Gold or Black? (part 1)

No I'm not referring the worst uniforms in modern history the Wizards have dawned occasionally over the past few seasons. Gold or Black is the question that has been puzzling me ever since Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin decided to give Gilbert Arenas the keys to the city. Is your ultimate goal is to win the 14.5 pound, 2 ft tall, 24 karat gold overlay trophy awarded to the NBA's annual champion? Or is it to avoid being in the red at the end of the year by maximizing immediate ticket sales?

If the later is the Wizards chief objective I could understand resigning a flashy, shoot first/defense later all-star (Arenas) who puts fans in the stands with outrageous comments and on-court gimmickry. I could reason with resigning the unquestioned leader (Antawn Jamison) of a team coming off four straight playoff appearances, albeit first-round exits. I could pretend to fathom not resigning one of the league's most improved players (Roger Mason Jr.) who also happens to be a DC native. Staying a smidge under the cap and providing 2-3 home playoff games worth of revenue is just what dishonest Abe dreams of. But not if playing into June is the ultimate goal.

Because if the goal is to compile a championship roster, none of the above is recommended. Gilbert Arenas an extremely exciting lead guard, who at times is capable of being a top 10 player in the league. But until defense becomes as important to him as whether to call TeddyKGB's bluff or fold to ACES4lyfe at halftime, he will never be able to carry a team to a title.

Jamison is an immensely talented offensive mismatch, who is actually posting the best statistical season of his career. However, like Arenas, Jamison plays less defense than Peyton Manning. He is quicker and has more range than almost every power forward in the league allowing him to post high scoring numbers. But Jamison is unable to guard on the other end because he is shorter and weaker than those he hopes to exploit on the other end. His poor on-the-ball defense causes teammates to double down leaving open three point shooters. No wonder the Wizards are routinely one of the worst teams in the league defending the three (5th worst this year). If they don't help out 'Tawn, he gets exposed or worse yet, gets into foul trouble. Jamison also has low shot blocking numbers for a starting post, affording his teammates little to no help in discouraging penetration. The hope with a tweener like Jamison is that his output on offense outperforms his porous defense. However, height and strength doesn't change from game to game. Shooting can have a cold night.

These players would be nice pieces if you were building around a franchise center (see Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis), but even so a team like the Magic has a ceiling of getting blown out in the conference finals AT BEST.

This is why I adamantly opposed resigning Arenas and Jamison. I proposed we let them both go their own way, and resign Mason Jr to the two-year deal he got from the Spurs at $7 million total. This would have left us a full $23 million under the luxery cap. Sign James Posey to a 4-year $22 million deal (he got 4yr/20mil from New Orleans). This leaves would have left the Wizards with a considerable amount of wiggle room with which to add talent and increase payroll at the all-star break while teams were almost giving away players.

With this strategy, one would build the team around Caron Butler, a top 5 2009 draft pick, and a 2nd tier star in the 2010 sweepstakes. Start Nick Young, Andray Blatche and let them play through the inevitable mistakes, then trade Blatche mid-season to a team in need of another post and while his cheap contract is valued. Draft JJ Hickson with the 18th pick in the 2008 draft in the future Paul Millsap/Carl Landry, energy off the bench role. In 2010 draft Blake Griffin, Greg Monroe, or top pg available depending on the spot. Then sign Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh after the top markets have broken the the bank on Kobe, LBJ, and D-Wade. This is the formula the Wizards should've used.

Granted, this strategy would have killed season ticket numbers, luxury sweets, and ticked off several Arenas blowhards in the process. But it would have started to reverse the longest current championship drought for any city with an NBA, MLB, and NFL team (other than Cleveland). And don't go boo hoo for Cleveland. They've gotten the pleasure of watching the greatest athlete ever make grown men quiver, hesitate, and ultimately part the lane like the red sea as Bron Bron Earl Campbell's his way through the lane. Meanwhile the Rock N' Roll capital of the world will potentially end their drought in the coming months while we Wiz partisans will suffer for the next several years.

Unless...

I will do my best Bill Parcells in Part 2 next time...