It's Past Time for Ernie Grunfeld To Go

The Washington Wizards have a huge problem with their team. It is not a new problem, this is a problem that has existed for generations, this team is horrible. There is clearly more than one problem actually, but one that can clearly be fixed. This problem has been around since 2003 and it must finally be dealt with. The Wizards must fire Ernie Grunfeld who is unfortunately the 5th longest tenured General Managers in the league. Grunfeld has led to or contributed to a multitude of other problems.

Let's start with the most obvious reason for dismissing Grunfeld...His record as GM is 444-606! The team has only won 42% of games during Grunfeld's tenure despite the Eastern Conference being incredibly watered down throughout virtually the entire tenure. A failure to win half of your games in a bad league could be plenty of reason to be let go. Never making the Eastern Conference Finals when you have been around since 2003 is also not acceptable. Those reasons alone are sufficient, but it gets worse.....

Ernie Grunfeld has had an incredible 22 draft picks in his time in Washington, many of which were top 5 selections. With those selections he has managed to pick one all-star. That all-star he should not even get credit for. John Wall was the no-brainer #1 pick that everyone would have made. The fact that he received the #1 pick should show you about his underwhelming teams at the same time. He did get one easy selection correct though. Look at all the misses below though and you will see how awful he was...

Complete draft history for Grunfeld in Washington

2003 Draft
Jarvis Hayes (10) and Steve Blake (38)
While Hayes was not what he was supposed to be, I did not mind this pick at the time so hard to fault it now. Hayes seemed to be the shooter Washington needed, but just didn't pan out. Steve Blake is still a productive player in the league, so that is probably Grunfeld's best pick there at 38. David West went 18, Josh Howard 29, Mo Williams 47, and Kyle Korver 51.

2004 Draft
#5 Pick traded for Antawn Jamison, #32 Peter John Ramos
It is hard to fault the Wizards for trading for Jamison, as he was incredibly productive and an all-star. However, picking Iguodala who went #9 would have been the ideal move. Iguodala would go on to be Finals MVP in the 2015 NBA Finals. He will again start for Golden State's dream team next season. Ramos was one of the biggest busts Grunfeld had and that is saying a lot. He played only during one season and only 6 games. He contributed nothing! Trevor Ariza meanwhile was drafted by the Knicks 12 picks later.

2005 Draft
#20 Pick Traded for Brandon Haywood, #49 Andray Blatche
As deep in the draft as he was picked, Andray Blatche was a pretty solid pick by Grunfeld. However, Marcin Gortat was still available at that point. Additionally, any good will with the selection was erased by the fact that Grunfeld extended him two years before he would have had to for way too much money. That contract and Blatche's attitude following the extension set the Wizards back for years. Overall it was a weak draft and while I wanted the team to pick Nate Robinson (a personal favorite) at 20, Brandon Haywood was a good trade.

2006 Draft
Olekisy Pecherov (18) and Vladimir Veremeenko (48)
Pecherov was the WORST SELECTION that I can remember in Wizards history besides Kwame Brown. He was terrible. It gets worse everytime you see Kyle Lowry be so successful in Toronto. Lowry was selected 24 overall by Memphis. Veremeenko never even played in the NBA. Meanwhile Ryan Hollins a 10 year vet was selected #50 that year.

2007 Draft
Nick Young (16) and Dominic McGuire (47)
Nick Young is probably my least favorite Wizards player of all-time. Dude was a black hole on offense who never passed. He won a few for the Wizards, but lost infinitely more games than he won. The top player selected after young was Marc Gasol, who was selected all the way back at 48. They could have had him in the 2nd round, but selected the underwhelming Dominic McGuire instead. Washington could have come out of this draft with Carl Landry (31) and Marc Gasol and really shored up that interior that struggled for years.

