John Wall Wows for Wizards
John Wall was touted as a National Basketball Association-ready player before he even graduated high school. Now, fresh off a year of college where he continued his dominance, Wall has finally set foot on the NBA hardwood and he did not disappoint.
In his first game as a Washington Wizard, albeit in the Summer League rather than standard play, Wall put up an impressive 24 points and led the Wizards to a 84-79 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Wall’s 24 points (on 7-out-of-15 shooting) and eight assists are numerically impressive and the rookie looks perfectly capable of even exceeding the immense expectations that have been laid upon him. His only misstep was a relatively high turnover count of eight, but there is only so much a player can do in his first professional game.
In regards to his performance, Wall said: “I feel like I did good. At first I had the jitters. A little too many turnovers in my debut, but I think as it goes along I’ll calm those down.”
He added: “Playing a real game with the crowd there, I haven’t done in a while, so the nerves were there a little bit.”
Wizards head coach Phillip "Flip" Saunders was impressed with Wall’s debut. He told reporters: “Guy [Wall] got 24 and 8, and he played kind of an average game. That shows you the kind of game he has. He’s used to this. This is how it’s been since senior year in high school.”
What is most impressive about Wall’s debut has nothing to do with his statistical output though. Wall showed that he is mentally prepared to not just play in the NBA but to strive for the upper-ranks.
From the opening tip off Wall showed that he was a natural-born leader, an essential quality for a point guard. Throughout the game, Wall was vocalizing instructions to teammates and always trying to bring the best out of them.
During the time that Wall was not on the court, he immediately parked himself at the front of the bench where he still contributed on-court instructions, while also talking to assistant coach Ryan Saunders and his teammates about individual and mutual improvement.
Wall also spent a great deal of time talking to Wizards’ head of Summer League coaching, retired point guard Sam Cassell. When asked about Wall, Cassell said: "He's a leader. That's what we're searching for, leadership, and he's our guy."
The best example of Wall’s leadership capabilities is the manner in which he interacted with talented but wayward Wizards prospect JaVale McGee. With Wall’s encouragement, McGee clearly exhibited much more effort against the glass than usual, a problem that he has often been criticized for. Wall and McGee also connected for a series of alley-oops, which bodes well for their future play together.
Wall is definitely a fresh breath of air for Wizards fans. The franchise desperately needs a leader, and Wall seems selfless and smart enough for the role.
Wall is a huge step away from currently suspended point guard Gilbert Arenas. Arenas was the marquee player on the Wizards, and should still be upon his return, but a poor leader given his strange temperament. Arenas was often criticized for his low-percentage shooting, and with Wall, he should be moved over to the 2 spot rather than being a troublesome ‘shoot-first’ point guard. This is a much more successful mode of play, as evident through the standard point guard play of recent championship winning teams.
Wall’s true success will be based on how he plays with the volatile Arenas, and although he is young, he seems reasonable enough to interact with anyone. If the duo does mesh, Arenas could be provided with open shooting opportunities that he has never quite had before. If it doesn’t, Wall’s demeanour makes him a more likely choice to remain with the franchise.
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