What does an NBA team get for $119 million?
The Wizards got one playoff series win, three first-round exits and an embarrassing 19-63 season.
For good reason, everyone is quick to blame Gilbert Arenas’ injury problems and felony for the demise of the Wizards. But the $119 million Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler had made entering this season in Washington didn’t go very far.
Some Washington fans are happy these former Wizards are finally getting a chance to win a title with the Cavaliers and Mavericks. It makes me sick.
I grimace at every elaborate handshake between Jamison and LeBron James.
I despise Haywood for tying his career high with 20 rebounds in just his fifth game in Dallas.
And I envy the camaraderie the Mavs already have — publicly poking fun at Butler for chewing straws during games. The Wizards’ team-building activities involved Arenas gesturing as if he were shooting a gun while his teammates laughed as he ruined his career.
The hardest part, though, is watching these teams prosper with players the Wizards just gave away. Entering play Wednesday, the Cavs won four straight games and have a six-game lead in the Eastern Conference. The Mavs won eight straight and surpassed the Nuggets as the No. 2 seed in the West. The longest winning streak these three managed in Washington this season: two games.
It doesn’t seem right that these ex-Wizards have been rewarded by being sent to title contenders. They failed so badly in Washington that the franchise was forced to start over.
And what are the fans left with? A young team that has no clear direction for the future.
Sure, you can say: Andray Blatche finally will get the minutes he needs to produce.
But do you really think the four-year forward suddenly has put it all together and will become a future All-Star?
Sure, you can say: Well, it gives the Wizards some needed cap relief, and they can be a player in free agency this summer.
But what do I care if the franchise is saving money? Do you really think Washington is on the top of King James’ list … or even Dwayne Wade’s or Chris Bosh’s?
Nobody wants to play with a shoot-first point guard who has missed two seasons with a knee injury and has been suspended for the remainder of this season after pleading guilty to a felony.
So to Jamison, Haywood and Butler: Thanks for making the Wizards mildly relevant during your time in Washington. I hope the Cavs and Mavs get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
Jeffrey Tomik is The Washington Examiner assistant sports editor. Reach him at [email protected].
