Grunfeld’s Vision For Next Season
When Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld was asked to give his assessment of the team going into next season, he unveiled his plans for what will happen this summer and how he hopes the team will look when training camp begins in the fall.
“The last time we had the full group together we had the best record in the Eastern Conference and I think we are an improved team since then,” Grunfeld gushed to the throng of media hanging on his every word. “Our bench has gotten better. Our young guys have gotten some valuable experience. I think we feel comfortable if we get everybody back and with everybody together I think that this team can be a very competitive ball club.”
When Grunfeld uttered those words before the NBA draft, any Wizards fan listening certainly would have reason to be excited.
Gilbert Arenas was injured much of the year, yet All-Stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were able to lead the team to a playoff berth. DeShawn Stevenson, despite the firestorm he created off the court with his feud with LeBron James, continued to wreak havoc on the floor defensively. Brendan Haywood, free from sharing playing time with Etan Thomas, finally shed the “soft” label that had followed him since his rookie year and had a solid season. Bench players like Roger Mason, Antonio Daniels and Andray Blatche played defense, grabbed rebounds, and hit timely baskets when the starters came out of the game or had an off night. And finally, rookie Nick Young showed flashes of brilliance that will only increase with maturity.
So what do the fans, Grunfeld, and head coach Eddie Jordan and the fans have to worry about heading into the summer?
Plenty.
The number one concern for this Wizards team is to resign three time all-star Gilbert Arenas. On June 11th, Arenas opted out of the last year of his contract, and became an unrestricted free agent. As of yesterday, his services were available to the team that can take him closest to his desired goal of receiving a maximum level long-term contract. Grunfeld has repeatedly stated the he fully plans to re-sign Arenas, and there are rumors that a six-year deal in excess of $100 million will be made.
When Gilbert was asked what dollar amount it would take to keep him with the Wizards, he said, “I have a number in mind, a number I feel I’m worth and we’ll just have to see what they come with. I guess we’ll find out”
Still, nothing has been made official.
Towards the end of last season, Arenas was adamant that he would not consider re-signing with the Wizards unless Antawn Jamison was also re-signed, and he offered to take a pay cut to help this happen. The Wizards must have heard him loud and clear, because earlier this week, just hours before he was to become a restricted free agent, Jamison agreed to a four-year deal worth $50 million.
Despite the fact that Jamison’s signing is a step towards the Wizards core staying together, there are still some concerns about Jamison.
Jamison played 79 out of 82 games last season, and he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds on his way to yet another All-Star game appearance. But Jamison will be 32 at the start of the ’08-’09 season, and his chronically bad knees are a threat to give out at any time, especially with the unorthodox style with which he plays.
When Jamison was asked about his preparation for this upcoming season, even he knew health issues are a grave concern.
“The biggest question is can your body hold up, and I now realize what I need to do in order to maintain that for the next couple of years. There’s no off-season really. You have to prevent things from happening. You can’t rest for five or six months and expect to pick it up. I’ve been smart on that end of doing everything possible to take care of my body.”
The man in charge of managing both Jamison and Arenas is sixth-year coach Eddie Jordan, and the pressure on him to advance past the first round of the playoffs continues to increase. When he first arrived in Washington, the Wizards were perennial spectators come playoff time, and in just his second year he was able to guide his team to the second round of the playoffs. This season, despite not having all his players healthy, Jordan was still able to coach his team to the playoffs. But the cold reality is that in the last three seasons, Jordan’s team has lost in the first round to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the novelty of simply making the playoffs is wearing off. One has to wonder whether Jordan can lead them in further in the playoffs, or if he has peaked and perhaps a new voice is needed.
Another concern Jordan and Grunfeld have does not even lie on their own team, but rather what other teams have done in the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls drafted Derrick Rose, the talented point guard out of the University of Memphis; The Miami Heat have a healthy Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion (who is always a threat to be traded), and as of last week draft, Michael Beasley; The Celtics are the reigning NBA champions; and LeBron James and Dwight Howard are a year older, and they will be hungry to lead the Cavaliers and the Magic respectively to higher heights.
As Grunfeld alluded to in the opening quote, he feels like his current roster is good enough to more than compete in the Eastern Conference, but with so much talent arriving and maturing, that’s not a sure thing.
Also not a sure thing is the arrival of JaVale McGee, who the Wizards picked at #18 in the NBA draft. McGee is a seven-footer, who is expected to contribute right away on the defensive end, but needs a substantial amount of work on the offensive side of the ball.
In his post draft press conference, Grunfeld readily admitted that he would have taken Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert in this spot, but McGee was the next best thing.
“I think we all would have liked if these youngsters stayed in school to get more seasoning, but that’s not how the system works right now.”
In the second round of the draft, the Wizards initially drafted talented, but injury prone, Bill Walker out of Kansas State. He was then traded to the Boston Celtics for cash, that will presumable be used to re-sign Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and possibly Roger Mason. The lack of a second round pick, coupled with the drafting of the raw McGee, puts pressure on Nick Young, Andray Blatche, and Oleksiy Pecherov to develop at a rapid rate.
During his press conference to celebrate his new contract, Jamison was asked why he stayed with the Wizards, and he talked about Boston’s success this season.
“To see Boston hoist that trophy up and the guys celebrating in the locker room, of course you want that feeling. I wanted to come back and I honestly believe that we can accomplish that here. I honestly believe we have the personnel to get it done”
But considering Arenas is still unsigned, the young players are still unproven, and the team’s recent struggles in the playoffs, one has to wonder if Antawn’s words are a bit too ambitious.
This article was written by:
Rashad Mobley - who has written 69 posts on Hoops Addict.
Rashad Mobley graduated with a B.S. in English Education, from Hampton University in Hampton, VA in 1996. He is a government consultant for the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., where he currently resides. Rashad is will be covering the Washington Wizards for HoopsAddict.com during the upcoming NBA season.