Category: Washington Wizards Blog

Coach Randy Wittman isn’t sure if there is anything that he can do to help Andray Blatche ease his way onto the floor during games at Verizon Center. When Wittman sent Blatche to the scorer’s table to check in for JaVale McGee in the first quarter of the Wizards’ loss to Golden State, Blatche was serenaded with boos and was obviously shaken by the response.

He put Blatche in during a timeout in the third quarter, fans didn’t boo him until he touched the ball. But Blatche was ineffective, no matter how he was inserted.

Wittman said all that he can really do is push him to keep fighting through the jeers. “I talk to him every day. I’m just trying to encourage him. His play is going to get up there. It’s getting better. Sitting out that long, he wasn’t going to come back and be the Dray of old, and we knew that, he knew that, and it’s tough. Hey, that’s a tough situation, and I’ve just got to encourage him as much as I can and he’s doing some good things while he’s on the floor, from a defensive standpoint, rebounding. His offense, he’s got no legs right now, and if have no legs, you’re going to struggle scoring the ball. I think that’s what everybody is just kind of looking at right now, but I’ve just got to be there to encourage him.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

Javaris Crittenton Some money, mo problems

Former NBA [player] Javaris Crittenton was arrested outside Atlanta this morning — after he allegedly shattered the speed limit in his black Porsche … then refused to cooperate with police.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Javaris was pulled over for going over 60 in a 45 — and when the cop wrote up the ticket … Javaris refused to sign it, something you have to do to acknowledge receipt of the citation.

As a result, we’re told the officer asked Javaris to step out of the vehicle — and Javaris refused again.

— Reported by TMZ

The Washington Wizards announced today that they have waived center Hamady Ndiaye.

Ndiaye appeared in three games for the Wizards this season and appeared in 10 games for the Iowa Energy (the Wizard’s NBA D-League affiliate).  He was originally selected by Minnesota with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before his rights were traded (along with the rights to Trevor Booker in exchange for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica) on Draft Night 2010 and was re-signed by the Wizards as a free agent on Dec. 11, 2011.

According to Wizards interim head coach Randy Wittman, forward Andray Blatche will miss 3-5 week while recovering from a strained calf.

Blatche had been battling the calf injury for a while and has been day-to-day, but now it seems the injury has become more serious than originally thought.

— Reported by CSN Washington

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has relieved Head Coach Flip Saunders of his duties.  Randy Wittman will serve as the team’s head coach for the remainder of the 2011-12 season.

“We felt the team had become unresponsive and we will look to Randy to provide a different voice and a change in philosophy moving forward,” said Grunfeld.  “We have been transparent in how we would evaluate our team this season and we were disappointed in the lack of development of our players at this point in our rebuilding plan.”

Saunders compiled a record of 51-130 (.392) during his two-plus seasons with the Wizards.  He was originally hired on April 22, 2009 as the 22nd head coach in franchise history.

“We have struggled as a team at times this season, but we have also seen a great deal of potential from our young players and glimpses of what we can accomplish together as a team,” said Wittman.  “The coaching staff will look to build on that by utilizing the length, athleticism and versatility of our roster to improve our defense and create more opportunities in the open court.”

Wittman begins his third stint as a head coach after leading both the Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07 to 2008-09) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1999-2000 to 2000-01).  He has compiled a 100-207 (.326) career record as head coach and has served as the Wizards’ lead assistant since the 2009-10 season.  Wittman began his coaching career as an assistant with Indiana before stops as an assistant coach in Dallas and Orlando.  Originally drafted by the Washington Bullets with the 22nd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, Wittman played nine NBA seasons for Atlanta, Sacramento and Indiana before retiring in 1992 with a career average of 7.4 points per game while shooting .501 from the field in 543 games.

“We thank Flip for the effort, professionalism and hard work he brought to the team during his tenure,” said Grunfeld.  “He will be an asset to the right team and we wish him the best.”

Assistant coaches Don Zierden, Sam Cassell, Ryan Saunders and Gene Banks will remain with the team.

