Power ranking NBA head coaches: 2015-16 season
By John Buhler
17. Randy Wittman, Washington Wizards
Randy Wittman catches a ton of flack for some of his coaching decisions and sideline mannerisms, but he does have the Washington Wizards more relevant than when Gilbert Arenas played in the nation’s capital. Wittman has taken a team that was on the rise and turned them into a contending team in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, it helps to have the best backcourt duo in the East in point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal, but Wittman seems to have the Wizards playing at their highest level in years.
One thing that Randy Wittman does extraordinarily well is winning road playoff games. It’s almost impossible to rationalize, but the Wizards have gotten out of the first round the last two years in the Eastern Conference Playoffs as the underdog in the 4-5 series.
Wittman may not have a winning record as head coach of the Washington Wizards (143-162), but he does boast a great 12-9 postseason record when the Wizards do make the playoffs. In his third stint as an NBA head coach, Randy Wittman is making the most of what is probably his last opportunity to lead a team.
The players seem to feed off his energy down the stretch. With Washington probably bound for the playoffs, nobody would want to face them in the first round as a five to seven seed. Wittman wins road playoff games, arguably the hardest skill to master in the NBA.
Next: 16. Scott Skiles