Lebron to Washington? Short Answer, No

I saw in the Washington Post on Sunday an article about why Washington would be a good destination for Lebron James. The author did not understand why Washington was not in the discussion arguing that Washington was a major basketball market and had lots of money to work with thanks to the trade deadline departures of most of their expensive players. I had to laugh. This article was not in the "Sports" section, but in the "Metro" section, which of course explains why the author seemed to be taking a lot for granted when discussing the Wizards.

Don't get your hopes up. Lebron will not be wearing blue and gold next season. There were some good points made in the article and there are some reasons why Washington would at least enter the discussion. Washington was completely off the radar until they won the draft lottery. Most analysts agree Lebron will try to bring another superstar with him and with John Wall waiting, you could have 3 superstars playing next season which would completely transform the team. The Wizards are now owned by Ted Leonsis who transformed the Washington Capitals and looks ready to win in the NBA. DC might not have the glitz and glamor of New York, but wherever he goes the market will follow. With the top pick, the Wizards may be an easier team to build than New York and he wouldn't have to play in the shadow of Michael Jordan like he would in Chicago. With President Obama down the street, an avid basketball fan, Lebron should seriously be considering Washington.

Now let me tell you why this is all wishful thinking. Washington's entry fee into the Lebron sweepstakes would be to fire headcoach Flip Saunders, which if they were going to do they would have done by now. With the team that was put around Lebron this season, he's got to be feeling that coaching may be the missing piece of the puzzle. When he is looking for where to go next season if coaching is a major factor, which I think it will be, then you can count Washington out. If he can't win with Mike Brown, I doubt he thinks Flip Saunders is the right choice. As head coach of Minnesota, Saunders lost in the first round in his first eight playoff appearances. He did manage to make the conference finals in all three of his seasons as head coach of Detroit, but he lost all three times even with a championship caliber team that had won the NBA championship in 2004. This is precisely the problem Lebron has had in Cleveland. Why leave to have the exact same problem in Washington?

To say that Washington is as notable an NBA franchise as say Boston or Los Angeles is completely false. The author even argued that Red Auerbach was a Washington coach before he was a Boston coach. While this is true, it is irrelevant. It's like saying New York is a basketball market since Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn. Auerbach made his name in Boston, not DC. When people talk about the storied franchises of the NBA, they refer to several teams, but not the Washington Wizards who have won a single NBA title. Yes, the market will follow Lebron wherever he goes, but if he doesn't want to resurrect the major market of the Knicks or the Bulls, why leave Cleveland for Washington? Why leave a team dedicated to winning for a coach who struggles in the playoffs, a draft pick who could turn out to be a bust, and a franchise still clouded by Gilbert Arenas? There are far too many question marks surrounding the Wizards for Lebron to consider this a possible destination for the 2010-11 season.