Expectations for Wall

[pancakes3]

nash and paul's "passing" comes from their ability to penetrate, and deron is making his living off the pick/roll. the only points more "pure" are guys who can't score and are forced to pass - guys like rondo, kidd, andre miller, steve blake, etc.

[WallToWall]

I expect nothing less than a double-double every game. Ok, I'll be a bit more realistic, first season...16pts, 7 ass, 2.5 steals, 1.2 TO, 6rbs.

I keep wondering if Wall would be better in a triangle offense versus a pick-and-roll. GA, Blatche, Wall, and Miller can hit that jumper, and they all move well (they can learn to move well without the ball, right?). Wall could benefit from the added movement of the ball. It does take the ball out of his hands where he can do creative things, but much like Kobe and the Lakers, the triangle can be adjusted to suit Wall.

[montestewart]

nash and paul's "passing" comes from their ability to penetrate, and deron is making his living off the pick/roll. the only points more "pure" are guys who can't score and are forced to pass - guys like rondo, kidd, andre miller, steve blake, etc.

Agreed; I'm not worried by the comments. When he's actually practicing with the team, we'll get a better look at how things might pan out.

[verbal8]

nash and paul's "passing" comes from their ability to penetrate, and deron is making his living off the pick/roll. the only points more "pure" are guys who can't score and are forced to pass - guys like rondo, kidd, andre miller, steve blake, etc.

Agreed; I'm not worried by the comments. When he's actually practicing with the team, we'll get a better look at how things might pan out.

After all Jamison did like to talk a lot about defense. Although I think his shortcomings were due to athletic limitations rather than focus.

[Kanyewest]

Wiz trademark defense or not, his jumper looked real good.
Not a lot of misses in that vid (edited out? or just not there
in a practice?)

I know it was just a workout, but he looked explosive just
going at half speed. Nice x-over.

This is very exciting. If they don't take this kid, heads should roll.

And while I do have concerns about both players needing the ball,
I think they'll get it worked out, him and Gil that is. They both want to
win.

It didn't look like Wall was going full speed so that would explain a lot of his makes. That guy who pretends to defend him isn't playing much defense either .

[KF10]

Im guessing he will put up similar numbers next season to what Tyreke Evans put up this season.

I doubt it.

Evans came to the league as one of the most NBA-ready mentality/body rookie in the last couple of decades.

Not saying it is totally impossible for Wall but I wouldn't bet on it though. I would say he will have a similar rookie season as Rose and make a jump to all star territory by his 2nd year (like Rose).

[AgentOvechkin08]

I think he will have over 15 ppg and at least 6 assists.

I am watching this game 3 LA and BOS...and man seeing rondo giving so much room because NOBODY respects his shot and with good reason.

John Wall is Rondo but is taller and is a better shooter than him and seems to be working every day on improving it. Cuz if he has a decent jumper mid range then defenders have to respect it but than will be blown by if they get too close by because of his speed and explosive first step....oh am i drooling for next season.

[RickRoll_inDC]

I'm watching game 3 as well, AgentOvechkin08 , and I'm thinking the same thing. Kobe wasn't extending past 15 feet. At least in practice, Wall had solid range out to about 20 feet. Wall should be better than Rondo by his 2nd year.

[Halcyon]

Yup I was thinking the same thing watching game 3. Even though Wall won't have quite the shooters as Rondo does, nobody is going to be able to just leave him wide open like that.

[closg00]

DX has their Situational Statistics on this-years PG's. Re: Wall:

Looking at John Wall’s ranks amongst this group from a situational standpoint may not yield the results one would expect from a player slated to go first overall and make an immediate impact, but it does reaffirm what we know about his weaknesses. In some ways, Wall’s lack of great efficiency reminds us of Tyreke Evans’ (they have the same 0.88 overall points per-possession average).

Our data shows that Wall’s catch and shoot jump shot is as inconsistent it appears, as he shoots a meager 31% on such attempts. He does fare a bit better off the dribble, hitting pull-ups at a rate just below 40%. Wall’s lack of perimeter consistency limited his efficiency in spot up situations last season, and the overtures of analysts about the form on his jump shot allowing him to develop into a reliable shooter will make Wall’s shooting a key component of his maturation as a player to keep an eye on.

Wall’s numbers don’t look bad in half court situations, but they aren’t great either. He turned the ball over on 21.8% of his half court possessions last season, the second highest rate amongst our sample. Additionally, his points per-possession in spot up, isolation, and pick and roll situations all ranked a bit below average. Looking back at his season at Kentucky, all the little things that Wall did to help his team win don’t show up here. On the NBA level, he’ll benefit greatly from the hand-check rules.

Looking at Wall’s situational strengths, it is clear that John Calipari’s up-tempo offense was built for an athlete of Wall’s caliber. 32.3% of his 18.3 offensive possessions per-game came on the fast break, the highest percentage amongst all point guards. Wall finished those transition opportunities at an above average 58.2% clip and was fouled on 14.2% of those shots. His 3.02 finishing opportunities per game and 50.9% shooting at the rim are also fairly solid. Though Calipari allowed Wall to showcase his gifts in the open floor, his system afforded him only 1.7 pick and roll possessions each game, substantially less touches in the two-man game than we’ll likely see from Wall next season.

On the whole, Wall’s 0.88 overall points per-possession are not too impressive, but when you consider his playmaking, elite size and quickness, intangibles, and potential on both ends of the floor, it is fair to expect him to improve on that statistic as he makes the transition to the NBA game.