2008 Draft
Javele McGee (18) and Pick #47 Traded
McGee had some promise and the Wizards faithful were always hopeful that he panned out. Unfortunately, he never became the player we were told we were getting. DeAndre Jordan however was one of the best players in the draft all the way down at 35. What makes this pick really bad though is that every player picked 19-37 in that draft with the exception of 3 players (Donte Greene, JR Giddens, and Walter Sharpe) ended up as better players than McGee. 16 of 19 selections immediately following McGee were decidely better picks.

2009 Draft
The Wizards trade both selections in this draft. This will be described further below as it is the biggest miss that the Wizards had under Grunfeld. All of that to obtain Mike Miller!?!?!?!?

2010 Draft
John Wall (1), Kevin Seraphin (17), Trevor Booker (23), Hamady N'Diaye (56)
It was no surprise that the Wizards would get the top pick after trading a top 5 pick for Mike Miller. John Wall is the lone all-star that Grunfeld has selected, but you could argue that he is just the 5th most productive player in this class. Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, and Gordon Hayward have all been slightly more productive to date in their NBA careers. Still, we can give Grunfeld credit for doing the smart thing in taking Wall, who still has a lot of upside.
Now after Walll...Kevin Seraphin always had the talent, but just did not produce to an adaquate level. The Wizards could have had Grevis Vasquez (28), Avery Bradley (19), or the most productive player at that point who was selected a pick later, Eric Bledsoe (18). Each of those would have been effective in pairing with Wall and building a nice young backcourt. Trevor Booker is no longer a Wizard, but he has had a solid career and was a very decent pick at that spot.

2011 Draft
Jan Veseley (6), Chris Singleton (18), Shelvin Mack (34)
Veseley and Singleton were each out of the league after 3 years, while Mack is still in the league and was a solid selection. The 1st two were busts. Singleton was the pick I liked at the time as a Nole. He had a great first year and then just stunk it up. To think this team could have come out of this draft with Kawhi Leonard (15) and Jimmy Butler (30) is enough to make you sick. This team could have competed for titles if they selected Leonard and Butler. Those two paired with Wall, almost certainly would have won a championship. They could have had the top 2 players in the draft. However, so could have a lot of other teams, Butler did fall all the way to 30. Still, Leonard should have been a player on the radar at 6. The Spurs certainly knew what they were doing....
It is hard to fault the Mack pick, but Isaiah Thomas and Chandler Parsons were still on the board. This draft should have set up the Wizards for a championship run with Kawhi, Butler, and Isaiah! Ahhhhhhhh!

2012 Draft
Bradley Beal (3), Tomas Satoransky  (32)
The Wizards were given a unique chance to rectify their God awful 2011 draft with a few high picks in 2012. Unfortunately, they blew it again. Bradley Beal has been an injured mess, but they could have selected big man Andre Drummond (9). Drummond is flourishing and would have been ideal to pair with Wall. However, if they wanted to get a backcourt mate, they could have gotten Damian Lillard (6). Are you sick to your stomach yet? No, Well Draymond Green went (35) while Satoransky never played professional basketball! We could have had Andre Drummond and Draymond Green! Again, this should have been the building blocks of a championship!

2013 Draft
Otto Porter (3), Glen Rice Jr. (35)
It is hard to fault this one. Porter is developing into a nice player and needs time, but that being said, Giannis Antetokuonmpo is clearly the top player to this point and will likely remain top.

2014 Draft
Trade their picks again! Bunch of Morons!
They had the 18th pick and could have drafted Rodney Hood who ended up being a solid player

2015 Draft
Kelly Oubre (16) and Aaron White (49)
This actually looks solid

2016 Draft
Again traded the picks
I guess Grunfeld at least knows he sucks at picking by this point because he keeps trading picks.

Let's go over one of these in detail. Heading into the 2009 NBA Draft, the Wizards have the 5th pick in a loaded class. This draft had Blake Griffin, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, DeMar DeRozan, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, Danny Green, Darren Collison, and some guy named Stephen Curry. Curry would go 7th during that draft. He was from Virginia and went to school in North Carolina. Picking Curry would have been perfect. But no.......Ernie Grunfeld trades the pick and 3 players for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. The Wizards thought they were close to competing for a championship and traded for the duo instead of picking in a loaded draft class. Any of the above players would have helped more than the short and unproductive stints of Miller and Foye, but this move especially stings knowing that the 2 time MVP and local boy could have been picked. This bonehead move and missing on Curry alone could be enough to fire Grunfeld, but we will continue....

