Kentucky Wildcats coach comes to the defence of his former point guard
In recent years, John Calipari has developed his University of Kentucky team to be the hub of professional basketball players and becoming the first school to have the first two draft picks this year in mere proof of how brilliantly
he is running the program.
However, the success has not only come as a result of his keen observation to bring in some of the most talented prospects but also his coaching technique and the close relationship he has developed with his players over the years
Calipari has acted as a father figure for many of the Wildcats superstars we have seen over the years even after their departure to the bigger stage of basketball in the NBA. So Calipari coming to the defence of John Wall even
two years after getting drafted by the Washington Wizards does not come as much of a surprise.
In a recently given interview to ESPN Radio, the Wildcats coach spoke in defence of the former number 1 draft pick and gave his insight on what he believes has held Wall back to become one of the premier guards in the league.
“What’s happened is, you took a 19-year old and put the weight of the world on him, saying to him, ‘We’re expecting you to drag this team to another level.’ Well, there are no young guys [who can do that]. [Even] Anthony Davis
isn’t that guy,” Calipari said.
“Now, if you have a good team, Anthony and John will make you better. If you remember, I had Derrick Rose. But the way the [ping pong] balls dropped, he ended up playing on a pretty good team. So, all of a sudden, he’s an All-Star
in two years, and all of a sudden he becomes the MVP of the league. But he’s on a good team. So, what’ll happen is, as [the Wizards] build that team, John will come out more”
Calipari does seem to be making a valid point as the Wizards not only have struggled to put up a good team but also have the problem of keeping a constant roster around Wall which has been labelled as one of the main reasons for
him not performing well.
Wall can be excused for not being able to lead his team into playoff contention because of the lack of strong pieces around him. However, even Calipari will have a hard time defending his star prospect when it comes to the progress
he has made during his tenure with the Wizards.
In the two seasons, Wall has not made any significant improvements to his game but rather his conversion rate has seen a drastic downfall. As good as he while attacking the basket, Wall has struggled to connect on any of his long
jumpers let alone his attempts from beyond the arc which have been only a few.
However, the time has come for Wall to stop making excuses as the Wizards have taken a step forward by bringing in quality players like Nene, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza who are more than capable of playing definitive roles around
the prodigious point guard.
So as he enters into his third year in the league, it is make-or-break time for Wall who finally needs to step his game up in significant manner.
Tags: