You had to know this was coming sooner or later. Flip Saunders is now officially out as the Wizards head coach, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. He will be replaced by lead assistant Randy Wittman. When you have some of the most immature talent in the league leading you through a 2-15 disaster of a season, with an offense that is dead last in the entire NBA (and a defense that’s not much better), what do you expect? Washington started slow, and the progress has been so minimal that the front office had no other choice.
Anyone who watched the Wizards disintegrate in the first half of their blowout loss in Philly last night could see the writing on the wall. John Wall is frustrated. The rest of the players are too immature to take a stand. And Saunders could actually be somewhat happy to be fired. It’s like putting a dog to sleep.
Even though he’s gone just 51-130 as the Wizards’ head man, you have to feel a little for ol’ Flip. He came to Washington with a veteran, playoff-tested team behind him, and then had to deal with the Gilbert Arenas/Javaris Crittenton fiasco. After that, it’s been day care, with only the lucky bounce of a ping-pong ball giving any type of hope. But when you’re considered an offense-first coach, and your team is dead last in the league in offensive efficiency, your chances of survival are worse than a dog in a shark tank.
Is this a good move? Can the Wizards salvage this season?
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