All Wizards Talk
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All Wizards Talk
The Wizards are Never Going to Win Again...
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SPEAKER_03Welcome back to All Wizards Talk, a podcast on the All Sports Talk Network. I'm Bryce Nakins. Joined alongside, as always, by Henry Brown. And ladies and gentlemen, the Wizards might be one of like this Wizards team this season might be one of the worst teams of all time. I'm gonna go ahead out there and say it on a limb.
SPEAKER_04I do you remember last season or two seasons ago when uh Cade was like talking about the Pistons and he said, like, we're not two and twenty-six bad or however bad they were at the time. Yeah, I remember thinking at the time that I remember thinking that team wasn't like they had NBA players on the roster, and I just didn't really understand.
SPEAKER_03They had NBA players on the roster.
SPEAKER_04This team has NBA players on the roster, too. So I'm glad you said that because you're right. Like, I just it's in my heart of hearts, I don't think they're worse than those Bobcats.
SPEAKER_03Uh it's giving that it's it's the fact that they lost by 20 at home to the Brooklyn Nets. That's that's the worst part about it. It is the Brooklyn Nets who are just as bad as the Wizards this season. Let's be honest. Better apparently. Better apparently, and you lose by 20 at home. Four days of rest as well. You had four days of rest. Yeah. I'm pretty sure they came off a game, what, a day or two ago?
SPEAKER_04It was recent. I had to I had to go to my like uh my room where all my candles are, you know. Oh my god. We're trying to calm down after that one. That was I I wasn't heated. I feel like I I know I know you were heated. I I was I was just sort of after that last game. Yeah, I was just burnt out. Yeah, I was this like my worst nightmare. What else can you do?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, just a little little fun stat. All right. I want to lead it off with this fun stat. Right now, the Washington Wizards are on pace to go 8-74. If the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011-2012 uh season played 82 games, they would have been on pace to win more games than the Wizards this season.
SPEAKER_04I'm gonna say uh a lot of season left. Um I think those Bobcats also started like two and two for their season. So I don't know. You you want to give them more time, but there's just an impossible amount of problems to patch up right now. Like I feel overwhelmed just just thinking about how much there is to do, or even why they're as bad as they are. Because you can look at like, you know, their net rating is the worst. Um beats the Nets by about one point per 100 possessions. And I think the Wizards aren't even dead last in offense or defense. Um they have the second worst defense. The Nets are uh a worse defense by almost uh a full three-pointer. Um and their offense, the Wizards is 28th, still ahead of the Mavericks and the Pacers. I don't get it.
SPEAKER_03I don't I don't get it either. I I truly this is a masterclass of tanking, is what we are seeing. I've come to that conclusion. I understand the whole thing this season was tank, get on the booze cruise, find Darren Peterson somehow, maybe even and this is sounds horrible and subtle for AJ DeBonsa because he's still top three player in this draft. But if you land third overall, people are pretty much talking like first and second is Peterson and Boozer, no doubt about it. And then DeBonsa's that third pick. Getting that third pick in DeBonsa is still great, getting that fourth pick in Nay Amit over at Tennessee, I believe, is still a great pick. And everyone knew it's gonna be tanking, they're not gonna win a you know a ton of games, but everyone had faith that they could at least get 20. I don't have faith anymore that they can get 10.
SPEAKER_04I think I I still have faith they're gonna get 10. Um, I don't know. I have no expectation. If you were to press me on that and say, like, how, how do you have that faith? I don't know. It's just I just don't think they're this bad. That's really it. Like they're I the easy thing to do, what everyone does, what we're gonna try not to resort to is say like have a big change. Like, you know, fire the coach, which I'm not gonna advocate for. But there's games like this that really just make me think like they need an energy shift.
SPEAKER_03The Wizards just had a player-only meeting in their locker room.
SPEAKER_04Those never work. God bless them for trying to change something, but have those ever those never work. And it's a good thing the season's already like they're not gonna, you know, win any games season. So if they were a good team, that's a that's the sign the season's over.
SPEAKER_03I'm just I'm worried because the fan base is already finding a scapegoat and Brian Keefe. They they are saying it's all his fault, and I don't think it's his fault whatsoever. I think Brian Keefe is he's a good coach. I I think he's a good coach, but at some point you have to realize that there's a plan for this season, and it's to finish with a record that guarantees you get your pick back and you finish, you know, with a top four pick in the NBA draft this year. You have to understand that there are some times I'm you know I am very questionable about him at times, like tonight when he challenged a foul that Alexar committed. That one was bad when he could have challenged one earlier in the game and probably could have won that one as well. So, but like I said, it's not all his fault when I look at it. There are some players that do have to step up.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but I I have a lot of thoughts on this because I don't want to say fire the coach, but like that's what that's what the young Wizards fan in in me is just you know advocating for, even though I know that's not the answer. I know that's not that's not gonna patch all the holes, I will say. I don't know if he's a good coach or not, but like you you just the energy has to be there. They said before the season started that that this was gonna be a competitive group, and after this past um offseason, they were all hellbent and making sure that everything would be earned, and there just has not been any sign of consistent effort. And you'd think that there'd be that moment where you can see these guys just desperately want to win, and you haven't seen it team-wide yet. It shows in the defense because there was that one possession I was watching on TV, as you were, where uh Drew Gooden and Chris Miller were talking about like the the Wizard's defensive intensity, where they were like pressing all the way up and they got to stop. I think it was the shot clock violation, and you're like, wow, look at that. And they have some of the personnel where like they shouldn't be this bad defensively. Like if Bilal, who's back tonight, um Keyshawn and Sarr, your three most featured players on the young side, like what's missing? It has to be a team-wide thing or an effort thing, and both those come down to the coach.
