The Official Washington Basketball Thread: Wizards, Mystics etc

[Going Commando]

Who votes on that? Other executives?

 

I remember hearing Stephen A Smith refer to Ernie as one of the best GMs in the NBA several years ago.  I thought, WTF?  SAS is just a moron.  But over the years I've seen enough indications that I think Ernie is well liked by his peers and that is what led SAS to that conclusion.  And it's probably the main reason he's held onto this job so long.  Not well liked because he's great and widely respected.  Well liked because he's amiable and cooperative.  "Ernie's alright.  He helped me out when he sold me that draft pick."  And "It was cool of Ernie to throw in that first rounder, I'll throw him a vote."

 

One thing I noticed from the Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King documentary is that Ernie doesn't have much of an ego.  Perhaps not a lot of ambition either.  Go back to his Tennessee days and you see he was fully content to slay a bunch of college girls and be a buddy to everyone on campus.  Contrast that to Bernard King who was angry and drinking and setting the basketball court on fire.  Ernie is still the same way today and Ted probably likes him on a personal level plus Ernie does what he's told and thus Ted has been willing to give him infinite rope.

[Going Commando]

9 hours ago, CRobi21 said:

 

 

The comments on that article are depressingly stupid.  The average commenter on ESPN articles compares accurately to the average youtube video commenter and may thus be considered the dumbest ****ing sports fan in the wild.

[RonArtest15]

I LOVE Wall's comments.  Indirectly calling out the FO to do something this offseason.  We all know Otto is a very good player...but he's not a guy that you can max on a true contending team.  Adding Paul George, even if it's for a year, shows an aggressive commitment to winning now.  I'd be all for it.  A big 3 of Wall/Beal/George is more than good enough to get out of the East if they keep their health.  If you can't re-sign George, focus the attention on Demarcus Cousins in 2018. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

14 minutes ago, RonArtest15 said:

I LOVE Wall's comments.  Indirectly calling out the FO to do something this offseason.  We all know Otto is a very good player...but he's not a guy that you can max on a true contending team.  Adding Paul George, even if it's for a year, shows an aggressive commitment to winning now.  I'd be all for it.  A big 3 of Wall/Beal/George is more than good enough to get out of the East if they keep their health.  If you can't re-sign George, focus the attention on Demarcus Cousins in 2018. 

 

I like his comments, too.

 

It's kind of adorable that he thinks we have a chance to get him.  Kind of like in a little kid way, you know? 

 

No chance, but still it's nice that he's trying.

[RonArtest15]

2 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

I like his comments, too.

 

It's kind of adorable that he thinks we have a chance to get him.  Kind of like in a little kid way, you know? 

 

No chance, but still it's nice that he's trying.

 

I'm just happy that someone is putting pressure on the front office.  Re-signing Otto and adding a few other pieces here and there doesn't make this team any better than the Celtics or Cavs.  We'll probably be in the same position next year.  Making those moves and not trying to aggressively trade for George probably puts Wall that much closer to his exit from DC in a couple of seasons. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

1 minute ago, RonArtest15 said:

 

I'm just happy that someone is putting pressure on the front office.  Re-signing Otto and adding a few other pieces here and there doesn't make this team any better than the Celtics or Cavs.  We'll probably be in the same position next year.  Making those moves and not trying to aggressively trade for George probably puts Wall that much closer to his exit from DC in a couple of seasons. 

 

Yup, totally agree.  If they don't do anything major they won't do much more than what they did last year.  Relying on Otto and Oubre to get better isn't a plan for success.  

 

 

[Going Commando]

I don't like that he went on record admitting he was recruiting Paul George.  I don't know the NBA's tampering rules, but I'd hazard a guess that he violated them and we could get in trouble for it.

[Llevron]

21 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

I don't like that he went on record admitting he was recruiting Paul George.  I don't know the NBA's tampering rules, but I'd hazard a guess that he violated them and we could get in trouble for it.

 

It would be petty if they see it as anything worse than what Lebron does on a regular basis. 

[justice98]

26 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

I don't like that he went on record admitting he was recruiting Paul George.  I don't know the NBA's tampering rules, but I'd hazard a guess that he violated them and we could get in trouble for it.

