Brian Keefe probably didn’t expect his first six weeks of his first season as head coach of the Washington Wizards to go so poorly.
After going 2-2 through the first four games of the season, the Wizards have lost 13 games in a row, leaving them winless in November ahead of the final game of the month tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Keefe knew there would be losses, maybe not to the extent that there are, but he has prepared for this moment and he is acting the same way he would even if the streak didn’t last as long.
“You keep coaching, you keep teaching and you keep showing how to play the right way and we’re going to use every moment we have to take advantage of that.” Keef said. “Sometimes I think you can grow in these difficult moments. You learn how to build resilience and we showed that this year. I am very proud of our group this year.”
For some coaches in this place, they would be panicking. Losing 13 games isn’t easy no matter how you look at it. Keefe seems calm on the surface, and there’s no indication that he doesn’t come across the same way behind the scenes, but it takes a special kind of determination to stay calm and operate in this moment as it is.
Keefe and the Wizards are a competitive group, and the more these losses start to pile up, the harder it becomes to stay on track. However, the Wizards I need a coach like Keefe who can keep the process going no matter how bleak it is right now.
Keefe and the Wizards are back in action tonight against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM ET at the Fiserv Forum.
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