Crap. I hope my blog post from three weeks ago wasn't the nail in the coffin.
The Wizards, who have advanced past the first round of the
NBA playoffs just once since 1981, must now find and convince someone that it's a gig worth taking. Good luck.Saunders never really had much of a shot in Washington. The veteran coach -- who had led Minnesota and Detroit to postseasons in 11 of his 13 seasons prior to coming to the nation's capital -- went just 51-130 in his stint with Washington.
That's what happens when you surround the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft (John Wall) with an entire team that has cumulatively had two All-Star Game appearances (Rashard Lewis both times). Saunders was the scapegoat, and he knows it. And that sucks, because the Wizards aren't going to get a better coach.
They fired Eddie Jordan, who led the Wizards to four postseasons in six years. And they fired Doug Collins, who went 37-45 twice, missing the playoffs both years. Collins took over head coaching duties with the Sixers and led them to the playoffs last year (and likely this year, too).
After a while, it's hard to think it's not you.
Washington needs to figure things out quickly. It only has Wall under contract for two more seasons before he's a restricted free agent. And outside of him, the team's talent from top to bottom is arguably the worst in the league. Players like Nick Young and JaVale McGee are complementary pieces on playoff rosters, not guys who should be starting -- and leading the team in points or rebounds in any given night.
It's not a great time to be a Wizards fan, that's for sure. The team needs a talent infusion quickly, and getting a high pick in the lottery and drafting a big man like Kentucky's Anthony Davis or Kansas' Thomas Robinson would be a step in the right direction. Until then, look for the Wizards to have the most ping pong balls in the lottery come June.
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