Saunders talks about new-look Wizards

In his time coaching in the Continental Basketball Association, Flip Saunders learned how to guide makeshift lineups and shuffling different players each month, week and sometimes day. In his first season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he led a lottery team that decided to change the look of a foundering franchise by ridding itself of veterans on big contracts (Christian Laettner and Sean Rooks) at the trade deadline. And he dealt with disappointment through seven first-round playoff losses in Minnesota and three Eastern Conference finals losses with the Detroit Pistons.

But no matter how much he has drawn on past experience, perhaps nothing could've prepared him for what has occurred in his first season with the Washington Wizards.

"This has been a very unique year, by anybody's standards," Saunders said, after the Wizards (17-33) decided to break up a team that he expected to contend with the conference's elite.

The Saturday trade that sent Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton has forced Saunders to make adjustments to his game plan as the Wizards prepare to play their first game after the all-star break on Wednesday against Minnesota. But before the Wizards move forward, Saunders reflected on what led a team with high expectations to fail so miserably.

"There's a lot of things that enter into it," said Saunders, who has previously pointed to injuries, the death of owner Abe Pollin, and Gilbert Arenas's season-ending suspension among the distractions to the team's journey. "Are we where we wanted to be and where we thought we'd be when we started? Definitely not. Am I disappointed about where we are from a team standpoint? No question. But I think on the other hand, as an organization, and [President Ernie Grunfeld] has shown this -- we're not willing to stand pat. This is it. It's always better to be proactive in your approach and that's what we've done."

Saunders said incorporating the new players will take some time -- especially when he doesn't know what other trades the Wizards may make.

"I think you really simplify things and try to rely more on concepts and what we try to do," Saunders said. "The one positive is that you do have four guys coming from one team. Those guys are somewhat comfortable playing with each other. And as soon as we blend everyone, these guys are going to try to come in hungry and try to show what they can do."