Owner reflects on why he directed the front office to start over and why he likes what he sees now Ted Leonsis only wants to look forward. But to understand the Wizards owner’s excitement and belief that his team is heading in the right direction as it readies for its first preseason game, the only direction to go is backward.
Leonsis did exactly that in a session with reporters Thursday, though he hoped an analogy of removing the rearview mirror from a Ferrari would keep the focus on what lies ahead. It’s a future far different from what he saw in 2009 before the death of Abe Pollin, before Gilbert Arenas brought guns into the locker room, before what had been one losing season became three in a row.
Recommended Stories
“My belief was that our team was on a downward trend during the offseason before I bought the team and that I didn’t see hope,” Leonsis said. “I didn’t see a way to salvage upside from that team.”
| Leonsis speaks |
| On Andray Blatche » “I talked to Andray, and he understands that the fan base, media are all looking to take cues on can his focus and dedication match his skills.” |
| On JaVale McGee » “I think JaVale is erudite. He is a very, very interesting next generation player. He’s a great person, and his challenge is playing within himself, and so far it looks like he can do that in practice.” |
| On the Chris Paul trade » “When I look around the league at all the drama, I’m happy that we’re not involved with it.” |
He directed team president Ernie Grunfeld to dismantle the roster and convinced Flip Saunders that guiding veterans to the playoffs was no longer the coach’s immediate priority.
Two seasons later, with eight players 23 and under, including a No. 1 overall draft pick and franchise cornerstone, Leonsis said, “Ernie and I are in lock step.”
Leonsis feels the same way about John Wall. He laid out the plan with Wall in the same manner he did with the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, preparing him for the rough road ahead required to satisfy team-first objectives.
“What I told him we were doing is we’re not going to go halfway,” Leonsis said. “We’re going to deconstruct the team totally and build it around you. You’re going to have to be equally as patient, and your improvement will drive a lot of the team’s improvement.”
The patient strategy benefitted Wall, who despite just turning 21 knows what he got into and enters his second season with new confidence, leadership and determination.
“I think they’re doing a great job of trying to add pieces and getting the right draft picks,” Wall said. “Guys come in with a different mindset this year to try to win.”
Leonsis remains “more concerned with process right now than output,” and he sounded more like a veteran NBA scout as he rattled off the traits of his newest acquisitions — rookies Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton and Shelvin Mack — and attended to the annual concerns over the maturity of Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee.
“I want to see upside,” he said. “I want to see improvement. I want to see chemistry being developed, and I want to see how the young kids play.”
Leonsis has little doubt that what the Wizards are doing is being noticed throughout Washington — and not just for the rebranded uniforms and a new Verizon Center court. That notion guided him during the NBA’s collective bargaining talks.
“My biggest issue in all of the discussions and negotiations was about competitiveness. I want to be able to build a team and keep it together,” he said. “Before the fans can fall in love with your team, they need to know that ownership’s committed and that if you have and develop great players and the team is great, you can keep it together.”
