all, whether they make or miss the playoffs hasn’t really seemed to make a difference to the ownership. He doesn’t anticipate a major trade involving Wall or Beal, either.

For Grunfeld’s tenure to finally end, Rodney thinks there would have to be public outcry from the media or a player with influence, which might have already happened.

Although he’s in L.A. now, the Grunfeld cloud is still around. It doesn’t impact Rodney like it used to, but he still sees it from afar. And it keeps him puzzled, wondering when the hell it’s finally going to leave.

“I have no idea why he’s still around making basketball decisions,” he said. “He must be one hell of a salesman. From a business standpoint, I don’t get it. Jeanie Buss fired her own brother because he was stinking it up. So I have no idea how he’s still around.”

 

[FAH1223]

LOVERRO: Ted Leonsis needs to sell the Wizards

As the Wizards' public-facing image goes up in flames amid a 6-11 season, with teammates reportedly sparring in practice and John Wall getting fined for cursing out his head coach, Thom Loverro says the problem is the same as its been since June 2003: Ernie Grunfeld.


Ted Leonsis' refusal to fire his team president is such a betrayal to Wizards fans, Loverro says, that the owner can no longer be trusted to do the right thing and needs to sell the team.

"He needs to sell it," Loverro told 106.7 The Fan's Chad Dukes on Wednesday. "He's wasted eight years of a fanbase that had no more time to waste. His retention of Ernie is like spitting in the face of a fanbase that has demonized the general manager, and I think rightfully so."


The Wizards are 542-689 (.440 winning percentage) since Grunfeld was hired as president of basketball operations in June 2003. The Wizards are 301-356 (.458) since Leonsis famously declared the Wizards to be a "sleeping giant" after becoming majority owner in June 2010. That's not a marked improvement, despite the Wizards making the playoffs four times under Leonsis' ownership.

"We like to talk about the damaged Redskins fanbase and what they've been through," Loverro said. "Those are flesh wounds compared to what the basketball fans in this town have been through. For nearly 40 years, never winning more than 50 games in one season, never getting past the second round in the playoffs."

"And for the last 15 years with Ernie Grunfeld at the helm, who has a won-loss record that, if they won every game that they played maybe for the next two years, they still wouldn't have a .500 record," he said.

"It's not very complicated," Loverro continued. "Ted Leonsis bought the team eight years ago. The first thing he should have done is said, 'We're not going to do business as usual any more. We're going to get rid of the general manager who built a culture where teammates took a dump in each other's shoes. We're gonna get rid of that guy.'"

"By the way," Dukes chimed. "That's not hyperbole."

"No. No," Loverro agreed. "So, instead, what did he do? Because he was too cheap to pay another general manager, he kept Ernie around. And here it is eight years later and he's wasted the first eight years of his ownership with a general manager who has never valued the chemistry and character in team building. Going back to his days in New York, Ernie was the guy who brought in Latrell Sprewell, into that mess.

"He was the guy who built a team around Gilbert Arenas, who was mentally unstable. He's the guy who brought in the 'Big Three.' Remember the Big Three? Andray Blatche and Nick Young and JaVale McGee? I mean, he built that farce of a team. And now here he is again, we're facing the third time the arsonist fireman has set the house on fire and is maybe going to get a chance to rebuild it again, with a dysfunctional team led by John Wall, who, as soon as he got paid, decided that, Well, you know, nobody's telling me what to do. Nobody."

"And so, the problem is real simple. It's Ernie Grunfeld," Loverro continued. "It's been the problem all along. He does not understand how to build a roster of players who can mesh together on and off the court. He doesn't place value on character. And I know a lot of that is overrated, but he's just been the opposite. I mean, he's just built one dysfunctional team after another.

"And to be quite frank, since Ted Leonsis is so embarrassed to have Ernie Grunfeld as a general manager," he said. "He hid the fact that they gave him a contract extension. Didn't let anybody know. Didn't announce it, because it would have been too embarrassing to hold a press conference and say 'we're keeping Ernie again for a couple more years.' Ted needs to sell the team. He needs to sell the team."

Leonsis keeping Grunfeld employed is more than just a blind spot, Loverro says, it's unrecoverable.

"I've got a column in Friday's Washington Times that says Ted should sell the team," he said. "And I point out a 2001 interview he did with Cigar Aficionado, where he called owning a sports franchise a 'public trust.' Well, he fulfilled that trust with the Capitals, but he's betrayed it with the Wizards fans in this town and he needs to sell the team. Obviously he must be spread too thin, you know, with the two-win world champion Washington Valor and the casinos he's planning on opening when sports betting comes on."