 

Pretty sure the tampering rules dont apply to players contacting other players.

1 hour ago, RonArtest15 said:

I LOVE Wall's comments.  Indirectly calling out the FO to do something this offseason.  We all know Otto is a very good player...but he's not a guy that you can max on a true contending team.  Adding Paul George, even if it's for a year, shows an aggressive commitment to winning now.  I'd be all for it.  A big 3 of Wall/Beal/George is more than good enough to get out of the East if they keep their health.  If you can't re-sign George, focus the attention on Demarcus Cousins in 2018. 

 

But then when you dont get George and you gotta make it work with the players you openly wanted to ship outta town, let's see how that works out.

[Going Commando]

4 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

Pretty sure the tampering rules dont apply to players contacting other players.

 

Players can get in trouble for tampering.

 

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/27/warriors-thunder-nba-free-agency-kevin-durant-draymond-green-tampering

 

Tampering is a legal concept. In the NBA, it refers to a team or its representative attempting to persuade a player, coach, trainer, general manager or any other person who is under contract with another team to join the tampering team. An owner, general manager, coach, scout or player can tamper and be punished for it. Allegations of tampering must be supported by evidence and are reviewed by the commissioner.

 

It absolutely happens all of the time.  The difference here is that Wall went on record admitting that he was doing it.  It was dumb.  If we lose a first round pick over this and don't even end up with PG, I'm going to be pissed.

Hopefully if John does get charged with and found guilty of tampering that it doesn't come back on the team itself.  Individual players can get fined or suspended for it.  So hopefully he'd just catch a fine.

 

To be clear, I'm ****ing glad he's doing it.  If I were Ted I'd pay him back under the table for any fines he accrued in the process.  Tamper your ass off John, Hell yeah we could use Paul George.  Just don't tell journalists what you're doing.

[Bozo the kKklown]

39 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

I don't like that he went on record admitting he was recruiting Paul George.  I don't know the NBA's tampering rules, but I'd hazard a guess that he violated them and we could get in trouble for it.

players can say whatever they want.

 

Its team officials who can't.

[Going Commando]

3 minutes ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

players can say whatever they want.

 

Its team officials who can't.

 

That SI article says that the league constitution states that any member of an organization can be found guilty of tampering, from the owners on down to the trainers.

 

It's rare to hear about players getting in trouble for it and they do it all the time.  But since John admitted he was recruiting PG on public record, if Indy wanted to go after him for tampering, they might be able to build a case.

 

I feel bad for Indy in this situation, but I'm not mad at John at all.  It's how the game is played now.  I just don't want him to get in trouble for it and I think he was being careless.  Loose lips sink ships.

[Bozo the kKklown]

13 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

Players can get in trouble for tampering.

 

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/27/warriors-thunder-nba-free-agency-kevin-durant-draymond-green-tampering

 

 

 

 

It absolutely happens all of the time.  The difference here is that Wall went on record admitting that he was doing it.  It was dumb.  If we lose a first round pick over this and don't even end up with PG, I'm going to be pissed.

Hopefully if John does get charged with and found guilty of tampering that it doesn't come back on the team itself.  Individual players can get fined or suspended for it.  So hopefully he'd just catch a fine.

 

To be clear, I'm ****ing glad he's doing it.  If I were Ted I'd pay him back under the table for any fines he accrued in the process.  Tamper your ass off John, Hell yeah we could use Paul George.  Just don't tell journalists what you're doing.

My G, did you even read the last section of the link?

 

The NBA dont punish players for that. 

[Going Commando]

 

All I know is that Mahinmi better be ****ing recruiting Paul George too.

[Bozo the kKklown]

1 minute ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

It's rare to hear about players getting in trouble for it and they do it all the time.  But since John admitted he was recruiting PG on public record, if Indy wanted to go after him for tampering, they might be able to build a case.

players have done this a lot over the years. Made public comments, etc.

 

The other thing is that tampering happens all the time in the NBA. To the point that temas know who they are going to sign in the middle of a season. Its not enforced unless someone is petty.

 

 

 

Is this tampering?

[justice98]

8 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

That SI article says that the league constitution states that any member of an organization can be found guilty of tampering, from the owners on down to the trainers.