SPEAKER_03I I think it's a fouling problem because your two best players, and Alex Saar and Keyshawn George, are getting in foul trouble a lot this season, especially Keyshawn. This is his third or fourth game he's fouled out of this season. Good point. He's he's only had one game with less than four fouls this season.
SPEAKER_04Wait, Keyshawn fouled out. I know Star fouled out.
SPEAKER_03Keyson fouled out.
SPEAKER_04Oh gosh, I missed. I must, I think I turned the game off with like a minute left.
SPEAKER_03Maybe Star fouled out, but but that's that's a big problem, and that's why I say it's not all on the coach. Like, you're you can't have your best players committing silly fouls, especially Keyshawn. Most of his fouls that he commits are just brain-dead fouls. Like, there's no reason for him.
SPEAKER_04And then I was advocating for Bilal coming back, partially because it would ease Keyshawn's load, and then he fouled out like as soon as Bilal came back. So great luck on my part.
SPEAKER_03I think when Bilal's back, Keyshawn's a better offensive player. I will I do I do think that because it's look at tonight at 25 a little bit more. He was great tonight. Yeah, he he he was great tonight. He hasn't really had a horrid offensive performance at all this season, besides maybe one game. It's just the fouling is limiting what he can do, and it's like that for a ton of players. The way Alex Sarr fouled out tonight, it was just a frustration foul.
SPEAKER_04You can't be doing yeah, yeah, he just it it got to him. So maybe maybe that'll help them spark it. I just I don't think I I think just saying fire the coach is like an impulsive thing that sometimes doesn't have as much reason behind it as as you want it to. And I'm just I don't think we can I don't think we can let Keefe off the hook for some of the stuff. Some of the lineups just so bad. I think and it feels like the old guys and the not old, sorry, the experienced guys like CJ and Middleton and the young guys, uh do you feel like they just are not they just don't work together?
SPEAKER_03I'm fine with CJ starting. I will say this. I'm fine with CJ starting right now because part of me thinks he's getting traded here in January. And so I I'm fine with him starting, fine with him writing it out because you need him to kind of get his trade value up. I don't think Chris Middleton, even if he continues starting, has any sort of trade value whatsoever. He's a bio guy. Like, that's like I don't know what exactly you can get in return for him. CJ McCollum, you can get stuff in return for him. And I proposed this the other day. Why not, you know, free up some cap space in Charlotte and go bring Colin Sexton over this team, which I think is a feasible trade that could be done.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's interesting. That's one of those that can be done by like December 15th because he was like just signed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's just signed or something, yeah, by December 15th. And I think it's a feasible trade that can actually get done if you throw in, you know, a first.
SPEAKER_04Here's the thing with CJ is like the veterans are supposed to provide like stability and consistency. And he is so inconsistent on a game.
SPEAKER_03I will say this.
SPEAKER_04I feel like he's been consistent all season. I mean, just look at like the first few games, he he was terrible for like a week, and then he had like two or three good games in a row, and it's just been these those kind of drastic ebbs and flows are not good for a team that you know is trying to find their roles and needs something to lean on.
SPEAKER_03I get what you mean. The bench was also bad tonight as well.
SPEAKER_04When I'm looking at it, yeah, but that's that's that's less. I'm putting less just like how I will award the starters with more credit if we win again. Um, I will, you know, be more on them when we lose. Same with the bench, you know. This I think this one's on the starters.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think, yeah, and I hate to be this guy because he's been great the entire season. Alex Sard, a lot of this is on him. Another game first stinker, it happens, yeah. Like first stinker, it happens. Four of 12. He's going back to kind of his old ways of being inefficient on the field when he was really efficient to start the year. He only played 23 minutes because of these foul troubles.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, they caught up to him really fast. And he had like like five in no time. And they I mean the game, okay, I don't I'm not in the film room with them. Um but how tough can the game plan be for the Nets? All right, you know Michael Porter Jr. is here to shoot, and you know that they had drafted five rookies and like none of them can play, and they're also as bad as you are with a worse defense.
SPEAKER_03And Michael J had 34 on them.
SPEAKER_04Like, how do they not expect that?
