Sports Radio Interviews

Ernie Grunfeld: We Wouldn’t Want Another Young Player Sitting On Our Bench

The fact that Gilbert Arenas is playing with his shirt off (read below) must have given the Wizards’ president of basketball operations, Ernie Grunfeld, the signal to go for it.  In a pre-draft deal, he traded the number five pick and some spare parts to the Timberwolves for Randy Foye and Mike Miller.  The Wizards may have one of the top two most talented squads in the east – that doesn’t necessarily mean wins – but Grunfeld has mortgaged a bit of his team’s future for the next two seasons.  Much like the Suns trading for Shaq, Washington’s window is fairly small in my opinion.  Their roster isn’t necessarily old, but they’re battered and haven’t proven to be consistent contributors for long periods of time.  40 games?  Sure.  But, they have to put it together soon or Grunfeld will be forced to blow up a nucleus of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, et al.  Grunfeld joined ESPN 980 in Washington DC to discuss why he gave up the five pick, the progress of Gilbert Arenas, and if the Wizards are going for it.

What was the thinking in giving up a potential star at the five spot in the draft?

“If we kept our pick, I think at number five, we would have gotten a solid player, but the player would have been 19, 20 years old and it would have taken him time to develop… We wouldn’t another young player just sitting on our bench.  If we do something else, we might bring in a veteran later in the summer at some point to help us shore up some areas.”

What did you get in the trade from your seat?

“We got two quality players, I mean, these guys are legitimate NBA starters.  They’re outstanding three point shooters, they play multiple positions, which is always very important.  Foye is 25 and he’s a combo guard – he can play with Gilbert (Arenas), he can back Gilbert up, he’s an outstanding defender, he’s a very tough, hard-nosed competitor, probably most of you know him from his days in Villanova.  And, in Mike Miller, you get one of the great three point shooters of all-time.  He’s a career 40% three point shooter, he plays both the two and the three, he averages close to six and a half rebounds also, and he’s a good passer, so we feel we’ve added some real quality… With the addition of these two players, there’s no way we could have gotten anyone in the draft who could have come in and help us nearly as much as these two players.”

Can you say that the Wizards are going for it?

“No, not necessarily, we got a 25-year-old player who was the seventh pick in the draft and he’s proven he can play in this league.  These draft picks, some of them are gonna succeed, some are not gonna succeed – it’s a little bit of a crap shoot.  So, there was no gamble at all with the Randy Foye situation.  He has a long, long career ahead of him.  And, in Mike Miller, you getan outstanding player who’s also proven what he can do.  So, we feel we got two players who are NBA starters, they started last year.  We gave up basically players that didn’t really contribute much for us and the potential of a pick.”

How is Gilbert Arenas’ recovery going?

“He’s getting right to that level, he’s playing every night, his weight is terrific, he looks great.  You know when a player looks great?  When he plays a pick-up game without his shirt on, he feels good about how he looks.  His range is there, and he’s looking real good, he’s making real good progress.”

Listen to Ernie Grunfeld on ESPN 980 in Washington DC with Steve Czaban & Andy Pollin

Tags: Basketball, Ernie Grunfeld, Gilbert Arenas, Mike Miller, NBA, Randy Foye, Washington Wizards