Category: Washington Wizards Blog

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On the Wizards with vs without Dwight Howard

 

 

 

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Here’s NBC Sports Washington with a look at the 8-13 Wizards and center Dwight Howard, who has only played nine games this season, averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game:

With Howard, the Wizards have allowed their opponents to score 112.6 points and grab 43.7 rebounds per game. In their 12 games without him, Wizards opponents have scored 122.5 points and averaged 51.8 rebounds per game.

That means the Wizards are giving up nearly 10 more points per game without Howard than they are with him. That is a huge margin.

With Howard, they have been a mediocre defense and without him they have been historically bad. Their 118.2 points allowed average per game this season is highest in the NBA and already on pace to be the worst since the 1990-91 Denver Nuggets.

So far, the Wizards are only 4-5 with Howard. But they are 4-8 when he’s out of the lineup and they were out-rebounded in all eight of those losses.

The Wizards are off today. Tomorrow they play the Sixers in Philadelphia.

Wizards sign forward Okaro White

 

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The Washington Wizards signed free agent forward Okaro White today.

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound guard-forward averaged 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 41 career games during the last two seasons (2016-18) with the Miami Heat. He played for Florida State between 2013-17, averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Seminoles, and went undrafted.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, White in 2016-17 played in 23 games in the G League for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and averaged 18.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

There are now 14 players on the Wizards roster, not including Devin Robinson and Jordan McRae, who are signed to two-way contracts.

Wizards keep struggling, fall to 2-9

The Wizards lost to the Magic 117-108 on Friday and are now 2-9 for the season, which is the second-worst record in the Eastern conference, ahead only of the 1-10 Cleveland Cavaliers. Dwight Howard made his Wizards debut on November 2, but the team has lost three of the four games he’s played in. It’s tough to say what the short-term answer is. Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting:

The Washington Wizards are far from tapping out on the young season even though Friday’s 117-108 loss to the Magic dropped their record to a shocking 2-9. When it comes to talking about all that’s wrong during this rough start to the season, they’ve run out of explanations.

Sure, there are general responses about sticking together despite the trying times, and playing with the intensity displayed during a second-half rally that cut a 25-point deficit to one with 2:30 remaining. The mistakes on both ends of the court remain. If the players knew an obvious fix, they would execute or at least explain. The situation is beyond that for a team last league-wide in points allowed and tied with the Phoenix Suns for the NBA’s second-worst record.

“It’s the definition of insanity, I guess,” Bradley Beal said postgame when asked what can be said about consistent defensive lapses. “Just have to do it. Just have to get it done. There’s nothing else to say, nothing else to even talk about. Just go get the damn job done, and do whatever it takes to get it done, win games. That’s what we’re going to do.”

— Full Article

Wizards sign Chasson Randle

Wizards sign Chasson Randle

The Washington Wizards yesterday (Tuesday, October 30) signed guard Chasson Randle from the Capital City Go-Go.

Randle (6-3, 185) spent 2018 training camp with the Wizards and appeared in three preseason games, where he averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 assists per game.

The 25-year-old guard spent the 2016-17 season split between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, appearing in 26 total games and averaging 5.3 points per game. The Stanford graduate also appeared in 21 NBA G League games in 2016-17, averaging 20.5 points per game in those contests. Randle spent the 2017-18 season with Real Madrid in Spain, averaging 3.6 points per game in 46 games.

Washington’s roster now stands at 14, not including two-way players Devin Robinson and Jordan McRae.

Wizards restructure their coaching and training staff

Wizards restructure their coaching and training staff

The Washington Wizards announced their re-structured coaching and training staff for the 2018-19 season today.

Joining Scott Brooks and Tony Brown on the front of the bench will be Robert Pack and Ryan Richman, while Kristi Toliver will join David Adkins, Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh on the back of the bench as an assistant coach/player development. Additionally, Alex McLean and Landon Tatum have both been promoted to assistant coach/player development.

“We’re excited to begin the season with a revamped, versatile staff of coaches and trainers,” said Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks. “We have a good mix of returning veteran NBA coaches, valuable new additions and promotions from within the organization that will help our players improve.”

Pack joins the Wizards after spending last season as a scout with the Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to that, he spent the previous two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17) as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans, his second stint with the organization. Pack spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Brooks’ staff from 2013-15. He began his coaching career in New Orleans, serving as an assistant coach during the 2009-10 season before spending three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers in a similar role.

Richman, who served as the Wizards’ 2018 Summer League head coach, is entering his fifth season with the team. Following two seasons in the video room, Richman transitioned into a player development coordinator/assistant coach role for the 2016-17 season under then-new Head Coach Scott Brooks. He began his coaching career with the University of Maryland basketball program prior to joining the Wizards’ staff in 2014.