 

It's rare to hear about players getting in trouble for it and they do it all the time.  But since John admitted he was recruiting PG on public record, if Indy wanted to go after him for tampering, they might be able to build a case.

 

Quote

 

But NBA commissioner David Stern said during a July 12 news conference in Las Vegas that players on different teams who discuss playing together, under current league rules, is generally "not tampering or collusion that is prohibited."

 

Stern, however, maintains that there is a considerable difference between player-to-player contact -- even before free agency officially began July 1 -- and contact between team officials with players under contract or their representatives. The league's anti-tampering rules were conceived largely with teams and their employees in mind as opposed to players.

 

http://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=5414701

 

So perhaps Silver views it differently, but historically the NBA hasnt cared about player to player contact, in spite of what the rules say.  

Edited June 27, 2017 by justice98

[Going Commando]

1 minute ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

My G, did you even read the last section of the link?

 

The NBA dont punish players for that. 

 

Because they don't want to get into the private communications of players.  The difference in this situation is Wall's comments were public.

 

There is no doubt that Wall admitted to what is, by rule, tampering.  I don't think that Indy will go after Wall for tampering.  But we also don't know the extent and seriousness of his efforts.  If it was just some text messages to PG a la what Draymond Green did, then I could see them letting it pass.  But if he's coaching PG on how to force a trade to DC on behalf of Ernie, that seems a lot more serious.  And I could see Indy making a stink about that.

[Bozo the kKklown]

Just now, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

Because they don't want to get into the private communications of players.  The difference in this situation is Wall's comments were public.

 

There is no doubt that Wall admitted to what is, by rule, tampering.  I don't think that Indy will go after Wall for tampering.  But we also don't know the extent and seriousness of his efforts.  If it was just some text messages to PG a la what Draymond Green did, then I could see them letting it pass.  But if he's coaching PG on how to force a trade to DC on behalf of Ernie, that seems a lot more serious.  And I could see Indy making a stink about that.

They wont go after Wall because George aint a free agent.

 

The League is not gonna step in on this. Its a nonstory. Just relax.

[Going Commando]

4 minutes ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

They wont go after Wall because George aint a free agent.

 

The League is not gonna step in on this. Its a nonstory. Just relax.

 

I don't think they will either.  If the Pacers did complain and we had to defend ourselves, Wall could deny that he was doing anything for the team and say he was just passing personal communications to a buddy and I think that would be enough of a defense.

 

I'd be pissed about this if someone was recruiting Wall like this though.

 

Wall is also smart and savvy enough to conduct a more sophisticated recruiting effort that would involve him leading George through the process of forcing a trade to DC.

 

Again, I'm not mad at all at John for doing this.  ****ing Magic Johnson in Paul George's ear all season.  John heavily recruiting George is our only chance at actually getting him.  We need John to be doing this and it shows his commitment to helping the team.

 

What Magic's done feels way more dirty to me.

[StillUnknown]

44 minutes ago, justice98 said:

But then when you dont get George and you gotta make it work with the players you openly wanted to ship outta town, let's see how that works out.

 

Otto looks like he's never raised his voice once in his life, he'll get over it

[justice98]

If the Pacers has any delusions of keeping George, maybe they'd care.  But hell, they probably welcome more serious bidders in the mix to get a bidding war going.  The more the merrier.

[Bozo the kKklown]

What would you trade for Paul George?

I don't think the Wizards have the assets. Otto, Mahinmi, a pick?

[StillUnknown]

2 minutes ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

What would you trade for Paul George?

I don't think the Wizards have the assets. Otto, Mahinmi, a pick?

 

we dont, we never have assets. its the most consistent Grunfeld attribute

 

unless the pacers are dumb enough to think Otto can be a 1st or 2nd option in this league

[justice98]

I can't see Mahinmi being involved in a George trade.  They let him walk as a free agent rather than pay him, then are gonna trade to get him back at the price tag they didnt want him for originally, with Turner manning the center spot?  

 

Even as a necessary concession to get the deal done, I would hope for the Pacers sake there would be better deals out there.  Better players and picks they could get.

[Destino]

We aren't getting Paul George.  We have no assets to trade.