Update – 12:18: CBS Sports reports that Randy Wittman will take over as the interim head coach for Washington.

Source confirms @WojYahooNBA report that the #Wizards have fired Flip Saunders. Randy Wittman takes over as interim.

—
Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) January 24, 2012

Original – 12:00: The Washington Wizards have fired head coach Flip Saunders, a source has told Yahoo! Sports.

After a 2-15 start to the season, the Washington Wizards have fired Flip Saunders as coach, a league source tells Y! Sports.

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Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 24, 2012

Saunders had led the Wizards to a 2-15 start before his termination. While expectations were low for the young team entering the 2011-12 season, the Wizards expected to see improvement after their young players had gained another year of experience under their belt.

Last season the Wizards posted a 23-59 record, which ranked as the fourth worst finish in the NBA. In 2009-10, Washington finished with a 26-56 record, which again was the fourth worst in the league. Overall Saunders managed to post a 51-130 record with Washington in three seasons.

Washington Wizards head coach called JaVale McGee’s in-game self-alley-oop off the backboard dunk, “unacceptable,” reports the Washington Post.

“Apparently, if you get a fast break and throw it off the backboard in the third quarter, and you’re 1-11, you’re not supposed to do stuff like that,” McGee told the media after being reprimanded by his coach.

The Wizards lost the game 106-114 to fall to 1-12 on the year. McGee, who has been one of the Wizards more productive players this season, finished the game with eight points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Washington Wizards head coach Flip Saunders feels that John Wall picked up too many bad habits in summer league play, according to CSN Washington.

“I’ve never been a proponent of [summer league play],” Saunders told CSN Washington after Monday’s practice. “I think you pick up too many bad habits and a lot of things are going to be very easy [are not].  I don’t think I saw a change all summer long.”

 Despite this, Saunders is optimistic that his best player can adjust back into a more structured NBA style of play.

“The positive thing is that when you’re the best player, you’re usually the one that can [help most],” Saunders said. “ You can help change things around as the coach can.”

Facing true NBA defenses this season, Wall has seen his scoring drop off from 16.4 points per game last year to 13.7 this season. Wall has also contributed 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Wizards who have stumbled to a 1-8 start this season.

Despite an 0-8 start and reports of unrest in the locker room in Washington, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders’ job is safe for the time being, multiple sources have told the Washington Post.

While Washington remains the NBA’s only winless team, sources tell the Washington Post that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is not willing to change the club’s plans on the rebuilding process this early into the  season. While Saunders was hired by the club’s previous ownership group, the Washington Post says that Leonsis understands that rebuilding through the draft, as he did with the Washington Capitals, takes time.

Since taking over as head coach Saunders has led the Wizards to a 49-123 record. The coach signed on with the squad expecting to coach a veteran team featuring Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison, however injuries and a major suspension for Arenas forced the team into a rebuilding mode.

Yesterday it was reported that veteran forward Rashard Lewis engaged in an argument with the coaching staff prior to Sunday’s game against the Timberwolves and refused to play. He was not seen on the bench.

Second year star John Wall also spoke out against the team’s attitude and selfish style of play earlier this year.

No doubt about it, the Washington Wizards are the worst team in the NBA. At 0-8 on the season, they’re gunning for a place among the worst teams ever. Wiz forward Andray Blatche may have pinpointed one underlying cause for the team’s despair: They’ve tuned out head coach Flip Saunders.

“Flip is definitely doing his job,” Blatche told Ken Berger, NBA insider for CBS. “I just don’t feel like guys are listening and following behind what he says and what he wants us to do.”

The Wizards hit a new low this afternoon, losing 93-72 to a Timberwolves team that was 2-5 going in. Blatche shot 5-of-16, another awful game for the rising young power forward, and few of his teammates were much better.

The young Washington team is still struggling to heed the guidance of Saunders and his 636 career wins.

“Guys want to try to do it their own way, and it’s not working,” Blatche said. “The record shows that. I feel like everybody should go home and focus and think and take consideration for what Flip is saying, because it can’t hurt. It damn sure ain’t helping us our way.”