Memo to Wizards fan: Keep dreams low and expectations lower
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By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
LeBron James is not coming to D.C.
LeBron James is not coming to D.C.
LeBron James is not coming to D.C.
Repeating the mantra over and over should protect our feelings and keep our hopes from rising. That’s the exact opposite of what happened two summers ago as native son Kevin Durant contemplated his next place of employment. Maybe he gave the Wizards a cursory glance, but they didn’t get so much as a courtesy visit.
The free-agent market doesn’t officially open until July 1, but already there’s plenty of intrigue heading into Thursday’s draft. Baseball’s hot-stove league was once the gold standard for leagues’ ability to stay in the news during their offseason. But the NBA has blown it away with a microwave version that commences immediately after the Finals.
Where is James headed? Where will Oklahoma City’s Paul George go? What will Boston do with Kyrie Irving? And the question that gained steam over the weekend: Will San Antonio trade Kawhi Leonard?
Free-agent signings in MLB moved at a glacial pace last winter, with big names left on the board for unprecedented stints and dozens of serviceable players experiencing a deep freeze altogether.
Some owners were following the rebuilding strategy that contributed to World Series titles for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. Management in other markets were putting more reliance on metrics that worked against many veteran players. And still other teams were weighing free agents’ costs beyond salary, the price paid via tax, draft picks and reduced international bonus money.
No such worries exist in the NBA, although commissioner Adam Silver must keep his eye on would-be tanking franchises. Sub-par teams are a fact of life in sports, with some outfits serving as perennial outposts for dysfunction. But a few clubs are taking at Golden State’s mini-dynasty and several more are approaching striking distance – all of them could benefit from a few key signings this year or next summer.
As usual, the biggest domino is James. He can be blamed and/or credited for turning the NBA offseason into the showcase it’s become. Ever since “The Decision,” we’ve been treated to whimsical “What-ifs?” as star players take a slice of roster-building into their own hands.
Durant’s choice to sign with Golden State took matters to a new level and forced opposing general managers to respond. Houston’s Daryl Morey acquired Chris Paul to pair with James Harden and brought the Rockets closer to the target. Conversely, OKC’s Sam Presti bet on George and Carmelo Anthony as Russell Westbrook’s wingmen, which didn’t work out so well.
Observers have long favored Los Angeles as James’ eventual landing spot, where he could join one of the NBA’s most-storied franchises. James in a Lakers uniform seems predestined at times, allowing him to join a line of NBA legends and make his stamp as a media mogul, too.
But the Wizards could be a sleeper candidate according to the likes of ESPN’s Michael Wilbon and other sports journalists.
Washington plays in the East – meaning an easier path to the Finals – and has an All-Star backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. And while Washington can’t offer access to Hollywood, it does offer access to the nation’s corridors of power, where James can continue to build his social justice platform.
“Washington, D.C., is where he can all at once pursue his championships, earn his hundreds of millions and make a glorious noise of protest, agitation or advocacy,” Wilbon wrote on ESPN’s The Undefeated.
Like I said at the beginning, though I’ve never had a greater desire to be wrong, James isn’t coming here. If not the Lakers, it’s likely some other team will enjoy his talents, not the one that plays in Chinatown.
Waiting for everything to play out amid the news cycle’s endless speculation is a sport unto itself.
Could the Lakers wind up with James, Leonard AND George? Sounds like a possibility. Can Paul woo James to Houston to form the league’s next, great Big Three? That would get the Warriors’ attention.
Some folks complain that Golden State’s three-titles-in-four-seasons run has been bad for basketball. The TV ratings don’t bear that out. Next season will be more of a challenge for the champs as they battle complacency, fatigue and potential infighting.
The first steps begin Thursday with the draft.
But the biggest strides will be taken when a few key players pick their team.
Just don’t get your hopes up, D.C.
— Brooklyn-born and Howard-educated, Deron Snyder writes his award-winning column for The Washington Times on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Follow him on Twitter @DeronSnyder.
