Why did the Washington Wizards fire their head coach? | The Athletic NBA Show

Why did the Washington Wizards fire their head coach? | The Athletic NBA Show

West unel Jr uh a couple years in uh is now moving to a front office advisory role you know we know that that that team has obviously been floundering they they didn’t have expectations coming in and I’m curious to hear how you unpack this because you know in in start

Contrast to a Milwaukee Buck situation where it’s it’s really not hard and complicated to see why there was pressure um this is extremely different more nuanced uh more complicated uh what kind of clarity if any do you have on on why they made this choice I thought that this has been

Inevitable for a long time and I don’t think it’s because of the Wizard’s record even though I do think that organization probably thought it would be a little bit better coming into this season than they ended up being but let’s go through the timeline so sometime over the summer

Shortly after last season ends the Wizards fire Tommy Shephard who was pretty previously their team president and they clear out part though not all of the front office and along with the news that the Wizards are firing Tommy Shepard another piece of news comes out as well whoever gets hired will not be

Allowed to pick their new head coach Wes unel Jr is staying in as head coach now Ted leonis who is the owner of the Wizards puts a very large emphasis on local ties puts a very large emphasis on organization ties and while I believe

That Wes unel Jr put in his time as an assistant coach and was ridiculously well respected as an assistant coach the Wizards were not the first place that he ever got ahead coaching interview when he got that job everybody raved with him part of the reason that leonis was so

Sold on him was because of the Romanticism of having Wes unsel Jr the son of maybe the greatest player in franchise history the only Finals MVP in franchise history the only MVP in franchise history having his son as the coach of the the team especially when

West Jr started off as as an advanced Scout and then an assistant coach with the Wizards themselves uh and I think it’s putting everybody involved at a disadvantage when seconds after the news comes out that you’re hiring a new lead executive in your front office and they didn’t just hire a

New lead exec they brought in Michael Winger and they also brought in Will Dawkins as GM they brought in Travis schlank I I I think it’s putting everybody involved at a dis Advantage when it’s immediately known before you hire whomever you want there’s no way you’re picking your own coach and at

That point the clock is just going to be ticking on that guy and it’s going to set back your process I think that’s kind of what happened here pretty much any front office who comes in is gonna want to pick their own coach uh and I I

Don’t think this was a case of Wes doing some sort of horrific job I don’t think this was a case of something happening with the team that made them say we have to move on I mean I think the team underperformed in terms of the way

That they wanted to lose like I think they expected more out of Jordan pool I think they expected more disciplined play I don’t think they expected this defense to be as bad as it was and I think there were elements to wanting to move on from him but I think this was

Inevitable maybe it wasn’t inevitable to happen on Thursday January 25th but it was inevitable to happen at some point this is just how these things tend to go when an owner says you’re not allowed to choose own head coach until you are by the way the uh Will Dawkins and Michael

Winger Oklahoma City Thunder you know backgrounds Brian Keefe Thunder background came in as an assistant where you say you know you don’t pick your head coach well sometimes you pick your lead assistant coach and the guy who’s gonna be tapped on the shoulder when the time comes um you immediately announc

What he’s there you immediately announc that he’s the guy for the rest of the season yeah yeah which mean I mean he’s gonna have a crack at the actual job yeah clearly um and it’s you know like at least part of you know you say set

Back their process I do think part like they didn’t necessarily because I think part of hiring them was like you got some time right it was like they’re finally doing the full rebuild um I don’t think they feel panicked this isn’t a panic move it was the inevitable

Move you set that up uh you know in like a correct framing but um yeah and then the whole and I think this is it’s good context for you on the whole West un sou West s junor thing because it wasn’t fired goodbye right it’s it’s stay with

The organization at least for now so indeed I also I also leonis is not necessarily known for for paying people out to leave as well that’s another part of it too which is why you do the transition then you bring up the you’ll be going to the Georgetown game tomorrow

To scout college prospects because you have a paycheck sir exactly like that feels a little bit this is a front office thing but you know Larry Riley back in the day when the warriors were reshing their front office you know you you guys that you like and respect and

Especially who have that kind of History uh family history with the franchise Optics wise PR wise with the fans a wise move I think to have Wes you know move into that role um all right good stuff guys uh isn’t it funny though by the way

Just as a quick commentary that you know the difference between high-profile reporting and Analysis on those teams like the Milwaukee Buck and then admittedly um the way that we we handle some teams that are that are just on a different tier you know what I mean like

We’re not going to have 3,000 words coming on inside the uh the West unell Junior decision speak for yourself Fair speak for your damn self that jins go read Josh Robins you not true for next guy what do you know about low profile Mr Nick P rer get out of

Here can I can I say one thing you got time to talk to us Fred because you got your own Nick pod that also is a reflection of you know the high-profile team that you cover you you don’t know that life cats and shoot you can subscribe at patreon.com cats and shoot

But so I I am I just want to say I don’t think we have any idea what kind of Coach Wes unold Jr is what kind of head coach he is uh I just I I don’t think he ever really got an opportunity to coach a real

Team they got off to that really hot start a couple of years ago at 10 and three and everything fell off but the culture on that team from a players perspective was really off like I I have heard like for example that year they have Montes Herold in their locker room

And they and Harold was good for them on the court and I am telling you I can’t remember the last time I heard a team so excited to trade somebody away they were like the only only objective for the trade deadline is you have to trade away montra Herold because what’s the

Disorganization that’s happening in this locker room associated with him right now and there’s a reason they traded him for ish Smith who is like the ultimate beloved locker room leader who had been in that organization twice before and then a third time because they were like

We just need the biggest upgrade there I don’t think that was that was a um I don’t think that was a West unel I don’t think that was West UNS Sal’s fault you have the entire Bradley Beal situation hovering over everything you have Beal’s injuries hovering over everything you

Have a a team that’s that’s one foot in one foot out you know would constantly chase the eight seed now that it’s the play in we chase the 10 seed in order to try to make it work you’ve had them Miss on draft picks I mean that Johnny Davis

Pick is is one of the looking like one of the most disappointing lottery picks of in recent history in terms of the fact that like he is just not even getting a chance to see the see the court uh so like this was not a good

Situation for him and then you get this team which is not even necessarily A rebuilding team they’re in like the pre- rebuild they’re in the pre-build right where like they’re they’re they’ve got these guys who like aren’t necessarily going to be part of the future other

Than maybe a Corey kissper or Denny AIA they’ve got these guys who aren’t going to be part of their future but are just kind of like they there in the meantime you know Marvin baggley who’s just there in the meantime and and it’s just this conglomeration of players that is really

Difficult to mesh together I I have no idea what kind of head coach W un he got out yeah he got out cleaner than Adrien Griffin is is a way that I would put you know Adrien had the Optics and the stuff that went on I think it’s going to be

You know hard for him to get another head coaching job and and Wes didn’t you know come out batter than bruis like that um also Slater you kind of challenged Fred like that we weren’t unpacking enough and then he just do my God I’m sorry Fred I’m sorry good job

The Athletic NBA Show discuss the Washington Wizards’ future and Wes Unseld Jr.