As the days until the Washington Wizards’ season begin to dwindle and the excitement heightens, it seems that we, as Wizards fans, have one question left. Can the Wizards really be a contender in the NBA with Randy Wittman holding the reins? Can we trust him?

Although it was he that eventually played a large role in grabbing the Wizards by the lapels and dragging them out of obscurity, the doubts and questions linger.

Randy Wittman was a crucial factor in the first round upset of the Chicago Bulls, but his lack of adjustments might have also cost the Wizards a chance to beat Indiana and make the Eastern Conference Finals. It was obvious that the ‘Zards had the talent to beat the Pacers but there were curious coaching decisions and a lack of execution that can be traced back to Randy Wittman.

With all that said, Wittman has been extremely vocal and forthcoming in his expectations for the Wizards this season and I have identified three reasons why he is not only the coach the Wizards want, but the one they need (trying to keep the Batman theme alive).

1.Randy Wittman’s New Age Approach

According to CSN Washington, Randy Wittman has altered his coaching style a tad entering the 2014-2015 NBA season. Habits are tough to break, especially during a rigorous and testing NBA campaign, thus Wittman is making sure his players warm-up and have time to stretch and limber up before practices and scrimmages.

This may not seem like much, but the fact that Wittman is making small but distinct changes in his coaching philosophy shows that he’s open to adjustments and will not just stick with something that isn’t working. This flexibility factor is integral in coaches as it may be the difference between losing a series due to the other team figuring out your system or not being engrained in one way and making changes on the fly.

2. The Wizards Are Buying In To Randy Wittman’s Defense

The mantra states that, “Defense wins championship” but this is too vague to truly matter. The philosophy should read, “Team defense wins championships”. Being able to guard your man is a good thing, but working together as a unit towards a common goal is unstoppable. Just look at some of the past NBA champions in order to understand that this sentence is crucial.

Last year’s San Antonio Spurs were a juggernaut at team defense. The squad would always remain talkative, calling out plays, screens or sets and also would play excellent help defense when LeBron James or Dwyane Wade drove to the basket. It was not stopping one player but being able to hold the entire other team that was the key to the Spurs taking the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Texas.

Therefore, Wizards’ acceptance of Randy Wittman’s team defense philosophy will only be a boon for Washington. In fact, Wittman said, “You have to have a group that buys into being the best they can be at that end of the floor. And that’s what we’ve done over the last couple years.”

Washington’s focus on defense will ultimately be one of the main factors to a successful season and Randy Wittman leading the charge is the reason why.

3. Randy Wittman Is Not Okay With Poor Basketball…Even In Preseason

Thus far this preseason, Randy Wittman has been extremely vocal about the Wizards’ offensive woes. He has been displeased with their proneness to turnovers, stale offensive possessions and inability to run a true offense which should make Washington fans pleased. Especially ramping up to the season, the head coach should be extremely critical of his squad in order to ingrain making the right play and playing smart.

It is when the coach is too lax that players have less of an intensity and seem to play in their own little world, instead of the team’s. Randy Wittman is not chastising his players but instead pointing out early flaws and weaknesses that could rear its ugly head later in the season, if not dealt with now.

Even though the may seem obvious Wittman’s attention to detail early on in the season, his preaching of team defense and his ability to change his methods if they are outdated will give Wittman and the Wizards the best chance to succeed in the season. There may be injuries and poor play throughout the season but with Randy Wittman as the rock, the Wizards are sure to overcome any obstacles they face.