Official Randy Wittman Appreciation Thread

[jivelikenice]

Anyone know anything about the new hire?

[queridiculo]

http://airalamo.com/2012/07/09/wizards- ... on-newman/

That's some decent credentials.

[hands11]

http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2012/0 ... 4v-2229207

Randy Whitman Press Conference

Randy is just the right fit for this team. Couldn't be happier that they resigned him to a two year deal.

100% confident that he will have them pulling in the same direction this year.

[hands11]

“We are going to play an up-tempo style and go inside out,” Wittman said… “I ain’t going to invent a new offensive or defensive system that nobody’s ever seen that will brand me the next genius,” Wittman said coyly.

As long as we have John here, we have to take advantage. You know, I'm a firm believer in fitting what I want to the talent I have instead of sometimes the other way around."

"I like our mixture of players with this team," he said. "I think we have some good blue-collar guys that aren't going to turn away when things get tough."

Wittman also made two key additions to his coaching staff, longtime San Antonio assistant Don Newman and former NBA champion Jerry Sichting.

"I'm really one that wants great people around him," Wittman said. "I'm not intimidated by that. I think that only makes me be better by being challenged by the staff around me. That's kind of what I wanted to do."

[hands11]

http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2012/1 ... p4-2234771

Randy continues to impress me.

He just has the right approach and sends the right message. I like that he is telling everyone to just play there game even though John is out, don't try to be John. Do what you were brought here to do.

He also seems very unfazed by anything. He seems to be a really good communicator.

Nice to hear so many players saying everyone showed up in shape and ready to go. Talking to you Dray.


http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2012/1 ... ov-2234601

[hands11]

http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2012/1 ... p4-2236657

Love that he is kind of old school. He seems like he is running a good camp and knows what he is doing.

[closg00]

Randy is ranked one of the worst NBA coaches, 27th. Randy starts in the hole because of his coaching record.

http://hoopshype.com/columns/rosen/the- ... g-rankings

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Randy has coached to the level of his talent each season. I expect Wittman will get the most out of this team.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Let me start by saying I'm not in any way advocating dumping Wittman... but, with the sudden firing of Mike Brown in LA, how much more losing do you all think it would take before Wittman would get the axe??

Watching the defensive potential and physicality of this team, part of my wonders if JVG wouldn't be a logical fit. His familiarity with Grunfeld makes sense, and he'd be a bit of a high profile splash for the Wizards.

Mike Brown is also now available, as is the other Van Gundy, among others. Don Newman, or Cassell could be moved up to the top spot.

Again, I don't advocate it. I like what Wittman has done. I'm just a little curious, what does everyone think it would take? 0-10? 2-22? And who would you want to replace him?

[Knighthonor]

The team just need talent. It's a team of NBA bench players and Dleagers. What do any of you expect?

[montestewart]

The team just need talent. It's a team of NBA bench players and Dleagers. What do any of you expect?

Few here expect anything in particular, and few here are at all surprised by what is happening, because almost everyone here predicted some level of failure as a result of the moves made. Personally, I would like an owner with a heart, a brain, and the nerve, to fire his GM (who assembled this team of bench players and D-leagers), hire a consultant to help him hire a new GM, and then let the new GM run the team. I'm sure that all but a handful of us would be pretty impressed by that.

I have no reason at this point to want Wittman fired, considering what he's been given to work with. Hopefully a new GM would give him a chance and allow him to just play his best players and lineups without conflicting considerations.

[FAH1223]

I don't have a reason to want Wittman fired either. The man who should be fired is the one who brought in the players and continues to deflect blame.

[hands11]

Let me start by saying I'm not in any way advocating dumping Wittman... but, with the sudden firing of Mike Brown in LA, how much more losing do you all think it would take before Wittman would get the axe??

Watching the defensive potential and physicality of this team, part of my wonders if JVG wouldn't be a logical fit. His familiarity with Grunfeld makes sense, and he'd be a bit of a high profile splash for the Wizards.

Mike Brown is also now available, as is the other Van Gundy, among others. Don Newman, or Cassell could be moved up to the top spot.

Again, I don't advocate it. I like what Wittman has done. I'm just a little curious, what does everyone think it would take? 0-10? 2-22? And who would you want to replace him?

It would take him losing the team and I don't really see that happening. They made a two year commitment to Randy. Beal has developed nicely so far. That was their big investment. No one saw the Wall injury coming and it happened so late in the summer that their wasn't a lot left out there to pick up. So far, Randy seems to developing Price pretty well. Once Wall returns, Price should do fine as the back up. As long as Randy is developing players and he doesn't lose the team, I don't see him going anywhere.

Problem right now is there is to much being put on players that are not ready to handle it. Kevin had two good games and then disappeared the last two games. Price is getting better at PG, but he is not ready to lead a team to close out a game. Beal started slow, now the last two games he has looked really good. Trevor A and Okafor had bad camps and started slow, not they seem to be finding themselves.

I see some things Randy could do better but he has had a lot to deal with because of the Wall injury. Thats not on him. Thats not on Ted or EG. That stuff just happens.

If they are 0-10 or 2-22, bringing in a new coach isn't going to help.

Where they are right now is that they are presented with a decision. Do you bring in a PG like Livingston? Or do you just ride it out until Wall returns and develop what you have. Do you move Crawford to PG to close the half and the 4th ?

What we don't know is Ted willingness to tank one more year. I don't think they were planning on doing that as they put this years team together. But at that time, they didn't know Wall would be out for a month. They did make it clear that their approach was to continue to develop their talent and if things develop well over the year, they should be competing for the 8th slot. If not, they would develop anyway. What they didn't say was that this was a playoff year and that they would do everything in their power to get there. i.e. trading young players.

Not sure what to make of this right now by reading the tea leaves. If they were hell bent on winning right now, they would have brought someone in to help at PG as soon as they came available. They added Pargo when that was all that was available. I know I and other have proposed Livingston as an option since the season started. And while I do think he would help run the team during the game, I'm not sure how much he helps to close out a game. Just don't know. The other tea leave would be reading what they do with Nene. If they wanted to win now, they would bring him back in the next few games. If not, they may be developing a middle tank approach which would be to play what they have and wait on Nene until Wall is ready.

The middle ground tank approach could be to just let the team play( short handed) and wait for Wall and Nene to return together while developing other players. Without Wall and Nene, there is room for others to step up. Not least of which is Beal. You commit to that approach and just deal with the loses. Then you finish the year strong and still get a decent pick. You still end up in the lottery and any trip to the lottery could be a lucky one. Even if you are in the bottom half of it.

I would guess that Ted is thinking along the lines of a middle tank. It's looking more and more to me like this is what they are doing. If that is true, Randy nor Ted is getting any axe over it. People get fired when they don't reach expectations.

I don't think anyone thought they would be winning early in the year and if they wanted help, they could go get it in Livingston or D West.

[rockymac52]

Can I just say that no matter what happens with Wittman and this team, that I'm very very very glad that the Wizards won't be hiring Mike D'Antoni now. That would have been the most typical Wizards hiring ever, and it would have ended in disaster.

[MJ7]

Can I just say that no matter what happens with Wittman and this team, that I'm very very very glad that the Wizards won't be hiring Mike D'Antoni now. That would have been the most typical Wizards hiring ever, and it would have ended in disaster.

I'm not sold on D'Antoni's coaching ability at all unless he's with Steve Nash. On paper, it looks great for Los Angeles, because they've got Nash, but the Nash now isn't the same from 2005. No amazing medical staff, knee injury....not looking good, man.