I could talk about more bonehead free agent moves and terrible contracts, but this article just makes me angry. I am writing it and I am still mad. Ernie Grunfeld is a complete joke of a general manager.

All of this is irrelevant though in the grand scheme as Grunfeld still has a job. Even if Ted was able to let all of the other bonehead moves slide though, the question still remains?
Why wasn't Grunfeld fired for this failed plan this offseason?
The Wizards cleared cap space for this offseason and inadverntenly signaled to fans that they were going all in on #KD2DC. That plan failed. KD signed with the Warriors. We paid a rediculous contract for a guy that has averaged 5 points a game for his career instead.
How can we not see that Ernie has failed at this point?

Oh well, I guess I will never see a Wizards Eastern Conference Finals appearance or an MVP in my lifetime. Every other team has done one of those in the East except my Wizards (even the Raptors who haven't been around long), but hey at least we have those memories of Mike Miller and we get to see Ian Mahinmi this year right?

Why win anyways?

This is a DC Sports team after all!

- Noland

100 Most Likable American Athletes (40-31)

Weeks ago, I started looking at the most likable athletes in this country following the retirements of Derek Jeter and Champ Bailey. That continues today with the latest look at some awesome American athletes. First, let's look back at what we have gone over so far...
Preview
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41

40. Patrick Willis

Bruceton, Tennesee

Current Team: San Francisco 49ers

Until Luke Kuechly came along, it was pretty undisputed that Patrick Willis was the best linebacker around. Now it is a strong debate, but even those that side with Kuechly admire Willis and the way he plays the game. He is a 7x Pro Bowl selection and was 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. When you hear about Willis' story it makes you like him even more. His mother left when he was a young child and his dad left him while he was 17. All of this tragedy and his brother died in 2006 while Willis was still in college. That is a lot of tragedy for any one person to take. Through all of that, Willis has remained a strong leader on the field and a strong Christian as well. He says that his grandma taught him about Jesus. About his Christian faith, he says "no matter the outcome of the game, my #1 goal is to glorify God." Patrick Willis is just a solid All-Around guy that chooses not to look at things negatively no matter what happens to him.

39. Lindsey Vonn
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Skiing

Vonn is most likely the most famous female winter Olympian. She was the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in 2010. This followed a gold and a bronze medal finish in the Vancouver Olympic Games. Those were the highlight of her career so far. However, in international competition, she has 3 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and that one bronze. Hopefully she will be adding to that in the near future. Her medal count isn't Michael Phelps' level, but she does have 62 World Cup victories. Those 62 victories are tied for the all-time record. Because of a right knee injury last year, Vonn had to withdraw from the Olympics which prevented her from claiming even more Olympic fame. She just tied that record though and looks to be a major force going forward. In the world of skiing, she is the biggest name.  There is a lot to like about Lindsey Vonn and the fact that she is one of the most recognizable and beloved Winter Olympians is certainly one of them.

38. Jordan Zimmermann

Auburndale, Wisconsin

Current Team: Washington Nationals

Jordan Zimmermann is absolutely a top 10 pitcher in baseball. I would say he is Top 5. The only guys I would absolutely take over Zimmermann are Kershaw, King Felix, and MadBum. After that it is him, Adam Wainwright, and Chris Sale. However, some crazy people think he is inferior to his own teammate, Stephen Strasburg. That talk is absolutely crazy and so are Zimmermann's stats. He had just a 2.66 ERA last season and threw a no-hitter on the season's last day. Through 4 full seasons, his highest ERA in a full season is 3.25. That season he had a 3.25 ERA he won 19 games (most in the National League) and was an all-star. This guy is absolutely filthy as a starting pitcher and doesn't get the publicity that he deserves. As Americans we love the underdog and the overlooked. It appears Zimmermann is both of those. He doesn't go seeking the attention, but he deserves it. Zimmermann is also a starting pitcher that any fanbase would want. I know I would love to have Zimmermann in black and orange. Everyone likes this guy and when they realize what he has done, they will like him even more.

