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Ernie Grunfeld wasn’t anxious in the moments leading up to Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery. The Wizards GM was less than an hour from learning his team’s fate, but instead fidgeting or shifting nervously, the gregarious hardwood and front office veteran seemed happy to discuss the past season with HOOPSWORLD.

Even as most executives and reporters were preparing to file into the NBA TV studio in Secaucus, NJ, Grunfeld wouldn’t rush. He didn’t even look like someone with a rooting interest in the evening’s outcome. Logically, Grunfeld had just picked up a steak dinner and wasn’t in a hurry to walk away from it, but the real reason for his tranquil demeanor was sitting to his left—last year’s top pick John Wall.

The NBA Draft Lottery can be brutal for a team that’s desperately searching for a star, but that’s not the situation Grunfeld was in Tuesday. Thanks to the sliced rib eye in front of him and the rookie phenom by his side, Grunfeld isn’t looking for an entree—only side dishes.

"John had a terrific rookie year—not only on the court, but off the court," Grunfeld said of the face of the Wizards franchise. "Being the No. 1 pick is always very difficult—a lot of attention, a lot of pressure comes with it—and he handled it with grace. He showed a lot of leadership for a young player and he improved as the season went along. We’re real pleased with what he did in the last year."

A near-unanimous First Team All-Rookie selection, Wall finished second to Clippers rookie Blake Griffin in the Rookie of the Year voting, but may have had an equally impressive season when considering that the Wizards rookie was charged with running the offense. That means in addition to scoring 16.4 PPG (second among rookies) and leading all first-year players in assists (8.3 APG) and steals (1.75 SPG), the 20-year-old Wall had to put his teammates in the right spots.

And Wall didn’t just bring the ball up the court. Instead, his presence allowed young Wizards players like Nick Young, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee to all reach career highs in scoring. Wall even helped fellow rookie Jordan Crawford go from the forgotten man in Atlanta to a 16.3 PPG scorer in Washington.

"All our players really enjoyed playing with John," Grunfeld said. "First of all, John plays with great energy, he’s a great competitor and he’s the rare player that makes the players around him better. He’s a pass-first point guard, who can also score, but he’s looking to set his teammates up. So our guys know, if they move, if they cut hard and run hard on the break, if they get open, John is going to find them and make some easy buckets."

Wall has drawn comparisons to Chicago’s Derrick Rose, mainly because he’s a lightening-quick, 6-4 point guard who played for coach John Calipari in college. But there’s one area in which he may already be Rose’s superior: defense. And the best thing about Wall’s prowess at the end of the floor is that he’s still growing both mentally and physically.

"John grew a little bit this summer," Grunfeld said. "He’s almost 6-5 now. He’s got a very long wingspan. The great thing about him is he has great pride. He’s competitive, he has pride, he learned the game last year, but he still has a lot of learning to do. But he’s a very willing worker, a hard worker who wants to be really good. And he’s not afraid to put in the time to do what’s necessary to get there."

Of course, had the Wizards played better in 2010-2011, Grunfeld wouldn’t have needed to attend Tuesday’s lottery. The team struggled with both offensive and defensive issues, but one player that had been a negative, did quietly became a positive over the course of the year.

"He improved," Grunfeld said of the 6-11 Blatche. "It was a tough year for him. He had a broken foot last summer. He couldn’t do anything for four months. He missed two weeks of training camp. He came back, he got hurt, he hurt his knee, he hurt his hip, he hurt his shoulder a couple of times. By the end of the year, I think he showed what he’s capable of doing. This is a big summer for him. He has to get healthy, number one, get in shape and come back next year and play the way he played at the end of the year on a consistent level."

The Wizards power forward averaged 16.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG for the season, but if he can replicate his final eight games of the season (he averaged 23.6 PPG and 10.3 RPG during that span), he could be the team’s first offensive option in 2011-2012. At the very least, Blatche and McGee—who averaged 10.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 2.4 BPG in only his third season—give Washington it’s best post pairing since Chris Webber and Juwan Howard played for the Bullets. 

Young, on the other hand, is one of six soon-to-be restricted free agents on the Wizards roster, but even if he walks, the team might already have four of its five starters. Crawford could join Wall, McGee and Blatche in the first unit, which means Grunfeld will be looking for that fifth piece in what many consider a lackluster draft. 

