Wizards Head Coach Brian Keefe

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Good for him, he deserves it, and hopefully we got a up and coming coach in the league.

[nate33]

We also have to factor in that we will do everything possible to avoid giving the Knicks that pick that is top 8 protected in 2026. We cannot finish lower than 4th in 2026. It would be a disaster to lose that pick.

It's true that 4th worst finish gives us a 0% of losing our pick, but a 5th worst finish would only result in a 0.6% chance of losing our pick and a 6th worst finish gives us only a 3.8% chance of losing our pick. I wouldn't worry much about it unless we finished 7th, which would result in a 14.2% chance of us losing our pick.

[9 and 20]

Bit of a catch 22. For longterm growth, want to tank hard for 2 more years and add 2 top players to whoever we draft this year. To keep his job, will have to see serious improvement in the team in the 2nd or 3rd year of his contract which is probably counterproductive to really building a contender assuming everyone drafts well but no one catches a lightning bolt in a jar.

Best of luck BK, just not too soon.

Ideally, we improve from second-to-last 15-win season in 2024 to fourth-to-last 22-win season in 2025, but without Tyus Jones and with a midseason trade where Kuz is sent away. I think people would be happy with a modest improvement while simultaneously turning the reins over to the youngsters.

Then in 2026, hopefully we look like a 30-win team for the first 60 games, and then pull a blatant tank job down the stretch where all of our most productive players have mystery injuries. We finish with 26 wins and a 4th or 5th worst record but do well in the lottery.

We will easily be the worst team in the league next year. Detroit will be forced to spend money this off-season (they did that Bagley trade for a reason) and get some productive vets. SAS will improve simply because of Wemby. Chicago is the new us and only desires to be a play-in team. Our competition will be Brooklyn (they don't even have their pick so they have no incentive to tank next year) and Portland (the only dregs in the loaded west). Next year's draft is loaded.

We also have to factor in that we will do everything possible to avoid giving the Knicks that pick that is top 8 protected in 2026. We cannot finish lower than 4th in 2026. It would be a disaster to lose that pick.

100% agree with this - we are looking at 65+ losses again next year. Might as well go all in and shoot for 70 losses, because why not set some records while you're at it.

Well done Chief Keefe on landing a job with zero expectations. There is literally no way to underperform here. Maybe underferforming by over performing? Congrats to the Wiz organization for creating that vortex of tortured logic!

[WallToWall]

I am actually quite happy with this! Keefe did a good job, given the players he had at his disposal, in coaching, preparing, and understanding the player. He got Avdija, Poole, and a few others to play at a higher level. I feel like there are some hidden coaching talents that he has not been able to express just yet. I would like to see what he can do with the offense and defense when he gets to pick the players, scheme, and rotations. Looking forward to watching Keefe grow as a coach as well. I think he will surprise us.

[nate33]

We will easily be the worst team in the league next year. Detroit will be forced to spend money this off-season (they did that Bagley trade for a reason) and get some productive vets. SAS will improve simply because of Wemby. Chicago is the new us and only desires to be a play-in team. Our competition will be Brooklyn (they don't even have their pick so they have no incentive to tank next year) and Portland (the only dregs in the loaded west). Next year's draft is loaded.

Yeah, I don't really disagree. We will be awful next year with only Detroit and Portland as competition for worst in the league. But I think it's also possible that we are much better than we were last year, if only because Jordan Poole may not be one of the worst players of all time for 60 games like he was last season.

[dobrojim]

Congrats to Coach Keefe

[MikeTheKid]

While I am happy for Coach Keefe, please my friends lets get through at least 50 games before we get an Amazingly Sucky Brian Keefe thread lol

[Rafael122]

The ideal scenario is we tank but the youngsters still show improvements. Deni really came along mid-season on, Poole finally looked comfortable towards the end. I assume Bilal is probably starting next year. Give me 15-20 wins and incremental improvements from the young guys and I'll be happy.

[Rafael122]

Bit of a catch 22. For longterm growth, want to tank hard for 2 more years and add 2 top players to whoever we draft this year. To keep his job, will have to see serious improvement in the team in the 2nd or 3rd year of his contract which is probably counterproductive to really building a contender assuming everyone drafts well but no one catches a lightning bolt in a jar.

Best of luck BK, just not too soon.

Ideally, we improve from second-to-last 15-win season in 2024 to fourth-to-last 22-win season in 2025, but without Tyus Jones and with a midseason trade where Kuz is sent away. I think people would be happy with a modest improvement while simultaneously turning the reins over to the youngsters.

Then in 2026, hopefully we look like a 30-win team for the first 60 games, and then pull a blatant tank job down the stretch where all of our most productive players have mystery injuries. We finish with 26 wins and a 4th or 5th worst record but do well in the lottery.

We will easily be the worst team in the league next year. Detroit will be forced to spend money this off-season (they did that Bagley trade for a reason) and get some productive vets. SAS will improve simply because of Wemby. Chicago is the new us and only desires to be a play-in team. Our competition will be Brooklyn (they don't even have their pick so they have no incentive to tank next year) and Portland (the only dregs in the loaded west). Next year's draft is loaded.