37. Dana Vollmer

Syracuse, New York

Swimming

Dana Vollmer is an Olympic Gold Medal winning swimmer for the USA. She is the 2nd gator on this list, but she transferred from UF to Cal-Berkeley. Vollmer first won a gold medal in 2004 at the age of 16. Unfortunately, she did not make the Olympic Team in 2008 (probably from regressing due to poor coaching at Florida which led to her transfer). However, she did make it in a big way in 2012. Those 2012 Olympics saw Vollmer win 3 gold medals. She also broke a World Record in the 4x100 relay and in the 100m butterfly. In addition to her Olympic success, Vollmer has 15 other gold medals in international competition. All of this success equals a total of 19 gold medals. She recently had her 1st child which is incredibly exciting as well. It will be interesting to see how well Vollmer is able to compete in the future, but perhaps she will make another appearance in Rio.

36. John Wall

Raleigh, North Carolina

Current Team: Washington Wizards

The first and only Wizard on this list, John Wall has truly come into his own in the NBA at this point. He has not taken the easy path to success, but he is incredibly successful. Wall lost his father at the young age of 8 from liver cancer. This was only a month after his father was released from prison. His dad was arrested for armed robbery this time and had committed 2nd degree murder another time. Because of his father's legal problems, Wall had to be raised by his mother who was working multiple jobs. John Wall himself got into trouble while he was younger and it was said he didn't trust the adults in his life. He had attitude issues and was cut from his sophomore basketball team because of those issues. Then, he transferred to Word of God Christian Academy. It was at Word of God that Wall met coach Levi Beckwith who worked with Wall and helped him become the person he is today. Beckwith became that father figure that Wall never had. He then played a year at Kentucky and the rest is history. Wall is in his 5th NBA season and just made his 2nd all-star game appearance. He is one of the most recognizable and exciting young players in the league. This is likely due to the speed and overall excitement he brings to the floor. John Wall is only getting better and the Wizards and NBA will be much better for it.

35. Patrick Peterson

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Current Team: Arizona Cardinals

Patrick Peterson is an extremely talented corner for the Arizona Cardinals. He is the mentor for Tyrann Mathieu as well and seemed to help him turn his life around. That alone seems to make Peterson likable. Add in that he is the anti-Sherman and lets his play do the talking and you have a very likable superstar on your hands. Further you add in that he has been an electric return man and this guy is one of the top talents in the NFL. In fact, Peterson has two NFL records as a return man. He has the longest overtime walk-off punt return in NFL history at 99 yards. Peterson also had the most punt return touchdowns in a season with 4 which was set in 2011. For that record it is a tie with Devon Hester among others. This guy is electric and fun and everybody seems to like him.

34. Abby Wambach

Rochester, New York

Current Team: Western New York Flash

This fantastic female soccer player has been a star with the United States National Team for 12 years now. Dating back all the way to 2003, Wambach has been a player on the big team. She is also a 6 time recipient of the US Soccer Athlete of the Year Award. Back in 2012, she was the FIFA World Player of the Year and the first woman to receive that honor in over 10 years. She is an icon in the sport, even if she is a Gator. Her exploits on the National Team and success in the game make her a very likable athlete.

33. Andre Ward
San Francisco, California
Professional Boxing

The only boxer on this list and one of the few without a lengthy arrest record is Andre Ward. One other thing that Andre Ward doesn't have is a loss. Ward won over Americans in 2004 when he became the first American boxer to win a gold medal in 8 years. He won that medal in the light heavyweight division during the Athens Olympics. The boxer is 27-0 as a professional with 14 knockouts and could easily be considered the best boxer today. Unlike his main competition Floyd Mayweather, he was not on the phone with his buddy while his buddy was murdering somebody either. That is not a tough task, but it makes it quite easy to see why Ward is on this list and not Mayweather. However, Ward has only fought twice in the last two years due to legal disputes with his former promoter. Now that those disputes are over, he is ready to get back to work with his new promoter (Jay-Z) and get some fights in. It will be exciting to see Andre Ward get some more fights in under his belt.

