2010/11 Washington Wizards Player Evaluation: John Wall
by Mike Prada on May 12, 2011 12:00 PM EDT
in 2011 Player Evaluations
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PrintOver the next few weeks, we will be evaluating the 2010/11 seasons of all the players who ended the year on the Wizards' roster. We'll offer our quick thoughts, then ask you to grade their season on a 1-10 scale in the comments. For the purposes of this exercise, we'll start with the key players and work our way down. First up: John Wall.
Key advanced stat: Wall shot 59.9 percent at the rim (one percentage point behind Derrick Rose), but just 30 percent from 16-23 feet.
John Wall did not have the direct impact on team wins as many other recent top picks did. The Wizards won 26 games without Wall and just 24 with him. This pales in contrast to recent No. 1 picks like Derrick Rose (+8 wins), LeBron James (+17), Yao Ming (+15), Blake Griffin (+13, technically) and Tim Duncan (+36). But to look at this stat and conclude that Wall's year was a failure is outrageous.
Much like Kevin Durant in 2007, the deck was stacked against Wall in a big way. He came in having to deal with the Gilbert Arenas question, which, as much as we hate to admit, became a real issue just in terms of baggage that Wall inherited. (As a point of comparison, it was a lot like Durant inheriting the relocation drama). He came into a situation with no veteran leadership, to the point where a man run out of Dallas for his lack of off-court leadership (Josh Howard) was the team's captain. He had to play with people who were learning the game themselves and could not put Wall in a position to succeed. For a point guard, that's a death sentence, especially in a league where, increasingly, the point guard is responsible for so much more than they used to be.
But despite all that, Wall still managed to put together a pretty good year. There were growing pains, no doubt, but those were to be expected. Wall was a blur at Kentucky, but his college system was post-oriented and did not incorporate a lot of pick and roll play. He had to adjust to that style on the fly, and it was clear that he needed some time to pick it all up on both ends of the floor. He also is still in the early stages of developing his jump shot, which will help him become better in those situations. These are things no player can learn in a year, and yet, Wall made tremendous progress.
Indeed, this was and should have been a year of learning for Wall, just like it was and should have been for so many others on the roster. The "true rookie" thing we did earlier was a gag, but it was a gag with a point. Blake Griffin had a year to learn how to be a pro, which Wall did not have. The biggest lesson Wall says he learned was the importance of preparation and not putting his body in a position to be in pain. The foot and knee injuries Wall suffered through were very real. They robbed him of a lot of explosiveness, prevented him from being as quick coming off picks and caused him to miss shots at the rim. They also were there for pretty much the whole season, save for a short stretch at the beginning and an even shorter stretch at the end. It's impossible to really tell what caused them, but I know Wall would agree that part of it was because his body was too skinny and his preparation needed to get to a pro level. These are things Wall realized very early, before most 20-year olds do. He's already put on over 20 pounds of weight from his Kentucky days, and he has a personal chef now to help him eat right.
Despite all this, Wall still averaged 16 points and eight assists per game playing on a bad team. The summer of 2011 is a tremendously important time for him, and he knows it. Many rookie point guards experience growing pains as rookies, some even more than Wall did, but they made a big jump between their first and second years. Everything I have seen from Wall, from what I saw on the court to what I saw off it, indicates he will do the same. He learned a lot of lessons this season, and still pushed through them to be at his best at the end. With a whole summer of applying those lessons, the sky truly is the limit.
A LIMERICK ABOUT JOHN WALL'S SEASON, BY JAKE WHITACRE
The start of a bright, young career
Gave fans a reason to cheer
Attacking the lane
Bringing the pain
Piercing the D like a spear
Discussion question
What do you think should be Wall's biggest priority as he works on his game this summer? His jump shot? Getting stronger? Film study to help improve his pick and roll play? Defense?
Rate Wall's season on a scale of 1-10, given the expectations you feel he should have been given heading into the season.
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Comments
Jump Shot
After seeing how Derrick Rose played in the playoffs, a jump shot is crucial to Wall’s ability to transition from top tier rookie to top overall player.
I voted a 9. He’s the top pick overall, so you expect him to play well. I think he met and exceeded what we were anticipating. Also, I think he deserves high marks for how he carried himself and the team.
by GJennings on May 12, 2011 12:07 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
A 9 is definitely right!
