SBNation.com User Blog: Extraordinary Ice

Curse O' Les Boulez Revisited

Extraordinary Ice — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:03:24 -0000

Looking back into the history of draft selections for the Bullets/Wizards organization suggests that it takes a combination of skill and luck to draft quality NBA players. The Bullets/Wizards had their share of skill/luck during the 1960s, drafting Walt Bellamy #1 in 1961, Earl Monroe #2 in the 1967 draft and Wes Unseld #2 in the 1968 draft. Smart draft picks plus smart trades built a Wes Unseld/Elvin Hayes led-championship team in the 1977/78 season. But ever since, the Bullets/Wizards organization has been cursed with a run of bad luck, inept management or a combination of both.

Our run of bad luck and/or inept management-- is laughable if I weren't crying. Bad luck is defined as an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes or an unpredictable outcome that is misfortunate. We've had our share of bad luck over the past three decades. Almost every draft selection the Bullets/Wizards made during the past 30 years has turned to crap rather than gold. King Midas was not a Wizards fan.

Other than the Jeff Malone draft selection (#10) in 1983 (he became a two-time all-star), we've had an extraordinary run of bad luck and/or inept management of the NBA draft. Here are our first round picks in the NBA draft from 1984 to 2012 (read them and weep):

1984: Melvin Turpin # 6

1985: Kenny Green # 12

1986: John Williams #12

1987: Muggsy Bogues #12

1988: Harvey Grant #12

1989: Tom Hammonds #12

1990: no first rounder

1991: LaBradford Smith #19

1992: Tom Gugliatta #6

1993 :Calbert Cheaney #6

1994: Juwan Howard #5

1995: Rasheed Wallace #4

1996: no first rounder

1997: no first rounder

1998: no first rounder

1999: Richard Hamilton # 7

2000: no first rounder

2001: Kwame Brown #1

2002: Jarred Jeffries #11

2003: Jarvis Hayes #10

2004: Devin Harris #5

2005: no first rounder

2006: Oleksiy Pecherov #18

2007: Nick Young #16

2008: Javale McGee #18

2009: No first rounder

2010: John Wall #1

2011: Jan Vesely #6

2012: Bradley Beal #3

It is not surprising to have raised eyebrows reading the above list. This is a list of very average (and sometimes, underperforming) NBA players. In the cases where we actually drafted a quality NBA player, we found a way to screw it up. For example, Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton were traded away only to become NBA all-stars on other teams. We also decided to keep Juwan Howard and signed him to a contract worth over $100 million (a humongous contract in those days for an underperforming big man).

It gets worse; the 2009 pick (which could have been Rick Rubio) was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with Darius Songalia, Etan Thomas and Oleksiy Pecherov, in exchange for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Kwame Brown was the number one pick in the 2001 draft- will we ever forget? To add insult to injury, we then selected Jarred Jeffries at #11 in 2002; Jarvis Hayes at #10 in 2003; Devin Harris (traded) at #5 in 2004; Oleksiy Pecherov at #18 in 2006. The Wizard's management was on a roll.

There is no need to go into the gory details of the selections of Nick Young #16 in 2007 and Javale McGee #18 in 2008; we all know their story. The jury is still out on our last three first round draft selections-John Wall #1 in 2010, Jan Vesely #6 in 2011 and Bradley Beal #3 in 2012. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious, at least to me that these players are likely to be as cursed as the players that came before them. John Wall as the overall #1 pick in 2010 has underwhelmed the NBA; Vesely has been a draft disaster and Bradley Beal has disappointed us with his poor shooting and lack of aggressiveness (although at 19, it's too early to declare him a bust).

I don't believe in ghosts and goblins and I don't believe in curses and witch doctors. But after 30+ years of being a Wizards fan, observing the team's dreadful selection and handling of draft choices-maybe, just maybe-- there is a higher power at work here. Is it possible that Ernie Grunfeld is not to blame for the Wizard's woes? Is it possible that the Wizards are doomed to NBA hell for all eternity due to the "Curse O' Les Boulez?" As we enter the New Year, we may need more than a new general manager; we may need divine intervention.