32. Andrew McCutchen

Fort Meade, Florida

Current Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Andrew McCutchen at this point is considered by pretty much everybody to be the best centerfielder in the game of baseball. Even I who support Adam Jones strongly can see why everyone thinks that way. He is a 4x all-star and won the 2013 National League MVP Award. McCutchen has been a top athlete since HS where he was a three sport athlete. Fort Meade HS loved having Andrew McCutchen. No team loved him more than that HS baseball team as he hit .709 as a senior on that team. He was slated to go to the University of Florida, but opted for professional ball after being a 1st round pick of Pittsburgh and the rest is history. Had he gone to Florida they probably would have ruined his baseball career haha so wise decision for Andrew. I am sure the millions of dollars did not hurt either. As a center fielder for the Pirates since 2009, he has been nothing short of spectacular. He is the son of a minister and a devout Christian. Most importantly, he is just an all around good guy.

31. Aaron Donald
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Current Team: St. Louis Rams

What is a rookie defensive tackle doing on this list this high up?
I will tell you what he is doing here, because he belongs. Donald comes to each game with relentless energy and surprising athleticism. He is incredibly athletic for his look or any look for that matter. Despite being much shorter than several others at his position, Donald simply gets the job done. Donald is listed as 6'1, but is almost certainly shorter and the average defensive end is 6'2. He's also 10 pounds lighter than the average defensive tackle in the NFL. His combine profile said "he doesn't look the part" and that is what he has been fighting against. However, when you watch him play you see that he plays like he should. He gets the job done and he does a great job at all times. Aaron Donald is just a fantastic rookie and will be a great player for a long time. The fatest time ever by a rookie defensive tackle at the combine was posted by Donald who ran a 4.62. He should have been a slam dunk top 5 pick, but somehow fell to 13. The Rams sure are not complaining about the fall, but his underdog story adds to his overall likability.

-Noland

Top 100 NBA Players

With all this talk about top 100 in my past few posts, I decided to start doing my own top 100 list for the 3 major sports. These lists will be based on value provided next year. For instance, Jason Kidd is not eligible because he will not play in 2014. It is a list for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Past accomplishments factor in, but it isn't an all-time list, so a guy like Kobe Bryant will not be in the top 10, eventhough he is arguably the best player of today over his career. Defense will factor in a great deal with these rankings. Finally, no players linked to steroids will be included, although they don't really catch people in basketball.