Leonsis also owns a "video game team," Dukes noted.

"And yeah, Team Liquid! You know, I mean I can't wait for that parade down Pennsylvania Avenue when Team Liquid wins whatever championship Team Liquid could win," Loverro said. "Let somebody own the basketball team who will care about it and not be spread so thin, who will pay attention to it.

"He'll make money! The franchise is probably worth $1.5 billion. I think he paid, by the time he bought the last 56 percent of it, maybe about $400 million."

"He's given up his right as the owner of this team for fans to have any faith that Ted Leonsis will do the right thing," Loverro concluded.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

There’s a dark, ominous cloud hanging above everyone’s head inside the Capital One Arena. Rodney Rikai could sense it as he held a jersey at center court on Tuesday when the team honored him for the five years he spent as the Washington Wizards’ emcee.

It was a familiar feeling for Rodney. It was the same feeling he had for all five years he was with the team — and it’s the same feeling a lot of his friends who still work for the Wizards cope with.

A day after being honored by the team, Rodney logged onto Twitter and fired away. For a few hours, he became the head emcee for #WizardsTwitter, preaching the gospel of hundreds of voiceless Wizards fans.






It wasn’t the long flight back to Los Angeles that frustrated Rodney after such a momentous night. It was that damn cloud that still loomed inside what used to be his second home.

Ernie Grunfeld has been a constant source of vexation for Rodney — and he’s been for plenty of other people within the organization who don’t have the luxury of speaking out.

“It’s just truth, man,” he said. “I spent five years there and that’s the sentiment of everyone. There’s this big ass elephant in the room that no one is addressing. I’m fortunate that I’ve never been dependent on the Wizards to survive or exist, but there are people in that organization that need that job to feed their family. It’s foul that no one is reporting on the guy who makes the experience of being in that building dark. He casts a shadow above that place and it’s corny that nobody talks about it.”

Rodney is thankful for the five years he spent with the Wizards, but none of it — not even a ceremony — could stop him from sharing his feelings. He felt no apprehension.

“What can Ernie Grunfeld do to me?” he asked. “Ban me from the arena? That’s fine by me. I live in L.A. I can catch a Wizards game when they’re in L.A. I also understand that he directly impacts a lot of people and how they’re able to do their job. I’m not one of them.”

As a basketball fan and former employee, Rodney has spent an awfully long time contemplating a question that no one can quite answer: how does Grunfeld still have a job?

“How the [redacted] do you have a job for 16 years and have a minimal track record?” he asked. “There’s nothing that warrants him having that job for that long. It really makes no sense. He’s had this job since [redacted] Bush. The game of basketball has evolved when he’s been at the helm. I’m not one to take away his credentials, but as a GM it’s not like he’s Jerry West, Pat Riley –- so why does he have the job for this long while looking so disinterested? Why doesn’t he report to anyone throughout the season? No one puts pressure on him to make statements. He just hides and everything falls on John, who’s been a beacon of hope for this city, or Brad, who’s finally come into his own and is getting frustrated because his talent should warrant a certain level of cache in the league.”

Critics will argue that it’s John Wall’s fault — that he hasn’t taken the necessary steps to truly improve his game and reach the level he was expected to reach after being taken first overall. Rodney would point to his supporting cast and the negligent handling of the roster overall.

“Ernie keeps putting a bum team around these guys that can’t flourish in ways they’re capable of,” he said. “There’s no way you add certain elements to a fragile locker room if you have done your homework. It’s clear that he’s guessing. What’s the formula to come to that conclusion — draft picks, the draft, free agency? There’s no way you sat somewhere and watched Tim Frazier play and thought, ‘this was the guy we need backing up John Wall.”

It goes beyond the hardwood, too.

Rodney believes that Grunfeld has contributed to an overall dark feeling within the organization and likened it to the time he used to coach AAU. There were people who overcharged kids or weren’t as transparent with their plans as they should have been. Rodney called those people, “people who take away from the game.” He sees a lot of those people in Grunfeld.

“There’s no love of the game for him,” he said “There’s not a passion for the game that would help ignite a fan base, there’s no interest generally in creating a healthy environment for the players, employees or anyone for that sort.”

“I’ve never spoken to anyone who had a great thing to say about Ernie Grunfeld –- and again, I worked in that arena for five years,” he said. “Never. I’ve never had anyone say, ‘oh, I really like Ernie Grunfeld.’”

Rodney characterized Grunfeld as miserable — someone who’s unable to actually enjoy his job, failing to gather any actual perspective on how to properly lead an organization. His opinions on the ownership are completely the opposite, which makes it even more perplexing that Ted Leonsis, who’s paying luxury tax for a losing team and built a $70 million practice facility, would keep him around.

