| If I Only Had a Brain Authored by Aaron Archer - February 26, 2007 - 10:52 am
February 26, 2007
By Aaron “LyricalRico” Archer
Somewhere late last Friday night, Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles was perusing the Hallmark aisle at a corner drug store. He wanted to find just the right card to thank Washington Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan for giving his team another win. With the Wizards down by 3 entering the fourth quarter Jordan elected to go with his favorite player, Michael Ruffin, at center - effectively gift wrapping the game and handing it to Chicago on a platter. While Skiles is brimming with appreciation, we Wizards fans are seething with rage.
Something very similar happened the night before against the Sacrament Kings. The Wizards built a double digit lead that began to be erased the moment that Ruffin checked in at the scorers table. It took instant replay to prevent the game from going into overtime and most likely being a loss. The worst part is that these are not isolated incidents.
Over the last three seasons, Eddie Jordan has repeatedly attempted to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by blatantly ignoring one simple fact: Michael Ruffin is not a good basketball player. He never has been and never will be. That’s why there was no competition to sign him when the Wizards initially picked him up as a free agent in 2004. That’s why he wouldn’t see any playing time for any of the other 29 NBA teams. And yet he is a crunch time player for your hometown Wizards. Why? Does he have pictures of Eddie Jordan naked with a midget? Is he Jordan’s illegitimate child? If not, why is he playing?
This isn’t a personal attack on Ruffin. He’s just doing what he’s told. In fact, he should be applauded for overcoming his deficiencies and earning the chance to play on basketball’s biggest stage. Heartwarming story aside, however, he should not be confused with a competent professional athlete. He is undersized and completely unskilled. Hustle without talent will only take you so far and Ruffin has gone as far as he can go. This, of course, is obvious to everyone except a certain person with the initials E and J.
While we’re on the subject of players with no talent, why don’t we throw Arvis Hayes into the conversation? That’s not a typo, folks. Hayes has no “J” and hasn’t since his rookie year. He’s been in a two and a half year slump that shows no signs of letting up. Injuries have played a part to be sure but that doesn’t change the fact that the guy couldn’t hit the ocean if he was standing on the beach.
Our beloved coach Jordan, however, seems to think that Hayes should not only play regularly, but he should also play power forward...at 6'5...next to a 6'8 Michael Ruffin...who’s playing center. It’s no wonder that the Wizards continually get destroyed in the paint. It’s also no wonder guys like Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler can’t get a shot off. The opposition can afford to double team both of them because the other guys on the court are complete self-checks. In spite of this being crystal clear to anyone with eyes, Eddie Jordan seems to be as oblivious as the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz.
Of course the loafers who are supposed to cover the team for the local newspapers and the talking heads on sports talk radio (who probably don’t even watch the games) will blame everything on the injury to Jamison and an alleged lack of a big man that the Wizards seem to perennially suffer from. They will continue to wax poetic about the job that Jordan has done and what he supposedly means to the team. Ladies and gentlemen, they couldn’t be more wrong.
The facts are that the Wizards, unlike most NBA teams, still have two All-Stars to carry them (Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler) and they have four players who are 6'10 or taller: Brendan Haywood, Calvin Booth, Andray Blatche and Etan Thomas. The problem isn’t that the Wizards don’t have any big men. The problem is that their court jester of a head coach refuses to play the big men they have.
True Wizards fans are sick and tired of the local media making excuses for Eddie Jordan. A past mired in futility is no reason to ignore the sins of the present. Yes the team is winning but considering their level of talent and the current state of the Eastern Conference it would be shame on them if they weren’t. Even without Jamison, they have just as much firepower as most NBA teams and their depth has returned of late. Gilbert Arenas’ mere presence is usually enough to guarantee that the team will have a chance to win. At that point it’s up to the coach to make the difference through smart strategies and savvy substitutions. Unfortunately Eddie Jordan has proved unequal to the task.
A large portion of blame also has to fall on Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld . He, more than anyone else, is in a position to see EJ’s almost uncanny ability to fixate on horrible players and be determined to play them no matter what. Grunfeld could have ensured an end to that by simply getting Hayes and Ruffin off the team. He could have traded them for the first piece of junk he could find off somebody else’s roster, or he could have flat out released them. Either way it would force Jordan to play actual NBA players instead of woeful wannabes.
Is this a cry to fire Eddie Jordan? No, because the timing would be terrible and the team’s superstar doesn’t want to play for anyone else. We may not be able to unseat him, but let the impeachment process begin. Let’s convene the court of public opinion, convict Eddie Jordan of obstruction of winning and make him answer for his crimes.
Yes, this is a call to arms for real fans across the DC Metro area. Forward this article to anyone who will read it. Let the public know what’s really going on. Pepper the seats at the Verizon Center with signs demanding a stop to “small ball”. Send e-mails to Ivan Carter, Michael Lee and all other reporters covering the Wizards demanding that they ask Eddie Jordan why he continues to make the same mistake. Then have them ask Ernie Grunfeld why he’s allowing this fiasco to continue. Finally have them contact Scott Skiles and find out which “Thank You” card he decided on.
Aaron can be reached directly at lyricalrico2k1@hotmail.com with any comments, questions, or musings.
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