100. Bradley Beal                  Washington Wizards          SG
99. JR Smith                          New York Knicks               F
98. Raymond Felton                New York Knicks              PG
97. Samuel Dalembert             Dallas Mavericks                C
96. Eric Bledsoe                     Phoenix Suns                     PG
95. Jimmy Butler                      Chicago Bulls                   SF
94. Kosta Koufos                    Memphis Grizzles              C
93. Jarrett Jack                       Cleveland Cavs                  PG
92. Marcin Gortat                   Phoenix Suns                     C
91. Spencer Hawes                 Philadelphia 76ers               C
90. Kevin Martin                    Minnesota Timberwolves    SG
89. Gerald Henderson             Charlotte Bobcats               SF
88. Danilo Gallinari                 Denver Nuggets                 SF
87. JJ Reddick                        Los Angeles Clippers        SG
86. Jeff Teague                      Atlanta Hawks                   PG
85. Carl Landry                     Sacramento Kings               F
84. Derrick Favors                 Utah Jazz                           F
83. Omer Asik                       Houston Rockets                PF/C
82. Shawn Marion                  Dallas Mavericks               SF
81. Tyreke Evans                   New Orleans Pelicans        G
80. Ryan Anderson                 New Orleans Pelicans        PF
79. Monta Ellis                       Dallas Mavericks               G
78. JJ Hickson                        Denver Nuggets                 F
77. Paul Millsap                     Atlanta Hawks                    F
76. Nikola Pekovic                 Minnesota Timberwolves    C
75. Andre Drummond             Detroit Pistons                   C
74. Amare Stoudemire            New York Knicks              PF
73. Al Jefferson                      Charlotte Bobcats              C
72. Gordon Hayward              Utah Jazz                          SG
71. Nene Hilario                    Washington Wizards           PF
70. Jameer Nelson                  Orlando Magic                   PG
69. Nikola Vucevic                 Orlando Magic                   C
68. Tiago Splitter                    San Antonio Spurs             C
67. Chandler Parsons             Houston Rockets                F
66. Danny Green                    San Antonio Spurs             G/F
65. Jose Calderon                  Dallas Mavericks                 G
64. Kemba Walker                Charlotte Bobcats                PG
63. Luol Deng                        Chicago Bulls                     SF
62. Robin Lopez                     Portland Trail Blazers         C
61. Kenneth Faried                 Denver Nuggets                  F
60. Brandon Jennings              Detroit Pistons                   PG
59. Lance Stephenson             Indiana Pacers                   SG
58. Serge Ibaka                     Oklahoma City Thunder       F
57. Grevis Vasquez                 Sacramento Kings              PG
56. Kevin Garnett                    Brooklyn Nets                  F
55. Jeff Green                          Boston Celtics                 G/F
54. Anthony Davis                   New Orleans Pelicans       PF
53. DeAndre Jordan                Los Angeles Clippers         C
52. Ty Lawson                        Denver Nuggets                PG
51. Andre Iguodala                 Golden State Warriors        G/F
50. Dwayne Wade                  Miami Heat                       G
49. Tristan Thompson             Cleveland Cavs                 F
48. Larry Sanders                   Milwaukee Bucks              PF/C
47. Tyson Chandler                 New York Knicks              C
46. Pau Gasol                         Los Angeles Lakers            C
45. Joakim Noah                    Chicago Bulls                     PF/C
44. Jrue Holiday                     New Orleans Pelicans         G
43. Dirk Nowitzki                  Dallas Mavericks                 PF
42. Mike Conley                    Memphis Grizzles               PG
41. Thaddeus Young              Philadelphia 76ers               F
40. Ray Allen                        Miami Heat                         SG
39. Marc Gasol                      Memphis Grizzles               C
38. Carlos Boozer                  Chicago Bulls                     PF
37. Josh Smith                       Detroit Pistons                    F
36. Rudy Gay                        Toronto Raptors                 G/F
35. Blake Griffin                     Los Angeles Clippers          PF
34. David Lee                        Golden State Warriors         PF
33. David West                      Indiana Pacers                    PF
32. Ricky Rubio                     Minnesota Timberwolves     PG
31. Rajon Rondo                    Boston Celtics                     PG
30. George Hill                       Indiana Pacers                    PG
29. DeMarcus Cousins           Sacramento Kings                PF
28. Al Horford                       Atlanta Hawks                     PF
27. Klay Thompson               Golden State Warriors          G/F
26. LaMarcus Aldridge          Portland Trail Blazers           PF/C
25. Joe Johnson                     Brooklyn Nets                     SG
24. Chris Bosh                       Miami Heat                         PF/C
23. Greg Monroe                   Detroit Pistons                      C
22. Brook Lopez                    Brooklyn Nets                      C
21. Roy Hibbert                      Indiana Pacers                     C
20. Damian Lillard                   Portland Trail Blazers          PG
19. John Wall                          Washington Wizards            PG
18. Paul Pierce                        Brooklyn Nets                     F
17. Zach Randolph                  Memphis Grizzles                PF
16. Deron Williams                  Brooklyn Nets                     PG
15. James Harden                     Houston Rockets                G/F
14. Kawhi Leonard                  San Antonio Spurs               G/F
13. Kyrie Irving                       Cleveland Cavs                    PG
12. Kevin Love                        Minnesota Timberwolves     F/C
11. Tim Duncan                        San Antonio Spurs              F/C
10. Tony Parker                       San Antonio Spurs               PG
09. Dwight Howard                  Houston Rockets                 C
08. Carmelo Anthony               New York Knicks                SF
07. Paul George                        Indiana Pacers                    SF
06. Derrick Rose                      Chicago Bulls                       PG
05. Russell Westbrook             Oklahoma City Thunder        PG
04. Stephen Curry                    Golden State Warriors          PG
03. Chris Paul                           Los Angeles Clippers           PG
02. Kevin Durant                      Oklahoma City Thunder       G/F
01. Lebron James                     Miami Heat                          F

