Bradley Beal: Wizards Won't Hit 'Panic Button' After Blowout Loss vs. Thunder

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

The Washington Wizards dropped to 1-7 with a 134-111 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but Bradley Beal and Co. aren't panicking just yet.

"I'm not hitting the panic button. I'm not hitting it, and I don't think we are either as a team," Beal said, according to ESPN's Royce Young. "We understand it's still early; it's not perfect. We understand patience is running low from everybody, from ourselves. Nobody is more disappointed than us. I'm definitely going to say that."

After all, there is still a long way to go in this 82-game grind. Not only that, but despite being tied for the worst record in the NBA, Washington is just 2.5 games back of the No. 8 seed.

For a veteran team like the Wizards, there is still plenty of time to figure things out.

Beal continued:

"I don't love where we are, but I love where we are, and I'll never give up on this team. What are we going to do about it? Just fold up early in the year and give up on the year or fight back and try to compete like we know we're capable of doing?

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"And I refuse to let the ship sink, so as one of the captains on the team, I put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. I've got to be better leadership-wise on the floor, giving more, leading by example, and hopefully guys will follow."

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes recently reported that Washington coach Scott Brooks, who still has three years remaining on his five-year, $35 million deal, is not on the hot seat.

There are also some new pieces being worked in.

Big man Marcin Gortat was traded for guard Austin Rivers during the offseason, with eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard being signed as a free agent as well. Howard made his season debut Friday after missing the first seven game with a buttocks injury.

So far, establishing team chemistry has been a challenge. According to The Athletic's Fred Katz, Beal, John Wall and Markieff Morris recently called out teammates for playing with their "own agendas." On Friday, Rivers noted the team's problems run deeper than miscommunication.

"Yeah, it could be more than that," Rivers said, per Young. "I don't want to speak on it too much. But, you know."