The Wizards’ 134-96 loss to the Lakers Thursday night dropped them to 6-41, four wins worse than the second-worst team in the NBA and needing to go 4-31 over the final 35 games to avoid tying the 1972-73 Sixers (who were 9-73) for worst record in NBA history.
We knew the rebuild was going to be a slog, but this season could when all is said and done be the worst ever – and the Wiz are 1-16 in 2025, their lone win on New Year’s Day.
So, when head coach Brian Keefe joined The Junks on Friday, they noted that the Wiz are 2-0 with The Junks in attendance, as they beat the Hornets on both Dec. 19 (with all the guys there the night before the Holiday Show) and Dec. 26.
“I’d get you guys floor seats for the rest of the year,” Keefe joked.
What’s not fun, though, is that it’s been 16 games and a whole month between wins, and even though the win total was never the primary marker this season, it still stings – but, the mission goes on, and Keefe and the team aren’t going to shy away from the vitriol their record can cause.
“We're not going to run from where we are and where we are right now. You accept the challenge, and I think these are the moments where you dig in and you show your resiliency,” Keefe said. “I’m obviously a part of that as the leader, but I know we’re all in this together, and the whole organization is committed to getting better every day. We have to dig in and get better, and it's not where we want to be, but I believe that we're planting the seeds and doing the things that are gonna lead us to be sustainable, and that I feel good about. But we're never gonna run and hide from where we are right now.”
Keefe has been part of rebuilds before, so this one isn’t any tougher than he thought it might be given the plans, it’s more about embracing the unique challenge of this complete teardown.
“I embrace the challenge of all of it, and the one thing that's great is I have a great group of guys on the team who are committed and want to get better, and we are improving in some ways that people won't see at times, but I can see that,” Keefe said. “Sometimes you, when you go through these situations, you can develop a grit and resiliency that's gonna carry over.
You just sometimes don't realize it, but I believe in the work ethic and the character of this group that we're gonna push through this.”
Youth is on the Wizards’ side, at least, as they have seven guys on the roster who are 22 or younger and are learning in a trial by fire, and Keefe likes what he sees there, too.
“Those guys have been tremendous. They're obviously learning and growing and going through the fire of the NBA, which is a tough, tough task, but they haven't backed down from anything,” Keefe said. “They've been challenged by us or the opponents, and I like where those guys are at and like where some of those guys are going. They’re developing the habits necessary to be consistent in the league, which is what everybody is aiming for. So, I've enjoyed those guys; we have great guys, and I love their work ethic and what they're about.”
Take a listen to Keefe’s entire visit above, as he goes into some specifics about certain players, and much more!