44th Straight Summer of Basketball Purgatory: Official Washington Wizards 2023 Offseason Thread

[FAH1223]

So,

is safe. His contract runs at the same time as the architect's.

Ted Leonsis has resigned himself to employing both Tommy and Wes for a full 4-year term. Tommy has been the top executive for 4 years already.

Is Wes a good coach? The blown leads, the robotic rotations at times lead me to believe no. But, he's working with a limited roster with a star player who missed 30 games. So I can't say he's a terrible coach either.

There is no hope on the horizon. They will probably drop in the lottery rather than move up because that's what happens with the Bullets when they win more than 30 games. The last time they moved up in the lotto was 2013... from 8 to 3 and Otto was selected.

And even within the top 10, we've seen them tell a franchise altering PG they would take him in 2020 only to not be able to help themselves and take Deni instead.

While Johnny Davis is showing signs of life, we've seen how Jalen Williams has showed out in OKC, quite a few Wiz fans were onto him at the end of last season before the combine. Once again, internet fans are better scouts than the guys Leonsis is employing.

The roster is well over the projected salary cap of $134M. Porzingis is going to opt out and re-sign by all accounts. They probably will re-sign Kuzma and those two with their new deals will tell if they get to the luxury tax threshold of $162M.

The two biggest holes on the roster are SF and an upgrade at PG. There is no true SF on this roster. It has a bunch of PFs on it. Morris and Wright are signed for next season at MLE levels and while they're both competent NBA players, they don't shift a defense. I'd keep Wright and use Monte in a trade because this roster's problem is... not enough two-way players.

Anyway, its the 44th season in a row of no conference finals, no NBA finals, no 50-wins.

The front office will find a new and wild way to draft a marginal player... or find a way to stunt the growth of the few promising young guys they have.

Will Brad finally request out? I doubt it. He has 160 points to become the Bullets/Wizards all-time leading scorer which will surely happen in October-November.

Shout out to the Capital CITY GO-GO for being the only bright spot with this NBA franchise. Amber Nichols would be a better GM than Tommy Sheppard and she ain't even 30 years old yet IIRC. Atleast she understands the modern NBA.



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[FAH1223]

The Athletic article above:

WASHINGTON — Eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, the Washington Wizards could undergo significant changes in the offseason ahead.

Head coach will not be one of them.

Wes Unseld Jr. will remain the Wizards’ coach for the 2023-24 season, The Athletic has learned.

“He is our coach moving forward,” Wizards president and general manager Tommy Sheppard said Tuesday.

Washington has missed the postseason and posted losing records in both of Unseld’s two seasons as its coach. But Sheppard said Unseld has faced headwinds beyond Unseld’s control, most notably injuries to key contributors and a revolving door of players. Bradley Beal, the team’s top player who also has one of the NBA’s most expensive contracts, missed half of last season and is on track to appear in just 50 games this season.

Hired by Sheppard in 2021, Unseld brought a reputation as a strong defensive tactician and was tasked with shoring up the Wizards’ notoriously leaky defense. That improvement has not occurred, at least when judged by the team’s defensive rating. After finishing 20th in defensive rating in Scott Brooks’ final season as coach in 2020-21, the Wizards ranked 25th in Unseld’s first season and sit at 20th this season.

Unseld’s supporters within the coaching profession argue that Washington’s roster lacks enough two-way players: players who are adept offensively and defensively.

The Wizards have suffered from poor health during Unseld’s tenure. The team’s three best players — Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porziņģis — played in only 35 games together this season, amassing a 16-19 record.

The team fared much better when Beal, Kuzma and Porziņģis all played in games that point guard and standout perimeter defender Delon Wright also appeared in, going 12-9.

Unseld, 47, is the son of Wes Unseld Sr., the most consequential player in franchise history, who also spent 6 1/2 years as the team’s coach when it was named the Washington Bullets.

Rumors run rampant within the NBA, especially at this time of year, and as the Wizards’ playoff chances dwindled in recent weeks, scuttlebutt has swirled that the younger Unseld’s job could be in jeopardy. Sheppard commented about Unseld’s job security in response to direct questions from The Athletic.

Unseld’s contract with Washington runs through the 2024-25 season.


The franchise typically remains patient with its coaches. Since the 2003-04 season, Flip Saunders has been the only Wizards coach not on an interim tag whose tenure lasted fewer than three full seasons.

Eddie Jordan’s tenure lasted five full seasons and a fraction of a sixth. Randy Wittman coached four full seasons after team officials removed his interim label. Brooks spent five seasons in the job.


In November 2021, Monumental Sports & Entertainment principal owner and CEO Ted Leonsis promoted Sheppard and extended Sheppard’s contract through the 2024-25 season, with a team option for 2025-26.

Washington owns a 34-45 record this season and sits in a three-way tie for the NBA’s sixth-worst record.

 

[Heavy_Handz]

They should clean house and truly tank. Instead they’ll re-sign Porzingis and he will immediately become injury prone again. Why would you throw money to Porzingis & Kuzma when you suck terrible with those guys? Just throw away the whole franchise.

 

[Dad]

Athletic article: Anyway, its the 44th season in a row of no conference finals

 

[lightskin jermaine]

Johnny Davis with a good game

 

[lochead]

I hate this fuccin team

 

[Mull]

I’m optimistic about KP going forward. Praying to the moon and stars we could some blow luck up and grab Scoot but in the most likely scenario I’m happy with a top 7 pick

 

[Rob's al Ghul]

I could give a care about contracts; if Bob Myers steps down, you tell him to name his price and let him decide what to do with WUJ (and KP/Kuz for that matter). Will never happen, but let me dream!

I'm actually feeling the draft gods will be smiling on us a la 2013. I think we'll jump into the T3, especially if we lock up 5th-worst - hopefully POR/IND/ORL keep playing hard. Doubt even Tommy could blow that high a pick in this draft.

 

[Mr swag]

I could give a care about contracts; if Bob Myers steps down, you tell him to name his price and let him decide what to do with WUJ (and KP/Kuz for that matter). Will never happen, but let me dream!

I'm actually feeling the draft gods will be smiling on us a la 2013. I think we'll jump into the T3, especially if we lock up 5th-worst - hopefully POR/IND/ORL keep playing hard. Doubt even Tommy could blow that high a pick in this draft.

Bob myers has one of the greatest players of all time and a 200 million roster and they are just trying to make the play-in…….pass

 

[duckbutta]

Bob myers has one of the greatest players of all time and a 200 million roster and they are just trying to make the play-in…….pass

Realist post I seen on the coli in a minute

 

[mastermind]

Bob myers has one of the greatest players of all time and a 200 million roster and they are just trying to make the play-in…….pass

this is true

 

[Wiirdo]

It's just depressing supporting this team. Other than for a brief second with the Wall-Beal core, there's been nothing to root for and just the most incompetent owner and management possible. They should have been tanking months ago

 

[Bigblackted4]

Hell of a thread name, I’ll always be sensitive to y’all because I lived there but y’all gots to do something diffeeent

 

[Black]

I feel sick!

 

[FAH1223]

Hell of a thread name, I’ll always be sensitive to y’all because I lived there but y’all gots to do something diffeeent

I’m thinking of naming the 2023-24 Season Thread

“Get on the Bullets Train to 35 wins!”