It’s interesting to see player reaction after a coach gets fired. Sometimes guys show remorse, other times they show indifference. When Flip Saunders got fired yesterday, I expected to hear indifference from the Wizards players. Their 2-15 start seemed to show indifference to any of Flip’s teachings.
Today, both John Wall and Andray Blatche both spoke to the Washington Post Wednesday about Flip’s firing. Wall expressed shock, adding that he and Saunders had no problems.
“Me and Flip had no problems,” Wall said as the Wizards prepared to host the Charlotte Bobcats at Verizon Center Wednesday. “He just wanted me to play basketball, but there was just times when I would get frustrated with myself for not playing good, doing things like that. He was just somebody that would always send me a text message or talk to me every day and just say, ‘Keep on working and keep believing in yourself and things will get better.’ I talked to him yesterday and told him the same thing, and he just said, ‘Keep working hard’ and I told him that I was sorry that happened to him.”
While Wall’s play has a little disappointing this season, it certainly didn’t seem like he blamed Saunders for the team’s poor start. Andray Blatche on the other hand at times didn’t seem so happy with the offensive schemes the coaching staff put together. However, today Blatche expressed regret over Saunders’ firing.
“He’s not a bad coach,” Blatche said. “It’s just that as a team, as players and him, we couldn’t get things together and win. Even though me and him had tough times together as a player and a coach, I still look at him as a great coach. He’s had great players and he’s done great things in his career. It’s just unfortunate the way the season is going. I can take some of the blame, the way I’m playing. I couldn’t even help him to keep his job or to get wins. So I just feel bad for him.”
Awfully magnanimous of Blatche to speak so thoughtfully of his coach after the guy gets fired. It’s really tough to give him credit for saying these things since he’s pretty much crapped all over this season so far (10.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg and a 10.90 PER). The Wizards are a mess and here’s hoping that general manager Ernie Grunfeld blows this team up and gives John Wall a team he can grow around properly.