He showed some great leadership qualities, played to his strengths, overcame injury and showed his willingness to work on his game and improve in every way… All that’s keeping him from being an elite player is for him is to learn how to play within the system, improve his jump shot, and slow down the pace a little bit when necessary to cut back on mistakes. I’m definitely excited to see him play next season!
His big priority should be his jump shot
He doesn’t have a very natural looking jumper and his free throw percentage isn’t that good. He obviously has a good work ethic and I’m sure he wants to get better, but it seems like his form on his jumper is holding him back. He also needs to improve his shot selection, but I don’t know if there’s a way for him to do that over the summer unless he just watches clips of him missing shots.
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by pantslessyoda1 on May 12, 2011 12:26 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm surprised he was only at 76% on fts
seemed like he was better than that. was always confused how he could look so comfortable at the line but so awkward shooting in the flow of the game.
by insidethelines15 on May 12, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
which had me expecting he'd be a better finisher.
I voted an 8, he set the bar at 10 early on then faded for awhile but finsihed out fairly well. Tons of work to do, but he seems like just the kid to do it.
I think his injuries hurt
I mean he was right there with Derrick Rose in terms of percentage.
Also, it’s one thing to finish over high school kids – entirely another against NBA athletes.
I think his form is fine
The problem is he doesn’t have confidence in his shot and that sometimes effects how he releases the ball. If you look at his form, it’s actually very textbook but it breaks down when he over thinks. He just has to get that confidence and the only way you do that is repetition, which is what he definitely has to focus on this summer.
by ThePGPhenomenon on May 13, 2011 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely exceeded so I voted 8
I didn’t expect him to have an outside shot at all, but he showed promise (though still needs much work). Way too many careless turnovers though. I think he’ll be better when he doesn’t have to carry the offensive load. He was the offensive focus too often late in the season (and I think this was a partial cause of him tiring near the end of the year). Also seemed to be slightly injury prone.
Otherwise, great year!
Getting buckets since 2003.
by Icantfeelmyface on May 12, 2011 12:43 PM EDT reply actions
I voted 8
I thought John played terrific he just needs to improve in a couple areas. Fitness if he gets alittle bit stronger and more fit I think he could be the best pg in the league easily the next couple of years. Even better than Rose. I think Rose is an AI redux low shooting explosive scoring type player. I don’t want Wall actually following that formula I want John to be alittle more well rounded I think John is already the superior play maker for teammates. But with the added srength and with John’s length being bigger already he could be unstoppable. The fitness will improve his defense and his strength will allow him to take even more advantage of the smaller guards he might even develop a post game.
Of course jumpshot a pull up jumper in the mid range should be the shot he works on gradually move into the 3 ball. Rose shoots to many stupid 3’s and hurts his team.
Wall gets that mid range jumper that pull up and the sky is the limit.
Wall's a true pass first PG...
But Rose’s lack of a scoring 2 guard pretty much mandates he shoot more than he might ideally want to. If they had signed Joe Johnson or something I think Rose would have been fine getting more assist and less shots.
by Staybon on May 12, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I doubt it
Rose is a scorer he does it 1st and foremost he has guys who can get buckets but he just shoots and shoots very Iverson like.
He’s shooting a terrible perc3entage in the playoffs because he won’t stop taking bad 2’s and forcing shots.
Rose isn’t a pass 1st type.
Wall is.
by jazzy1 on May 12, 2011 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rose is asked to be a scorer.
He doesn’t have much scoring on the team (Deng and Boozer, and Korver off the bench). So his coach asks him to shoot. A lot.
Both of you are right
Rose is asked to score more, that’s why he takes a lot of shots. That said, he is not a great playmaker like a Chris Paul or Steve Nash (etc.) and his specialty is not breaking down defenses with his passing. Wall has shown some ability at this already, he looks to be a much better passer than Rose. Rose’s specialty is scoring, he will always be a scoring point, even if he takes less shots, that does not mean he will become a pass first point guard. The ball would just be in other people’s hands to create for themselves.
