Monday, March 18, 2013
Is John Wall turning the corner?
By Joe Kaiser
Until recently, the general feeling was that John Wall hadn't lived up to the hype that came with being the No. 1 pick of the 2010 NBA draft. Suddenly, though, Wall is playing the best ball of his young career and all that noise could be heading right out the window.
Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes: "Aside from the failed attempt at leaping over and through two players, Wall was able to do most everything else he wanted while completing the best all-around four-game stretch of his career. In leading the Wizards to a 3-1 record, Wall averaged 24 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and 2.5 steals, while shooting 61.7 percent from the field (37 for 60), 80 percent from three-point range (4 for 5) and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (18 for 21). ...
"Wall scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games for just the third time in his career. He started the week with 27 points, a season-high 14 assists and seven rebounds in the loss to the Cavaliers, then had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a win against Milwaukee, becoming the third player in Wizards/Bullets franchise history to have at least 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on back-to-back nights."
The emergence of Wall is a big reason why the Wizards have rattled off three wins in a row and 12 of their last 19, and his presence in that backcourt alongside Bradley Beal gives this franchise a lot of hope going forward if he can continue to play like this. And if the Wiz can add a top-notch small forward with their lottery pick in 2013, perhaps someone like the local guy Otto Porter out of Georgetown, the young nucleus of this team will be even more impressive.