So who’s to blame? Is it Leonsis’ patience or perhaps even the stars’ tendency to be too loyal? Rodney doesn’t have the answer, but he won’t go as far as to blame John Wall, whom he considers a personal friend.

“I don’t think John [Wall] is complacent at all,” he said. “He’s very appreciative of the opportunity to represent the Wizards and he never wants to come off as ungrateful. He’s not one of those kids that’s second generation NBA bloodline; he’s an underdog who became the number one draft pick.

I think his mom’s influence and background gave him the idea of never going against the team. He’s loyal. He’s super down to earth and grounded. Unfortunately he’s put his hands in the career of people who aren’t great basketball minds for this era of basketball. The game revolves around the guys that John Wall trusts will bring players around him to help him become more successful. It’s just unfortunate. You had so many pieces that could’ve helped. You let Shaun Livingston go. You left Trevor Ariza go. You gave $64 million to Ian Mahinmi.”

Rodney has seen the locker room reports and what he believes are misconceptions — the notion that the players in the locker room hate playing with each other and the Wall and Beal have grown apart. He’s not buying it. Being around the team, Rodney thinks Wall and Beal have a strong relationship - a “brotherhood.” It’s why the team managed to right the ship after injuries and not-so-ideal starts.

But it goes deeper than that. The team has egos, just like any professional club. They’re young. Plus, the coach isn’t particularly abrasive, neither in the locker room nor with the clipboard in his hands. Rodney thinks opposing teams have figured out how to stop the Wizards and Brooks hasn’t done enough to add wrinkles to his offense.

And ultimately, what has he had to work with?

“Constant head scratching moves make the team question whether they’re really trying to compete for a championship,” he said. “There hasn’t been a move to suggest they’re trying to win a championship. There’s been nothing of that nature. What’s the last big move they made? The Keef trade? There’s nothing that says, ‘we want to win a championship.’

Jodie Meeks? A player option? He has the right to say, ‘yeah, I’ll come back’? Why does he get to dictate that? How did he earn that? Did you know that he was still in the NBA? I had no idea — I didn’t know.”

There’s been no indication that Rodney’s frustration will end anytime soon — that the 16-year-old dark cloud that’s been hovering above the Wizards as an organization will finally depart.

If Rodney were to guess, the Wizards just might do enough to keep Grunfeld safe. After all, whether they make or miss the playoffs hasn’t really seemed to make a difference to the ownership. He doesn’t anticipate a major trade involving Wall or Beal, either.

For Grunfeld’s tenure to finally end, Rodney thinks there would have to be public outcry from the media or a player with influence, which might have already happened.

Although he’s in L.A. now, the Grunfeld cloud is still around. It doesn’t impact Rodney like it used to, but he still sees it from afar. And it keeps him puzzled, wondering when the hell it’s finally going to leave.

“I have no idea why he’s still around making basketball decisions,” he said. “He must be one hell of a salesman. From a business standpoint, I don’t get it. Jeanie Buss fired her own brother because he was stinking it up. So I have no idea how he’s still around.”

Lmao wow that’s not even surprising, spoken like someone that’s really been in this city working for the team. nikkaz keep blaming Wall cuz they outside of the Area commenting while knowing nothing of the Front Office that’s done all this.

Only thing I can thank this bum ass organization for is for steering me to be a Laker fan. Wizards fans are saints for still being loyal.

 

[Archangel]

There’s no way you sat somewhere and watched Tim Frazier play and thought, ‘this was the guy we need backing up John Wall.

Jodie Meeks? A player option? He has the right to say, ‘yeah, I’ll come back’? Why does he get to dictate that? How did he earn that? Did you know that he was still in the NBA? I had no idea — I didn’t know.”

Shyt

Tim Frazier and Jodie catching Thanksgiving strays

 

[FAH1223]

Saw this on RealGM. Amazingly put



Signing Arenas as a FA was a genuine "good move." Drafting Beal was just making the default pick. Go back & take a look how many #1 picks have been bad & how many #3 picks have been bad over the last 20 years.

What use did Ernie make of all picks not #1 or #3 over the last 10 drafts?