SPEAKER_03Like, I don't I don't get it either. How do you not expect Michael Porter Jr. to be their offense and taking you know the majority of the shots and doing everything he can? Like that's and then Tyrese Martin all of a sudden goes off for eight and twelve tonight. Like eight and twelve. No, like eight for twelve is what I mean. Oh, oh, oh, I was about to say good, I was about to say good for him. Eight points he he had twenty. He had twenty.
SPEAKER_04Oh man, yeah. He was he was he was he was there last season. He got his he got his points.
SPEAKER_03They had to they had to sense this one.
SPEAKER_04They had to sense this one. I mean the wizards haven't won at home yet. I wasn't in person for this game. I've been to four. I missed the magic game, and I've been to all of them besides that before this one, and I missed it, and I was afraid that I'd I'd miss hearing all I do is win. Blair threw empty capital one. Uh, and it looks like I I didn't miss it. No home wins yet.
SPEAKER_03This like the entirety of the game, like everything, and when I say consistent, like I'm looking at the you know scores for each quarter, tied up 28-28 at the end of the first, cool. Um, the Nets then outscored the Wizards 35 to 25, 10 point lead, okay. Tied up, you know, had a you know, tied third quarter, 31 points each, scored that quarter, and then the Nets once again almost had 10 more points than the Wizards in that final quarter. It just felt very even, like, okay, we noticed that we have to rest our guys now at the start of these quarters. And this is when I felt like a lot of the runs happened for the Nets when our starters were not in. And like I said, some of that is because of foul trouble.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's definitely a factor. That's that's that's most certainly a factor. You want to keep them later because again, they had an actual shot in this game. But you realistically, you just you will never survive without one of Keyshawn or Sar on the floor.
SPEAKER_03No, you can't. You you need one of them on, and when you don't have both of them on, and you're definitely destined to fail at that point.
SPEAKER_04I want to to talk to you about I was doing some thinking a few nights ago because uh the jazz played someone, it might have been Phoenix, and it was a really good game. It was just a you know classic. I'm on the East Coast, and sometimes I have when I'm at get off my night job, I get home, it's like 11:30, there's one game on, and it's usually like Jazz Phoenix or something that usually doesn't have a whole lot of uh you know uh to it, but it was on, so I watched it. And the Jazz they have four or five wins, and entering the season, they were the only team, I believe, that was favored to have a lower win total than the Wizards. I think their over-under was like 17 and a half, ours was like 20 and a half, and I was trying to think what the differences are between them. And I have a few. Notably, um I think that their vets work better with the with the young guys. Like they have like Kevin Love, who's just rebounding and outlet passing at this point in his career, and he just does his thing. The other young guys settle into their roles around, who's an established dude already, who maybe isn't here for the long, long run, but takes some ease off of the young guys. And also, I think their their coaching has just more personality than than the wizards does. I mean, with the jazz, you know they do cool things with their offense, you know that their lineups are also funky, like ours, but their lineups, they they go really big and they get their big guys to screen for each other and they do like inverted pick and rolls and all and all this cool stuff. And I just wish we saw a bit more life or desperation or or something out of the wizards coaching staff. Try something different. This is this is a sign.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's I just I just don't know. I don't know at this point. I see a lot of people saying Brian Keefe needs to be fired. I'm seeing that a ton just scrolling through Twitter right now. But you have sorry to hashtag fire Brian Keefe trend right now.
SPEAKER_04Things are life's crazy, man. I remember I remember uh not even two years ago, I was walking to a college class and I had to sit down because Wes Unsell Jr. got fired and they Brian Keefe was the interim and he got elevated on the spot. And people were so excited. And he won like one of his first couple games because the Wizards had been losing forever before he got there, and he won like immediately. People were so excited that that Keefe was here. I remember like Chief Keefe, people people were super pumped that he was he was at the helm, and now life comes fast.
SPEAKER_03It's it's it's frustrating because I feel like I feel like a lot of it is people just want a scapegoat. People want a scapegoat, and a reason for you know, like, oh, this is why they're so bad. They didn't have an actual coach when you gotta keep in mind this entire front office, majority of this coaching staff came from the 2025 NBA champions. They learned under all those guys at the end of their rebuild. I promise you, it is not the front office, like some people have said, saying Will Dawkins doesn't know how to draft. He got you Keyson George with what the 26th overall pick or something?
SPEAKER_04Something like that.
SPEAKER_03So he took he took a chance on Alex Arr, who is looking like the best player out of that draft class right now. Him and Keyshawn George. All right. Bub Carrington, maybe you could say it's a stinker. Maybe, maybe you can say it's a stinker with that because he's the young guard guarding.
SPEAKER_04He's the young guard. Give him more time, gosh darn it.
SPEAKER_03That's what I'm saying. Like, you can't really call him this like you know that a stinker pick because he hasn't really done anything. He hasn't. Like he did he did good things, he had a good rookie season. He he deserves a bit of slack. It's just he he got you, you know, like with with the sixth overall pick when you know the Wizards were projected land like what second overall in last year's draft.
