WASHINGTON (AP) – The volume of Randy Wittman’s voice rose right along with his anger.
The coach’s Washington Wizards had just lost their third consecutive game, offering up little in the way of defensive resistance each time, and he had a point to make.
“We don’t defend. Guys drive by us at will. We don’t have any toughness. We don’t hit anybody and rebound the ball. We’ve got guys that play 27 minutes and get one defensive rebound,” an animated Wittman, a former NBA player, said at his postgame news conference. “I can get a rebound, I guarantee you. If you give me 27 minutes on a Saturday, I’ll get you a rebound. And that’s what it boils down to – 50-50 balls; the dirty stuff.
“We don’t get dirty. And that’s on me. We’ve got three days to find the guys that’ll play that way.”
Until the Wizards’ next game, on Saturday against the visiting Orlando Magic, there will be one main topic of conversation for Wittman’s club: defense.