John Wall will be back in Orlando on Wednesday for the Washington Wizards’ season opener. Five years to the day, he played his first NBA game against the Orlando Magic. Wall shot 19 times, something he did only 11 times last year. The Wizards were blown out. Times were dismal.
Not long after he was drafted No. 1 overall that season, his new coach, Flip Saunders, invited Wall to his house. For a week, they worked out, began a relationship and spent time with Saunders’ family.
“It was a great opportunity,” Wall said Monday. “He brought me in right away and wanted me to be great. He took me through the steps and wanted me to be well. We dealt with some tough times early on, but he always stayed positive and told me how good of a player I can be if I just keep working.”
Saunders died Sunday of cancer. He was 60. From 2009 to 2012, he coached the Wizards, working with a flood of young players who were trying to figure out the league. Among them was a much less mature version of Wall.
On Saunders’ staff was assistant coach Randy Wittman, who took over when Saunders was fired in 2012. In a statement on Sunday, Wittman referred to Saunders as a “friend for life.” He elaborated on that stance on Monday.
“It’s just tough,” Wittman said. “You lose a colleague, but not only a colleague, a great friend. He’s been there for me many times to pick me up when I’d been fired or something in my family has gone wrong. It’s a tough day.”
It was just last Friday that the Minnesota Timberwolves announced Saunders, their coach, president of basketball operations and part owner, would not return this season as he underwent medical treatment. On Sunday, the NBA community was stunned by the news of his death.
With those thoughts, the Wizards continued to prepare for Wednesday night’s season opener. Washington started its season in Florida last season, dropping the opener against the Miami Heat before picking up its first win of the season, 105-98, over Orlando.
Monday’s practice was the first since the Wizards finished the preseason on Friday. Wittman said everyone practiced — including Martell Webster, who had been out for two weeks because of a right hip injury. Nene had missed the final four games of the preseason to rest an ailing calf muscle. DeJuan Blair, with an injured right knee, also missed four preseason games, but, he, like Nene, is expected to be available for the opener.
“You’ve got to re-establish yourself,” Wittman said. “That’s what you hope to do from day one.”
The opener will also be the first test of the Wizards’ new up-tempo offense. Wall used the preseason to improve his conditioning so he can push the ball at every chance. He said this is the best shape he has been in to start a season. Wall has gone from asking for a substitute in the third quarter of the preseason opener to being able to maintain a furious pace.
“You can push it, but you don’t have to take every quick shot that you get,” Wall said.
Wittman’s concern through the preseason was the Wizards’ defense. In years past, at a slower offensive pace, the Wizards were among the league’s top defenses. Changing the offense will result in more possessions and, in theory, points scored, fixing their well-deserved reputation as one of the more offensively challenged teams in the league.
How they handle the defense is critical to Wittman.
“You’re going to have struggles offensively,” Wittman said. “Whether it’s shooting the ball, turning the ball over. Are you allowing yourself still the opportunity to win?
“We won a lot of games last year when we were pretty bad offensively. You’re going to have to do that. You’re going to have to win a game 82-80. Are you capable of doing that? That’s what I want our guys to stay focused on.”
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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