Official John Wall Appreciation Thread

[Higga]

His per 36 numbers are ridiculous; about 23 ppg and 9 assists. I'm not sure we could have asked for a better start from a player who missed 33 games.

Well guys usually take that jump into superstardom in their third season, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Wall has taken that step(or is on the verge of taking it)but we're just now seeing it obviously due to the injury.

Hope he can keep it up...

[Ruzious]

Wall actually hits a decent number of his "jumpshots" when it's a set shot. His problem seems to be with the actual jumping part; we've all seen how he tends to fire when he's coming down, which I suspect is the cause of his decreased accuracy. It's a timing thing, one he doesn't have to worry about with free throws.

Yup, that's the same problem that MKG has - it's actually worse with MKG. Their HS coaches should have nipped that in the bud. Imagine those 2 with good jump shots.

[JonathanJoseph]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

What the hell are you talking about JonathanJoseph, what indicates that Wall has a low Bball IQ? It it because his jumper isn't where you want it?

[B-easy]

haha he is just trolling us.

[B-easy]

For what its worth, Wall's PER is at 24.45, per 36 he is averaging 21/11.

Though I highly doubt he can keep up those number when he starts getting more minutes.

[DaRealHibachi]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

You almost had me fooled...

He just forgot the green font guys...

[fishercob]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

When you strip away some of the histrionics, I am afraid I agree with much of the concern espoused in this post. I thought Wall was more bad than good against the Kings, particularly in the second half.

He seems to have a chip on his shoulder -- he's trying to prove to the world he can shoot from the outside and is trying to will himself to do so. But that's a "me" attitude and not a team-focused one. He has to recognize that there were much better offensive options than many of the shots he hoisted in the 2h, and as a pg he needs to facilitate more of those shots.

Until he fixes the mechanics on that broken jumper, he needs to play much more of a Rondo game and needs to play much more user control. Even when the wild forays to the basket don't yield turnovers, he gets himself way out of position and leaves the D very vulnerable to runouts.

Tough matchup a the rest of this trip. Could get ugly.

[Upper Decker]

I'm really sad about walls jumper. It looks worse than last year. Some of the junk he threw up against sacramento was just terrible. Worst collection of jump shots I've seen from a player in a single game in my life. It made me realize he's likely never going to fix the jumper. Apparently thats all he worked on all summer and fall. If thats the case how can it be so bad?

[Induveca]

I can't be mad at the guy....the team has gone from being lethargic to decisive/fast/confident since his return.

His presence on the court in practice/games has made a noticeable difference for all players.

[GhostsOfGil]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

When you strip away some of the histrionics, I am afraid I agree with much of the concern espoused in this post. I thought Wall was more bad than good against the Kings, particularly in the second half.

He seems to have a chip on his shoulder -- he's trying to prove to the world he can shoot from the outside and is trying to will himself to do so. But that's a "me" attitude and not a team-focused one. He has to recognize that there were much better offensive options than many of the shots he hoisted in the 2h, and as a pg he needs to facilitate more of those shots.

Until he fixes the mechanics on that broken jumper, he needs to play much more of a Rondo game and needs to play much more user control. Even when the wild forays to the basket don't yield turnovers, he gets himself way out of position and leaves the D very vulnerable to runouts.

Tough matchup a the rest of this trip. Could get ugly.

I agree. He made some great drive and dish passes, but when he decides to isolate and create offense for himself, its painful to watch.

[nate33]

Wall is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I'm very impressed to see how quickly he has regained his old form with respect to driving the basket, and he looks like he is an even better passer than last year. He made 2 or 3 incredible assists last night - the type of assists that average PG's simply don't see. His defense looks good too, though he wasn't quite prepared to guard a surprisingly quick Jimmer Fredette.

On the other hand, his jumper is still completely broken. He simply can't move into the top tier of PG's unless he fixes it. I was really hoping that his mechanics would improve since he had so long to work on it, but the mechanics are still awful.

[fishercob]

Wall is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I'm very impressed to see how quickly he has regained his old form with respect to driving the basket, and he looks like he is an even better passer than last year. He made 2 or 3 incredible assists last night - the type of assists that average PG's simply don't see. His defense looks good too, though he wasn't quite prepared to guard a surprisingly quick Jimmer Fredette.

On the other hand, his jumper is still completely broken. He simply can't move into the top tier of PG's unless he fixes it. I was really hoping that his mechanics would improve since he had so long to work on it, but the mechanics are still awful.

WHile his skillset is indeed a mixed bag, my cause for concern is Wall's application of those skills. Wall having a shaky jumper is one thing, but him forcing said shaky jumper when there are much better options available, is a larger issue.

I'm very wary of ISO'ing wall at the top of the floor, even if it;s against someone who he has an athletic advantage against. He forces the issue and often takes either out-of-control runs to the basket or bad jumpers. I much prefer to see him in pick and roll situations where he has a clear set of options -- hit the roll man, finish at the rim, or find a shooter in the corner. I also like Wall coming off of screens b/c he's much harder to defend when he has a running start.

