Wizards Add Two Assistants
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has named Randy Wittman and Sam Cassell as assistant coaches on the staff of Head Coach Flip Saunders. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.
“Randy and Sam will be excellent additions to our coaching staff, and both will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals,” said Saunders. “Randy brings a wealth of experience as a former head coach of two different teams and is very familiar with my system. I always regarded Sam as a coach on the floor during his playing days, and he brings instant credibility as a three-time NBA champion and a proven winner.”
Wittman was most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he served as head coach from January 23, 2007 to December 8, 2008. He previously served as head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1999-2001. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers in 1992, and later worked as an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic. Wittman played collegiately at Indiana University under Bobby Knight, helping the team to an NCAA championship in 1981. He was originally drafted by the Washington Bullets with the 22nd pick of the 1983 NBA Draft, and played nine seasons in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers before retiring in 1992 with a career average of 7.4 points per game (.501 FG%) in 543 games.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to work with Flip again, and I’m confident that the staff he is assembling will complement the talented roster that is already in place,” said Wittman. “I’m eager to help this team reach the next level and ready to get to work immediately on the court.”
The 2009-10 season will mark Cassell’s first foray into coaching after an outstanding 15-season playing career. In 993 career regular season games, the former All-Star and Baltimore native averaged 15.7 points and 6.0 assists per game. Cassell has won three NBA Championships (1994 and 1995 with Houston, 2008 with Boston), and appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals with Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld’s Milwaukee Bucks in 2001 and the Western Conference Finals under Flip Saunders with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004.
“After 15 seasons playing in this league, I have accomplished all that I have dreamed of as a player,” said Cassell. “Now the time has come for to me to take my love for the game to the coaching ranks and pass on what I’ve learned. This team is loaded with talent, and it’s a great way for me to start my coaching career.”
Posted: May 21st, 2009 under Wizards.
Comments
Comment from MPWizFan83
Time May 21, 2009 at 4:59 PM
i think Cassell is a great hire and should get in Gilbert’s ear. You know Gil will respect him because of the rings.
Comment from dmac
Time May 21, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Man this is great! this almost like like getting an additional number one pick and bringing in a veteran to help the Wiz. Only it is from the coaching side.
Randy Wittman has NBA experience as an head and assistant coach. The fact that he knows Flip’s system is a plus.
The number one draft pick in coaching is Baltimore’s Sam Cassell. Man the knowledge and wisdom he will bring should truly impact our locker room. I believe we will see some positive changes especially in our mental focus.
Comment from Wizfan4life
Time May 21, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Finally they make this official! I remember reading about this as a rumor a couple weeks ago, but man it sounds so much better now that it’s official! Quick question though: wasn’t Randy Ayers our shooting coach? If so, who’s gonna take over this role? Oh yeah quick little fact: yes Cassell is a Baltimore native, but did you know that the Washington Bullets drafted Randy Wittman with the 22nd pick in the 1983 draft? I don’t believe he ever played for our organization though (but if I’m wrong let me know).
Comment from Wizfan4life
Time May 21, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Oh wait just read the top of the page….guess I should have done that 1st lol 
Comment from wizards_fusion
Time May 21, 2009 at 6:44 PM
I think Randy Ayers is/was our assistant on defense.
Dave Hoopla is/was the shooting coach.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 21, 2009 at 8:00 PM
I think this is a great core or coaches. We should do well next season. Congrats and welcome Randy Wittman and Sam Cassell.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 21, 2009 at 8:05 PM
From ESPN: “Wittman and Cassell are the replacements for Randy Ayers and Phil Hubbard, who were assistants under fired coach Eddie Jordan and interim coach Ed Tapscott. Assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. remains on the staff, while Dave Hopla is not expected to return.
Wittman coached the Timberwolves for nearly two seasons before he was fired in December 2008. He coached the Cavaliers from 1999-2001 and has been an assistant with three other teams.”
Comment from dmac
Time May 21, 2009 at 8:49 PM
If the Wiz have only Wittman. Cassell and Unseld as coaches does that mean they could be adding a coach for the big men? Wiz4life, Sportzwiz any clue? What will Wittman and Cassell roles be?
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 21, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Too bad to lose Hopla, who seems to have had a good effect on at least Haywood.
I guess Wes Jr. is just a permanent fixture on the Wizards.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:05 PM
None of the guys coming in tomorrow are projected to be drafted on any board I’ve seen. Micah Downs had a very productive week at the Portsmouth Invitational. The knock on him is that he doesn’t have a good handle and he doesn’t shoot well. Is a very very talented defensive player, however.
