What do you think of John Wall's performance so far?

[JWaLL]

For those who didn't watch and will only analyze his game based on the stats you are seeing, don't even bother. Anyway, here's my analysis.

 

The Good: Wall so far has completely taken control of all 3 games he has played in so far. He plays like a veteran NBA player has proven to be a true point guard finding open teammates at will. His quickness is seemingly unguardable, and he can get to the rim and finish at will, as well as draw contact when attacking the basket to get to the line. He makes very smart decisions when he is in control and has proven to make his his teammates better. Cartier Martin, for example, looked like Ray Allen out there knocking down his 3s when receiving wide open looks from Wall. Wall and McGee are looking to be a fierce duo in the making for the upcoming season, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in action. Despite the struggles with Wall's jumpshot, he has a nice sweetspot on the floor in the elbow jumper and has been able to hit that fairly consistently. To put it simply, John Wall is a pure point guard who can score at will when he needs to, and will be a huge asset to the Wizards this season. He is the player of our future and I expect great things from him.

 

The Bad: Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. He did a better job in his third game, but he had 8 a piece in his first two games. These turnovers usually resulted in Wall becoming too wild when bringing the ball up, trying to turn too many plays into fastbreak opportunities when that wasn't the given situation. He needs to learn to calm down and keep the tempo of the game more controlled when he has the ball. His other turnovers resulted in the inability of the receiver of his quick passes to control the ball, which rewarded Wall with the turnover stat. He had the right idea on many of his plays, but the stat sheet won't always show that. Wall also needs a LOT of work on his jumpshot. At times, his misses are horrendous. Some of his mid range shots smack hard against the backboard resulting in an ugly miss. At times when Wall's options are limited on offense, he will force an ill-advised fadeaway jumper, which usually doesn't connect. Outside the elbow jumper, his hot spots are limited as far as his shot goes. His shot mechanics are decent so he has the potential to develop a decent jumper, but it's going to take some time. For now, I'd rather him not rely on it during crucial situations.

 

Overall grade so far: B

 

I like what I see, the potential is there and his ceiling is extremely high. He just needs to work on ball security and his jumpshot primarily. I expect great things from him in the near future. We play the Hornets tonight, so Wall will have his work cut out for him having to guard Darren Collison.

Edited July 16, 2010 by JWaLL

[Built Ford Tough]

We play the Hornets tonight, so Wall will have his work cut out for him having to guard Darren Collison.

 

I'm pretty excited to watch this matchup as well. I haven't caught many SL games other than the two of the three Raptors games (watching the Raps/Kings games right now) and bits and pieces of games here and there, but I don't plan on doing anything tonight as I work tomorrow morning and night, so I plan on basically doing nothing but watching SL games on Raptors TV, and that game is on after the Raptor one. That should be a very intriguing matchup.

 

As for your comments about Wall, I obviously can't comment on how Wall has played in the SL, but from the sounds of it, he has basically played how he did on college and the same questions/concerns apply to him. I'll try to post some comments while watching the game, but it is hard to actually get any sort of conclusion about a player from watching 1 SL game.

[JWaLL]

I'm pretty excited to watch this matchup as well. I haven't caught many SL games other than the two of the three Raptors games (watching the Raps/Kings games right now) and bits and pieces of games here and there, but I don't plan on doing anything tonight as I work tomorrow morning and night, so I plan on basically doing nothing but watching SL games on Raptors TV, and that game is on after the Raptor one. That should be a very intriguing matchup.

 

As for your comments about Wall, I obviously can't comment on how Wall has played in the SL, but from the sounds of it, he has basically played how he did on college and the same questions/concerns apply to him. I'll try to post some comments while watching the game, but it is hard to actually get any sort of conclusion about a player from watching 1 SL game.

Unfortunately Darren Collison left the Summer League to go back to UCLA to work on his degree, so Wall is matched up against Maurice Ager. Wall's playing decently so far, not as good as he was last night but definitely decent.

[JWaLL]

Nevermind, John beasted tonight.

Edited July 17, 2010 by JWaLL

[Wall2Wall]

The Good:

Wall is showing everyone he's a pure point guard with a pass-first mentality. He dished out 28 assists in his first three games. He really knows where his teammates are. Wall and McGee are becoming a deadly PG-C combination. The Wizards fall apart when Wall is not in the game or does not touch the ball on a possession. He seems to have somewhat learned to run the halfcourt offense a lot faster than expected. He is getting better and better at the pick and roll game. Playing at the pro level does not seem to have slowed Wall down one bit. He is the fastest and quickest player on the court at all times. All of the moves he did at high school and college are also working for him in the NBA. He's got a lot of killer crossovers moves. Nobody can guard the guy without committing a foul. This guy finished strong. He really knows how to draw contact/fouls. He has also improved his free throw shooting tremendously, shooting over 87% from the line. Wall is very clutch. He demands the ball in his hands, but for the sakes of winning the game, not to be selfish. He's shown he can take over games and play 1-on-5 if his team is struggling. Wall may be one of the smartest players we've seen in a while. He's constantly running his mouth to his teammates. Just great overall IQ and court vision...he really knows the game of basketball. Wall has a great heart. He hates to lose. He dives for lose balls, contests every shot, and gives it 110% all the time. He has great work ethic. He's a really nice, humble guy. He brings a winning mentality. He makes everyone around him better. On defense, Wall is a pain to try to get around. He has a nose for the ball when playing off-ball, and has the quickness and awareness to jump in passing lanes and pick them off. He forces a lot of turnovers. On the ball, he is extremely tenacious. He does not leave his man alone. If his opposition takes his eye off the ball for a split second, Wall is going to pick his pocket in a heartbeat. He can guard both guard positions. His 39" vertical leap helps him soar to block shots. Wall plays with a lot of energy. One of his key elements is the fact that he is just as good with his left as he is with his right hand.