Toliver comes to the Wizards’ bench after helping to lead the Washington Mystics to the 2018 WNBA Finals. She also assisted the Wizards’ coaching staff during 2018 NBA Summer League and training camp. The 10-year pro, two-time All-Star (2013 and 2018) and WNBA champion (2016 with Los Angeles) has averaged 12.3 points and 3.4 assists over her WNBA career and posted 13.9 points and 4.4 assists for the Mystics last season. She was originally drafted third overall by Chicago in the 2009 draft out of Maryland, where she led the Terrapins to the 2006 national championship.

McLean spent last season with the Wizards’ player development staff, assisting with on-court work for Wizards players and travelling/training with players on G-League assignment. Tatum is in his third season with the Wizards, spending time as both an assistant video coordinator and as part of the team’s player development staff.

In addition to the changes to the coaching staff, the Wizards announced that they have added Blair O’Donovan as director of physical preparation and have promoted Jeff Bangs to athletic trainer, joining Steve Smith, Jesse Phillips and Navin Hettiarachchi on the team’s training staff, headed by Dr. Wiemi Douoguih of MedStar Health.

O’Donovan has trained elite athletes in the DC metro area and around the world, including time spent with both the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Capitals. Bangs enters his third season with the Wizards after spending the previous two years working with the training staff and has also worked with the training staffs of the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Heat.

Wizards trade Jodie Meeks to Bucks

Wizards trade Jodie Meeks to Bucks

The Washington Wizards have traded guard Jodie Meeks along with cash considerations and a protected second round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a protected second round pick.

Meeks, 31, averaged 6.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 77 games last season for Washington. A nine-year NBA veteran, Meeks has averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 531 games. Drafted by Milwaukee in the second-round (41st overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, he has played for six NBA teams including the Bucks, 76ers, Lakers, Pistons, Magic and Wizards.

The Bucks roster stands at 18 players with Meeks beginning the season on the NBA’s Suspended List.

Championship or bust, says John Wall

Every NBA player wants to win a championship, but for most, of course, it simply won’t happen. And of course, simply making the league is a great accomplishment, let alone enjoying a full career, especially as a star. But Wizards guard John Wall, he definitely wants that ring. Here’s NBC Sports Washington  with more:

Wall, naturally, wants to win an NBA title. But it’s not just a goal, it’s the benchmark for which Wall will measure his basketball career.

“I think for me to have a heck of a career – if I don’t win a championship, I feel like my career was a failure. So that’s my ultimate goal,” Wall said.

Wall, 28, has never been past the second round of the NBA playoffs. The closest his Wizards team has been to advancing further was in 2017 when they lost in Game 7 of the second round to the Boston Celtics.

The Wizards as they currently stand face an uphill battle in reaching the 2019 NBA Finals, but they remain one of the East’s better teams. But several key players on the squad must emerge as serious difference-makers for the team to reach that elusive next level.

Tomas Satoransky feels ready to do big things for Wizards

Wizards shooting guard Tomas Satoransky is 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, will turn 27 years old a few weeks into the upcoming regular season, and was taken in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. He received limited minutes as a rookie in 2016-17, but last season averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, shooting 52.3% from the field. Solid numbers for a backup only in his second NBA season, though age-wise he should be approaching his prime any season now. Perhaps this one. Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting:

The Wizards clearly wanted to see more from him last season and he took that to heart.

“That’s what these two years have taught me, never be sure of your situation or position,” Satoransky told NBC Sports Washington. “On the other hand, I feel very confident now. I also feel confident knowing how things go and how I can be patient when I’m not playing. I still have to work hard, which I do every time. But I feel confident knowing everything and there is a big difference coming into something where you have no idea what’s going to happen.”

The Wizards explained their decisions to bring in other point guards, a process which also included trading for Tim Frazier last summer and signing Ramon Sessons in March, as not an indication of Satoransky’s shortcomings. Instead, they wanted him to develop at other positions and use his athletic 6-foot-7 frame in other ways.

Head coach Scott Brooks even mentioned this after Wednesday’s training camp practice.

“Tomas, he is very versatile. He can play a lot of different positions on both ends of the court. We have to use that,” Brooks said.

Full article

On Dwight Howard and the Wizards

The Wizards center spot used to be manned by Marcin Gortat, but now the job belongs to Dwight Howard. What’s the realistic impact Dwight may have? Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting:

On Dwight Howard and the Wizards

As the Wizards opened training camp this week at the Medstar Performance Center in Southeast Washington, head coach Scott Brooks’ first message to his team was about defense and how he believes they can make a significant leap this season. Part of his thinking is rooted in the fact they added Dwight Howard through free agency this summer, as Howard gives them a level of rim protection they have not enjoyed in years.

It also wasn’t that long ago that the Wizards were a top-shelf defensive team. When Washington first began making playoff runs with John Wall and Bradley Beal running the show, they were an above average team on defense. From the 2012-13 season through 2014-15, they were top 10 in points allowed.

Their roster has changed significantly from those days and some of their best defenders like Trevor Ariza moved on. But last year they were 15th in defensive rating and 15th in points allowed, and Brooks feels a jump into the top 10 isn’t out of the question.

Howard himself believes they can be even better than that.

Full article