2020-21 Washington Wizards Virtual Gameday Program by washwizards

game time FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

BERTANS

WESTBROOK

BEAL

HACHIMURA

TABLE OF CONTENTS Banking with Capital One is the easiest decision, even

easier than choosing Charles Barkley in a pickup game.

Westbrook's Top 10

Executive Staff

Coaching Staff

Re-signing Davis Bertans

Schedule

Broadcasters

Beal, Westbrook Aligned to Fit

Roster

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WESTBROOK’S

TOP 10 Ranking the top 10 games of Russell Westbrook’s career BY: JACKSON FILYO

Throughout his decorated 12-year NBA career, Russell Westbrook has been selected an All-Star nine times, named to All-NBA nine times, and won two scoring titles and a Most Valuable Player award in 2017. In his time with the Thunder and Rockets, Westbrook developed a reputation for an unrivaled competitive edge and a game-by-game energy that helped turn whatever team he played with into a playoff contender. Along the way, Westbrook has amassed one of the most statistically impressive careers in NBA history.

Since the 2014-15 season, Westbrook is averaging 26.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. In three consecutive seasons (2016-17 through 2018-19), Westbrook averaged a triple-double. No player in NBA history has averaged more than one such season. He has 157 career triple-doubles, 35 behind Oscar Robertson for the most in NBA history. Westbrook has scored 50-plus points in four of those triple-doubles and 40-plus points in 13 of them. Westbrook has six career games with 50-plus points and 57 games with 40plus points. He has two games with 20-plus rebounds, five games with 20-plus assists and is the only player in NBA history not named Wilt Chamberlain to total at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists in the same game. On any given night, Westbrook is capable of putting on a performance that re-writes at least one section of the NBA record book. Ahead of his Wizards debut, we’re taking a look at the top-10 single-game performances of Westbrook’s career.

10 MARCH 22, 2017 VS. PHILADELPHIA

18 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists, 6-6 FG, 6-6 FT As the rest of this list will show, Westbrook is best known for his volume – packing so many points, rebounds and assists into a box score that one is left wondering how he had enough time to do so in a regulation game. But on this night against the Sixers, it was about efficiency. Westbrook became the only player in NBA history to record a triple-double without missing a field goal or a free throw. He finished 6-6 (1.000) from the field and 6-6 (1.000) at the line on his way to an 18-11-14 triple-double. The efficiency wasn’t limited to shooting. Westbrook made quick work of Sixers, notching his triple-double in just three quarters (28 minutes) and resting in the fourth as the Thunder led by 20-plus.

9 APRIL 5, 2017 AT MEMPHIS

45 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, 56.0% FG, 61.5% 3P A career-high eight made 3-pointers, three of which came in the decisive fourth quarter, 4

highlighted a do-it-all performance from Westbrook in a three-point win over the Grizzlies. No team led by more than five points throughout, but it was Westbrook who made the difference down the stretch. Westbrook scored 14 of his 45 points in the final seven minutes of the game, shooting 3-4 (.750) from deep to keep Memphis at bay. With Oklahoma City up one with 15 seconds remaining, Westbrook hit a three to give the Thunder a four-point lead. After Memphis nailed a three of their own with less than a second left, Westbrook hit a pair of free throws to seal the Thunder win.

8 APRIL 12, 2015 AT INDIANA

54 points, nine rebounds, eight assists Westbrook finished one rebound and two assists short of a triple-double in the first 50-point game of his career, a 54-point outburst on 21-43 (.488) from the field. Westbrook wasted no time getting the scoring started, totaling 22 points on 9-14 (.643) shooting and four assists in the first quarter. He closed the game with another 20-point quarter, shooting 7-13 (.538) from the field and 3-6 (.500) from 3-point range in the final 8:48 of the game.

7 DECEMBER 17, 2016 VS. PHOENIX

26 points, 11 rebounds, 22 assists Westbrook packed a pair of milestones into OKC’s 13-point win over the Suns: his 50th career triple-double and a then-career-high 22 assists. Westbrook did most of his damage in the third quarter, totaling 17 points, five assists and three rebounds as Oklahoma City piled onto its 15-point halftime lead. In the win, Westbrook became the third-fastest player to reach 50 career triple-doubles, trailing only Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. He is the only player in the last 37 years to tally 20-plus assists in a triple-double – and he’s done so three times.

