Randy Wittman’s time as the Washington Wizards head coach is limited. The Wizards are currently 0-3 and have not looked like the playoff team they were projected to be when the season started. Unless they start winning soon and playing well, Wittman will be out of D.C. before you know it. However, this slow start should not be put all on Wittman’s shoulders.
Wizards’ management put Wittman in a tough situation when they traded away their best defensive player, Emeka Okafor, for the Suns’ Marcin Gortat. Gortat was expected to come in and add size and skill to a depleted frontcourt, but he has had trouble adjusting to playing in Washington, especially on defense. He is often late for slides and rotations on defense. As time goes on that should improve just by becoming more comfortable with Wittman’s scheme.
Finding the right lineup:
The biggest thing for Wittman right now is finding the best lineup for this team and with adding a new piece like Gortat into the mix that is very tough. Is it best to go small with John Wall, Bradley Beal, Gortat, Martell Webster and Trevor Ariza? This lineup has played together nine minutes total and in two games so far this season, according to NBA.com. They have been average on offense with an offensive rating of 100.6 and solid on defense with a defensive rating of 85.6. However, with that lineup they are going to get killed on the boards because of a lack of size. Rebounding and controlling the paint has been a big problem through three games, so it would be hard for Wittman to use the small ball lineup for a lot of minutes. The best overall lineup, which is the one that has played the most minutes, is one that consists of Ariza, Beal, Trevor Booker, Gortat, and Wall. They are solid on defense and offense, rebound the ball pretty well (78.6 defensive rebounding percentage) and shoot the ball at a high rate. However, something obviously is not working because of the 0-3 start. The main problem is the interior defense, where the Wizards lack any solid defenders.
It is going to take Wittman more than three games to figure out his best lineups. That is why it is tough to put a lot of blame on him, especially with Gortat not looking comfortable or confident. In my opinion, the small ball lineup has potential. With four guys capable of hitting 3s (I guess we will count Wall), they can spread the floor and really get after it in transition. Nonetheless, they will be exciting to watch. Wittman’s experimentation with lineups over the next few games will be something to watch for.
Another reason it is so hard to blame Wittman is because of the terrible frontcourt draft picks the Wizards’ management has made of the last few years. Picking Jan Vesely sixth overall is not going to put your team in a good position down the road, especially with an aging and injury prone frontcourt already intact. Chris Singleton and Trevor Booker were both mediocre picks at best. Of course, this won’t save Wittman’s job because the coach is always the first one to get the boot, but it is worth noting.
Randy Wittman may no longer be the head coach in a few weeks and the Wizards will have legitimate reasons to fire him, but as of now it is hard to put a ton of blame on him. Just remember, people, still 79 games to go. Anything can happen.