The Washington Wizards And Rookie Contracts

by Mike Prada 12 days ago

182 comments

Ted Leonsis' Basketball Philosophy Approaching Watershed Moment

by Bullet Nation in Exile 15 days ago

255 comments

Flip Saunders Firing Is Failure Of Status Quo Of Washington Wizards

by Sean Fagan 17 days ago

79 comments | 5 recs

Pumping the Brakes On Javale McGee's Improvement

by TheSecretWeapon 23 days ago

105 comments | 5 recs

John Wall, Tai Chi, The A-Team And The Sophomore Slump

by Bullet Nation in Exile 25 days ago

52 comments | 2 recs

There are so many great places to read about the Wizards and the NBA that you can't fit them all on a sidebar.  We've therefore moved our links to this page.  Click on it to find the top blogs, Twitter accounts and mainstream media resources on the Net.

What they're saying:

2012 NFL Mock Draft

UFC

Allen Iverson

NBA Power Rankings

NHL Trade Deadline

iPad 3 Rumors

2011/12 NBA Regular Season
	@
19-7		5-21
February 10, 2012
Verizon Center
7 PM
CSN
Starters:
Mario Chalmers	PG	John Wall
Dwyane Wade	SG	Nick Young
LeBron James	SF	Chris Singleton
Chris Bosh	PF	Trevor Booker
Joel Anthony	C	JaVale McGee
PREGAME READING: Meet the Heat | Peninsula is Mightier | SB Nation D.C. | SB Nation Tampa Bay

Pregame notes (refreshing):

• Rashard Lewis is not playing again tonight, but Randy Wittman said he's on the way to recovery. "It's getting better," Wittman said. "Hopefully tomorrow, he'll come back in here feeling better. He's close to being able to play.
• The visiting announcers understandably were looking for some John Wall information and asked Wittman about his progression this year. Wittman talked a lot about the coaching change and how Wall has been better recently. Here's the money quote: "It's been a struggle, but as of late, he's played with enthusiasm and great energy that he didn't have all the time. I think he understands that he's got to come out and be energized defensively and able to pick it up."
• They also asked him about Chris Singleton, and Wittman said that he's played well, but he wants Singleton to be more of a slasher going to the basket.
• I asked Wittman about Wall's jump shot, since according to HoopData, Wall has hit 10 of his last 16 shots from 16-23 feet. "He's got to improve on it and he is," he said. "But I think you're starting to see a little bit of that. Now, it's got to be the same thing over and over with him."
• Lots of boos for the Heat as they entered the arena. For what it's worth.

This should be fun.

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It's easy to imagine a cynical owner regarding his team's fans with a casual contempt. "They don't know what they want. Last year it's 'we play the veterans too much', then it's 'we play the wrong rookies too much', now it's 'the rookies suck so sign free agents.' And if I do you'll start screaming 'we signed the wrong ones, our cap space is gone forever' and the whole thing starts again." That's the kind of thinking that evolves when an owner stops questioning whether or not they're making the right decisions. It often results in a surety with a tendency to ignore reality while blindly doubling down on a 'sure thing'. I believe this is a trap Ted has mostly avoided. But regarding Ernie's future the question has become: who is seeing clearly?

10. Never settle--never rest--keep on improving. Around the edges to the plan, have monthly, quarterly and annual check ups. Refresh the plan when needed but for the right reasons-- "how are we doing against our metrics of success and where are we on our path to a championship." Never listen to bloggers, media, so called experts--to thine own self be true. Enjoy the ride.

Ted's Take via Hogs Haven

Transparency is a tent pole of the ten point plan but the plain truth is that we don't really know what Ted is seeing. This is pretty much all we have to calibrate with for now, before Flip's firing:

I was up close and watched a very dispirited effort by our team yesterday afternoon...I have found the best thing to do in times of stress and turmoil is to do research; be analytical; NOT emotional; and try to find ways to improve...no one is happy with the progress we are making as a team; it is important that we be measured and smart in how we move forward.

via Ted's Take

There's no doubt how the team chose to proceed, and I think we can all agree Flip needed to go. Randy Wittman is doing a better job maximizing the talents of the team Ted thought he was going to see, but there's no doubt this is not what Ted was expecting.

Odd as it sounds, I would like to hear a vote of confidence in Ernie as a GM. That would suggest to me that there is an active dialogue between the two and that Ernie has a plan Ted believes in. Right now, the silence out of the Verizon Center only suggests Ernie has until the trade deadline to prove himself. That means activity crucial to the rebuild and just what path will Ernie choose? There are plenty of paths available and his history long past and recent suggests he could go just about any which way and perhaps that's the way he wants it. Hell, that might be the only leverage the Wizards have at the deadline.

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