Remember, D Will had a team very similar to Rose this season (Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Korver were all on his team) but he was able to get 10 assists and 20 points. His playmaking is better, so he was able to do that while Rose can’t.
i agree with this
its not that rose is a selfish ball hog or anything, but his primary skill is his ability to attack the basket in such a unique way, not shooting, not passing, not dunking, just his ability to get into the lanes with quick moves take to the air, and that tremendous body control.
Rose has good feel for the ball but lacks that pure pg instinct, instead he has a more scorers instinct.
I dont think anyone could or should argue that its a bad thing (often times people read allen iverson and think negative connotation, but A.I. was terrific player, if only he didnt think so much about himself)
I think for john wall i see him closer to a westbrook, in ability. The way he attacks, the way he plays defense, the athleticism. The difference is obviously the mentality, wall has the right one. He has the pg mentality which is gonna make him a rich mans version of westbrook.
I dont care what the D.N.A. Says, the Guy wearing number 12 Cannot be Kirk Hinrich, he is definetly Kurt. Kirk can actually play basketball!
i think you have to mention his on ball defense as well...
At times it was a little bit suspect although I feel like the effort was there.
Can’t wait to see him play next season in the new uniform.
by hibachi on May 12, 2011 12:51 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs
He was a rookie.
He’d never played against guys as quick and crafty as this before. Even seemingly average point guards like Jose Calderon and Jrue Holiday gave him trouble, but that’s to be expected your first go around the league. It takes time to learn players and their tendencies. Having teammates who don’t know how to defend a P&R didn’t help much either.
This guy has waaaay too much pride in himself to NOT get better at this. If there’s one thing that impressed me most, it was his desire to get better, and acknowledgement of his flaws. He KNOWS what he’s got to get better at. That’s a leader.
Seriously, who’s the last Wizard you could honestly say that about?
AverageBro.com - @AverageBro
Jrue Holiday is not an average player dude
He is younger than Wall and will be right there with him as Wall approaches the level of the awesome young PG’s Over the next seasons
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on May 12, 2011 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
According to wikipedia
Holiday is a few months younger.
by Elvin_is_my_Elvis on May 12, 2011 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Not a top 10 PG
putting in the average category, of guys that Wall should be expected to own.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
by returnofswagger on May 13, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
i voted 7
he played to the level i was expecting.
i do think its unfair to list only certain #1 draft picks though. would like to see the numbers for the last ten.
the one aspect he’s exceeded my expectations in is his leadership. have to like him not acting as if this team has all the parts and have to like him challenging the effort at times. a lot of the young players today try to be positive all the time when talking about their team and teammates cause they don’t want anyone upset with them. leaders don’t worry about upsetting lazy guys.
Wall=8 Limerick=2.5
Wall’s D & dumb to’s kept me from rating him higher.
I’m glad he’s a Wiz. Love his attitude. Just hope he doesn’t get Blatched in the off season.
He’ll work on his game and come back better and wiser.
Next year should be closer to a 10.
Defense first
The J will come.
Wall is always going to be an offensive player, his teams offensive powers. Hopefully the jumper improves and surely it will, but I hope he can maintain his team’s mentality to playing D.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
by returnofswagger on May 12, 2011 1:05 PM EDT reply actions
Ohh yeah, and...
3.8 TO’s per is wayyyy too many.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
by returnofswagger on May 12, 2011 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Too many of his turnovers were self-inflicted...
Not knowing how to properly use his speed, trying to force difficult passes into the post, etc. All that’s easy to remedy. Give him some time.
AverageBro.com - @AverageBro
I voted 6
If he had done exactly what I expected, that would be a 5. I obviously had high expectations. His attitude and will were better than I expected, but his performance was almost exactly what I expected.
He needs to work on several things. Improving his defense is the most important, but the formula in the NBA seems to be to get your offensive game tuned first, then improve your defense. So, I’d expect that he’ll work on his jump shot and improving his use of changes of speed rather than just trying to blow by everyone all the time. That’s okay with me, as long as he gets to his defense eventually.
I don’t really want him to work on getting stronger over a summer. That’s something he should accomplish through patient and deliberate effort over years. Packing on 20 pounds over a summer isn’t desirable for a guy that relies on speed, and probably contributed to his injuries.