1984: Melvin Turpin # 6

1985: Kenny Green # 12

1986: John Williams #12

1987: Muggsy Bogues #12

1988: Harvey Grant #12

1989: Tom Hammonds #12

1990: no first rounder

1991: LaBradford Smith #19

1992: Tom Gugliatta #6

1993 :Calbert Cheaney #6

1994: Juwan Howard #5

1995: Rasheed Wallace #4

1996: no first rounder

1997: no first rounder

1998: no first rounder

1999: Richard Hamilton # 7

2000: no first rounder

2001: Kwame Brown #1

2002: Jarred Jeffries #11

2003: Jarvis Hayes #10

2004: Devin Harris #5

2005: no first rounder

2006: Oleksiy Pecherov #18

2007: Nick Young #16

2008: Javale McGee #18

2009: No first rounder

2010: John Wall #1

2011: Jan Vesely #6

2012: Bradley Beal #3

Grunfeld Needs to Feel Embarrassed Like Toronto's GM

Extraordinary Ice — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 21:53:41 -0000

I find it extraordinarily disturbing that our GM is not visibly and publicly upset over the dismal performance of his 2-15 Wizards team. Isn't it time for Ernie Grunfeld to make statements similar to the public comments just made by the 4-16 Toronto Raptor's GM Bryan Colangelo:

“This situation is, from all standards, unacceptable,” the team’s president and general manager said. “It’s disappointing, it’s embarrassing but this is where we find ourselves.”

“There’s been a lot of dialogue, a lot of discussion,” he said. “It’s constant evaluation of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and why we’re doing it.”

“We’re all under a microscope now, as should be the case, including myself,” said Colangelo. “We clearly have to make this right.”

Do not tell me that we are playing without our starting point guard and Toronto is playing with theirs- that's no excuse for a pitiful 2-15 record. It's not like John Wall is a franchise/all-star point guard like Chicago's Derrick Rose. Heck, the stark reality is that Wall is an average young point guard in the NBA still climbing a learning curve. Hopefully, he will be good in time, but he's not there yet.

Toronto's Bryan Colangelo is putting his own head on the chopping block; you have to respect that. Why hasn't EG done the same?Why hasn't Ernie apologized for the Wizard's horrific performance? Ernie Grunfeld is no Bryan Colangelo. If I missed Ernie's public mea culpa, I apologize. But if he hasn't then I'm mad as hell. We should all be mad as hell. Let's stick our heads out the window and yell - "we are mad as hell and we are not going to take it any more" for the basketball gods to hear.

Am I off base here? Shouldn't Ernie step up to the plate and offer his head?

“This situation is, from all standards, unacceptable,” the team’s president and general manager said. “It’s disappointing, it’s embarrassing but this is where we find ourselves.”

“There’s been a lot of dialogue, a lot of discussion,” he said. “It’s constant evaluation of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and why we’re doing it.”

“We’re all under a microscope now, as should be the case, including myself,” said Colangelo. “We clearly have to make this right.”

Am I off base here? Shouldn't Ernie step up to the plate and offer his head?

Are the Wizards a Paper Tiger?

Extraordinary Ice — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:28:54 -0000

After lamenting over the Wizards lopsided loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night, I looked at the scores of other NBA games and noticed that the New Orleans Hornets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105- 98 in Los Angeles. New Orleans was playing without its two best players: Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon. New Orleans is 4-9; somehow the team has managed to win 4 games with a roster primarily comprised of role players. Here were the starting five players for New Orleans last night:

Al-Farouq Aminu; Ryan Anderson; Greivis Vasquez; Roger Mason; Robin Lopez

Here were the starting five players for the Wizards last night:

AJ Price; Bradley Beal; Trevor Ariza; Kevin Seraphin; Emeka Okafor

Who do you think has the better team on paper; the Wizards or New Orleans? The Wizards record is 0-12; New Orleans record is 4-9. I'm not a basketball expert by any means, but I know there is something wrong with this picture. Not playing with our two best players: Wall and Nene, is no excuse for being winless.

New Orleans is one example of rosters void of quality NBA players who manage to win some games. There are a number of teams around the league whose roster is equal to or less than the Wizards-at least on paper. We could make an argument that Toronto, Detroit, Charlotte, Orlando, Cleveland (without Kyrie Erving), Sacramento, and Minnesota (without Love and Rubio) have rosters of similar quality to the Wizards but all of these teams have managed to win some games. I can only conclude that our current problems are not just due to the construction of our roster, but also due to the management of the roster. Ernie Grunfeld built the NBA's version of the Titanic, but Randy Wittman is steering the ship.

At this juncture, the Wizards are a paper tiger; a team that looks good on paper (relative to other nonplayoff teams), but plays poorly on the court. Accountability goes to those responsible for results. Does Ted dismiss both Grunfeld and Wittman for the Wizards dismal performance? Does Wittman need to go first for mismanagement? Or should they be thrown overboard together; with a lifeboat or without?