SPEAKER_04Yes, that's right.
SPEAKER_03Ended up falling all the way to sixth. He's still got you one of the best players in the draft, and Trey Johnson, who is going to be, in my opinion, at when it's all said and done, the third one of the top three players from this draft class because of his pure scoring ability.
SPEAKER_04But isn't that sort of the issue with this wizard wizard rebuild that they do have all this talent and they're getting worse?
SPEAKER_03I wouldn't say so. I I I wouldn't say necessarily so, because if I remember correctly, the Thunder had something very similar happen as well. I'll bring up their stuff.
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SPEAKER_03Because I feel like at one point in time, when it was, I think it was the year before they were supposed to land Chet, they were a borderline playoff team, I'm pretty sure. And then the next season they had the second worst record in the NBA. Okay. So I'm I'm looking at it. I'm looking at past records to tell you exactly. And so uh kind of. I mean, uh their ratings went down a little bit compared from 2021 uh to the 2022 season. Their their ratings went down a little bit. They still had around the same amount of wins because that 2020 season that was a cra that was Chris Paul.
SPEAKER_04That was awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and they didn't even play all 82 games that season. I enjoyed that thunder team. And so, no, that that thunder team was 2019-2020.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's what I'm saying. 2020.
SPEAKER_03Because that was I was saying 2020-2021.
SPEAKER_04Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Chris Paul wasn't there. He was already gone by then. They only played 72 games. I can't remember why they played 72 games.
SPEAKER_04I can tell you, because uh the 2020 season with the bubble went late. So to get the things back on track, they cut 10 games.
SPEAKER_03So really, really, they were on pace to win more games than they were in 2021-2022. Yeah, so they they took a step back the next season because of ratings and some other stuff. So it was just just looking at that, this stuff kind of does happen. It kind of does. And I feel like later on this season, looking at the Wizards, after trades are made, after you put more faith in your young young guys, because Trey Johnson should be starting. He, I I will die on this hill. Trey Johnson should be a starter. I don't care what anyone else says, he needs to be starting.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I just don't know what the point is if they're not gonna like prioritize him within the offense.
SPEAKER_03I think I think Trey Johnson has a peculiar role that he's going to have in Washington for the future.
SPEAKER_04I don't think he has a role at all right now.
SPEAKER_03I feel like he's just so I think I think he's going to be a Clay Thompson sort of guy. You you need him for the three ball. You need him. So have run set plays of him coming off screens, off-ball action, and try to get something rolling with him. Off ball, catch and shoot stuff. I feel like when they do have him play, though, they're trying to run a bunch of on-ball, see what he can do creating by himself when really you need to see what he can do off ball and see if he can actually work in a flow of an offense because he's not gonna be handling the ball a majority of the time.
SPEAKER_04I know we've been harping on it all season. I just a little bit of emphasis.
SPEAKER_03It's just, but I think I think he needs to start. I think Bilal needs to continue to start, of course. Um, of course, you're gonna have Keyshung, you're gonna have Sar there. Then you could say maybe you have CJ in there, but I know people want Bub Carrington to start because you want to be able to evaluate him.
SPEAKER_04I CJ, I think CJ is has to start about Bub.
SPEAKER_03I think CJ has to start because it's not like after the first what four games, now he's looked, you know, he's looked solid. He's looked he's looked like the veteran people are so so inconsistent.
SPEAKER_04And but at least but at least he's someone who can defenses have to respect from from a few different levels.
SPEAKER_03They they have they have to respect him, and so it's just it's an interesting situation. I understand how did this team get worse compared to last season? It's I think some of it is part of it. You have a bunch of new players. Cam Whitmore's still figuring out his role of this team, and he's starting to look a lot better each game. Each game he's looking better. But you just have a bunch of guys that are trying that are clearly fighting for a spot. Some players trying to still show that they have value as veterans, and it's just and some young guys that are trying to learn how to play in the NBA.
SPEAKER_04I think it's like an energy thing. I mean, think about like that Philly game, or um I don't know, what's another game that they almost won? Um when they when they there's been other ones, um, but like they were like there were there's been so many times in the first half of these games where you can feel like they got it, or that you actually think they might win, and then things don't go their way. I just I feel like some of some of the life's sort of gone behind the eyes right now.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. The one game that they won, Mavericks, when I was there, you could tell the energy was different because players were actually getting in Mavericks players' faces anytime you know they try to boat up to him because they're like, Oh, it's the wizards, we should beat them. Well, you know, everyone thought that. I think there's at one point it was, I think it was Vuksevich got in Daniel Gavin. Afford's face or Derek Lively's, I can't remember which center it was, but he got in their face and started chirping back. And I haven't seen that kind of intensity yet again. No, you need to notice that's the one game that they won when they had that sort of intensity.