"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR
That’s exactly my rationale for giving him a 6. He would have needed to top Chris Paul’s insane rookie season to approach a 10. I basically expected him to put up Derrick Rose’s rookie stat line, and he exceeded that by a bit despite health problems.
If he comes back with a mid-range jumper that’s more reliable, especially if he pull-up to hit it, then we’re in business next year. If he can also find a reliable three point shot, then there isn’t a guy in the league who’d be able to guard him.
Wait a minute
He would have needed to top Chris Paul’s insane rookie season to approach a 10
Chris Paul (Rookie) = 16.1 Points (43%), 7.8 Assists, 5.1 Rebounds
John Wall (Rookie) = 16.4 Points (41%), 8.3 Assists, 4.3 Rebounds
I’d say that’s pretty damn close to at least matching Chris Paul’s Rookie season……. So you gave John Wall a 6, because he only matched Chris Paul?
Wow – what were you expecting?
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
by Rook6980 on May 13, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Was just going to say something similar
Paul had a much better rookie season. He played fewer minutes at a slower pace, so his counting stats are only a little better overall. But he had a lot fewer turnovers, played better defense, and had a much better TS%.
Paul was also a year older, so Wall should aim to match that this year.
"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR
He also had two time All-Star David West (17 points, 51% shooting) on his team….. and some nice veteran players….
Look what John Wall has to work with…… a team full of Rookies, and youngsters, and Andray Blatche.
It’s almost a miracle that Wall averaged 8.3 assists per game the way this Wizards team shoots the basketball…. They don’t score in the paint (no easy buckets). Points in Transition (fast breaks) were mostly scored by John himself…
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
This
Very true.
Wall’s 8 assists were almost miraculous. That is an outstanding number when you think about what he had to work with this year.
Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.
by returnofswagger on May 13, 2011 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Paul's advanced stats were also much better
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on May 13, 2011 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
I gave him a 6
Rook’s draft prospect profile from March 2010 is very similar to the expectations i had going into the season. He lived up to most, but also did not live up to some others, while exceeding none of them.
In short: he was as fast as advertised, he was slightly less good at shooting the basketball than expected and was really under par at the defensive end to me.
Now, i use a gliding scale in that i rate the players against my expectations so if you think i’m wrong, it might be that we actaually agree on his perfomance but we you had lower or more realistic expectations than i did. To me, his rookie season is on par overall but slightly underwhelming.
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
10!
No, the kid wasn’t perfect. His shot is flat. He turns it over too much. His pick and roll defense leaves much to be desired.
Still, the man nearly avg 10 apg for most of the season until he was forced to play with a team full of Dakota Wizards.
Let that sink in.
On a low scoring last place team with no post presence and few outside shooters, he was within reach of avg a double double till the wheels fell off the healthy bus.
Again, let that sink in.
Surround this guy with some NBA calibre teammates. He’s gonna become a better shooter (shot 45% final month of season and 60% at the rim). He’s already a great playmaker, turnovers be damned.
Let all that sink in.
The sky is the limit for this franchise as long as John Wall is wearing stars and bars.
10.
by averagebro on May 12, 2011 1:31 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
I also gave 10
Dont think I could have asked more from a 20 yr old. He came in and was the obvious leader of an obviously immature team, and thats a lot to ask of a young guy. John was the victim of having to do to much, he had to distribute, had to score, and had to be shut down defender. I saw all these traits at some point this season, his J needs help but when this guy develops consistency he will be unstoppable, cant wait to watch him progress. He was everything I expected and more.
Twitter: @GatorNeedHisGat
by skinbo on May 12, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm going to go with strength.
Strong guards are the best finishers in the league, and with j-wow’s speed, it’s a recipe for disaster on opposing teams.
Strength plays into so many things. Dribble Penetration, Attacking the rim, Rebounding, Defense.
The jump shot will come naturally through repetition, adapting to a different league. Strength is something you actually have to put effort into.
Geting it done.