[Kanyewest]

Yup I was thinking the same thing watching game 3. Even though Wall won't have quite the shooters as Rondo does, nobody is going to be able to just leave him wide open like that.

Rondo is an advantageous situation right now. Even though they are on the decline, Rondo is playing with 3 hall of fame players and their 5th guy in Perkins is somewhere in the top 5-8 centers in the league. Because Rondo is playing with great talent, he can save his energy on the defensive end. It also remains to be seen whether Wall will be anywhere close to the rebounder that Rondo is who already has had 2 triple doubles in the postseason.

But yeah, if the Wizards can put a similar supporting cast around Wall, they could be damn good, provided ofcourse Wall is as good of defender as advertised. Of course, problems with the potential core include-

1) Who is the best fit with John Wall at the 2 and 3? The Celtics right now have Rondo, Allen, and Pierce. The Wizards right now have Wall, Arenas, and Al Thorton. Advantage Celtics
2) Do the Wizards have enough big bodies to go against someone like the Lakers? At this point, probably not, unless you are counting on great improvements from Blatche and McGee. Celtics have 4 reliable big men, KG, Perkins, Wallace (at least in the postseason), and Glen Davis and it wouldn't hurt them to have another one on their roster. The Wizards right now have McGee and Blatche.
3) The Wizards could put a lot of talent around Wall, but they also have to have the chemistry. The ability to make the extra pass, the ability to take and make shots (Millers struggles taking the shots, someone like Nick Young struggles making them consistently), and of course mental toughness.
4) Does coaching have to do with Rondo's defense, ie Tom Thibodeau. Can Flip bring out the best out of Wall on both sides of the court?

[Donkey McDonkerton]

$25 mil deal with reebok...WOW, bring back the pumps!

[GhostsOfGil]

$25 mil deal with reebok...WOW, bring back the pumps!

wow 5 year deal. there putting alot faith into this man!

[Rafael122]

Blake Griffin must be pissed. That shoe deal for Wall should tide him over until his rookie contract ends.

He's already got what...$45 million in the bank with his rookie contract and shoe deal?

[keynote]

I hope Reebok gives Wall better quality shoes than they gave AI. Reebok has a well-earned reputation for making shoes that don't measure up to the performance standard set by market leaders Nike and Adidas.

i can personally attest to Reebok's crappy quality. I used to own a pair of Iverson's "Answer 1s" back when they first came out:


After only two weeks of indoor use on a hardcourt surface (I never wore 'em outside), one of the shoes literally ripped apart along the seam while I was wearing them. I tried to return the shoe to FootAction; they told me to call Reebok. I called Reebok; they told me to take a hike.

Moreover, when I look at Reebok's current basketball footwear lineup, I see a number of cheap, low-performance shoes. At least back in the day, Reebok was still spending $ on performance-related R&D (coming up with Pump, ERS, Hexalite, DMX, and other sneaker tech); it seems as if they've been phoning it in the past few years. Frankly, I had assumed that, once Adidas bought out Reebok, they had repositioned them as a fashion/lifestyle-oriented brand (similar to what Nike has done with Converse). Of course, that strategy may have changed, now that Reebok is pushing this new ZigTech sole technology.

So, while I guess I'm glad to see Wall get the money - and while I'm sure the Wizards will benefit from a Wall-centric Reebok marketing campaign - I'd feel a little more comfortable with Wall playing in Nikes or Adidas. But who knows? Maybe they'll whip up some Reebok ZigTech kicks for Wall - and maybe they won't suck. Either way, I hope the Wizards' trainers have the wherewithal to step in and ban certain sneakers if they don't reach certain standards of performance, the way the Pistons' trainer does.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

There's always going to be defects or one show that rips...but it doesnt get any better than

[keynote]

There's always going to be defects or one show that rips...but it doesnt get any better than

Heh. I had a pair of Pumps when I was in high school. Good times.

Nostalgia aside, I hope Wall doesn't get saddled with Pumps. They're fun to pump (and fun to rock with jeans if you're a retro 90s hipster) but they're heavy as all get out - specially the early ones w/ ERS in the sole. The Pumps w/ Hexalite are a little lighter, but still nowhere near as light as Nike's line of guard shoes (e.g., the Zoom Kobe V) - or Adidas' TS Creators, for that matter.

I don't think that Pump tech can be used in a legitimate performance-oriented guard shoe, unless they dramatically streamline the design. I suppose it's fine for bigs who prioritize stability and cushioning, but that's about it.

[keynote]

There's always going to be defects or one show that rips...

I would also say that those Answer 1s were the last straw for me. Prior to that, I wore a pair of Reebok Shaqs with poorly designed arch support that hurt my feet. I've worn other Reeboks before that - and I've never owned a pair of Reebok didn't have some performance flaw. After my crappy experience with the Answer 1s, I finally gave up. I haven't purchased or worn a pair of Reeboks since.

Anyway, I'm well OT at this point. I'm sure I can find some other forum to vent about sneaker stuff.

[Hoopalotta]

Anyway, I'm well OT at this point. I'm sure I can find some other forum to vent about sneaker stuff.

I don't know, count me as concerned if Wall's going to wrap some wooden clogs around his tooties.

I'm hoping if they're shelling out $25 million they're also planning to revitalize the brand with some quality kicks.

It seems that I've read that Nike makes shoes custom to the foot of their guys as well.

[pancakes3]

i'm sure lebron's "entertainment group" is disappointed that wall isn't signing with nike.