Washington Wizards Q and A: Thunder Writers Discuss Scott Brooks

5) And finally, what was your reaction to the Washington Wizards hiring Brooks and how will he help the team in ways Randy Wittman couldn’t?

J.A. Sherman (@WTLC):

My feelings on Brooks are that when the Thunder let him go, it was past due.

His time in OKC had run its course, and the team wasn’t getting any better. That’s fine, that’s the way things work for every franchise who doesn’t employ Popovich. But it doesn’t mean Brooks isn’t a good coach, or that he can’t get better.

What I hope is that Brooks, just like Rick Carlisle did after he was fired by the Pistons, will learn from his mistakes and be a stronger coach in his next go ’round.

I think he will, and the Wizards will hopefully regain their identity in the pecking order in the East.

Shawn Woods (@Shawn_Woods15):

I was never a huge Wittman fan (although, admittedly, I wasn’t as close to the situation as others), but the Brooks’ hiring was a curious one.

Brooks has shown the ability to get a team from point A (acquiring young talent) to point B (developing and making said young talent competitive), but he hasn’t shown whether or not he can take a team from point B to wherever it needs to go.

As with most of these questions, my answer tends to lean toward “to be determined” because I’m not sure there’s enough information yet to conclude what kind of coach Brooks actually is.

Next: A Wizard Developer: Drew Hanlen Interview

I think he would have been a great hire for the Magic, Lakers or New Orleans (last year) — all teams that need to develop young talent — but we’ve never seen him in this current situation, one where he’s the new lead voice on a team that expects to win right now.