With the trades Washington made this offseason, it was clear they were entering a rebuilding period. Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis were two of the top players on their roster. Both were traded away this offseason. Now, the team is left with Kyle Kuzma as their star player. The former NBA Champion is a fine player, but he’s not an elite talent who can just carry the team each night.
That is why the Wizards are 7-36 in 2023-24. They are 1-9 in their last 10 and are on a five-game losing streak. Today, Washington decided they are moving on from head coach Wes Unseld Jr. and will have an interim for the rest of the season. Unseld will be staying with the team, moving to a front-office role. The Wizards need to nail their next head coaching hire if they want to move forward as a franchise.
Washington will have an interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023-24 season
Unseld compiled a record of 77-130 (.372) in his two-plus seasons with the team. Wizards will have an interim coach for the season and hire a full-time coach in the offseason. https://t.co/4ozhG6PbCe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 25, 2024
Wes Unseld Jr. was in his third season as head coach of the Wizards. In his first two years, Unseld led the team to a 35-47 record each season. Through 43 games in 2023-24, the Wizards were 7-36. Team President Micahel Winger had some tough conversations with Unseld Jr. and the team clearly respects him. His father was a legendary player for Washington back when the team was still called the Bullets. He led the team to an NBA title back in 1977-78.
Additionally, his father Wes Unsled also coached the the Bullets for five seasons. With all his family history in the organization, firing Wes Unseld Jr. was not the right move for their organization. The 48-year-old was an assistant in the NBA for 15 seasons before becoming a head coach in 2021-22. He was an assistant in Washington for six seasons and that’s where he got his start in the NBA. Unseld Jr. has deep ties with the Wizards and he understands where the team is trying to go. A reason why they are keeping him around in a front-office role.
Breaking: Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. is out as head coach and will move to a front office advisory position, the team announced. pic.twitter.com/hhvl6BFSG7
— ESPN (@espn) January 25, 2024
The talent level on Washington’s roster is simply not there. That’s why Wes Unseld Jr. cannot take all the blame for the team’s lack of success. It’s hard to win in this league when you don’t have stars who can produce on a nightly basis. Washington has zero all-stars on their roster in 2023-24 and it’s been a glaring issue. Essentially, the Wizards will do their best job to “tank” the rest of the season away to have the chance at a top lottery pick in the 2024 Draft. They’ve done a nice job so far at 7-36. Only the Pistons have a worse record than the Wizards do.
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