SPEAKER_04I mean, like last year, Draymond like went out of his way to compliment like Bub and Keyshawn because he said, like, these guys will like talk trash. And Draymond's, of course, he's saying, like, you know, I have the rings and you don't. And they're like, we don't care. Like, that's that was like an asset.
SPEAKER_03Like, you like, they don't care. They're gonna go out there and play. It's just I don't know. It's I truly don't know how you come back from this. I that's where I'm at that at this point. I don't know what you do. I don't think it's like I'm not like I said, not trying to be scapegoat whatsoever, saying, Oh, you need to fire Brian Keefe as I don't think Keefe is the sole reason this team is losing, that they're now on an 11 streak, 11 game or losing streak. All right. I don't think he's the sole reason. I think there are players that need to stay out of foul trouble, Keyshawn George and Alex Sarr. They can stay out of foul trouble. A lot of games that they could potentially end up winning. A lot of games.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we're but we're not the first bad team ever. Like, there's I'm I hope I I really want to know what comes out of this meeting, man. Like, there's got to be so much to talk about. And I'm at least I'm gonna look at the bright side and think they can at least see what kind of opportunity this was they missed, and yeah, they can see just how bad it looks like.
SPEAKER_03I'm looking at some of the like, and I don't want to say it's all Keyshawn George's fault, as he's been he's been great this season. He's been great this season. I'm not just talking about this game specifically. There are games where he's fouled out of or have you know drew up two fouls early in the first quarter and he had to sit the entire of almost the entire first half. Like the game against Dallas at home where they lost by six, he fouled out of that game. And it's not like you know, he had a great shooting night, but he was great defensively. If he doesn't foul out, maybe they win that game. There, there have been a few that have been like that. Philadelphia, if he didn't pick up two early fouls in the first quarter there, maybe they win that game and they don't go to OT. There are a few that I've seen that are like that.
SPEAKER_04He's had moments. I just I just find it hard to believe that he's like who we should be pointing the finger at at I'm not I'm yeah, and I'm not saying like he's the one that you should point the finger at.
SPEAKER_03I'm I want that to be clear. I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's a collective thing, but everyone has these things. You could say the same thing for Alex Arr, where he some of the games that he's gotten in foul trouble. Yeah, you could say the same thing about him. Veterans not stepping up, especially early in the season, like CJ McCollum. You could say it's his fault that they're on this streak right now. It's just and I think uh Keyshawn picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter against the Hornets in that game. They were up at halftime against the Hornets. By 15. Yeah, but up by 15 points. He draws some early fouls, he sits a lot a lot of the game, and all of a sudden the Hornets are up by 20. You put him back in, he picks up his fifth foul, he comes back out, and then the Wizards lose by 30.
SPEAKER_04Like it's that was not a good look. That was actually a very bad look.
SPEAKER_03It was a very yeah, and but I'm just saying, like, there are a lot of these results, and it's not just Keyshawn, it's Alex Sarr. It's like there's so many players that, and you can tell a lot of it is they're just they aren't experienced yet, especially some of these young guys like Keyshawn Saar, Bilal, even though he's been injured half the season now, Bub Carrington. It's you know, learning you know, stage for him. But then you have veterans who are trying to figure out what kind of player they are now at their age where their body's not the same as it used to be. And it might sound rude, but Siege McCollum isn't 25 anymore. He's not as athletic as he once was, and he's finding ways now, you know, nine, ten games into the season, how he should be playing as a veteran who's not as athletic and not as agile as he once was.
SPEAKER_04No. And there's games like this where I mean, just Keyshawn was just the man to begin with. Like he and that's why I got excited to start because I really thought like this might be like the kind of game where they flip that switch and show that they have like that fireback. Because like Keishon and Balal came out hot. Like Balal had like that dunk over uh Yeegor a few minutes in. That was pretty fun. And then he had another one later on. Keyson had like seven straight.
SPEAKER_03Although he he did get you know rejected by the Ram two dunks before that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I pretend not to see that one. Um, I I I liked I liked the approach. I like the approach. It just it couldn't couldn't get all the way through.
SPEAKER_03I'm looking at Alex Sarr's game log as well. The game against Philly, he had four fouls, and I think he had all four of those fouls in regulation. If he doesn't get in, you know, and that is foul trouble as a center having four fouls, you know, one more, and you're gonna sit a lot of time, you're gonna play a little bit more conservative. Not picking up as many fouls, once again. Maybe you win that game. Maybe you walk out of, you know, um get your first home win right there. Another one, the Detroit lost NOT. He had five fouls. Another game where, hey, if I don't pick up this fourth or fifth foul here, I can play a little bit more aggressive and not have to worry about playing conservative and not being as physical as I have been the entire game, which is what was working. When this team is playing physical and aggressive, they are doing good, but they have to realize at some point you can be physical and aggressive without creating so much contact. Yeah, of course. They just they just aren't old enough to kind of realize that yet.
