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Unless they're actually willing to stretch Mahinmi's horrific contract, the only one of those players they could realistically afford would be Dwight Howard - a player Charlotte had to take on a Mahinmi-like contract just to dump.You'd have to imagine the Wizards are trying to make a run at Cousins with their draft and recent trade. If that doesn't work though they might end up with the worst center tandem in the league. They'll have to add someone: Montrezl Harrell, Dewayne Dedmon, Nerlens Noel, Dwight Howard...though getting him would essentially take the locker room back to square one.
If you're actually setting the highest possible standard for success (championship or bust), the "or bust" part of the equation requires teeth. Only three general managers have held their jobs for longer than Ernie Grunfeld: Pat Riley, R.C. Buford, and Danny Ainge. They've all won championships. In fifteen years, Ernie's teams have never even won fifty games or made it beyond the second round.I think we are being a bit harsh on my man, is all ...
Look, EVERY GM not in Cleveland or Miami has "failed" for the past 8 years ... Lebron is transcendent and makes everyone else meaningless ...
The Porter deal sucks ... The Gortat deal sucked ... I can go on and on and on about his shortcomings ... But the fact is Gilbert Arenas screwed this organization up more than anyone ... The "culture" conversation was thrust upon us by that nitwit and his hammer ... Then we started to try to find the "right" guys and make stupid deal after stupid deal to get out from under Gil's cloud ...
The fact that we got someone to take Gortat, a non-fit because John Wall is a little bit of a baby, and received bench help, is huge ...
I think we go nuclear here and get Boogie at all costs or throw a political appointment at Lebron ...
What is your standard of acceptable job performance? The Arenas incident happened nine years ago, and that team was already going nowhere. (Arenas' knee injury was far more damaging to the team's on court success - and he suffered that in 2007.) 21 teams in the league have changed general managers since the start of 2009 - some several times.
The Wizards lucked into the #1 overall pick in 2010. Here's how eight years of rebuilding have gone in comparison to our conference rivals:
When John Wall was drafted in 2010, the Wizards came off a 26-win season. They were the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only the Nets.
Let's take a look back at what's happened to the 2017-2018 Eastern Conference Playoff teams since then:
The Cavaliers had LeBron James, the first time around. They lost him, got him back, and won a championship.
The Miami won two championships with their "Big 3," lost the big 3, rebuilt around Goran Dragic, Justice Winslow, Hassan Whiteside, et al. and have again finished ahead of the Wizards.
The Bucks had a team built around Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings that made the playoffs. They, too, rebuilt and have surpassed the Wizards.
The Indiana Pacers rebuilt from the Jermaine O'Neal/Ron Artest era, built around Paul George, traded Paul George, and rebuilt once again.
The Toronto Raptors rebuilt from the Chris Bosh/Andrea Bargnani era.
The Celtics moved on from their Big 3 and now have a core of Kyrie Irving, Jalen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Gordon Hayward.
The Sixers were only one win better than the Wizards in 2009-2010, but then built a playoff team around Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Elton Brand, and Evan Turner, then suffered through one of the ugliest stretches of tanking in professional sports, yet managed to convert on enough of their lottery picks to again surpass the Wizards.
These teams were built and rebuilt before the Wizards ever "built." And that's just the Eastern Conference.
Let's not use the highest possible standard (championship or bust) to justify the lowest possible standards.
For fun, here's a list of teams that have won 50 games in the regular season since Ernie Grunfeld took over as General Manager:
2003-2004:
Indiana Pacers - 61 wins
Detroit Pistons - 54 wins
Minnesota Timberwolves - 58 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 57 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 52 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 50 wins
L.A. Lakers - 56 wins
Sacramento Kings - 55 wins
2004-2005:
Detroit Pistons - 54 wins
Miami Heat - 59 wins
Seattle Supersonics - 52 wins
Phoenix Suns - 62 wins
Sacramento Kings - 50 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 59 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 51 wins
2005-2006
Detroit Pistons - 64 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Miami Heat - 52 wins
Phoenix Suns - 54 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 63 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 60 wins
2006-2007
Detroit Pistons - 53 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Utah Jazz - 51 wins
Phoenix Suns - 61 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 67 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 52 wins
2007-2008
Boston Celtics - 66 wins
Detroit Pistons - 59 wins
Orlando Magic - 52 wins
Utah Jazz - 54 wins
Denver Nuggets - 50 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 57 wins
Phoenix Suns - 55 wins
New Orleans Hornets - 56 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 56 wins
Houston Rockets - 55 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 51 wins
2008-2009
Boston Celtics - 62 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 66 wins
Orlando Magic - 59 wins
Denver Nuggets - 54 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 65 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 54 wins
Houston Rockets - 53 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 50 wins
2009-2010
Cleveland Cavaliers - 61 wins
Orlando Magic - 59 wins
Atlanta Hawks - 53 wins
Boston Celtics - 50 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 57 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 55 wins
Phoenix Suns - 54 wins
Denver Nuggets - 53 wins
Utah Jazz - 53 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 50 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 50 wins
2010-2011
Boston Celtics - 56 wins
Chicago Bulls - 62 wins
Miami Heat - 58 wins
Orlando Magic - 52 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 55 wins
Denver Nuggets - 50 wins
L.A. Lakers - 57 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 61 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 57 wins
2011-2012 (66 game schedule due to lockout)
San Antonio Spurs - 50 wins anyway
