John Walls Elite Arrival Can Carry Washington Wizards: Determining who sits atop the NBA’s point guard pyramid is no less difficult than trying to discover the origin and ultimate destiny of mankind. There’s no concrete answer. Right now, it’s hard to argue any point guard is playing better than Stephen Curry for the 16-2 Golden State Warriors. But that assessment could be temporary. Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry and now John Wall—the newest member of the elite class—could all dethrone Curry by the conclusion of 2014-15. Wall doesn’t have Rondo’s eye for assists, nor does he have the pit bull mentality of the undersized Paul and Lowry. He’s not as strong as Westbrook and can’t shoot like Curry or Lillard. But the 24-year-old is an elite point guard in his own right. He’s carved out a spot among the NBA’s best not by trying to emulate any of the aforementioned guards, but by being himself. Wall’s Individual Evolution Like so many one-and-done players, Wall entered the league as a raw specimen. He could jump out of the gym and get to the basket at will, but struggled to run an offense and consistently knock down outside shots. The Washington Wizards drowned in an ocean of losing during the early portion of Wall’s career. Despite strong play from the No. 1 pick of 2010 (16.9 points, eight assists and 4.4 rebounds), Washington went 43-105 in its first two years with the budding star at the helm. A stress fracture in his left knee sidelined Wall for the first 33 games of 2012-13. In the 49 games that he did play, the former Kentucky standout scored 18.5 points on 44.1 percent shooting, both career-bests, to go along with 7.6 assists. Last December, Wall told Sekou Smith of NBA that the missed time was the turning point of his pro career: I think that was the biggest turning point for me, sitting out that long, even though I didn’t want to sit out. Just getting the chance to study the game better helped me. Watching my teammates and seeing what they were great at and then knowing how I could come back and make the situation better, is what helped me. I think those guys made it a lot easier for me. Having Nene and Emeka Okafor knock down shots and finish. Having Brad [Beal] and Martell Webster and Trevor Ariza playing as well as they played. It was the first time I had guys do that and trust in me to lead the team and be their point guard. It makes a difference. In July of 2013, the Wizards and owner Ted Leonsis took a huge risk by giving a 22-year-old point guard an extension worth $80 million for five years. It paid off. After the agreement, Leonsis called No. 2 “the cornerstone of our team,” per Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Here’s what Wall said after signing the extension, via Lee: I’ll never let money change me. I’m already motivated. But this is motivation to another level. The only thing you can do is win now. If you’re not winning what’s the point of getting the contract? You’re still going to get your money but youre not going to have no fun. It’s no point in having it and not being happy. Wall took that attitude into 2013-14 and earned the first All-Star nod of his career. Along with backcourt mate Bradley Beal, he carried the Wizards to a 44-38 finish, the best since 2004-05. It only took five games for Washington to demolish the heavily favored Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. While Washington fell to the Indiana Pacers in Round 2, the message was clear: These Wizards are here to stay. And so is Wall, whose numbers have steadily improved each season. This year, hes led Washington to a 12-5 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. On Nov. 21, the Wizards hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team widely predicted to be one the best in the East. Wall racked up 28 points (12-20 FG) and seven assists as Washington won in convincing fashion, 91-78. That nationally televised game was more than a victory. Like the series against the Bulls, it was a statement. Clevelands isolation turn-taking offense couldnt have contrasted more with the smooth, fluent attack Wall led. Washington plays together and has fun doing so. The floor general is at the heart of that. Where Wall Ranks Among NBA’s Elite Numbers don’t lie—Wall isn’t the best. Not yet, at least. But he’s sitting comfortably in the top tier of NBA point guards. Wall’s jumper has vastly improved since he was a rookie. According to NBA’s Player Tracking function, Wall has totaled 114 points on pull-up jumpers this season, trailing just Curry, Kobe Bryant, Paul, Monta Ellis, James Harden and Lowry. After shooting 24.3 percent from beyond the arc in Years 1-3, Wall has added the long-range shot to his arsenal. Having taken just 202 attempts from 2010-11 to 2012-13, he has since launched 350 shots and converted them at a clip of 34.9 percent. Wall ranks sixth in points (18.2) and first in steals (2.2) among PGs. Hes also third in the league with 9.6 assists and leads all guards with 10 double-doubles. In his last two games, the pride of Washington has gone for 18 points and 13 assists and 17 and 15 in wins against the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. In terms of distribution, NBA offers a different angle (as opposed to just straight assists). Player Tracking gives us the chance to look at free throw assists, which are would-be assists that are sabotaged when the recipient of the pass gets fouled in the act of shooting. Wall trails only Ty Lawson, Rondo and Paul for the league-lead in assists, but he leapfrogs Paul if free-throw assists are taken into account. In addition to being an elite defender and perhaps the most rapidly improving point guard there is, Wall is also the most athletic PG in the game. Westbrook is a freak athlete, too, but in a nonstop, 100-miles-per-hour kind of way. Wall is different. He runs the court like a raindrop on a window—stopping and starting unpredictably, slowing to a jog and then bursting forward at maximum speed in a millisecond. Westbrook plays with speed. Wall plays with pace. Wall is also, according to himself, the best in the game. Here’s B/R’s Andy Bailey with his take on the claim: Whats he supposed to think? The all-time greats in every sport had this kind of confidence in themselves, and theres a good chance they wouldnt have gotten where they did without it. If Wall truly believes hes the best point guard in the NBA, he might just get there one day. Wall is right in the thick of the PG chase numbers-wise. Perhaps the most important number of all, though, is the wins. Washington (12-5) is two games behind the Toronto Raptors (15-4) for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are tied for the eighth-best record in the entire NBA. The further Washington goes this season, the higher Wall, who will almost certainly earn another All-Star bid, climbs on the point guard ladder. By this time next year, if he and the Wizards continue to rise, we could be viewing Wall as more than just elite. By this time next year, Wall could be the best. All stats are accurate as of Dec. 5 courtesy of Basketball-Reference and Stats.NBA. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #Basketball #NBA #NBASoutheast #WashingtonWizards #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 10:25:09 +0000
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