What’s weird to me is that we have a very *high* 2d round pick; almost no one who’s worked out so far is projected that high, and most of them aren’t projected *at all.*
Why are we looking at all these 2 guards who are unlikely to be drafted? How would we ever have a spot for one of these guys? The only thing I can think is that Ernie is preparing some kind of trade that opens the roster up.
Comment from edry09
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Tom – that’s exactly what I was wondering!
I mean we have a so high pick and we look at guards unlikely to be drafted, it doesn’t make sense, unless EG prepare something…to be continued lol
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:42 PM
Tom my thought on that is the same as a couple days ago. I think Ernie already has his “list” of players he would take with our second pick. I think he is looking at players who fill a role and probably are at the bottom or just off everybodys draft list in case our 2nd round pick is somehow packaged in a trade. Right now the 2nd round doesn’t count… we don’t have a roster spot.
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:46 PM
For us to free up that roster spot at least one of the picks (if not both) are probably going to get packaged.
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:49 PM
Ernie may be making contingencies for if we package both? We could get a pretty good guard with the 5th pick, but, he is working out guards off everybody’s list? Hmmm.
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 21, 2009 at 9:57 PM
Wasn’t coach Wittman a very good defensive coach? If memory serves he stressed defense. Along with Flip it might be a very good fit. I like the Sam Cassell move. He was always a very tough nosed player. Maybe he can teach the team a little of that. Nice to have a guy like that with a few championship rings for the guys to look up to and learn from. I’m sorry to see Coach Hopla go, but, it seems the only one he really helped was Brendan. Antawn’s clanking them off the rim didn’t seem to change much. Maybe Brendan can hire him on the side. Anything “Unseld” will forever be a Wizard. Abe is a very loyal individual it would seem. The best of luck to Coach Ayers and Coach Hubbard.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:12 AM
Remember a couple of years ago when Washington had the fifth pick and traded it to Dallas for Antawn Jamison? Me too. And with 14 players already under contract for next season I have a feeling they might do it again, packaging it with an unwanted contract in order to make a run with their current roster while still getting under the luxury tax.
For instance, the Wizards could trade down with Memphis (No. 27), Oklahoma City (No. 25) or Sacramento (No. 23), throw in $3 million (the maximum allowed) and dump Etan Thomas’ $7.3 million on their lap, simultaneously getting Washington back to the tax line while still adding another young player. Alternatively, the Wizards could ask for a role-playing wing with a modest contract, or just structure it as a straight salary dump for a future conditional pick.
A lot of possibilities are on the board here, too many to enumerate. Suffice to say that I’d be stunned if Washington actually uses the pick. The salary commitment is too high once tax concerns are taken into account, and the expected immediate return too low. For a team hoping to bounce back quickly behind a healthy Gilbert Arenas, they’re much better off using the pick as a trade asset.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:20 AM
Don’t you have to take salary money back in order to trade salary money? I.e., does Hollinger know what he’s talking about here in suggesting that we can dump Etan’s contract?
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:47 AM
I like a lot of you don’t think the Wizards will keep the 5th pick. I think they will trade it for a future pick or like Tom said another second round pick and a salary dump. When EG and AP said that they are willing to go over the luxury tax I think they was talking about singing the #1 pick, not the #5 pick. Hoopshype.com has Blake Griffin getting paid $4.9 million for a rookie salary. If the Wizards signed Blake we would have to pay his salary and another 4.9 million in taxes. Is Blake worth 10 million? Maybe. Look at it with our actual pick, 5th. We are due the pay the 5th pick player 3.2 million and another 3.2 million in taxes. Is Jordan Hill, James Harden or Tyreke Evans worth 6.5 million? No!! Blake is already selling tickets for the Clippers.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:56 AM
We might do some kind of trade w/ Memphis, come to think of it, because:
1. They only have 8 players (= $34m salary) on the books for ‘09-10.
2. Ricky Rubio *definitely* doesn’t want to play there.
3. They have a stated plan to build by developing young players. They may want one of our young guys.
4. Ernie and Chris Wallace (their GM) seem able to work out deals.
Memphis only has one PF on their roster — Darrell Arthur, who isn’t really very good. Hmmm…
We could easily give them Andray and our 5th pick for their 2d pick, and we take Rubio. Ernie stashes him in Europe for another year, we add our high 2d rounder and one of these long-shot 2 guards. Doing this, we might cleverly slide under the Luxury Tax limit!
Or, instead of their 2d pick, we could take back Mike Conley (picked 3d two years ago) and their 27th pick. In which case they pick Rubio.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 8:12 AM
Of course, my *ideal* trade is a little more complicated:
We give Memphis our #5 and Andray for their #2.
