Why the Wizards Should Pursue John Calipari
The Washington Wizards are sputtering to the finish line at the end of the 2014-2015 season. They have gone 8-17 over their past 25 games and during the stretch had separate losing streaks of four, five, and six games. This is not a slump. This is falling off a cliff. This is an old roster that is regressing before our very eyes.
If there was ever a window open for this particular group, it has already closed. Heading towards the NBA Playoffs for the second year in a row, I’m not sure it’s possible for there to be less enthusiasm and excitement surrounding this franchise’s prospects this postseason.
This has put the emphasis on Randy Wittman.
His coaching has come under fire by some and his short, terse responses to post game questions of his tactics would lead you to believe that his fuse is getting very short. Is his job in jeopardy? There doesn’t seem to be an answer although as this report states, because he is due guaranteed money, Wittman will likely keep his spot on the bench.
Will Randy Wittman be fired and do I think he deserves to be fired? The answer to the latter is yes. I hate to talk about someone losing their job so callously, but it’s the nature of the business in the NBA and results are what matters.
Randy Wittman did some positive things here, but his antiquated offense (and lack of acknowledgement of these offensive issues), and habit of blaming the players after nearly every loss has grown tiresome. Will he get fired? I have no idea nor will I pretend to guess what Ted Leonsis has in mind.
However, for the sake of this blog, let’s pretend he does. Who’s next? My answer: John Calipari. Regarding a potential return to the NBA for Coach Cal, a recent report indicates that John Calipari “desperately wants it.”
Stop Stop Stop; you want John Calipari, who already failed once in the NBA to coach the Washington Wizards?
Yes, I not only want him to coach the Wizards, I want him to be handed the keys to the kingdom.
This isn’t college! He can’t just go pick any McDonalds All-American he wants.
No he can’t, but how aggressively he’s recruited in college shows me one thing: he won’t settle or get complacent.
I’m listening
Well, you should since we’re the same person, but I’ll continue.
There are the front office people in the NBA who make things happen, and there are ones who hope things happen for them. Pat Riley is a perfect example. How long does he stay down? He lost LeBron James and quickly recovered to re-sign Chris Bosh, sign Loul Deng, and trade for Goran Dragic.
If Dragic re-signs this offseason and Bosh recovers from his health issue, they could contend for the Eastern Conference.
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Sam Presti saw his team struggling and sprang into action adding Enes Kanter, Dion Wiaters, Kyle Singler, and D.J. Augustin during the course of the season.
The top GMs/Presidents get lucky to an extent but also create their fortune. They don’t sit back and wait.
While John Calipari will have different constraints in terms of how he can acquire players under the CBA, I believe his current mindset will translate to the NBA.
He won’t settle. He’ll continue to build the roster and if the roster plateaus or regresses he’ll look for someone better.
Wait, we have Ernie as our Team President. Would John Calipari come on board with Ernie controlling personnel?
Calipari working for Ernie! Come on, why did you make me spit out my Mountain Dew?
But what about Ernie?
I don’t want to talk about him. If Randy Wittman is fired and Ernie is back, then life as we know it makes no sense. Let’s get back to John Calipari.
Yeah, let me grab a notepad
Wising up there I see.
OK, for the sake of John Wall, the Washington Wizards should pursue John Calipari.
John Wall has been the best player on the Wizards this year, but I still don’t believe we’ve seen his potential maximized. Who better to coach him through the ups and downs of an 82 game schedule than his beloved college coach? Wall’s struggles occur when the Wizards play slow tempo, low energy basketball, and walk the ball up the court. I wouldn’t think Coach Cal would approach things that way.
And then there’s Kevin Durant
In a little more than one year the Wizards will have THE MOST IMPORTANT RECRUITING PITCH IN THIS FRANCHISE’S HISTORY.
Who is better qualified to make that pitch; Ernie Grunfeld or the best recruiter in college basketball right now? But let’s think beyond Kevin Durant…
There are 13 players who John Calipari coached at Kentucky currently in the NBA, many of whom are high caliber. That doesn’t include the handful of NBA prospects on this current Kentucky squad.
A Calipari coached team with John Wall at point guard WILL be a free agent destination.
What about the money?
It’s not my money and I don’t have the slightest insight into the Wizards economics.
John Calipari will be in demand and likely will require more money than Ernie Grunfeld and Randy Wittman combined on an annual basis. However, wouldn’t that be more than offset by the increase in season ticket sales, popularity, and brand that comes with John Calipari?
I’ll tell you one thing as a season ticket holder; I’d be more open to ticket price hikes with Calipari in charge than I would with the Ernie & Randy Show continuing us down this path of perpetuity. The Wizards would instantly jump from a 2nd tier team in a weak conference that gets little national and moderate local coverage to a brand name and a topic of discussion.
This franchise and the fanbase, in my opinion, needs a jolt. Coach Cal can bring that.
That’s it! John Calipari for President!! Where do I go to vote?
1. You’re not registered; 2. Let’s just start with him coaching the Wizards and go from there.
How’s this slogan? “There is no #KD2DC without #CoachCal2DC!!”
I like it.