John Wall Wins NBA True Rookie Of The Year Award

by Mike Prada on May 4, 2011 4:07 PM EDT in Links

Congratulations to John Wall! The Wizards' point guard was named the NBA's True Rookie Of The Year on Wednesday, joining some of the league's best players, such as MVP Derrick Rose (yes, that's the name on his birth certificate), Kevin Durant, Amar'e Stoudemire, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Tim Duncan as men who have won the honor.

Wall received 290 points to beat out a talented crop of rookies that include his former Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins of Sacramento, New York's Landry Fields, San Antonio's Gary Neal and Detroit's Greg Monroe. The talented rookie point guard averaged 16.4 points and 8.3 assists in 69 games, despite battling nagging knee tendonitis throughout the season.

Wall becomes the first player in franchise history to win the True Rookie Of The Year Award since legendary big man Wes Unseld won the honor back in 1968/69. Congratulations, John!

Editor's note: Yes, we're aware that Blake Griffin is the guy who actually won. Relax.

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Way to go John

We all know what the truth is. Blake wasnt a rook…he did preseason he sat on the bench, he got NBA checks, he was working on his jumpshot by last years all-star break..its a total joke.

by KurisuDevil on May 4, 2011 5:27 PM EDT reply actions

A rookie is player that plays his first regular season game this season

Therefore Griffin is ROY.

He has lebronda type impact in his first yr and is has everything to become an era defining player.

I see the difference between Griffin and Wall like the difference between Bird and McHale: Larry was and is an era defining icon and McHale ‘just’ a fenominal HOFer. Ofcourse both players are not there yet by a long at only on yr in

"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)

by Dutch Hoopfan on May 4, 2011 6:37 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Sorry for the typo's

"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)

by Dutch Hoopfan on May 4, 2011 6:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Well, McHale played on the same team as Bird

and both played during almost the exact same period.

Wall is playing on a completely different team. Wall could be compared somewhat to Stockton because he never won rookie of the year, he never won an MVP award, never won a Defensive MVP (but got 2nd team All-Defense 5 times) and he never made the All NBA 1st team more than twice. He never was flashy or was an era changer, but he was a hell of a player and the NBA’s leading ball stealer.

by thewiz06 on May 5, 2011 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Obviously

This was pretty tongue in cheek.

SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | SBNation.com | Twitter.

by Mike Prada on May 5, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

As Wizards fans...

Of course we feel how we feel and with valid reason, all of which has been dissected here on many a posts…

So YES, we are VERY proud of our John Wall & ALL that he has acheived this his 1st year after being drafted…

:-)

*we are building for the FUTURE*
Leave me alone. The game is on...

by 2StepsAway on May 4, 2011 8:05 PM EDT reply actions

Blake a redshirt rookie

by Seat pleasant on May 4, 2011 8:19 PM EDT reply actions

i Know John Wall doesn’t care about who gets this award. We shouldn’t even consider Blake Griffin to be on par, though. We all saw what John gave us before he was injured. This kid was kissing against a triple double nightly! Also remember the putrid putrid team he had to play with this season, and the ridiculously high assist rate he finished with despite that. He wants to win and he wanted to change the history of the Wizards. Beyond what the Award entails I think the world of John Wall, and this kid will show us more than Derrick Rose has so far. He reminds me more of when DWade was voted third on the roy rankings.

by Ammanuel on May 4, 2011 10:44 PM EDT reply actions

also, how did the dc media voter allow for Blake Griffin to run away with it unanimously? Way to stand by your man, whoever you are

by Ammanuel on May 4, 2011 10:48 PM EDT reply actions

Media folks have no obligation to do that

SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | SBNation.com | Twitter.

by Mike Prada on May 5, 2011 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

true that,

but I remember Chris Paul almost winning unanimous ROY, save for one Utah reporter slipping Deron Williams in there. I always thought that was a pretty nice gesture. Plus maybe I’m getting crazy here, but I am really not feeling the John Wall love.

by Ammanuel on May 5, 2011 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions

people are pretty cold

by Ammanuel on May 5, 2011 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions

That's a really bad way to use your vote

It’s a privilege lots of people would love to have. Don’t abuse it like that.

SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | SBNation.com | Twitter.

by Mike Prada on May 5, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions

my bad...

didn’t mean any disrespect. You make a good point

by Ammanuel on May 5, 2011 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh come on.

Blake didn’t even play a regular season game last year. He is a true rookie. and honestly, who would rather have Wall or Griffin?

by brettpedigo on May 4, 2011 11:20 PM EDT reply actions

It's pretty tongue in cheek

But either way that’s kind of a silly question. Griffin deserves the award but he clearly had some advantage of being in an NBA training program for a year. Among those who didn’t, Wall certainly shined.

SB Nation DC | Bullets Forever | SBNation.com | Twitter.

by Mike Prada on May 5, 2011 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions

And to answer that

Wall. And hopefully I am not alone here, of all places.

Which is the harded play style to acclimate to the NBA. Jumping high to throw the ball in the hoop as hard as possible? Where half of the league’s teams have pitiful froncourts anyway. Almost every night, Griffin goes up against somebody he is athletically and just all-around better than. And not just because he is a superfreak, but because the level of competition at PF is much lower.

Or, is running a team, creating all of the offense, handling the ball at all times, all while being just dropped into the NBA, rather than acclimating for an entire season(and being the younger and less physically developed player… he will grow up)? Then there’s the fact that he is going up against a plethora of talent at the PG position that the NBA has maybe never seen before. It takes time to adjust to those things and while the NBA will be adjusting to defending to Blake next year, Wall will continue to figure things out.

So yeah, I would take Wall, and I see him having just as successful a career.

Screw rational basketball analysis. I <3 Jordan Crawford.

Stress fractures are inevitable when you kick as much ass as Trevor Booker does.

by returnofswagger on May 5, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Blake is gonna be great

but i honestly think that john will have a better chance at a future MVP award imo.

by no more kwame's in dc on May 5, 2011 12:38 AM EDT reply actions

THAT's THE SPIRIT

He’s our man, and we’re darn lucky to have him… Plus John’s gonna blow minds next year no question

by Ammanuel on May 5, 2011 1:08 AM EDT reply actions

@ImmyWall

tweeting about how this motivates him to work harder.

Wait till John gets superstar calls like Blake and he will outshine ‘The Ginger.’

shine like bald head, smoke trees call me log head

by ThaCaronic on May 5, 2011 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

Only a ginger can call another ginger ginger

- Tim Minchin
(Look this up, it’s hilarious.)

"Be patient or be a Heat fan" - MR

by steadyhand on May 5, 2011 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

What about 'day-walkers'?

- Eric Cartman

"I'll be lounging on the couch, just chillin in my snuggie, klick to MTV so they can teach my how to douggie" (Buno Mars, The lazy song)

by Dutch Hoopfan on May 6, 2011 6:32 AM EDT up reply actions

Great Job John, baffles me that the NBA can give an award to a 2nd year player.

Not enough room in this message board for me to rant about this. I will say JW is the true ROY in my eyes, it has to make a huge difference being around an NBA team for a full season before your rookie season (Blake). No offense to Blake,he had a great season, but is a flawed ROY.

Twitter: @GatorNeedHisGat

by skinbo on May 5, 2011 10:23 AM EDT reply actions