Coming off of back-to-back seasons missing the playoffs, the Washington Wizards are moving in a new direction.
Tommy Sheppard, who was hired as Washington’s vice-president of basketball operations in 2003 and became the team’s general manager in 2019 and president in 2021, was fired on Wednesday.
Ted Leonsis, the Founder, Principal Partner, Chairman and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Wizards, announced the news of Sheppard’s firing in a statement. Leonsis made it clear that the team missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons was a factor.
“Tommy Sheppard was relieved from his duties as General Manager and President of the Washington Wizards,” the statement, which was released on NBA.com, said. “Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans. A search for new leadership will begin immediately for an executive from outside the organization. I would like to thank Tommy for his dedication to the Wizards organization and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Official: Tommy Sheppard relieved of his duties as General Manager and President.https://t.co/ljtLsF9Msx
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 19, 2023
Washington made the playoffs one time in Sheppard’s four-year tenure as general manager. But even that came in a 34-38 season. Overall, the Wizards were 129-79 with Sheppard as the general manager, not posting one winning season. Washington was 35-47 in each of the last two years.
Despite that, the news of Sheppard’s dismissal was met with some curiosity from the NBA world. Or, at the very least, there was a strong acknowledgment that, while Sheppard was an ineffective general manager, the organization’s problems run deeper.
IDK that Sheppard did some phenomenal job or anything, but he was clearly not the issue. Ownership is the issue in Washington and it’s continued desire to make short-term fixes at the expense of long-term success. https://t.co/jWrwmnXr1z
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) April 20, 2023
The Wizards haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 1979 & haven't had a 50-win regular season since 1978-79. Problems run deep. Firing Tommy Sheppard is a start, but Ted Leonsis needs to stop clinging to a ceiling of mid & get comfortable w/ a total rebuild.
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) April 19, 2023
Didn’t see that coming. https://t.co/QFsDkg70WI
— Kevin Sheehan (@kevinsheehanDC) April 19, 2023
I don't think Tommy Sheppard did a particularly good job, but this feels a little ridiculous when the entire basketball universe knows he was just doing the bidding of an owner without a shred of ambition. https://t.co/sezFnlnZCx
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) April 19, 2023
Indeed, Washington has been one of the league’s most frustrating teams for decades.
The Wizards last won a playoff series in 2017. But the team’s last NBA Championship, Eastern Conference Championship, Eastern Conference Finals trip and 50-win season all came during the 1978-79 campaign. So, whoever replaces Sheppard will have decades of futility to shake off.
[NBA.com]
