#SoWizards

We're back! The first episode of the #SoWizards Podcast in nearly a year is a fun one -- an in-depth conversation with coach Brian McCormick about player development strategies and techniques, and how those might be applied by the Washington Wizards and other NBA teams with young players.McCormick has coached CYO, AAU, high school, junior college, and college basketball and worked as a strength...

In this episode of the #SoWizards Podcast, I’m joined by Troy Haliburton to discuss all things Wizards — everything from the season opener to player development and the team’s long-term competitive strategy. Our conversation covered: Last season’s performance The coaching change and the emphasis on teaching and development Roster changes — who left and the new arrivals Jordan Poole’s role and...

The Washington Wizards have launched into a busy and somewhat perplexing offseason. Joining me to help make sense of the team's roster moves and long-term plan is my former cohost and longtime friend, Ben Becker.Ben is a stalwart member of the Wizards' online community from message boards to Bullets Forever to Twitter, X and podcasts.In this episode we discuss: The Wizards' 2024 draft, and the...

The Washington Wizards made one deal at the trade deadline, sending starting center Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a first round pick and center Richaun Holmes.Holmes is on the wrong side of 30 and hasn't been much good in a few years now. Gafford is pretty good and just 25 years old, so what gives?Ben Becker and I break down what the Wizards front office is likely...

The Washington Wizards replaced Wes Unseld Jr. as head coach, moving Unseld into a front office advisory role, and promoting lead assistant Brian Keefe to be interim head coach. When the team makes a big move, there's no one better to discuss it with than old friend and podcast partner Ben Becker.Ben and I have been talking and analyzing the Wizards for 20+ years now. This conversation is the...

Just past the midway point, the Wizards are bumbling through what's likely to be the worst season in franchise history. To discuss the biggest issues the team faces as they attempt to rebuild, I invited on veteran Wizards observer and reporter, Troy Haliburton.We began with a couple big NBA stories — the Milwaukee Bucks firing newly hired head coach Adrian Griffin, and the Miami Heat trading for...

With the Washington Wizards set to face the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night, it seemed like a great time to catch up with current Pacers journalist and Bullets Forever alum Tony East. In this episode, we talked about what makes Tyrese Haliburton special, Haliburton's hamstring injury, and what the Pacers do well and not so well before diving into the Wizards.Tony's attention is primarily on the...

In this episode, I'm joined by Bullets Forever's Osman Baig to discuss the state of the Wizards. As I wrote in my big picture check-up on January 3, they're still bad.Oz and I drilled into concerns about how the Wizards are managing the development of French rookie Bilal Coulibaly. Suffice to say, we have concerns, specifically about his lack of involvement in the team's offense.As we discussed...

Why has the Wizards defense been so bad this season? I put the question to Coach Nick from BBALLBREAKDOWN, and the answer leapt off the screen: they're helping from one pass away. That's the team's scheme this season, and it's the root cause of giving up open threes, and the mad scramble that gives opposing teams easy scores and domination on the offensive glass.This is an in-depth discussion of...

Brian McCormick has coached at an array of levels in leagues around the world and has written books about basketball fundamentals, skills development, how to become a great shooter, running practices, and building an effective offensive system. I invited him on to discuss the unique challenges faced by Wes Unseld Jr. and his staff as they attempt to lead a team at step one of a total rebuild.We...