The Wizards are downplaying the internal conflict, trade rumors, and flare-ups, with coach Scott Brooks telling the media that the team has “moved on.”
“It happened last week,” Brooks said (via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com). “We moved on from it as a team. Not trying to minimize what happened, but in all sports, all teams I’ve been on — I’ve been in the league for almost 30 years as a player, as an assistant coach, as a head coach — that has happened.
“It’s something that you understand that it’s a competitive environment and a lot of times, you have adult conversations that get heated. And we all have to live with what we say and work things out when that does happen and move on.”
On Monday, it was reported that Washington had deemed no player untouchable in trade discussions. Bradley Beal, the Wizard who likely has the most trade value, hasn’t explicitly expressed a desire to be traded, though at least one team has already contacted the franchise about his availability.
“I’m not going to be naive to it, you know,” Beal told Bontemps among other reporters on Monday about the possibility of being traded. “I’ve heard those rumors weeks ago. Then, I didn’t buy into them. Now, I’m still not going to buy into them because if that’s my main priority and focus, then I’m going to be messed up on the floor.”
Entering Tuesday, the Wizards own a record of 5-11 and Brooks will shake up the rotation with the hopes of getting better results. The team is moving Markieff Morris to the bench and pairing Kelly Oubre Jr. and Otto Porter in the starting lineup, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post tweets.
Beal is already messed up on the floor. Lol
Beal: Detroit, New Orleans, Minnesota, Lakers, Miami.
They’re realizing they’re stuck with each other.
Yeah, that’s always the end of drama. A guy saying it’s the end of the drama.
The amount of overreaction to the first 16 games of this season in the NBA is staggering. It’s a long season and there is PLENTY of time to turn things around without going all Chicken Little and thinking the sky is falling.
Do you think overreaction is increasing? It may just be a symptom of increased NBA popularity, which is kind of a good thing for them.
I used to prioritize an entertainment site, but the reactive Hollywood politics is worse than the president’s tweets!