The new coach of the Washington Wizards and Danny Abadia, Brian Keefe, already has two wins in the NBA.
Very impressive considering the fact that he had his first full practice with the team only last Sunday - before the game against San Antonio tonight (between Monday and Tuesday) and after the victory over Detroit.
Keefe, appointed as the interim coach until the end of the season, knows that until the trade deadline on February 8, his staff may change from one end to the other.
Nevertheless, he took office with a work plan that he is currently trying to implement.
"Defense wins games, that's going to be the culture of this club," Keefe stated in his first interview and explained that the fact that there are no outstanding defensive players on the roster will not be used as an excuse for him.
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Honored by the staff, photo: USA TODAY Sports
Avdia is indeed considered one of the best defensive players in the Wizards, but at least right now it doesn't really serve him well.
In the three games under Keef, he averaged 25.3 minutes per game, slightly less than his average under Wes Anseld Jr., with rookie Bilal Koulibaly getting a lot of credit at his expense.
The team's reporter, Chase Hughes, claims in a conversation with "Israel Hayom" that despite the trend, Avdia is still one of the most important players on Washington's roster and it is unlikely that there will be some of the players who will leave in the rebuilding process.
"Danny is highly valued in the club" he explains, "in light of the fact that he is still young, I think Washington will try to keep him on the roster."
Tough luck for Deni Avdija, who chipped a tooth taking an elbow to the face.
He grabbed a mouthguard and kept playing.
pic.twitter.com/hgnPUxkqK3
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) January 30, 2024
In the "Washington Post" they say that the players on the staff greatly respect Keefe and his professional approach, especially in light of the fact that he learned quite a bit from Gregg Popovich during his time as a video coach for the Spurs, and also in light of his experience as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets before landing in Washington last summer.
"He works," Tyus Jones admitted, "knows what he's talking about. The first meeting with him was good. He just shoots straight, no nonsense, very blunt, and that's part of the reason everyone respects him."
Meanwhile, Michael Winger's shakeup of the coaching position seems to have worked well.
Avdia, is probably not going anywhere, and will have to find his way to buy Keef's trust and earn playing minutes under the new coach as well.
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Danny Avdia.
Temporary decline?, Photo: USA TODAY Sports
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