6 OCTOBER 28, 2016 VS. PHOENIX

51 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 15-20 FT In the home opener of what would be his MVP season, Westbrook put on a show for the OKC crowd, scoring 51 points as the Thunder overcame an 18-point deficit and won in overtime. It was the first game in Oklahoma City follow5

ing the departure of longtime star Kevin Durant. After tallying just 12 points in the first half, Westbrook scored 33 points in the second and a team-high six in overtime. He tallied 13 rebounds and 10 assists, giving him his first 50-point triple-double of his career and the first in the NBA since 1975.

5 APRIL 2, 2019 VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS

20 points, 20 rebounds, 21 assists Westbrook became the first player since 1968 to total at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists in a game, joining the great Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to accomplish the feat. The game is one of just two 20-rebound performances of Westbrook’s career and one of five 20-assist games of his career. Westbrook finished the game plus-24 in a dominant win over the Lakers. The game had a sentimental value to Westbrook as well. Postgame, he dedicated the performance to his friend, Nipsey Hussle, a rapper, activist, and fellow Los Angeles native who was killed two days prior.

4 MARCH 7, 2017 VS. PORTLAND

58 points, three rebounds, nine assists, 53.8% FG In a back-and-forth shootout with the Trail Blazers, Westbrook scored 17 points in the final 8:28 of the game as the Thunder fought to overcome a late deficit. The valiant late-game efforts highlighted the highest scoring game of Westbrook’s career: 58 points on 21-39 (.538) from the field and 13-16 (.812) from the free throw line. Westbrook was a force from start to finish, scoring 12 points in the first quarter, 16 in the second, 13 in the third and 17 in the fourth. Since Westbrook’s 58-point outburst against the Blazers, only four NBA players have scored more points in a game.

3 APRIL 19, 2017 AT HOUSTON

51 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, four steals, 15-18 FT In Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round playoff series against Houston, Westbrook continued his history-making campaign with a 51-point triple-double – the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA postseason history, the only 50-point triple-double in NBA postseason history and a new Oklahoma City franchise playoff scoring record. While the Thunder were defeated by four points, Westbrook finished plus-11 in 41 minutes. 6

2 MARCH 29, 2017 VS. ORLANDO

57 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 52.5% FG, 40.0% 3P In perhaps the most statistically impressive game of his career, Westbrook led the Thunder to an overtime win against the Magic. He scored 57 points on 21-40 (.525) from the field in what was the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history at the time. With Oklahoma City down 10 with just under eight minutes left in regulation, Westbrook checked into the game and brought the Thunder back to life. In a 7:45 span, he totaled 19 points and scored or assisted on all but one of the team’s field goals. The comeback was capped by a deep, game-tying three with seven seconds left, forcing overtime. His dominance continued in extra time: Westbrooks scored or assisted on all five of OKC’s baskets as the Thunder pulled away for a win.

1 APRIL 9, 2017 AT DENVER

50 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 53.1% FG, 41.7% 3P Westbrook’s third career 50-point triple-double came in dramatic fashion and cemented his 2016-17 season in NBA history. With the Thunder trailing the Nuggets 105-103 and just over two seconds left on the clock, Westbrook gathered a pass and, in one motion, hoisted a 3-pointer from 35 feet away. The shot fell as the buzzer sounded, the Thunder won and the Nuggets were eliminated from postseason contention. Westbrook’s shot gave him a final line of 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists – his 42nd triple-double of the season, breaking Oscar Robertson’s NBA record of 41 single-season triple-doubles set in 1961-62. Westbrook shot 53.1% from the field, 41.7% from three, hit all 11 of his free throws and committed just two turnovers. The performance served as a fitting conclusion to Westbrook’s MVP campaign: a staggering statistical performance, a heroic game-winning play and the breaking of a record that seemed it might last forever.

