Washington Wizards: Three Big Questions at the Halfway Mark

Will the Wizards bring back Scott Brooks as coach?

Midway through Year 3 of Scott Brooks‘s five-year contract with the Wizards, and it wouldn’t be fair to say it’s been a letdown. The team made the playoffs in each of the first two seasons, including making it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2017. Overall, his record is a sufficient 108-97, giving him a winning percentage of .527.

But there’s no denying that Brooks’s tenure seems to be trending in a negative direction since that Game 7 exit in 2017. In that season, the team went 49-33 for their best record in decades and the four-seed in the East; the following year, they went 43-39 and snuck in as the eight-seed before being bounced in the first round. This year, the Wizards are X games below .500 at 16-25 and an outside chance at the postseason.

At times, it has felt like Brooks has lost the locker room as reports of confrontational and angry practices. On the other hand, he’s not to blame for some of the challenges the Wizards face, such as a limited roster or injuries to key players. That said, if this season goes off the rails quickly and it looks like the team is spinning out of control, Brooks could be on the hook for that, injuries or not.

Best guess is that the Wizards retain Brooks for at least one more year. He’s one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA right now, and letting him go while he still collects paychecks from the organization isn’t in the team’s best interest. Keep him though indicates that the team will likely run it back one more year, even if it feels a little stale, and is kicking the rebuilding can down the road.

Fans may differ on what approach they want management to take–either start anew or max out on the current core of players–but whatever decision is made about Brooks will be telling.