Bill has still not signed the contract extension Shepard: He didn't give a verbal promise

According to The Sports Weekly all-media reporter Bai Qi, in this year's offseason, the Wizards sent Wei Shao away and got a number of outstanding rotation teams from the Lakers. At the beginning of the season, the team performed unexpectedly, achieving an excellent record of 10 wins and 3 losses. But the good times didn't last long, and in the next 18 games, their record was only 6 wins and 12 losses. In the last game, Harrell and Pope even clashed. Now, Bill's stay seems to be another confusing thing. Today, Wizards management helmsman Shepard was interviewed about the current state of the team.

Remember that on October 1 last year, the Wizards made a contract extension offer to the Beal, but the latter has not signed his name on the contract so far. Shepard said it was all up to Beal to decide and the team would not withdraw the offer. "We have no reason to withdraw the offer." Shepard said: "Bill has a season to make decisions and we have always been transparent about this matter. When we qualified for a contract extension, we immediately sent Beal an offer, which was a respect for him, he was a player at the best team level and we were looking forward to him continuing to be an All-Star this year. I think Beal will make the decision that is best for himself, and it is the same for the team, where we have overlapping interests. I know some people like to fry cold rice, but our attitude towards renewing Bill's contract hasn't changed in any way. The team management and Beal have been in a positive and effective dialogue, both sides are very straightforward and transparent, we have the same goals and pursuits, and we want to renew our contract smoothly. We didn't get any verbal commitments, we don't need those, and we'll continue to look to the future. ”

If Beal completes a contract extension with the Wizards, the new contract may make Beal's annual salary for his first season more than $45 million. But in Shepard's view, giving Bill such a contract is worth the money. "In the NBA, you have to find the cornerstone players of your own team, that's the basic expense in this industry, if a team wants to do results, it has to spend money to sign good athletes. I think Beal is one of the best players in the league in the same position, and it will probably be the same for the next decade. Our goal is to build a team around Beal and now we're doing better than we were last year, so it's an improvement and I'm happy with the current state of the team. ”

"The previous game against the Bulls, if it wasn't for DeRozan's kill, we had a chance to win and the team was competitive. Because of injuries, the pandemic and the players' individual factors, we have not been able to play with a full lineup, which is a very hurtful thing for an NBA team. We're building great chemistry and the players are getting better and better. Shepard said. With less than a month left with a Feb. 10 trade deadline, the Wizards are currently in ninth place in the East with a 22-20 record. Facing the aggressive Knicks, Hawks and Celtics behind them, they may need further reinforcements to solidify their rankings.

'We've had a discussion about trade reinforcement, and we have to get back to the heart of the defense, to stop the opponent's attack on the pitch and let them miss some shots. Shepard said: "We can't make too many mistakes, to shoot better shooting, we have a high quality of play. If you watch some special games, you'll find that we can play hard with all the teams in the league, and we have enough talent. The coaching staff headed by Unseld is excellent, they work very hard, they work very hard, they have a very good game strategy, they do a very good job in terms of player development and development, and I am quite happy with their current results. They also have a good relationship with each other. ”

Although Shepard is not stingy about the Wizards' chemistry at this stage, from a data point of view, there seems to be some problems with the run-in between Bill and Dinwiddie. When both players are on the floor at the same time, the Wizards have to lose more than 5 points per 100 rounds. "I don't worry about that at all, they haven't spent enough time together, at least not as much as we expected." "Bill is an All-Star player, it's not difficult to play with him, he and Dinwiddie can make each other better," Shepard said. We need to be patient, we gave Dinwiddie a three-year contract instead of a 40-game contract, and it takes time for the chemistry to form. Sometimes Bill has the ability to take over the game, and sometimes Dinwiddie can take over the game, which is within their capabilities, but when playing together, it takes time and process to learn to make their teammates shine. ”

'Our pace has been disrupted because of the pandemic and injuries, and as long as we regain our efficiency and defensive performance, we have a chance to get back on track." Shepard said: "That's what we're focused on in the future, and we have to get back to the efficient performance on the defensive end. We have a lot of efficient pitchers in our team and they're going to get their efficiency back and take advantage of those opportunities. There are All-Stars in the future, and there are trade deadlines, this time is not easy, it is a war, every team will have some problems, we need to get through this difficult thing. ”