TED LEONSIS

Founder, Chairman, Principal Partner & Chief Executive Officer,

TOMMY SHEPPARD General Manager, Washington Wizards

Monumental Sports & Entertainment

TED LEONSIS is founder, chairman, principal partner, and chief

executive officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, WNBA’s Washington Mystics, AFL’s 2018 ArenaBowl Champion Washington Valor and Baltimore Brigade, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go and NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming. Leonsis is a co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid. Monumental also owns the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena and operates MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the Capitals’ training facility, and George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena. An integrated media, technology, sports and entertainment company, Monumental also runs Monumental Sports Network, a first-of-its-kind regional sports network for digital, mobile and overthe-top (OTT) platforms. Monumental and NBC Sports Washington, part of the NBC Sports Group, have developed an advanced media partnership that includes NBCSW’s exclusive media rights to the Capitals and Wizards, and saw Monumental become an equity partner in NBCSW. NBC Sports Group has also invested in Monumental Sports Network, creating a cross-equity leadership structure. As part of a joint venture with the D.C. mayor’s office and Events DC, Monumental unveiled a brand-new sports and entertainment facility in Southeast DC on the St. Elizabeths East campus, which opened in the Fall of 2018. The facility features a cutting-edge 4,200-seat arena for the Mystics and the Go-Go, as well as a top-of-the-line practice facility for the Wizards, the MedStar Wizards Performance Center. As cofounder and partner at Revolution Growth, a $1 billion set of investment funds, Mr. Leonsis and his partners make a select group of speed-up capital investments in businesses each year, typically investing $25-50 million per deal. Mr. Leonsis is a nationally recognized entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist and award-winning filmmaker, who has won Peabody and Emmy awards. He sits on a variety of boards, including American Express and Groupon, and is the former vice chairman and president of AOL.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

TOMMY SHEPPARD enters his 26th year of service in the NBA and his first as general manager of the Washington Wizards. As general manager, Sheppard will lead strategy, analytics, player personnel, scouting and coaching for the Wizards, Go-Go, and District Gaming. Sheppard has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most innovative and creative executives. In 16 years in the Wizards’ front office, his role included responsibilities with salary cap management, negotiations, draft preparation and talent evaluation of collegiate athletes and professionals, both domestically and abroad. Sheppard also served an assisting role in the recruitment and evaluation of free agents, statistical evaluation of NBA players, the hiring of coaches and personnel and monitoring the Wizards’ efforts in the NBA’s Player Programs. During his tenure with the team, he has been tasked with organizing the Wizards’ training camp and preseason schedules; overseeing the athletic training, strength training, video, technology and equipment areas for the team; and directing in-arena renovations to areas including the Wizards' locker room, players' lounge, family lounge and front offices. Prior to his arrival in Washington in 2003, Sheppard was a member of the Denver Nuggets organization since 1994, serving as the Nuggets’ Senior Director of Team Services and Player Relations. With Denver, he oversaw all internal and external communications functions and served as the club’s primary spokesperson. He also scouted internationally and evaluated high school, collegiate and minor league talent. For his efforts in Denver and overall contributions to the communications efforts of the NBA, Sheppard was honored with the prestigious Splaver/McHugh “Tribute to Excellence” Award in 2010, which is given annually by the NBA Public Relations Directors’ Association to a current or former member of the NBA public relations family who has demonstrated an outstanding level of performance and service during his or her NBA career. An active figure within the United States Olympic Movement for over a decade, Sheppard worked as a press attaché for the three Summer Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004), as well as three Olympic Festivals and the 2003 Pan American Games. He assisted with the formation of the Northern European Basketball League (which realigned as part of FIBA Europe) and continues to serve as a consultant for Lithuanian legend Sarunas Marciulionis, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, on various basketball projects. Currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University for the Sports Industry Management Program, Sheppard graduated from New Mexico State University in 1991, where he was a three-year member of the Aggie football team. After getting his start in media relations as a student assistant at New Mexico State, Sheppard headed the sports information office at UNLV before taking ranks in the National Basketball Association in 1994. He also serves on the Industry Advisory Council for the American Public University and the American Military University Systems. Sheppard and his wife, Rosie, are the parents of five daughters: Bailey, Rebekah, Abby, Emma and Tessa, and two sons, Tommy Jr., and Luke.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

SASHI BROWN

DANIEL MEDINA

Chief Planning & Operations Officer, Monumental Basketball

Chief Athlete Care & Performance, Monumental Basketball

SASHI BROWN is beginning his second year as Monumental

DANIEL MEDINA enters his second season in Washington as the

Basketball's Chief Planning and Operations Officer. A graduate

team's Chief Planning Chief of Athlete Care and Performance,

of Harvard Law and Hampton University, Brown is a seasoned

having spent the last two seasons as the vice president of

NFL executive who has served within both football and business

athlete care for the Philadelphia 76ers. In his role with the 76ers,

operations.

