Wizards continue organizational reshaping with G League head coach hire
By Cem Yolbulan
The Washington Wizards had an offseason full of changes. They have a new team president, a new general manager, and most importantly, a new direction. They traded away their two stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. It’s basically a brand-new era in Washington. And it seems like the changes aren’t going to stop any time soon.
Last week, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN announced that the Washington Wizards hired Cody Toppert as the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go, their G League affiliate.
The Washington Wizards are hiring LSU assistant Cody Toppert to be the franchise’s G League head coach with the Capital City Go-Go, sources tell ESPN. Toppert previously worked with the Phoenix Suns as an NBA assistant and G League head coach.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2023
Toppert will be replacing Mike Williams, who was the head coach for the last two seasons and the youngest head coach in the G-League at age 27. Williams joined the Utah Jazz as an assistant coach in Will Hardy’s staff earlier this summer.
Toppert has previously worked as a head coach in the G League for Phoenix Suns’ affiliate team. He later worked under Monty Williams in Phoenix, then moved to Memphis to work under Penny Hardaway before joining the LSU coaching staff.
This may not seem like a very significant hire for the organization. However, it’s important for the new front office to put in place coaches and leaders to help execute their vision for the franchise. If the Wizards ownership is serious about it being a new era in Washington, it’s important that changes happen in every aspect of the organization. The ownership, management, coaches, and players being on the same page in terms of vision and a plan for the future of the franchise is key to success.
In fact, Capital City Go-Go coaching staff has an even larger role in the franchise now that the organization is rebuilding. There will be plenty of young Wizards who will have to spend time in the G League. This could include lottery picks Johnny Davis and Bilal Coulibaly, as well as new additions Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins. Having competent coaching there is an important part of the development of these prospects.
Every Wizards fan is hoping for an improvement in the player development front for the Wizards. The franchise has struggled in developing its own draft picks in recent years. Let’s hope this is a step in the right direction for the new-look Washington Wizards.
