For reasons that defy logic, Eddie Jordan was fired today from his position as head coach of the Washington Wizards. Yes, the Wizards started this season 1-10 and look to be falling out of playoff contention...but it is hardly Jordan's fault. Truth be told, Jordan was a bright spot in an otherwise hapless management system and his firing is only the most recent in a series of managerial miscues.
At first glance, the Wizards look like a good team. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler are a great core around which to build. Arenas is a dynamic scorer, Jamison a 20-10 guy, and Butler one of the most underrated talents in the game. But someone forgot to tell the Wizards' management that teams are usually comprised of more than three guys.
When the Wiz sunk $111 million in to Arenas' contract, they put all their eggs in the basket of a 26 year old with a rebuilt knee. He signed in July. In September, he had a third knee surgery, potentially costing his team the season. My aim here is not to blame Gil for his injury, but rather to question the idea of tying up a great deal of your salary in a guy who has a history of knee issues.
The fact of the matter is that part of Arenas' $111m should have been used to secure a big man. The Wizards' centers include untested rookie Javale McGee (who has been surprisingly good), untested Andray Blatche, Etan Thomas, a 30-year old returning from open heart surgery, and blockhead Brendan Haywood. Haywood promptly tore a ligament in his wrist. The Wizards are effectively playing without a competent center, without a competent point guard, and with a bench that is shaky at best. Their team is built around one guy, who is hurt, and their reliance on untalented, unhealthy, and untested inside scorers is irresponsible at best.
The team, in short, is poorly run and it is unreasonable to expect to win with the guys they have on the floor. That's why firing Eddie Jordan makes no sense.
Eddie Jordan's coaching is one of the team's few bright spots. His leadership and basketball knowledge is excellent and he has consistently helped the Wiz live up to their potential. Last season, the Wizards secured the sixth seed in the East and it's fair to say that they were the sixth best team. Their consecutive playoff losses to the Cavs do not indicate any shortcomings on Jordans' part. The Cavs are simply a better team. Two years ago, the Cavs beat the Wizards en route to the conference championship. They also knocked off the Pistons in the process. Last year, the Cavs pushed even the Celtics to the brink of elimination. The Wizards accomplished all they could accomplish with the level of talent they put on the court. This year, with a lot of that talent missing, Jordan was placed in an impossible position. Rather than wait for its star to return, the team fired a great coach for what was really its own failure. They didn't give him the talent to win.
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