The thing that made John Wall so tantalizing when he entered the NBA was his rare combination of talent. Players with the potential to have eyes like Magic, speed like Wade and the defensive tenacity of Gary Payton don't come around often. That's why his high school mixtape so fun. It wasn't just that he was making everyone look silly, it was how he was doing it.
There's never been a player with the potential to control a game like John Wall. When he gets into his zone, he can do some things we've never seen before on a basketball court and do it in a way that's distinctly his own. It's WallBall.
Tonight, Wall gave us a brilliant flash of WallBall in the closing minutes of the third quarter to turn a close game into an easy win. Seriously, who else can do this?
A Thing: John Wall lob to Rasual Butler for a dunk after 2 dribbles from a rebound. https://t.co/J9BEVyckxJ
— Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) February 10, 2015
John Wall doing John Wall things. #Wizards https://t.co/RKJHwfzhKz
— Danny (@recordsANDradio) February 10, 2015
John Wall: when you can picture John Feinstein literally eating a heart out on a paper plate with plasticware. https://t.co/vJteTQeooB
— Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) February 10, 2015
Here's what else we learned tonight.
Wittman pumps the brakes on the Otto hype
After some rave reviews about Otto Porter's performance as a starter on Saturday, there were plenty suggesting perhaps he made better sense starting alongside John Wall.
Well, Randy Wittman promptly put that debate to rest by giving Garrett Temple the start in Bradley Beal's place tonight. Clearly, Wittman isn't at the point yet where he feels comfortable starting Porter instead of chasing the best defensive matchup.
Fun Fact
In the first half, the Wizards and Magic combined to go 0-for-18 from beyond the arc. That means you could have suited up in your replica John Wall jersey and khakis and shot just as well in the first 24 minutes. Perhaps YOU are the person the Wizards will sign with their last roster spot.