Saunders was in a very tough situation, though, and it’s unclear how the next coach will do much better.

One of the biggest problems with the Wizards is communication with players. Saunders obviously did not succeed on that front, but the issue is the roster more than the coach. Guards Nick Young and Jordan Crawford, and big-men JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche are tough players to coach. Their heads are in major need of adjustment, and it’s going to take a while.

The best Wizards player, young John Wall, is on fire lately but in 17 games so far is shooting just 38 percent from the field. And he’s still developing as a star and a leader, and not in a position to really help transform the mental states of his teammates.

Frankly, there was little evidence the Wizards even had a coach.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, “To Saunders’ defense, this was not the team he agreed to coach when he took the job in April, 2009. Saunders, regarded as a fine offensive mind, thought he would have a veteran team led by guards Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson and Josh Howard, forwards Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Mike Miller and center Brendan Haywood— a team capable of making the playoffs. But the season turned dark when Arenas and reserve guard Javaris Crittenton brought guns into the locker room at Verizon Center in late December, 2009 over a gambling dispute stemming from an incident on a team flight. Both players were fined and suspended and forced the Wizards into a rebuilding effort with young players, who have not responded to Saunders, best known for working well with veteran clubs.”

According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, “Players were informed after the loss in Philadelphia that a coaching change was coming, a source said. But the writing had been on the wall since at least the eighth game of the season, Washington’s eighth consecutive loss to start the season. After the 93-72 loss to Minnesota, Andray Blatche stated that the players had begun to tune Saunders out. “Flip is definitely doing his job,” Blatche said that night. “I just don’t feel like guys are listening and following behind what he says and what he wants us to do.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Wizards changes take place under new leadership.

Transforming the Wizards into a more respectable squad on the court is a rough job. But somebody has to do it.

Read NBA fan opinion or share your views in this basketball forum topic.

Despite the Wizards being off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start, the organization does not have any intention of firing Coach Flip Saunders at this time, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

In more than two seasons with the team, Saunders is just 49-123 and the Wizards have set franchise records for consecutive road losses (25) and consecutive losses overall (16). After the Wizards suffered a humiliating 21-point home loss to Minnesota on Sunday, Saunders was asked if he felt that he was running out of chances to get through to his players.

“No I don’t fear that,” Saunders said. “I think I know the process that we’re going through, and I know it’s a painful process.”

Saunders is in the third year of a four-year, $18 million contract that he signed in April 2009.

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post Blog

The Wizards were collecting technical fouls as if there was a shortage in the first quarter. Flip Saunders picked up two and got ejected after arguing with referee Eli Roe for a non-call and then grabbing his arm for an explanation. JaVale McGee was responsible for another two, because he didn’t move out of the lane quickly enough as the team was called for defensive three seconds.

John Wall got the other technical for taunting after he drove in the lane, threw down a hard left-handed dunk on Boston Celtics center Greg Stiemsma, then glared at him. If a 6-foot-4 guy dunks all over a near 7-footer, you’d figure he had earned the right to do whatever he wanted.

“I think I had the right to stare at him,” Wall said with a grin after the Wizards lost, 100-92, on Monday night. “I guess you can’t stare at people when stuff happen. I just stared at him at got a tech. It was the same thing when other people make plays, and the players say something to you and they don’t get nothing. I just had to keep my head the rest of the game because I didn’t want to get ejected and cost my teammates.”

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post Blog

The Washington Wizards announced today that they have assigned center Hamady Ndiaye to the Iowa Energy, the team’s affiliate in the NBA Development League.

Ndiaye has not appeared in a game for the Wizards this season.  He appeared in 16 games with the team in 2010-11 and spent 11 games with the Dakota Wizards (the team’s NBADL affiliate at the time), averaging 4.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 18.4 minutes per game.  The 7-0 native of Senegal was originally selected by Minnesota with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft before his rights were traded along with the rights to Trevor Booker in exchange for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica on Draft Night 2010.  He was re-signed by the Wizards on Dec. 11, 2011.