SB Nation NBA Reacts Part 2 of 3: Wizards fans give Scott Brooks a “C”, split on future team direction

Here is part two of Washington Wizards’ fan results from SB Nation NBA Reacts. This is the second of three parts. If you missed the first part, click on the link below.

In this part, we’ll go over questions on Head Coach Scott Brooks’ performance as well as where fans believe the Wizards should do going forward.

Wizards fans give Scott Brooks a median grade of “C” on average for his performance. It leans toward a “C-” based on how negatively skewed the distribution is.

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I know I have been negative on Brooks this season and gave him a “D.” But ultimately, 42 percent gave Brooks a “C” though the rest of the results were skewed toward the “D” and “F” range. Note that 38 percent gave Brooks D’s and F’s while only 21 percent gave him A’s and B’s.

We have gone over why Brooks has done a poor job coaching this season from his questionable rotations involving younger players like Deni Avdija and Issac Bonga to the fact that this team started 3-8 before a coronavirus outbreak kept them off the court for two weeks.

So why would some give him a B ... or even an A? That’s likely because the Wizards recently won seven of eight games and had a successful 4-1 west coast road trip. Also, it’s not easy for any team to bounce back like the Wizards did in February under the circumstances. Washington’s February is why I gave Brooks a “D” instead of an “F.” After all, they still have a slim shot at making the postseason, likely as a 9th or 10th seed in the East.

Wizards fans are split 50/50 on whether to focus on the future or make a run for the playoffs

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The Wizards are a team that apparently wants things both ways: they want to have a good young foundation for the future but also want to win some games right now. The fanbase is just like the team in this respect.

Personally, I think the Wizards’ bigger need is to focus on the future. It is admirable to see Bradley Beal say time and time again that he wants to remain on the team. But barring another two February 2021-like stretches this regular season, it’s hard to envision Washington making the playoffs this season.

Meanwhile, we also have to understand that nearly every playoff-contending NBA team wants to court the Wizards with an offer General Manager Tommy Sheppard can’t refuse” so they can get Beal. If the Wizards are going to kickstart a rebuild and focus more on their younger talents, trading Beal is the way to go. Though it seems prudent to trade him, I also don’t think he will be moved this season, no matter how bad the Wizards’ record gets.

Tomorrow, we’ll go over the national results which focused heavily on NBA Top Shot.

And to sign up for SB Nation NBA Reacts, click on the link below.