A thorough examination of Tommy Sheppard’s dismissal

I was joined by Osman Baig for a special edition of the Bleav in Wizards podcast to break down Tommy Sheppard’s firing as Wizards General Manager and Team President. The Wizards went 129-179 under Sheppard and only made the playoffs once. The lack of playoff success was a major reason behind the move according to the team’s official press release.

In this episode we covered:

• Why now? The timing seems somewhat questionable
• Whether him throwing Wes Unseld Jr. under the bus after the season had anything to do with his firing and if Bradley Beal had an input on the decision
• Was Sheppard really set up for success? Or did the direction handed down from Ted Leonsis make his job impossible?
• Whether Leonsis will actually empower his replacement or handcuff him to this “middle build” approach
• Whether this spells the end for Bradley Beal
• What this means for Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma this offseason
• Which players are most likely to be moved by a new GM
• The likely candidates to replace Sheppard
• The case for why Bob Myers might actually want this particular job
• My personal ideal choice for the job, Tayshaun Prince, and why I’d like to see him get it
• Revisiting Sheppard’s trades
• Sheppard’s spotty draft record
• Some behind the scenes info on what influenced his draft decisions
• What he’ll be most remembered for
• His best move (yes, there were some good ones)
• His worst move (I think my choice might surprise some folks)
• Why this offseason could basically decide the Wizards’ fate for the next decade