The Washington Wizards' disastrous season is almost over, and it could be coach Randy Wittman's last with the team. ESPN's Brian Windhorst appeared on ESPN 980's The Tony Kornheiser Show (10:45 mark here) on Monday and said that Wittman is almost definitely a goner:
"I mean, look, Randy's probably 99 percent certain he's going to be fired on Thursday morning," Windhorst said. "There were people who legitimately made the case that the Wizards would have finished with the No. 2 record in the East this year and that they had all of the weapons required to go to the Eastern finals and make a run. Granted, they had so many injuries -- for a while, I think three-quarters of the way through the season they had the most games missed -- but their complete collapse defensively and their inability to execute despite really having a lot of weapons at their disposal was just embarrassing. A lost season, not only because of the [Kevin] Durant thing."
Washington was indeed expected to contend for the Eastern Conference crown this year, and its season has been embarrassing any way you look at it. The Wizards finally tried to pick up the pace, but could not do so effectively and lost their identity. As a result, they missed the playoffs.
The presence of John Wall and Bradley Beal in the backcourt means that their future isn't necessarily bleak, but nobody sees them the same way as they did last year. Washington needs major changes, and perhaps that will start with the coaching staff.
Wittman has a 176-199 record over five seasons with the Wizards, but he saw them through the transition from a young, wild team to a tough, defensive-minded one. This season has been a major step back, however, and every part of the organization should be re-evaluated.
