{"id":686768,"date":"2026-03-29T21:43:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:43:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/686768\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T21:43:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:43:41","slug":"wizards-brian-keefe-explains-why-he-benched-starters-in-fourth-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/686768\/","title":{"rendered":"Wizards’ Brian Keefe Explains Why He Benched Starters in Fourth Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Wizards’ 2025\u201326 season <\/a>has seen quite a bit of controversy and losing, with a fair share of encouraging signs mixed into the equation. However, as the season has wound down and as the playoff \u2014 and tank race has heated up, fans and media have grown increasingly frustrated with teams who are deliberately losing games.<\/p>\n

The Wizards have found themselves in the latest rendition of the attention surrounding the anti-tanking crew, with their recent loss against the Golden State Warriors being called into question.<\/p>\n

Whether you want to believe that Washington fits in with the grouping of teams who are attempting to lose or not, it\u2019s undeniable that some of head coach Brian Keefe\u2019s recent lineup strategies have been confusing. However, to fans who have closely followed the Wizards <\/a>all year, it should come as no surprise to see Keefe trust his second unit to close out games, particularly when they have the hot hand.<\/p>\n

\"Washington<\/p>\n

Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) shoots against Washington Wizards forward Leaky Black (14) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

This strategy has in fact proven to be successful on multiple occasions this season, proving that the method isn\u2019t completely rooted in tanking ways. However, as the season winds down and as the tank race tightens up, each loss has been put under a microscope. As previously mentioned, Washington\u2019s recent loss to Golden State was drawn under heavy scrutiny, and for a somewhat valid reason.<\/p>\n

Keefe Responds<\/p>\n

Despite taking a lead into the fourth quarter, the Wizards chose to not play any starters other than rookie Leaky Black, who currently is riding out a two-way contract. Although it was suspicious at face value, coach Keefe did his best at clearing the air in the post-game press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, first of all, health, this is something we’ve done all year with all of our players. Our health of our players is our number one thing. And we follow the protocols to keep our guys.\u201d said Keefe. \u201cWe want to keep the rotation so the teams can, you know, similar rotations that they’re used to playing together. And when they hit that, that’s kind of it. But it’s mostly health is the number one thing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wizards coach Brian Keefe was asked by @JoshuaBRobbins<\/a> and me why starters Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington didn’t play in the 4th quarter of a close game against Golden State, and why Alex Sarr was allowed to foul out in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com\/RYbVwjbsKU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) March 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In short, Washington<\/a> is prioritizing the health of its players, placing minutes restrictions on any player who has any kind of lingering injury. It may be frustrating to watch at times, as fans are disappointed not seeing their team\u2019s best players play in the biggest minutes. However, the future of the franchise has been and will be the main concern for the Wizards for the entirety of the season, making their choices reasonable in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!<\/a><\/p>\n