Let's take a look at what our $80M sixth man has done to warrant being removed from the starting lineup by our fearless leader.
Here are the pure statistical splits for Brand's season:
Alright, three splits here. The third represents Brand's numbers after the Speights injury, not including the game in which EB hurt his hammy. If you want to include that or not doesn't really matter. I just pulled it out because it skews the numbers a little. Now when you look at the first split, before Speights' injury, keep in mind that Jordan gave Brand three games at the start of the season with real minutes before he started benching him in the second half. That's actually kind of astounding, I thought it took longer than that, but it the overtime win against the Knicks was the last time Brand played 30+ minutes until the game Speights got hurt in.
After 96 minutes of action, Jordan had seen enough of Brand. Then when Speights, forcing Jordan to play EB for heavy minutes, we saw a completely different player, and we've really seen that player consistently for the 11 games he's played since. His per-game averages look like crap because Jordan has again been jerking his minutes around, but the per/36 numbers look solid.
So here are my questions to you: Does Elton Brand deserve to get benched? Is this an indictment of Brand, or is it simply Jordan's infatuation with small lineups? How do you feel about Brand being the sixth man (or worse) for the next four years at a cost of $14.8M this season, and rising from there? Do you feel like Jordan may have some kind of personal thing against Brand?
And one more, if Eddie Jordan was in a vacuum, had no one to answer to, salaries and egos didn't matter, what would his preferred starting five be?
With the roster that we have EJ's dream lineup:
PG: Willie Green
SG: Allen Iverson
SF: Jason Kapono
PF: Andre Igoudala
C: Thad Young
With everyone healthy, I think he'd go with this:
PG: Lou
SG: Willie (Iverson doesn't run the PO)
SF: Iguodala
PF: Thad
C: Speights
I think Jordan hates traditional bigs from NC schools for some reason. He hated Haywood and hates Brand.
Jordan is an idiot. The primary reason Mo got fired was for the "inability" to integrate EB, yet Jordan gave it 2 games and said thanks but no thanks? Stefanski needs to man up, point blank.
Brand should not be the 6th man, that is just plain stupid, even ignoring the cost factor. If anything, when Speights is healthy, EB, Sam and M16 should all play around 30 min per game, give or take based on matchups and foul trouble. Thad's mins at the 4 should be situational only, as a change of pace, not a steady diet.
His preferred 5? As the roster is presently: Jrue, AI, AI, Thad, Sam.
When the roster is healthy, AI, Lou, AI, Thad, Speights.
That's EJ's radio station - All offense, all the time.
Agreed. This is identical to his hatred of Haywood. Haywood was so much better than any other center the Wizards ever trotted onto the floor, and was the only player on their 12-man roster who played defense. So of course, Eddie J hated him. Even in the playoff series against the Cavs, Eddie J would bench Haywood, even though Haywood always shut down Ilgauskus, but Ilgauskus tore up everyone else who tried to cover him.
When healthy
PG: Iverson
SG: Williams
SF: Green
PF: Kapono
C: Speights
bench in order
young
igoudala
brezec
brand
dalembert
holliday
ivey
A line-up he fantasizes about:
PG: Lou
SG: AI
SF: Green
PF: Ivey
C: AI
Ok that was over the top, but seriously, Brand shouldn't have to fight for minutes over Thad at the PF spot. Iguodala, Carney, and Kapono should never be playing PF.
If this team plays well with Iverson and Lou at PG/SG then maybe Brand can come off the bench, but he should be getting at least 25 minutes. Either him, Lou, or Iverson should alternate coming off the bench.
We could have a bench team of (in no particular order)
A) Lou, Green, Speights, Jrue, Carney/Kapono (depending on the skill-set needed)
B) Iverson, Speights, Green, Jrue, Carney/Kapono
C) Brand, Speights, Green, Jrue, Carney/Kapono
*You can alternate Smith in there depending on how many potential rebounds the team needs fumbled.
Brezec and Ivey should be used for garbage time only.
With option A and B, you have a small bench that can play at a high pace and score.
Option C would give a little more size and still some scoring and offensive rebounding with Brand. Also, I still don't see why Brand and Kapono can't play off each other. I guess that's a dream that will never come to fruition.
also note: I think with the bench players, it's important to always have at least one starter in there at all times.
The bench players i suggested were simply the ones I thought were the best of the group. That doesn't necessarily mean they should be playing out of their positions.
These are fascinating questions because Jordan seems so irrational. Why does he do the things he does? Why does he bench Brand and disparage him at every opportunity? When his eccentric and nonsensical strategies fail, why does he stubbornly refuse to adjust? He may indeed be an idiot, but it's more than that. There's something broken inside. I'd love to hear from someone who actually knows the guy and has some insight. How could Stefanski have worked with him and not have known this?
whatever the lineup is, green and kapono should NEVER be on the floor at the same time.
I'm in Washington DC. Sixers fan for life. I asked some guys in my office what they thought of EJ and it seems like he wasn't liked here either. Same stuff we are seeing; bench moves that make you scratch your head, infuriating comments about players creating rifts, no defense, and he just doesn't get it. Here is my line up. I'm not adding the minutes up so forgive me it's unrealistic.
PG Jrue Holiday (30 min)
SG Allen Iverson (35 min)
SF Andre Iguodala (40 min)
PF Elton Brand (35 min)
C Sammy D (28 min)
Bench (Since These guys don't contribute on both ends historically and AI3 isn't going to be here)
PG/SG Lou Williams (25 min)
SF Thadius Young (30 min)
PF/C Speights (25 min)
SF Kapono (10 min unless he's on fire)
SG/SF Carney (10 min)
The rest, only if there is foul trouble so they might not play.
You know, that reminds me of when Ray Rhodes was fired by the Eagles and wound up coaching the Packers. I had a friend who was a Packers fan and he was excited about getting Rhodes, I told him again and again that he'd be disappointed. I wish I had a Wizards fan warning me about this guy all summer. At least I would've been better prepared.
I actually could see EJ go with:
Holiday
Lou
AI
Iguodala
Thad
At least the next time they play a depleted GSW team.
LOL AI would be the smallest '3' in history but hey, EJ is crazy enough to do it.
Can we make a shirt saying "EJ GO HOME!!!"?