SB Nation Reacts: Wizards fans were mostly content with team direction before last night’s loss

Thank you for your responses to this week’s NBA Reacts survey. The Washington Wizards-only survey results are below. Our national survey results will be posted tomorrow.

Wizards fans were actually content with team direction after the six-game win streak

SB Nation

Wizards Twitter and some of our writers have been criticized for being overly negative throughout most of the last five seasons. So it is no surprise that a combined 62 percent of Wizards fans gave 1s and 2s for fan confidence last week. This week, it’s gone down to a combined 35 percent who gave 1s and 2s.

Thirty four percent of fans this week gave 3s and 24 percent gave 4s! So fans were turning around because of the Wizards’ recent six-game win streak which ended last night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Why are fans confident?

• Deni Avdija’s name came up in numerous comments. The team has started calling him “Turbo” because of it.
• “If the Big Three stay healthy, the Wizards can truly win almost any game.”

And here is someone who is confident in what the Wizards trying to do, though I bet he/she disagrees with that direction.

• “I am confident they are fulfilling their promise of a play-in team where the ceiling is a first round loss. Congrats Ted and Tommy!”

Finally, why are fans NOT confident with the Wizards’ direction?

• “By all appearances, the plan is to remain on the treadmill of mediocrity indefinitely. And the Rui trade just shows a complete failure of player development, which continues regardless of how Deni plays from night to night.”
• “Winning streak has been against bad teams but consistency is appreciated.”
• “The streak is a MIRAGE!”

The fans who are not confident remain very vocal.

Wizards fans think Tommy Sheppard will be back, even if the team fails to make the first round of the NBA Playoffs

SB Nation

The Wizards’ goal is to make the playoffs, which I’ll define as a first round appearance this season. Given that the Wizards are tied for ninth in the east with a 24-27 record, they really could make the playoffs, along with an assist as a play-in team if necessary. Sheppard’s predecessor, Ernie Grunfeld was fired after the Wizards missed the playoffs in the 2018-19 season, so could that be what ends Sheppard’s?

It’s possible of course, but a decisive majority, or 60 percent of respondents believe that Sheppard will still come back.

We’ll have another Wizards survey next week. And as stated earlier, tomorrow, we’ll have the national survey results!