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Wizards’ historic start has great Wes Unseld Jr. connection, Bradley Beal happy

By Chase Hughes

Wizards’ historic start has Unseld connection, Beal happy originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

WASHINGTON — Sometimes when teams or individual players make history, they are well-aware. Sometimes, it catches them completely by surprise.

The latter occurred when Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. sat down at the podium on Saturday night following his team’s thrilling double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics. The win pushed the WIzards to 5-1 on the season, marking their best start in 16 years.

Not since 2005-06 have they been 5-1 after six games and, amazingly, that was the first year Unseld Jr. served as an assistant coach for the Wizards. He began his coaching career in earnest that season and now here he is, back as the head coach of the same team and taking them to where they haven’t been since he was part of the organization.

“That’s actually a stat I didn’t know,” Unseld Jr. said. “It’s great. There’s hopefully a lot of firsts this year. There’s certainly a lot of firsts for me. But once again, it just shows our resilience. I keep using that word, but it’s who we are and who we have to be.”

It did indeed require some resilience. The Wizards were playing their second straight game without starting center Daniel Gafford. Starting power forward Rui Hachimura remains out due to personal reasons and key backup Thomas Bryant is still on the mend following ACL surgery in January.

The only loss the Wizards have is against the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets, which came on the road. They have beaten Boston now twice, along with the Hawks who were in the conference finals just months ago.

At 5-1, the Wizards have the best record in the Eastern Conference. All of this is very unfamiliar for Wizards fans and also star guard Bradley Beal, who has perservered through some ups and downs in his 10-year NBA career. When told of the 16-year history, he was beaming at the podium.

“It feels amazing, man. I tell these guys all the time, they can be a part of a lot of history over here. Just from the way we’ve been doing things to the opportunity we have to create and mold our culture. We always talk about what a culture is and I always emphasize at the beginning of the year, it’s what we make it,” Beal said.

That comment, about being part of history, is a new spin on a sentiment he’s shared many times over the years. He wants to win in Washington and has signed up for two max contract extensions along the way, all while rebuffing trade rumors and recruitment from other NBA stars.

Interestingly enough, Beal has another contract offer on the proverbial negotiating table. He has said he’s in “no rush” to sign it because he can both wait if he wants to and earn a lot more money if he gives it until next summer.

But clearly what is going on with the Wizards is good for him and tracks with what he’s long hoped would take place.

“I always say I want to win. I want to be productive and I want to win in D.C. We’ve done that, obviously, so far. Granted, we’re only scratching the surface,” Beal said.

Beal mentioned the Wizards are playing “like crap” on offense and how their defense is carrying the way. He is confident the former will catch up to the latter and once it does, the Wizards will be even better.

Beal has made some bold claims in the past about his team, sometimes having comments come back to bite him. But now the team is walking the walk and it’s only natural to think about what they could be capable of at full-strength and once they can build chemistry over time.

“Just imagine when everything starts clicking, when everybody’s gelling, when everybody’s healthy. It’s going to be scary,” Beal said.

Wes Unseld Jr., Wizards players see long-term benefits to not tanking

By Chase Hughes
Wizards see long-term benefits to not tanking originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonThe Washington Wizards hope they see a lot more of what transpired on Thursday night over the next two months. Not only did they secure a win over the Brooklyn Nets, they did so while being led by their young players. Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert, their three most recent first-round picks, all played well.When it comes to the debate over whether it would be better for the Wizards to strive for the lottery or the playoffs, those in the locker room are making it clear where they stand."Honestly, that's not how we're wired," head coach Wes Unseld Jr. "I can't coach that way and, obviously we're going to coach the group that we have, but we're trying to win. They are a byproduct of that and they're part of it. That's our approach. We're trying to win as many games as we can."Unseld Jr. isn't the only member of the Wizards to comment recently on the subject of tanking. Now that Bradley Beal is done for the season, many fans have argued they would be better served by bottoming out and getting a better draft pick.Kyle Kuzma seems to have heard that sentiment and pushed back on it after their loss to the Pacers on Wednesday."We're not going to give in. We're not just here. We know we're without Brad, we don't really know the status of [Kristaps Porzingis]. But individually and collectively as a team, we're not just out there trying to tank away games and give in how we used to do prior, a couple weeks ago in the season. We want to fight to the end," Kuzma said.After beating the Nets on Thursday, the Wizards go into the All-Star break at 27-31. They are just a half-game out of the play-in tournament behind the Atlanta Hawks, who hold the 10th spot in the East. If the Wizards made the play-in tournament, they would have a chance to qualify for the playoffs. If they lost in the play-in tournament, they would be back in the lottery, albeit with long odds at securing a high draft pick.One factor in all of this is the team's remaining schedule. According to Tankathon, they have the fourth-easiest schedule the rest of the way. Just a few days ago, it was the easiest schedule in the league.Thursday's win over the Nets may have been an indication of how more of their games could go. They played a close one against an injury-depleted team and then got separation in the fourth quarter. Because they were playing a downtrodden opponent, there was a significant margin for error.However it happens, the Wizards continue to state that the postseason is their overarching goal, in addition to developing their young players."As we constantly grow and develop, get some wins and see what happens. The goal is the playoffs. That goal is in mind," Ish Smith said.Unseld Jr. hopes to have the best of both worlds. He believes they can push for the postseason while seeing players like Hachimura, Avdija and Kispert emerge. "I think that's also a cultural piece. Get these guys accustomed to playing the right way, winning and competing at a high level," he said.That, of course, may sound familiar to Wizards fans. They had a similar approach to the end of the 2019-20 season when they went to the bubble in Orlando. This time, however, you could argue they have a much better youth movement on their roster. Avdija and Kispert had yet to be drafted and that was before they traded for Daniel Gafford.Certainly, it always helps for teams to get high draft picks. But it's worth noting if the Wizards do see notable progress from their young players, it could also help their cause in trades this offseason.What is best for the team's future is always going to be up for debate, but what isn't in question is how Unseld Jr. and the players feel about it. They want to win and plan to do whatever they can to make the playoffs.
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