Then we give the Clippers that #2 and Nick Young for their #1.
Hello Blake Griffin!
We add our high 2d rounder, one of these long-shot 2 guards, and maybe we slide under the Luxury Tax too!
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Tom, that’s crazy. So you are saying, we can give up a contract and a pick, for a pick without picking up a contract to replace the one we gave up. How dose that work?
Comment from MPWizFan83
Time May 22, 2009 at 9:04 AM
thats some wishful thinking and a creative way to get to Blake but i like it! Tell Ernie to get it done…
Would you be willing to get rid of JaVale ion a trade that would land you the rights to Thabeet? Who will be better?
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 9:26 AM
That trade actually works on ESPN Trade Machine if we pick up Mardy Collins and Mike Taylor from the Clippers. I didn’t know we can just give a player to a team without getting one back.
Thanks Tom you enlighten me:)
Comment from Big Dogg
Time May 22, 2009 at 10:04 AM
This came from ESPN. I found it on hoopshype:
“That’s why a couple of teams think the Thunder might be willing to trade down in the draft. Two league sources said the Wizards and Thunder already had discussions about a swap of the No. 3 pick for the No. 5 pick and the Wizards’ 2008 first-rounder, JaVale McGee.
The Wizards want Rubio but would settle for Thabeet if he’s the one who falls. The Thunder would get a long, lanky shot-blocker in McGee and then could get another guy they like, Arizona State’s James Harden, at No. 5.”
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 10:17 AM
WOW!!
Comment from Big Dogg
Time May 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM
They are saying the same thing on hoopsworld:
http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStories.asp?lc=NBA&c=1&TEAM_ID=&PLAYER_ID=&hd=20090522#STORY_18966
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 22, 2009 at 11:01 AM
What am I missing? A lot of people are very high on Thabeet. I haven’t seen much of him but in the few times I have seen him he looks very raw and not much more than a project at this point. It seems to me JaVale has a much larger up side.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Thabeet doesn’t do much for me, and giving up last year’s first round pick to move up 2 spots in the draft doesn’t do much for me either.
No doubt there’ll be a zillion rumors floating around.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 11:16 AM
I think probably my ideal trade above wouldn’t work — I have us giving up salary w/o taking any back. 
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 11:28 AM
I would hate to see McGee go and we get Thabeet. If that trade was to happen and we get Rubio and use him as bait then it depends on who get get back.
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 22, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Hadn’t thought of that angle Millie Mill. Maybe Ernie thinks he can get more Gm’s involved in trade talks having Thabeet instead of JaVale?
Comment from GrifonRacing
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:01 PM
It’s ok Tom. We are all still counting on you to figure a way to land Griffin
They probably wish they had sent you now LOL.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Rather than trade up, I’d prefer to trade down.
If the Knicks are anxious about getting Curry, they may want to move up to 5. They’re also not likely to re-sign David Lee, who is a stud. Depending on what he brings in the FA market, we might be able to trade Nick and Andray plus our #5 for Lee (via a sign/trade) and #8.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Tom, I guess we can give up salary and not back the same amount. On http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeld=r2gtht Try trading Blatche to The Griz and Young to the Clippers and take back Mardy Collins and Mike Taylor from the Clippers. The only reason we had to take back players form the Clippers is because they are already over the salary cap. Remember the trade last season with Daniels, James and Critt.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Grifon — oh, I’m sure Thabeet would draw more interest than JaVale from other GMs. He’s projected 2-3 in the draft; McGee was taken #18.
If we did the trade w/ the Knicks that I describe above, we might take Dejuan Blair with #8, although we’d be pretty overloaded in the front court.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Nick young would fit into the Knicks offense. Lee will cost more than Young and Blatche make. If he don’t get offers for more than 5 mill than something is wrong.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:33 PM
millie mill — Trade machine does say that trade works, but I don’t know why, since you can’t factor in the picks.
First question is whether the Clips would be interested in Rubio and would think Nick enough of a bonus to pass on Griffin.
2d question is whether Memphis has a high grade on Andray Blatche.
From our side, it’d be a no-brainer, a great deal.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:44 PM
That trade won’t happen but mathematically it would.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised by a trade with Memphis that involved an exchange of picks.
Comment from millie mill
Time May 22, 2009 at 12:50 PM
I don’t think picks have value until there’s a cotract. If a team wants to trade the #1 pick for the #10 pick just because they don’t want to go over the luxury tax, they can.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Maybe — but there’s a pay scale for first round picks; so, actually, each pick does have a value.
