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John Wall rises to 5th on ESPN's 'Top 25 under 25' list

A wrong has been righted.

By Mike Prada
Rob Carr

Remember when John Wall was somehow left off ESPN's Top 25 players under 25 list last season? Remember how guys like Ed Davis beat him out?

That problem has been rectified and then some. This year's edition of the list is out, and Wall has soared all the way to fifth. The blurbs, from ESPN Insiders Kevin Pelton, David Thorpe and Amin Elhassan:

Elhassan: Wall is beginning to fulfill the promise that got him drafted first overall in 2010 (amazing what being healthy can do for your game's perception). He's still not a consistent enough shooter, but he's improved tremendously, and that improvement has opened up passing opportunities for him. Defensively, has the tools to be the antidote to the league's class of super athletic PGs.

Thorpe: Improving his perimeter shot is a no-brainer, even just a midrange jump shot over smaller defenders, but he has work to do to become a better transition finisher as well. As perhaps the fastest ball-pusher in the league, Wall has many chances to outrace defenders but he often struggles to focus on making the shot rather than drawing contact or getting it off cleanly.

Pelton: Point guards tend to peak late, so Wall might still have room to grow after emerging as an All-Star-caliber player this season.

The four players ahead of Wall? In order: Anthony Davis, Paul George, Andre Drummond and James Harden. Notable players behind Wall? Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving. How about that?

Bradley Beal, unfortunately, did not make the composite list, though he was on Pelton's personal list at No. 21. Here's the full list:

  1. Anthony Davis
  2. Paul George
  3. Andre Drummond
  4. James Harden
  5. JOHN WALL
  6. Blake Griffin
  7. Kyrie Irving
  8. Damian Lillard
  9. DeMarcus Cousins
  10. Derrick Favors
  11. Eric Bledsoe
  12. Serge Ibaka
  13. Greg Monroe
  14. Kawhi Leonard
  15. Michael Carter-Williams
  16. Nicolas Batum
  17. Harrison Barnes
  18. Giannis Antetokounmpo
  19. Gordon Hayward
  20. Jrue Holiday
  21. Klay Thompson
  22. Nikola Vucevic
  23. Ricky Rubio
  24. Jonas Valanciunas
  25. John Henson

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