WASHINGTON — With their team struggling, Washington Wizards officials have made a coaching change, moving Wes Unseld Jr. into a front-office advisory role after two and a half seasons as coach.
The Wizards will name Brian Keefe their interim head coach. Keefe joined Washington last summer and has worked as the Wizards’ lead assistant coach.
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Although Washington is in the initial stages of a rebuild, with a flawed roster, the Wizards have not met team officials’ expectations this season. The Wizards have compiled a 7-36 record, but in many ways, that record does not reflect how uncompetitive and overmatched they have appeared, particularly on defense, where they rank 29th league-wide in points allowed per possession.
The Wizards have lost their last five games, including home defeats to the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs. The Pistons (5-39) have the league’s worst record, and the Spurs (8-36) have the league’s third-worst record. The loss to San Antonio illustrated many of the Wizards’ problems with late-game execution. Washington held a 121-109 lead with 5:00 remaining in the fourth quarter and was outscored 22-6 the rest of the way.
Washington holds a league-worst 2-12 record in “clutch” scenarios, which the NBA defines as games with a differential of five points or less during the final five minutes.
There’s no question the Wizards have an inherently flawed roster. The starting backcourt of Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole is undersized and typically struggles on defense, leading to disadvantages on the defensive end for the rest of the team. Poole, in particular, has struggled on both ends, averaging only 16.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting from the field.
However, team officials concluded that the team has underperformed. Unseld compiled a 77-130 record in his two and a half seasons as Washington’s coach.
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 25, 2024
Keefe, whose coaching career includes two separate stints as an Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach, has longstanding ties with Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger and Wizards general manager Will Dawkins. Winger and Dawkins were longtime Thunder executives and have a strong familiarity with Keefe.
Team officials announced they will hold a “comprehensive search” for a coach during the offseason.
Required reading
- NBA Power Rankings: East-leading Celtics stay No. 1; midseason grades for each team
- Why the Wizards traded for Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and future second-round picks
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
