National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards: Randy Wittman Visits Minnesota Timberwolves Training Camp

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Washington Wizards: Randy Wittman recently visited Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves during their training camp.

Randy Wittman‘s name hasn’t been said inside of the Verizon Center since April 13, when he was fired after serving four years as head coach of the Washington Wizards.

Wittman is one of the most accomplished coaches in the team’s history with two first round series victories under his belt.

Despite the success he had in the playoffs – he outcoached both Tom Thibodeau and Dwane Casey in the postseason – Wittman will always be remembered for his stubborn, old-school approach in D.C.

Wittman became one of the last coaches in the league to embrace the “space-and-pace” movement, but failed to keep the elite defense that he became known for after he took over for the late Flip Saunders in 2012.

His playoff success – one that was caused by playing small-ball with Paul Pierce at the four against the Toronto Raptors in 2015 – was ultimately the worst thing that could’ve happened to Wittman.

The coach had never strayed away from the traditional two-in, three-out system and was basically pressured into changing his style after the team acquired Jared Dudley in the off-season.

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Washington spend the entire 2015 training camp working on their spacing and lost their defensive identity.

The team tried to build on their playoff success by playing small, but it quickly backfired.

Once the team missed the playoffs, it became clear that Wittman wasn’t going to return, even though his failures could be pinned on failed roster construction.

Ernie Grunfeld replaced Wittman with Scott Brooks in the summer.

Now, Wittman is likely going to take the upcoming season off to recover from the multiple procedures he had.

But, as an NBA lifer, Wittman isn’t going to sit out completely.

Like the rest of the coaches without gigs, Wittman will travel around the league to attend several training camps, which is something Brooks did after the Oklahoma City Thunder fired him.

According to Jon Krawczynski, Wittman attended the first day of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ training camp on Tuesday.

Wittman coached the Timberwolves from 2006 to 2008 before joining Saunders’ staff in Washington in 2009. Ironically, he aligned himself with Thibs, whom he surprisingly outcoached in the playoffs, as previously mentioned.

As training camps continue, Wittman will probably pop into more teams’ practices.

Coaches, even ones like Wittman, are constantly trying to improve their craft. If he ever get another shot to coach in the NBA, Wittman will have to show that he’s ready to change. The only way to learn is to put himself out there.

Fans will remember Wittman for his stubborn demeanor, but without him the Washington Wizards never would have experienced a shift in culture. He’s exactly the type of coach the Wizards needed at the time. Someday, I’m sure we’ll see him back on the sidelines.

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