Across the NBA, it’s no secret that Washington has become a bit of a punching bag. From the reactions league-wide to Bam Adebayo’s big game to the continued speculation around Anthony Davis playing for the team, the Wizards’ reputation looks to be at a league-wide low.
As the team prepares for a new league year, they’ll look to revitalize their reputation with a key addition in the NBA Draft.
A new poll from The Athletic, however, will only add fuel to the flame.
Head Coach Brian Keefe was named the “least impressive” coach in the NBA in a recent survey by The Athletic, polling 100 players in the NBA. The athletes cited the team’s loss to Miami, where they allowed 83 points to Adebayo, as a key piece of their opinions of Keefe.
“They should all be out of the league for that,” an anonymous player said to The Athletic.
The buzz around Keefe creates some interesting questions for Washington, as they head into a new phase of their rebuild. Is the coach really the right leader to lead the team back to prominence?
Washington faces a tough decision to start 2026, one that places a lot of pressure on their coach to win early in the year.
Brian Keefe deserves a chance with a competitive team
Coaches with Keefe’s level of success rarely stick around in the league. The Coach has just a 43-160 record during his tenure, good for a .212 winning percentage. That ranks dead-last among all NBA coaches.
So why is Keefe still around? The answer likely lies in the team surrounding him. Keefe has never been given a team expected to be competitive, working his way through 3 rebuilding seasons.
In past years in the NBA, we’ve seen coaches who have captained rebuilding teams allowed to stick around, not blamed for their roster’s struggles. Recent examples have had mixed results, from the struggles of former 76ers Coach Brett Brown to the success of current Thunder Coach Mark Daigenault.
The formula continues to occur across the league, though, as teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings have kept coaches with losing records.
This year could be a make-or-break one for Keefe, given what the team hopes is a much more competitive roster. As two former All-Stars enter the fold, all eyes will be on the coach as he looks to prove he can achieve success with higher expectations.
The Wizards don’t have many other options
It’s easy to be critical of Keefe in a vacuum, given the team’s lack of success. The reality is, however, the options on the coaching market are rather slim, making him less expendable.
This year’s crop of head coaching candidates is uninspiring to say the least, with very few proven options at the NBA level.
Just two coaches who have won a playoff series in the last 5 years are available: Tom Thibodeau, an unlikely fit for Washington’s youth, and former Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer, who is just 2 years removed from a disastrous season in Phoenix.
Firing Keefe would also require one of these coaches to want the Washington job. It wouldn’t be surprising to see high-level, experienced coaches turn down the opportunity because of the team’s dysfunction in recent years.
All in all, the best option for the Wizards is to block out the noise and keep Keefe in the building. It’ll be exciting to see what Washington looks like with the Coach at the helm in 2026, revealing how “impressive” he really is.
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