We also have to factor in that we will do everything possible to avoid giving the Knicks that pick that is top 8 protected in 2026. We cannot finish lower than 4th in 2026. It would be a disaster to lose that pick.

A reminder that Detroit is I believe Year 5 into the rebuild and are still just as bad as the Wizards

[FAH1223]

So far, JP, Tyus, Bilal, and Kyle showing support for Keefe on Instagram

Read on Twitter

I forgot Keefe was in LAL with Kuzma during his first two seasons when Luke Walton was there.

[doclinkin]

Watch on YouTube

[AFM]

Watch on YouTube

WASHINGTON WIZARDS are coached by brain dead, idiots vs. CELTICS


LOL!!

[closg00]

That was brutal, dunno how-much of this is players forgetting and just winging it, or just bad coaching, probably both.

[9 and 20]

This guy is the perfect coach for this team. Kids seem to be playing better, and the coach actually plays them.

Plus there will only ever be one Wittmanface, but Keefeface contortions are impressive themselves.

[penbeast0]

Playing 3 young rookies and a young 2nd year guy significant minutes, you will get mistakes. And . . . you will have a chance to learn from them. I worried in the offseason we would be playing a rotation of JV, Kuzma, Kispert, Poole, and Brogdon. It's a breath of fresh air to see Keefe starting 3 rookies out there!

[doclinkin]

Stated in the game thread as well as other places but I like Draymonds comments on not just Key and Bub but the Wizards in general. (1:49 below)

Watch on YouTube

Asked about Kyshawn hitting threes over him:

I'm a big fan of him and Bub. The energy that they bring and the demeanor that they bring, that is the first time we've seen a Washington Wizards team play that hard in years, and it is because of them two guys' energy. They come out talking. They barking. I had to ask both of them, I asked Kyshawn, 'You talk?!' He was like, 'Yeah!' I said, 'All right, that's what we're doing. I like that.' And then, Bub was talking from the Gate.

I came into the league with that type of energy. And I respect guys that do. You don't bow down to anybody. In my mind I said I don't care what you did before I got here, you didn't do it while I was here, so what you did before that got nothing to do with me. And that's the type of time they was on. And it showed, they never quit. We were in control of the game the whole game and and at no point did they quit. At no point did you feel like it was easy.

And you can tell that uh <checks the score card, nodding approval> Coach Keefe is doing an incredible job. And Dave (Vanterpool, wiz asst). How you can tell a team if a team is well coached, every single time we got the ball in the pocket/got a drive their low man was there. That is a telling sign of an NBA team when their low man is there. There were there every single time.

So I think you know, for the first time in a long time, this City, this organization, got some guys they can look forward with. That's an exciting thing. ... I like those young guys alot. They got just a demeanor. And they they got game. It's not like just a 'rah rah' guy out there, they got game to go with it. So, they earned my respect tonight for sure.

[Tyrone Messby]

Do we have our own Spoelstra??

[DCZards]

From Draymond:

I came into the league with that type of energy. And I respect guys that do. You don't bow down to anybody. In my mind I said I don't care what you did before I got here, you didn't do it while I was here, so what you did before that got nothing to do with me.

And that's the type of time they was on. And it showed, they never quit. We were in control of the game the whole game and and at no point did they quit. At no point did you feel like it was easy.

This right here is spot on. I love the energy, fight, and chutzpah our youngins are bringing.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Stated in the game thread as well as other places but I like Draymonds comments on not just Key and Bub but the Wizards in general. (1:49 below)

Watch on YouTube

Asked about Kyshawn hitting threes over him:

I'm a big fan of him and Bub. The energy that they bring and the demeanor that they bring, that is the first time we've seen a Washington Wizards team play that hard in years, and it is because of them two guys' energy. They come out talking. They barking. I had to ask both of them, I asked Kyshawn, 'You talk?!' He was like, 'Yeah!' I said, 'All right, that's what we're doing. I like that.' And then, Bub was talking from the Gate.

I came into the league with that type of energy. And I respect guys that do. You don't bow down to anybody. In my mind I said I don't care what you did before I got here, you didn't do it while I was here, so what you did before that got nothing to do with me. And that's the type of time they was on. And it showed, they never quit. We were in control of the game the whole game and and at no point did they quit. At no point did you feel like it was easy.

And you can tell that uh <checks the score card, nodding approval> Coach Keefe is doing an incredible job. And Dave (Vanterpool, wiz asst). How you can tell a team if a team is well coached, every single time we got the ball in the pocket/got a drive their low man was there. That is a telling sign of an NBA team when their low man is there. There were there every single time.

So I think you know, for the first time in a long time, this City, this organization, got some guys they can look forward with. That's an exciting thing. ... I like those young guys alot. They got just a demeanor. And they they got game. It's not like just a 'rah rah' guy out there, they got game to go with it. So, they earned my respect tonight for sure.

I can see Draymond being an Al Attles kind of coach in the future.

Sent from my SM-X218U using RealGM mobile app

[payitforward]

Of course Draymond's praise of Bub & Kyshaun was great to hear! But, most interesting to me was the last segment where he was full of praise of Jordan Poole.

That surprised me (given their history) & it impressed me too. Good stuff!