HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

It’s been a long season in Washington that’s seen 21 different players donning a Wizards uniform and with five players currently side-lined by injury, Head coach Flip Saunders is relaying a realistic view of his team’s situation.

"We did have three first round picks that we wanted to evaluate," explained Saunders.  "Our goal was always to go out and win games but our goals were also short term and long term.  We also knew we were in a situation where we have to evaluate the young players that we have to see where they are at.  Are they main guys?  Are they starters?  Are they top eight guys or are they role players?

"It is very challenging, especially as I’ve been a coach that has always been in the playoffs and always been in a situation where you want to do that (be in the playoffs), you have to understand that sometimes you are trying to win games but you also have to do both, develop players and try to win games at the same time."

A severely limited Wizards lineup means Coach Saunders is starting three rookies and playing five of the team’s six rookies.  The other two starters, JaVale McGee and Yi Jianlian are just 23-years-old.

"What has happened with the injuries is it has facilitated their development and that evaluation process because they have gotten more time," said Saunders.

"You can see how much they keep developing with the extended playing time they have been getting."

The Wizards coach sees improvement over the season from all of the team’s young players on an individual level even if that improvement has not translated into more wins yet.

"Individually, if you look at each player, everybody (has gotten better)," said Saunders.  

"I’d say Wall is a guy who is averaging over eight assists a game and fifteen points as a rookie, if you compare him to Chris Paul and a lot of other point guards, his stats are actually better than these guys so I think his development (is good).

"I think Booker, our other rookie that we drafted in the first round, has shown very good development and proven that he is going to be a solid player in this league.

"McGee has had a solid year from a standpoint of blocking shots.  From a basketball standpoint, he might be in the league three years, but he might be one of youngest players from a standpoint of how much time he has played in college and his first couple of years in the NBA.

Kevin Seraphin, our young player from France, who we really didn’t expect to do anything has shown some good signs and so have some of our young veteran guys.  Nick Young has had a breakout year and his draft class is with Durant and he is the second leading scorer next to Durant in his draft class.  So he has had a very solid year.  

"All those guys have developed but they have a lot of room for (more) development and improvement.  The next step now is to take all their individual development and put it within a team concept and be able to start to win games.  Sometimes one has to happen before the other."

The Wizards young players definitely see the progress that they have made over the season.

"I definitely feel that I have been growing as a player, slowing down and becoming a more consistent player," said McGee.  "The game itself is definitely slowing down for me now as I figure things out."

"So far it is going pretty good, progressing throughout the season and getting better every game," said Trevor Booker.  "Just getting a feel for the game, getting more confidence, more experience, and just being out there on the floor makes me feel more comfortable."

"Throughout the whole season, I learn something from every game and get better from every game," said John Wall.

"It has been good for Jordan (Crawford) to come in and play," Wall continued.  "He came from a team where he didn’t play as much, a playoff contending team and now he has an opportunity to show what he can do and we can know what to look for next year and what plays to put in.  Having him and Nick, either coming off the bench or both starting, that’s a good combo, two people who can keep the scoring going while you have one of them out."

As Coach Saunders has noted, the Wizards are a work in progress and still have a fair ways to go before these talented young players will be effective as a team.

"Teams that have been in lottery situations and get a lot of top five picks, it takes them a while for them to all blend," said Saunders.  "Sometimes they have to evaluate (players) and one or two of those guys might wash out and they bring in a veteran player to help out those picks.

"When they come into the league, a lot of times those young players’ agenda is to establish who they are rather than to establish their ability as far as winning.  That’s why sometimes young players that go right to winning type teams progress a little quicker in some ways as far as the mental aspect because they are going to a situation where most of those veteran guys only care about winning.  Individual stats don’t really mean a whole lot.

"One of the biggest things with young teams and one of the last things to come along is your overall total defense because there are so many different ways to do things.  Sometimes offensive ability and talent can take over if you have an extremely young offensively talented player.  Nick Young is like that, Nick has the ability to score points.  He started playing more because he started playing better defensively.  He is not going to make an all defensive team, I wouldn’t go that far but he has improved.  As a team, that’s a step that you have to make.  You have to become solid as a defensive team.

"You hope what happens is that you keep on working with the players that you have and help them to understand that team success leads to more individual success, not necessarily the other way around."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Currently the Wizards only have one active veteran player in the rotation.  Maurice Evans is the only Wizard playing born before 1980.  However, Evans is not starting and the lack of veteran leadership shows despite Evan’s best efforts.

"I just try not to fall into bad habits," said Evans.  "Whether that be not giving effort on defense or putting my head down when things are going wrong from the things young players do just from a lack of experience.  

"I try to bring that leadership, cheer lead and support the guys and try to show them things that I’ve learned along the way.  Always play hard so that we understand that we are never out of the game.

"I don’t feel like morale victories mean much but learning on the job and gaining that experience through meaningful losses is encouraging."

This is one area that Saunders recognizes can be addressed in the upcoming off season and his young players recognize the importance of veteran leadership.

"I think that’s something that we’ll have the ability (to do) because of our cap flexibility," said Saunders.

"I feel we have a future core," said McGee.   We just need a couple of veterans on the bench to set trends on how to get wins."

The Wizards season is one of transition to a young group of players who are trying hard but not quite ready to win a lot games.  Coach Saunders is encouraged by the changes he is seeing.

"We have had a tendency this year when we got behind to hang our heads and just not think that it is going to happen," said Saunders.  "With our young guys playing, what they have been doing is even though we fall behind, they keep on fighting.

"The positives are we go in with the idea of competing and keep on competing because what will happen is things will fall your way. I think our guys have been resilient, they understand from day one what this season was about and we understand as a coaching staff what we are working on.  Is the progress enough to win games?  That’s the next step.  We have to get some positive reinforcement for the things that they are doing good."

Coach Saunders is not predicting when his group of young players will put it all together and start generating wins but he sees progress with the players he has and he recognizes the team does have the flexibility to add veteran help in the off season if this evaluation period suggests they still need it.  Plus players who will fight through adversity do give Saunders and the Wizards hope for the future.

However, with six rookies and only three players with more than five full seasons in the league, Coach Saunders is going to need a lot of patience and do a lot of teaching before the Wizards are playoff contenders again.  Although there is a lot to like about this young group that seems to have at least one future All-Star, for a few of his players, there is a good chance he will still be asking himself next year, "Are they main guys?  Are they starters?  Are they top eight guys or are they role players? … and one or two of those guys might washout."  Second-year players in the NBA often struggle with many aspects of the game as well.

You can send me comments or questions about the Wizards, Raptors, or anything else in the NBA to my weekly chat and check back on Thursday at noon ET for a response.