John Wall just keeps getting better
By Tommy Dee
John Wall is in the midst of arguably the best professional season of his career and the continued refinement of his toolset has a lot to do with it.
Wall, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 Draft has struggled to convert mind-blowing explosiveness and athleticism into victories, having never won more than 46 regular season games and advancing past the first round of the playoffs only twice. The Wizards (25-20) sit in fifth place in the volatile Eastern Conference thanks, in part, to the new schemes brought in by Scott Brooks. It seems unlikely that they’re flying past 46 wins or headed for the NBA Finals this season but that doesn’t mean Wall hasn’t been sublime.
Under Randy Wittman the Wizards never ranked higher than 17th in offensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.com but currently sit at 10th. The recent results have been the Wizards ripping off 18 of their last 25 games, placing them just one game behind the Atlanta Hawks in the in the race for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
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It appears Wall has blended in some lessons picked up from the game’s elite and that combination of skills has increased his overall efficiency. More importantly, it’s making the Wizards’ offensive engine run better than it has ever run before.
Chris Paul’s mid-range step back
Paul is one of the best pick-and-roll point guards the league has seen since John Stockton. The Clippers can run it virtually every possession and get an easy shot. When it’s defended well, however, Paul has the uncanny ability to slide laterally to the open spot and elevate for a mid-range jump shot over and around the hedging big man.
Here, Wall exhibits the same Paul-like craftiness, which is an element of his game we haven’t seen much of during his first six seasons. He can get into the same space and elevate making him that much harder to guard in the pick-and-roll.
Wall uses the Gortat screen to attack Kevin Love’s feet then quickly stops on a dime with a beautiful fade, pull-up. Notice the release point and how no one is close to contesting it.
Russell Westbrook’s halfcourt explosion
Westbrook’s dominance in the pick-and-roll, and his overall game, starts and ends with his explosion. He’s also so dynamic at the rim with both hands, especially his left. That ability to finish with power and speed around the rim separates him from other great point guards.
Wall’s pick-and-roll numbers have skyrocketed across the board this year. He’s averaging 9.8 points per game 0.87 points per possession out of the pick-and-roll, compared to 6.8 points per game and 0.73 points per possession a year ago. He also has a 49.6 effective field goal percentage out of the pick-and-roll, compared to 42.3 percent last season. Here, Wall shows off the Westbrook-like explosiveness trying to dunk on the Knicks 7-foot-3 big man Kristaps Porzingis with the left hand.
Here is another incredible effort when he gains momentum using the Gortat screen to finish with the left-handed dunk.
LeBron James’ anticipation in the open-court
Lebron James is perhaps the best transition scorer the NBA has ever seen. His ability to anticipate and get big momentum baskets off dunks is second to none. How many times have we seen King James change the complexion of a game with a steal and a dunk at the other end?
Wall was ninth in the NBA in steals last year and has jumped up to second behind Chris Paul this year averaging 2.2 per game. To be a great defensive player in terms of steals, you need great anticipation and Wall has shown that at an elite level this year.
This one is not a steal, but it may have well been as Wall takes the offensive rebound and recognizes the Knicks do not have anyone back on defense. He puts on the afterburner and closes out a close game on the road.
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Wall has benefitted from increased frequency in the pick-and-roll and that has helped him boost his offensive numbers, but he’s making winning plays and tapping into some skills eerily similar to some of the greats to ever play the game. It certainly appears Wall is taking a leap and he’s bringing the Wizards franchise with him.