2009 #5 -- traded for 2 rent-a-players (passing on Steph Curry). Nothing out of asset.
2009 # 35 -- sold for a little cash. Nothing out of asset.
2010 #17 -- Kevin Seraphin. Did not work out & was not traded. I.e. got nothing out of the asset.
2010 #23 -- Trevor Booker. Booker played well for us but wasn't given his qualifying offer. Again, got nothing out of the asset.
2011 # 6 -- Vesely (w/ Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, etc. on the board). Nothing out of asset.
201 # 18 -- Singleton (w/ Jimmy Butler, Faried, Tobias Harris, Cory Joseph, Mirotic, etc. on the board). Waived after 2 seasons. Nothing out of asset.
2011 #34 -- Shelvin Mack (waived for no return, but he isin his 8th year in the league; a solid journeyman. Nothing out of asset)
2012 #32 -- Tomas Satoransky (w/ Draymond Green, Jae Crowder, Khris Middleton, & Will Barton going shortly thereafter. Sato played the following 4 seasons in Europe. Minimal return on asset.)
2012 #46 -- Thrown into Okariza trade & wasted. I wanted Kyle O'Quinn with that pick. Nothing out of asset.)
2013 #38 -- Traded to pick Glen Rice. Nothing out of asset.
2013 #54 -- Traded to pick Glen Rice. Nothing out of asset.
2014 #18 -- Traded for expiring salary of Marcin Gortat. Overpay -- but at least something!
2014 #46 -- Sold for cash Nothing out of asset.
2015 #19 -- Traded to select Kelly Oubre @ #15
2015 #49 -- Aaron White. Nothing out of the asset.
2016 #14 -- (lottery pick!) Traded for Markieff Morris, whom the Suns had tried unsuccessfully to trade for just about anything the entire season. Wasted asset.
2016 #44 -- in Kelly Oubre trade
2017 #22 -- Thrown away in trade to Nets in order to dump Nicholson. Nets took Jarret Allen, a stud C prospect. Nothing from asset.
2017 #52 -- Traded to NO for Tim Frazier (who is now back playing in NO), 800 minute rent a player. Virtually nothing out of asset.
2018 #15 -- Troy Brown Jr.
2018 #45 -- Issuf Sanon (Very likely nothing out of the asset)

We also owe our R2 pick in 2019 to Denver or Charlotte as a result of the trade up for Oubre.
We also owe a R2 pick in 2020 to Milwaukee (Jared Dudley), but it's top-55 protected
We also owe our R2 pick in 2021 to Utah (trade for Trey Burke)

There is the complete list of draft moves by Ernie Grunfeld over a ten-year period, leaving out the #1 pick he lucked into via the ping pong balls in '10, the #3 pick in '12, & the #3 pick he lucked into via the ping balls in '13.

There are 25 picks in the list above. From these 25 picks, what do we have that is meaningful? We have Tomas Satoransky, Kelly Oubre, & Tony Brown.

I'd like to ask: how much less could a GM have gotten out of 25 picks? I cannot imagine there's a single GM in the league who can compete with this list for utter & pathetic failure. How does Ernie have a job?

(For completeness: Atlanta owes us a R2 pick next year, top 55 protected. Even if it should convey, I don't think it really will, as this was part of a favor Atlanta did for Ernie by taking Sheldon Mac off his hands -- we gave them $$ to pay the remainder of his salary, of course.)

 

[FAH1223]

Bulls beat reporter going in on Ernie and Ted

 

[Jerz-2]

Woooooow.

Yeah, them two gotta go, if all THAT is true. Good GRIEF...

Sorry, Wizards fans. That's some REAL suffering right there.

 

[duckbutta]

Couldn't even get a second round pick though

 

[FAH1223]

 

[Black]

He gotta die

 

[FAH1223]

@Brozay @CHICAGO @mastermind

its never gonna end

Saw this on REALGM...

Hi Ernie, I have a great idea:

Ian Mahinmi + 2019 1st round pick (top-3 protected) for Robin Lopez + Justin Holiday

"Robin is a great veteran who's going to help a lot in the locker room as well on the court. Justin on the other hand is a wonderful 3&D-player who fits the modern NBA perfectly. Their expiring contracts give us great flexibility moving forward."

"We drafted in 2015 and 2018. Therefore we can easily skip the next two drafts and after all we are a veteran team trying to make the playoffs. We don't have time to develop young players."

"We definitely are buyers in this market, not sellers. Right now we feel like we have the deepest team in the franchise history and are sure that we will make the playoffs."

"If needed, we will make more moves in order to have a great playoff push. We still have assets to use."

Wall/Satoransky
Beal/Holiday/Brown (G-League)
Porter/Green/Dekker
Ariza/Morris/White
Bryant/Lopez/Howard (inj.)

 

[FAH1223]

sohhhh

Sam Dekker was 18th pick in the 2015 draft - Wiz had 19th pick. Ernie basically paid the 2015 `st, 2016 2nd, 2019 2nd and 2022 2nd to move up one (1) spot in the draft! What an idiot

 

[FAH1223]

He gotta die