10
Considering how bad this team was outside of John Wall, he was able to do everything we wanted him to do for this year. He was able to score when we needed him to, he got boards when we needed him to. He does whatever we need or at least tries. John’s speed helped open up shot opportunities for McGee and Young this season and they had career years to this point. He has a knack for steals, which was especially evident in the first few weeks for this season. He has his faults such as the fact that Antawn can beat him in a game of horse right now, but he is ahead of a number of elite guards like Rose, and Paul statistically at least, and that is a good sign at least for now. If he averages similar stats two years from now and we have still have a similar record, then I’ll be concerned. Otherwise, he did better than I thought he would.
His offensive numbers are a few % better than when at UK.
by Janber on May 12, 2011 1:54 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
9
The only asterisk I might raise on his rookie season is combination of seemingly questionable commitment to defense and binging on junk food while playing through pain. Some may feel that constitutes more of a downward adjustment and while it’s no cause for celebration, they’re all exarcerbated by his age.
My diet at 19 was spaghetti, eggs, pizza, and ramen. John learned a lesson about eating junk food and being an elite athlete. Having been an athlete myself, you don’t learn better lessons about your diet than when you feel your body give out on you, and connect the dots as to why it happened.
Seemingly questionable commitment to defense gets a one year pass. First year is all about learning how an opponent of the highest caliber moves. Watching movement, processing it, costs reaction time. I’ll expect some desire on the back end next year, but for now, pass.
As to playing through pain, he’ll learn to save that for the playoffs once he gets there.
by Bullet Nation in Exile on May 12, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions
I gave him a 10
because he is going to be one of the best players in the league. What more can you want from a draft pick?
I gave him a 9
All of the things he needs improvement on (jump shot, defense, conditioning) are things most talented players can improve with effort. I was sort of blown away by how great a natural player he is. Nobody else can work on their speed to catch up to him. He has focus and mature instincts that are pretty remarkable for a 20 year old.
by Elvin_is_my_Elvis on May 12, 2011 2:17 PM EDT reply actions
he should become a great defender and try to tire out the opsing point guard as much as he can. if he does that he ll b able to get to the paint more often. He can work on his pull up J later
by hairlesschewbacca on May 12, 2011 2:24 PM EDT reply actions
On the key advanced stat
Wall shot 59.9 percent at the rim (one percentage point behind Derrick Rose).
Wow!
Rose is far better finishing at the rim than Wall even though Rose misses some gimmies from time to time too. We’ve all seen Wall miss a ton of lay-ups that looked like sure things. I wonder what his stats would’ve looked like with those converted. Very impressive nonetheless.
On a scale of 1-10, with....
…1 being the highest, I gave him a 3. He was slightly worse than expected, but pretty darn good.
I would say the most important thing is his mental attitude. That is, having a burning desire to be a winner a la the true greats like Jordan, Kobe, etc. With that sort of attitude, he’ll continue to improve parts of his game throughout his career.
" On a scale of 1-10, with.... …1 being the highest, I gave him a 3"
Why not just use the scale above?
On a scale of 55-65, 60 being the best, I’m giving him a 62.
Washington got Ted Leonsis as karmic return for Dan Snyder.
by bronco6778 on May 12, 2011 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
I would give him a 5 for the first part of the year but a 10 for the second part.
His progressions were amazing and really only took him 50 team games to improve in the two areas that we all knew he needed to: bulking up and improving jumpshot.
He still has room to improve, and will improve, but his rookie season was a success.
Skins rule
I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet...
But I think JW needs to learn to use his athleticism better. 6 foot 5 with a 43 inch vertical… yet how often does he end a drive above the rim? Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, they all use their leaping ability more effectively IMO. Wall seems to attack too out of control and instead leaps horizontally, forcing a difficult layup. Sure he converts at a high rate (as mentioned earlier in this thread), but why doesn’t he use his leaping ability better?
I remember reading earlier this year that over last summer, Derrick Rose had his trainer hit him with giant pads as hard as he could as Rose went up for a lay up. I think John could really use this type of training, since I think he’s more physically gifted than Rose.
He tends to use his speed
And right now, he only has one gear. Thus he tends to jump horizontally (if that makes sense) more than vertically.
Spot on
He used to finish stronger at the rim in highschool though. I remember reading somewhere that he went away from that since he got a steal and fastbreak slam with a very painfull landing, face down hitting the deck, in a kentucky game
"My logic fails all the time...especially when talking to females" Rook6980
"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to dougie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)
by Dutch Hoopfan on May 12, 2011 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I think this is where the injuries came in
Hard to explode to the rim correctly when your foot is constantly at 75 percent.
