If anyone wanted to know and experience what it is like to cover and write about Washington Wizards Interim Head Coach Ed Tapscott, this past Monday would have been the perfect day to do it.

From the moment Coach Tapscott adjusted the microphone and inquired about the whereabouts of his favorite journalist, Mike Jones of the Washington Times, to his last press conference at home where he displayed a muted anger, Tapscott showed the media every emotion he had to offer.

Typically before the game, Tapscott is first asked about his starting lineup, and then the questions move towards the rest of his team. But on this day, the questions centered around the notable absence of All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas, and the inevitable hire of Flip Saunders as the new coach of the team. Tapscott was not at all put off or flustered by any of this, and he handled both inquiries with grace and aplomb.

He started by addressing the absence of Arenas in not only this game against the Raptors, but the past few games.

“Brendan Haywood has talked about this and he’s been out a far shorter period than Gilbert,” Tapscott said calmly. “When you’re sore, you stress other parts of the body, so we just want to make sure we’re conserving him, but he’s fine. So when he feels like his body is ready to go, he’ll go. But there has been no setback.”

Next, the questions turned towards the potentially uncomfortable subject of the possibility of Flip Saunders taking over the head coaching position.

Instead of losing control or showing any semblance of anger, Coach Tapscott cooly and calmly addressed the issue head-on.

“Considering it’s 40 minutes before the game and considering I got two [games] left here to finish, I think it’s just best I not comment on any of that, ” Tapscott stressed. “I think that’s really a question better directed to Ernie Grunfeld and the management team.”

Although Tapscott refused to talk about any future plans he had, he was more than happy to reflect on the rather disappointing season the Washington Wizards had endured as a whole. When he took over for Eddie Jordan back in November, the Wizards had a measly 1-10 record. Even though the Wizards only had a 19-61 record going into their match against the Raptors (the Wizards finished the season 19-63), Tapscott still came away with smaller reasons to be encouraged about not only this season, but the next year as well.

“Dominic McGuire, Javaris Crittenton, and JaVale McGee probably have progressed as much as anybody. I think they, along with Nick Young and Andray Blatche, have bright futures,” Tapscott observed. “When you start out as an assistant coach and in player development, you really do focus on that. There are some things they do no now, that they could not do at the beginning of the year, and I see it everyday in practice and in our film sessions.”

Shortly after answering that question, Tapscott wrapped up his pre-game press conference and walked out of the press room with a smile on his face.

A few hours later, it was a completely different story.

After leading for much of the second half, the Wizards made a series of mental errors and turnovers and ending up losing by a single point, 97-96.

Chris Bosh, who had only made 10-of-44 three-pointers coming into the game, was left wide open, and drilled the eventual game winning shot.

Tapscott, who had been so composed before the game, was clearly agitated at the mental lapses his team had displayed.

“We caught a brain lock. We made just about every error you could make down the stretch of a game. We kept giving the other team life; we gift-wrapped opportunities for them, and they took advantage. We have no one to blame but ourselves.”

Tapscott also shed some light on what his strategy was before Bosh’s game-winning three-pointer.

“Believe it or not, we said on that last possession when they had the ball, no threes,” Tapscott said with an exasperated look on his face. “We must guard the ball and we have to make them drive the ball to the rim and make a contested lay-up, but not a three…And we gave up a three.”

Tapscott eventually calmed down long enough to reiterate the positive experiences this season had brought him, and he vowed that his team would fight hard the remainder of the season. But the agitated expression he wore when he entered the press room remained on his face.

Despite that, Tapscott was able to end his press conference in a more reflective tone.

“Our best people on the floor won the game the other night up in Toronto. The best people we had tonight just didn’t get it done. Some nights in the NBA you have those moments. Some nights, you get the bear; some nights, the bear gets you. I always say, they pay the other guys well, too.”

After he was once again asked about his future with the Wizards organization, Tapscott looked up at the media with a stern, serious face and gave his answer.

“For me, it’s just a matter of focusing on finishing the season as strong as possible, and giving our players the attention they deserve.”

Then he paused for a minute and said to no one in particular:

“I think we’ll roll with that answer. I thought that was pretty good…You gotta have a sense of humor about this, fellas, come on,” Tapscott responded after the room erupted with laughter.

That was the Tapscott 2008-2009 era in a nutshell.

In a span of three hours, Tapscott showed class, anger, agitation, and hope for the future, and he still found ways to make himself and others around him smile.