Al-Farouq Aminu; Ryan Anderson; Greivis Vasquez; Roger Mason; Robin Lopez

Here were the starting five players for the Wizards last night:

AJ Price; Bradley Beal; Trevor Ariza; Kevin Seraphin; Emeka Okafor

We Need a Team Built for John Wall

Extraordinary Ice — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:47:53 -0000

I read the posts and articles on this site with regularity and enthusiasm. It's a site for fans; it's a place for us to be fanatical about our team. That means we have the right to exhibit emotion- good or bad.

So it is not surprising to see a lot of opinion flip-flopping on this site, particularly during our 6-game losing streak to begin the season. Jan Vesely has a good game and we speak of his great potential. Vesely has a poor game and we declare he is a flop as a number 6 pick in the draft. Similarly, Trevor Booker has a monster game and we are proud he is a Wizard. Booker has a bad game and we complain he is too short to play at a high level in the NBA. Most of us are frustrated with Jordan Crawford's shooting antics on the court but when he has a good game we applaud. Ditto for Singleton. Most of us love Kevin Seraphin but are increasingly frustrated by his inability to handle a double team. Many of us disapproved of the Okariza trade and still do. Many of us approve of the Bradley Beal selection and pray he matures into a star, and most of us appreciate the addition of Martell Webster. Many of us are frustrated with John Wall but continue to believe he has star potential. And an overwhelming majority approve of throwing the three burritos overboard and bringing in Nene to help navigate our basketball destiny.

At the end of the day, we are fans. We don't work for the Wizards and we are not owners so we can assess, evaluate, and critique the players, coaches and owners without consequence. We need a place to release our emotions- good or bad, and this site is such a place.

As a fan, it is difficult to maintain objectivity; our emotions get the best of us. If we can put aside emotions for the moment, I'd like to assess the Wizards situation in the John Wall era.

There is some luck involved in this business. It's not Ernie Grunfeld's fault that there was no Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose or a Kyrie Erving available in the 2010 draft. No one faults Grunfeld for selecting John Wall. Imagine how different the Wizards would be if we had a Derrick Rose or even Kyrie Erving as our point guard? The team would be significantly better and Grunfeld's job would not be in jeopardy. But it is what it is. And it is the responsibility of the general manager to do the best he can with the hand he is dealt. It is his job to turn lemons into lemonade and he has failed in that regard.

Grunfeld's job is to build a team around his prized player, John Wall. Wall is a remarkable athlete with blazing speed who effectively distributes the ball but possesses a poor shooting touch. To a non-expert like me, the team needs shooters and rebounders to complement Wall's strengths. But Grunfeld has surrounded Wall with a team of poor shooters and less than adequate rebounders through the draft, trades and free agency. Just look at our current roster:

Draft: John Wall, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin, and Bradley Beal

Trade: Emeka Okafor, Treva Ariza, Jordan Crawford, Nene

Free Agency: AJ Price, Jennero Pargo, Martell Webster, Earl Barron, Cartier Martin

Where are the NBA-ready shooters on the Wizards roster? We depend on fringe/marginal players like Martell Webster and Cartier Martin to put the ball in the bucket. We also lean on an open-eyed 19 year old Bradley Beal to make baskets from the outside and on the erratic shooting of a wild and crazy Jordan Crawford.

To be fair, Nene is a decent shooter and rebounder for his position. But Grunfeld knew he had a history of health problems which currently haunts us. In addition, Okafor is a decent rebounder, Seraphin seems to be developing nicely and Beal is showing some potential. But on balance, our current roster is not built for John Wall's game.

This post is not a reaction to the Wizards current losing streak to start the season. I'm reasonably certain that the Wizards record will improve when Wall and Nene return. Rather it is focused on the flawed composition of the roster that Grunfeld constructed. Objectively, Grunfeld's performance as the Wizard's general manager is below par. This team is not built to win a meaningful amount of games.

The Wizard's future is not a lost cause, even with the current roster. My layman's recommendation would be to trade two of the team's young quality but poor shooting players like Trevor Booker, Jordan Crawford, Chris Singleton, and Jan Vesely (assuming no one would take Ariza and Okafor for the moment) for one or two quality NBA shooters. The addition of one or two quality shooters combined with the subtraction of two poor shooters would create a roster composition best suited for a John Wall-led team. This still doesn't guarantee meaningful success as measured by wins and losses. That depends on Wall's ability to deliver on a team built to suit his strengths. Build it and they (Wall) will come.

As a fan, it is difficult to maintain objectivity; our emotions get the best of us. If we can put aside emotions for the moment, I'd like to assess the Wizards situation in the John Wall era.

Draft: John Wall, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin, and Bradley Beal

Trade: Emeka Okafor, Treva Ariza, Jordan Crawford, Nene

Free Agency: AJ Price, Jennero Pargo, Martell Webster, Earl Barron, Cartier Martin