 

The Bad:

Wall hasn't yet developed a consistent jump shot. There are times where he looks like he's on fire, then he goes on streaks of 0-4, 0-5 shooting. He seems to get frustrated at times. Wall, as of right not, is a bad three point shooter...has two airballs already in four games. A dominant mid-range game is also lacking. He doesn't have a signature runner yet. Wall can get out of control sometimes, trying to use his athleticism only and can get carried away. His passes are almost always on target, but his decision making can be questionable sometimes.

 

Other Comments:

Both of his two biggest weaknesses (outside shot, turnovers) are common in rookies and are the easiest parts of the game to improve on. In his first two games, he had a total of 16 turnovers. In his last two, he had a total of just five. A bad game for John Wall (mainly because he shot around 25% from the field) is one where he still had 21 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. If his teammates are not getting it done, he can turn the switch and become a prolific scorer (scored 31 points last game to lead Washington back from a 16-point deficit). John Wall will be the best point guard in the NBA. He's certainly got the mindset to be at least. Oh, and, he's got the skills as well.

Edited July 17, 2010 by Bean Burrito

[JWaLL]

His passes are almost always on target, but his decision making can be questionable sometimes.

I actually think you have that backwards. Wall has the right idea with almost all of his passes, but a lot of times they either come as a surprise to his target recipient, or the pass is just too wild and ends up not going straight to his designated target. He has the right idea, and with the development of his chemistry with the team, those mistakes will lessen immensely.

[Wall2Wall]

I actually think you have that backwards. Wall has the right idea with almost all of his passes, but a lot of times they either come as a surprise to his target recipient, or the pass is just too wild and ends up not going straight to his designated target. He has the right idea, and with the development of his chemistry with the team, those mistakes will lessen immensely.

Okay let's both rephrase this part. By decision making I mean a dumb pass he lobs up (while in mid-air) to McGee, or a 100mph ball to a player not looking. And there are times where he leads a player, but the player is not aware of that play. I don't think they're off target, they just make you shake your head like "Whyyy did you throw that ball over there?" But like you said, it's all about chemistry. And he got better at it already.

[*Swish*]

He's great. Yeah he's having a lot of turnovers but he's having a monster summer league! he already got a triple double! he already scored 30 points and already got over 10 assists! got to love how he plays and his ability to score the basketball in traffic. I also like how he teams up with McGee. these two combine for a lot of points and are a great scoring and energetic duo

[Klashnekoff]

Wizards never deserved him .. all I want to say on that .. U screw up the team and then get a get out of jail card

[*Swish*]

Wizards never deserved him .. all I want to say on that .. U screw up the team and then get a get out of jail card

stop crying because you didn't get him

[Real Deal]

I'm not going to analyze his game too much, mainly because it's the Summer League, but Wall has shown that he can run an offense. He's not your typical Leandro Barbosa, full speed ahead, scoring and nothing else. His passes are really nice, and the bad decisions he does make will eliminate themselves once he starts playing with his teammates more (and better quality teammates as well).

 

Wall has missed a lot of wide-open shots, but that will eventually come to him. Maybe just nerves. He's fumbled the ball a couple of times, where any other normal high school or college player would've kept control of it, so you have to assume a great deal of it is due to just trying to impress and be perfect.

 

Once he calms down and starts playing in an offense with legit starters, things will change, and he will be one of the most dangerous point guards in the NBA in 2-3 seasons.

[Multi-Billionaire]

Wall is Rajon Rondo with much better scoring awareness... nuff said

[JWaLL]

Wizards never deserved him .. all I want to say on that .. U screw up the team and then get a get out of jail card

Want me to help you pry that stick out your [expletive]?

[Wall2Wall]

Not a bad way to start his NBA career, as he won the Summer League Most Outstanding Player award. http://www.washingtonwizardsblog.com/2010/07/19/wall-named-summer-league-most-outstanding-player/

[Klashnekoff]

lol Brandon Knights better then this kid anyway.

[JWaLL]

lol Brandon Knights better then this kid anyway.

If Wall had been playing for New Jersey this summer league you would be sucking his dick right now. Get out of here you [expletive]ing jealous homer.

[AboveLegit]

Flip Saunders said it best, when you mix potential with talent and a good attitude, you have a special player.

 

As long as he maintains that great work ethic and mentality, he will have a great career.

[Wall2Wall]

lol Nate you're still not over the lottery? Man, this is like when the Spurs got Tim Duncan (they had the 3rd best chance to win it, but they already had David Robinson). Just be prepared for the Wizards to sweep your Nets year after year.