After Trevor Ariza decided to sign with the Houston Rockets this summer, the Washington Wizards suffered what was perhaps their biggest loss this off-season. With that said, they also lost assistant coach Sam Cassell to the Los Angeles Clippers, which was arguably just as big of a loss, given the amount of credit he’s gotten for developing John Wall and Bradley Beal.

The Washington Wizards hired former Brooklyn Nets assistant, Roy Rogers, to replace Sam Cassell shortly after, but the Wizards still needed to add a coach that’s played the guard position in the past, which would give their young backcourt some guidance.

According to David Aldridge, the Wizards will add former NBA guard Howard Eisley, who was also an assistant with the Clippers, to their coaching staff.

Wizards, per sources, are adding former Clippers assistant Howard Eisley to their staff. Wiz had earlier hired ex-Nets assistant Roy Rogers.

Although Howard Eisley didn’t have the same amount of success as Cassell in the NBA, he does have 12-years of playing experience under his belt and most recently coached under Doc Rivers in Los Angeles.

John Wall considered Sam Cassell his “mentor” and it was important for the Wizards to add a former guard to their coaching staff. It’s no secret that the Washington Wizards’ success will be determined by the growth of their young backcourt and having coaches with similar experiences on the staff is key.

Howard Eisley played for eight different teams throughout his NBA career and he’ll provide the leadership and development that both Wall and Beal need. I’m not surprised that the Wizards decided to hire another assistant, especially after losing both Cassell and Ryan Saunders this off-season, and I’m glad they did.