More physically gifted than Rose? I would say 'different'
The cuts Rose makes at full speed are reminiscent of Barry Sanders moreso than any nba player I can think of. Rose treats high level nba defenders like they are traffic cones, it’s really amazing and something Wall isnt going to do (no one else does either). To my eye, Rose has a level of body control that makes him unique right now.
by DCrez on May 12, 2011 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
What I mean, is that Wall is both taller and has a higher vertical leap so there is no reason he can’t finish the way Rose does.
by AFM on May 12, 2011 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
yeah, the transition from teen to man should result in Wall throwing down
in traffic! Sky is the limit for our guy, who knows how good he can be 2yrs from now
Expectations are high for next season
Wall could stay at his current level of play and have a very good career.
I hope we are not getting our expectations up too high. From his interviews I get the impression that he is gonna work very hard in the off season to get better.
With a couple of the right additions to this team his numbers will improve as he won’t have to carry so much of the load.
by VBfan on May 12, 2011 4:35 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I voted 8, and he needs to improve his jumpshot and change of pace.
I voted an 8 mainly because maybe my expectations were a little too high for the kid, I expected to see some alley-oops thrown to him and about 1-2 dunks per game.
Yes, I know I’m crazy but you can’t help but think that after seeing all the explosive dunks and put-backs he had in college and high school, then again, I think he would do some more if he wasn’t injured.
We all know his jumpshot can help him take a big step towards being an elite PG in the NBA, but his change of pace can help him a lot with getting to the basket easier much like what Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose do. While his ability to change pace get better, his turnovers will hopefully begin to lessen.
TNT should've treated Lebron's return to Cleveland game like 2k11 and cut the game off after the Cavs were down by 30. lol
well...
if there were someone else on the team that could pass, and if Wall were healthy the entire year – you might have seen more alley-oops to him…
He's "delightfully cranky"
I used to have super powers until my psychiatrist took them away.
Gave him a 9 . . .
Seems like there’s a consensus about what Wall did and what he still needs to do — with everyone applying a slightly different standard to the 10 point scale.
The guy is definitely as advertised. The numbers on a good team would have been even more ridiculous. He still has some areas where his game clearly needs to improve — the jump shot and the range on the jump shot being the most obvious. But looking at the splits month-by-month everything was moving in the right direction as the season went along. He’s got the mentality of a winner.
"There were growing pains, no doubt, but those were to be expected."
Literally
by Max Zamphirescu on May 12, 2011 5:15 PM EDT reply actions
Jumper needs to be improved...
Of the things above, I think that his shooting needs to be improved the most. It will help on pick and rolls when the defender goes behind the screen. Defenders just don’t respect his shooting ability.
8
The J… Have to make defenders respect the pull-up or he will continue to get beaten up taking it inside.
FTs… need 85% minimum from a top-line pass first PG.
Taking better care of the ball… Look at what Teague is doing against da Bulls.
Proper nutrition… the junk food diet has gotta go… I don’t think Wall is in danger of becoming a Hot Plate or a Tractor Traylor (whose tragic death at 34 should send a shiver up Big Baby’s spine) but as he gets older he won’t be able to get away with the teenager’s diet he had this year… Then again, Rod Strickland ate nothing but junk throughout his NBA career and always looked in decent shape…
All that said, I am very, very impressed with John Wall.
yeah but
he probably got 18 and 8 in that game.
better than Kwame.
Brown…also a Wizards #1 pick.
The sky is blue.
7
Things to work on:
Jump Shot
Getting Strong
Defensive Positioning
Understanding how to change the tempo of the game (he goes too fast sometimes and it leads to turnovers)
Other than that I was very impressed by Wall. He’s a very exciting player. I expect him to have a big year next year.
by ThePGPhenomenon on May 13, 2011 8:21 AM EDT reply actions
He is a pretty decent article on B/R comparing Wall to other great PGs.
TNT should've treated Lebron's return to Cleveland game like 2k11 and cut the game off after the Cavs were down by 30. lol
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