Like the president who was re-elected even after he lost the popular vote the first time around, the Wizards coach is confounding his many critics by managing to stay in power.

And very much like George junior, Wittman is the butt of many jokes. The 55-year-old was a laughing stock long before the recent viral video clip of him seemingly looking for operating instructions for his clipboard during a timeout.



Wittman, a middling player during his near decade-long playing career in the 1980s and early 1990s who was drafted by Washington but never played for the Bullets, started coaching in 1999 with Cleveland but was gone after racking up a 62-102 record in two seasons.

He popped up again at Minnesota at the start of 2007 - coincidentally taking over from Duane Casey, who will probably get canned after his Raptors were swept by the Wizards - but was unsuccessful with the Timberwolves. Not many people remember 38 wins when they're buried under an avalanche of 105 defeats.

Wittman then got the start at the Wizards when Flip Saunders, who is now back at the T-Wolves, was shown the door. After an 18-31 record as a caretaker, he looked to be headed for strike three at the coaching plate when he took Washington to a 29-53 record in 2012-13.

He reportedly wept with despair in the locker room when his team lost 12 straight to start the following season but getting them to the finals last year led to a three-year contract extension. But even that was a slap in the face with untested rookies Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher getting longer and more lucrative deals at Golden State and New York respectively.

Wittman was never in the running for the election of 2014-15 NBA coach of the year but he's managed to rack up five wins from six playoff outings.

The exit polling after the 4-0 drubbing of Toronto in the first round suggested the Wizards were fortunate.  They lucked into a contest against a franchise weighed down by a horrendous post-season history whose star point guard, Kyle Lowry, was banged up and down on form.

Now the Wizards have split the first two matches of those Eastern Conference semi-final against the Hawks in Atlanta, what was a borderline unthinkable scenario just weeks ago is now a legitimate possibility. Could Wittman be taking the Wizards to the Eastern Conference finals?

They have stolen home-court advantage and if All-Star guard John Wall can overcome the wrist injury which forced him out of the game two loss, they could take a giant step towards the Eastern decider in the next two games at the District of Columbia.

However, let's not get too carried away. This is, after all, the Wizards. A team traditionally magical in name only.

Last year's upset of Chicago in the first round was only their third playoff series win since their lone championship in 1978. They then had Indiana in strife but couldn't protect their home court.

Wall has been the franchise-changer in the national capital. The team's fortunes have risen as his star has soared over the past couple of seasons.

After the disaster that was the Kwame Brown selection in 2001, the Wizards got it right when they used their No.1 pick nine years later on Wall.

Easily the fastest blur of light on any NBA court, Wall and Bradley Beal, another astute selection via the third pick in 2012, are the NBA's second-most talented back-court duo  behind Warriors stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The Wiz have a solid core with big men Marcin Gortat and Nene providing size in the front court while veteran Paul Pierce and rapidly improving sophomore Otto Porter give them potency from the wings.

Porter was lucky No.1 flop Anthony Bennett took the brunt of all the bust talk last season but he has emerged as a player of the future.

Pierce's acquisition from Brooklyn barely registered on the radar throughout the regular season but his playoff pedigree has been invaluable lately, especially his calculated takedown of Toronto. He was only ever going to be a short-term signing. He's in the twilight of his tremendous career and will probably retire when his contract expires at the end of next season.

Which, in Washington's dreams, is perfect timing. It is then that Thunder star Kevin Durant becomes a free agent and the Wizards - who have already hired one of his old high school coaches to their staff - will be freeing up salary cap space, roster spots, billboards and anything else they can to entice him to return to his home city.

Wittman may not only keep extending his coaching career longer than anyone expected, he might just end up with a roster at his disposal containing last year's MVP in the prime of his career.

Even George W wasn't that lucky.

• Scans reveal Wall's wrist damage is serious 
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