Tommy Sheppard’s informed draft selections, direction during the offseason, and cultural reset of the Washington Wizards organization prove that he deserves to be GM.
Tommy Sheppard, who operated as the Washington Wizards’ Interim general manager until just a few days ago, had his work cut out after taking the reins from Ernie Grunfeld.
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At the end of the 2018-19 NBA season, seven players on the Wizards’ 12-man regular rotation had expiring contracts.
The team performed below Monumental Sports and Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis’ expectations, concluding the 2018-19 regular season with a 32-50 record and falling short of playoff contention.
All-Star guard John Wall suffered an Achilles injury that he continues to recover from, and Dwight Howard, the Wizards’ principal acquisition during the 2018 offseason, played just nine games.
Leonsis tasked Sheppard with deciding which players to keep, what new talent to gain, and how to best place Washington to qualify for another postseason. All challenging assignments.
Sheppard made several considered and, relative to his predecessor, bold maneuvers that helped solidify the Wizards’ talented, young supporting cast. His direction as GM also helped rid the Wiz of a few pieces that were not essential for the team’s success, including Howard.
The Washington Post’s Wizards beat reporter, Candace Buckner, first reported on July 19 that Leonsis and the organization would officially name Sheppard as GM.
BREAKING: #Wizards remove interim tag on Tommy Sheppard, name him GM https://t.co/irZ4A5pH9c
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) July 19, 2019
Sheppard’s judicious selections of Rui Hachimura and Admiral Schofield in the 2019 draft, his number of beneficial offseason acquisitions, and the impacts of decisions to reset the Wizards’ team culture show he’s well-deserving of the job.