Dr. Medina oversaw all areas of athlete care and performance,

In 2016, Brown was promoted to executive vice president of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, where he was responsible for developing the organization’s short and long-

including the medical and sports science departments, as well as the athletic training, physiotherapy, nutrition and strength and conditioning departments.

term visions and strategies in collaboration with the ownership

Prior to Philadelphia, Dr. Medina spent over a decade with Fútbol

group. He also oversaw Cleveland’s scouting functions and

Club Barcelona. Dr. Medina finished his tenure with the team as

management of the roster and salary cap.

deputy director of the sports science and medical department,

Brown was originally hired by Cleveland in 2013 as executive vice president and general counsel, where he served the franchise in

where he managed 2,000 athletes and more than 125 athlete care and performance staff members.

both football and business capacities. He was responsible for

Dr. Medina served as team physician for FC Barcelona from

overseeing the roster and salary cap while also directing the

2008-2015 and first joined its medical services department in

team’s football administration functions, including negotiation

2005. He also served as a driving force behind FC Barcelona’s

of players contracts. On the business side, his duties included

award-winning Barca Innovation Hub. Dr. Medina was heavily

insurance and risk management, licensing and intellectual

involved in Barca Innovation Hub’s evaluation and research of

property issues and litigation management.

emerging products, particularly those designed to aid in athlete

Brown started his career as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering,

health and performance.

Hale and Dorr in Washington, DC, where he represented clients

Dr. Medina boasts an extensive résumé in athlete care and

in a variety of transactions including venture capital and private

sports performance. In addition to earning a PhD from the

equity deals as well as mergers and acquisitions. He joined the

University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Medical School in

Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005 where he served as senior vice

Spain, Dr. Medina holds master’s degrees from the University of

president and general counsel, working on both the football and

Barcelona (Evaluative Medicine) and University Pablo Olavide

business side of the franchise’s operations.

(Fútbol Conditioning and Rehab). He also graduated from the International Olympic Committee’s sports nutrition program and participated in continuing health care education programs at Harvard Business School.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

SCOTT BROOKS

2 0 2 0 - 2 1 WA S H I N G T O N W I Z A R D S C OAC H I N G S TA F F

Head Coach, Washington Wizards

SCOTT BROOKS has led the Wizards for the past three seasons after being named as head coach on April 26, 2016. Brooks has an overall record of 462-329 (.584) during his decade on the sidelines, ranking him sixth among active coaches in win percentage and eighth among active coaches in total wins. In his third season as Wizards Head Coach, Brooks’ continued record of developing players was recognized. Bradley Beal established himself as a top guard in the league posting career highs in points, rebounds and assists, while earning his second NBA All-Star nod, and Thomas Bryant flourished in his second year of play shooting .616 from the field, making him the franchise leader in field goal percentage. Brooks reached his 100th win as the Wizards head coach vs. the Houston Rockets on November 26, 2018, and the 201819 season marked only the second time in his head coaching career that his team finished with a win/loss record below .500. In his first season at the helm, Brooks led the Wizards to a 49-33 record and a Southeast Division title, Washington’s first division title in 38 years. The 49 wins were the most since the 1978-79 campaign when the Bullets finished 54-28. Brooks, who incorporated nine new players that were not onthe roster the previous season, coached his team to the highest win total in NBA history for a team that started 2-8 or worse and led the Wizards to a 17-game home winning streak (the second-longest in franchise history). With him on the sideline, Washington rallied from 17 double-digit deficits to win in 2016-17, the most in team history in the last 20 years. Brooks also made player development a priority, even among his best players: Wall appeared in his fourth straight All-Star game and averaged career highs in scoring, assists, field goal percentage and steals while Beal averaged career highs in scoring, assists, field goal percentage and games played and Porter Jr. averaged career highs in almost every statistical category. Brooks is the 24th head coach in franchise history and brings a wealth of NBA coaching experience to the organization. Brooks was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-09 through 2014-15 where he amassed a 338-207 (.620) record, tallied four 50-plus win seasons (including 60 wins in 2012-13), made three appearances in the Western Conference Finals (2011, 2012, 2014) and advanced to the 2012 NBA Finals. He was named the Red Auerbach NBA Coach of the Year in 2010. During his tenure with the Thunder, Brooks led Oklahoma City to five straight postseason appearances and four consecutive Northwest Division titles. From 2009-10 through 2014-15, he was the second-winningest active coach in the NBA, as the Thunder claimed 316 victories during this span. Brooks guided the Thunder to a 45-win season during an injury-plagued 2014-15 campaign that saw Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook all miss extended stretches. After starting 3-12, the Thunder finished the season going 42-25 and in doing so, Oklahoma City became just the fourth team in NBA history to go from nine games below .500 at one point in the season, to nine games above .500 later in the season. In the 2013-14 season, the Thunder finished with the second best record in the NBA at 59-23 and Oklahoma City became one of just two teams (San Antonio) to record a .610-or-better winning percentage (equivalent to 50 wins) in each of the five prior seasons. After posting the top record in the Western Conference through the first half of the 2013-14 season, Brooks represented the Thunder by coaching the 2014 Western Conference AllStars in New Orleans. The All-Star coaching honor marked the second of Brooks’ career (Brooks and his staff also coached the 2012 All-Star Game in Orlando). During the 2012-13 season, the Thunder claimed the top spot in the Western Conference after finishing with a record of 60-22. On the year, Oklahoma