2012-2013
New York Knicks - 54 wins
Miami Heat - 66 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 60 wins
Denver Nuggets - 57 wins
L.A. Clippers - 56 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 58 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 56 wins
2013-2014
Indiana Pacers - 56 wins
Miami Heat - 54 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 59 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 54 wins
L.A. Clippers - 57 wins
Golden State Warriors - 51 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 62 wins
Houston Rockets - 54 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 50 wins
2014-2015
Cleveland Cavaliers - 53 wins
Chicago Bulls - 50 wins
Atlanta Hawks - 60 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 50 wins
Golden State Warriors - 67 wins
L.A. Clippers - 56 wins
Houston Rockets - 56 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 55 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 55 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 50 wins
2015-2016
Toronto Raptors - 56 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 57 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 55 wins
Golden State Warriors - 73 wins
L.A. Clippers - 53 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 67 wins
2016-2017
Boston Celtics - 53 wins
Toronto Raptors -51 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 51 wins
Utah Jazz - 51 wins
Golden State Warriors - 67 wins
L.A. Clippers - 51 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 61 wins
Houston Rockets - 55 wins
2017-2018
Toronto Raptors - 59 wins
Boston Celtics - 55 wins
Philadelphia 76ers - 52 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Golden State Warriors - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 65 wins
Indiana Pacers - 61 wins
Detroit Pistons - 54 wins
Minnesota Timberwolves - 58 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 57 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 52 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 50 wins
L.A. Lakers - 56 wins
Sacramento Kings - 55 wins
2004-2005:
Detroit Pistons - 54 wins
Miami Heat - 59 wins
Seattle Supersonics - 52 wins
Phoenix Suns - 62 wins
Sacramento Kings - 50 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 59 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 51 wins
2005-2006
Detroit Pistons - 64 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Miami Heat - 52 wins
Phoenix Suns - 54 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 63 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 60 wins
2006-2007
Detroit Pistons - 53 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Utah Jazz - 51 wins
Phoenix Suns - 61 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 67 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 52 wins
2007-2008
Boston Celtics - 66 wins
Detroit Pistons - 59 wins
Orlando Magic - 52 wins
Utah Jazz - 54 wins
Denver Nuggets - 50 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 57 wins
Phoenix Suns - 55 wins
New Orleans Hornets - 56 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 56 wins
Houston Rockets - 55 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 51 wins
2008-2009
Boston Celtics - 62 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 66 wins
Orlando Magic - 59 wins
Denver Nuggets - 54 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 65 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 54 wins
Houston Rockets - 53 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 50 wins
2009-2010
Cleveland Cavaliers - 61 wins
Orlando Magic - 59 wins
Atlanta Hawks - 53 wins
Boston Celtics - 50 wins
Los Angeles Lakers - 57 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 55 wins
Phoenix Suns - 54 wins
Denver Nuggets - 53 wins
Utah Jazz - 53 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 50 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 50 wins
2010-2011
Boston Celtics - 56 wins
Chicago Bulls - 62 wins
Miami Heat - 58 wins
Orlando Magic - 52 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 55 wins
Denver Nuggets - 50 wins
L.A. Lakers - 57 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 61 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 57 wins
2011-2012 (66 game schedule due to lockout)
San Antonio Spurs - 50 wins anyway
2012-2013
New York Knicks - 54 wins
Miami Heat - 66 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 60 wins
Denver Nuggets - 57 wins
L.A. Clippers - 56 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 58 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 56 wins
2013-2014
Indiana Pacers - 56 wins
Miami Heat - 54 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 59 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 54 wins
L.A. Clippers - 57 wins
Golden State Warriors - 51 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 62 wins
Houston Rockets - 54 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 50 wins
2014-2015
Cleveland Cavaliers - 53 wins
Chicago Bulls - 50 wins
Atlanta Hawks - 60 wins
Portland Trail Blazers - 50 wins
Golden State Warriors - 67 wins
L.A. Clippers - 56 wins
Houston Rockets - 56 wins
Memphis Grizzlies - 55 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 55 wins
Dallas Mavericks - 50 wins
2015-2016
Toronto Raptors - 56 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 57 wins
Oklahoma City Thunder - 55 wins
Golden State Warriors - 73 wins
L.A. Clippers - 53 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 67 wins
2016-2017
Boston Celtics - 53 wins
Toronto Raptors -51 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 51 wins
Utah Jazz - 51 wins
Golden State Warriors - 67 wins
L.A. Clippers - 51 wins
San Antonio Spurs - 61 wins
Houston Rockets - 55 wins
2017-2018
Toronto Raptors - 59 wins
Boston Celtics - 55 wins
Philadelphia 76ers - 52 wins
Cleveland Cavaliers - 50 wins
Golden State Warriors - 58 wins
Houston Rockets - 65 wins
Let's tally that up:
Atlanta Hawks: 2
Boston Celtics: 6
Chicago Bulls: 2
Cleveland Cavaliers: 8
Dallas Mavericks: 9
Denver Nuggets: 5
Detroit Pistons: 5
Golden State Warriors: 5
Houston Rockets: 8
Indiana Pacers: 2
L.A. Clippers: 5
L.A. Lakers: 5
Memphis Grizzlies: 4
Miami Heat: 5
Minnesota Timberwolves: 1
New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans: 1
New York Knicks: 1
Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder: 5
Orlando Magic: 4
Philadelphia 76ers: 1
Phoenix Suns: 5
Portland Trail Blazers: 3
Sacramento Kings: 2
San Antonio Spurs: 14
Toronto Raptors: 3
Utah Jazz: 4
Washington Wizards: 0
Charlotte Bobcats: 0
New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets: 0
Milwaukee Bucks: 0
This is your "gawd?"