Will this be John Walls breakout year?

[GhostX]

I admit when i saw his HS mixtape i hailed him as the 2nd coming of Drose but with greater defensive potential (mainly shot blocking). But he has dissapointed and looks oc most of the time when i catch a wizards game. IDK if just adding 2 veteran bigs around him will propel him to another tier but he does still have a high ceiling imo. What do you guys think ? 15ppg 5ast per game

[Brovva Blaqq]

I don't think he will ever have a breakout season - definitely not in Washington.

[Optms]

12 ppg 4ast? Was that a typo?

Anyway. There is no reason not think he isn't going to break out this year. The Wizards have removed their cancers and occupied them with solid vets like Ariza and Nene. He along with the team played better last year once the moves were made and Beal was an excellent addition. Unless he has injury set backs, its highly likely he will excel this year.

[Morten Jensen]

Let's put it this way: He has every chance to break out this season with all the dumb guys gone. So if he doesn't, it's all on him for a change.

Having said that, I think he will.

[TheNewEra]

No excuses this team is built for him defenders shooters he'll I would go as far as to see there is no excuse he should not make the playoffs. He has the starting unit built for it with low post defender, a low post mid range shooter, perimeter defender and shooter/scorer and all he has to do s play make make the defense collapse on him.

Wizards don't have amazing depth but they have enough to make it in the east.

[Money23]

if he struggles Lakers will trade Nash for Wall and Wall will break out then lol

[orangeparka]

He is nothing like Rose. Rose is an excellent finisher and has good offensive polish. Wall is nothing like that.

He's good at getting to the rim and drawing fouls though. If he finally improves his jumper this season and gains some overall offensive polish while learning to play in a half-court setting, there's no reason why he shouldn't break out.

To be completely honest, I just don't see it happening though. He has all the physical tools though, so it's hard to tell.

[bledredwine]

Yeah, Wall will break-out this year... it's his 3rd year, which is often the breakout year. All he has to do is just take that jumper (from 0-10) from a 1 to a 3 on the scale.

Having said that, it's hard to not be disappointed with Wall's first two years as he basically was given the keys to the team (unlike say, E. T.). The D Rose comparisons are really stupid. They have speed in common, that's it. Rose is more athletic, much stronger and a stronger finisher, even faster (healthy), plays better D, and of course has a much better shot.

At his best, I expect Wall to be a 20-22 PPG player with 8 assists on a mediocre team.... which is excellent of course. I just don't believe that he'll be able to acquire a reliable jumper and get to that top tier of players where IMO Kyrie, D-Rose, and Westbrook will be in a couple of years.

This year? Wall will have 17-18 PPG and 8 assists.

My issue from watching Wall is that he really has to mature. Maybe this'll be the better year, because he has been playing with idiots.

[koolguy]

he'd be a bust in my books if he doesn't break out this year.

[branny]

No more excuses, he has a decent team this year

[dangermouse]

At the conclusion of their training sessions with the Olympic team, several members of the Select Team lauded Wall for his play. Indiana Pacers forward Paul George said the standouts from the week were Cleveland Cavaliers rookie of the year Kyrie Irving, Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward and Wall.

“John showed everything — his playmaking ability, his open court speed and his shooting,” George said. “I really think he opened a lot of eyes on his shooting.”

Wall was able to hit pull-up jumpers from 18-feet and knock down open looks when defenders rolled under screens. After shooting just 29.7 percent on shots outside of the restricted area, Wall made improving his jumper a priority in the offseason. He even hired former Wizards shooting coach Dave Hopla to help him with his form and he could see the results in the later scrimmages.

“He basically told me to follow through and don’t fade away too much,” Wall said of Hopla. “I fade away like I’m Kobe or somebody that’s been working on it for years. If you’re not a good shooter, you’ve got to stick to those basic ways and then you can take those type of shots. I’m just trying to get back to the basics of just staying straight up and down and shoot the ball.”

With a real training camp, no more Nick Young and McGee, a coach that gets through to him... Wall is primed for a breakout. If Beal turns out to be even a decent starting SG, that bodes well for Wall too. My prediction is, for the first 2 months or so, we will see something similar to rookie year Wall when he looked good but not great, then after that he will hit a new level.

[Lakersmylife]

I think he'll be pretty good this season. Maybe 18-20 PPG/3 RPG/7-8 APG. Wizards could sneak into the playoffs.

[nate33]

The D Rose comparisons are really stupid. They have speed in common, that's it. Rose is more athletic, much stronger and a stronger finisher, even faster (healthy), plays better D, and of course has a much better shot.

The stats suggest Wall is a better finisher. Wall made 62% of his shots at the rim, Rose made just 58% last year and 60% the year before. And this despite Wall having to finish against tougher interior defense because opposing defenses can pack the lane (since neither Wall nor his teammates can shoot from the perimeter). Wall also averaged .45 free throws per shot attempt (compared to Rose's .34).

I also challenge the notion that Rose is a better defender, though defense is harder to prove with statistics.

Rose is a much better midrange shooter. That's the dramatic difference in their games. If Wall ever learns to shoot a respectable percentage from midrange, there's no reason at all to think that he won't be roughly as good as a healthy Rose. Wall also has better court vision.

[GhostsOfGil]

The stats suggest Wall is a better finisher. Wall made 62% of his shots at the rim, Rose made just 58% last year and 60% the year before. And this despite Wall having to finish against tougher interior defense because opposing defenses can pack the lane (since neither Wall nor his teammates can shoot from the perimeter). Wall also averaged .45 free throws per shot attempt (compared to Rose's .34).

I also challenge the notion that Rose is a better defender, though defense is harder to prove with statistics.

Rose is a much better midrange shooter. That's the dramatic difference in their games. If Wall ever learns to shoot a respectable percentage from midrange, there's no reason at all to think that he won't be roughly as good as a healthy Rose. Wall also has better court vision.

Well said Nate. Also @bledredwine, I doubt Wall will average 20+ ppg. With the addition of Nene Okafor and Beal, Wall will be able to play his more natural style as a pass first point guard. I'm still a firm believer that EVEN if wall doesn't improve his outside shot, he can still be a game changer with his passing. Im expecting 18ppg and 9-10 assists with a SLIGHT bump in efficiency.

[nmabdi28]

hope so!