The Wizards are content material to proceed growing their younger expertise and laying the groundwork for a profitable future, Varun Shankar of The Washington Submit writes.
“It’s course of over outcomes,” head coach Brian Keefe stated on Monday. “I’m a competitor. I wish to win, however I wish to go into the stuff that will get us to win. … How we put together, how we deal with practices, how we deal with shootarounds, how we deal with movie classes. These are the issues that’s going to construct us to be a sustainable winner.”
Washington had a busy offseason, including veterans like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey whereas drafting Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George.
Though the Wizards are anticipated to be towards the underside of the league’s hierarchy once more, Keefe helped flip the crew round halfway by the yr. They went simply 8-31 below him, however they went from being useless final within the league in clutch video games performed to first throughout that stretch.
“We’re not giving up, okay? We’re going to lose some video games … however we’re not going to lose video games [where we] quit finish of the third, halftime. [We’re going to] battle until the top, it doesn’t matter what, up or down,” Valanciunas stated.
We’ve extra from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards veterans are joyful that Valanciunas made the choice to affix the crew in free company, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports activities Community writes in a subscriber-only story. The 32-year-old Valanciunas has been within the league since he was 20 and holds profession averages of 13.4 factors and 9.5 rebounds per recreation.
- The Hawks introduced a collection of entrance workplace promotions and hires in a press launch, together with Daniel Starkman being elevated to vice chairman of participant personnel. As well as, Jay Rodriguez was employed as professional personnel coordinator, Miles Simon and Bubba Burrage have been employed as professional scouts and Nick Restifo as director of basketball analysis. Ben Peterson, Ryan Donahue, Ryan Brooks, Paddy Hogben and John Dusel have been among the many different additions/promotions. Starkman beforehand served as the overall supervisor of the crew’s G League affiliate, the School Park Skyhawks.
- Atlanta added some dimension on the wings whereas getting a bit youthful, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Structure writes in a chunk recapping the crew’s media day. No. 1 total decide Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels determine to issue into the rotation whereas the Hawks additionally added Larry Nance Jr. In the meantime, Onyeka Okongwu, Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye and Seth Lundy all acquired optimistic harm updates. Lastly, Williams writes the Hawks are nonetheless contemplating whether or not Cody Zeller will make the roster.
- The Warmth have a roster filled with gamers out to show doubters fallacious, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Solar Sentinel writes. “It doesn’t matter what it’s, we’re going to discover a strategy to make us have a chip on our shoulder,” Jaime Jaquez stated. “I feel even getting in, I feel it’s seven nationwide TV video games for the Miami Warmth. That’s what the NBA thinks of us. And that’s OK, as a result of i assure that they’re going to nonetheless be speaking about us when the season goes on and we play our season.“