Comment from doclinkin
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:31 PM
For purpose of trades the picks have no salary value.
To discuss the topic further we decent a little bit into the hell that is the Salary Cap rules.
But, a few simple things to remember, most of the restrictions on trades apply only to teams that are over the Cap.
Yes there is a requirement that teams trading away a player must take back equivalent salary in trade– if they are over the cap.
In a ’simultaneous’ trade a team can send out as many players as they want so long as all the salaries they receive total up to within 125% (plus 100k$) of what they send out. So if you send out $10M you have to take back at least $7.51M. So you can drop a little bit of salary that way in a swap.
There is also what’s called a ‘non-simultaneous’ trade. Sometimes mistakenly called the Traded Player Exception. In this kind of swap you can send out a player (1, one only) and not immediately take back another player or any salary at all so long as you promise that within the year you will take back a salary within 100%+100K of the salary you sent out.
You have a ‘credit’ for that salary.
Now here’s the nutty thing. You can then trade that Credit to another team in lieu of sending a player. And they can trade it or use it or whatever.
Memphis is not over the cap. Memphis can send out as much salary as they want and receive nothing back. They could sign off on the proverbial “send x-player for a bag of balls” or Nachos or whatever. They can take back as much salary as they can handle in a trade so long as they don’t cross the cap.
So DC would send them Blatche and land a TPE equal to Blatche plus 100K, they would have an exception that would let them pick up that much salary within the year.
Memphis would still be under the cap so they don’t have to accept any salary back. The pick is irrelevant to their cap situation until they actually ink their player.
Is LAC under the Cap? Looks like as of right now they just squeak under next year’s projected cap if Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner don’t pick up their player options. Which is why the trade checker would allow it, even if it’s implausible. DC would pick up a Nick Young Exception for this.
That’s my best understanding of it as of today. Pretty sure I got one or two details wrong, but anyone who cants to educate themselves on the topic can feel free to read up on the particulars here:
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q68
Knock yourself out.
Comment from doclinkin
Time May 22, 2009 at 7:43 PM
What’s weird to me is that we have a very *high* 2d round pick; almost no one who’s worked out so far is projected that high, and most of them aren’t projected *at all.*
Why are we looking at all these 2 guards who are unlikely to be drafted? How would we ever have a spot for one of these guys? The only thing I can think is that Ernie is preparing some kind of trade that opens the roster up.
Being as we only have the one roster spot, likely to be used in the high first round we are not the first choice workout for 2nd round players.
And since we’ve said we’re looking at trading a pick we’re not the top priority for the top-end lotto players either.
Once these guys get their first round of workouts out of the way we’ll start to see the bigger names.
Personally I think, in part, Ernie works out players as a smokescreen. Not Dominic, nor JaVale, nor Blatche, nor PJR IIRC worked out for the team.
Nick did. Crittenton did. And this last point is why Ernie likes to work out guys he’s unlikely to draft. IF you see something you like, maybe you pick him up later as a principle or an add-on in a trade. Or a free agent.
But still, even if he wants to work ‘em out doesn’t mean we’re top priority on anyone’s list.
Comment from Tom Mandel
Time May 22, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Interesting…
To me, anyone who wastes a high 2d round pick is quite foolish. After a high lottery pick, it’s the most valuable trade asset a team can have.
So, yes, we only have one roster spot at present, but I have hopes that via a trade we’ll wind up with 3 or even 3. We have a lot of unproductive players (despite the fan overestimation by people who seem to forget that of the 82 we played, 63 were losses), and if there’s any way to dump some of them I sure hope we do.
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Comment from SportzWiz
Time May 21, 2009 at 4:20 PM
FYI – here’s the four guys the Wizards are bringing in for workouts tomorrow.
Dwayne Anderson G/F Villanova Silver Spring, MD 6’6”, 215 lbs.
* Averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals during his senior season at Villanova
* Averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 points in five games during the 2009 NCAA Tournament
Gordon Watt F Houston Baptist Evanstown, IL 6’6”, 225 lbs.
* Averaged 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds during his senior year at Houston Baptist
* Led the Huskies in scoring and rebounding during his junior and senior seasons
Micah Downs G Gonzaga Kirkland, WA 6’8”, 194 lbs.
* Averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds during his senior season at Gonzaga
* Played two seasons at Gonzaga after transferring from Kansas
Weyinmi Efejuku G Providence Fresh Meadows, NY 6’5”, 210 lbs.
* Averaged 15.7 points and 2.3 assists for Providence during his senior season
* Named to Big East Honorable Mention Team for the 08-09 season