MikeDC

99-00 Wizards:
PG - Rod Strickland, Chris Whitney
SG - Richmond, Rip
SF - Michael Smith, Tracy Murray
PF - Howard, Gerard King, Don Reid
C - Jahidi, Aaron Williams, Ike Austin, Calvin Booth

02-03 Wizards:
PG - Hughes, Lue
SG - Stackhouse, Dixon
SF - Simmons, Russell, Jeffries
PF - Kwame, Laettner
C - Jahidi, Haywood, Thomas

JC Navarro will be coming next year.

-----------------------------

Look at the roster he took over and look at the roster he left. 2.5 years is not enough to judge ANY GM, but it's look at the godawful mess that was the Wizards MJ took over.

Rip and Howard were quality players but the rest of the guys on that team were either bit players or has beens. Look at that starting roster again and consider just how ****ty it is. It's putrid.

MJ took out the garbage and at least set this team up for the future. I think they are a star calibre player and a year or two of experience short of the playoffs, but they are 1) A better team, 2) a younger team with more upside, and 3) In good salary cap shape.

Because everyone wants to win the championship (which only one team gets to do), it's easy to call any GM that doesn't win or get close a failure.

But looking around the league at some of the messes out there, the Wizards are not in an awful position at all. They're better than they were before MJ arrived, and they're better positioned for the future (in terms of salary and youth) than many teams in the league. It should also be noted that he also greatly improved the scouting department, turning it from one of the league's skimpiest into one that resembled what other NBA teams have.

He didn't turn them into overnight contenders, but he at least turned them into a real NBA team, and one with some future. The regime before him took a real NBA team with a future and turned it into the Washington Generals.

In short, MJ got screwed.

__________________
* De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum
* Images in signatures are now operational

BCH

MJ wasn't great but he had some sort of vision and he brought energy to the team. That may have changed this summer with some expected moves, but questioning his work ethic was a bit too much. The guy was moving this team toward a much better place.

__________________
Where's the cake?

jazzy1

Funny thing is Kornheiser a couple years ago started this rant about MJ not being in town enough. He would write column after column spouting this notion. Ive never heard the whereabouts of any GM questioned in this manner. For some reason MJ not being present at Wizards games caused some problems with some I'm not quite sure the schedule's of other gm's and for Kornheiser to say this is stupid. But the theme has seemed to be carried over and I'm, starting to wonder if Kornheiser is connected to the Wizards organization. He said Wes needed to go and a week later Wes was gone as coach. He said Howard or Webber needed to go and not soon after Webber was gone. It seems like Pollin may get some of his info from reading Kornheiser columns.

I am really disgusted right now. I feel like our whole commitment to winning has just left town . Like BCH said he made some mistakes but he's been more positive than negative. And to try and poison the man's rep was a serious cheap shot.