SPEAKER_04No. And uh, whatever comes next, I think we're gonna be looking at see how the vets and the coaching handle uh this kind of 11-game losing streak a month into the season. Because I mean, this is where you guys step in and show that you're experienced and you can write the ship.
SPEAKER_03I just I just don't know when they win again. That's another thing. Like when's our next winnable game?
SPEAKER_04Okay. Okay, do you have do you have the schedule? I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Okay, can you read the opponents out loud for uh me and our many listeners?
SPEAKER_03So November 19th, they played the Timberwolves in Minnesota. They're not winning. They're not winning that one.
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_03Uh November 21st against the Raptors. I think that's a cup game. In Toronto, since it's in Toronto, I don't think they win.
SPEAKER_04The Raptors have been good recently.
SPEAKER_03Raptors have been looking a lot better. Bulls, November 22nd, back to back, they're not winning that one. They're not. Atlanta, November 25th. It could happen. Listen, I really believe the Wizards are better than this. I think they could. Their next like legit winnable game is uh at Indiana, November 28th.
SPEAKER_04Well, what's winnable? When you say winnable, you mean like when they're favored or when they could steal a win?
SPEAKER_03Um I would say when their opponents not eight point or more favorites.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's what you're looking at. Um Yeah, I guess, yeah, Bulls or Raptors wouldn't completely shock me, but I guess I guess we want better.
SPEAKER_03I just think they're I just think they're clear favorites in that game. Especially especially on the road. If you're looking at clear favorites, yeah, you're probably looking at waiting till the Pacers game. Because I I don't think they win that Chicago game because it's on the night of a back-to-back in Chicago. Like that's it's a cup game. The cup game right before that, you're playing for a lot more because it's an NBA Cup game. Bang! They are, it means something to me. So that Toronto game, you're gonna be going all out there in Toronto, and you're gonna be really tired and sore the next day in Chicago.
SPEAKER_04What's after the Bulls game?
SPEAKER_03What?
SPEAKER_04What's after the Bulls game?
SPEAKER_03Uh Atlanta, November 25th. And Atlanta's been picking up lately.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we don't have a chance if Trey Young's still out.
SPEAKER_03And so uh and then the Pacers.
SPEAKER_04Oh, it's only in a few games. Okay, I was afraid it was like another month from now. No, I'm already looking for I'm already dreading that Pacers game, man. There's gonna be too much pressure on that one for a freaking game against a team that's gonna be a good one.
SPEAKER_03But then then after that, then after that, your next winnable game is in a month against Charlotte. Like that's the problem, is you have to pick up a win before December gets here because then you're going the entire month without playing against an opponent that you're kind of on, you know, the same time frame and same kind of plan for the season in Charlotte. Because you would then go Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, San Antonio with Wimby. You ain't beating Wimby. Sorry, but like Wimby's just he's gonna have 40 against this defense. Yeah, it's gonna come. Maybe you'll be in Memphis. Maybe you'll be in Memphis. They've been struggling. Maybe Ja has been traded by them.
SPEAKER_04This is this is a good thing. Now we're not circling specific matchups outside of the Indiana game. It'll be when we least expect it. There we go. So now the pressure's on. Get it to us when you get it to us.
SPEAKER_03I know. It's just it's so frustrating because, like I said earlier, they're on pace to only win eight games this season at this rate. It's just especially a game like this where you had like it felt like this was the time to break that losing streak.
SPEAKER_04I feel for you, man. I really do. Like I like you knew this team was bad in rebuilding when you made the switch from the Thunder, but like they're as good as ever, and we're we're as bad as ever. So I just I this has this has to just be really tough. So I I do feel for you.
SPEAKER_03It's tough. It's it's tough.
SPEAKER_04I know. We can't even pretend and say, like, oh, this is DC basketball. This this is this is this is a this is a lull.
unknownI don't know.
SPEAKER_04This is probably this is probably the most that the spotlight's been on new management uh in the two and a half years since they got it to see whatever happens next.
SPEAKER_03Man, I just I just don't know what to do. I don't know. I just don't know.
SPEAKER_04Listen, we said we trusted them before. Uh we gotta hold the line and say that we think that they are gonna do whatever it takes to wake the team up, even if it's a little bit drastic.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Because we can't we can't run now. We said we believed in their vision, and I think you and I both believe in the the rebuild that they're doing. It's just execution is happening.
SPEAKER_03I do. I believe in the rebuild that they're doing, I believe in the players that they have, especially the young core of you know Bilal, Keyshawn, and Alexar right now, and Trey Johnson. You add in you know a top three pick this year, you have a bright future ahead. You do maybe a trade this year for someone else I can fit in alongside this team.
SPEAKER_04Dude, like when we talked about like mock trades, and I mentioned Dylan Brooke because I sort of ran out of ideas, but Dylan Brooks would actually like really bring intensity to this team. He would establish how you want to play. Yeah, just you know, frighten some young guys and just you know, look like you care so much and get in fights, and I think you just need just a spark.
