Flip Saunders fired
Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:05 am
Report @ Yahoo! NBA
Hands up all those who are surprised by this turn of events...liars.
It was bound to happen sooner rather than later but despite what JaVale McGee's mother would have you believe, the Wizards' lousy season isn't all on Flip Saunders. He's no Phil Jackson by any means but he's had some respectable years coaching teams with rosters that actually stood a chance of enjoying some level of success. He hasn't had a lot to work with in Washington.
Still, the blade has to fall on someone and as the old saying goes, you can't fire the players but you can fire the coach. I doubt Randy Wittman does any better with that roster but perhaps it'll prove to be step one in a slightly better rebuilding effort. Getting someone else into the front office would be step two.
Flip Saunders was fired Tuesday as coach of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards and replaced by assistant Randy Wittman, who has the job for the rest of the season.
The Wizards fell to 2-15 this season, including 0-7 on the road, with a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Washington’s next game is at home Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats.
“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,” Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement released by the team. “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.”
Hands up all those who are surprised by this turn of events...liars.
It was bound to happen sooner rather than later but despite what JaVale McGee's mother would have you believe, the Wizards' lousy season isn't all on Flip Saunders. He's no Phil Jackson by any means but he's had some respectable years coaching teams with rosters that actually stood a chance of enjoying some level of success. He hasn't had a lot to work with in Washington.
Still, the blade has to fall on someone and as the old saying goes, you can't fire the players but you can fire the coach. I doubt Randy Wittman does any better with that roster but perhaps it'll prove to be step one in a slightly better rebuilding effort. Getting someone else into the front office would be step two.
Re: Flip Saunders fired
Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:26 am
Not a huge shocker. The real surprise is that their GM still has a job. Grunfeld is probably the worst general manager in the league (give me Kahn over him any day) now that Isiah isn't one. Perhaps after a few more years of tanking, he'll be able to return to his Wizards glory days by sending a bunch of young players away for another injury prone "big three" that wins 45 games a year and doesn't play defense.
Re: Flip Saunders fired
Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:15 am
holy shit
they replace Flip with Randy Wittman?!?
WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE.
Flip is an epic tier coach. He's like Carlisle, give him a team that's worth a damn for once.
they replace Flip with Randy Wittman?!?
WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE.
Flip is an epic tier coach. He's like Carlisle, give him a team that's worth a damn for once.
Re: Flip Saunders fired
Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:25 am
Lamrock wrote:Not a huge shocker. The real surprise is that their GM still has a job. Grunfeld is probably the worst general manager in the league (give me Kahn over him any day) now that Isiah isn't one.
Seems to be the way it goes. If nothing else, I suppose most GMs would enjoy a better relationship with ownership and other executives, so their job is more secure.