There’s a thin line between confidence and delusion. John Wall has crossed it with his opinion of the Wizards’ prospects for the 2018-19 season.
John Wall is a terrific point guard, but he shouldn’t become an NBA GM anytime soon. His belief that the Wizards are on equal footing with the Celtics, Raptors and 76ers proves he doesn’t have a good understanding of what constitutes a good NBA roster.
Wall admits that Boston has a “hell of a team” and that the 76ers have “great young talent” but he still like his team’s chances against anyone. He correctly points out that no one outside of LeBron James has gone to the Finals from the Eastern Conference in recent years. However, he’s still greatly overvaluing the quality of the Wizards roster.
The backcourt does have the chance to be terrific if Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal can get on the same page. In theory, they fit together like a hand and glove. Wall can break down defenses with is penetration and Beal can torch opponents from the outside. Unfortunately, rumblings about discord between the two Washington stars continue to persist. At any rate, the production of the duo never seems to live up to the theoretical potential.
The frontcourt is where Wall’s roster starts to really fall apart. The Wizards gave Otto Porter a maximum contract, but he’s miscast as anything other than a fallback option on offense. He’s a capable defender, but he’s nothing special on that end of the floor. His contract isn’t a disaster for the Wizards, but he’s definitely overpaid.
Markieff Morris can be an adequate starter at the power forward spot, but he lacks the size to really protect the rim. He’s a classic example of a player who would be a terrific first big off the bench, but is slightly below average as a starter. Again, Morris isn’t the type of player who is going to start for a team destined to make the NBA Finals.
Wall certainly seems to believe Dwight Howard will be an upgrade over Marcin Gortat at center, but that’s a huge gamble for this franchise. Howard was remarkably healthy last season, but he’s missed quite a few games over the course of his career. There’s a solid chance he’ll miss a significant portion of this season.
Even when he is healthy, there are serious questions about whether or not he’ll remain engaged for extended periods of time. Howard’s history in this regard is spotty, at best. There’s a reason so many franchises have happily shipped him out-of-town despite his production.
When you add it all up for the Wizards, they still project to be a middle of the road Playoff team in the East. It will be a real shock if they manage to climb up in the top echelon of the Conference along with the Celtics, 76ers and Raptors.
This real concern for the Wizards is that Wall might be setting himself up for a serious emotional letdown. If he truly believes they should make the Finals and they end up finishing outside the top four, it could lead to serious discontent in the Washington locker room. The Wizards should be very concerned about the delusion of their star point guard.