SPEAKER_03It's just I just don't know what to do. I I just I seriously don't know what to do with this team.
SPEAKER_04Well, unfortunately for you, and you know, the players sometimes looks like they want the season to end. Season's an ending. There's a whole lot of time left to write the ship. Um a lot of season left, a lot of young guys to uh experiment with. And there's something here, I don't want to sound like a shill here uh for the wizards. I just I I just I I do believe they're better than this. That that's that's what it comes down to.
SPEAKER_03Keyshawn uh George was the one that said they had a players-only meeting.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna I have a lot of questions about this. You'll have to wait till I'm back on the floor.
SPEAKER_03I I do too. So a lot of a lot of people are saying some funny stuff about it. Player player only meetings in November. Yeah, just fast forward to the lottery.
SPEAKER_04That's insane! It's November, it's we're not even a month into the season. That's just insane. That doesn't happen. This is like a record for like the fastest of players only meetings been called.
SPEAKER_03No, nope, nope, nope, Mavs after they lost to the wizards.
SPEAKER_04They called a player two games in, they called a player's only meeting? Oh, that's even more nervous. Hey, listen, DC, you got us, alright? Don't worry. We're here to watch, we're here to relay information, and um this is dark, but there's some reason to believe.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I'm just I'm just laughing at some of these reactions right now.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and a few of them are uh you know readable for the air, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_03Uh some of them. Keyshawn plotting uh mutiny against Keith.
SPEAKER_04Oh man.
SPEAKER_03I told you it's bad right now.
SPEAKER_04People are so excited when he got the job.
SPEAKER_03Oh my goodness. No one likes Keith right now for some reason.
SPEAKER_04I still think he's better than Wes Unsell Jr. was.
SPEAKER_03Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER_04Do you have did you have any Wes Unsell Jr. opinions uh before you before you joined the DC?
SPEAKER_03I didn't really know much about him, but I know Keith was an OKC guy, and you look at the pipeline the OKC's been producing. You probably saw them play the th the thunder and you were like, wow, that guy stinks, and then just and then just kept it pushing.
SPEAKER_04Probably you were like, wait, why weren't there any adjustments past the first quarter and then just you know moved on with your life?
SPEAKER_03Oh man, I like I said, just I'm looking at some news and it's a it's it's hilarious.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. It's just tough to end on a on a bleak note considering I feel like our Pistons podcast, like under a week ago, was also not super sunshiny. No, no, it's sometimes you need these moments, you need the bottom out moments that require a players-only meeting to turn stuff around.
SPEAKER_03But hey, you know, I will say I do want to talk about one bright side. All right, let me let me pull up the stat line. All right, I I do want to bring up a stat line, you know, a bright spot here that we can talk about G League development. All right, Jameer Watkins today looked, he looked good with the Capitol City go-go. So did Will Riley. He Jameer had 19 and 11 on 7 to 16 shooting, yeah, four steals as well. It's like, dude, I like if they keep doing this in the G, I I will be at the point where it's like, look, I don't want anyone over the age of 25 playing for this team anymore. You just have all the young guys play.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I saw Will Riley had um uh 17 points, and he's the instincts were there. Like he's he's a when the floor is hit. Instincts are there.
SPEAKER_03I don't think I will say, I think future of this team, Will Riley isn't a starter. I know people are saying Will Riley was a field pick, and I was talking about it earlier um on the timeline. Um uh I can't remember who it was, but someone said Will Riley's the highest field player. Dawkins is drafted, and I I just said I think it's a fit selection because Will Riley was, you know, sixth man of the year for the Big Ten. He was one of the best bench players, he was one of the best players in the Big Ten as well. You got to recognize to have a great team, you also have to have a great bench, you have to have a great six through ten guys. Will Riley can be like that seventh guy coming off the bench for you in the future and be great. I just think it's gonna be really hard for him to ever start because I have a really weird feeling that they either trade for another forward or they draft a forward like boozer in the draft, which then really makes it hard for Riley to start. Not everyone can be a starter, not everyone can be a starter, but there's no bad thing in being a bench player.
SPEAKER_04No, that's the goal right now. Should be start, it should be like how can I just find a role and fill it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, find a role and fill it. Get your playing time. And like I said, it's not like it's a bad thing to be drafted to be a bench player. Aaron Wiggins was drafted to be a bench player and look at him right now. And I I know you know some of you guys might get you know mad at me bringing up like the thunder connections, but I do see a lot of connections with that thunder rebuild of this one. I do.
SPEAKER_04I'm not mad, but I'm thinking about like you're like the Bill Simmons of Oklahoma City. That that's where I'm at right now. Uh and I always I used to watch like the Sunday episodes he would do with Ryan Rosillo, and whenever like he would bring up like the random Boston thing, and your your connections at least make some sense. His were pulled out of his butt. And I would just look at Rosillo's dead face and I would just start laughing. I'm like, what's he thinking right now? And now I know.
