Thomas Boswell writes in the Washington Post that the Wizards have the greatest player in the history of the NBA and the best bench in the entire league. Yes, that's right. Unfortunately, who needs an 11-man bench?

The Wizards are Mike, plus 11 guys who couldn't start for any NBA team with a winning record. But if you want vintage seventh, eighth and ninth men, they've got enough to supply a conference.

Who put together this collection of third guards, fourth forwards, backup centers and rookies who are two years away. Oh, sorry, that would be Michael, wouldn't it?

Last April, Rip Hamilton and Courtney Alexander jacked the ball up from everywhere, played little defense and entertained fans with their offense -- combining for 50 to 65 points five times. But the team was genuinely dismal. The flashy duo, heralded by marketers as "new stars," was mostly a distracting sideshow.

But the team he helped assemble seldom comes close to winning. Even at home. Some of the players in whom Jordan once held hopes are now disappointments, like Jahidi White (five-year contract). The two lottery picks he got in the Howard deal -- Alexander and Etan Thomas -- are now viewed within the organization as extremely pretty players. That isn't a compliment. The lure of free agent Tyronn Lue, a Jordan signee, eludes some.

It's starting to look like Jordan's punishment for picking this hold-the-fort-'til-help-arrives team is that he has to play with them.