Wizards Acting Like They Don't Care
By KYLE WEIDIE
Updated 4:18 PM EDT, Mon, Jan 26, 2009
It's hard to outline priorities for a historically bad team. There are the obvious: work hard, stay focused, and just maybe try to have a little fun playing basketball.
That's asking a lot when the end result is almost always a loss.
Coach Ed Tapscott's task is not enviable. His heart seems to be in the right place. Throw out some famous quotes from the likes of Aristotle, construct of proverbial "Palace of Good Play," and stay positive with the young guys, treading carefully as to not mess with their precious little psyches.
Unfortunately, Tapscott's happy-go-lucky philosophy doesn't seem to create a culture of seriousness, accountability and discipline, and by the look of things, it's coming back to bite him.
Against the Trailblazers on Saturday, the Wizards turned the ball over 26 times.
That's right, 26 freaking times.
You know the last time the Wizards turned the ball over 26 times?
Let's go back 699 games to the year 2000. On opening night, All Hallows Eve, Juwan Howard and Mitch Richmond tied to lead the team with five each as the Wizards lost to the Magic.
But it wasn't the fact of the turnovers against Portland, rather their nature -- time after time due to mental lapses and carelessness. As Bullets Forever pointed out, the Wiz gave the rock away on 28.5 percent of their possessions. Somebody's shoes are filled with bullet holes.
One of the most insulting blows comes from the pregame observations of popular Trailblazers blog, Blazers Edge: "It's difficult to imagine a team caring less about winning or playing the game the right way than the 2008-2009 Washington Wizards."
Ouch.
Tapscott need not berate his players if he fears losing them, but he also doesn't have to coddle. If Coach Tap doesn't get his team to start caring and playing with pride soon, he may lose them anyway.
First Published: Jan 25, 2009 11:48 PM EDT
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