"It’s a draft where maybe you’ll be able to get a player, maybe the same player you can get at 17 you can get at eight or nine," Grunfeld said just prior to learning that his Wizards will make the sixth selection this June. "I don’t think there’s an impact player, well, not many impact players, that are going to come in and turn a program around right away. But I think there are a lot of players in the draft that are going to be a nice part of your franchise and a good piece to your puzzle. I’m hopeful that we get one of those."

If the Wizards are indeed looking for a small forward to round out their starting five, the sixth pick might be just right. There are as many as three point guards (Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker) slated to come off the board before Washington picks, which means Grunfeld should have his choice of Czech small forward Jan Vesely or San Diego State swingman Kawhi Leonard. Both players possess good size (Vesely is 6-11 while the 6-7 Leonard has an astounding 7-3 wingspan) and athleticism.

Of course, even players that get drafted in the Top 10 can’t measure the impact of a top pick like Wall. The Beltway has recently been blessed with first overalls like the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin as well as the Senators Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper; and Grunfeld believes Wizards can be a part of the D.C. sports revival simply by building around their own top pick.

"There’s a lot of buzz," Grunfeld said. "At the end of the day, you have to win games too—that comes with it. I think there’s a lot of players that have brought a lot of excitement and hopefully a lot of winning into town in the future. The city’s excited to see how these young players, these No. 1 picks—and they’re all No. 1 picks—develop and what they’ll do down the road."

After the event Grunfeld’s demeanor was relatively unchanged. He offered the usual post-lottery pleasantries before fading into the night with the rest of the NBA establishment. For some others, Tuesday’s lottery was a hectic affair. It’s short, it’s uncontrollable and it has the ability to make or break some people’s careers.

But for Grunfeld, Tuesday almost seemed like a graduation. It was only a year ago that the Wizards’ fortunes were radically changed by the lottery, and simply by arriving with Wall by his side and a smile on his face, Grunfeld showed everyone what a little bit of luck can do.

Is Isaiah Thomas Tall Enough?

The biggest winner of the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine’s measurement process was Washington guard Isaiah Thomas, who surprised many by standing over 5-10 with shoes on.

{AUTHOR_BOX} Of course, Thomas didn’t really care what the tape measure said because he thinks he can play with just about anyone.

"I feel like I’ve done pretty well," he told HOOPSWORLD. "I’ve always said, I feel like you put me against anybody and I’ll show you I’m not that small. I’ll show you I can play with anybody in the NBA.

"I feel like it translates very well," Thomas said of his game. "The NBA game is so wide open and you can’t just sit in the lane with it. There’s driving lanes for little guards like me. I feel like the pick and roll is something I’m good at and I can really excel at at the next level."

But Thomas knows that his words won’t carry much weight in the pre-draft process, so he’s been proving his point on the floor against fellow NBA hopefuls.

"Just playing really hard," he said. "Doing the things that you can control. I mean, you can’t control if somebody likes you or not. Just going out there, playing hard, having fun, and last, but not least, making shots… These workout sections are about making shots, putting the ball in the hole."

Thomas, who said he’s focused on shooting and conditioning right now, recently told HOOPSWORLD that he stays in contact with former Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire, but on Thursday he gave us two more inspirational guards.

"Jamal Crawford and Jason Terry," the Seattle native said when asked who inspires him. "Those two guys are like mentors, like big brothers to me. They’ve helped me all the way up to this point. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here."

Other Notable Measurements

Thomas wasn’t the only player who stood tall on measurement day. As noted by HOOPSWORLD’s Yannis Koutroupis, Turkish center Enes Kanter measured 6-11.25, which makes him one of the tallest players in this year’s draft. There was some speculation he would be too short to play the 5 in the NBA.

As previously mentioned, SDSU’s Kawhi Leonard is only 6-7, but has a remarkable 7-3 wingspan (and apparently very large hands to boot). Perhaps the best-conditioned athlete was Kentucky’s Brandon Knight, who had only 4.2% body fat.

There were some concerning measurements though. Duke’s Kyrie Irving was 10.2% body fat (although he did miss most of the season with a toe injury) and Maryland’s Jordan Williams registered over 12% body fat as well. Making matters worse for Williams, he stands under 6-8 without shoes, which may hurt his chances of becoming an NBA center.

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