City posted the largest point differential in the NBA in more than five seasons (9.2 points per game). Oklahoma City won 44 games by double figures, including 19 games of 20- or more (both tops in the NBA). The Thunder finished the season as the third highest scoring team in the NBA (105.7 points per game) while holding the opposition to the second worst field goal shooting percentage (.425).

TONY BROWN

MIKE LONGABARDI

ROBERT PACK

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH

ASSISTANT COACH

DAVID ADKINS

JARELL CHRISTIAN

COREY GAINES

DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

ASSISTANT COACH

At the end of the 2012-13 season, the Thunder became just the second team in NBA history to increase its winning percentage for five consecutive seasons (while maintaining a winning percentage of .700or- better in two seasons). During the 2011-12 season, Brooks guided the Thunder to a Western Conference championship and the NBA Finals after finishing the regular season with a record of 47-19. In the playoffs, the Thunder defeated Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio before falling to the eventual champions Miami in five games. In 2010-11 Brooks led the Thunder to 55 wins and a spot in the Western Conference Finals after Oklahoma City captured playoff series victories over the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. After the late-season acquisition of Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics in mid-March, Brooks guided the Thunder to a 13-4 mark in the final 17 games of the regular season. Brooks received the 2009-10 Red Auerbach NBA Coach of the Year award after his second season as head coach in Oklahoma City. During his first full year at the helm of the Thunder, Brooks oversaw one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history. A year after winning 23 games, the Thunder concluded the 2009-10 season with a record of 50-32 (.610). The 27-win improvement was tied for the eighth largest in NBA history. Brooks was named interim head coach of the Thunder 13 games into the 2008-09 season and was later named head coach on April 15, 2009 prior to the team’s final game of the season. A day after being awarded his first NBA head coaching position, Brooks led the Thunder to their most lopsided victory of the year in the team’s season finale, a 126-85 win versus the Los Angeles Clippers at STAPLES Center. Prior to his appointment as interim head coach on November 22, 2008 Brooks joined P.J. Carlisemo and the Thunder coaching staff at the start of the 2007-08 season. Before joining the Thunder (then Seattle Supersonics) organization as an assistant prior to the 2007-08 season, Brooks spent the 2006-07 season working as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. His NBA coaching career began with the Denver Nuggets, where he served as an assistant coach from 200306. Brooks helped lead the Nuggets to the playoffs in each of his three seasons on the bench, with the team compiling a 136-110 (.560) regular season record.

ASSISTANT COACH

DEAN OLIVER

MIKE TERPSTRA

ASSISTANT COACH

Brooks played 10 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 680 regular season games with Philadelphia, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, New York and Cleveland. He won an NBA championship in 1994 as a member of the Houston Rockets. The 5-11 guard retired with career averages of 4.9 points and 2.4 assists. In 2000, Brooks was a player/assistant coach with the Los Angeles Stars of the ABA. The following season, he served as the head coach of the Southern California Surf of the ABA, guiding the club to a 2314 record. A native of Lathrop, California, Brooks began his collegiate career at Texas Christian University, where he played one season. He then transferred to San Joaquin Delta College for his sophomore season, before spending his final two years at UC Irvine, where he averaged 23.8 points per game as a senior.