Wizards Win Fifth Straight

It is a little late Wizards, but better late than never. This team is showing some promise, they are showing some fight, they should because they are fighting for their jobs. They look like a team that can actually contend for a playoff spot. Washington looks like they actually care finally and that they are trying their best. Some may not care at all, but I absolutely love this. This is the Wizards longest winning streak since 2007 and it was long overdue.

John Wall played like an elite point guard last night. Wall had 21 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds. This was against another stud young point guard in Kyrie Irving who he held to 5 points. The Wizards won this game without the black hole Jordan Crawford in the lineup. This is a large part of the victory in my opinion. Without Crawford in the lineup, the Wizards started 4 forwards and Wall. They were able to balance the minutes really well too.

Nene did not start, but he contributed a great deal, scoring 12 points off the bench. The guy is a gamer, sure he makes too much money, but take him over the poor attitudes of Nick Young and Javelle McGee anyday. Nick Young was another black hole on offense. Rookie Jon Vesely got a rare start and did not disappoint as he grabbed 12 rebounds. Cartier Martin also got a rare start and scored 7 points. Kevin Seraphin had another solid game adding 12 points. My favorite Wizard, rookie Chris Singleton, had 10 points and again played terrific defense.

In addition to the wins, the Wizards have extended Ernie Grunfeld in what would seem to be a move to go forward with the plan of building around Wall with guys who play hard every night. Grunfeld will have two years added to his contract. If you want to read more about Grunfeld's extension, the Washington Post did a pretty good job in this article. I like the strategy of building through the draft, I think that is how you get a winner, that is if you hit your picks.

-Noland

Wizards Win Back-2-Back Games

The Wizards won 2 games in a row. Leave it to the Wizards to wait until the end of the season and until they have no shot at the playoffs to start playing basketball. As I said before though, I will take it. This time the Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks which hurts the Bucks chances of making the playoffs. The final score was 121-112.

John Wall had one of his best games scoring 14 and adding 10 assists. The Wizards need Wall to play this type of game in order to win consistently. Chris Singleton added 10 points and 5 rebounds and played very solid defense as always. As a FSU alum I appreciate even more than most what Singleton does for the Wizards. He is a solid piece for the team and can contribute. Seraphin did not play as well as last game, but he still had 14 points. Most importantly for the Wizards though is that Jordan Crawford had 32 points. Crawford is usually a black hole on offense so when he contributes it is huge for the team. The young team looks like they are starting to gel. Nene even added 14. This is how you play basketball gentlemen.

-Noland

Wizards Upset Bulls 87-84

Kevin Seraphin had another amazing game last night as the Wizards upset the Bulls last night. The Bulls were probably mailing it in to get ready for the playoffs, but it was still a good game for the Wiz. Seraphin scored 21 and had 13 rebounds in the victory. Like I said in a previous post, if Seraphin has games like this, they have a shot to win. Let's see if Seraphin can make this double double stuff consistent.

Maurice Evans added 14 points off the bench in his best game of the season. John Wall had 16 points. The Wizards increased their record to 15-46. The Wizards play the Bucks at home tomorrow night. The Bucks are fighting for their playoff lives so it should be a good test.

-Noland