Flip Saunders fired from Wizards

[PosImpos]

Zero progress, not too surprising.  Promote Sam Cassell!

Would be interesting to see a little Larry Brown action imposed on that team.

Larry Brown isn't a guy you can commit to long term, though.

I think promoting Sam Cassell and seeing what he can do is a good idea.

[Lucky17]

Saunders never struck me as a good fit for that team. The guy is notorious for running offenses whose playbooks are thicker than phone directories.

I suppose Randy Whitman takes over? The Bullets seemed to play pretty well under his direction after Flip got tossed in the game in Boston.

I think Marc Jackson would have been a good fit, if the Wizards had made this decision 9 months ago.

[Inside-Out]

Zero progress, not too surprising.  Promote Sam Cassell!

Would be interesting to see a little Larry Brown action imposed on that team.

Larry Brown isn't a guy you can commit to long term, though.

I think promoting Sam Cassell and seeing what he can do is a good idea.

I think having Sam Cassell stick around for a year under Brown is a better one.

A team that young with that much undisciplined talent needs a coach that doesn't have to deal with crap, knows his stuff, and doesn't have to worry about senior mgt looking over his shoulder. 

And LB is probably the only guy who wants to coach that fits that description.

[rickyfan3.0...]

That is a team built on absolute knuckleheads. They are all that is wrong with the NBA rolled up into one nice little ball.

Let's go take McGee of their hands................

[Marcus13]

Good.  Maybe they'll be willing to move a piece like McGee now. 

To get the most of their talent, they need a great coach.  Someone like Doug Collins would be perfect for them.  I dont think they find anyone like that to take this job.  They need to shake the roster up - get some more veteran influence

[StartOrien]

I feel like there's a three way deal to be made involving Javale McGee ending up on Golden State, but I can't figure out a good third team for Monta Ellis.

[Who]

Front office is the problem. Not the coaching staff.

Pointless decision.

[slamtheking]

Good.  Maybe they'll be willing to move a piece like McGee now. 

To get the most of their talent, they need a great coach.  Someone like Doug Collins would be perfect for them.  I dont think they find anyone like that to take this job.  They need to shake the roster up - get some more veteran influence

If nothing else, should add Mcgee's mom to the coaching staff to slap some sense into her kid.  that self-rebound and dunk play was pure bush league.

[StartOrien]

Kelly Dwyer, ladies and gentlemen:

Washington owner Ted Leonsis, following in the misguided footsteps of Minnesota owner Glen Taylor and late Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson, has decided to follow the path of a failed GM rather than bucking tradition and understanding that no coach could do right with this mess. Former Minnesota boss Kevin McHale is a legend, but he was awful with the Wolves. Joe Dumars is still surviving off his playing career and fumes from a 2001-2004 (Darko Milicic excluded) run in Detroit. And Ernie Grunfeld has failed, miserably, in Washington. His twisted run cost Flip Saunders his job. Because, apparently, new coach Randy Wittman can improve upon 2-15.

My terrible internet connection and broken Blackberry can improve upon 2-15. The record in this lost season isn't the point. The Wizards aren't bereft of talent -- more successful outfits in New Jersey, Cleveland, and Charlotte are put to shame by Washington on paper -- but Flip couldn't make it happen. Whatever "make it happen" means. Moving up to 6-11? Seven wins out of 17? Have you seen these guys play? The head coaches in Cleveland, New Jersey, and Charlotte would sleep easily at night knowing that they somehow led these Wizards to 1-16.

This is the dumbest basketball team I've ever seen. I've seen rebuilding outfits chock full of high school draftees (back when you could play players out of prep school) and international flameouts. I've seen teams playing out the string. I've seen the needle and the damage done. I've seen Stephen Jackson.  This Washington team, and I'm not on some cable-addled hyperbolic turn here, is the dumbest basketball team I've ever seen. They really are leading the charge, and not for the purpose of some random column posted in late January.

It has nothing to do with Twitter missteps or showboat dunks. I promise. Had none of these Wizards earned a blog post about something gone wrong, something silly and over the top, I'd say the same thing. The Washington Wizards play Moron Ball. Take it from someone who has watched kids with more teeth than IQ points play not too far from the Monon Line before they shower and load into their 1993 Mustang following the game without wearing a seat belt.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/washington-wizards-fire-flip-saunders-because-totally-fault-180024538.html#more-13548

[Inside-Out]

I feel like there's a three way deal to be made involving Javale McGee ending up on Golden State, but I can't figure out a good third team for Monta Ellis.

Turiaf and McGee to Golden State

Monta Ellis to Toronto

Barbosa to the Bullets

Throw around some cash and protected picks to make everyone smile.

Washington gets a veteran, Toronto's protected 1st and GS's 2nd.

