The Wizards held a players-only meeting last week in which they pledged to hold each other accountable. They should have pledged to do their homework. Following Sunday’s 93-72 loss to Minnesota, Wizards coach Flip Saunders complained that his players weren’t reading scouting reports and preparing properly — and the players agreed.
“Our coaching staff gives us more than enough information on the next team,” forward Andray Blatche said. “Flip, he’s definitely doing his job. I don’t feel like everybody is listening and following behind what he says and doing what he wants us to do.”
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Saunders is also having trouble relaying opposing scouting reports that say his team is full of players who don’t share the ball.
“I think it’s getting through. It’s just tough playing out there,” point guard John Wall said. “At times, you see, mostly everybody knows we’re going to be a one-on-one team, so it’s easy to guard somebody when they go one-on-one all the time. … It’s a pride game now. To start this bad. It’s nothing but pride to see if you’ve got the heart to play.”
Rookie Chris Singleton, who lamented the Wizards’ culture of losing after the first game of the year, said toughness and heeding Saunders’ refrain in practice of “fix it” is the only way to turn the team around.
One thing that’s not hard to understand: what the Wizards’ record means.
“It means we’re losers,” Singleton said. “We’re 0-8, the last team in the league without a win.”
– Craig Stouffer
