Yeah, I’ve seen this suggested especially on r/nba, but does anyone really believe that Kyle Kuzma is running down the court to try and get a challenge (that he was right about), and stepping out of bounds on an inbounds play because he wants the Wizards to get a great draft pick? Even though it means everyone will be talking about what a dumb player he is and how he lost them the game, rather than people talking about how he had 34 points and won the Wizards a tough road game on the second night of a back-to-back?

Organizationally? Sure, I can believe that Unseld knows what the organization is trying to do and he’ll do his part in that. But he also knows that you can’t lose every game, he doesn’t want to lose the lockerroom, and this would have been a good one for morale to win. Yeah, he didn’t sub Gafford in during the fourth; that’s questionable (but limiting Gafford’s minutes to under 30 is a pattern for Washington this year). But he did sub Poole and Jones back in during the scoring drought, which would be odd decisions for a coach that was trying to lose.