Things aren’t great in Washington, D.C. right now for the local NBA team, as the Wizards have fallen into disarray amid a 5-11 start to the season.
Coach Scott Brooks has already gotten a public vote of confidence from the front office, and he’s been desperately trying to challenge his team to put forth a better effort on the floor. Washington’s star backcourt of Bradley Beal and John Wall are clearly frustrated with the start, and both are reportedly no longer untouchable in trade discussions as the Wizards consider retooling their roster.
Recently, a practice in Washington apparently got heated with both of the team’s stars expressing their frustrations. Wall apparently boiled over to the point of cursing out Brooks after the coach pleaded for more intensity, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that earned him a fine from the team.
Story filed to ESPN: The Wizards fined All-Star John Wall for unloading a verbal barrage onto coach Scott Brooks in a recent practice. After Wall and his teammates had been challenged to raise intensity in that session, Wall fired back with "F— you," to Brooks. Story soon.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 20, 2018
Wall apologized to Brooks in the minutes after cursing him, and apologized to his teammates the following day, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/iih3oUT55D
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 20, 2018
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported prior to that Woj report that Bradley Beal was exasperated at practice, frustratedly noting he’s been dealing with this same stuff for seven years.
Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: The Washington Wizards had a volatile practice within recent days, with verbal altercations among players and an exasperated Bradley Beal saying toward team officials: "I've been dealing with this for seven years."
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 19, 2018
Along with John Wall fine, recent practice included All-Star Bradley Beal taking aim at Wizards officials, including president Ernie Grunfeld: “I’ve been dealing with this s— for 7 years — it starts top-down.” Jeff Green and Wall, Beal and Austin Rivers had heated altercations.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2018
Candace Buckner of the Washington Post provided further details, noting it was at practice on Saturday and also involved an incident between Beal and Austin Rivers, as well as Wall getting into it with Jeff Green.
On Saturday, the #Wizards had this heated practice in which Bradley Beal and Austin Rivers had a verbal altercation.
Beal grew heated and gestured toward Pres Ernie Grunfeld, and said something along the lines 'It starts at the top.'
More details coming.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 20, 2018
According to sources, John Wall and Jeff Green also got into it and their player-on-player verbal altercation led to Coach Scott Brooks trying to intervene and that's when Wall hurled an expletive at the coach.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 20, 2018
It’s clearly not going well in Washington, and it’s rather incredible that we’re to this point of the season and already have had two players on different teams get handed internal punishment for outbursts directed at a teammate or coach — the other, of course, being Draymond Green’s verbal attack on Kevin Durant.
While the question in Golden State is whether this will ultimately end the dynasty, the question in Washington is whether this will expedite the Wizards’ process of blowing it up. It seems like only a matter of time before one of their stars is dealt, and the question is who and to where.