Wall and the coaches need to be honest with themselves about what Wall can and can't do and they need to run the team accordingly.

[TGW]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

Just curious--why is the team playing MUCH better basketball with him in the lineup as opposed to him being out? If he's a ballhogging, out-of-control, clown with no ability to run a team, why is he a +14 when he's on the floor?

I'm not buying this emotional rant. I agree that the jumpshot is off, but I'm not seeing the rest of what you're claiming.

[Nivek]

You guys are making good points. Wall has adequate assets to be a good PG. Not top-shelf until he learns how to shoot, but good. But fish is exactly right, it will require thoughtful application of those assets.

Taking long 2pt attempts is a bad idea unless you can hit half of them. If you're going to shoot 20-30% on long jumpers, take those jumpers from 3pt range. Better still, don't take that shot at all, except as a last resort. Penetrate, dish, set up teammates, run the offense.

[AFM]

Beal @ the corner 3 + Wall slashing = money all damn day...

[fishercob]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

Just curious--why is the team playing MUCH better basketball with him in the lineup as opposed to him being out? If he's a ballhogging, out-of-control, clown with no ability to run a team, why is he a +14 when he's on the floor?

I'm not buying this emotional rant. I agree that the jumpshot is off, but I'm not seeing the rest of what you're claiming.

I don't think this is a fair or accurate characterization. Firstly, they beat OKC without him. Secondly, AJ Price had his best two games of the season in Wall's first two games back, which leads me to believe that the matchup just weren't all that tough. I don't think the data supports that they're much better with him on the floor, but even if it did that wouldn't necessarily reflect causality.

[Nivek]

I still don't know what some of you are watching. I keep coming back to the same description for Wall: Fool's Gold.

I'm depressed because I don't think Wall will ever be a winning NBA player. He's a super athlete but just not a PG. You just can't have a PG who can't shoot and has no basketball IQ. As Flip Saunders used to say, PGs are born not made and John Wall was not born with those traits.

I see that everyone is all excited about the statistics and I do think Wall could be an elite defensive player, but that's not what makes for a championship PG.

To be specific, he's a guy who can't shoot but still looks for his shot and takes numerous low % jumpers early in the shot clock, too many possessions where no other players touch the ball on offense, too many out of control drives where he ends up falling on the floor, still no feel for tempo or running a basketball team. You never see any of those things from a CP3, Rondo or even Kyrie Irving or Dame Lillard. Those things aren't learned from experience because those are things PGs are born with.

SVG was correct.

Just curious--why is the team playing MUCH better basketball with him in the lineup as opposed to him being out? If he's a ballhogging, out-of-control, clown with no ability to run a team, why is he a +14 when he's on the floor?

I'm not buying this emotional rant. I agree that the jumpshot is off, but I'm not seeing the rest of what you're claiming.

Addressed this in the blog yesterday. In the first two games of Wall's return, the Wizards offense was significantly worse when he was on the floor. Offensive rating of 98 when he was on the floor; 113 overall in those games. The defense was better when he played, but not by as much as it would look when glancing at the numbers on 82games. When he was on the floor in those two games, they had a drtg (pts allowed per possession x 100) of 91. Their drtg for those two games: 93.

[montestewart]

Wall is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I'm very impressed to see how quickly he has regained his old form with respect to driving the basket, and he looks like he is an even better passer than last year. He made 2 or 3 incredible assists last night - the type of assists that average PG's simply don't see. His defense looks good too, though he wasn't quite prepared to guard a surprisingly quick Jimmer Fredette.

On the other hand, his jumper is still completely broken. He simply can't move into the top tier of PG's unless he fixes it. I was really hoping that his mechanics would improve since he had so long to work on it, but the mechanics are still awful.

WHile his skillset is indeed a mixed bag, my cause for concern is Wall's application of those skills. Wall having a shaky jumper is one thing, but him forcing said shaky jumper when there are much better options available, is a larger issue.

I'm very wary of ISO'ing wall at the top of the floor, even if it;s against someone who he has an athletic advantage against. He forces the issue and often takes either out-of-control runs to the basket or bad jumpers. I much prefer to see him in pick and roll situations where he has a clear set of options -- hit the roll man, finish at the rim, or find a shooter in the corner. I also like Wall coming off of screens b/c he's much harder to defend when he has a running start.

Wall and the coaches need to be honest with themselves about what Wall can and can't do and they need to run the team accordingly.

Good points. In addition to taking bad jump shots or getting called for the charge, he's still playing a style that maybe loses the ball too much. On the plus side, in this small sample, he is getting to the line more and making more assists. I'll take those turnovers if he's feeding more teammate scoring, but he really has to stop taking those momentum killing shots, and the team needs openly coach as if him taking such shots is a big liability.

[AFM]

His assists in the SAC game were sick. I thought I was watching Rondo send a perfect bounce pass to a cutting Garnett rather than Wall to Nene. That pass to Nene for the and 1 was awesome. Great passes to the corner 3's for Beal (and Ariza but he missed all of his open looks). He really is a pure PG in a scoring PG's body.