Wizards are locking up Jordan at the right time

	Eddie Jordan has overcome some tough history to turn the Wizards into winners. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
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To fully understand why the Washington Wizards awarded Eddie Jordan a three-year contract extension worth $12.5 million, one need only look as far as the inglorious history spelled out in the Wizards' media guide. A brief summary....

A pathetic playoff history: Prior to Jordan's arrival in D.C., Washington was riding a seven-year playoff drought and a 22-year stretch in which the Wizards/Bullets didn't win a single playoff series. The last year Washington advanced past the first round was 1982, when a mediocre Bullets team led by Greg Ballard, Jeff Ruland and Kevin Grevey parlayed a 43-39 record into a first-round sweep of New Jersey before Gene Shue's boys were trounced by Boston in the second round. It's been that long.

Jordan has done more than revive the franchise. In leading the Wizards to back-to-back playoff appearances, he has created a winning atmosphere that hasn't been felt in the Maryland area for more than two decades. He believes in his players and, more importantly, he believes in his ability to lead them to the next level.

During an interview with a reporter before last season, Jordan was asked why his team would have a successful season. Repeating one of Gordon Gekko's famed lines from the movie Wall Street, Jordan said, "Greed is good. We're not satisfied. We want more." That's the attitude you want from the man leading you into battle every night.

A tough act to follow: Not just a tough act -- it was like replacing the cast of Wicked with a community theater group. It's not that Jordan's predecessors in Washington, Michael Jordan and Doug Collins, were that good. In Collins' two years Washington put up back-to-back 37-45 seasons, and we're not even going to mention Michael's Leonard Hamilton experiment or the Kwame Brown fiasco. But Collins and MJ were names. Big names. Before joining the Wizards, Eddie Jordan was an assistant, albeit a popular one, in New Jersey, whose previous head coaching job ended with a 27-win season in Sacramento. Eddie had to earn it. According to Basketballreference.com, in Jordan's first season the Wizards ranked 27th out of 29 teams in offensive efficiency. Last season they ranked sixth. Enough said.

Room for improvement: Washington was dealt a devastating blow when Larry Hughes, the team's best defensive player, signed with Cleveland last offseason. Hughes' departure left a gaping void in the backcourt that Washington was never able to fill. Those defensive deficiencies contributed to the Wizards' first-round loss to Cleveland, a series that featured three games decided by one point.

Despite that setback, Washington is a team filled with promise. Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood are all under 27. Antawn Jamison is a ripe 30. This is a team entering its prime, and continuity is a key ingredient for success. If there is one criticism of Jordan, it is that he doesn't emphasize defense enough in practice. He, too, will continue to grow, to learn what it takes to win championships.

In a league in which coaches are recycled like soda cans, Jordan is the right man for the job in Washington. As he goes, so do the Wizards. Together, their potential could be limitless.

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