COACHING STAFF

WIZARDS ACCOMPLISH TOP OFFSEASON PRIORITY,

re-signing

Davis

Bertans BY: ZACH ROSEN

In November, the Wizards announced that they re-signed forward Davis Bertans. After acquiring Bertans in a three-team trade last season, the Wizards locked in the “Latvian Laser” for the long term.

The Valmiera, Latvia native was the Wizards’ number one offseason target, according to general manager Tommy Sheppard. Washington went into free agency hoping to strike a new deal with Bertans first and foremost.

Bertans wowed Wizards fans with his prolific shooting in his first year with the team, averaging 15.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 42.4% 3-point shooting. One of the top shooters in the league for the second straight season, Bertans finished third in the 2020 MTN DEW 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

“We have been adamant that our top offseason priority was to re-sign Davis, so we are thrilled to accomplish that goal and have him on board as part of the winning environment we’re continuing to build,” Sheppard said. “He is not only an elite shooter, he’s a great addition to our community and we saw last season how his ability to spread the floor, overall basketball IQ and competitive spirit make him an ideal fit for our style of play.” Bertans finished the 2019-20 season 24 threes short of breaking Bradley Beal’s franchise record for threes in a season set in 2016-17, though Beal did so playing 77 games that year and averaging 2.9 threes per game. At 3.7 threes per game, Bertans became the first player in franchise history to average over 3.0 3-pointers made per game. Despite appearing in just 53 games, Bertans set a new franchise record for games with at least five 3-pointers through 70 games (16). With a 42.4% 3-point shooting rate, Bertans became just the second player in league history to shoot over 40.0% from beyond the arc while attempting at least 8.5 threes per game. Only Stephen Curry can say the same. Looking forward, Bertans will be in D.C. for the long haul. He’ll lead a young frontcourt built around first rounds picks Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija, fourth year center Thomas Bryant, free agent signing Robin Lopez, and more. “My family and I are very proud to be a part of this first-class organization in a world-class city with great teammates, coaches and fan support,” said Bertans. “All of those factors led to my decision to re-sign with the Wizards, and now I’m looking forward to getting back on the court and back to work so we can keep improving as a team.”

2 0 2 0 - 2 1 WAS H I N G TO N W I Z A R D S B R OA D C AS T E R S

2020-21 SCHEDULE

FIRST HALF

JUSTIN KUTCHER

PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER The 2019-20 NBA season marks the first for Justin Kutcher as the Wizards play-by-player announcer. Kutcher has 17 years of experience as a play-by-play announcer, joining NBC Sports Washington after spending the previous seven years at Fox Sports, where he led national coverage of NCAA basketball and football, the NFL and MLB. Prior to FOX Sports, Kutcher served as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN for four years. During that time, he led live coverage for a variety of sports, including basketball, football, baseball, softball, volleyball and hockey, across professional, college and high school leagues and conferences. He also appeared on studio shows during his tenure with ESPN. In addition to FOX Sports and ESPN, he has also called collegiate events for CSTV, now CBS Sports Network, for two years, as well as BTN, and contributed to MLB.com digital programming.

DREW GOODEN

ANALYST The 2019-20 NBA campaign is the first for Drew Gooden as primary analyst for Washington Wizards’ games. For the past two seasons, Gooden has been NBC Sports Washington’s lead analyst for Wizards pregame and postgame coverage and a secondary game analyst. Before to joining NBCSW in 2017, he was an NBA ambassador and appeared regularly on ESPN, FS1, NBATV and SiriusXM Radio. As a player, he spent 14 years in the NBA, including two stints with the Wizards, helping the team advance to the conference semifinals in 2014 and 2015. The former no. 4 draft pick out Kansas in 2002, helped guide the Jayhawks to the 2002 Final Four, since 1993.

DECEMBER

JANUARY

WASHINGTON WIZARDS RADIO NETWORK PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER The 2019-20 season marks Dave Johnson’s 23rd consecutive season as the voice of the Wizards on the Washington Wizards Radio Network.