SPEAKER_03I just I do see a lot of connections. I do with you know the drafting of players. You got you know, a great center. We got second overall in chat, and then Alex Sarr here. Okay. You had some reach picks that ended up working out. Jalen Williams was not projecting to go lottery at all, but the Thunder took him at 12th overall, and look at him now. All NBA guy. Keyshawn George, a lot of people, you know, a player that a lot of people are like, eh, why'd you trade for this guy? You know, why'd you trade up in the draft to go get him? It doesn't make a lot of sense. Now look at him this season. He's looking at a potential all-NBA level player in you know, next few seasons. I I see those connections. You're starting to build up a little bit of a bench for the future on this team. Um, when I look at it real quick, you can have like Cam Whitmore coming off the bench, like who I said earlier, has really stepped it up as of late. He's looked better coming off the bench. I'm not saying he should start, but I'm just saying he doesn't look bad as a bench player. Corey Kispert doesn't look bad as a bench player, as a veteran leader. He doesn't. I'll even give Justin Champagne the prop. Sometimes he looks solid, and I'm not a big champagne guy. And that's when he's still not doing it for you. What? He's still not doing it for you. I've just never really been a champagne guy. I've never have. I I just never have. I don't know why. I don't know why. And it's not necessarily like, hey, I just like, and it's not like I don't like his game. It's just like I just I don't see him being like a top ten player on a roster. But he's had some games where like he's you know, shut me up a little bit.
SPEAKER_04He's a good role player. I whatever comes next, I just whenever I'm at another home game, which should be soon. It's not that they're gonna be on the road again soon, though. Um after some of these games, Brian Keith has uh come to the locker room after some of the more crushing ones, and he's he's come to the podium and he's talked to the media and he's talked about how whatever just happened, we're gonna try to use his learning experience. And I think we just have to just we we can't accept that after after all these every time. That that's that that's where uh that's where we stand.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I will say Brian Keith, class act, I will I will say that. I I like the interactions with him with the press.
SPEAKER_04I yeah, yeah, I'm not saying anything about him as a dude, yeah. Of course not.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, like I you know, I I and I'll I'll I'll finish on this. This will be my last little tidbit today. But he remembered me after the Dallas game and the OKC game. I know it was relatively close to each other, like a week and a half or so. Yeah, but I went to ask him a second question. He's like, Oh, you have two questions for me today this time. Let's hear it. I was like, Oh, yeah, I got two for you.
SPEAKER_04That's hilarious. I've got never gotten any indication he remembers me.
SPEAKER_03And so I think I think some of it was like my first question I ever asked him was something where it's like it forced him to give an in-depth response, so he remembered it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Because I asked him, I think I asked him something about the three-point shooting on the team, how like there's been an uptick compared to last season to this season, and how there's you know gonna be more. No, it wasn't that. It was um how a theme was things are gonna be earned, not given, and how they're gonna feast off, you know, feed off a competition. It was a question of like when Trey Johnson could, you know, earn that starting spot.
SPEAKER_04That's that's the thing. There's been times I've tried to get them to think and they hit with a PR thing, and I'm like, gosh.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I I got I I just brought up the uh you know, like stuff from training camp and he loved that. And so I was like, yeah, I got it now. I got it. Wish us luck. Wish us luck. Any grievances you want to air out?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I think we already that that's what we've been doing for 40 minutes already.
SPEAKER_03I guess so. Yeah. Yeah, that's all we've been doing. Jesus Christ. This is this felt like a depressing episode.
SPEAKER_04We need some of these. This is a come to Jesus moment.
SPEAKER_03Should we have like a like how the players had a players meeting? Can we have a media meeting only and talk about our honest thoughts on this team?
SPEAKER_04That's a really fun idea. Can we Yeah, I mean I don't get it, man!
SPEAKER_03I don't get it.
SPEAKER_04It happens.
SPEAKER_03I'm crying.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Crying, but that's an episode, man.
SPEAKER_04That's hopefully Bryson will be in better spirits next time uh we see you guys.
SPEAKER_03Hopefully, guys, you know, follow along, subscribe to the pod, all that stuff. We appreciate you guys listening in. We even though it's a depressing time, we're still gonna cover this team.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and find us bickering on Twitter. We're always doing that.
SPEAKER_03Always bickering on Twitter. I'm just gonna start posting more memes.
SPEAKER_04I almost I almost went under your post uh today when you said Keyshawn lost his aura when he got his afro. Wrong. What a terrible take.
SPEAKER_03I got I think I think he has more aura with the fro, I'll be honest.
SPEAKER_04He still got it.
SPEAKER_03Come on, I mean like he's so I won't complain, but I just I feel like the aura points dropped off. Like I feel I feel like the aura points dropped off. Like he was I think the fro is just a better look. I think he'll win you over. It'll win me over, hopefully. But that's an episode. Thank you guys for listening, as always. We'll see you in the next one. Peace.