http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2010/09/wizards-get-a-reminder-of-past.html I asked Ernie Grunfeld if had any regrets about that deal late last season, when it appeared that the Wizards would likely lose both Miller and Foye in free agency -- and rookies who were available at that slot, such as Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings, were blowing up with their respective teams. Grunfeld said, "Hindsight is 20-20. It's very easy to say, this is what we should've done. But at the time, we did what we did because it was the right thing to do. "When we made that move, we were in a completely different position, a completely different situation," Grunfeld said. "I think at that time, it was the absolutely right thing to do, to be a very competitive ball club. And everybody thought we were. We felt like we needed some veterans at certain positions to complement what we had. Certain things happened that were out of our hands that were unforeseen, as far as injuries and chemistry issues and of course, the incident in the locker room. Those are things we couldn't have planned for." He then added, "Our plans have to change." The Wizards have been able to regroup and begin the rebuilding process by landing the top overall pick in John Wall last June, but there will always be some amount of suspense and mystery surrounding Rubio until he finally comes to the NBA. Rubio delayed his arrival last season, and instead went on to help his Spanish club, FC Barcelona, win the Euroleague title. Rubio is still 19 -- more than a month younger than Wall -- so it's still kind of early to call him a flop based on his performance in the world championships (Just as there is no need to go overboard with praising Yi Jianlian's performance for China, although there were some encouraging signs). He remains a feisty competitor with a suspect jumper but could still become a solid NBA player if he comes over by 2012, as expected. It just may be time to temper some of the hype. It's way to early to make a fair assessment of the deal for Booker and Ndiaye, since none of parties involved has played an NBA yet. Little was made about the trade last summer, since it involved late, low-profile draft picks. Plus, the Wizards were able to move up to get the player they coveted in Booker, an undersized and rugged player meant to embody a new, defensive mindset for the team. The Wizards are also in no rush to bring along Ndiaye. But Booker will have at least two years to have an influence on the Wizards before Bjelica comes to the league. Until then, Wizards fans can keep tabs on the Bjelica on Saturday against host Turkey and worry about whether the team missed out on something special in a few years.