DAVE JOHNSON FEBRUARY

Along with Glenn Consor, Johnson bring Wizards back to life on the radio with colorful, detailed descriptions and his signature call, “It’s There”, on big shots from distance. The broadcast is highly interactive with Johnson and Consor reaching out to listeners through twitter in what has become known as the #RadioParty, Johnson is one of the most recognizable broadcasters in the nation’s capital and also serves as the morning anchor and Senior Sports Director on top-rated WTOP (103.5 FM). During a 24-year career at WTOP Jonson has won multiple awards as best sportscaster in Washington D.C. and an Edward R. Murrow award for best writing. In addition Johnson can frequently be seen on television as an anchor on NBC 4 and NBC Sports Washington and handling the play-by-play of Major League Soccer’s D.C. United. Johnson previously served as anchor on Fox 5 and was a sideline reporter for the Washington Capitals on Home Team Sports (now NBC Sports Washington). Among Johnson’s other career highlights is an Emmy Award for his work as the host of the NHL’s Washington Capitals Face Off television show, an extensive play-by-play resume of college football, college basketball and lacrosse. Johnson has also served as a fill-in on Washington Capitals and Nationals radio broadcasts and was the voice of Naval Academy Sports from 1987-1990. COLOR ANALYST The 2019-20 season marks Glenn Consor’s 13th season as the color analyst and post-game call-in show host on the Washington Wizards Radio Network. Alongside 23-year play-by-play veteran Dave Johnson, Consor brings over two decades of experience covering the Wizards to the booth.

MARCH

GLENN CONSOR

After 20 years covering the Wizards for various media outlets, most recently for NBC Sports Washington as an analyst on the network’s live postgame show, Consor added a new perspective of watching the Wizards to his resume during the 2007-08 season. Previously, from 1990-95 Consor was a scout for the Wizards franchise and Indiana Pacers. In addition to his work with the Wizards, Consor has served as a basketball analyst for NBA-TV, Home Team Sports, ESPN’s regional college basketball broadcasts, Sports Talk 980, Westwood One’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament, and Comcast SportsNet’s collegiate broadcasts. Consor is a fixture on Monumental Sports Network and provides periodic Wizards analysis for NBC Sports Washington as well, and served as Wizards Camp Director in the summer of 2009 for two youth basketball camps. In his playing days, Consor started for four years for Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino at Boston University, before playing professionally in Israel.

BROADCASTERS

JOB IS “MY TO MAKE BEAL, WESTBROOK ALIGNED ON FIT:

“

HIS JOB EASIER

BY: JACKSON FILYO

Weeks have passed since the Wizards acquired Russell Westbrook, a nine-time All-NBA guard and former Most Valuable Player who has averaged 26.4 points, 9.7 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game over the last six seasons. Excitement and anticipation around the organization and fanbase have been predictably high. Discussions of Westbrook’s reunion with Wizards head coach Scott Brooks and his impact on the team’s crop of young talent have provided plenty of reason for optimism. But no topic has grabbed more headlines or fueled more debate than how Westbrook will fit alongside Washington’s incumbent star guard, Bradley Beal, who is coming off a career season in which he became one of just five players in the last decade to average over 30 points per game. As the dust settles on the alignment of the NBA’s newest star backcourt and the start of the 2020-21 season now here, those conversations become less speculative. Beal and Westbrook have been through weeks of practice together and Brooks’ plan to mold the duo to the rest of the rotation is in motion. When discussing their on-court responsibility to the other shortly after the trade, Beal and Westbrook struck a simple, similar tone: “My job is to make his job easier,” Beal said during his first media availability of training camp. Days later, in an interview with the Off The Bench podcast, Westbrook echoed that sentiment.

