Montrezl Harrell isn’t beating around the bush when it comes to the state of the Wizards.
“It sucks, bro,” Harrell told reporters following a 95-80 blowout loss against the Suns. “That’s the mood of the team. It f–king sucks.”
The Wizards, who have lost seven of eight, are in 11th in the Eastern Conference and missing Bradley Beal with a wrist injury. On Saturday, the Suns led by as many as 36 before the Wizards made the final score more respectable late in the game, but they’re in a tailspin nonetheless.
Harrell, it seems, is tired of being a part of the losing.
“Coming in here and teams are basically beating our ass, bro, from start to finish. So it sucks, man,” he said. “Nobody likes losing. Everyone in our locker room is competitive. My other people love to compete and get out there, but it just sucks right now because of our last eight games we’ve played, we’ve lost seven of them.
“That’s tough for anybody to withstand or be able to have on their plate. So that’s the energy in the room right now, it just f–king sucks.”
Harrell didn’t go as far as to say the team has quit but did add that they weren’t ready to go at tip-off on Saturday.
“I’m tired of hearing that energy thing, bro,” he said. “If you can’t energize yourself or fire yourself up to be able to come here and play the game of basketball, which is your job, and you make a lot of money to do it, brother, then you’re in the wrong field. So I’m tired of hearing that, bro. That’s just an excuse. Simple as that.
“You’ve got to have somebody to pep you up and fire you up to get out here and play basketball, which you make millions of dollars to do, not going to a corporate job? Millions of dollars to play the game of basketball, then you’re in the wrong profession. You already lost.”
Despite a retooled roster, it’s looking like a lost season for the Wizards following a first-round exit last year. Beal has been the subject of trade rumors, and the return for Russell Westbrook hasn’t translated into wins.
The team started the season well, but things have fallen apart of late, with the loss to Phoenix being a nadir.
“We lose ourselves a lot when we find ourselves down,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters. “Somebody has to be a hero, and we out there taking bad shots and not playing for each other. That was the biggest offensive letdown tonight.”