GS gets what they get, gets rid of Monta and likely a 2nd rounder.

Toronto gets hope, likely gives up a 1st rounder.

Everyone stays under the cap (barely).

[PosImpos]

Kelly Dwyer, ladies and gentlemen:

Washington owner Ted Leonsis, following in the misguided footsteps of Minnesota owner Glen Taylor and late Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson, has decided to follow the path of a failed GM rather than bucking tradition and understanding that no coach could do right with this mess. Former Minnesota boss Kevin McHale is a legend, but he was awful with the Wolves. Joe Dumars is still surviving off his playing career and fumes from a 2001-2004 (Darko Milicic excluded) run in Detroit. And Ernie Grunfeld has failed, miserably, in Washington. His twisted run cost Flip Saunders his job. Because, apparently, new coach Randy Wittman can improve upon 2-15.

My terrible internet connection and broken Blackberry can improve upon 2-15. The record in this lost season isn't the point. The Wizards aren't bereft of talent -- more successful outfits in New Jersey, Cleveland, and Charlotte are put to shame by Washington on paper -- but Flip couldn't make it happen. Whatever "make it happen" means. Moving up to 6-11? Seven wins out of 17? Have you seen these guys play? The head coaches in Cleveland, New Jersey, and Charlotte would sleep easily at night knowing that they somehow led these Wizards to 1-16.

This is the dumbest basketball team I've ever seen. I've seen rebuilding outfits chock full of high school draftees (back when you could play players out of prep school) and international flameouts. I've seen teams playing out the string. I've seen the needle and the damage done. I've seen Stephen Jackson.  This Washington team, and I'm not on some cable-addled hyperbolic turn here, is the dumbest basketball team I've ever seen. They really are leading the charge, and not for the purpose of some random column posted in late January.

It has nothing to do with Twitter missteps or showboat dunks. I promise. Had none of these Wizards earned a blog post about something gone wrong, something silly and over the top, I'd say the same thing. The Washington Wizards play Moron Ball. Take it from someone who has watched kids with more teeth than IQ points play not too far from the Monon Line before they shower and load into their 1993 Mustang following the game without wearing a seat belt.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/washington-wizards-fire-flip-saunders-because-totally-fault-180024538.html#more-13548

Awesome.

I loved the Neil Young reference.

The low BBIQ thing is one major reason I don't want anything to do with Javale McGee.  By all accounts he is an astoundingly stupid basketball player (which is by no means a commentary on his intelligence as a person in general).

[StartOrien]

Awesome.

I loved the Neil Young reference.

The low BBIQ thing is one major reason I don't want anything to do with Javale McGee.  By all accounts he is an astoundingly stupid basketball player (which is by no means a commentary on his intelligence as a person in general, Mrs. McGee).

Fixed

[Chief]

I feel like there's a three way deal to be made involving Javale McGee ending up on Golden State, but I can't figure out a good third team for Monta Ellis.

Turiaf and McGee to Golden State

Monta Ellis to Toronto

Barbosa to the Bullets

Throw around some cash and protected picks to make everyone smile.

Washington gets a veteran, Toronto's protected 1st and GS's 2nd.

GS gets what they get, gets rid of Monta and likely a 2nd rounder.

Toronto gets hope, likely gives up a 1st rounder.

Everyone stays under the cap (barely).

If I'm a GM, I bring in a defensive oriented coach, keep Wall and McGee, and use the amnesty on R. Lewis. Trade anyone who does not buy in and fill in the gaps with FA this summer. This team has the two hardest player positions to get. I honestly think they are close.

Before I went that route, I might offer (Orlando) Wall, McGee, Lewis, and draft picks for Howard. Go after Deron in the summer and you got a good team.

[wdleehi]

They need to clear the front office. 


Wes Unseld did a better job running the team then Grunfield.


Heck, Jordon did a better job. 

[Inside-Out]

I feel like there's a three way deal to be made involving Javale McGee ending up on Golden State, but I can't figure out a good third team for Monta Ellis.

Turiaf and McGee to Golden State

Monta Ellis to Toronto

Barbosa to the Bullets

Throw around some cash and protected picks to make everyone smile.

Washington gets a veteran, Toronto's protected 1st and GS's 2nd.

GS gets what they get, gets rid of Monta and likely a 2nd rounder.

Toronto gets hope, likely gives up a 1st rounder.

Everyone stays under the cap (barely).

If I'm a GM, I bring in a defensive oriented coach, keep Wall and McGee, and use the amnesty on R. Lewis. Trade anyone who does not buy in and fill in the gaps with FA this summer. This team has the two hardest player positions to get. I honestly think they are close.

Exactly.  That right there is a Larry Brown roster already half-assembled and ready for the long term.  Get LB to teach them, raise them up, and then get a coach that can keep it together and bring in FA's for the long haul.