“My job is to make sure I help him and make the game very easy for him,” Westbrook said. Neither seem concerned about fit or a lack of chemistry – and for good reason. Westbrook has spent his entire career playing alongside elite scorers and Beal is confident in his own ability to fit his game to the talent around him. “I’m very adaptable,” Beal said. “I adjust to who is with me, who I’m playing, the new guys we add…I don’t think it will be a problem.” Brooks is uniquely informed when it comes to both star guards. He has spent the last four seasons coaching Beal through his ascendency in Washington. Prior to arriving in D.C., Brooks spent seven seasons in Oklahoma City (and one in Seattle), taking over head coaching duties during the 2008-09 season. The Thunder’s star rookie that season? Russell Westbrook. During their tenure together, Brooks was named Coach of the Year in 2010, Westbrook made a trio of AllStar appearances and the Thunder earned berths in three Western Conference Finals series, winning one.

for Westbrook to do what he does best: use his elite athleticism to blow by perimeter defenders and get to the rim. Over the last three seasons, Westbrook has done his best work within three feet of the basket, shooting 61.1, 65.0 and 64.0 percent at the rim. When defenses collapse on a driving Westbrook, he has proven plenty capable of finding the open man. Since 2016, Westbrook has recorded 156 games with at least 10 assists, the most in the NBA in that time.

Brooks knows well what Westbrook brings to an organization. “It felt like old times,” Brooks said after Westbrook’s first day in the facility. “I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the intensity. I’ve seen him raise the group’s level before. I’m sure the players didn’t realize that’s what he does, but you can tell that everybody locked in and everybody raised their level up.” Westbrook’s fit in Washington will depend largely in part on his fit with Beal. On that, Brooks is equally optimistic. “I think that partnership with him and Brad – they’re about the same things,” Brooks said. “They’re about basketball. That’s their job and that’s what they love to do. All the other things basically come from that.” Both players are used to playing with the ball in their hands. Westbrook’s 32.69 career usage rate is the second highest in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan. Last season, the Wizards’ offense started – and usually finished – with Beal. He closed the season with a 34.4 usage rate, six points higher than his previous career high and, coincidentally, the exact same rate as Westbrook’s in 2019-20. Beal averaged 15.1 points per game more than the next highest Washington scorer. He set a new career in assists per game (6.1) and 20

assist percentage (29.1). Beal’s season-long performance cemented his status as one of the league’s premier offensive weapons and proved his ability to shoulder massive amounts of on-court responsibility. But what he gained in volume cost him in efficiency. Beal’s 52.0% effective field percentage was his lowest since the 2015-16 season. According to NBA.com, Beal faced tight (2-4 feet) or very tight (0-2 feet) coverage on 50.2% of his field goal attempts last season, the highest rate of his career by a wide margin. Westbrook joining the rotation should lighten the load and provide a gravitational pull that opens Beal up for more open, off-ball scoring opportunities. Last season, Beal shot 38.0% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, five percentage points higher he shot off the dribble from the beyond the arc.

Beal and Westbrook are superstar talents, each capable of stealing league-wide headlines on any given night with a box-scorebreaking performance. But converting head-turning stats into wins will depend on how well they are able to blend with the players surrounding them. Entering training camp, the Wizards’ roster included just four players with over five years of NBA experience: Beal, Westbrook, Ish Smith and the newly signed Robin Lopez. Bertans comes in just under the five-year mark with four seasons of experience, but the remaining expected contributors to the team’s rotation all have three seasons or less under their belt. Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura and rookie Deni Avdija highlight a young core that will look to Beal and Westbrook as

tone-setters as expectations for the team rise. “(The young players are) going to see Russell, how he prepares, how he’s locked in, how he is in the locker room before the game,” Brooks said. “He has a great way of communicating. He knows when to put his arm around somebody and he knows when to use a little bit more direction. The thing I like about him, he knows this is about winning.” “(Westbrook is) someone, just like Brad, that I want to learn from and pick their brains,” Brown Jr. said. Westbrook was impressed with what he saw from Brown Jr. and the other members of the Wizards’ young talent in the opening days of training camp. “The biggest thing I have learned is that they are willing to work and listen,” Westbrook said. “The biggest thing they can do is work and listen to Coach Brooks and our coaching staff here because that’s the only way you’re going to get better. Make mistakes. When guys work, I can live with that. You have a group of young guys that want to work hard, that’s here early getting work in before practice, post-practice and creating those habits that are better for them and their own personal careers but better for our team collectively.”

“Brad is a superstar talent,” Westbrook said. “He proved that and showed that last year with what he had and he’s only going to get better. My job is to come in and continue to uplift him and try to push him to be better and that’s all I’m here for.” “He’s a true point (guard) and I’m a true two (guard),” Beal said. “I think that, in itself, makes us mesh.” Beal moving back into more of an off-ball role alongside a world-class sharpshooter like Davis Bertans should leave plenty of space 21

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