What will the Washington Wizards do with their disappointing staff?

The Washington Wizards have disappointed to say the least. From blowing 15-point leads a league leading seven times to losing close games in key matchups. The Wizards have seen failure this season and they’ve seen it in nearly every way possible for a team trying to win a championship.

The biggest recipients of the pointing fingers have been head coach Wes Unseld Jr and general manager Tommy Sheppard. Both have been iffy at best this season and have not put the team in a position to succeed.

This is an organization trying to win games and has the talent to do so. Yet they are barely able to make the Play-In Tournament while not even being close to the most injury prone team this season. This is not a great sign for continued success with the current staff.

What will the Washington Wizards do with their questionable staff?

Wes Unseld Jr and Tommy Sheppard have been probably the two least popular names among fans of Washington athletics. The first for not putting together a successful gameplan and the latter for putting together this team and passing on All-Stars with alarming regularity in the span of only a few years.

However, it is unlikely that the Washington Wizards make any significant staffing changes during the offseason. This is for a variety of reasons.

Starting with Tommy Sheppard, he just hasn’t been at the helm long enough to step down or be fired just yet. Many of his draft picks haven’t yet had time to develop and his free agent signings have actually been pretty solid, although not mind blowing.

If he comes short in the draft again this offseason and the team fails to put Bradley Beal in a winning situation once again next season, then it would be a different story, but for now, he is most likely staying put.

Wes Unseld Jr has a different story. He is the son of the greatest figure in franchise history Wes Unseld. Unseld Sr was the greatest player in franchise history, he was the head coach, and he was the general manager at two different points in time.

Unseld Jr was not only signed due to his name though, but he also had a reputation for being an elite developmental coach and was said to have defensive schemes on the level of Tom Thibodeau. None of these aspects have been seen in his first two seasons.

However, development takes time more often than not. Numerous young players on the roster have shown flashes of greatness this season and may require a level of patience to see what he can do to bring out the best in the youth on this roster.

The combination of being the son of a franchise icon and his reputation from before he signed on as the head coach of the franchise gives him a bit of immunity from being fired. Even if he is one of the worst head coaches in the NBA.

What can the Washington Wizards do to improve their staffing problems?

The first step in fixing their problem is finding a better head scout. Clearly something is going wrong with whoever is scouting talent as Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, and Johnny Davis have all disappointed compared to where they were drafted.

The scouting department is where it all begins for the NBA so that’s where teams trapped in mediocrity should start. Although, for the Wizards it may not be that simple. They have managed to find undrafted talent incredibly easy. Xavier Cooks who is just entering the NBA with a lot of promise and Jordan Goodwin are both finds from the pool of undrafted players.

Maybe they just need to find somebody who has a great track record of finding elite players in the lottery and try to bring them on as a scout for the team.

The next step the Wizards should take is hiring a creative assistant coach. Many great teams have had a two headed coaching staff. One great defensive coach and one great offensive coach. From the Golden State Warriors with Steve Kerr and Mike Brown to the Boston Celtics with Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau, this is a concept that is proven to work.

There is a strong possibility that Wes Unseld Jr is a great defensive coach like many believed, but is focusing too hard on the offense, an area he is not so great in, causing the entire team to stumble and fall. Bringing in a coach to do nothing but create the offense could be huge for this team.

There are numerous coaches who have proven to be interesting on offense that are currently available and could make a huge impact for the Wizards. Mike D’antoni, Steve Nash, and Nate McMillan have all run successful offenses in the past. Even JJ Reddick could be an interesting assistant coach for this team if he were interested.

The point is, they need an assistant coach who can take the offense out of Unseld Jr’s hands so that he can focus on what he is supposed to be good at.

If the Washington Wizards can make these changes, their staff should look much stronger next season and that is always the first step of any team looking to win a championship.